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Cha Yunjoo had to enter a marriage that benefited her family, simply because she was a daughter. She did not have high expectations for the marriage, but she never anticipated receiving a contract on her wedding night.
Three years. With the promise that they would divorce after living as a married couple for that period, she endured everything while waiting for the day she would finally be free.
On the day the contract ends, she hands him the divorce papers…
• Do not interfere in each other’s actions.
• Fulfill one’s role thoroughly until the contract ends. (However, the bedroom is not shared.)
• There must be no scandals of any kind. (Applicable to Cha Yunjoo only.)
• Do not intrude on each other’s personal space.
The above conditions and a contract period of three years. It was a simple contract marriage. Yunjoo had grown up as a woman oppressed by her family, and she appeared obedient, never once violating the terms of the contract.
However, there was something Choi Kangwook had missed. This contract was only for three years, and Cha Yunjoo had been waiting for nothing but the end of that period.
“These are the divorce papers.”
“What?”
“The contract between us is over.”
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m saying we each go our separate ways now. There’s nothing surprising about this, so why do you look so shocked?”
“So because the contract is over…… it’s done.”
“This was the contract you handed me when we got married, wasn’t it?”
And Cha Yoonju, who spoke of divorce, was a completely different person from the Cha Yoonju he knew.
“Starting tomorrow morning, I am no longer Choi Kangwook’s wife.”
“You haven’t even stamped the papers yet.”
“That doesn’t matter. On the day you pushed the contract at me during our honeymoon, were you being considerate of me? And that contract was nothing more than your terms for marriage. My opinion was nowhere in it. I know I wasn’t even a person to you. That was the kind of person you were, Choi Kangwook. From now on, I live as myself. Choi Kangwook’s wife ended with our contract.”
She told him that their marriage had been a sacrifice for her, and Choi Kangwook could not bring himself to readily accept the divorce.
LumpySpacePrincess
Hmm. Read two long reviews and decided to let it marinate some more and check further chapters to see if ML at least changed.
gummyjuli
Do I hate the ML? Yes. But do I hate him because of that? No.
Yes, this novel is full of misogyny, and it’s also true that the FL has to swallow her pride and accept his ridiculous contract. But does that make her a doormat? I don’t think so. I’ve read up to chapter 39, and honestly, I don’t think the FL is the doormat type at all.
She lives in a world where patriarchy runs deep within her family. She’s seen how her mother and sister have been forced to live helplessly because of it, but she refuses to bend down. She still tries to hold on to her dreams, even if achieving them means accepting the ML’s ridiculous contract.
And honestly, I see her decision to accept the contract as one of her ways to survive. Her choices are limited, and I don’t blame her for signing that contract when it’s basically the only option she has left. Yes, she’s a conglomerate heiress, so she could just run away and blah blah blah, but is she actually the one who has the money and power? No. It’s her father. And running away from a father like hers isn’t exactly easy. If anything, things could’ve gotten even worse if she had tried to leave on her own.
As for the ML, yes, he’s misogynistic and full of himself, but he’s also a character shaped by the society he lives in. Just like the world shaped the FL into who she is, it shaped him too. Does that make him the worst? I don’t think so.
He thinks the way he does because that’s what he’s been taught to believe. But as the story progresses, his character and way of thinking start to change. He begins to realize how miserable the FL has been living under his control, and he starts questioning whether keeping her was actually the right choice.
Though, of course, he’s still selfish as ever because he refuses to keep his promise to divorce her. And honestly, he could just divorce her and make things easier for her afterward. He has enough power to protect her from her family and keep them away from her, but he still chooses not to do anything about it simply because he doesn’t want to let her go.
So, do I hate him? Yes. I still f*cking hate him. But I can also see his potential to become a better person.
Villainess No.121
I couldn’t take it more than 8-9 chapters. It’s so frustrating. The misogyny is undeniable. Like bro cheated on her, mistreated her, and not only he doesn’t regret or think he did wrong to treat like a housewifey decoration, he holds onto her just because he feels like she hurt his pride by acting as a docile wifey infront of him and hiding her true opinions, as if he cared. Like MAN grow up, you’re not a child and she is not your mother. Then he (a 36 yo business fboy man) says he doesn’t know what is this feeling but he would force her to stay by his side (and babysit him) until he finds out. Which is a line that would’ve been cute coming from a young boy under 22. Not a fuking 36 yo Manh0re. And he understands that she has worked her a2s off tolerating his selfish as2 to achieve her goals and live her dreams in a world free of men’s control. Yet he’s like Aww! That’s cute. But i want you to give up divorce and stay with me cause i don’t like you to shine on your own and abandon me. Typical men with insecurities (mommy issues perhaps).
He’s a shameless manh×re with no self awareness, no pride, and no dignity. And spoiler alert: she got drunk and slept in the car on the way home, he carried her to her bedroom and THEN CAHNGED her clothes without her consent?? Wtf is going on? They had zero physical intimacy before that. And the craziest part is she wasn’t mad at him for undressing her in her sleep and who knows what else he did with her. She was just angry about making a mistake of drinking too much and sleeping because of it. Which i don’t get it. Why is it something that she has blame herself for and zoom onto, rather than the fact that her superior (she calls him that because of their contractual relationship) touched her and undressed her???
He’s a perv, esp given his reaction and his constant mention of her body and curves. I feel utterly disgusted. The more i read this story, the more i am in disbelief of how a woman can or allows herself write a male main character, so freaky, ugly, pervy, and sick in the head, without any proper characterizations, any clear persona, even. The age was kinda annoying too. He’s an oldie 36 yo manchild. While she’s 29. 7 years apart, which is a lot. So he should consider their age gap and that he’s too old to be her man. Yet he doesn’t.
Since i don’t want to ragebait myself, AS OF NOW I DROP THIS. (I’m quiet shocked how the translator liked this novel, enough to translate to the end 🤨🙄)
rubyroxi
thanks for this! im also dropping it! worst ML author should have had made another ML.
Tecomy
Thank you for sharing ur thoughts on this novel. Totally help me a lot not to start immerse on another spineless doormat female character. I think we are the same tropes here. I hate a female character who submissive and codependent with now courage to fight for themselves. But unfortunately many authors love this kind of writing. Downgrading the strength of woman and seeking a validation from a male character. If you have read any novel that can fit my interest pls do suggest here. One of my favorite novel is The age of arrogance. I read it somewhere but I couldn’t recall the website. But it’s not translated here. It’s a good novel though with strong FC and interesting plot. Maybe they can bring this novel here for translation. It’s an incredible novel but highly under-read.
Ellarosalita
I am obsessed with this story already! Waiting for chapters to pile up. Thank you for the translations!