Chapter 1 (Part 5)

From the morning, screams came from Hae-mi’s room.

Seo-hye lifted her heavy eyelids. Ever since the day the painting meant for her mother was taken away, she had been unable to sleep for days due to her inner turmoil.

Just as she was wondering why Hae-mi was causing a commotion from the morning and trying to lift her heavy body, the door burst open violently.

“Hey!”

Hae-mi, on the verge of tears, ran over and sat on Seo-hye’s bed.

“What am I going to do! Do something about this!!”

Seo-hye felt a pain like an electric shock from Hae-mi’s shouting, adding to her already heavy head.

“Look at this, won’t you?”

Hae-mi pulled down the zipper of her jacket. From her neck to her collarbone, everything was covered in red hives.

“Did you secretly drink alcohol again at dawn?”

Hae-mi had an alcohol allergy. It wasn’t severe, but occasionally when she drank high-proof alcohol, she would break out in hives all over her body.

It didn’t affect her daily life, but for someone with such a condition, Hae-mi loved alcohol too much.

Still, on an important day like today, when she was supposed to meet her future husband for the first time, she should have been more cautious.

Hae-mi scratched her neck vigorously, showing her irritation.

“If you’ve seen it, go to Director Park and get some medicine! Hurry!”

“You want me to get a prescription on your behalf?”

“You’re practically inseparable from grandfather, so what’s the big deal? Just go get it without making a fuss, I’m already pissed off enough.”

Hae-mi added a curse at the end and threw two fifty-thousand won bills onto Seo-hye’s face.

“For running the errand.”

The sharp edge of the bill grazed Seo-hye’s cheek and fell onto her thigh.

“If mom and grandfather find out, they’ll nag again, so go secretly with Chief Kim.”

Just as Seo-hye was about to respond, Hae-mi’s biological mother, Chae-seon, spoke from the door.

“Daughter, what’s going on?”

She seemed to have come up quickly due to Hae-mi’s commotion. Hae-mi hurriedly zipped up her jacket and ran towards her.

“It’s nothing! It’s just… that girl is getting on my nerves again from the morning!”

Chae-seon didn’t even bother to find out what was happening and gave Seo-hye a scornful look.

Every time her disdainful gaze touched her, it felt as if her skin was being cut.

“Don’t you know today is an important day for Hae-mi? Do you have to upset her from the morning?”

Seo-hye gave up on responding, as the stress was worsening her headache.

“You never answer. Unlucky girl.”

Chae-seon easily hurt Seo-hye and left the room with Hae-mi.

Seo-hye swallowed a headache pill on an empty stomach and lay back down on the bed.

Once the headache subsided, she planned to go get Hae-mi’s medicine.

***

After getting ready and going down to the first floor, everyone was preparing to leave.

When she made eye contact with Chief Kim, who was waiting, he unnecessarily explained.

“They have a shop reservation.”

Since it was the day Hae-mi’s future husband was coming, it seemed everyone was going to get ready from the early morning.

Seo-hye saw Hae-mi and Chae-seon already wearing their shoes at the entrance.

Just then, Hwa-woong also came out from the master bedroom, wearing a fedora.

No one asked Seo-hye to come along. That was to be expected.

Seo-hye slightly stepped back to avoid bumping into Hwa-woong.

Then Hwa-woong paused for a moment and seemed to demand labor from her as if he had left something in her care.

“If you have nothing to do, pick up a brush—”

Seo-hye immediately cut him off.

“Hae-mi drank again last night. She has severe hives.”

“What?”

“She told me to go to Director Park and get some medicine. What if the hives don’t subside by evening?”

Hwa-woong frowned, looking uncomfortable.

“I’ll go get it, so please let me visit my mom while I’m there.”

That was why she hadn’t refused when Hae-mi tasked her with the errand earlier.

The hospital run by Director Park was relatively close to the university hospital where Hyo-young was admitted.

Hwa-ung looked at Seo-hye with a displeased expression, then told her to go with Chief Kim, who was standing behind, before leaving the entrance.

***

As Seo-hye walked through the hospital corridor, her face was somber.

All she could do was hold back tears because she hadn’t been able to bring the painting she promised to give to Hyo-young.

Upon entering the hospital room, she saw Hyo-young sleeping soundly on the bed.

Her face had become more gaunt in just two weeks, and the bones were protruding sharply from her wrist that lay outside the blanket.

She had been born with a weak liver, and after developing cirrhosis, she was unable to control her body seriously.

Then, three months ago, she was diagnosed with a rare myocardial disease.

