[I’ll come to the hospital by 6 and wait.]

Do Jun hastily ended the call without properly hearing Ga Eun’s response. Ga Eun was only anxious that Do Jun had found out about Tae Yang. She still remained unchanged in her determination to divorce Do Jun.

She absolutely did not want to inform Shin Oh Group about her pregnancy. She did not want to live according to her mother-in-law’s wishes, using her child as a hostage.

A dark shadow spread across Ga Eun’s face as the image of her mother-in-law Ji Ae came to mind.

She tried to clear her mind and shifted her gaze to the PT materials. After being absorbed in PT preparation for a long time, she was startled by a knock and looked up.

“It’s already 7 o’clock. Team leader, aren’t you going home?”

“Huh?”

Belatedly, Ga Eun’s gaze turned to the clock on the wall.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize time had passed like this. Tell everyone to go home.”

Ga Eun picked up her handbag and stood up, but couldn’t easily take a step.

Though it was still uncomfortable to be in the same space as Do Jun, she had become curious about Yun Sook’s secret. She reluctantly got into a taxi in front of Segye Group headquarters.

A text message arrived on her phone.

[You didn’t forget about the appointment tomorrow, right?]

It was a message from the obstetrician Ji Soo. She briefly replied to the message and leaned back in the taxi seat. As the tension eased, sleep overcame her.

“Miss, we’ve arrived.”

Ga Eun hurriedly got out in front of Shin Oh Hospital upon hearing the taxi driver’s words. As she got out in front of the hospital, her steps became infinitely heavy, and she couldn’t easily enter.

She couldn’t think of how to appear so that Do Jun would give up his feelings for her. She reluctantly made her way to Do Jun’s hospital room.

After arriving at the room, she tried to act nonchalantly as she opened the door and went inside. As soon as she entered, she felt Do Jun’s gaze fixed on her face.

“I didn’t know I’d be waiting for you like this.”

Ga Eun’s gaze wavered at Do Jun’s words.

“I’m sorry. I was busy with work.”

Do Jun had been waiting for her without even properly eating the meal from the hospital. Next to his meal was a lunchbox that Secretary Kim had bought in advance.

“I’m hungry.”

For the first time, he acted childishly in front of Ga Eun. Ga Eun reluctantly took off her coat, placed it on the sofa, walked over to him, and sat down on a chair.

“I can’t raise my arm because I’m injured.”

At Do Jun’s words, Ga Eun had no choice but to feed him. After eating just a few spoonfuls, Do Jun said he was full and urged Ga Eun to eat. Do Jun couldn’t take his eyes off Ga Eun as she ate.

Then his lips slowly moved towards her.

“This man named Tae Yang. Who exactly is he?”

Strangely, Ga Eun didn’t want to answer Do Jun’s question honestly. She wanted to just let him misunderstand Tae Yang as another man.

The night before the wedding, when the hotel scandal with Seo Yu Jin broke, at what should have been the happiest moment, Ga Eun had to feel shame seeing the faces of guests whispering as they looked at her.

But he didn’t give any explanation or excuse about what happened with Seo Yu Jin that day. Do Jun’s attitude created a deep seed of doubt in Ga Eun’s heart.

As Do Jun’s persistent gaze continued to rest on her face, Ga Eun looked at him coldly and moved her lips.

“You’ve never explained about your private life either.”

The seed of doubt planted in her heart throughout their marriage grew vigorously.

The scary thing about doubt is that once you step in, it’s like a swamp you can’t escape from.

Whenever he suddenly wouldn’t answer his phone, or came home without saying anything, Ga Eun felt a loneliness as if trapped in an endless tunnel of doubt, walking all night looking for an exit.

Despite Ga Eun’s cold response, Do Jun persisted stubbornly.

“I heard there’s no man named Tae Yang around you.”

When she realized that Do Jun had investigated her, Ga Eun’s face hardened even more. She looked straight into Do Jun’s eyes and paid him back for all the moments when her blood had dried up from suspicion.

“Why do you think Tae Yang is a name? It could be a pet name.”

For a moment, Do Jun seemed to lose his words at Ga Eun’s ice-cold response. Ga Eun belatedly informed Do Jun of the reason she came to the hospital room.

“You said you’d tell me Lee Yun Sook’s secret.”

She kept glancing at Do Jun’s injured arm, but hiding her feelings, she asked about Yun Sook.

“You came to the hospital room for that, not for me?”

Do Jun’s gaze wavered as he looked at Ga Eun. Ga Eun bit her lower lip hard as if trying to suppress her emotions.

“Of course.”

At Ga Eun’s words, Do Jun played an audio file stored on his phone in front of Ga Eun.

That file contained the content of Park Hong Sik receiving orders from Lee Yun Sook to harm him. After the audio file finished playing, Do Jun briefly explained the situation to Ga Eun.

