An Unbearable Marriage (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
“Does it hurt?”
He spoke while still fixing his gaze on her ankle.
“No. It feels cool and nice.”
Whether he liked the answer, Cha Tae Sang silently continued applying the ice pack.
Inside the living room filled with a faint wine fragrance, the clinking sound of ice replaced the voices of the two people.
Han Da Jung relaxed her stiff back and leaned comfortably against the sofa.
Contrary to her worries, being alone with Cha Tae Sang wasn’t all that awkward. He remained indifferent as always and only crossed the line just enough so she wouldn’t feel scared.
“Why couldn’t you go home?”
After a long silence, Cha Tae Sang suddenly spoke.
“Ah… Well, my roommate brought her boyfriend over. They were having a cozy birthday party, so I couldn’t disturb them and came out.”
Since it was something she had wanted to explain anyway, Han Da Jung quickly opened her mouth.
“Does that happen often?”
“No! Not at all. She’s a really great roommate.”
When a clear crease formed between Cha Tae Sang’s brows, Han Da Jung jumped up to defend her friend. If anything, the straightforward Young Mi took care of her more often.
Han Da Jung glanced around the chilly living room and awkwardly filled the gap in the conversation.
“You live here alone, Vice President?”
“Yes.”
“It’s a bit… spacious for one person.”
Actually, “spacious” wasn’t quite right—it felt more empty. The house had only the bare minimum furniture, and there wasn’t a trace of everyday clutter.
If he was going to leave it this empty, what was the point of living in such a big house? Han Da Jung swallowed her rising curiosity and offered only a calm observation.
“This isn’t a house meant for living alone.”
“Then?”
“It’s a newlywed house.”
“What?”
At his sudden words, Han Da Jung shot upright. As her upper body moved sharply, the leg that had been resting quietly on the cushion shook along with it.
Cha Tae Sang quickly caught the slipping ankle and carefully placed it back on the cushion. Of course, he didn’t forget to look up at her with heavy eyes as a warning.
Startled by that gaze, Han Da Jung hurriedly returned her upper body to its original position.
“Are you married, Vice President? This is your newlywed home?”
Han Da Jung asked in disbelief. What kind of insane man in the world would bring a female guest to a newlywed house without a bride? Her large eyes widened in shock.
“I’m not married.”
“…You’re not getting married, so why do you need a newlywed house?”
“My grandfather arbitrarily prepared this house. He secretly moved my things here, so I had no choice but to live in it.”
“Ah…”
Come to think of it, she had heard rumors that he was supposed to marry the daughter of a huge conglomerate. Along with the news that the marriage fell through.
Han Da Jung realized that his marriage had proceeded completely against his own will.
How would it feel to be forced into an unwanted marriage? For Han Da Jung, who grew up ordinarily, it was something she couldn’t even imagine.
Han Da Jung cautiously studied Cha Tae Sang’s face. His expression remained calm and emotionless as always.
It might have been better if he at least frowned. His nonchalant attitude somehow made her feel more sorry for him.
Han Da Jung fidgeted with the T-shirt she was wearing to calm her heart. It was probably just her own warmth now, but it still felt like someone else’s gentle body heat lingered.
“I hope your grandfather changes his mind…”
Han Da Jung said, tightly clutching the hem of the shirt.
“That won’t happen.”
“Why not?”
“Because when it comes to stubbornness, he’s the strongest in the world.”
“The strongest in the world…”
Han Da Jung quietly repeated his words and seemed lost in thought, closing her mouth. A moment later, her shoulders began to tremble gently, and her head drooped down.
“Pfft.”
“…?”
“Ah, s-sorry… Hehe.”
She tried to hold it in, but she couldn’t stop the laughter from bursting out. Starting with a sound like a balloon popping, clear laughter poured from Han Da Jung’s mouth one after another.
“…”
Cha Tae Sang slowly lifted his head after setting the ice pack down on the floor.
Her wavy eyes and flushed cheeks. Her face, like a ripe peach, filled his vision completely. At the sight he wanted to bite into, his mouth went dry.
It was a thirst he had never felt in his life. It felt like his throat was burning, or like someone was tightly choking him.
Unfamiliar with the sensation, Cha Tae Sang lightly frowned.
“Ah, sorry. It was just too funny…”
Misinterpreting his frown, Han Da Jung quickly apologized.
“What… what’s so funny?”
“Well, you’re really not in a position to talk about someone else’s stubbornness, Vice President.”
“…Why not.”
“Because… um…”
Laughter kept leaking out because of the man’s still-confused face. Eventually giving up on composure, Han Da Jung completely covered her face with her palms.
Cha Tae Sang moved closer to the front of the sofa and rested his arm on the seat. Slowly lifting his chin and raising his gaze felt like he was admiring a painting.
“Don’t cover it.”
“Huh…?”
“Smiling suits you much better.”
“…”
“Don’t cover it.”
