CHAPTER 18 – Broken up (Part 1)

When she opened the front door, the sensor light flickered on. The familiar color of the light, the familiar shape of the tiles, the familiar scent of the space. A place where she can melt away her long fatigue.

Seoyeon moved her weary steps towards the sofa. She put down her handbag at her feet and sat down on the gray sofa, leaning her body against it. She leaned her slightly tilted body on the armrest and stared blankly ahead.

First, I should take a shower. Then I’ll have a warm drink. After that, I’ll sleep a little longer, and I’ll have to get up before lunch. I’ll call Yang-pyeong and say I’ll drop by for a while, and let them know I broke up with Sehyun.

One by one, the things she had to do ran through her mind.

Even after finishing her thoughts, Seoyeon remained seated on the sofa without moving. Not only did she not have the energy to move, but she also just wanted to stay still. Leaving the things she had to do and the things she had decided to do, Seoyeon just let time pass.

Did that really happen?

That’s what she thought as she sat there blankly. The throbbing body and the aching muscles. The memories were vivid, but it didn’t quite feel real.

She wondered if she’d been dreaming, if she’d had a vivid dream, a dream that was more vivid than reality, and she’d woken up and recalled it in a daze.

If it was a dream, it was quite a lewd one.

Suddenly, Seoyeon chuckled at that thought. Dojun was a man who was skilled and adept at manipulating a woman’s pleasure, though she had expected that to be the case to some extent.

The scenes that had been blurred by her pleasure were clear now. His watchful eyes, knowing exactly where, when, and how to touch her. Sometimes gentle, sometimes cruel, ruthlessly exploiting even her sense of shame.

Well, if it’s going to be done, it’s better to be done by someone who’s good at it, so she guessed she was lucky.

She decided to think of it lightly. It was better to have a man who made her experience pleasures beyond her wildest dreams than a man who had explicitly hinted at sleeping together but ended up giving her a disappointing night.

Thinking that way, it was indeed a successful one-night stand.

As her thoughts went in that direction, Seoyeon let out a hollow laugh. Having exposed all the embarrassing parts and then convinced herself that it was a successful one-night stand. 

Well done, Yoon Seoyeon.

“Haa.”

A small sigh escaped from her. Dwelling on what had happened wouldn’t change anything. She had simply given in to her desires at that moment.

Thinking so, Seoyeon got up from the sofa. As she took a step, a stinging pain shot through her thighs, and she cursed under her breath.

Damn, bastard.

Part of it was her own fault for being so vulnerable to Dojun’s touch, but she couldn’t help but curse Dojun, who had ruthlessly delved into her until he had fully satisfied his desires.

Couldn’t he have been a little more considerate?

Cursing Dojun for not leaving even the minimum of her strength, Seoyeon opened the bathroom door. It was time to face her mottled body.

* * *

“Yes, Mother, I’m parking the car. Yes, I’ll be right there soon.”

In the warm afternoon, Seoyeon turned off the engine and grabbed her handbag. She had also brought the bread from the bakery that her Grandmother and Mi-seon liked on the way.

“You always buy something whenever you come. Mother, Seoyeon is here. She’s  also brought the chestnut bread that you like.”

Mi-seon raised her voice as she opened the door for Seoyeon.

“I’ll greet Grandmother first before coming out.”

Seoyeon grabbed a tray and a plate. After taking the chestnut bread to greet Grandmother, she came out to find Mi-seon slicing the cheese bread and bringing it out to the living room along with tea.

“Were you sick at the New Year’s party?”

As soon as Seoyeon took a sip of the tea, Mi-seon asked.

Seoyeon looked at Mi-seon’s face, not sure if she’d guessed something when she’d said she’d come by to talk, or if she’d just said it to get the conversation started.

“Butler Jung came and said you were quite ill and they had to send you to the hospital. Did he tell you to go to the hospital or did he call a driver? I don’t remember exactly what he said because I had so many things on my mind that day.”

“I think I just had a sudden bout of nerves and got sick. I went to the hospital and rested, and I felt better.”

The lie flowed out easily, as it was a familiar thing for Seoyeon. As Seoyeon spoke, Sang-cheol put down his teacup and said.

“So what is it you wanted to talk about that you came here in person?”

They usually finish such matters over the phone. Seoyeon showed Sang-cheol due respect but also kept a certain distance. When she was younger, she would sometimes glare at him, but as she grew up, she started hiding her gaze and distancing herself.

“It’s nothing serious.”

Seoyeon paused before speaking. She glanced briefly towards the garden in the yard, then lifted her teacup before speaking again.

“I’ve broken up with Sehyun. We decided to part ways amicably.”

Seoyeon took a sip of her tea and put the cup back down, her eyes meeting both of their faces at once.

Mi-seon blinked several times, unsure of what she had just heard, and Sang-cheol’s brow was deeply furrowed.

“Was it because you broke up at the New Year’s party that you just left?”

Mi-seon asked Seoyeon cautiously. She didn’t remember Sehyun well from that night, as her memory was occupied by Hwang Dojun.

Still, in a way, it was Sehyun’s fault. The first thing she remembered was Sehyun’s confession that she was in love with Haewon.

“No.”

Seoyeon replied softly.

“We had decided to break up long before that, but…….”

She paused briefly, then looked at Sang-cheol as she continued.

“I tried to make it work. But I guess you can’t make someone’s heart change just through effort.”

“Are you sure Team Leader Sehyun had agreed to this? He was the one who wanted to set up a formal introduction meeting with me. And he also said he would come to greet me soon.”

Sang-cheol had a doubtful expression on his face as he spoke. 

What kind of irresponsible things had Sehyun blurted out that couldn’t be fixed? 

Sang-cheol was resentful of Sehyun for disrupting things in his absence, but he was someone Sang-cheol had no expectations of anyway.

“We had agreed not to mention the breakup at the New Year’s party so that the issue wouldn’t escalate unnecessarily. It was an important gathering, and it wasn’t the right time for us to be the center of attention.”

Yeah, that makes sense. 

Mi-seon nodded in understanding. Seoyeon spoke calmly, looking at the silent Sang-cheol.

“I’m sorry for disappointing you.”

Seoyeon remembered Sang-cheol smiling happily, saying the vice-chairman had set up this occasion. And now his face was contorted, but she felt no remorse.

“Seoyeon, come to the study for a moment. Let’s talk privately.”

With a deeply furrowed brow, Sang-cheol got up from his seat. Mi-seon looked a little startled. Seoyeon followed Sang-cheol with an expression that said she was fine.