Runaway Secretary - Chapter 58

CHAPTER 58

Due to a premarital pregnancy, Seonye harbored a deep resentment and bitterness toward Leehyeok through their marriage. Even now, the relationship between them was not particularly good.

Taeheon’s cold and indifferent demeanor resembled Leehyeok. Therefore, Seonye treated Taeheon, who resembled his father, even more harshly, someone who had crushed her dreams.

“Love? Do you even know what that is, father?”

Love, an awkward word, lingered on the tip of his tongue.

Leehyeok briefly smiled while looking into the distance.

“So, are you still holding on to resentment?”

“Does that make sense? Resentment on one side, love on the other?”

“Although your mom doesn’t really like me, it’s not complete hatred. She wouldn’t stay by my side just to save one child.”

She denied that her premarital pregnancy had held her back, but in hindsight, she would have chosen herself over her family.

Taeheon wondered why did she stay by Leehyeok’s side instead of making the smarter choice of giving up the child?

In the end, it was a mix of affection and hatred.

She poured the hatred she couldn’t express to Leehyeok onto Taeheon.

Leehyeok, the passive observer, and the mother who hated her son. Taeheon was now immersed in the dirty feeling of being used by their love.

“Do you… love that woman?”

But the next words made his head tingle as if he’d been doused in cold water.

“Love…”

Love. A cliché and often overused weight of the heart.

But it meant nothing special to Taeheon. It was a casual word that anyone could throw around.

“So, you’re not sure if you love that young lady?”

“Well, I don’t know. Do we need such definitions?”

“We do.”

“I don’t need it.”

“She would need it, not you.”

Yeonseo would have needed a definition of love.

His mouth felt as if he had been forced to swallow a bitter pill.

Taeheon turned away, his eyes deep in thought, and left the family home without haste.

Unhurriedly, he descended the stone steps and got behind the wheel.

“Ha…….”

Love. Did she truly wish for that?

Suddenly, an unsolved riddle flashed in his mind like a lingering scar.

‘You can never give me what I want.’

Could it be love, Yeonseo?

He had been ignorant. Now, with all the pieces falling into place, Taeheon’s mind was clear.

It wasn’t sudden. Love had been residing in his heart for a long time.

Han Yeonseo, smiling on the swings, her hair flowing like waves, was love from the beginning.

Because she was pretty. Because she was special. That’s why he pushed her so hard, gave too much attention, and acted recklessly.

If this wasn’t love, then love would cease to be love.

This was love.

Now, love for Taeheon wasn’t a common, overused word. It wasn’t an imperfect term that could be picked up at any time.

It was complete and full of value.

If this was what Yeonseo wanted, then Taeheon had already given it to her.

“I love you.”

His heart sank at the sound of his voice.

A fiery pain struck his chest. He gripped the steering wheel tightly.

“…I love you.”

As if testing, the words scattered like embers. His chest ached like he’d been set on fire.

“I love you.”

Overflowing and spilling over, it was finally a confession that had been held back for a long time.

But, Yeonseo, the owner of this heart, was not by his side.

He should have said it back then.

The day she said she didn’t like the scent of another woman’s perfume on him, he should have honestly confessed.

He should have told her that he loved her, not questioned if she really liked him.

He should have confessed that because of his childish and clumsy love, he had pushed her away because he loved her.

On the day she called saying her stomach hurt, he should have gone straight to her.

Beside her after the surgery, he actually wanted to hold her hand and make her rely on him to be her protector…….

The summer night in Gangwon Province, the time when his heart froze as if she had been stolen by Baek Hyeonho.

Instead of arrogantly waiting for Yeonseo to come to him, he should have crossed the two-lane road and jump over the fence.

He should have sought for her forgiveness.

With his chilled and numb hand, Taeheon reached for his phone.

–        Yes. Director, what’s the matter?

Secretary Shin answered the phone in a surprised voice. Given Taeheon’s strange attitude lately, the sudden call made him tense.

“Where is Han Yeonseo right now?”

To make her his, he didn’t need to ruin her world.

He needed to confess his love, express how much he missed and wanted her, so she wouldn’t leave him.

It took him a while to realize this simple and easy truth.

‘You wanted to end it. Don’t regret it.’

The harsh words he said to Yeonseo in the hospital were now coming back to haunt him.

It was him who pushed their relationship to its end, and he deeply regretted it.

It was the day he wanted to deny his very existence, born without knowing love.

He regretted it bitterly.

*

It had been four days since he was trying to find her again. Taeheon was working remotely from the officetel.

He had decided to focus on work for a short period since he was putting all his efforts into finding Yeonseo.