His voice was languid yet heavy. His eyes were soft and relaxed. Han Da Jung lowered her hands with a dazed expression.
Then a faint crease reappeared between Cha Tae Sang’s brows. He seemed dissatisfied that her smile had disappeared along with her hands. Han Da Jung stammered without thinking.
“Y-you’ve seen me smile a lot already…”
“When.”
He lightly raised an eyebrow in question.
“On the plane last time… Didn’t you forget that smiling all the time is basically my job?”
“That was smiling for customers.”
Cha Tae Sang easily slipped past the loosened boundary. He effortlessly redefined their relationship—no longer purely professional, just a little over the line.
Han Da Jung couldn’t say anything and only moved her lips. Breathing, swallowing—everything felt awkward and unbearable. She didn’t know how to handle the man who had suddenly come so close.
Gulp. The sound of swallowing dryly echoed unusually loudly.
“Did you put the medicine bag on the desk?”
In the tense atmosphere, he stood up abruptly and asked.
“Yes? Yeah…”
Han Da Jung answered blankly and looked up at Cha Tae Sang. Staring at his face so high up, her back sank deeper into the sofa automatically.
With an indifferent expression, he walked toward the guest room with heavy steps. The gentle expression like a spring breeze had long disappeared.
***
An underground parking garage lined with luxury sedans.
Beside the black sedan Cha Tae Sang had driven last night, a man stood with a worried expression.
“His phone is turned off…”
Secretary Kim’s brows narrowed tightly at the repeated call waiting tone—he didn’t know how many times it had rung. He stared seriously at his phone before finally ending the call.
Cha Tae Sang wasn’t the type to oversleep. In the first place, he wasn’t someone who properly slept at all.
Yet he was out of contact right before an executive meeting at headquarters. Secretary Kim didn’t want to think negatively, but an ominous feeling was unavoidable.
Secretary Kim quickly moved. The entire elevator ride up, he kept calling just in case.
—Ding.
As the elevator doors opened, he headed straight to Cha Tae Sang’s home without hesitation. Having visited with the workaholic before, unlocking the door was no problem.
With a beep, the large door opened smoothly.
“Vice President?”
A worried voice echoed through the quiet house. Secretary Kim cautiously took off his shoes and stepped into the hallway.
After a few steps, something long and stretched out on the living room floor caught his eye. Adjusting his glasses and looking closer, he realized it was a person’s leg.
“Vice President!”
Secretary Kim shouted urgently and rushed into the living room. Running in just socks on the slippery marble floor, his body swayed several times.
He barely stopped before crashing into the living room wall, but the scene before him was completely unexpected. He stood frozen like a statue with his mouth agape.
On the sofa, a woman in an oversized T-shirt was lying in an uncomfortable position. With her hips glued to the seat, only her upper body was tilted sideways, sleeping in an L-shape.
Just the fact that there was a woman in this house was shocking enough. But what was even more shocking was Cha Tae Sang soundly asleep right beside her.
Cha Tae Sang was sitting with his back against the base of the sofa and his legs stretched out. His slightly tilted head rested casually on the woman’s knee.
“No way, how…”
Both the presence of a woman in the house and Cha Tae Sang sleeping while touching a woman—Secretary Kim couldn’t believe either.
In an instant, curiosity about the woman who had made all these miracles possible erupted like a volcano.
He walked around Cha Tae Sang’s long legs and slowly approached the end of the sofa. The closer he got to her face, the more her delicate features came into view.
“That woman from yesterday…!”
Upon recognizing her face, Secretary Kim unintentionally exclaimed out loud. As if reacting, the woman twitched her eyebrows and slowly lifted her eyelids.
Regaining consciousness, she placed a hand on her waist and slowly sat up.
“Ah… my back…”
Before the short patting sounds could finish, their eyes met in midair.
Secretary Kim, standing just one step away, froze in an awkward half-crouched position like a thief caught in the act.
The woman’s eyes widened in panic. Her lips moved as if she were about to scream any second.
Secretary Kim instinctively waved his hands and hastily stepped back.
“N-no…!”
“Kyaa!”
“No! I-I mean, it’s not like that…!”
What exactly wasn’t it? In his extreme panic, he kept repeating “It’s not!” without a proper subject.
But saying “It’s not!” in front of a woman curled up like a hedgehog only made him look more suspicious. Secretary Kim’s face turned red as he frantically waved his hands.
Then a saving voice reached his ears.
“What is it…”
Cha Tae Sang, still half-asleep, sounded like a growling beast. Frowning as if the light hurt his eyes, he slowly raised his head.
“W-well, sir, your phone is off and there’s a meeting…”
Secretary Kim stammered, his face red up to his neck. He had always prided himself on staying calm, but Cha Tae Sang’s sharp gaze turned his mind completely blank.
It felt exactly like he had been caught peeking into a newlywed couple’s bedroom.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
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