It was a disease where the heart’s pumping function weakened, damaging it to the point where it couldn’t perform its original function properly.

Although it was discovered early, the cost of medication was unimaginably high, and in Korea, the insurance coverage hadn’t been properly decided. Without even temporary treatment, it was a terrifying disease that could lead to death within five years.

To Seo-hye, who endured a hellish life in Cheongun-dong believing that her mother’s condition would eventually improve, her mother’s new illness was nothing short of a bolt from the blue.

Of course, from the perspective of Hwa-woong, who was financially affluent, it served as an opportunity to keep Seo-hye tied to him for longer.

“…Oh…? Seo-hye…”

Hyo-young, who had woken up at some point, called out to Seo-hye.

“…When did you come…?”

Seo-hye smiled more brightly to hide her sadness and moved closer to her.

“I came just a little while ago, Mom. You can sleep more.”

“…I have to see my daughter’s face, why would I sleep more…?”

After exchanging warm greetings, the two shared small stories from the past two weeks.

“…Today, the man Hae-mi is going to marry is coming to the house? Hae-mi is getting married already… When will my daughter…?”

Hyo-young believed that Seo-hye was living well.

Hwa-woong had brainwashed her that way. Seo-hye participated in the act as she didn’t want to worry her mother.

“I’m going to live with you forever, Mom.”

Seo-hye joked as she hugged Hyo-young. No matter how tough life was, being in her mother’s arms made her forget everything.

Just like when she was in that man’s arms.

“…Ha.”

Seo-hye let out a small laugh involuntarily.

Why was she thinking of that man in this situation?

“…What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing. Mom, and… I’m sorry, but the completion of the painting might be a bit delayed. There’s been a lot going on at the academy…”

“…It’s okay. Just seeing you makes me happy.”

Hyo-young gently intertwined her fingers with Seo-hye’s.

“Still, I do want to see my daughter’s painting soon…”

Seo-hye hid her heavy heart, said goodbye to Hyo-young, and left the hospital room.

***

Seonghan Hotel Managing Director’s Office.

Standing in front of the office, Seok-young’s face was drained of color.

A week ago, Do-jin had ordered him to find a woman.

“A young woman who made a transaction at the lounge bar around 11 PM. The menu probably included… Faust. Perhaps just one drink.”

Since Seok-young didn’t know why Do-jin was looking for the woman, he couldn’t prematurely report it to Chairman Won.

Therefore, he pressured his subordinate staff, pouring all his efforts into finding the woman.

And now, having just received a report on the woman’s details, the shock hadn’t yet subsided, making his head feel like it was about to explode.

Lee Seo-hye, 25 years old, currently working as an art academy instructor, had an otherwise unremarkable background, except for one startling detail.

* Special Note: Second granddaughter of Lee Hwa-woong, the painter

Why on earth was Do-jin searching for the sister of the woman he was supposed to marry?

This matter was something he couldn’t report or leave unreported.

Today was the day Chairman Won was supposed to visit the family of the painter Lee Hwa-woong, and if Do-jin was forced to attend, whether or not he reported it, he would end up meeting the woman.

If they were going to meet anyway, the blame for not reporting beforehand would fall solely on him. Resolving himself, he knocked on the office door.

“Yes.”

Even as Seok-young entered, Do-jin continued to review documents without the slightest movement.

The faint wrinkle at the center of his neat eyebrows made him appear quite attractive, even to another man.

Though he had no experience working in South Korea, it was presumed that he had handled his duties quite professionally at the U.S. branch. He never asked about his newly assigned tasks and accepted them neatly and accurately.

Taking advantage of the brief moment when he was absorbed in the atmosphere he created, a cold voice came through.

“If you have something to report, do it quickly and leave. Don’t just linger around and disrupt my review.”

Yoo Seok-young hesitated for a moment before slowly opening his lips.

“That… woman has been found, Managing Director.”

Do-jin’s hand, which had been moving the pen, paused. However, his gaze remained fixed on the documents, and he responded calmly.

“Leave the information about that woman here and go.”

“…Before that, there is a dinner at Lee Hwa-woong’s house at 7 PM today.”

“Secretary Yoo.”

A voice colder than frost crept over Seok-young’s skin. He shivered involuntarily and hunched his shoulders.

“Leave work right now. Then go to Seongbuk-dong and tell the Chairman. If I hear about marriage one more time, I’ll really go to the United States.”

Seok-young swallowed to moisten his suddenly dry throat and spoke.

“…It’s not that, it’s about the woman you’re looking for, Sir.”