CHAPTER 2

Siyeon only learned the fact that she and Eunhye had been switched at birth during the winter after her twenty-fifth birthday.

Her parents had kept it a secret all this time, anticipating the shock that Siyeon would experience. However, when Gwihyeon’s grandfather opposed his marriage to Eunhye, it seemed as if her parents took that opportunity to reveal the truth. They hoped that by sharing the truth, his grandfather would agree to their marriage, understanding that while they cherished Siyeon for a long time, the real daughter was Eunhye, so they asked his grandfather to allow their marriage.

From that point on, Siyeon’s life changed drastically. At the same time as the family registry was corrected, Siyeon moved into a separate apartment, and Eunhye married Gwihyeon last spring.

Siyeon was caught off guard and had to face a series of unfortunate events all at once. Amidst the turmoil, the presence of her birth parents occupied her mind the most.

“So where are my real parents?”

“That’s…….”

Her parents from Ichon-dong hesitated, their faces showing embarrassment, but eventually gave Siyeon her biological mother’s contact information.

However, when she went to meet her biological parents, her father was already suffering from a serious illness and couldn’t recognize people, and her mother was suffering from severe depression.

Eventually, her father passed away last winter and her mother followed suit when spring came.

Not knowing how to handle her mother’s funeral, Siyeon eventually reached out to her adopted parents from Ichon-dong for help.

Thankfully, the two of them helped her understand the procedures and arrangements for her mother’s funeral, and on the first morning, Eunhye and her parents went to the funeral home. With very few people attending due to the lack of close relatives, the atmosphere at the funeral home was somber, but thanks to their guidance, Siyeon was able to properly conduct the formalities and bid her mother farewell.

On the last night of the funeral, it was truly unexpected for Ijun to show up. He had been in the United States, but as soon as he heard the news of Siyeon’s biological mother’s passing, he flew back to Korea.

Even though the funeral was for the woman who had raised his wife, Eunhye, Gwihyeon didn’t come. Yet, it was Ijun, whom Siyeon had little connection with, who appeared.

“From now on, I guess I should call you Choi Bak Bok, not Choi Siyeon.”

“How did you… know to come here……?”

Sitting alone in the empty funeral home, Siyeon even welcomed his quirky comment. She hadn’t shed a tear throughout the funeral, but when she saw Ijun’s face, it seemed like tears would start pouring out any moment. She had to muster all her strength to hold back her tears.

It wasn’t until later that she learned he hadn’t even stopped by his family home and had come straight from the airport to the funeral home.

“I did my best.”

“…”

He faintly smiled as he looked at her reddened eyes.

A strange feeling came over her. All the people closest to her had left, yet the only one remaining was Ijun, whom she had little connection with. If her life hadn’t changed so dramatically, he might have become her brother-in-law.

Ijun bowed to her biological mother, whom he had never seen before, and lit incense. He stayed by her side until the funeral arrangements were all completed.

“What do you think about living in the United States?”

“…What are you talking about?”

On a dark night, dressed in mourning attire, Ijun, who sat beside her, broke the silence after a long while.

“Do you want to come with me?”

Ijun had no intentions of making empty words. He was sincere in what he said. Perhaps he genuinely cared for her at that moment.

“…No, it’s okay.”

“…”

After a brief silence, Siyeon refused the hand he extended.

It was too insensitive to lean on someone she wasn’t even close to when she was in a bad situation, and she didn’t want to be a burden to Ijun by taking advantage of his favor.

* * *

Gwihyeon finished his meal and stood up from his seat first. When Eunhye said she would stay a bit longer, he told her he would send the driver back for her before turning away and leave.

As Eunhye saw Gwihyeon off to the entrance, she let out a happy laughter, apparently hearing something pleasant from him. That laughter reached Siyeon’s ears clearly as she sat at the dining table.

“Why didn’t you go with Gwihyeon?”

The Ichon-dong mother asked Eunhye as she returned to the dining table.

“Siyeon is here too, so I’ll stay a bit longer. We don’t get to see each other often. Siyeon, is the time okay for you?”

“That’s right, Siyeon. Since you’re here after a long time, have some tea and enjoy yourself before you leave.”

“Mom, Siyeon, and I were planning to have a little date before I leave. Is that alright?”

Eunhye reached out, holding Siyeon’s hand with a smile resembling a crescent moon. She possessed the skill of engaging people in pleasant conversations, and many who saw Eunhye liked her radiant personality without reservation.

Perhaps it was because of the unwavering love of her parents. There had never been a time in her life when she lacked the presence of reliable parents. Originally shy and reserved, Siyeon gradually became more withdrawn, while Eunhye, who naturally had a friendly personality, bloomed like a flower.

If her relationship with her adoptive parents hadn’t deteriorated so badly, maybe Siyeon would have remained a person with a beautiful smile like Eunhye.

Within a year of discovering the existence of her biological parents, Siyeon’s biological father had passed away after a prolonged illness, and her biological mother, tormented by severe depression, had taken her own life.

Before departing from this world, she left a note for her biological daughter, Siyeon, saying she didn’t want to be a burden anymore and apologized for not being able to do anything for her as a parent. All of these events had unfolded in Siyeon’s life over the past year.

