Their gazes intertwined in the air. Do Jun suppressed his emotions and changed the subject.

“Why did you try to die?”

Do Jun’s dark eyes stared directly into hers. His lips trembled slightly as if there was something else he wanted to say.

For a brief moment, Ga Eun’s eyes wavered as they met Do Jun’s.

Ga Eun could no longer arouse suspicion from Do Jun, who now knew the witness was fake.

Ga Eun’s mind moved differently from her head, intending to lie in response to Do Jun’s question. As she struggled to speak, Do Jun’s lips moved first.

“Was it because of me?”

At Do Jun’s words, Ga Eun’s lips pressed even more tightly shut.

There was a time when this man sitting before her felt like her whole world. His gaze and expressions would shake up her daily routine, and her heart would race with desire to have him.

But not anymore. Like different time zones in one world, their hearts were out of sync. No matter how hard she tried, their hearts could never meet as one, and Ga Eun had long since accepted this fact.

Ga Eun recalled the moment she grabbed the steering wheel to fake the accident. One small mistake and she could have really died.

Even in that brief time holding the wheel, Ga Eun felt death’s temptation. With just a little courage, it seemed she could escape this terrible life.

As Ga Eun started the car and put her foot on the pedal, she remembered again that another life was living inside her body.

At the thought of having someone to love completely, Ga Eun abandoned her dark thoughts. She gripped the wheel and drove as planned.

Recalling the past made her mouth feel dry, as if transported back to that moment. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if Do Jun believed the accident was a suicide attempt for a while, as Lee Yun Sook had lied.

Suppressing her emotions, Ga Eun moved her trembling lips.

“Because no one loves me.”

Layers of loneliness could be felt in her voice. Ga Eun revealed her inner feelings she had never told anyone, then added as if it were nothing:

“I don’t remember anything about the accident. All I know is that sentence was written in the diary the day before I died.”

Ga Eun hurriedly stood up to avoid Do Jun’s question. Looking at his face might bring up deeper emotions.

“Thank you for dinner. I have a lot of work, so I’ll need to stay late tonight.”

Ga Eun’s eyes scanned the documents piled on her desk. She pressured Do Jun as if she no longer wanted to be in the same place as him. Do Jun had no choice but to stand up.

“I’ll wait for you at home.”

As Do Jun was about to leave the team leader’s office, Ga Eun spoke to him again.

“Don’t wait. I’ll be very late.”

At Ga Eun’s words, Do Jun stubbornly repeated himself.

“I’ll wait until you come.”

As Do Jun fully exited the office, a deep sigh escaped Ga Eun’s lips. She felt as if the events before the accident were rapidly flashing before her eyes.

“I’ll be late today.”

“I’ll wait for you.”

In just a few months, their positions had completely reversed. The one always saying they’d wait was her, not Do Jun.

Throughout their marriage, Do Jun never came home early. He was often away on overseas business trips. But Ga Eun habitually waited for Do Jun when it was time for him to come home.

For her, love for Do Jun was like a habit deeply ingrained in her life. Even without realizing it, her heart was always turned towards Do Jun.

Even after Do Jun left, Ga Eun’s gaze remained fixed on the office door. She had clearly heard the words Do Jun casually let slip while eating lunch.

“I’m sorry.”

At Do Jun’s sudden apology, Ga Eun felt as if the thorn in her heart had melted away.

She clenched her fist, hating how weak her heart became, momentarily forgetting three years of wounds from just one word from him. Ga Eun’s gaze forcibly shifted back to the fashion show documents.

Do Jun stood outside the office door for a long time after leaving. Ga Eun’s voice seemed to keep echoing in his ears.

“Don’t wait.”

It was the same businesslike phrase he used to tell her when he stayed late at work and didn’t come home. Hearing those words from Ga Eun’s lips now caused a pain in his heart as if it would tear apart.

Despite her firm voice telling him not to wait, his heart still pounded as if expressing its own feelings.

Was it simply stubbornness at having his feelings rejected?

Do Jun had never been rejected by anyone in his life. That’s why Ga Eun’s cold behavior felt even more intense.

If not that, was he feeling lonely because the person who was always there when he reached out was gone?

This unfamiliar sensation he had never felt before complicated Do Jun’s thoughts. The entire way home, Ga Eun’s lonely words answering his question echoed in his ears.

“Because no one loves me.”

He could sense the emotions she was forcefully suppressing in her voice.

