***

Clitie Hotel.

A five-star, 27-storey hotel, but the smallest of the nearby properties due to its 40-year-old structure. Unlike the others, it lacked an exotic outdoor pool or a view of the Han River, but it remained a clean and well-maintained business hotel.

As a 1-tonne truck pulled into the hotel’s courtyard, the team members rushed over. Soo-min got out of the passenger seat.

“Manager Han, you’re here early today.”

“Give me a hand.”

Soo-min worked as a florist for the Clitie Hotel. As she started to unload the flowers from the back of the truck, the staff quickly stepped in to help.

“You went to the flower market at dawn again? You could’ve just placed an order.”

“I need to see them with my own eyes.”

“Tsk, you make it harder and harder for yourself. Ah, look, the president is coming.”

The president of the Clitie Hotel – none other than Soo-min’s younger brother – was approaching.

“Noona.”

“You’re early too. But why are you looking like that? Did something happen?”

“Can we talk for a moment?”

Eunhyuk had a troubled look on his face, which worried Soo-min. He led her into his office.

As soon as they entered the CEO’s office, he let out a deep sigh.

“What is it? What’s on your mind?”

“I don’t think I can hold on much longer.”

The sight of his slumped shoulders filled Soo-min with unease.

“What do you mean?”

“Actually… a few months ago, my brother-in-law came to me and asked for a loan. So I lent him company funds…”

“Wait, how much?”

“Ten billion won.”

“Ten billion? Did you just say ten billion?”

Soo-min felt her breath catch in her throat.

Ten billion won…

“Yes… He said the business was a sure thing and that he needed to invest immediately, so I lent him the money. But even after the deadline passed, he still hasn’t paid it back.”

“Haah… How could you lend such a huge amount without even consulting me? You know how much this hotel means to us, don’t you?”

This hotel was the only thing they had received after enduring years of discrimination and abuse as illegitimate children in their mother’s family. For their mother, the hotel was as precious as her own life.

“I know… Do you think I don’t know? This is the only inheritance my mother ever received… But my brother-in-law came to me personally and said he was absolutely sure! I even made him sign an agreement that if he couldn’t pay back the loan, he would sell his shares in Daeseong Group to pay me back…”

“Do you know how unstable the stock market is right now? Even if my in-laws don’t show it openly, it’s clear that they are struggling financially.

At the time of her marriage, her in-laws had joined the ranks of the wealthy elite, but their business was gradually crumbling.

Soo-min couldn’t bring herself to blame Eunhyuk. She understood the emptiness he felt – he had never even seen his father, who had died before he was born. She knew only too well that he had looked to Yedo for that missing warmth. It was obvious that Yedo had fed him sweet lies, had completely deceived him.

A heavy sigh fell from her lips.

“I hate to say this, but… I think my brother-in-law has been gambling lately.”

“Gambling?”

“Yes. A friend of mine said he’d seen him in the casino quite often.”

Nothing could surprise her anymore, but she had never imagined that Yedo was also involved in gambling.

Drinking, women, gambling.

She had always known, but this only confirmed that he had completely lost any semblance of being a husband.

Soo-min’s lips quivered with anger.

“We don’t have enough money to pay the bank next month. We also have to pay our suppliers…”

“…I’ll find a way. Just wait a little.”

“I’m sorry, Noona. I really tried to protect Mum’s legacy, but… maybe being the CEO is too much for me.”

Eunhyuk’s shoulders slumped so low that it looked like his head would touch the ground. His sunken cheeks showed just how much he had struggled in silence.

‘My precious little brother.’

He was the only family she had by blood.

“This isn’t your fault. You’ve done well so far… Anyone can make a mistake, so don’t be too hard on yourself.”

***

“Your brother also wanted to invest. Do you think I forced him to give me the money?”

Her cold, heartless husband had the audacity to raise his voice instead. Every single day felt like a battle that sucked the life out of her.

With the staggering sum of ten billion won gone – far from a few pennies – the hotel was facing its worst crisis since opening.

Just then, there was a commotion in the house. The sudden sound of something breaking startled her. She rushed out of the room to find a porcelain vase smashed to pieces on the floor.

