“Take your time while eating.”

Ji-an said softly as she assisted Seong-rim with her meal.

As usual, after having breakfast with Chairman Woo and his wife without Se-hyeon, Ji-an went straight to the annex where Ahn Seong-rim was staying.

It was her responsibility to look after Seong-rim and ensure she had eaten breakfast.

Although Seong-rim was said to be able to handle everything on her own here, in truth she had been all but abandoned in this separate annex.

She spent her entire day there, eating, bathing, watching TV, and taking walks, never venturing beyond the confines of this small space.

Although Chief Shim was assigned as Seong-rim’s primary carer, Ji-an had taken over most of the duties herself ever since marrying into the family.

This was also written into the contract she had signed with Woo Se-hyeon.

The annex was located some distance from the main residence.

After the death of his wife, Joo Sang-ah, Chairman Woo took it upon himself to care for Seong-rim, Sang-ah’s mother.

Sang-ah was an only child, and since Seong-rim had practically raised Se-hyeon when he was young, the bond between grandmother and grandson was particularly strong.

However, after Yang Jin-hee joined the household, she complained about living with the deceased wife’s mother.

Consequently, Seong-rim was quietly moved to the annex and left in the care of the staff.

“Do the side dishes suit your taste today?”

Seeing that Seong-rim was eating a little too quickly, Ji-an handed her a glass of lukewarm water.

Three years had passed since Ji-an started taking care of Seong-rim, and this part of her daily routine took the longest.

“It’s delicious today.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Seong-rim was notoriously picky about food and usually had something to complain about at every meal.

But today, she ate quietly. The dishes seemed to suit her taste.

“Have you eaten, dear?”

Seong-rim, who had eaten about half of what was in her bowl, glanced at Ji-an, who was sitting opposite her.

“Of course. I’ve already eaten.”

It was a lie.

She had spent all morning pushing food around her plate and pretending to eat.

In the end, she left the table having barely eaten anything.

She had no appetite. Nothing sounded appealing.

Lately, she didn’t know why tears came so easily.

Was it the season? Or was it the growing distance between them?

Her heart felt so empty that she welled up with tears even when she sat still.

Looking at pitiful, abandoned Seong-rim in this annex stung her eyes. Ji-an quickly turned her head and wiped the corners of her eyes.

“Did he not come home again?”

Seong-rim frowned as she asked, noticing Ji-an’s teary eyes.

“Tell me what’s going on. I’ll give that rascal a good telling-off.”

Hearing this, Ji-an let out a small laugh.

She looked ready to do exactly that, gripping her spoon with indignation written all over her face.

“Would you really scold him for me?”

“Of course. No matter what anyone says, I can give that boy a piece of my mind. How dare he make his wife cry! That wicked boy!”

Seong-rim ranted passionately, sending bits of rice flying.

Perhaps because they had spent the past three years as each other’s only company, Ji-an always felt most at ease with Seong-rim.

At least here, she could still laugh.

Seong-rim could be rather stubborn at times, but she was always kind to Ji-an — after all, Ji-an was the wife of her beloved grandson.

“Come on now, finish your meal.”

Ji-an urged gently, picking up a side dish with her chopsticks and placing it on top of Seong-rim’s rice.

“My dear.”

Seong-rim called softly, her voice filled with tenderness. Ji-an lifted her gaze to meet Seong-rim’s eyes.

“This old woman may not have much now — no strength, no influence in this household, and no one listens to me anymore — but if you’re ever upset or struggling, promise me you’ll tell me. Alright? I’ll always listen.”

Seong-rim raised a hand and gently cupped Ji-an’s cheek. Although her hand was thin and rough, the warmth of her touch broke down the barriers Ji-an had built up.

“You’ve been through so much because of that cold-hearted grandson of mine. There, now, don’t cry.”

As Seong-rim wiped away Ji-an’s tears, tears also began to fill her own eyes.

Ji-an’s shoulders trembled as she quietly sobbed, her head bowed.

***

Late into the night, Ji-an sat at the small table beside her bed, staring blankly into space.

It was almost 2 a.m.

Once again, Se-hyeon hadn’t come home.

They weren’t the type of couple who exchanged sweet messages or kept track of each other’s schedules.

All Ji-an could do was wait, not knowing where Se-hyeon was or when he would return.

‘Once this period ends, I should probably go to the hospital and get a recommended date for conception.’

Ever since Chairman Woo raised the subject of pregnancy, Yang Jin-hee has mentioned the hospital whenever they meet.

It was as if she had been waiting for this moment.

In truth, Jin-hee had long hoped that Ji-an would have a baby.

She would often bring up the topic, carefully asking when Ji-an planned to get pregnant. Her eyes would probe for answers, but she would always be cautious to avoid Se-hyeon’s gaze.

There was only one reason behind it. She wanted someone to bear Se-hyeon’s child and tie him down — to give birth and use the child as leverage.

It was all for the sake of Woo Se-jun, the executive director and son of Yang Jin-hee and the chairman.

Of course, even then, Se-jun could never measure up to Se-hyeon.

The chairman had been having an affair ever since Se-hyeon’s mother first fell ill, and after Joo Sang-ah’s death, he wasted no time.

The moment she passed away, Yang Jin-hee took her place.

There was no way Se-hyeon could have a good relationship with her.

“I never imagined you’d do this behind my back, fully knowing what kind of relationship I have with Yang Jin-hee.”

Perhaps Se-hyeon thought she had made a separate deal behind his back. Ever since he had caught her that day, his coldness had only grown more severe.

Hoo…

Ji-an let out a heavy sigh.