“Park Hong Sik will absolutely not be able to escape from this incident.”

Although she had expected that her stepmother had tried to kill her, when she actually heard it, Ga Eun’s face turned pale.

“Again, someone else will be punished instead of Lee Yun Sook.”

A bitter smile spread across Ga Eun’s lips. Unlike the tense Ga Eun, Do Jun seemed relaxed as if the current situation was all part of his plan.

“I plan to cut off all the people helping Lee Yun Sook. Probably, she’s already contacted the police chief she’s usually friendly with. Of course, she’ll bribe him as usual.”

Ga Eun, who had been listening to Do Jun’s explanation, looked a bit surprised when she heard his perfect plan.

While Ga Eun felt grateful for Do Jun’s help, she was also worried that he might become deeply involved in her life.

“This is enough. I’d like you to stop interfering in my affairs.”

The closer Do Jun tried to get to her, the more she pushed him away. To never love him again. She was trying her hardest.

She didn’t want to feel that miserable feeling she had felt for 3 years again. Ga Eun quickly picked up her handbag and stood up as her purpose was finished.

“If necessary, I’ll hire a caregiver for you. I’ll be too busy with work to come to the hospital often.”

Just as Do Jun always notified her of his schedule, she too threw her words at him without hesitation. And as she hurriedly tried to leave Do Jun’s hospital room, she encountered Secretary Kim as she opened the door.

Ga Eun chatted with Secretary Kim as usual, as if nothing had happened, and then quickly walked out of the hospital room.

Do Jun couldn’t take his eyes off Ga Eun’s retreating figure until it completely disappeared. Sensing the strange atmosphere between the two, Secretary Kim couldn’t say anything and stood in the corner of the room waiting for Do Jun’s instructions.

Suppressing his emotions, Do Jun belatedly called Secretary Kim.

“Has Park Hong Sik been arrested?”

At Do Jun’s words, Secretary Kim quickly rushed to his side.

“Yes. It seems the CEO was one step ahead.”

Do Jun had already reported Park Hong Sik before delivering the audio file to Chairman Yoon. He had considered the possibility of Yun Sook trying to smuggle Park Hong Sik abroad to cover up her crimes.

“Did Chairman Yoon’s side report it?”

Do Jun had left a message for Chairman Yoon to report it himself to test if he believed his words.

“I heard Chairman Yoon’s secretary went to the police station.”

His lips moved urgently again.

“Keep a close eye on the police chief’s surroundings. There will certainly be bribes exchanged.”

Do Jun smiled with satisfaction as his plan had succeeded.

[This is the timeline separator]

After leaving the hospital room, Ga Eun’s legs almost gave out and she nearly collapsed on the spot. She barely managed to gather strength in her legs and sat down on a chair in the hospital corridor.

Ga Eun took out her phone from her pocket. There was one more text message from Ji Soo.

[If possible, come with the baby’s father.]

She couldn’t easily reply to Ji Soo’s message.

When Tae Yang’s name was mentioned from Do Jun’s mouth, Ga Eun’s heart wavered for a very brief moment. For a few seconds, she wanted to confess everything for Tae Yang’s sake. But then the memory from 3 years ago once again held her back.

“Mother keeps talking about the baby.”

Ga Eun, who hadn’t been able to have any physical contact with Do Jun since their marriage, gathered courage to test Do Jun’s feelings. At that time, her mother-in-law Ji Ae had been pressuring Ga Eun, wanting to see the couple’s second generation soon.

“You’re not hoping for something from me, are you?”

“Pardon?”

A sardonic smile lingered on Do Jun’s lips.

“In case you misunderstand. That we’re the same as other couples.”

The moment she heard his words, Ga Eun no longer wished for any emotion from him.

She just wanted to show all her emotions and exhaust them during the contracted 3 years with him. She thought if she poured out all her love for him, she might be able to give up on him.

The night before the divorce, she kissed him to get rid of the last lingering attachment to him. After spending the night with their bodies joined, Ga Eun had decided.

That this was enough.

That she should put a period to her feelings.

But at that moment, Tae Yang came to Ga Eun, and she had no choice but to put a comma instead of a period in her relationship with Do Jun.

And she was afraid that the determination she had made then to put a period would disappear.

In front of Shin Oh Hospital, Ga Eun hastily caught a taxi. At that moment when her head was complicated, strangely, Oh Jipsa came to Ga Eun’s mind.

She wanted to see Oh Jipsa’s face, smiling shyly while preparing a meal for her. Even after the taxi started, Ga Eun couldn’t give any answer to Ji Soo’s message.

She closed her eyes tightly, trying to erase thoughts of Do Jun for a moment. Naturally, her hand moved to her belly.

That Tae Yang alone was enough.

That she wouldn’t be greedy for anything more. She had to remind herself over and over as if hypnotizing herself.