Chapter 45 – A Terrible Incident 

Eom So-yeon stepped out of the bathroom after finishing her shower.

She slowly slipped her arms and legs into her undergarments, then pulled out a pair of training pants and a shirt from the wardrobe drawer, putting them on haphazardly. Every movement she made was sluggish and lethargic.

For three days after returning to Korea, she had done nothing but lie in bed like a corpse. Although her body had somewhat recovered, her heavy, waterlogged mood sank even deeper, leaving her in despair.

Still, So-yeon could no longer delay her determination to return to her firm daily routine.

Soon, Hyun-woo would come. They would live happily together. She would get to nuzzle her beloved son’s soft, chubby cheeks every day. She couldn’t afford to stay weak like this.

She had to be stronger as a mother. Since she was the only parent Hyun-woo had, she needed to work several times harder to make up for the absence of his father.

Suddenly, she picked up the photo of her child from the dressing table and gazed at it for a long time. A sad yet gentle smile quietly spread across her face.

“Hyun-woo…”

I’m sorry, my son.

I’m so sorry for crying and being sick all the time.

I’ll pull myself together. I’ll live harder so that my son can smile more.

Though Hyun-woo was still young, the playful way he furrowed his eyebrows was identical to his father’s. Looking at the photo with that expression, she couldn’t help but vividly recall his face… Tae Seo-jun’s face.

Thinking of Seo-jun made her eyes well up with tears again. Yet, it was a dry longing, one that didn’t even allow tears to fall.

Seo-jun had driven her to Seville Airport.

There, she had turned her back on him, vowing never to look back, never to cry again. She had made that resolution with all her might. But since that day, her gaze had been so cold and dry that it seemed devoid of any soul.

So-yeon returned the round photo frame to its place and went to the kitchen. She thought she should eat some porridge to regain at least a little strength after her illness.

The refrigerator was packed with various types of porridge. Yeo Do-soon had brought a large amount yesterday, telling her to pick whatever she felt like eating. But her appetite had long since disappeared.

Grabbing something at random, she heated the porridge in the microwave and forced herself to eat it all. Then, thinking of taking a walk along the apartment complex’s trail, she moved toward the front door.

But then, the doorbell rang.

It couldn’t be Yeo Do-soon, who always entered directly by unlocking the door. 

So who could it be…?

Opening the door without much thought, So-yeon’s eyes widened in surprise.

“…!”

“Have you been well?”

A tall man stepped into the house, and So-yeon, unable to say a word, instinctively took a step back.

The man, Jo In-ha, casually made himself comfortable on the living room sofa.

“Can I sit here?”

“You’re already sitting, so what’s the point of asking?”

“Consider it my way of complaining about you blocking my number.”

This was someone who had never been to her house before. Yet, his actions—barging in without the homeowner’s permission—and his words were utterly rude. So-yeon was dumbfounded. However, an uninvited guest was still a guest.

“I’ll bring out some tea. You like black tea, right?”

“Anything will do.”

The slight smirk on his face was laced with mockery.

No matter what she did or how she looked, Eom So-yeon was always beautiful. But Jo In-ha had become convinced, thanks to Yoo Jung-hwa’s persuasive whispers in Milan, that she was nothing more than a passing amusement for Tae Seo-jun.

‘Seo-jun was never the type to let anyone get close to him, even when we were dating. He’s a cold-hearted man who discards people mercilessly the moment he grows tired of them. I wonder how Eom So-yeon plans to handle such a man. She’ll probably regret it deeply after being abandoned, realizing too late that she got involved with the wrong person. Only someone like me could take Tae Seojun back.”

‘Are you saying you plan to reconcile with him?’

‘I can’t say that outright, given our public positions. But watch closely. You’ll soon see who I’m marrying.’

‘Marrying? Are you implying that Tae Seo-jun has been two-timing?’

‘Well, something like that?’

In-ha already had a poor opinion of Tae Seo-jun.

Thus, Jung-hwa’s subtle insinuations quickly solidified as truth in his mind.

