Almost two weeks had passed since the scandal broke, yet South Korea was still abuzz with talk of the latest controversy involving the chaebol. The uproar had quietened somewhat, but as this was the fourth scandal involving the same woman, the rumors refused to die down.

And because the woman involved was always the same, the wild rumors only grew larger with each passing day.

“Haa…”

A small but heavy sigh escaped Ye-jin’s lips. She tried not to sigh, but what wife could remain calm in the face of her husband’s scandal?

Even though they were a contract marriage, they were still legally wed. Whenever a scandal broke, rumors of discord between them spread like wildfire, and this time was no exception.

The day after the story broke, the headlines were filled with talk of the strained relationship between Seo Do-han, the eldest son of the Seo Group, and his wife. He denied the scandal and the rumors, of course, issuing brief corrections, but he never went beyond that. There were no strong denials or statements that might have eased the public’s curiosity.

Ye-jin brushed her hair back, her eyes sinking into shadow. Photos taken at the airport on the day he left for his business trip to the US were still circulating online. The image of the woman standing beside him and smiling brightly flickered vividly in her mind.

Could four scandals really be a coincidence? Even if someone tried, it would be difficult to orchestrate that many accidents. She wondered if he actually enjoyed the chaos or if he was trying to make a point.

To tell her, perhaps, he’s mine.

Yoon Jin-ah.

Her husband’s supposed lover turned out to be her former university classmate and the lead dancer of the National Ballet Company. Yoon Jin-ah, the daughter of the Minister of Justice, gave people even more to gossip about.

“She’s a much better match for him than his wife.”
“Fairy-tale Cinderellas only exist in stories. I bet Mrs. Seo lives her life being ignored and looked down on.”
“Why did he even marry a plain woman like that in the first place?”

This is why the scandal involving Yoon Jin-ah was so much more painful. People loved to compare the two women, only to belittle her.

If only she had gone out in public more often and pretended to be a happy couple in an article or two, perhaps the rumors would have died down. But, for reasons she couldn’t fathom, he loathed the idea of her appearing in public.

When she suddenly became a modern-day Cinderella, people were desperate to know more about her. Yet her face had never been shown on the news, not even in a wedding photo.

Meanwhile, photos of Yoon Jin-ah and her husband had already appeared in the headlines countless times. So wasn’t it only natural for the world to assume that they were estranged?

Even now, amid the latest scandal, he hadn’t called her once.

He would be back from his trip tomorrow. Although she knew he wouldn’t say a word about the scandal, Ye-jin could only let out a bitter smile as she put on her slippers.

As she descended the stairs to prepare dinner, her breath caught. The house was vast, large enough to hold a playground, yet it somehow felt suffocating. She straightened her back, forcing her chest open, trying not to show it.

“Madam, the chairman has an appointment tonight, so he’ll be late. The madam asked that dinner be kept simple.” Mrs. Park said.

“Yes, I understand.”

Besides, she didn’t have much of an appetite anyway. Sitting alone at the table with her mother-in-law always made her feel uneasy.

If it were up to her, she would have skipped dinner entirely, but she knew what would happen then. Her mother-in-law would accuse her of sulking and being defiant and of thinking too highly of herself. So Ye-jin obediently prepared the meal.

“It’s all ready.”
“Thank you.”

Ye-jin replied, nodding before turning toward the living room. Her mother-in-law was on the phone, smiling brightly.

“Oh, of course. That sounds lovely. Then let’s meet this weekend!”

Ye-jin stopped a few steps away, hands clasped neatly in front of her, waiting for the call to end. When her mother-in-law finally turned around, her smile vanished as if it had never been there.

“Mother, dinner is ready.”

There was no answer. The older woman brushed past her and walked towards the dining room. Ye-jin followed her quietly and sat down opposite.

Despite the beautifully arranged dishes on the table, she couldn’t bring herself to eat. She could feel her mother-in-law’s disapproving gaze bearing down on her from across the table. Her chest tightened and she lowered her eyes.

“What an appetite killer.”

The woman snapped suddenly, slamming her spoon onto the table. Ye-jin flinched, her shoulders trembling.

She lifted her head.

“Mother…”

“How could you let another rumor of marital discord spread again? Do you have any idea how much the company’s stock drops every time this happens?”

Ye-jin said nothing. She didn’t know what to say to that voice that cared more about shares than people.

“This is why it’s so important to have the right kind of woman in the family.”

“…I’m sorry.”

She wasn’t sorry at all. But apologies—those, she could give as many times as they wanted.

“You’ve caused the company massive losses because of this.”
“……”
“If you’d at least given us a child, do you think people would still be spreading rumors about marital discord?”

Ye-jin’s eyes clouded over with pain. Every word from her mother-in-law hurt her deeply. This was especially true when she brought up the subject of children. Those words always tore her heart to shreds.

But her expression didn’t waver. As always, she listened in silence, her face devoid of emotion, waiting for her mother-in-law to calm down.

“It’s infuriating. Truly infuriating! Do-han must be regretting ever insisting on this marriage.”

Her lips trembled faintly, trying to hold their composure.

“What do you even bring to this family? Good background? Education? A child? You have nothing! Nothing at all. Tch. At this point…”

The older woman stopped herself, closing her mouth mid-sentence. Ye-jin simply stared at her, wondering what words had been swallowed back. It was rare for her mother-in-law to restrain herself.

“Do you know why Do-han doesn’t want to show you in public?”

