CHAPTER 26

It’s good that Seungbin is here. She needed to wrap things up with him today.

“Ha, why did you leave like that? Think about the people worried for you!”

Her phone was turned off overnight, and she had only charged it in the car a little while ago. Ignoring the piled-up messages from Seungbin, Yeonseo only replied to Hyeonho and Jiyeong. But she really didn’t deserve to be criticized for that.

“I was worried when I didn’t hear from you. Why didn’t you call me, huh? Who were you with?”

Seungbin was acting like he was her lover.

“Do you know how worried I was when you jumped out of the car like that yesterday? I even contacted the hospital and told them to hold you, but stupidly missed the chance…! Ha…”

“Did you really contact the hospital?”

“Yeah. I thought you’d come straight there. Where were you all night? I didn’t get a wink of sleep waiting for you. Answer properly, huh?”

Seungbin scrunched up his face and reached for her hands. He was trying to tidy up her hair that was getting in her eyes, but she jerked back, terrified.

Seungbin let out a low sigh at her rigid reaction.

“Yeonseo, we weren’t like this. It’s so frustrating to see even the good days fade away because of a momentary mistake.”

“A momentary mistake? It’s not funny at all.”

Yeonseo spat the words out of her throat, like she had swallowed a thorn.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Sure, let’s talk.”

“Let’s go somewhere a bit quieter.”

“Over there might be better.”

Seungbin grabbed Yeonseo’s wrist without permission and led her to a shed slightly away from the main building.

It was a clean shed where they stored seedlings, and tools for planting in the fields. It was thanks to Yeonseo’s occasional efforts of tidying and cleaning the place.

After pushing Yeonseo inside, Seungbin folded his umbrella and set it aside without turning on the light. Seungbin, with his shoulders damp from the rain, had a composed face as if nothing had happened.

If Taeheon had a cold and unapproachable demeanor, Seungbin gave off an affectionate feeling with his clean and kind appearance. Nonetheless, just like proving that they were cousins born from the same blood, the two of them excelled in appearance as well. To Yeonseo, that was also a source of discomfort.

The shed, with dim light barely entering through a small window, was mostly dark. So, Seungbin’s expression wasn’t clearly visible. It was a relief. His revolting face might make her feel nauseous.

“Do you still have the same intention as before, when you threatened to tell Mrs. Kang?”

Seungbin stopped moving. Straightening his back, he stared down at Yeonseo and smiled.

“I’m not really going to do that.”

“You can actually do it.”

“Yeonseo.”

“Calling me that way, honestly, it’s dreadful.”

Even the word “dreadful” was too mild from Yeonseo’s perspective.

How could anyone do that?

Doing something despite knowing her allergy is likely to occur.

She couldn’t believe that this man would casually come to Mrs. Kang’s house and smile at her, even after doing that. Seungbin couldn’t be considered normal. He was a different kind of man, one who was so disgusting that Taeheon seemed better in comparison.

“Did Taeheon offer you money?”

“Why are you bringing him up?”

“Is that why you’re pushing me away on purpose now, because Taeheon told you to end things with me, right?”

“Don’t touch me!”

She shouted as she stepped back, rejecting Seungbin’s attempt to hold her hands. Rapid breaths escaped from her shallow chest, almost like gasps. This was a feeling of betrayal.

He had seemed like a good person, a good friend she had come to know after coming here, but it was all an illusion.

Woo Seungbin was a scumbag. Just like Han Moon-shik, just like Director Woo. Just like all the bad things in the world, he was a repugnant thing that clung to Yeonseo, making her feel dirty.

Seungbin threw his hands up and said.

“Yeonseo, I can cover up your mistakes too.”

“What are you talking about?”

Yeonseo asked sharply, holding back tears.

“Do you know how much the information you spilled about Grandma to our father was worth?”

“…”

“Because of your words, there are people who suffered hundreds, even thousands of billions in damages.”

Yeonseo’s pupils trembled. She hadn’t thought of that at all.

“What do you mean?”

“Soon, Grandma will redistribute her wealth, and some of the names you brought up to my father have been excluded from that list.”

“…….”

“Grandma intentionally added suspicion to those who showed her favor and then cleared them. It’s my father’s handiwork.”

His words implied that someone had fallen victim to Director Woo’s hands.

“Well…”

Yeonseo couldn’t continue speaking and brushed her trembling hand through her hair. Seungbin’s gaze fell on the exposed nape of her neck.

“Wouldn’t Grandma be truly disappointed if she found out? The charming Yeonseo, involved in crumbling the allies around her.”

Seungbin grinned slightly. Confirming her mistake once again, she hated him even more than she did a moment ago

“If I have to be hated by Mrs. Kang, then so be it. Of course, it’s not that I’m completely fearless, but that’s not what I’m afraid of.”

“I see. Do you know that I can’t figure you out?”

Seungbin let out a bitter smile. Then he reached out and wrapped one hand around Yeonseo’s neck.

“But if Grandma finds out about this, it will be a big shock and she’s going to be devastated.”