Had she always felt this way?

Do Jun arrived at the apartment entrance but couldn’t easily step inside. It felt like Ga Eun’s absence would be even more noticeable in the dark house. After hesitating for a long time, Do Jun painfully took a step forward.

As he opened the front door and entered, the lights were brightly lit inside. Hearing the sound, Oh Jipsa wearing an apron walked to the entrance to greet Do Jun. For a brief moment, Ga Eun’s face overlapped with Oh Jipsa’s.

“You’re home?”

Like a puppy waiting all day at home, Ga Eun used to greet Do Jun with a bright smile, unable to hide her joy. The image of himself coldly brushing off her happiness without even properly looking at that smile also flashed before his eyes.

“Don’t wait for me anymore.”

As if even her joy was burdensome, Do Jun had pushed away Ga Eun who had waited for him with a cold voice.

Lost in thought for a long time standing at the entrance, Do Jun regained his senses at Oh Jipsa’s voice.

“I’m leaving a bit late today because I was making new kimchi. The madam seems to enjoy kimchi-wrapped noodles.”

Seeing Do Jun, Oh Jipsa quickly finished preparing to leave. Then she bowed her head in greeting while looking at his face.

“Well then, I’ll see you again next week.”

As she turned to walk towards the front door, Do Jun quickly stopped Oh Jipsa.

“Were all the food containers emptied this time?”

Do Jun became curious if Ga Eun was eating properly during the time he was away from home.

“Fortunately, it seems the madam has regained her appetite. I should make more delicious side dishes.”

Oh Jipsa did not show any signs of knowing about Ga Eun’s pregnancy in front of Do Jun.

She gave a brief answer to Do Jun’s words, then quickly put her shoes on properly again. Oh Jipsa felt rushed to move her feet before Do Jun could ask her more questions.

Just as Oh Jipsa was about to grab the front door handle, Do Jun spoke to her again unlike usual.

“Was there anything else unusual?”

For a brief moment, Oh Jipsa’s hand trembled slightly. But soon she seemed to regain her composure, maintaining her usual calm tone.

“There was nothing unusual with the madam.”

As Ga Eun had said, when Do Jun first brought her into this house, he had asked Oh Jipsa several times to let him know if anything happened to Ga Eun.

Oh Jipsa knew well why Ji Do Jun had brought her into this house. Though he had never given proper instructions, Do Jun often asked Oh Jipsa about Ga Eun’s well-being.

Each time, Oh Jipsa took Ga Eun’s side. Even though she had noticed Ga Eun was having morning sickness, she did not rashly inform Do Jun.

Oh Jipsa knew that when pregnant, the husband is the first person you want to tell more than anyone.

But Ga Eun did not look happy despite being pregnant. She always had an anxious look on her face, as if being chased by something. Seeing that made Oh Jipsa put even more effort into making side dishes.

Oh Jipsa still vividly remembered Ga Eun’s first appearance when she came to greet the main family. Every time she looked at Do Jun, her eyes were full of life.

A sweet light that only appears when loving someone surrounded her face back then. But as time passed, that warm light gradually disappeared from her face.

Oh Jipsa kept her promise not to tell Do Jun about the pregnancy until the end.

Seeing Do Jun’s unusual gaze, this time Oh Jipsa asked him:

“Did something happen to the madam?”

At Oh Jipsa’s words, Do Jun forcibly swallowed his words and changed the subject.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Passing by Oh Jipsa, Do Jun hurriedly entered his study. Oh Jipsa carefully watched Do Jun’s dejected back. She felt strangely concerned seeing this unfamiliar side of Do Jun for the first time.

‘The madam should tell the CEO directly soon.’

Oh Jipsa was one of the long-time employees who had been in charge of household affairs at the Shin Oh mansion since Do Jun was very young. She was also one of the few employees who remembered Do Jun’s birth mother.

Therefore, Oh Jipsa also knew that Do Jun trusted her very much. Keeping Ga Eun’s lie weighed heavily on Oh Jipsa’s heart.

Oh Jipsa knew well that Do Jun despised lying, so she worried their relationship might become strained.

After pondering for a long time after leaving the entrance, Oh Jipsa picked up her phone. She sent a brief text message to Ga Eun.

Having completely left the apartment, Oh Jipsa muttered to herself for a moment.

“I kept a very old promise, Yoon Jung Ah.”

A deep loneliness settled on her face.