A Marriage So Lethal (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 7
Se Ah came to a resting area slightly removed from the VVIP ward.
Soft classical music played, and single recliners were spaced widely apart.
She had heard that Hansung University Hospital here had close ties to Kang Woo’s family. Though not certain of the details, she recalled that Hyun Sook’s father—the chairman of Geumsong Foods—was chairman of the hospital’s foundation board.
In truth, Se Ah had visited this place twice before her marriage. One of those visits occurred shortly before the wedding date was set.
Director Lee, Nam Tae’s personal aide, had brought Se Ah here and subjected her to a battery of medical examinations. Despite only expecting a daughter-in-law for one year, Nam Tae worried obsessively about any physical imperfection in Se Ah.
Se Ah calmed herself with a warm cup of tea. By now, whenever she saw Nam Tae, nausea rose and her skin prickled with dread.
Publicly, he was praised as a distinguished politician, but in private—even with his own family—he was ruthlessly harsh. Day by day, she was stunned anew by his hidden brutality, so starkly at odds with his polished exterior.
“You’re here.”
The voice shattering the silence belonged to Director Lee. With great effort, Se Ah lifted her chin high, refusing to let him see her shoulders instinctively hunch inward.
Wearing a faint smile, Director Lee stood across from her.
“Shall we move to the area with the round table?”
He gestured toward the opposite seat, where a table sat.
“Why?”
“I have something to discuss with you.”
From his briefcase, Director Lee pulled out a document. The phrase “[Contract Amendment]” at the top caught Se Ah’s eye instantly. Her eyes widened.
“I won’t take much of your time.”
Turning away first, Director Lee walked over and sat down. He watched Se Ah closely, yet did not urge her—though she had yet to move—almost certain she would eventually come of her own accord.
There was no avoiding this. Se Ah walked over and sat across from Director Lee.
“What do you want to say?”
Director Lee—the loyal dog trailing behind Nam Tae.
He had been present in the car even when the absurd original contract was first drafted.
Seated in the driver’s seat, Director Lee had handed Nam Tae the pen and contract. A law school graduate from a prestigious university, he had skillfully guided Nam Tae around illegal clauses.
“Please read it first.”
Se Ah merely glanced down at the contract placed before her.
Though she had lived in fear, barely daring to breathe in front of Nam Tae, it had only been out of lingering feelings for Kang Woo—hoping that, if she behaved well and avoided displeasing Nam Tae, Kang Woo might still accept her.
Now that hope lay shattered, she refused to show weakness in front of Director Lee, Nam Tae’s faithful subordinate—even if, inwardly, she still feared them.
“Another contract, I see.”
Out of sheer disbelief, Se Ah let out a faint, bitter laugh. Undeterred, Director Lee’s expression remained unchanged. He calmly adjusted his rimless glasses, which had slipped slightly down his nose.
“The Congressman is currently in a highly sensitive state.”
Se Ah folded her arms protectively and tried to maintain a neutral expression.
“And how is that my concern?”
Director Lee took out a tablet and showed her a news article.
“A story broke today: the wife of a conglomerate’s second son gathered reporters and exposed, in detail, the humiliation she endured from her in-laws.”
“……”
“Naturally, public sympathy for the woman has exploded. Wild speculation raged online all day, and eventually, a post even appeared on the Blue House petition site, urging a boycott of this insensitive corporation—and journalists, inflamed, are now actively searching for similar victims who might come forward.”
Between job-hunting preparations and her psychological battle with Kang Woo—and then rushing straight to the hospital—Se Ah hadn’t had time to check the internet. Though this was entirely new to her, she immediately grasped Director Lee’s intent.
“For this reason, the Congressman is in a foul mood.”
Se Ah twisted her lips in wry self-mockery. Ignoring it, Director Lee tapped lightly on the contract.