He pitied and found it pathetic that Eom So-yeon was chasing after someone like Seo-jun, blinded by his glamorous exterior. He wanted to reveal Seo-jun’s true nature to her.

However, the moment So-yeon, who had been in a coma, was taken by Seo-jun, In-ha had left Spain and flown back to Korea. Though he was furious, he had been holding onto the hope of this moment—today.

In-ha scanned the unfamiliar space.

He thought of the man who had likely walked confidently into this place, unlike himself, who had wandered around the area on the day So-yeon left for Spain. The thought made his blood boil.

“I thought you’d stay in Spain longer, but you seem to have come back quickly. What, did that guy get tired of taking care of you because you were sick?”

“…”

Hearing In-ha’s harsh words about Seo-jun, So-yeon’s brow furrowed instinctively. She didn’t want to hear anyone badmouthing him, not even a little.

“That’s not why you came here, is it? What brings you here?”

“Why wouldn’t that be the reason? That’s exactly why I came.”

Her slender fingers trembled noticeably as she set the teacup on the table. Aware of her weakened body, So-yeon straightened her back and neck and spoke firmly.

“Stop saying strange things. Drink your tea and leave.”

“Don’t avoid the topic. You know why I’m doing this.”

“Ha… Fine. I realized how you felt that night long ago when we were drinking with our classmates. But that was ages ago. I said no, and you apologized to me. I thought that resolved all the complicated feelings between us. Was I wrong?”

“When I confessed to you, you said you already had someone else. Or was it that you had broken up with him? Anyway, you ended up having his child on your own. When you said you were taking a leave of absence, I thought something was off. It all made sense when you revealed you had a child. But even then, I never gave up on you. I still haven’t. And now you’re talking about closure? How could I possibly be okay with that?”

So-yeon had disappeared without a trace after submitting her leave of absence form with just one semester left before graduation. Over a year later, she had returned, throwing herself back into her studies and acting as if nothing had happened.

In-ha had silently watched her from a step behind all that time. For him, it wasn’t something he could easily let go of.

But even now, So-yeon was looking at another man. Just thinking about it made In-ha’s blood boil. He tried to suppress his bitter feelings with a self-deprecating laugh as he continued.

“I waited. I waited for you to look at me as a man, hoping you’d only see me. But am I really not the one?”

In-ha leaned back against the sofa, smirking. The posture seemed threatening to So-yeon, who instinctively shifted her seated position slightly backward.

“…”

By midday, the scent of flowers had grown even stronger than in the morning. The aroma of acacia wafted in through the narrow crack of the slightly open window.

During winter, the cold air seeping into the house forces one to keep the windows tightly shut. But in summer, the unbearable heat of the sun makes it necessary to open them. Even though it seems consistent, one’s actions differ greatly depending on the season. How much more so would it be for human emotions?

That’s just how it is for her. How could she expect Jo In-ha to suppress his feelings when even she was lost in her own emotions, unable to find clarity?

What could she say to convey her feelings?

The thirst born of possessiveness doesn’t disappear even when quenched. Like weeds that grow wildly no matter how much they are uprooted or cut, Jo In-ha’s relentless affection, unless he obtained what he desired, would not be soothed by any words.

Fully understanding In-ha’s feelings, Eom So-yeon didn’t want to treat their connection carelessly.

That’s why, even though she knew he hadn’t given up on her, she pretended not to notice. But in the end, today had come. A day she had tried to forcefully prolong, hoping it wouldn’t be the end, had finally arrived.

“I thought of you as a colleague walking the same path, as a good friend I could learn from. But if you want more than that, I don’t think I can treat you the same way as before.”

“Ha… That’s pretty harsh.”

After a brief silence, In-ha stood up from the sofa and approached So-yeon. In response to his movement, So-yeon also rose from the floor.

“Even after going through all that suffering, after still walking through that hell…”

In-ha had concluded that Eom So-yeon had been abandoned by the father of her child. He couldn’t understand why she, having endured such hardship with a man, would then choose to openly reveal her child to the world, bringing further difficulties upon herself.

