CHAPTER 2

*

Mrs. Kang had troubles with her eyes and so she struggled to see the side dishes placed far away. She was usually too tired to have meals at the dining table and would have them in her bedroom.

In such moments, Yeonseo would become her hands and feet. Yeonseo quickly examined the side dishes and placed Mrs. Kang’s favorite dish on her small plate.

“Please eat it with a little soy sauce.”

Boiled meat wrapped in water parsley was easy to eat even for Mrs. Kang, who has trouble with her teeth.

“Enough about me, you should eat,too, Yeonseo.”

“I am eating, too.”

Yeonseo smiled and turned her head away, and her eyes met Taeheon’s unexpectedly. His eyes were deep and tranquil.

In truth, she was actually scared of him, but she forced a smile to shake off her nerves.

“Please enjoy your meal as well, Sir.”

I must be crazy. I said it like I had cooked it.

Yeonseo frowned slightly and concentrated on picking out side dishes for Mrs. Kang to eat. There wasn’t much conversation, except for the occasional clinking of utensils. Mrs. Kang would ask a question and Taeheon would give a short answer.

Yeonseo focused on crunching on a grain of rice, hoping for the time to pass quickly.

“Yeonseo, do you know how to eat shrimp paste?”

“Yes, I’ve tried it before.”

Mrs. Kang looked at Yeonseo as if she were a child, whenever there was something delicious or a gift, she makes sure Yeonseo took first.

She felt bad about it, but she was also touched by the love she received for the first time.

“Today, Grandma will do it for you. Just wait and see.”

Mrs. Kang generously spread shrimp paste on Yeonseo’s spoon and placed it on top of her rice. It was not uncommon for her to take such great care of Yeonseo despite her poor eyesight. However, with Taeheon watching, embarrassment surged through Yeonseo like boiling water.

“It’s really delicious. You should eat it, too, Madam.”

“I told you to call me Grandma. My Yeonseo is such a good woman, but she’s very careful.”

As if calling out to Taeheon, Mrs. Kang cast a sullen glance in his direction. Then she carefully observed his complexion.

“Why does my Taeheon never smile when he sees Grandma?”

“How long did you intend to hide it?”

Taeheon asked, putting down his chopsticks.

Earlier, Taeheon had barged into Mrs. Kang’s bedroom while she was sleeping. Yeonseo tried to stop him, but his quick steps were too much for her.

Startled by Taeheon’s summons, Mrs. Kang stood up and faced him, only to receive bitter reprimands instead of greetings.

[What is all this?]

[Taeheon? Is it really you? Our Taeheon is here?]

[Why did you fake the results of the medical examination? Why, for what? Did you intend to make a fool out of me?]

Despite his fierce questioning, Mrs. Kang opened her arms for a hug, asking if Taeheon was here.

Although he was willing to give her a single embrace, the coldness on Taeheon’s face didn’t disappear easily. He didn’t return the hug. Instead, he glared at Yeonseo with a stern face.

[Who is this woman?]

[She’s Grandma’s caregiver. Isn’t she pretty?]

[I’m asking where she came from.]

Mrs. Kang often talked about Taeheon as a habit.

She praised his abilities and intelligence but expressed concern about his lack of humanity, saying that he should have more people on his side.

The Taeheon that Yeonseo met in person was even more arrogant and rude than anyone she had ever met. He was sharp and merciless.

And his personality was being displayed without remorse even at the dining table.

“If I had been a little more relaxed, you’d have your funeral without my knowledge.”

Taeheon glanced at Mrs. Kang’s graying hair, which was thicker than before. Her hair was neatly brushed back, but it didn’t hide the passage of time.

The shades of her wrinkles were deeper than the last time they had spoken on videocall. Mrs. Kang’s age, no less than eighty-two, worried Taeheon.

“I guess I’ll be the only one who wouldn’t know the day you would die. Is that what you want?”

“Taeheon, Grandma isn’t dead yet.”

“Whose idea was it?”

“It’s mine. I told them not to tell you because I don’t want you to worry, Taeheon.”

“Did Director Woo know of this?”

Anger seeped into his stern voice. Woo Jang-hyeok was Mrs. Kang’s eldest son and Taeheon’s uncle.

Mrs. Kang had two sons.

Woo Jang-hyeok, the CEO of Sewon Holdings. and Woo Lee-hyuk, the vice president of Sewon Holdings.

The two of them had fiercely competed with each other since they were young.

And Taeheon was the son of the second son, Lee-hyeok. Even without a specific reason, Taeheon was wary of Jang-hyeok.

From the beginning, Taeheon didn’t like the idea of Mrs. Kang staying at the Yongin house. He knew that Mrs. Kang’s desire to stay secluded in Yongin could make it look like she was exiled by the Woo family, but her stubbornness was unyielding.

Despite Taeheon’s frustration, he had no choice but to accept Mrs. Kang’s decision and respect her opinion. After all, it was important for Mrs. Kang to have a peace of mind.

