For a brief moment, a hope as light as a feather tickled the heart and tempted the mind.

If I told him that our child was in my womb, I might see his gentle side that had only existed in dreams until now. For a moment, I fell into the illusion that we might achieve the happy family I had dreamed of all my life.

But such hope shattered in less than three seconds. I knew he was someone who couldn’t love anyone but himself.

I had felt it painfully during those three years.

I didn’t want to beg for his love under the pretext of a baby.

Ga Eun looked straight into Do Jun’s eyes and firmly conveyed her intention.

“How could I, who has lost my memory, tell any lies?”

Ga Eun’s words were not wrong. To lie, one needs to know the truth, but she had lost her memory.

Even if she was lying, it might be because she didn’t know the truth.

Hearing Ga Eun’s words, Do Jun was taken aback by his own behavior of emotionally pushing her while losing his reason. Ga Eun drew a strong line towards Do Jun once again.

“Please don’t touch my body without permission from now on.”

Do Jun’s gaze trembled violently at Ga Eun’s cold eyes. She was a woman who had always guarded his surroundings as if she wanted to step on even his shadow.

“I’m tired.”

Ga Eun quickly entered the dressing room, leaving Do Jun behind. As the dressing room door closed, a long sigh escaped Ga Eun’s lips.

Her heart was pounding as if it might burst, fearing that Do Jun might have noticed everything. Ga Eun’s hand wrapped around her belly.

“I’m sorry I scared you, Sun.”

Ga Eun’s hand pressed firmly.

“Mommy will protect you no matter what.”

She didn’t want to raise Sun within Shin Oh Group at all. The chairman who didn’t even maintain basic courtesy towards people and used them, and her mother-in-law Kang Ji Ae who wore so many masks that it was impossible to know which face was real.

And she didn’t want to raise the baby in the arms of Ji Do Jun, who had never once sacrificed for others.

After changing her clothes, Ga Eun went straight into the bathroom and soaked her body. As hot water poured over her head, her heated emotions cooled down.

Just as Ga Eun came out of the bathroom, she heard the front door slam shut.

What could he be so angry about?

He was the one who first proposed the contract marriage.

Originally, Ji Do Jun’s fiancée was Seo Yu Jin, the only daughter of Ji An Construction. Ga Eun first learned of their dating news through the media.

Seo Yu Jin was Ji Do Jun’s junior in university and Ga Eun’s classmate. They both graduated from the same Fashion Design department.

Seo Yu Jin was famous for her outstanding beauty even within the university. She even launched her own brand named after herself right after graduating from university.

The face of Do Jun, who had reached out his hand to become contract spouses, came vividly to mind.

“Let’s make the contract period three years. On the condition that we don’t interfere with each other’s private lives.”

Ga Eun regretted taking his hand over and over again. She didn’t properly understand at the time what it meant not to interfere with each other’s private lives.

Do Jun, who had no contact throughout the wedding preparations, appeared before Ga Eun on the eve of their wedding with a scandal of being together with his former fiancée at a hotel.

As stated in the contract, Ji Do Jun was the perfect master in their three years of married life.

Ga Eun shook her head hard as if trying to erase her old memories and emotions. Before her belly grew, she had to somehow establish herself as the heir to World Group.

Unlike the beginning when she simply wanted to escape from Lee Yun Sook’s grasp, the more she learned about Lee Yun Sook’s true nature, the more she felt that running away wouldn’t be enough to protect herself and Sun.

She needed greater power to protect Sun from her. If she could get her hands on World Group, she felt she could safely protect everyone from Lee Yun Sook.

Above all, she couldn’t hand over World Group to her stepmother Lee Yun Sook, who had trampled on her life forever. Knowing how much World Group meant to her, she wanted to snatch it from her hands.

Ga Eun first planned to remove Lee Yun Sook’s arms and legs spread throughout World Group one by one from within the company.

Ga Eun hurriedly made a call somewhere. The person who answered was a journalist who dug into issues of the wealthy.

“Can you publish the content I emailed you as an article tomorrow?”

[It’s an honor that you’ve sent such valuable material so willingly.]

Ga Eun’s brow furrowed at the journalist’s affected laughter.

“You’ll need to keep it a secret that I passed on the information.”

[Of course, I’ll protect you.]

After hanging up, Ga Eun looked at her serious face reflected in the vanity mirror.

“When mom is happy, the baby is happy too.”

Recalling the obstetrician’s words, Ga Eun slowly raised the corners of her mouth while looking in the mirror.

[This is the timeline separator]

Do Jun, who had left home abruptly, couldn’t understand why he was so angry.

Was it simply because he had been rejected?

Do Jun had never thought about a baby before. But half of what he had said to Ga Eun today was sincere.

He wanted to keep her by his side, even if using a child as an excuse.

