An Unbearable Marriage (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
Inside the airplane, bustling with preparations to greet passengers, Hwa Young, who was in charge of the radio in the galley—the crew’s workspace—asked a piece of gossip.
“Senior, have you heard that story?”
“What story?”
“Our airline’s vice president—he apparently got dumped, even though he looks perfectly fine.”
“Dumped?”
Office Manager Jin Sun Mi tilted her head slightly as she asked. Though well past forty, she looked reasonably like someone in her thirties, thanks to makeup and dyed hair.
“Yes. It happened just one week after their engagement—truly ultra-fast.”
“Wow… Even chaebol heirs get dumped.”
“Right? Since it was likely an arranged match between families to begin with, the fact that it was broken off means…”
Hwa Young leaned in closely and continued in a hushed voice.
“The woman must have had a secret lover—someone she couldn’t forget despite breaking up due to differences in social status. Something like that?”
“Hwa Young, you’ve watched too many dramas!”
The office manager slapped Hwa Young’s shoulder and laughed loudly in a high pitch. Her boisterous laughter sounded almost like the cackling cry of a seagull.
“Sigh…”
Amid the idle chatter of unmotivated staff echoing sharply throughout the cabin, a faint sigh slipped in from somewhere.
Da Jung felt like splitting her body in two—yet here they were, insisting two become one.
Annoyed, she stole a glance at her seniors. But the pair of birds had already moved on to sipping coffee and were now deep in full-fledged conversation.
“I heard the Chairman even forbade her from coming anywhere near him—must’ve been desperate.”
“Oh, it’s not that she wasn’t allowed near him—it’s just that his standards are exceedingly high.”
“No, seriously. Once, a female secretary accidentally brushed his shoulder while handing him his coat…”
“Senior, I’ve finished setting the amenities.”
Since the tea-time session showed no sign of ending, Da Jung quietly inserted herself into the conversation. Though her silent pressure clearly meant *Let’s get back to work*, Hwa Young merely gave a half-hearted nod and didn’t rise from her seat.
“Okay. Good job, Da Jung. Please finish the rest as well.”
“…Yes.”
After this brief reply, Da Jung turned away as usual and silently recited her daily magic spell.
‘Hang in there, just hang on. This one flight alone will cover Young Jin’s lesson fees twice over.’
Her younger sister, gifted in piano since childhood, was currently enrolled at a prestigious arts high school—accessible only to the most elite prodigies.
“Yego”—short for *ye-sul go-deung hak-gyo*, or arts high school. But for Da Jung, the girl’s sole guardian, “Yego” meant nothing less than a gangster school that ruthlessly emptied her wallet.
Tuition fees that defied imagination, dormitory costs, plus private lessons required solely for entrance exams—covering all this forced Da Jung to tighten her already slender waist even further.
“Where’s the office manager?”
Just as Da Jung was chanting her spell with the intensity of cracking the Hogwarts entrance exam, a ground staff member approached her.
“She’s over there, in the jump seat.”
“This is the updated F-class (first-class) PIL (passenger list). Could you deliver it to her?”
“Updated? Sure, got it.”
First-class check-in had clearly ended with only two passengers. Puzzled, she skimmed the list—and spotted a name absent from the previous version.
CHA/TAESANG MR VVIP
‘Cha… Tae Sang?’
The name felt oddly familiar. And *VVIP*? A chilling premonition crept down her spine—and her body instinctively whipped around.
“Office Manager! Today’s first class has a VVIP onboard!”
“What?!”
Until that moment, the office manager had been calmly retouching her lipstick—but all composure vanished instantly. She sprinted over, floorboards thudding beneath her feet, and snatched the list from Da Jung’s hand.
After a brief glance at the name, her face froze rigidly.
“We’re… we’re doomed…”
“Why? Who’s onboard?”
“The dumped guy.”
The office manager’s near-whisper echoed hollowly in the air.
Not long after takeoff, the seatbelt sign turned off. Hwa Young, who had been waiting for this, sprang up and slightly parted the curtain to get a look at “the dumped guy.”
“Wow… He’s seriously no joke, looks-wise.”
“Shh! Hwa Young, wanna lose your head over careless talk?”
The office manager, who had silently crept up beside her, swiftly yanked the curtain shut.
“M—my head?”
“Yes. Do you have any idea how many heads he’s claimed? Stay sharp. If anything—even the slightest thing—goes wrong today, you won’t just get called to the office.”
Deciding this was the right moment to issue a warning, she gestured for Da Jung—who’d been standing apart—to come closer as well.
“Listen carefully, everyone. This isn’t just any VVIP—it’s *that* Vice President. Scrutinize every detail: a single speck of dust in the lavatory, the angle of a mug’s handle. Proceed with utmost caution.”
“Yes, Office Manager.”
“And today’s meal service…”
Don’t even let your footsteps be heard while walking the cabin, report every word of conversation without omission—the absurd list of demands stretched on, prompting a question to sprout in Da Jung’s mind.
‘Just… who *is* this person, exactly?’
Office Manager Jin Sun Mi was normally cheerful and approachable with passengers. The fact that *he* could transform her so drastically only stoked Da Jung’s curiosity—her eyes kept drifting, irresistibly, toward the cabin.
