“No particular reason…?”

Mi-seon, Ji-hoon’s mother, asked Da-hye again with a stiff expression.

Da-hye gave a firm nod before lowering her chin slightly.

Then, with an apologetic look in her eyes, she merely fidgeted with the teacup in front of her.

“I’m sorry… ma’am.”

“Haah.”

Mi-seon let out nothing but a sigh as she quietly stared at the bowed-headed Da-hye.

“I feel terribly sorry to Chairman Kang as well for causing you concern.”

“……”

“I really did want to make things work with Team Leader Kang. But now that it’s come to this… I regret it too.”

Da-hye’s expression remained calm and serious as she spoke carefully, one sentence at a time.

“I suppose… my relationship with Team Leader Kang ends here.”

At those words, Mi-seon slowly nodded, pressing her lips together tightly.

“So… you have no intention of trying again?”

Da-hye already knew why Mi-seon had asked to meet her today.

It was to persuade her to reconcile with Ji-hoon.

At Mi-seon’s cautious question, Da-hye simply chose her words sparingly.

Slowly taking a sip of tea, she gently turned her gaze toward the window.

Mi-seon merely watched her actions closely.

“If a broken relationship is going to be put back together again…”

Da-hye’s sudden question made Mi-seon’s eyes widen slightly.

“What do you think is needed most?”

“…Well…”

“Even if you exhaust every possible method and make every effort to piece it back together…”

Her words carried a strange undertone, and Mi-seon found herself unable to look away from Da-hye.

“How long would that relationship really last?”

Soon, Da-hye—who had been staring out the window—slowly turned to face her.

The crimson glow of the sunset streaming through the window softly enveloped her pale face.

“I don’t want to continue a relationship that’s hanging by a thread…”

“……Da-hye.”

“And I don’t want to drag other people into pain over a relationship that could break again at any moment.”

Mi-seon silently rolled the words broken relationship around in her mind.

‘…Something must have gone terribly wrong between them. What happened? Somehow… it feels like our Ji-hoon is the one who made the mistake.’

Da-hye formed another faint smile before folding her hands neatly together.

Then she politely bowed her head toward Mi-seon and spoke softly.

“I’m sorry. Please tell Chairman Kang as well… that I’m deeply grateful for everything, and also very sorry… ma’am.”

“……”

“Then I’ll be leaving first.”

Da-hye remained polite and composed until the very end.

After offering a proper farewell, she walked away.

Mi-seon, unable to take her eyes off Da-hye’s retreating figure, slowly picked up her phone.

[It seems it’ll be difficult to change her mind after all.]

After sending the message to Chairman Kang, she too rose from her seat.

For some reason, she felt she finally understood why Chairman Kang had insisted so strongly on Da-hye as a future daughter-in-law.

And why he had been unable to let go until the very end.

The more one looked at Da-hye, the more she seemed like the perfect daughter-in-law.

“What a shame… She really seemed like such a good match for our Ji-hoon.”

***

The next morning, Da-hye woke early, took a walk around the neighborhood, and returned home.

The moment she stepped inside, she saw Jooho emerging from the master bedroom dressed in a suit.

And beside him, Jinhee clung closely to his side as she fussed with his tie.

“……”

Just looking at them made her stomach twist painfully.

“You’re back?”

Jinhee glanced at Da-hye standing motionless by the entrance and deliberately toyed with Jooho’s tie even more affectionately.

“You’re fully booked until tonight again, right? Should I make you lunch and bring it to the studio?”

“No. You’re tired. I’ll just handle it with the staff.”

Jooho gently squeezed her arm before letting go, a warm smile spreading across his face.

“What do you mean I’m tired? You’re the exhausted one. Painting, planning your business… you must be working so hard.”

Even letting out a little whine, Jinhee clung tighter to Jooho’s arm.

In response, Jooho naturally wrapped an arm around her shoulders and walked toward the entrance.

Da-hye could only stare blankly at the affectionate pair approaching her.

It felt as though those two did not care about her existence at all, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

Completely oblivious to the fire raging inside her, Jooho stopped in front of her with Jinhee still linked to his arm.

“You. We need to talk later.”

“……”

“Don’t we still have things left to discuss?”

At those words, Da-hye quietly lowered her gaze to Jinhee’s hand looped around Jooho’s arm.

Had her father ever smiled at her mother that gently before?

She had always believed she had grown up in a warm and loving family.

But now that she looked back on it, perhaps even that had all been a lie.

Maybe they had only pretended to be affectionate and harmonious whenever she was around.

Perhaps, afraid she would be hurt, her mother had swallowed down all her unhappiness and acted as though she were happy.

The moment that thought crossed her mind, her chest began to burn fiercely.

Like someone consumed by a fever, her entire body slowly felt as though it were on fire.

“Don’t go out tonight. Stay home and wait for me.”

Jooho spoke in a cold voice as he took hold of Jinhee’s hand.

“I’ll be going now, honey.”

So different from the way he spoke to her.