“For now, until public attention dies down, we request you extend the contract. As you know, the Congressman’s election is drawing near. Please, Young Madam, help him focus solely on the campaign.”
Se Ah’s pristine, smooth brow furrowed.
“Why do you assume I’ll agree to this contract again? What do I stand to gain?”
“The choice is yours alone, Young Madam. I merely convey the Congressman’s words—nothing more.”
Even with Se Ah’s quiet but firm rebuttal, Director Lee remained cool and composed.
“Do not forget the debt of gratitude owed to those who supported you for years, even after your own parents abandoned you.”
“……”
“And for Kang Woo’s sake as well, choose wisely and carefully what is truly right.”
Se Ah bit down hard on her trembling lower lip.
“Since deciding right here may be difficult, we’ll grant you three days. Let’s finalize the contract at the main house. If you have any desired terms, you may state them then.”
It was typical of their calculated nature: they couldn’t afford to drag things out here, lest Kang Woo find out.
Also, it maximized pressure on her—they clearly believed anxiety would only grow with time.
Director Lee gathered the contract and placed it back into his briefcase. Just then—
“Why is Director Lee here?”
Kang Woo’s dry voice cut low through the air. Director Lee forced a smile and rose from his seat.
“Since I happened to step out for tea, I briefly offered some words of comfort to the Madam.”
Se Ah didn’t know what expression to wear—but she was absolutely certain she must show Kang Woo nothing amiss.
“By what right does Director Lee offer comfort to my wife?”
Kang Woo added the unspoken question, his voice cold and suffocating. Se Ah stood up to face him.
“We simply exchanged a few words as he passed by.”
At Se Ah’s words, the sharp tension at the corners of Kang Woo’s eyes softened slightly—but then his gaze locked onto the teacup she had been drinking from.
“So you’ve already finished your tea, Director Lee?”
“Pardon?”
The composed facade of Director Lee flickered as his eyes betrayed momentary confusion, scrambling to decipher Kang Woo’s meaning.
“Didn’t you say you came out for tea?”
Under Kang Woo’s pointed questioning, Director Lee belatedly nodded.
“It must have been scalding hot—yet you finished it so quickly.”
Kang Woo’s twisted lips shifted toward Se Ah’s still-warm teacup. Then, raising his wrist, he checked the time.
“My wife left her seat fifteen minutes ago. As I recall, Director Lee appeared around the same time.”
Pressed relentlessly, Director Lee responded only with stony silence.
The tension became explosive: a silent, taut battle of wills—one trying to force speech, the other determined to remain mute.
“Kang Woo.”
Se Ah placed her hand on Kang Woo’s forearm. Her mouth went dry, terrified he’d instantly notice—because, regardless of motive, she’d just become complicit in deceiving him.
Kang Woo jerked his chin toward Director Lee—a clear dismissal. Director Lee bowed slightly and turned to leave.
Lowering his raised eyes, Kang Woo sat across from Se Ah and tapped the tabletop.
“Why don’t you sit? It’s straining to look up at you.”
This man—just moments ago barking orders in a cold tone—now regarded her with unmistakable mischief in his eyes. Though she’d glimpsed this expression a few times recently, it remained rare enough to unsettle her.
“Why did you come out? What about Mother?”
Se Ah sighed softly and sat down.
“Father is with her.”
“I see.”
Feeling stifled, Se Ah tried to rise again—but Kang Woo caught her wrist.
“I have something to say. Sit a moment longer.”
“I’ve nothing more to say.”
“You must be unwilling to compromise—dragging things out like this, evading the issue.”
Se Ah stared blankly at his slowly moving lips.
“For me, that’s actually a relief.”
Her mind froze. She truly couldn’t fathom Kang Woo’s intentions. Why was he acting this way toward her, of all people, and now of all times?
“Honestly, I just—”
“You were about to ask why I’m acting like this, weren’t you?”
Leisurely, Kang Woo picked up the teacup Se Ah had used. Seeing her blink dazedly, he curved his lips.
