Acts We Shouldn't Do (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
“…You go ahead, Mom.”
“Son, why are you acting like this all of a sudden? You didn’t even have breakfast. What’ll you do if you skip lunch too?”
“I’m just not in the mood to eat.”
“What on earth did that woman do to you? Are you really trying to break your mother’s heart? How can I possibly eat alone when my own son won’t touch food?”
“I don’t feel like eating.”
“Good grief, you really—!”
Gwang Soon pounded her chest, convinced the world would collapse if her only son missed even a single meal.
Last night, Seok Dong had stumbled home completely drunk, sobbing until dawn, calling out Jae In’s name as if she were either his love or his criminal. That sight alone had twisted Gwang Soon’s insides. And as if that weren’t enough, today Seok Dong had refused all food since morning, just groaning in misery.
Gwang Soon’s last thread of patience snapped.
“Her job’s no good, her family background’s nothing special—she never fit what I wanted anyway. Honestly, it’s probably for the best. Son, girls are lining up to marry into our family. So breaking up with that woman was absolutely the right move—hundreds of times over.”
“…I didn’t break up with her because you told me to.”
“Then what happened?”
“…She said she doesn’t want to date me. Said guys like me are a dime a dozen. Even if I offered her money, she wouldn’t go out with me. Mom… I got dumped—*waaaah!*”
Gwang Soon’s eyes widened as Seok Dong suddenly burst into tears, wailing that he’d been dumped. Stunned, she grabbed her precious son’s narrow, frail shoulders and shook him.
“Dumped? Oh Seok Dong, speak clearly! Stop crying this instant! Did you really just say you got dumped?”
Without answering, her son just whimpered and turned away. Seeing this, fire blazed in Gwang Soon’s eyes.
“How dare that good-for-nothing gold digger dump my son?”
Yesterday, after meeting the girl herself, Gwang Soon had already found her deeply unsatisfactory. Still, she’d assumed the girl at least knew her place and had politely cut things off.
If that had been the case, she’d have gently declined, saying something like, “I’m unworthy of your family.” But to say outright she wouldn’t take him even with money attached? That left Gwang Soon utterly speechless.
First things first—she had to calm her precious son. Suppressing her rising fury, she resolved to track down that girl soon enough.
“Son, didn’t I tell you? I said never to date a woman past thirty—her tricks just get sharper with age!”
“…”
“No need to cry. These women lure innocent men into relationships to squeeze them for money, then toss them aside! That’s how they ruin lives! You dodged a bullet before she could cling on. Don’t worry—I’ll find you a proper, caring wife who’ll take good care of you.”
Gwang Soon had already contacted Madam Hwang, the famous Gangnam matchmaker.
Her requirements for a daughter-in-law were crystal clear:
She must be in her twenties. Both her parents must be alive. She must come from a Gangnam household. She must not be extravagant. She must not be lazy. She must bear at least two children after marriage. And every morning, she must prepare a five-dish meal with at least three freshly made side dishes.
To these seven conditions, she added one more.
“…Do you have another condition?”
“Madam Hwang, why are you looking at me like that? Anyone hearing this might think I’m being picky about my future daughter-in-law.”
“…Please go ahead.”
“I don’t believe women should stay home all day. Times have changed—women should pursue self-improvement and have careers too.”
“That’s very wise of you.”
“So I do want her to have a job—something respectable, nothing embarrassing to show off. But she shouldn’t neglect housework and spend all her time outside. There are plenty of suitable jobs out there, right? I trust you’ll filter carefully.”
“…Yes.”
Gwang Soon nodded, watching Madam Hwang jot everything down with an uneasy expression.
She had no desire to see her daughter-in-law lounging at home, spending her son’s hard-earned money in comfort. So yes, a decent job would be good.
But even if she earned money, she shouldn’t earn so much that she dared act superior to her own husband. That would never do.
“Call me as soon as you can.”
“…Yes. As soon as I find a young lady who meets your conditions, I’ll get in touch.”
“I’d like to see a daughter-in-law who gets along well with our Director by next year at the latest. So you’ll need to give me a call no later than spring.”
“…”
“I’m counting on you, Madam Hwang.”
Having said that—and slipped her some extra cash—Gwang Soon was certain Madam Hwang would soon return with a list of suitable young ladies from all over Gangnam.
Then she’d simply pick one, teach her proper housekeeping, and have the wedding by autumn.
“One last question, Madam—where are you planning to get the newlyweds’ home once they’re married…?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Right here.”
“Oh my! Really? You’re going to get them a place here in Gangnam? You truly are Madam Nam!”
“Yes. Our Director’s current room is spacious. I’ll call in a contractor, renovate it completely, and turn it into the most beautiful bridal suite imaginable.”
“…You’re not planning to have them live separately?”
“Oh dear, of course I will. How could I not be exhausted living with a grown son? But I’ll keep them here for now—just long enough to teach the girl proper housekeeping, even if it’s tough on me.”
“…Yes.”
Gwang Soon couldn’t bear the thought of her beloved son moving out after marriage.
She also needed to monitor whether her daughter-in-law managed the household properly and didn’t slack off in caring for her son. At the very least, she planned to live together for about ten years to properly train her.
Gwang Soon had raised her son alone in this apartment, steadily growing her wealth all the while.
Every corner of this home, where she’d lived for over thirty years, held traces of her sorrow and joy. It was the very embodiment of Nam Gwang Soon’s legacy—her three-story building standing proudly on Gangnam’s most valuable land.