At the warmth and softness in his voice, Da-hye slowly lifted her eyes.

“Have a safe trip, honey. I love you.”

As if conscious of Da-hye standing right beside them, Jinhee even rose onto her tiptoes and lightly kissed Jooho on the cheek.

Smack.

The sound brushing past her ears felt filthy.

Without realizing it, Da-hye clenched her fists tightly.

“I’m leaving.”

Joohooslipped on his shoes and was about to head out through the entrance when—

“I have plans tonight too…”

Da-hye spoke while staring straight ahead with a rigid posture.

“What?”

“Instead of tonight… how about tomorrow evening?”

Once she formally greeted Chairman Han today, news of the marriage would soon spread.

And once the official marriage announcement article was released this Friday, they would undoubtedly be too busy preparing for the wedding.

So tomorrow, she planned to casually announce her marriage to Jooho.

Though she had no intention of revealing who the groom was.

“Tomorrow evening?”

“Yes. There’s something I want to tell you.”

“…What are you trying to say this time?”

Already looking uneasy, Jooho turned toward Da-hye with a deep frown.

Jinhee also stared at her as though wondering what else she could possibly have left to say.

“I think it’s something Stepmother and sister should hear as well.”

“……?”

“Please clear your schedule tomorrow too, Stepmother. Let’s have dinner together.”

The corners of her mouth trembled as she forced out a smile.

Da-hye quickly turned away and headed upstairs to the second floor.

***

[If you’re ready, come downstairs. I’m waiting below.]

A message from Seo-hoo arrived.

Da-hye, who had been standing in front of the mirror examining herself from every angle for quite some time, suddenly felt a wave of nervousness crash over her from that single message.

“Haah…”

She desperately wanted to leave a good impression on Chairman Han Kyungtae.

No matter how much Seo-hoo had chosen her, she still wanted to be properly acknowledged by all of his people.

Dressed in a light ivory two-piece outfit, Da-hye stood before the vanity, checking her appearance one last time.

After debating which perfume to wear, she chose one with only the faintest scent of soap.

A strong fragrance did not seem suitable for an occasion like today.

Lightly spraying perfume onto her left wrist, Da-hye picked up her handbag.

Then she swung the bedroom door open wide only to come face-to-face with Hyejung, who had just stepped out of the bathroom.

Hyejung slowly looked her up and down with suspicious eyes before speaking.

“What, are you going on a date or something?”

Da-hye tilted her head slightly, a strange smile forming on her lips.

“Well. Does it look that way?”

She answered casually and turned to leave again, but Hyejung suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly.

“I don’t know what you’re scheming, but you—”

“……”

“Whatever it is, don’t do anything.”

At Hyejung’s warning—which did not feel threatening in the slightest—Da-hye let out a scoff before she could stop herself.

“Did you just laugh…?”

Hyejung frowned deeply and lightly shoved Da-hye’s shoulder.

“Please stop being so scared, Kyung Hyejung. I haven’t even done anything yet.”

“Ha… In front of Dad, it’s always ‘sister, sister,’ wagging your tail around like some sly little fox. But now that we’re alone, you’re finally showing your true colors?”

Hyejung let out a disbelieving laugh and bit down hard on her lip.

“Fine. Do whatever you want. Go ahead and try it. Though I don’t know if you’ll really be able to control everything until the very end.”

At her words, Da-hye slowly nodded with composure.

“I’ll do exactly that. Whatever I want… I’ll do it all my way.”

“……!”

Calmly throwing the words back at her, Da-hye adjusted her bag on her shoulder.

“If you’re done saying what you wanted to say, could you move? I don’t really have much time right now.”

Leaving those words behind, Da-hye lightly brushed past Hyejung and headed downstairs to the first floor.

Then, completely ignoring the vicious glare Jinhee was directing at her, she walked out of the house.

“That girl… why is she acting so confident? Her engagement already fell apart, so what exactly is making her act that shamelessly confident?”

Muttering with a deep frown, Jinhee hurried toward the terrace.

Da-hye was leisurely crossing the garden, but instead of heading toward the garage, she was walking toward the front gate.

“Is she meeting someone for drinks? She’s not even taking her car…”

As she absentmindedly glanced beyond the gate—

“……?!”

She saw Da-hye getting into the passenger seat of an expensive foreign car.

“What the—?”

Jinhee tried to look more closely, but the car quickly disappeared down the road.

Suspicion widened her eyes.

***

“……Have you been waiting long? I’m a little late, aren’t I?”

She had confidently walked out of the house and climbed into Seo-hoo’s car, but the moment she faced him again, her heart began trembling mercilessly.

“No. I just arrived myself.”

“Right… haah.”

Without realizing it, Da-hye let out a faint sigh.

“You look beautiful today too.”

“…What?”

At his sudden words, her eyes widened as she turned to look at Seo-hoo.

In response, he naturally reached over and gently clasped the hand resting on her lap.

“Every time I see you… you’re beautiful.”

“……!”

“My heart can barely survive it.”