He’s been searching for her in Canada, but it’s not easy to find Yeonseo in the vast expanse of land. Whenever he thought he had found her, her whereabouts would become elusive.

He visited Taeseon, but there was nothing useful. Taeseon offered to lend Yeonseo some money, but she refused. That was the only trivial information he obtained.

Hyeonho went with her, so she must be living off his money. Taeheon was dismayed when Yoonhae hands him a passbook with hundreds of millions stamped on it the day she disappeared.

At that time, he resented Yeonseo for going to such lengths. It seemed like she was breaking up with him because of Hyeonho.

But now he understood. Yeonseo ran away because of his mistake, his arrogance.

“Hello.”

Taeheon got up and stood by the window to answer the phone. The space between his eyebrows gradually narrowed as he listened, and finally he raises his eyebrows.

“Look for her a bit more. I’ll pay you whatever you want. As soon as possible.”

The hand gripping the phone slammed down helplessly. Taeheon returned to the table with the lit laptop, but he couldn’t concentrate.

It was only yesterday that he had handed over the launch of the new car to the managing director. It was a very important project that Taeheon had been working on for years, but he hadn’t been sane enough recently that he decided to leave it in someone else’s hands.

In reality, it didn’t matter anymore. What Taeheon wanted now was not the position of the CEO of Sewon Motors, but Yeonseo.

He stared blankly into space. Lately, he had a lot of these moments. He, who used to spend a minute as if it were an hour and move methodically was becoming increasingly absent-minded, free from the constraints of time.

A call came from Secretary Shin. It was probably a business call, but he quickly put his cell phone to his ear just in case.

–        Sir! We found a lead. A witnessed in the Philippines. A Baek Hyeonho fan posted on her social media account that she saw him with a woman. There’s even a photo, and it seems to be Ms. Han Yeonseo.”

Taeheon, whose body temperature rose at the sound of the excited secretary’s voice, stood up from his seat.

“It’s only an hour to the airport. Get ready to leave right away.”

–        Huh?

“No. I’ll go myself.”

**

One month later.

Taeheon flew business class to get a quick flight back to Korea.

Even though he breezed right through the line, Secretary Shin’s face was haggard and tired from a month of traveling. Taeheon, on the other hand, walking a step ahead, was calm except for losing a bit of weight.

But now, Secretary Shin knows it. Taeheon is just pretending to be calm. He’s been right beside him, watching how he darkens every time he misses Yeonseo, and he’s afraid that he might explode at any moment.

The news of Yeonseo returning to Korea after circling around overseas caught both of them by surprise.

When the phone rang, Secretary Shin was surprised and quickly answered the call. His face lit up when he heard the news. Unlike his gaunt face, which had turned gray in the past month, he was smiling and seemed to be a little crazy on the surface.

Taeheon, who was nonchalantly dragging his suitcase beside him, stopped walking and gestured for him to speak.

After hanging up the phone, Secretary Shin clasped his hands together and spoke.

“Sir, we found her!”

“I can’t believe that anymore. Are you sure?”

“Yes! This time we can catch her. She’s at the house where where she grew up.”

Where she grew up? Taeheon quickly replayed Yeonseo’s old address in his head.

“Why did she go there?”

“Yes. Just now, Kim Hyeonyoung confirmed with her own eyes and sent a photo… Oh, a message just came.”

Taeheon quickly grabbed the secretary’s cell phone. He clicked on the photo that arrived and zoomed in on the blurry figure.

“Damn. Why didn’t she take this clearly?”

Taeheon grumbled roughly. But it was really Yeonseo. It was a grainy shot of her face, a quality that didn’t suit the digital age, but he was sure.

Since his heart reacted to the blurry figure.

“Let’s hurry. The car.”

“Standing by.”

Secretary Shin replied, his voice full of excitement. Taeheon rushed through the gate and quickly climbed into the waiting car.

The chauffeur took the wheel and skillfully drove them out of the airport. Taeheon had lost count on how many times he’d been through the airport in the past month looking for Yeonseo.

Yeonseo seemed to be a step ahead each time, moving from Canada to the Philippines and then to Japan before completely disappearing. They had searched around Baek Hyeonho, but couldn’t find any significant leads. After arriving in Korea, Hyeonho disappeared the next day. After heading to Japan, he didn’t use his credit card at all.

Whether it was intentional or not, it made it difficult to find Yeonseo. Being in a foreign country was also an obstacle.

Moreover, there were limits to finding Yeonseo without her knowledge or without Taeheon’s family knowing. He had to find her first to avoid complications if Seonye or Taeseon went to Yeonseo again and made a scene.

Taeheon had to protect Yeonseo from being hurt and surprised. This time, it had to be done right.