A Thrilling Divorce (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5

Do Ha was also troubled by her deeply melancholic expression. Something was clearly wrong….

Do Ha’s mind grew complicated as he realized he couldn’t stop thinking about her, even though he didn’t understand why. He shook his head and muttered to himself.

“Enough, stop it.”

At his sudden outburst, Secretary Lee and Driver Kim glanced nervously at Do Ha. Noticing their reaction, Do Ha quickly feigned indifference and said coldly,

“I was just talking to myself.”

“Yes, sir.”

Do Ha couldn’t shake the strange feeling that she kept lingering in his thoughts.

Ji Sung rushed to the hospital the moment he got Do Ha’s call. So Myung was at the hospital! Even though he was currently head-over-heels for Ra Hee Chae, he was deeply worried about So Myung.

To him, she was his first love, and their shared memories over ten years were undeniably real. He was still her husband.

A whirlwind of thoughts clouded his mind. He started his car and stepped on the accelerator.

Meanwhile, So Myung found herself lying in the hospital emergency room when she regained consciousness. As she managed to sit up, a passing nurse kindly said,

“The person who came in with you called your husband—he’ll be here soon.”

So Myung instantly looked flustered and said,

“Excuse me, could you please take out this IV?”

“Huh? But there’s still fluid left…”

“I have something urgent. Please.”

“Your husband will be here soon—just wait a bit.”

Seeing the desperation in So Myung’s eyes, the nurse sighed and reluctantly removed the IV.

“I—I didn’t bring my wallet with me, but I’ll pay you back as soon as I get home…”

“The gentleman who brought you in already paid.”

“Really?”

Though she didn’t know who it was, So Myung felt incredibly grateful to the person who’d helped her. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to look Ji Sung directly in the face.

She was too shaken by the trauma to face him. She didn’t want him to see her like this—it was her last shred of dignity. What would he think if he saw her in such a state?

So Myung barely managed to get up and left the emergency room. Her emotions were spiraling out of control.

Her body constantly felt heavy, and though she couldn’t pinpoint a specific pain, her whole body ached. Truthfully, her heart was shattered.

Dark shadows clouded So Myung’s usually bright and cheerful face. Today, she hurt so deeply that even tears wouldn’t come.

It felt as if her entire thirty-four years of life were crumbling down in an instant.

‘Why have I lived like this? I gave up my beloved design career, trying so hard to have a child with Ji Sung to tie us together. Was all I got in return just betrayal from a husband who only cared about himself? What did I do so wrong?’

She sank deeper into relentless self-blame, her self-worth hitting rock bottom. She walked slowly toward home, desperate only to lie down as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, when Ji Sung arrived breathlessly at the hospital’s emergency room, So Myung had already left. Though worried, Ji Sung didn’t call her—awkwardness had already built an invisible wall between them.

Running out of time before work, Ji Sung had no choice but to head straight to the office. As he drove, his head throbbed from overthinking how to handle things with So Myung.

He absentmindedly fiddled with his phone but quickly put it down after a moment’s hesitation.

While Ji Sung was working at the office, Ra Hee Chae, as usual, sent him a message.

[Hyung, why haven’t you contacted me today?] [Oh, sorry. I’ve been busy with work.] [What kind of work?] [So Myung found out.] [How?] [She probably secretly read your message yesterday.] [What? Are you okay, Hyung?] [Yeah.] [What did your wife say?] [Ra Hee, don’t worry. I’ll handle everything.] [How are you going to handle it?] [I have a meeting right now.] [Okay.] [I’ll call you later. Sorry.]

Ji Sung closed the messenger app and let out a deep sigh. He loved Ra Hee Chae madly, but unlike So Myung, she had a different kind of persistence.

Sometimes, that persistence exhausted him—and now was exactly one of those times. He deliberately claimed he had a meeting to end the conversation with Ra Hee Chae.

His stress was starting to give him a headache. Deep down, he knew what he was doing was utterly wrong.

Yet his instincts had overpowered his reason, and now he had to face the consequences of his actions—consequences that somehow felt sweetly intoxicating.

Whenever he thought of Ra Hee Chae, he forgot about his future, So Myung, his status, and everything else.

Just as So Myung had once filled his vision when he first loved her, now only Ra Hee Chae existed in his eyes.

After exchanging messages with Ji Sung, Ra Hee Chae scowled, her mood instantly souring.

She was furious—his attitude frustrated her to the brink of madness. She wanted him to be more desperate, to scramble faster to divorce his wife, so she could finally feel satisfied.

Today, his response felt lukewarm, half-hearted. She realized she needed a new approach. She’d always enjoyed staying in control and manipulating men from a position of power.

Meanwhile, Do Ha returned home after finishing work for the day. The past few days had been chaotic with unexpected events, leaving him slightly disoriented. Still, he felt relieved he’d successfully gotten through today’s schedule.

Dragging his exhausted body inside, Do Ha took off his clothes and stepped into the shower. Water streamed down his chiseled muscles.

Suddenly, he remembered the incident at the flower shop. Regret welled up—he hadn’t been able to buy the plant he wanted because of running into her there.

With his punishing schedule, who knew when he’d get another chance like that?

After his shower, Do Ha grabbed a cold canned beer from the fridge, sat on the sofa, and opened a plant website on his phone to browse.

This was Do Ha’s favorite time of day—and an essential part of his daily routine.

As he browsed plants, that woman popped into his mind again. Irritated with himself, he unconsciously shook his head.

“Stop it. Stop thinking about her.”