Ye-jin’s eyes widened slightly.

“It’s because he’s ashamed of you.”

Her mother-in-law’s words hurt because they were true. They came from different worlds: he came from a place so high that she could never reach it and she came from a place so low that it had never been touched by light.

The only link between them had once been Yoon Jin-ah, a mutual friend from college. Perhaps it was that friendship that gave him the strength to withstand every scandal.

“Mrs. Park, I’m done. Take the dishes away.”
“Yes, ma’am.”

Ye-jin felt a small sense of relief. If she forced herself to eat any longer, she really might have been sick.

“I’m finished too.”

She said quietly, rising to help clear the table. Her mother-in-law glared at her, shuddering as she rubbed her arms.

“You give me chills. No matter what anyone says, you just sit there without blinking an eye.”
“……”
“Tch. So cold-hearted, it’s no wonder the baby didn’t make it.”

Ye-jin looked at her silently, eyes steady, as the woman’s words sank deep like knives.

“I told you to stop holding your head high like that when you look at people, didn’t I?”

Ye-jin flinched and lowered her shoulders. Her straight posture and lifted chin were habits she had picked up during her years as a ballerina. However, whenever her mother-in-law saw this, she accused her of being arrogant.

So Ye-jin drew herself smaller, tucking her pride away one breath at a time.

Once she had finished cleaning up, she wiped her damp hands on her clothes and turned around to find Mrs Park holding something out to her.

“Madam Ye-jin, have some fruit.”

“Ah… I don’t have much of an appetite.”

“Take it upstairs with you, then.”

Unable to keep refusing, Ye-jin gave a faint, weary smile and accepted the plate.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

“Then rest well, madam.”

“Yes.”

Her steps felt unbearably heavy as she climbed the stairs, as though she had stones tied to her feet.

Back in her room, she simply stared at the neatly cut fruit on the table. She put the plate on the sofa table and sighed quietly. She hadn’t lied — she truly didn’t have an appetite.

Pushing her hair back weakly, she headed for the bathroom. She was tired. She would just wash and go to sleep.

Once he returned from his business trip, even that simple comfort would disappear.

Ye-jin quickly finished her shower and barely dried her hair before lying down on the bed. She reached under her pillow, pulled out her phone, and opened the photo album.

“…I should delete this.”

It was an ultrasound image.

Her eyes trembled faintly. She pressed her lips together, her thumb hovering over the delete button. She couldn’t bring herself to tap it, though. Her eyes stung, and she told herself that was the only reason she couldn’t do it.

She slipped the phone back under the pillow and closed her eyes. As hot tears rolled down her cheeks, she silently began counting in her head. Counting always helped her fall asleep faster.

After a while, a sharp sense of someone’s gaze made her brow twitch. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

“!!”

Someone was standing in the dark. She jolted upright, heart pounding.

“Wh-who—?”

“It’s me.”

That deep, familiar voice drained the strength from her shoulders.

It was her husband Seo Do-han.

“…You’re back?”

Ye-jin hastily brushed back her hair with trembling fingers as she sat up.

“Yeah.”

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out his silhouette. He had loosened his tie and looked tired. It was the first time she had seen his face in a month, and it was still cold and unreadable. The bitterness returned to her tongue.

He sighed as he unbuttoned his shirt cuffs; even that sound weighed heavily on her.

“…Weren’t you supposed to come home tomorrow?”

The silence between them pressed on her chest until she had to speak first.

“I came back a day early.”
“Oh… I see.”

With nothing else to say, she clutched the front of her pajamas. His gaze seemed to linger near her chest, and she turned slightly, brushing her hand down her neck.

“I’ll go wash up.”
“Yes.”

For a couple who had been married for three years, the tension between them was palpable.

He went into the bathroom, leaving her standing there, unsure what to do.

What would he say about the miscarriage? Or the scandal?

Probably nothing, just like always.

Ye-jin lowered her gaze to her pale, unlovely feet.

Time passed, and the bathroom door opened. Footsteps echoed — measured, cold, and distinctly his.

“What are you doing?”

She must have looked ridiculous, standing in the same spot as before. Slowly, she lifted her head.

At 186 centimeters tall, he naturally commanded a presence. His posture was straight and almost immaculate, and his body was toned and defined from years of discipline. His face was clean-cut, symmetrical and almost perfectly proportioned, with sharp lines and an air of quiet strength. Beneath his dark brows, his steady eyes gleamed with controlled intensity.

“…I’m sorry I couldn’t protect the baby.”

Her voice slipped out before she realized it, as she watched water drip from the ends of his hair. The droplets looked like tears.

He let out a long sigh.

“You can always have another.”

“…R-right.”

Ye-jin bit the inside of her cheek hard. She hadn’t expected any comfort, not even a simple ‘Are you OK?’ But why did her throat burn at those cold words?

As she tucked her hair behind her ear to avoid his gaze, he stepped closer.

Sensing the shift in the air, she instinctively took a step back. His brows lifted slightly.

“You should go to bed first.”

She murmured, turning away. But his hand caught her wrist.

“Where are you going?”
“Ah… just to get some water…”

His heavy gaze lingered on her face, almost suffocating. Ye-jin looked down at the hand gripping her wrist.

“Lie down.”
“You must be tired…”

His palm was warm, but his voice was icy. She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eyes.

“It’s fine. Take off your clothes and lie down.”
“…”
“I said….lie down.”

Feeling the weight of his unyielding stare, Ye-jin swallowed hard.