Standing beside her, holding a golf club, was her father-in-law.

Something serious had happened.

‘No way!’

“Byeon Yedo! Where is that bastard?”

“……!!”

Her mother-in-law stamped her feet in panic.

“Mum, what’s going on? What is this…?”

“Ah…”

With a faint groan, her mother-in-law collapsed to the floor.

“It’s over. Because of that worthless son, our whole group is over.”

“What?”

Bang! Bang!

The sound of a struggle echoed through the house, followed by the harsh clatter of a door being forcibly unlocked. Heavy footsteps burst in.

The mansion, which had been polished and maintained for the past five years, was now being trampled under the boots of court enforcement officers.

***

[Daeseong Group on the brink of bankruptcy.

Three years ago, an aggressive acquisition of a struggling subsidiary led to a downward spiral. In addition, rapid business expansion pushed the company into a severe crisis. The situation worsened when the chairman’s deteriorating health led to a change in leadership, resulting in poor decisions by the young successor…..]

Soo-min stopped reading and closed the article.

In a desperate attempt to save a subsidiary, they had poured massive amounts of money into it, causing the headquarters itself to waver. Even if they sold the subsidiaries at a low price, it wouldn’t be enough to cover their mounting debts.

Beside her, Yedo exhaled a cloud of smoke as he puffed on his cigarette.

“Get some money.”

“Where am I going to get money? You can’t even pay back what you borrowed from Eunhyuk.”

“Your family owns the Jaewon Group, right? Getting 50 billion won shouldn’t be that hard.”

“Do you think that makes sense? Our marriage was the last thing they wanted to offer. There’s nothing more they’ll give you.”

“You might have something! But what about me? I’m about to become a damn beggar!”

“I can’t. My great-uncle isn’t the kind of person to give you money.”

Soo-min flatly refused. Her maternal family, who never even considered her mother a real person, would never have any sympathy for the plight of an illegitimate niece.

Yedo ran a frustrated hand through his hair, his temper flaring.

“Do you really have to be like this? Are you just going to stand there and watch our house fall down?”

“You should clean up the mess you made.”

“My problems are your problems! We’re married!”

A hollow laugh escaped Soo-min’s lips.

“Married? Were we ever really married? Put your hand over your heart and answer me honestly. You’ve spent all your time drowning in alcohol and women, and we’ve never even held hands. We’re nothing more than a window-dressing couple…”

“Ah!”

Before she could finish, something interrupted her.

Yedo suddenly grabbed Soo-min’s body and shoved her onto the bed.

Thud!

Her head hit the mattress hard, sending a dull ache through her skull.

With a mischievous grin, Yedo cupped her chin.

“You wanted to have s*x? You should have said so before. Weren’t you the one who acted cold all the time?”

As his hand moved to her br*ast, a wave of disgust crawled across her skin. Soo-min struggled, kicking and flailing, but his strength pinned her down, leaving her powerless.

“Let go! Let me go! I said let go!”

“Oh? I didn’t know you could make that face. I always thought Han Soo-min was cold and untouchable… but this is…”

Smack!

The sharp crack of her palm against his cheek echoed through the room.

Five years of pent-up anger erupted at once.

“Don’t you dare lay a hand on me.”

“Y-You just hit me?”

“I told you not to put your filthy hands on me.”

“What? Filthy? That’s right! I’m a piece of trash who ruined a whole family! But what about you? You married me for an inheritance, so what makes you any better? Acting all high and mighty-“

Smack!

She slapped Yedo’s face again. The force of it stung her palm, making it throb.

“Watch your mouth. You don’t even understand what this legacy means…”

Tears streamed from her eyes, the unbearable humiliation cutting deep.

“Meaning? What f*cking sense could there be? Well, if that’s the way you want it, then I’m done. If you don’t bring any money from the Jaewon Group, we’ll get a divorce.”

“Unbelievable… Even at the end….”

Soo-min’s lips quivered with anger.

“I won’t support you. As you know, my family is already in ruins.”

Bang!

Yedo slammed the door as he stormed out, spewing curses from the hallway.

Crash!

The sound of shattering objects echoed through the house.

And like the shattering furniture, Soo-min felt her patience and resolve crumble.