CHAPTER 66

She knew it wasn’t a relationship that could go on forever, that there was a definite end in sight, and that if she kept attaching herself deeper and deeper into it, she wouldn’t be able to handle it anymore.

So, she tried to stop, knowing she had to, and tirelessly put effort into it, but it didn’t work out well. And eventually, she found himself in this situation.

Hearing her shaky voice, the chairman let out a sighing laugh and shook his head.

“It’s nothing to me if Taegyeom lightly fools around with the lower-class women and indulges in various pleasures. A young man in his prime can have as many women as he wants!”

“…”

“Even if that guy spreads his seed everywhere, I, with a generous distribution system, am willing to accept even that seed.”

As he continued speaking, Kyungrok’s face gradually turned redder.

“He can’t even fit in with the similar crowd that hangs out and drinks together every day, and he’s stuck living off my estate, being a parasite. I even laughed it off, saying that it’s no big deal to have a little fun with a woman for a while!”

The word ‘parasite’ struck Leeseo’s ears, draining the color from her cheeks.

“Until that guy dares to insult my face at an important gathering discussing marriage! I had no reason to summon a lowly scoundrel like you to my study!”

She could clearly read the intent in his choice of words, deliberately trying to humiliate her. Even though the blatant and disgusting ulterior motive was clear, it didn’t make the situation any less shameful.

Noticing that Leeseo’s lips were pursed and about to spit out a word, Kyungrok didn’t give her a chance to speak before he spat out his fury.

“He even dared to say he wouldn’t marry just because of some insignificant woman he was infatuated with!”

Leeseo’s eyes widened in shock. It was a revelation to her, something she hadn’t heard from him before. His marriage, blind dates, and such were still issues unrelated to her. She didn’t dare ask, nor did she want to. She just considered that she had merely prolonged the time spent by his side, delaying the inevitable.

While she, in her cowardice, postponed the end, Taegyeom shamelessly exposed his weaknesses in front of his family, where he had no allies. Infatuated with such an insignificant woman. Leeseo’s face contorted as if crumbling.

“Now that he has dared to completely trample and crush my dignity, what can I possibly do now?”

The chairman muttered with a resentful expression. A foreboding feeling swept over the atmosphere.

“Having discarded even a woman I once genuinely loved, I, who nurtured and raised him with such luxury from sucking on my spine, have no reason to kindly overlook a backstabbing fool who deserves nothing but to be hit.”

Another sheet of paper fluttered down and landed at Leeseo’s feet. It was a printed paper with a ticket for a flight to the United States. As she glanced at Taegyeom’s English name written boldly on the ticket, fear overwhelmed her.

“He’s going to die more miserably than his mother.”

Her breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t a furious rage or an intense anger anymore. It was just a calm tone, devoid of any seething anger. It wasn’t a threat or intimidation but a simple expression of the undeniable truth.

“Yearning for the extravagant and splendid past while desperately struggling in loneliness, eventually, starving to death in the never-ending darkness just like his mother did wouldn’t be a bad end.”

Kyungrok emphasized the word ‘darkness’ with strength. Then he raised his index finger, tapping the area around his Adam’s apple with his fingertip.

“Do you know where the real problem lies with that bastard?”

“…”

“When he’s trapped in the dark, he cowers and shivers and sweats like a beast that’s lost its mother. They call it trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, or something like that. The night he held his mother’s corpse and cried was quite shocking.”

Leeseo opened his eyes wide and swallowed hard.

“After giving him a few disciplinary lessons during his adolescence, he became quite obedient afterward.”

Her chest tightened as if being thrashed with a well-wielded blade. Looking at her frozen and surprised expression, Kyungrok’s face displayed a cruel and satisfying smile.

“Until now, providing him with medical attention has been out of my consideration, as it would do no good with rumors spreading that my son is not in his right mind, but perhaps it is time.”

Chairman Kwon grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. It sent shivers down her spine. With the power and authority he possessed, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to secretly admit one person to a mental hospital and make them disappear from the world without anyone noticing, even if it was his own son.

The life of his mother had been brutally snuffed out like smoke twenty years ago. The fear that Taegyeom might also tread the same path as his mother gripped her consciousness.

She could almost see him in front of her, trapped in a dark room with no light, writhing like a wounded beast, shaking and whimpering. She closed her eyelids deeply to erase the heartbreaking illusion and opened them again.

She couldn’t help but wonder what Kyungrok’s intentions were for calling her in and kindly sharing this horrific plan with her. It felt like being forced onto a horrific stage, acting out a scenario written by a mentally disturbed person.