“Siyeon, do you want to look at our photo album? Being together like this brings back memories, doesn’t it?”

Eunhye led Siyeon to her room and seated her on the bed, then took out a thick album from the shelf.

Siyeon was familiar with that album. After Eunhye came to the Ichon-dong house, her parents took pictures of her and Eunhye whenever they could and developed them to store in albums. She later found out that they did it not for her, but because they wanted to capture moments of their real daughter, Eunhye.

“Look. Every time you’re in a photo, your expression is always awkward. There isn’t a single picture of you smiling brightly.”

“Was I like that…?”

At that time, Siyeon was already feeling that her adoptive parents’ love was not the same as before. She smiled less, became more cautious, and increasingly yearned for her parents’ affection.

She had watched their love for her shift to other after Eunhye came to their house.

“Back then… did you resent me for coming to this house?”

“No, I didn’t. At that time, I thought you were a distant relative.”

“Ah… right. I did say we were a relative back then.”

During the summer when she was eighteen years old, her adoptive parents brought Eunhye to their Ichon-dong house, concealing the fact that she was their biological daughter and introducing her as a distant relative only. And for the next seven years, the truth about her birth remained hidden.

“Siyeon… there’s something I haven’t been able to tell you.”

Eunhye, who had been flipping through the album, suddenly spoke in a cautious tone.

“What is it?”

“You said you couldn’t understand why Mom and Dad revealed the truth late.”

“…I don’t really want to talk about that.”

Siyeon deeply resented her parents for only revealing the truth later, asking why they hadn’t told her sooner. If she had known earlier, she would have given up on Gwihyeon sooner, and most importantly, she would have had more time with her real parents.

Her biological father had passed away without even properly seeing Siyeon’s face. Among the misfortunes that had befallen her, the fact that she had spent very little time with her biological parents hurt Siyeon the most.

“There were circumstances that couldn’t be helped there. That’s why I couldn’t speak up either.”

Me too?

Siyeon turned her head, looking at Eunhye with a puzzled expression.

“Are you saying you knew about this beforehand?”

“Yeah. I knew.”

Saying that Eunhye’s expression turned apologetic.

“When did you find out?”

“Well… actually, I’ve known it since I came to this house.”

Eunhye’s words left Siyeon stunned.

“…So you mean… you knew all along, but you didn’t tell me?”

“Yeah.”

With an innocent look, Eunhye nodded.

“Why?”

Eunhye began to speak calmly, closing the album she had been looking at.

“Because my parents in Hannam-dong didn’t want it. They were worried that you, who had been living well until then, would be sent back to a poor family. Our parents couldn’t bear to separate you from them overnight, you whom they had raised since a baby. That’s why you and I ended up living together in Ichon-dong.”

“…”

“I was so nervous that you would notice, so I couldn’t say anything. But it’s all in the past now.”

Siyeon’s face stiffened as she watched Eunhye smile, reminiscing about the past.

“I also knew about you and Gwihyeon Oppa, Baekya Foods’ eldest heir. Jeong Gwihyeon, and Professor Kim’s daughter, had been predetermined to be married since then. One day, Mom told me about it. It was originally meant to be my position, but I don’t know what to say to you, now that it has come to this.”

After graduating from college, Eunhye had joined Baekya Foods and worked as Gwihyeon’s secretary, and their relationship gradually developed into something deeper.

Until now, Siyeon had thought that the closeness between the two of them had naturally developed as they worked together by chance. But, according to Eunhye’s words, she and Gwihyeon had become lovers while knowing about her and Gwihyeon’s relationship all along.

“…You’re joking, right?”

Siyeon thought Eunhye was teasing her. She couldn’t believe what she was saying.

“Why do you think I was assigned to the main office as a secretary as soon as I joined?”

“…”

“Mom asked Gwihyeon’s mother to introduce me as a distant relative. She hoped that Gwihyeon Oppa and I would become close while working together. Of course, she felt sorry for you, but it was an unbearable situation. They couldn’t send a fake like you into the Jeong family when they have their real daughter.”

It was as if she had been slapped in the head, and her mind cleared. Her adoptive mother must have taken measures in case Gwihyeon insisted on marrying Siyeon because of their long-standing attachment.

Why did her mother make things so complicated when she could have just revealed the truth that their child had been switched?

“Why are you suddenly telling me this?”

Behind her confusion, a deep sense of betrayal surged. At the very least, Eunhye wasn’t a fellow victim like Siyeon after turning eighteen. Instead, she was a co-conspirator who hid the truth.

“I won’t let you tell him. If you hear from Lord Jeong, don’t meet him.”

“Why should I?”

When Siyeon countered, Eunhye’s smile swiftly vanished from her lips, replaced by a chilly gaze fixed on Siyeon.

“Out of caution, from your perspective, Lord Jeong might see you as someone ambitious. Your situation isn’t favorable now, and among those less fortunate, they often prioritize money over dignity or self-respect. Of course, I don’t think you would be like that, but poverty can make people act irrationally. You probably wouldn’t want to hear that after being rejected by my husband, you’re aiming for his younger brother next, right?”

She wore an expression that Siyeon had never seen from her before, a distinctive blend of firmness and severity.