This misunderstanding was weighing on her like a constant, suffocating burden.

Just then, her phone vibrated on the table.

Hoping it might be Se-hyeon, she quickly grabbed it and checked the screen.

She let out another quiet sigh when she saw who it was from.

It wasn’t the person she had hoped for.

It was an unfamiliar number.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Ji-an finally answered the call.

“Hello?”

— “Wow, it’s been a while since I heard my little sister’s voice. How’ve you been?”

Although she hadn’t heard that voice in years, Ji-an recognised it immediately.

It was her older brother — the one who had walked away, disgusted by what he called their ‘pathetic family’.

He hadn’t even bothered to attend their father’s funeral.

He hadn’t cared about the family when their father was alive and he didn’t care now that he was dead.

He had never once taken responsibility for anything.

Just hearing his voice made her skin crawl.

And now, after three years, he was suddenly calling again — his shamelessness was beyond words.

Ji-an’s gaze turned cold.

“What do you want?”

— “Your brother needs some money.”

“You just took money from Mother not long ago, didn’t you?”

— “Oh? So you’ve already heard?”

“What is wrong with you? Why are you doing this to me?”

— “Well, who else am I supposed to ask? When I’ve got a rich little sister like you.”

His voice was utterly devoid of guilt, making Ji-an’s body tremble with anger. She tightened her grip around the phone, her voice dropping into a cold warning.

“I have nothing to give you. And don’t ever call me again.”

— “If you don’t give me money, who will? That woman says she’s not giving me any more.”

Fury surged up to the top of Ji-an’s head. Taking deep, heavy breaths, she closed her eyes tightly as a memory flashed in her mind from just a few days ago.

“I thought it was time you found out, so I called you here.”

Yang Jin-hee had laid a sheet of paper in front of her, wearing a disturbingly pleased smile. Up until that moment, Ji-an had no idea what was written on that paper—that it had anything to do with her.

“It’s a record of all the money Yoo Jung-ho has taken from me over the past three years—the money he received in exchange for your father’s life.”

It came as a bolt from the blue.

She hadn’t been in touch with Yoo Jung-ho for a long time. She had long since stopped caring about where he was or what he was doing.

As long as he wasn’t tormenting her, that was enough.

But to learn that he had been behind her back all this time, taking money from Yang Jin-hee, her vision went blank.

“Apparently, this time he got drunk, drove, and killed someone. I stepped in and took care of it.”

“Altogether, it’s around 1.5 billion won he’s drained so far.”

Her father had risked his life day and night to save others. And yet his own son had killed someone.

Ji-an was so dumbfounded that she couldn’t even speak as she listened to everything unfold.

“I won’t tell President Woo. But in return, my dear daughter-in-law, how about you start doing as I say?”

She could still vividly picture Yang Jin-hee’s smiling face as she made her offer.

The fact that she had paid her brother for three years without saying a word made it clear what she wanted — leverage.

She wanted something that would trap Ji-an completely.

Ji-an couldn’t bring herself to tell Se-hyeon about her brother Yoo Jung-ho.

Even if their marriage had been part of the deal, she had already received more than enough money to cover her grandmother’s and younger sibling’s medical expenses.

If Se-hyeon were to find out that her brother had been taking money all this time, she would find the humiliation unbearable.

That’s why, even though he had misunderstood her, she couldn’t bring herself to explain.

— “I’ll give you a bit of time to come up with the money. 200 million won. By next Friday. How’s that?”

“Don’t even dream of it. I’m not giving you a single won. I don’t even have that kind of money.”

— “Well, I’ll wait and see until then. If you won’t give it, I’ll just go see your husband. He just got promoted to CEO, didn’t he?”

“Don’t you dare go anywhere near Se-hyeon. I won’t let you get away with it.”

Ji-an warned him sharply. But Yoo Jung-ho only pretended not to hear, responding as casually as ever.

— “Listen to me, little sister. Dad died saving that man. He saved the precious eldest son of W Group, you know? With that kind of favor, they should be paying us anyway. What’s so great about being rich? They have more money than they’ll ever spend in a lifetime. If it were me, I’d ask for 10 billion won without hesitation. Don’t you agree?”

He hadn’t even bothered to show his face as the eldest son when their father was laid to rest. How could someone still be called human after acting like this?

Ji-an’s shoulders trembled uncontrollably with rage.

“Don’t you dare speak about Dad with that filthy mouth of yours.”

— “Just get the money ready, alright?”

A sly laugh echoed in her ears before the call disconnected. Her hand, still holding the phone, dropped limply to her side.

Haa… haa…

The suffocating frustration left her gasping for air, as if there were no oxygen in the room.

She clutched her chest and drew in deep breaths, desperately trying to steady herself.

As she struggled to breathe, she heard footsteps approaching from outside the room.

At this time of night, only one person would come up to the second floor.

Hearing the familiar sound again after days of silence, she felt a strange mix of relief and dread.

Ji-an quickly rose from her seat, rushed to open the door, and stepped out.

At the far end of the hallway, she saw Se-hyeon slowly walking towards her.

She hurried over to him, immediately catching the strong scent of alcohol radiating from his body.

“Are you all right?”

She asked softly, reaching out to steady him. It had been three days since the gathering.

Heavily intoxicated, Se-hyeon glanced down at her hand supporting his arm.

He promptly shook her hand off as though her touch were revolting.

“Ah…!”

Ji-an’s frail body staggered sharply from the sudden force. Without so much as a word, Se-hyeon continued walking past her.

Even so, Ji-an quickly caught up again and reached out to steady him once more.