Chapter 7.1 – Go Ahead. Punish Me

Accompanying Nam Leehyun to the OB-GYN was nothing but uncomfortable.

When Nam Leehyun introduced the OB-GYN as a VIP-exclusive physician, Moonkyeong’s expression was tense.

“Your tests won’t take long. You’ve had experience with this before, right?”

Moonkyeong met Nam Leehyun’s gaze. It was absurd. The doctor blatantly asking such a private question in front of her mother-in-law and Nam Leehyun listening as if it were perfectly normal.

It had been over two weeks since the wedding, so there was no point in denying it. Moonkyeong bit the inside of her cheek and glared at the doctor.

“Yes.”

“After the blood and urine tests, we’ll do an abdominal ultrasound separately. There are other tests as well, but we’ll discuss those once we have the results.”

It sounded as though the other tests had already been discussed with Nam Leehyun in advance, and Moonkyeong wasn’t privy to the details.

Just as she stood to proceed with the blood test, a knock on the door was followed by Seojun entering the consultation room.

His commanding presence was just as striking in the hospital. Everyone seemed taken aback, and Moonkyeong felt momentarily dazed.

“Sorry I’m late.”

Even the doctor stuttered.

“E-Executive Vice President, what brings you here?”

“I’m here for tests as well. It could be that I’m infertile.”

“Surely not.”

“I’ve made time, so let’s get this done quickly.”

The doctor glanced at Nam Leehyun for guidance, and she turned to Seojun.

“So, you’ve come all the way here just to confirm whether you’re infertile?”

“This is a matter between my wife and me, Director. I’d appreciate it if you stepped aside.”

“……”

“All that matters are the test results, correct?”

“I came to ensure you don’t plan on avoiding having children. Whatever it takes, your wife must continue the family line.”

Seojun pressed his lips together, silently opening the door. It was a clear message to stop talking and leave. Nam Leehyun, visibly infuriated, was momentarily at a loss for words.

When it came to children, she wasn’t willing to compromise either. For some reason, her two daughters and their husbands hadn’t managed to have even one child, which was a source of concern.

Her eldest daughter had suffered three miscarriages, and her younger daughter’s husband was infertile.

She was determined to convince her daughter-in-law, Moonkyeong, to give birth to a son.

To ensure that, Moonkyeong’s ut*rus had to be in good condition, and it was necessary to check if she had any history of miscarriages or abortions.

Originally, she had wanted the results before the wedding, but she considered this a concession to Seojun. Yet, here he was, humiliating her so openly.

She glared at Seojun with a face full of anger.

“If the results aren’t favorable, you’ll bear all the responsibility.”

“Are you suggesting bringing in a surrogate?”

“If necessary, yes.”

“You know how I was born. Are you planning to bring another child like me into the world?”

Nam Leehyun smoothed her neatly combed hair, letting out a loud laugh.

“What are you afraid of? That despised child has grown up to challenge for everything in Leehan now, hasn’t he?”

Seojun smirked.

“Yes, I plan to take everything. Not leaving a single thing behind.”

“You insolent brat…!”

Nam Leehyun, rendered speechless, trembled with rage. Seojun had just declared that he would one day stab her in the back.

Her eyes bloodshot, Nam Leehyun lashed out.

“Don’t disregard everything I’ve done for you!”

“It wasn’t for me but for yourself, wasn’t it? To maintain your position.”

“……”

“So, keep holding onto that position.”

It was a warning from Seojun, implying that if she crossed the line and meddled with his wife, Moonkyeong, even her position wouldn’t remain intact.

He bowed his head toward Nam Leehyun. It was a polite gesture, but anyone could see it meant she should leave.

Feeling as though her limbs were being torn apart, Nam Leehyun couldn’t push further.

As she left the hospital, she called Chief Secretary Goo, who had her back.

Seojun’s arrogance was all because of National Assembly Member Jeon Taepyeong. Kim Seokyeong favored him more because Jeon Taepyeong had a high chance of becoming the next president.

To bring Seojun down, she had to bring down Jeon Taepyeong. She instructed Chief Secretary Goo to connect her with someone from National Assembly Member Lee Hankyu’s faction within the Yurim Party.

No matter what, she was determined to ensure Lee Hankyu, not Jeon Taepyeong, won the next presidency.

And you, Seojun, and your wife, Moonkyeong, are out.

She gritted her teeth.

***

After all the tests were completed, Seojun personally dropped Moonkyeong off in front of her home.

Having vividly heard the tense conversation between Nam Leehyun and Kim Seojun in the consultation room, Moonkyeong felt a bit conflicted.

Was it because he was born through surrogacy that he had grown up unloved even within Leehan?

