The news of the wedding hadn’t been told to anyone yet.
Her mother-in-law sighed heavily, the deep wrinkles on her face reflecting the weight of her life, which made Soo-min feel uneasy.
“I have some relatives working at the Blue House.”
“Oh…”
“When the last scandal article came out, I asked around. I heard some quiet rumors. I hoped they weren’t true… but I…”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect to remarry so soon either.”
“Her mother-in-law pressed a handkerchief to her eyes and dabbed away her tears. Soo-min felt her heart burn with guilt.
“It is my selfishness. Yes, you found a good man… you don’t deserve my son. I know very well what Yedo did to you… but I can’t help but feel hurt”.
“Even if I get married, it doesn’t mean that I will be completely distant from you. I plan to visit and pay my respects from time to time.”
“Of course you should. Even though you and Yedo are over, there’s no need to end the bond between you and me. I’ve always thought of you as my daughter.” “I know.”
“The hurtful words I said were all because I wanted you and Yedo to live well together.”
“As Yedo’s mother, I cannot bring myself to bless this marriage. However, as someone who has cared for you as a daughter, I would like to wish you happiness and hope that you live well.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
“Well, at least one person has to find happiness.”
Her mother-in-law tried to hold back her tears. She was not the type of person to mistreat Soo-min, but the sudden misfortune seemed to have struck only the former in-laws.
It made her feel uneasy. Although she didn’t smile when she offered her congratulations, her sincerity was deeply felt.
“There will be an article on the news tonight at 9 p.m. I came here in person to tell you first, so you won’t be surprised.”
“I see, all right.”
“Please take care of yourself, and I’ll try to check in with you once or twice a month.”
“Don’t come here. You might end up being disliked by your new in-laws.”
“Understood…”
Soo-min stood up heavily. For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to leave. As she left the hospital room, she looked back at her ex-husband, who was lying motionless as if he were dead, and took one last look at him.
“Oh, by the way, Mother. Did any detectives come by the hospital?”
“Detectives? The last incident with Yedo was ruled an accident, so they didn’t come back.”
“I see…never mind.”
She had heard that he was still under suspicion. But since the suspect was bedridden, the detectives seemed to have no other choice.
She chose not to speak, not wanting to cause unnecessary worry. Her mother-in-law accompanied her to the hospital lobby to say goodbye.
As she waved her hand and urged her to leave, Soo-min felt a sharp pain in her chest. She felt sorry.
While her mother-in-law’s son was caught between life and death, she was pursuing her own happiness by remarrying.
Even though her husband was nothing but a horrible man to her, the guilt weighed heavily on her.
*** At 9 p.m., articles exploded across the news and every portal site.
The news, as if it had been waiting for this moment, was not only trending in Korea, but also on international sites.
The announcement of Beom Yuhyeon’s marriage had an undeniably powerful effect.
The next day, foreign journalists camped outside the hotel.
Due to tight security, not a single journalist was visible inside the hotel.
Guests at the hotel were limited to those attending the wedding, so it was relatively quiet.
“I can’t believe it. It feels like a dream to be the florist for the manager’s wedding.”
“We have a lot of work ahead of us.”
“No, we’re thrilled! Decorating the wedding venue with our own hands is such an amazing opportunity.”
“It’s the first time for all of you to do wedding decorations, so it’s going to be hard. Even two days of arranging flowers in bulk might not be enough.”
There weren’t enough hands to help. With only two days left before the wedding, they had to work fast to make sure the flowers didn’t wilt.
As Soo-min approached the table, her team members gestured for her to stop.
“We’ll take care of it. The bride doesn’t need to decorate the flowers herself.” “But everyone is so busy…”
“We’ve hired part-timers. You should go to the shop, get a massage and rest.”
“Thank you.”
Though she could hardly face anyone, considering how quickly she had remarried after her divorce only three months earlier, the team congratulated her as if it were their own celebration.
“By the way, you’re not really planning on quitting your job, are you? If I were to marry someone as amazing as Beom Yuhyeon, I’d relax and enjoy life at home.”
“I decided to keep working. I’m happiest when I’m working with flowers.”