Seungbin’s hand felt strong. Though it was a light touch, but it made Yeonseo’s eyes squeeze shut as if she was being threatened with death.

“She should live a bit longer… in peace.”

Seungbin’s snake-like eyes glimmered dangerously. It was an attitude that couldn’t be seen as affectionate attachment.

It was clear that he had something else up his sleeve. If he had any desire to keep Yeonseo, as a man, he wouldn’t be so casual about destroying her in this manner without any shame.

Seungbin and Yeonseo didn’t even have that much chemistry in the first place. Yeonseo’s lips trembled as she managed to speak in a strangled voice.

“Medicine… You did that.”

The corners of Seungbin’s mouth turned up.

“What?”

Until she fell asleep, Yeonseo had thought about it until her head felt like exploding. She couldn’t let herself be dragged away by Seungbin like this.

This back-and-forth struggle, going from one extreme to another, would ultimately worry Mrs. Kang.

Taeheon alone was too much, and it would be more efficient to get rid of Seungbin who was harming Mrs Kang. So, Yeonseo decided to pressure him by bringing up the medicine topic. This was Seungbin’s one weakness that Yeonseo had.

“How can you do that, she’s your grandma!”

“I didn’t intend to cause her a shock. I just wanted her to have enough symptoms that would warrant calling a doctor, but things got out of hand.”

“Are you seriously saying that?”

“My grandmother, she needs to live a little longer. We need to rewrite her will.”

Seungbin continued to speak shamelessly, laughing uncomfortably.

“Yeonseo, you know I’m not that bad of a person, it’s all for Sewon’s sake.”

“I don’t know about that, but I do know that what you did. It’s the sin of betraying.”

Yeonseo strengthened her gaze and reproached him.

“Is that so? But what about your 300 million debt?”

Yeonseo’s eyes flickered, wondering why Seungbin knew about her 300 million debt.

“I paid it off for you.”

At that moment, it felt like a huge boulder had rolled into her chest.

“What… What are you saying?”

“You knew you had a debt, yet you’re pretending not to know.”

“Why did you… Why would you… Why did you?”

“Emotional wounds will heal over time anyway, but you have to resolve urgent financial issues first. Isn’t that how relationships between men and women work?”

“Why did you pay that debt? Who are you… What are you doing?”

“If you have another debt too, and I’ll pay that one off as well. The process for that one is a bit more complicated.”

She was dumbfounded. She was so angry that her head felt like it would explode. She even still held onto the money Taeheon had given her. Holding the 50 million won like a ticking time bomb, Seungbin once again trampled on Yeonseo’s already helpless situation.

If she could, she wanted to strangle Seungbin.

Should I actually do it?

As she clenched her fist, contemplating if she should slap him or not, a voice outside called for Seungbin.

“Manager Woo!”

It was a woman’s voice, and there was a hint of urgency in it.

“Manager Woo! Where are you?”

“Oh, it’s my secretary.”

Seungbin, who had momentarily looked outside, then turned back to Yeonseo and said casually.

“Let’s go for now. Grandma would be so delighted to see you. Wouldn’t you like to meet her soon?”

He grabbed Yeonseo’s frozen wrist, just like he had when they entered, and tried to lead her away.

Why did he pay off my debt?

Could that really be true? Did the loan shark agree so readily?

Even if a large sum of debt that she couldn’t possibly repay in her lifetime had disappeared like melting snow, she couldn’t find it in herself to feel relieved. Dazed, Yeonseo trembled as if she had taken on an even heavier burden than before.

She was dragged like a paper doll by Seungbin, who walked ahead of her. It was the moment when she felt like she’d rather cut off her unyielding wrist than be dragged along. A woman rushed from the main building.

“Manager Woo!”

“Yes, Secretary Jeong. You could look for me more leisurely. It’s been a while since we had a date, after all.”

“I apologize. The Madam is looking for you…”

His secretary glanced at Yeonseo and bowed in greeting. Without any chance to react, Yeonseo was pulled by Seungbin into the main house.

The atmosphere in the house was livelier than usual. Instead of the anticipated atmosphere of death, the voices of several people flowed out like a festival, making her somewhat puzzled.

In the living room was Mrs. Kang’s eldest daughter, Woo Songhyun. She looked at Seungbin and then at Yeonseo, who was being dragged by the wrist.

She had seen her a few times in Yongin. Only then did Yeonseo regain her senses and bowed in greeting.

“Chairwoman, hello.”

Songhyun’s intense glare settled on the wrist Seungbin was holding. She smiled slightly.

“Seungbin, have you been acting like this lately? Should I say you’ve become more well-behaved, or should I say I’m a bit worried?”

“Auntie, why are you like this again?”

Seungbin laughed as he took Yeonseo’s hand and headed towards Mrs. Kang’s room. She twisted her wrist to break free several times, but couldn’t escape.

Mrs. Kang’s door opened wide, as if welcoming the increased number of guests she had.

“Grandma, Yeonseo is here.”

Seungbin said as they entered, and all eyes in the room turned to the two of them.