“It’s steeped far too long—the flavor must be bitter by now.”
After taking a sip, he set the cup down.
“Aren’t emotional drains like this precisely what you said Kang Woo most despises?”
“Exactly.”
Se Ah’s confusion only deepened.
“Still, I intend to try.”
“But why? For someone who always weighs pros and cons, this is pure loss.”
“You provoked me.”
What exactly had she provoked? What had sparked such relentless intensity in him? She almost asked—but clamped her mouth shut. With everything else already unclear, she didn’t want to stir further complications.
“Ji Se Ah. Look at me.”
Obediently, Se Ah met Kang Woo’s gaze. In response, the long outer corners of his eyes dipped faintly, like closing shutters.
“I’ll agree—to divorce.”
Her heart lurched at the words she both longed for and dreaded. Forcing down a bitter smile, she nodded. Kang Woo’s face, watching her intently, looked oddly lonely.
“I fully agree with your view that I failed to honor our marriage.”
His tone was stark, stripped of all emotion. Inwardly, she mocked herself for having misread his earlier complex expression.
He simply wanted to end this marriage rationally—having married out of duty, he now sought an equally proper, justified separation.
“But there’s a condition.”
The slight tilt of his lips signaled it clearly: the situation was about to twist further, and he wouldn’t yield easily.
In that instant of intuition, she couldn’t tell whether she felt relief—or dread.
“What condition?”
“Let’s wait a year before parting.”
“Kang Woo.”
“If you can’t agree to that, then I won’t agree either.”
Instead of answering, Se Ah exhaled shakily.
“Whether you marked the calendar on the day I entered your life—suffering inwardly, or grinding your teeth in resentment—I don’t know.”
Kang Woo leaned forward, his upper body emerging from the deep recess of the chair back.
“But if that’s the sole reason you want divorce, then I’ll try. Ending things without even giving me a chance would be unreasonable.”
No rebuttal came to mind.
“If I’d taken another woman—or failed entirely in my duties as a husband—”
For a moment, his gaze grew heavy. Se Ah sensed his meaning and looked away.
“If I’d withheld living expenses—that’s usually why couples split. Without a rational, valid reason for divorce, you must accept my condition.”
“And if, even after a year, none of the conditions you cite for divorce apply?”
After a brief silence, Kang Woo spoke.
“As I said—I’ll agree then, no questions asked.”
His motive was now unmistakable: in simple terms, he intended to see things through properly before walking away—doing what needed to be done, cleanly.
His relentless, tenacious drive had always applied solely to business—he pursued goals fiercely, but elsewhere, he did just enough, then moved on without looking back.
Human emotions don’t deepen overnight—yet still, she wondered: had she somehow become an exception to him?
The fleeting hope she’d harbored felt so foolish it made her solar plexus ache.
When a fine line creased Se Ah’s brow, Kang Woo misread it and let out a faint, wry smile.
“It’s only a year. You can endure that much.”
Raising his lowered gaze, he held her steadily. The weight of his stare nearly brought tears to her eyes. Biting her lip to hold them back—*vrrrrr*—Kang Woo’s phone vibrated.
Hyun Sook’s caregiver had apparently arrived. Kang Woo rose.
“I’ll proceed under the assumption you’ve agreed—so I’ll prepare the contract.”
Erasing the faint shadow from his face, Kang Woo pressed his lips shut. Shocked at how swiftly he’d reclaimed control, Se Ah looked up at him in bewilderment.
“If divorce is truly inevitable, then fight me harder.”
“Kang Woo…”
“Push me without mercy—until it becomes unbearable.”
His towering frame bent close; his glistening face hovered right before hers. Strong brows, the subtle, heavy musk enveloping him—everything reminded her: this was Cha Gang Woo. The object of her enduring eight-year unrequited love. Her first love.
“Because I intend to hold on—body and soul.”
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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