“Why are you suddenly asking me to entrust Jinseong Foods to you entirely?”

Chairman Cha cleared his throat with a “Ahem” and continued.

“I don’t intend to give unwarranted special treatment just because we’re in-laws. Of course, I plan to show some generosity, but keep in mind that I won’t do so at the expense of the company.”

“I have no such intentions.”

At Cha Kang Woo’s firm words, Chairman Cha looked at his face.

“Chairman Seong is a greedy person. He’ll be difficult for you to deal with. Moreover, he’s your father-in-law. Even now, I’m not sure if entrusting Jinseong Foods to you is a good decision.”

Chairman Cha looked at Cha Kang Woo with eyes full of worry and concern. However, Cha Kang Woo’s expression towards Chairman Cha was nothing but cold.

“You don’t need to worry. I view him as an equal business partner before being Hee Won’s father.”

At Cha Kang Woo’s words drawing a line, an expression of disappointment bloomed on Chairman Cha’s face.

But knowing why Cha Kang Woo was acting this way, Chairman Cha spoke with a face showing guilt rather than disappointment.

“Alright. I understand. Then do your best.”

“Thank you. I’ll take my leave now.”

Chairman Cha couldn’t stop Cha Kang Woo as he bowed and left.

He blamed himself entirely for the distance between them, unimaginable for a father-son relationship.

Looking at the closed door without lingering, Chairman Cha said,

“He wasn’t like this when his mother was alive…”

He pulled out a document from the drawer.

He had intended to give a house as a birthday gift to Cha Kang Woo.

A warm sanctuary he wanted to create for his son, who had never thought of a house as a home, when he got married.

It was something he had wanted to give to Cha Kang Woo for a long time.

Chairman Cha fingered the wedding gift he couldn’t bring himself to give his son, with a bitter smile.

[This is the timeline separator]

Cha Kang Woo went out to the living room and looked around, not finding anyone he was looking for. Suddenly, his gaze fell on the kitchen.

Small noises were leaking out from the kitchen.

“I guess she ended up taking her there.”

Cha Kang Woo clicked his tongue and walked towards the kitchen. In fact, he had warned Madam So several times before Seong Hee Won arrived.

[I don’t think there’s any fool who considers her a daughter-in-law.] [W-What? Cha Kang Woo. Is that how you speak to your elder? If your father hears this!] [Go ahead and tell him. Then I’ll also tell father what you’ve done.]

It seemed Madam So had ultimately ignored his words.

As he approached the kitchen, he saw Mrs. Seon Won unilaterally spewing words.

“It’s useless, just as you said, madam. If you don’t know, I’ll teach you, so follow along.”

The moment he heard those words, Cha Kang Woo’s eyes rolled.

[This is the timeline separator]

Just before Cha Kang Woo entered the kitchen.

When Cha Kang Woo entered the study with Chairman Cha, Seong Hee Won followed Madam So into the kitchen.

Despite having arrived not long ago, the kitchen staff were already unpacking and checking the food Seong Hee Won had brought.

And Madam So’s expression was not good.

“Did you make this?”

“Pardon?”

When Seong Hee Won just blinked at the question missing its object, Madam So spoke as if annoyed.

“Child, if you’re stupid, you should at least be quick-witted. Do I have to say everything twice?”

Madam So’s criticism didn’t stop.

“You’re saying this is the ceremonial food? It’s really cheap and the quantity is minuscule. I can see your family’s level. Tsk.”

The ceremonial food Cha Kang Woo had prepared for Seong Hee Won was formal.

Two-plus Hanwoo beef, various jeon and fish jeon ordered from a specialty shop, octopus and abalone jjim, various side dishes, and high-quality rice cake assortment.

It was enough quantity to not fit on a large marble dining table that could seat 15 people, and the quality was such that anyone could see it was prepared with the utmost sincerity and top-grade ingredients.

‘If she can find fault with this… she’ll find fault with anything.’

Seong Hee Won’s expression sank deeply as she looked at Madam So picking at things that couldn’t be faulted.

Moreover, these were things Cha Kang Woo had prepared for her.

“You, did you receive proper home education? Or is it because your mother isn’t your real mother that you’re treating us so poorly too?”

When Seong Hee Won didn’t answer, Madam So spoke relentlessly.

“Hah, this is why I said those without proper roots wouldn’t do. I have to teach everything from scratch. Mrs. Seon Won, share that with the staff. Bringing such cheap stuff that’s not even edible.”

“Really? Thank you, madam.”

“Ah, give me some headache medicine. Meeting these rootless people is giving me more to worry about.”

Madam So sat down in her chair, touching her forehead as if to show off.

While the faces of Mrs. Seon Won and the other housekeepers brightened, Seong Hee Won’s expression was as cold as ice.

Her small fists trembled.

‘Insulting me is insulting Cha Kang Woo. What can I do? Do I have to keep enduring this? Do I have to endure them constantly insulting Cha Kang Woo using me as an excuse?’

Seong Hee Won was angry. But there was nothing she could do.