He abruptly stood up, surveyed the potted plants in his living room, took out a carton of milk from the fridge, poured a little into a bowl, dampened a dry cloth with it, and carefully wiped the dust off each leaf.

“Grow big and strong.”

Who could have imagined this man—talking sweetly to his plants and flashing a gentle smile? His secret hobby continued quietly, as always.

While he was busy tending to his plants, his phone began to ring.

Do Ha picked it up from the table and checked the caller ID. It was his father. Frowning slightly, he answered.

“Yes, Father.”

[Now that you’re independent, you’ve stopped coming to see your old man entirely?]

“I… I’ll visit this week.”

[Good. You should come anyway.]

“What’s the matter?”

[You’re not getting any younger—it’s time you started thinking about marriage.]

“I’ve told you—I’m not interested.”

[Hmph. You’ll join me for a simple dinner this Saturday. Be on time.]

“Father, I already told you—I don’t want—”

[Call ended.]

Before Do Ha could finish, Chairman Cha hung up.

Do Ha was irritated by his family’s obsession with his marriage. He truly had no interest in it. He couldn’t understand why he needed to marry—he felt no necessity for it at all.

Thinking about the exhausting weekend ahead made his chest tight. To ease his frustration, he cracked open another can of beer.

Every man Ra Hee Chae had ever set her heart on had fallen deeply in love with her. Whenever she grew bored of one, she’d simply move on to another.

But this time, she’d found someone she truly wanted to settle down with—Ji Sung. Yet he had one fatal flaw: he was married.

After days of agonizing, she’d nearly decided to give up on him. She lost her appetite, and life lost all its flavor.

The thought of wanting something she couldn’t have felt utterly miserable. The more she believed she couldn’t have him, the more desperately she wanted him. He was constantly on her mind—she’d fallen into a severe case of lovesickness.

One day, while on an outside errand, she trudged wearily down the street—and spotted Ji Sung in the distance. He, too, seemed to be out on business.

He glanced at his wristwatch and walked straight into a nearby Japanese restaurant.

She checked the time on her phone—it was already past 3 p.m., almost 4. He must have missed lunch because of work.

Her heart raced. If she let this moment slip, she’d regret it for the rest of her life. Ra Hee Chae pulled a cushion compact from her handbag and fixed her makeup right there on the street.

For the first time in her life, she was touching up her makeup outdoors. Right now, her eyes held only Ji Sung. Embarrassment was nothing compared to this.

She touched up her foundation, reapplied her lipstick, smoothed her hair, and straightened her clothes. Then, she took a deep breath.

Though she wasn’t even hungry, she boldly pushed open the restaurant door and stepped inside.

He sat at a table, looking at his phone. His quiet, focused expression as he stared downward looked incredibly handsome.

Wishing he’d look up at her, she pressed down with her high heels. The sound they made was crisp and clear.

Click-clack.

Just as expected, Ji Sung lifted his head toward the sound.

“Oh? Hello?”

When Ji Sung looked up at her, Ra Hee Chae beamed and greeted him in a bright, high-pitched voice.

Surprised to see her, his eyes widened.

‘So cute.’

Even his slightly startled expression struck her as adorable.

“Oh… Hello. Are you coming back from an errand?”

He looked at her with a gentle, polite voice. The more she looked at him, the more attractive he seemed.

“Yes. Team Leader, did you miss lunch?”

“Yes. Would you like to join me?”

Ji Sung asked cautiously. Ra Hee Chae gave him a slight smile. Seeing her smile, Ji Sung found himself unconsciously staring intently at her face.

Ra Hee Chae looked back at him, and for a long moment, their eyes remained locked. Finally, Ra Hee Chae shyly turned her head away, and Ji Sung quickly did the same.

Blushing, Ra Hee Chae sat down across from him. Ji Sung asked,

“I know your face since we’re in the same company, but I don’t know your name.”

“Oh… I’m Ra Hee Chae.”

“Ah, what a beautiful name.”

“Thank you.”

“My name is—”

“I know. Team Leader Ji Sung An.”

“Huh… How—?”

“You’re famous.”

“Really?”

“Everyone says you’re polite and excellent at your job.”

“Oh… That’s nice to hear. What would you like to eat?”

“I’ll have sushi—I love sushi.”

“I do too.”

“Really?”

She spoke while locking eyes with him. He wondered—had this woman sitting before him always been this beautiful? Her fair skin and sweet smile captivated him.

She seemed both pure and alluring—a mysterious charm. How long had it been since he’d shared a meal alone with a woman other than So Myung?

He felt a flutter in his chest. But soon, guilt toward So Myung crept in, and he tried to snap himself back to reality. Before long, the sushi arrived.

They began eating. Even the way she ate was lovely. Every time she smiled at him, his heart pounded—he struggled to keep himself composed.

“This sushi is really delicious. It tastes even better eating it with you, Team Leader.”

“Huh?”

Ji Sung looked at her in surprise at her sudden remark.

“Surprised?”

“No… not really.”

“I know—you’re married, Team Leader.”

“Oh… yeah?”

“But when I first met you, I felt such a good vibe—I got so excited. Then I found out you’re married, and I was so disappointed.”

Ji Sung was speechless at her candid words, momentarily at a loss for what to say.

It felt strange—this beautiful, young woman clearly had feelings for him.

“Ah…”

Seeing him struck silent, Ra Hee Chae smiled and said,

“I… didn’t mean anything by that. Team Leader, would you just be my friend?”

“Friend?”