Like a monodrama, Chairman Kwon’s time to vent his anger was over, and now the pinlights were pointed at her. There was no way to avoid the piercing light that poured down like stinging needles. Leeseo calmly parted her lips, reciting the lines assigned to her.

“I understand well why you called me to this place, Chairman. You seem to be quite angry, even going so far as to threaten me with unnecessary information. However, I’m not interested in Mr. Kwon Taegyeom enough to endure such humiliation.”

The title “Mr. Kwon Taegyeom” seemed to displease him, as the chairman’s thick eyebrows rose high. It was evident that he considered it an excessively arrogant title for a lowly scoundrel who clung to his mansion. She didn’t want to give off a crawling impression so she changed the title as she spoke.

“I don’t think the young master, even if he returns to the United States, probably doesn’t desire me enough for it to be okay. We do not have a deep connection, no, it’s not like that.”

A deep connection. Her own voice etched a shiver in her heart. But it didn’t matter.  These small aches and pains would be nothing compared to the consequences if she had to face the chairman.

“We haven’t known each other for long, and we’ve never shared our feelings. Those things you’re concerned about, Chairman… they are things that might happen only in someone’s imagination. I am well aware that it’s nothing more than a fanciful delusion, as I know my position well.”

Kyungrok observed her attentively with narrowed eyes, evaluating whether she was just making plausible excuses or someone who would stab him in the back. Nevertheless, compared to the intense anger and rage he displayed a while ago, the atmosphere now was much milder.

“You’re Hyun Gyucheol’s daughter, right?”

He suddenly changed the topic.

“Yes….”

“Considering that I’ve shown extraordinary affection to Miss’s parents for a long time, you shouldn’t dare to overstep your bounds. Does Hyun Gyu-chul even know that I’m exerting my influence in his daughter’s trial?

“Considering the great affection I’ve shown to your parents over the years, you shouldn’t dare to be so presumptuous as to cross my bloodline and overstep your bound. Do you know that I’m exerting my influence in Gyucheol’s trial?

The chairman stared at Leeseo with sharp eyes, a reminder of her predicament and a despicable warning that he held her father’s fate in his hands as well.

“……Yes, I know.”

“It’s a real headache to have both you and your father causing me trouble. To be honest, I was so angry earlier that I was going to order to completely withdraw my influence on Gyucheol’s trial. It’s a harsh blow to the employee who has worked for me for a long time, but it can’t be helped.”

“…”

“It’s uncomfortable for me too to bring in a delicate young lady who is no more than my son’s age and make harsh remarks. It’s a heated situation where the young man and woman, blinded by s*xual desire, blinded by lust, get carried away for a moment without thinking. I have no intention of harboring a grudge and ruining everything, even to the point of destroying lives.”

Chairman Kwon looked at Leeseo, who stood like a statue beyond the desk, scanning her from head to toe. He spoke, his tone softened, but the content was still crude and low-level, provoking embarrassment.

“If it doesn’t disturb my peace of mind, I don’t want to torment someone who already lives a difficult life. Noblesse oblige. I’ve always been someone who wants to stand with the common people.”

Kyungrok uttered these distasteful words in a gentle tone. It was nothing more than nonsensical talk that didn’t even elicit a laugh, but Leeseo nodded in agreement.

“I’ll keep the chairman’s intentions in mind.”

“I heard from Director Gong that you’re planning to leave the mansion and move to a place near the school.”

It seemed that what she had said in the morning had already reached the chairman’s ears. Well, it was no surprise.

“I feel sorry for saying something harsh, so I’m thinking of giving you a house. What do you think?”

Chairman Kwon looked at Leeseo with eyes that seemed to be assessing.

The apology was just an excuse; it was a throw of a house instead of an envelope of money. Leeseo hid her bitter feelings and shook her head.

“I appreciate your offer, but I’ve already found a place to stay.”

“That’s too bad. Honestly, if the young lady was just after my son for a few bucks, this could have been handled a little more neatly and without a lot of fanfare. I’ll have the subordinates handle the remaining aftermath, so don’t avoid contact and leave now.”

The chairman, visibly exhausted, gestured for Leeseo to leave with a tired face. After bowing, Leeseo left his study.

The heavy wooden door closed with a thud behind her. Her legs buckled as her knees gave out. The dreary air seemed to weigh down her entire body.

Leaning back against the wall in the hallway, she took a deep breath, and, after a while, quietly descended the stairs.