Madam So was an elder and a ‘mother-in-law’ – someone she couldn’t dare say a word against.

If a newly married daughter-in-law said something wrong, it could be used as an excuse to criticize her for life.

Even though she was a contract wife.

She had many things she wanted to say, but couldn’t carelessly blurt them out.

“Are you mute? Why can’t you speak?”

Madam So felt triumphant looking at Seong Hee Won, whose body was trembling with a hardened expression.

It was the expression she had always wanted to see on Cha Kang Woo.

No matter how much she mistreated and hated him, even when she hit young Cha Kang Woo, his expression never changed.

She wasn’t hitting now, but the lack of response was the same then and now.

But Seong Hee Won was different.

The woman Cha Kang Woo brought, there was no way she could like her.

‘To think that iron fortress of a man would bring a woman.’

As she disliked her, a certain malicious feeling coiled in her heart.

“I should make some calls. This is beyond disrespecting our family.”

She could pour out on Seong Hee Won the emotions she couldn’t pour out on Cha Kang Woo.

Madam So wanted to use the weak Seong Hee Won as her emotional trash can, instead of the strong Cha Kang Woo whom she could no longer hate and abuse.

The ceremonial food Seong Hee Won had brought was ultra-luxurious.

Looking down at Seong Hee Won, who was pressing her lips tightly and unable to say anything, Madam So pulled up the corners of her mouth.

“Do I have to teach you this too? You, don’t just stand there blankly, help Mrs. Seon Won. I thought things would get easier with a daughter-in-law coming in. Tsk. Mrs. Seon Won, teach her.”

Madam So set down the water glass she was holding with a bang.

“Mom, what’s that delicious smell?”

Just then, her biological son and Cha Kang Woo’s half-brother, Cha Seok Hoon, entered the kitchen.

“Son. What is it?”

Madam So approached Cha Seok Hoon and spoke nasally.

It was such an affectionate voice that one could hardly imagine it was the same person who had been spewing venom at Seong Hee Won just moments ago.

“I smelled something delicious. But this woman is…”

Cha Seok Hoon, while being hugged by Madam So, looked Seong Hee Won up and down with a leering gaze.

“Ah, is she my sister-in-law?”

Cha Seok Hoon sent an unpleasant gaze that one wouldn’t think was looking at a sister-in-law.

Seong Hee Won felt as if bugs were crawling all over her body.

“Son, let’s go out. It’s crowded here. You, learn some work from Mrs. Seon Won.”

Madam So blocked Cha Seok Hoon’s gaze towards Seong Hee Won, then pushed him out of the kitchen.

The kitchen fell into silence in an instant.

Mrs. Seon Won, whom Madam So had mentioned, approached Seong Hee Won.

“Did you hear?”

At the arrogant tone, Seong Hee Won looked at Mrs. Seon Won.

“First, put on an apron, and just do what I tell you.”

Mrs. Seon Won crossed her arms and looked at Seong Hee Won.

Seong Hee Won felt unpleasant at the looking-down gaze.

‘What is this? Why are they acting like this?’

The reason Seong Hee Won couldn’t speak freely to Madam So was because she was her ‘mother-in-law’.

But it was different for Mrs. Seon Won and the other housekeepers.

It wasn’t about looking down on them as inferiors or treating them like servants just because they were hired for money.

‘At the very least, I shouldn’t be disrespected like this.’

Mrs. Seon Won and the other housekeepers were treating her exactly the same way Madam So had treated Seong Hee Won.

Even if it’s for three years, if I’m disrespected like this, it might be hard for Cha Kang Woo.

Seong Hee Won knew that Mrs. Seon Won’s arrogant behavior towards her was because Madam So had tacitly allowed it.

Since Madam So had openly disrespected her at their first meeting, they thought they could treat her the same way.

There were many words just circling in her mouth, but it was hard to open her lips.

‘Why am I thinking of that time now?’

In Seong Hee Won’s mind, her stepmother and stepsister appeared.

Chairman Seong had brought another woman in front of Seong Hee Won less than a week after his wife died.

[This is the person who will be your mother from now on.]

She already knew the woman in front of her.

She was the woman who had frequently visited their house as her father’s secretary, even when her mother was sick.

The words Choo Hyun Jung had said echoed in Seong Hee Won’s mind.

[Don’t even think about calling me mom. I’ve never had a daughter like you!] [Can’t someone take her away? She has no sense and just eats our food. I really can’t stand the sight of her.] [You’re not doing it right? How come you can’t even mop properly? What exactly can you do right?] [Are you going to tell them I hit you? I hit you where your father hit you so it won’t even show. You’ll just look like a weird kid.] [If you became an elder sister, you should know how to give in. You’re just so greedy.] [Just seeing your face makes me sick. You look exactly like your mother.]

Chairman Seong physically abused Seong Hee Won and manipulated her like his doll.

Choo Hyun Jung began to abuse her both physically and mentally.

And that abuse became Seong Hee Won’s daily life.