The more she tried to distance herself from him, the more strongly he wanted to hold onto her hand. Just as Do Jun was about to start the car, his phone rang loudly.

[Sir, I’m calling about the health checkups for World Group employees scheduled for this week.]

Shin Oh Group invested a lot of money in employee health checkups every year. After marrying Ga Eun, Shin Oh Hospital even took charge of World Group’s welfare. They even directly paid hospital bills for employees in difficult financial situations.

Hearing Secretary Kim’s words, a good idea came to Do Jun’s mind.

“Please tell the hospital to pay extra attention so that all World Group executives can receive health checkups this time.”

Secretary Kim hesitated before answering Do Jun’s sudden suggestion.

[Yes, I understand, sir.]

Do Jun was about to hang up but added more words.

“I’ll personally oversee the executives’ health checkups. My wife has returned to the company, so shouldn’t I pay attention?”

Hearing Do Jun’s words, Secretary Kim suddenly remembered something to relay, and the sound of hurriedly flipping through a notebook could be heard over the receiver.

[I looked into the incident at World Fashion that you asked about before. There was an incident where Team Leader Yoon Ga Eun allegedly received money from the fabric company president and switched out the supplied fabric midway to embezzle slush funds. That’s why she was fired from her team leader position.]

Do Jun’s brow sharply furrowed upon hearing Secretary Kim’s words. Do Jun knew better than anyone that Yoon Ga Eun was not the kind of woman to do such things.

She had never shown her desires in front of him. When he gave her an expensive necklace for her birthday, her eyes were filled with sadness and loneliness rather than joy.

“Secretary Kim said he took the time to choose it, but do you not like it?”

Ga Eun’s eyes weren’t those of a woman looking at jewels. They even looked empty, as if looking at an empty can. Do Jun was certain that such a woman wouldn’t have used her team leader position for money.

“Are you sure Team Leader Yoon Ga Eun was really the culprit in that incident?”

Secretary Kim answered Do Jun’s question without any hesitation.

[The fabric company president had a history of exchanging money with World Fashion before. It seems someone pinned all their crimes on Team Leader Yoon Ga Eun.]

Do Jun’s voice quickened upon hearing Secretary Kim’s words.

“Can you find out who that person is?”

Secretary Kim answered with strength in his voice, as if to say he would do his best.

[I’ll do my best to find out.]

As soon as he hung up, Do Jun’s face hardened coldly.

He thought the only person who could do such a thing at World Fashion was Lee Yun Mun, the director who was his mother-in-law Lee Yun Sook’s older brother. Just as Do Jun’s suspicion turned into certainty, his phone rang loudly again.

[Sir, I think you need to see the internet article right now.]

Do Jun, who had just hung up, immediately clicked on the article posted on the internet.

[World Fashion Director Lee Yun Mun’s illegal slush fund details have been revealed, causing controversy. Director Lee Yun Mun has been found to have embezzled slush funds with the factory manager for six years from 2017 when he was appointed as director of World Fashion until now.

Moreover, there are allegations that he supplied cheap fabric to World Fashion, deceiving them as expensive fabric…]

Do Jun’s face turned even more serious after reading the article.

Lee Yun Mun’s corruption broke out less than a week after Ga Eun returned as team leader at World Fashion. Do Jun’s large hand caressed his chin as he fell into deep thought.

Could it be that Yoon Ga Eun really planned this?

Once raised, the suspicion stuck in Do Jun’s head and wouldn’t leave.

[This is the timeline separator]

As soon as the article broke, Ga Eun’s phone started ringing loudly. The screen displayed her mother Lee Yun Sook’s name. Ga Eun didn’t answer the phone despite it ringing repeatedly.

The ringtone kept ringing persistently as if it wouldn’t stop until she answered. Only then did Ga Eun slowly pick up the phone.

[What on earth are you doing out there!]

Lee Yun Sook’s sharp voice came through the receiver.

“Is something wrong?”

Ga Eun asked her in a calm voice as if she knew nothing.

[The article about Director Lee Yun Mun, do you think I don’t know you ordered it?]

Yun Sook, who was already thoroughly provoked, was busy pushing Ga Eun while losing her reason. Enjoying Yun Sook’s reaction, Ga Eun slowly moved her lips while taking her time.

“Who is Director Lee Yun Mun?”

A scream was heard from Yun Sook as if her breath was caught at Ga Eun’s words.

“Who is Director Lee Yun Mun that you suddenly call me and get so angry?”

Ga Eun questioned Yun Sook, turning the tables on her.

[Stop pretending you don’t know. You did all this to get revenge for me kicking you out of World Group, right?]

Ga Eun calmly waited until Yun Sook lost control of her emotions and lashed out, then caught her ankle.

“So it was you, Mother, who tried to kick me out of World Group?”

Ga Eun’s acting was quite natural, as if shocked by Yun Sook’s words.