So no matter how old the place got—even if rust-colored water came out of the taps each morning—she had no intention of ever leaving this sacred Hwami Apartment. Its 65-pyeong size would be more than enough for her son, his wife, and their peaceful cohabitation.
She simply brushed off the persistent canvassers urging her to sign on for reconstruction.
Gwang Soon had no desire to expand the apartment through redevelopment. She was firmly opposed to letting tasteless neighbors move in under the guise of being “fellow residents.”
“But nowadays, young ladies won’t be happy about living with their mothers-in-law…”
“Madam Hwang, is this some ordinary neighborhood? This is Gangnam! Where in the world is someone who wouldn’t want to live in Gangnam?”
“Still…”
“Look at me. Where else will you find a refined, cultured mother-in-law like me? If a daughter-in-law says she doesn’t want to live with me because I’m ‘overbearing,’ then I won’t accept her either. Who’d dare bring such a wretched girl to our Director?”
Gwang Soon sharply reprimanded Madam Hwang, who had cautiously opened her mouth to speak.
She was confident she’d find the perfect daughter-in-law—one who would surely welcome the chance to live with a wise and cultured mother-in-law.
Therefore, it was utterly wrong for her precious son to suffer so much over some cunning old fox of a woman.
“I don’t want to meet anyone else…”
“Our Director really doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Forget that woman—just forget her! Trust your mom. When have I ever given you bad advice?”
Gently wiping the tears streaming down her son’s pale cheeks as he slowly shook his head, Gwang Soon kept swallowing her own burning rage.
“Come on, get up. Let’s go get a massage, okay?”
“You go alone.”
“After the massage, I’ll make your favorite braised Hanwoo short ribs. How about that?”
“…Will you add abalone too?”
“Ugh, of course! Who’s eating it if I don’t put in abalone? After the massage, we’ll go to the department store and buy the five biggest abalones they have. While we’re at it, I’ll get you a new winter coat too.”
She’d given birth to Seok Dong at the late age of thirty-seven. The following year, she lost her husband—and ever since, for nearly thirty-five years until turning seventy-two, she’d lived solely for her son.
To such a mother, her thirty-six-year-old son—pouting as he got up—looked as endearing as a kindergartener.
Gwang Soon vowed she wouldn’t let that wicked woman get away with making her adorable son cry.
Since she dared bring tears to her son’s eyes, that woman deserved to shed tears of blood.
*** *** ***
“People are just so greedy.”
Tae Seo sank deep into his chair, tugging his tie down in frustration.
Just moments ago, he’d finished a meeting with fellow representatives from construction firms bidding for the upcoming Hwami Apartment redevelopment project in Gangnam. Though officially Managing Director of Kang Seon Construction, Tae Seo had effectively acted as their representative.
The meeting, which had started with an early breakfast, had dragged on past lunchtime. He’d nearly lost his mind trying to stifle yawns while older rival executives raised their voices.
Tae Seo tightly pinched his furrowed brow and squeezed his eyes shut.
“I knew the construction world was full of thuggish jerks, but this is absolute chaos.”
“Seong Sung Construction was especially aggressive today. Probably because of the rumor that one of the association leaders has switched sides to Hyun Yang Construction.”
“Oh, Seong Sung? At least they’re kind of cute. It’s those old-timers who just won’t stop talking. At this rate, I’ll get permanent frown lines.”
“Shall I bring in some food?”
Executive Director Jang, who was like an aunt to Tae Seo, quickly ran through her mental list of prepared meals. Anticipating a long meeting, she’d already arranged Korean lunch boxes, Japanese bento, and sandwiches.
“I’ve got no appetite. Just something light, please. Oh, and an ice pack—I’ve got a headache.”
“Would you like some medicine?”
“No medicine, thanks.”
“Yes, right away.”
As soon as Executive Director Jang left the office, Tae Seo turned toward the sink in the back, washed his hands, then pressed a bottle of cold water to his temples and drank deeply.
In truth, the city’s requirements weren’t unreasonable. The real problem lay with the apartment’s redevelopment association—a bloated mess where countless interests clashed.
Somehow, Hwami Apartment now had not one, but three separate redevelopment associations. As a long-neglected building desperate for reconstruction, different factions had sprung up over the years, each pushing their own agenda—until the associations finally splintered into three rival groups.
Now they were all fighting, each claiming to be the one true representative of Hwami Apartment’s redevelopment. Add the commercial tenants’ association into the mix, and the whole situation was on the brink of total collapse.
The construction firm representatives had agreed to accommodate only a few of the demands shouted by the four association leaders.
The meeting had been intended to define which demands could be fairly accepted to ensure fair competition—but even that had descended into utter chaos.
“I really don’t feel like dealing with this…”
Tae Seo shook his head, trying to dismiss his irritation—and noticed a report Executive Director Jang had already left on his desk.
Since he usually worked digitally on his tablet, he rarely handled physical paperwork.
Curious, he picked up the stack and flipped to the first page—then let out a soft chuckle. He was genuinely pleased the long-awaited report had arrived sooner than expected.
“Well… paper’s definitely better than digital files when you want to erase every trace and finish things cleanly.”
He was especially impressed by Executive Director Jang’s thoughtful attention to security.
Leaning his chair back, Tae Seo stretched out comfortably—though his eyes, as they swiftly scanned the report, gleamed with sharp intensity.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
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