At the same time, Taeheon had to leave Korea. He was preparing for a 300 billion won investment for expansion into the United States and had already begun acquiring local companies for his upcoming business ventures there.

While abroad, Taeheon trusted his father, Lee-hyuk, and received occasional reports about Mrs. Kang’s health. However, a week ago, he discovered that the health checkup results he had been receiving were fabricated when he received the original results.

It turned out that Director Woo had been deceiving Taeheon about Mrs. Kang’s condition. It was an unthinkable and unacceptable act. Taeheon confronted his father about this, but all he received was an excuse that he didn’t know.

Shortly before Chairman Woo’s passing, he asked Taeheon to take care of Mrs. Kang. Though his words were filled with affection, it also implied that he recognized Taeheon’s capabilities. As if to prove it, Taeheon received a significant portion of the inheritance.

Two years had passed since Chairman Woo’s passing and Mrs. Kang’s presence is no longer as strong as it was when Chairman Woo was alive.

Originally, Mrs. Kang desired to spend her remaining days in peaceful seclusion rather than involving herself in business or politics. However, those around her wouldn’t leave her in peace.

There were several despicable individuals eagerly awaiting Mrs. Kang’s death, and the first threat was Director Woo. It was obvious why Director Woo had faked the results of the medical examination. He wanted to deceive others into believing that Mrs. Kang was in good health while secretly planning something sinister behind the scenes.

He’s planning to arrange Mrs. Kang’s death while Taeheon is off the grid, so he can get as much from her inheritance as possible.

Taeheon believed that there was no room for mistakes and that everything had to be perfect, going according to plan. That’s how he had lived his life, and it was the right way to do things.

If Director Woo had resorted to dirty tactics that were clearly obvious, it was only right to cut off those roots. However, Mrs. Kang seemed to have a different mindset.

“Jang-hyeok is my son. He is my firstborn. No matter how good you may be, Taeheon, my son will always come first.”

“If you’ve been taken advantage of by your children your whole life, it’s time to break free. If Grandma does this, I have failed Chairman Woo.”

After finishing his statement, Taeheon’s gaze turned towards Yeonseo. Both of them exchanged glances, while Yeonseo quietly sipped her water.

“What happened to your original caregiver?”

“You mean Yoonhae? She comes here once a week. It’s difficult for her to come all the way to Yongin because she has to take care of her son who is attending university.”

“So, you brought in this woman? Without any suspicion? Just because Director Woo recommended her?”

“She used to be a nurse at a local hospital. She had knowledge in the medical field. Why would I doubt this kind-hearted girl? I simply took this opportunity to have someone on my side.”

“I’m a former nurse.”

“Fine, if you have to be angry, take it out on Grandma. Yeonseo is innocent. Why are you being so rude, Taeheon?”

Taeheon’s dark gaze scrutinized Yeonseo as if trying to dismantle her. Yeonseo, however, tried to remain unfazed by his intense observation, smiling weakly.

One can’t spit on a smiling face.

It was clear that Taeheon was genuinely concerned about Mrs. Kang. A grandson who flew in from the United States to be by his grandma’s side.

It was natural for him to be cautious when an unfamiliar caregiver was closely guarding his Grandma.

“Fine. She is innocent.”

Taeheon pronounced with a firm voice and withdrew his gaze. When the prying gaze was gone, Yeonseo secretly let out a sigh.

He wasn’t strangling her, but she felt suffocated.

“Taeheon, Grandma has aged a lot. While I’m still alive, I want to see my children’s smiling faces without any worries.”

“The food is getting cold. We should eat first.”

Taeheon clearly had something to say, but he held back and continued with the meal.

As Taeheon had finished his rice, and hisbowl was now empty, Aunt Bok-hee, who had been waiting, brought out the dessert.

Mrs. Kang placed a bowl of sweet and refreshing fruit salad in front of Yeonseo with her wrinkled hands.

“Yeonseo, it’s so refreshing and sweet. You should try it too.”

“Yes, Grandma, it’s very flavorful.”

“Isn’t it? I thought you would enjoy something lightly chilled.”

Now that we have finished dinner, would Taeheon leave? Or would he leave in the morning?

Yeonseo hoped that they would never have this kind of shared meal again. If Taeheon were to have another meal here tomorrow, Mrs. Kang would try to get Yeonseo to sit at this table again.

Mrs. Kang smiled and as Yeonseo watched the two sitting across from each other, a fleeting memory of the past crossed her mind.

[I wish Taeheon had someone as kind-hearted as you, Yeonseo, by his side.]

[His parents gave up on him because they didn’t know if he’d ever have a heart. If there’s a kind-hearted child like Yeonseo with Taeheon, Grandma would be content even if she closed her eyes right now.]

Surely, Mrs. Kang wouldn’t turn that into reality.

Yeonseo shook her head briefly after briefly imagining it.

It was nonsense. The gap between me and Taeheon was as vast as the universe and an ant hill. No matter how much Mrs. Kang wished for it, it was simply impossible.