“Of course! We know how passionate you are about this work. That’s so admirable – there’s really nothing wrong with it. Hohoho.”
“Be happy, ma’am!”
“Th-thank you.”
Everyone’s joy, as if it were their own party, made Soo-min feel a little embarrassed.
The office door opened and Yuhyeon’s guard placed snacks on each table.
“I brought some snacks. Also, someone from Russia has arrived to fill the staffing gap.”
“Oh, really?”
“I trust you all, but I thought an artist with experience in wedding decorations might be more helpful, so I invited one.”
When the woman behind Yuhyeon appeared, everyone jumped in surprise. A team member stuttered, “Uh-uh, uh-uh! That person! Could it really be… Elena… Elena!”
Soo-min was so stunned that she couldn’t close her mouth.
Elena Jaycock, the world famous florist, had entered the room.
The appearance of Elena, an idol to all florists, caused an overwhelming feeling of amazement.
Soo-min’s heart raced with excitement. She pinched the back of her hand to confirm that it was real, but it was still hard to believe.
“Of course she’ll help you! Just tell us what you need and we’ll make the arrangements.”
After a short introduction, Elena rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
Soo-min walked out into the hallway, shoulder to shoulder with Yuhyeon.
“Incredible. The extent of your connections…”
Her heart still hadn’t settled.
“This is just the beginning.”
“She’s an artist I’ve always wanted to meet.”
“To create the best wedding, those who prepare it must also be the best.”
“But what about the hall…?”
Soo-min stopped in front of the simple banquet hall. The hall was usually used for first birthday parties or seventieth birthday parties. Occasionally, it was used as a banquet hall, but it was far from being a wedding hall.
“The place doesn’t matter. Trust Elena. She’ll probably make it more beautiful than any wedding in a European hotel.”
Soo-min nodded.
As they walked on, someone called to Yuhyeon from behind.
Who could it be?
When they turned around, a man ran quickly towards Yuhyeon. The man who hugged Yuhyeon with great energy left Soo-min startled.
The blonde-haired man was a young adult who had just shed the appearance of a teenage boy.
“Ivan, when did you arrive before us?”
“I just arrived. Sergei hyung (brother), I missed you.”
They were speaking in Russian, so Soo-min couldn’t understand a word. The blond young man with bright blue eyes turned to look at her.
“Is she Sergei Hyung’s lady? Are you finally getting married?”
“Yes.”
The young man smiled and extended his hand to Soo-min. Then he greeted her in awkwardly pronounced Korean.
“Hello. I’m Ivan Vasiliev. Sergei’s younger brother – or should I say Beom Yuhyeon.”
Sergei? So Beom Yuhyeon had a Russian name?
Soo-min lightly shook Ivan’s hand. His bright smile was charming, but when their hands touched, she noticed wounds on his fingers and was startled.
It looked like a burn… almost certainly a burn scar.
Noticing Soo-min’s look, Ivan showed his fingers.
“When I was young, there was a fire in our mansion and I got hurt. It’s disgusting, isn’t it?”
“Oh, no. I’m sorry. I forgot my manners.”
“I had several surgeries, but the burns were too severe to make them the way they used to be.”
“Ah… I see. By the way, your Korean is really impressive.”
Aside from his accent, Ivan spoke almost perfect Korean.
“Sergei Hyung (brother) taught me.”
“Oh… I see…”
Soo-min tilted her head slightly, wondering if the term “hyung” (older brother) was used the same way in Russian culture.
Come to think of it, Soo-min knew almost nothing about him – not even his family. And yet, here she was, getting married.
Ivan’s eyes darted between Soo-min and Yuhyeon before he snapped his fingers.
“Sergei, you haven’t told my future sister-in-law yet? That you’re Vladimir Vasiliev’s son?”
“What?!”
Soo-min felt as if her breath would stop. Beom Yuhyeon, who managed Vladimir’s funds, was actually his son?!
She was so shocked that her hands trembled. Yuhyeon looked at Soo-min and spoke indifferently.
“She just found out today. Ivan is right – Vladimir Vasiliev is my adopted father.”
“Ah…”
“I told you, didn’t I? There will be many surprises.”
“That can’t be…”