Then—a sharp clap of hands.
“Right. So—today, *absolutely nothing* must happen. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Office Manager.”
Da Jung replied firmly and returned to her station. Just as she was about to resume work as usual, Hwa Young’s sincere admiration rang in her ears.
Hwa Young, known for her “spicy” tongue, would never spare brutal honesty—even when idols boarded: *“That one’s face is makeup-crafted; this one’s pure Photoshop.”*
Curiosity piqued, Da Jung cautiously peeked her head out through the curtain.
“Oh…”
A gasp slipped out before she could stop it.
If unfairness were to take human form, *this* would be it.
His thick eyebrows were perfectly groomed and dense; his jet-black irises gleamed like polished black pearls. Beneath them, his nose bridge and jawline were so sharply defined they seemed drawn by an ink brush.
A face sculpted to perfection—yet his firm expression radiated an indefinable stubbornness and cool detachment.
“What? Pretending disinterest, yet Da Jung’s no different after all.”
As Da Jung stood entranced, staring at the cabin, she felt a nudge at her waist. Startled, she turned—and saw Hwa Young, lips curled into a sly smile.
“What? Oh—no, I wasn’t! The call bell just rang.”
She seized the opportune chime as an excuse and turned away. Seat 1D—the one that had rung—was conveniently right beside the vice president’s, making her feigned innocence perfectly plausible.
“I’ll go check on it.”
Leaving behind Hwa Young’s skeptical expression, Da Jung stepped out of the galley.
Entering the cabin, she felt the sunlit carpet warm beneath her feet. It was just past noon—the sunlight streaming through the window left traces even on the statue-like man’s face.
His dark eyes were half-lidded, and a faint shadow from his long lashes trembled delicately across one cheek.
Unknowingly, she stared—until, in an instant, his eyelids snapped open. His pitch-black gaze—like charcoal-painted orbs—locked directly onto hers.
Panicked, Da Jung involuntarily sucked in a sharp breath. His stare alone felt overpowering. Her fingertips stiffened oddly, and her throat tightened slightly.
Frozen for a beat, she blinked—then slowly relaxed her rigid facial muscles. She offered a poised smile and smoothly averted her gaze.
Her feet carried her toward the adjacent seat—where the call bell had sounded.
“Sir, how may I assist you?”
“This… the subtitles are in English—how do I change them?”
The elderly gentleman, his silver hair neatly combed back, was tapping firmly on the monitor screen. Da Jung knelt gracefully beside him, adjusting to his eye level.
“Yes, I’ll guide you. First, use this remote to access the subtitle settings…”
Throughout the explanation, her back and neck prickled—not just prickled, but *burned*, as if his gaze were carving lines into her skin.
Was he testing staff competence? Or did he perhaps have some favor to request? Unable to decipher his intent, her thoughts bounced wildly like a ping-pong ball.
“Oh—such a simple thing, yet I’ve inconvenienced you unnecessarily.”
“Not at all. It’s no trouble.”
As she rose after finishing the instructions, she caught him still watching her—out of the corner of her eye.
Suppressing widening eyes, Da Jung gently softened them into a calm, round shape.
“Sir, is there anything else you need?”
“…”
Silence. His lack of reply suggested no specific request—but his intensely focused gaze made her reluctant to leave.
Da Jung stepped closer to his seat and spoke evenly.
“May I assist you with…”
“Han Da Jung.”
“Yes?”
Her name, suddenly slipping from his lips, shattered her usual composure. Her voice betrayed clear fluster, and her eyes widened like small kumquats.
Blinking slowly, Da Jung gazed at him blankly—until, once more, that soft, low timbre flowed from between his sculpted lips.
“…Flight Attendant Han Da Jung.”
“Ah—yes. That’s correct. Flight Attendant Han Da Jung.”
He couldn’t have reviewed the crew list before boarding—so he must’ve read her name tag.
Yet—had his eyes moved even once?
Staring at the man whose gaze held hers with relentless intensity, Da Jung was seized by an odd suspicion. As she mentally retraced the recent moments, he abruptly cut through her thoughts.
“At this rate, even if I try to forget, I won’t be able to.”
“Ah—yes. It *is* rather unusual, isn’t it?”
Da Jung laughed awkwardly and lightly brushed her fingertip along her name tag. Today, the engraved grooves tracing her name felt unusually pronounced.
His eyes followed her fingertip—then lifted again, locking onto hers with such force it felt like their irises were merging, pinned by an invisible tack.
ding.
Just then, a small chime sounded from the aisle opposite. Da Jung straightened her posture and spoke calmly.
“Then please rest comfortably. Should you need anything, feel free to call at any time.”
“Yes. I certainly will.”
Tae Sang replied in a voice brimming with certainty—and faintly lifted the corner of his lips.
When male lead is the homewrecker
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
I’ve read the novel below twice already. Girls, I’m highly recommending it to you!
The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.
Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.
The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.
I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.
There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.
For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.
I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.
Here’s the story synopsis:
One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Intro 1:
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.
Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.
In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.
Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…
Intro 2:
Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.
He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.
Watched her go public with her boyfriend.
Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.
Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.
The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.
Fan Xia, how can I have you!
【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】
1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy
2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
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