“And if you don’t come, Se Ah would have come. Why bother someone else’s daughter when you have your son.”
Hyun Suk gave Kang Woo a glance while slipping the ring on her ring finger.

“Just to mention, Se Ah won’t be able to visit the main house often from now on.”
Clearly visible to the eye, the corners of Hyun Suk’s eyes trembled.

“There’s nothing wrong. Don’t worry.”
“Nothing wrong? You’re the son I gave birth to.”
At her son’s preemptive words, Hyun Suk gave a hollow laugh.

“You’ve only been married for a year, why are you both acting like this? Even when you love each other to death.”
“…….”
“Because you keep your mouth shut like a ghost who had a feast on an empty day, Se Ah is going crazy!”
Even though she spoke frankly, Hyun Suk’s voice wasn’t loud. It was thanks to the refinement instilled in her over decades.

Yet she felt she had reacted a bit emotionally, so she smoothed over her voice. She cooled her boiling anger with a sip of tea she had set aside.

“Do you know what your aunt is saying to me? A woman without parental luck also has no luck with her husband and children. So, does an unfortunate woman live like that her whole life? Of course, I knew she intended to raise my temper.”
“It’s perfectly like aunt. But you didn’t call me to see the omen, did you?”
Kang Woo, who had been silently listening to Hyun Suk’s complaints, threw a clumsy joke. He was already aware of the treatment Hyun Suk received from his inlaws.

There was a time when Kang Woo opened the door to the master bedroom due to the loud noises. It was the voice of his biological grandmother scolding Hyun Suk.

‘Can’t you even secure a position as the head of a subsidiary for my son in your family? We were fooled. We thought because you were the youngest daughter of a chaebol family, you might have some influence.’
The sharp voice echoed vigorously. At those times, the young Hyun Suk often shed tears. As if that wasn’t enough, Nam Tae who showed up late joined his mother and harshly cornered Hyun Suk.

A fleeting memory made Kang Woo’s gaze sharply rise.

“Oh, your face is so stiff! Se Ah must be hurt a lot by your temperament. That gentle child won’t say a word to you.”
Ah, pleading in full force to Se Ah. At Hyun Suk’s delusion, Kang Woo let out a chuckle.

“Kang Woo.”
“Yes.”
“I really like Se Ah.”
“…….”
“Maybe it’s because I grew up lonely. Se Ah reminds me of myself. It’s unfortunate. She has no one but you, take good care of her.”
“Yes.”
“I also wish that when I was young, my family could have put in a little more effort… Maybe things wouldn’t have been this bad with your father. A woman needs to have a strong family too. Men need to be afraid of their wives’ families, that’s when they cherish their wives more.”
“Mother, you’ve got a lot of knots. You’ve always said you’re okay.”
It wasn’t pleasant to see his mother, whose eyes were getting wet. It wasn’t necessary to ask if his father had visited since his first hospitalization. He had time for luncheons but not for his wife.

That kind of fatherly temperament had been irritating so he had left early. During all this time, even though he suggested they break up, Hyun Suk only criticized his father. So, he dismissed it as just the couple’s situation.

Hyun Suk ran her hand over her grown son’s hand.

“If you two live well, my life would be worth it. You know what I mean?”
It was a matter dependent on Se Ah’s decision.

Hiding his burning feelings, Kang Woo forced a calm smile.

“We’ll take care of our affairs.”
He lightly laid his hand on his mother’s. It was the greatest consolation he could provide.

((()))((()))((()))

Se Ah received her acceptance notification from the CI Software HR team. And today was her first day of work.

Se Ah woke up to the sound of the alarm. She was tense, so her eyes opened instantly.

After taking a shower, she entered the living room and found the spacious house quiet. Kang Woo must have left for work a few hours ago, and the helper hadn’t arrived yet.

Although she was told she could dress casually, she was nervous as it was her first day.

She put on a beigeinfused warm apricot dress. The soft fabric flapped just below her knees. After applying light makeup, she curled the ends of her hair and tied it neatly.

That should be enough.

Her eyes inadvertently went to the rectangular case on the vanity. The surface was covered in burgundy velvet and there was a luxury logo in the middle.

‘Congratulations. It’s a gift for your admission. Of course, I bought it myself.’
The gaze was natural, but the bass voice was majestic. He blocked her just as she was about to turn away.

‘Do you want to attract my attention? It’s good for me if you fuss. Because I can see your face for even one more minute.’
Her words were blocked, so she grabbed the case as if to catch it and came back to the bedroom.

She opened the case. A heartshaped ribbon, a diamond was set in the center. It was a necklace and earring set, it was neat and pretty.