“And now, you’re blinded by Tae Seo-jun? So I’m being pushed aside again? Have you lost your mind? How much regret will it take for you to come to your senses?”

“Don’t say things like that. I’ve never thought of it as hell, and I certainly don’t regret it! Tae Seo-jun and I have nothing between us!”

In-ha’s sharp gaze bore down on So-yeon as he stepped closer. Feeling threatened, So-yeon tried to move sideways to avoid his stare. But In-ha was quicker, pressing her against the wall with a dull thud.

“Then think about me properly now! Who knows? Maybe your feelings will change.”

“What… what are you doing right now?!”

The conversation had taken a turn for the worse. In-ha began to corner So-yeon, who was trapped in his arms. She raised her voice and pushed against his chest, but he grabbed her delicate wrists tightly, rendering her arms immobile. So-yeon’s body trembled uncontrollably under his grip.

“Please stop this! Let go of me right now!”

“Why can’t it be me?! That first man you had? That so-called amazing Tae Seo-jun? Those bastards only played with you! Everyone makes mistakes. In today’s world, having a past isn’t a flaw!”

“And what exactly do you want to do about it? Why should I have to hear this nonsense from you?!”

So-yeon’s eyes, filled with shock and fury, glared fiercely at In-ha.

“If you’re hesitating because of the child, I can take care of that. It’s simple to enroll him in a prestigious private school, isn’t it? You don’t even live with him; you’ve left him with his grandparents. That means you don’t love him all that much, right? Then isn’t it enough to just check in on him occasionally?”

“What… what did you just say?”

Hearing such absurdity, So-yeon’s face turned pale with disbelief.

It hurt.

Her heart ached unbearably.

Most of all, the time she hadn’t been able to spend with her child hurt the most.

“How dare you talk about my child! I’d rather die than be with you!”

“You liked the man, but you didn’t want the child, did you? Pretending to be innocent while being so choosy about men… You set your sights high with Tae Seo-jun, and now I don’t even matter to you, huh?”

“Ugh…!”

Suddenly, In-ha grabbed both of her shoulders with a firm grip.

“I love you! I love you so much it’s killing me! But how do you think I feel when you keep treating me like this? It’s infuriating!”

In-ha’s eyes were bloodshot.

“…!”

This man isn’t normal!

He’s clearly lost his mind!

So-yeon swung her arm with all her strength, slapping In-ha hard across the face.

Smack!

The sound echoed loudly.

“So you know how to hit people now. Eom So-yeon, you’ve become quite fierce…”

In-ha licked the inside of his cheek with his tongue and smirked darkly.

“Well, since it’s come to this, should we see it through to the end?”

“You crazy bastard! Try touching me, and I’ll make sure to kill you!”

Even after her desperate warning, In-ha gripped her shoulders with brutal force, as if he would crush them.

“You like men, don’t you? Or maybe you like enjoying it even more? Why not try that with me? What’s the problem?”

Gritting her teeth, So-yeon gave him a cold, sharp warning.

“Do you want to break me just to have me? If you can’t have me alive, will you kill me to own me? Don’t make me laugh! You’ll never succeed! If you can’t control your desires, you’ll lose everything you’ve worked so hard to build in an instant! The brilliant actor Jo In-ha will disappear, and all that will remain is a destroyer, a criminal!”

“That’s just your opinion. I’m going to have you now. And I won’t lose anything. All you have to do is accept me. I’ll make sure of it.”

“…”

It happened in an instant. Her hair, caught in his hand, was pulled back so hard it felt like it would tear out in clumps. Despite the disadvantageous situation, So-yeon glared at Jo In-ha with unyielding eyes, as if she would kill him.

Not a single tear, not a single scream escaped her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make it rougher than my dirty mood, but not too rough.”

In-ha whispered in a sinister tone into her ear.

“!”

His lips, descending from her earlobe, made it clear that avoiding this moment was no longer possible. Her eyelashes fluttered as she reached out with her arm, searching the top of the cabinet. Soon, her hand found a heavy gold trophy.

Thud!

The terrible incident happened in an instant.