She felt a pang of sympathy.

Just before getting out of the car, she turned to him.

“Thank you for today.”

“I’ll be late. Don’t wait up, and make sure to eat dinner.”

“…Okay.”

Back home, Moonkyeong soaked her tired body in the bathtub after undergoing various tests.

As she brushed aside the white foam with her hand, she recalled the moment he had suddenly entered the room.

When Seojun first entered the consultation room, the look in his eyes was a mix of concern, guilt, and tenderness.

“That’s impossible.”

The thought made her laugh bitterly at her own foolishness.

When you like someone, you want to hold them. When you hold them, you want them to be yours. And once they’re yours, you want to keep them close.

But he did none of that. Despite always coming home on time after work, he would retreat to his room after dinner.

Am I no longer attractive? Who was it that used to cling to me like a madman every time we were together?

Who was it that wouldn’t let go, breathing heavily against my chest?

“This is pathetic and infuriating.”

Begging for someone who would leave anyway felt pathetic, and being shaken so wildly between warmth and coldness was infuriating.

If this was how it was going to be, he shouldn’t have been kind to her in the first place.

Stupid jerk.

Cursing him endlessly, Moonkyeong submerged her face in the bottom of the tub.

***

Seojun returned home around 1 a.m.

The afternoon visit to the hospital had left him with a mountain of work, and he had spent the rest of the day in the office, finishing past midnight.

By this time, Moonkyeong, who always went to bed between 11 p.m. and midnight, would already be asleep.

Even when she was in Moscow, she had a habit of going to bed early so she could enjoy her morning coffee.

Though Seojun had suggested hiring more staff, Moonkyeong didn’t want that.

Perhaps she had discovered a talent for cooking, as she claimed, or maybe she found it interesting to do things herself that Hyeran used to do for her.

As he entered the house, everything sparkled. It was clear she had spent the day cleaning tirelessly.

He opened a bottle of wine. With nothing but peanuts to snack on, he tried to fill his empty stomach, skipping dinner. At the corner of the dining table, he noticed a meal she had prepared for him.

A yellow sticky note with Moonkyeong’s neat handwriting caught his eye.

Seojun did not listen to Moonkyeong’s words. The soup and sausage would taste good even without heating, and the side dishes she had personally prepared always suited his palate.

With a business trip scheduled early tomorrow morning to the Daegu factory, staying on an empty stomach seemed more convenient, but he still wanted to finish everything.

He picked up a sausage with his chopsticks, a food he had enjoyed since childhood. Because all the good and nutritious foods were always served to his older brother, sausage was the only thing he could eat plenty of.

His brother, deeming processed foods unhealthy, never got to taste those delicious sausages while growing up.

Back then, Seojun had thought his brother was pitiful, not knowing any better. Truly, he hadn’t known better.

Leaning back leisurely, with one arm resting on the chair, Seojun connected his Bluetooth earphones.

– Kim Seojun, beep. Beep beep. Beep-beep-beep-beep. Beep, beep beep.

Her words were completely drowned out by the sound of the vacuum cleaner whirring.

He pressed the rewind button. Amidst the noise of the floor being scrubbed, Moonkyeong’s nonstop grumbling reached his ears, making him burst into laughter.

Every possible curse word spilled out, with occasional Russian profanity mixed in. The fact that he could understand it made him laugh until tears almost welled up.

He wondered when she had hidden such a talent for cursing, chuckling to himself.

At the end of a tiring and exhausting day, Moonkyeong’s swearing was refreshing enough to blow away all his stress in one go.

While conducting a board meeting that lasted over three hours, Seojun had wished he could say all the things he wanted to those who were so determined to undermine him. And all of it was encapsulated in her words.

Seojun, who had been laughing for quite a while, suddenly snapped back to his senses.

It was the moment he realized that the walls he had subconsciously built around his heart were crumbling.

Moonkyeong, who had been asleep, opened the door and stepped briefly into the living room.

Even from a distance, she was instantly recognizable. Seo Moonkyeong was now dressed in a peach-colored slip.

Her prominent shoulders, delicate wrists visible between the straps, and the subtle outline of her chest—something he could never stop himself from wanting—were faintly revealed.

He pressed his forehead firmly to suppress the growing thirst.

“Is it good?”

Her voice, tinged with concern about whether he had been working without eating, prompted a short reply from Seojun.

“It’s decent.”

“That’s a relief.”

“……”

“……Goodnight.”

As she closed the door and went back in, Seojun followed her with his eyes. His neck grew stiff.

Unable to stay still, he massaged his neck several times.

His heart, his chest, his face, and below—all seemed to surge with blood, making him feel as if he might explode at any moment.