An Unbearable Marriage (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
“Director Dad” was the term Da Jung and Young Jin used to refer to the director of Hope Orphanage, where they had lived and been cared for.
Just last month, he had been running all over the sports field playing soccer with the children—yet suddenly, he was hospitalized. Anxiety dried her mouth completely.
“Which part hurts, and how badly?”
“He collapsed from overwork. It sounds like there might be some injury too… I only heard bits from the kids, so I don’t know the details.”
“…So you took on part-time work to help cover his medical bills? Without even telling me, your older sister?”
“Sorry.”
That single, terse word weighed like a stone. Offering to help Director Dad and the orphanage couldn’t possibly be wrong—and yet, her younger sibling’s apology stirred a strange sense of guilt within her.
Da Jung chewed her lip for a while before finally blurting out what she had to say, as if pushed by some invisible force.
“Still, no part-time job. As a student preparing for entrance exams, when would you even have the time?”
“I only work weekends.”
“Even weekends matter for a senior in high school. I’ll handle it myself—just quit immediately.”
“What can you even do? You’re already giving your entire salary to my tuition and Hope Orphanage’s donations.”
“There’s also the peak-season bonus, and I’ve set up a fixed deposit.”
“The bonus is still far off.”
Though he appeared laid-back, his words always pierced straight to the core—truly like her younger brother. Pretending confidence, Da Jung raised her voice sharply.
“In any case! I’ll take care of it myself.”
“You say that every time.”
“That’s right—I *do* say it every time. Anyway, I’ll visit the orphanage on my next day off, so you quit that part-time job immediately. And resume your lessons as before. Understood?”
As she rushed through her words, a familiar scene gradually came into view. Da Jung pulled the phone from her ear and quickly called out toward the driver’s seat.
“Driver, please make a right turn at the coffee shop ahead.”
“Yes.”
Unlike the driver’s immediate reply, Young Jin on the other end of the line remained silent for a moment.
As the taxi turned the corner and climbed the slope, Da Jung mixed coaxing and warnings to persuade Young Jin.
Eventually, after some time, Young Jin’s reluctant, almost grumbling reply came through: “Fine, I got it, okay?”
“Where should I drop you off?”
“That dark brown building over there.”
The taxi stopped at the entrance of a street lined with numerous villa-style buildings.
Da Jung swiftly ended the call and paid the fare. As she stepped out of the car, the damp air of a summer night hit her sharply.
Screech.
The moment she opened the worn glass door, a familiar creak pierced her ears. Da Jung lifted her trolley and tiptoed upward.
Step by step, climbing the stairs, her mind was entirely on Hope Orphanage—wondering if something had happened there, how serious Director Dad’s condition truly was.
Worry piled upon worry, her thoughts inevitably drifted to her bank account balance. Though she’d spoken boldly to Young Jin, in truth, the money she had left barely covered this month’s living expenses.
Da Jung let out a deep sigh and set the trolley down in front of the door. As she reached for the door lock cover, her hand suddenly froze midair.
“…Huh?”
The shape and color were wrong. She jerked her head up—and saw the unfamiliar number “401.”
Da Jung shook her head faintly and descended the stairs again. Long forgotten was the business card tucked inside her pocket.
People poured out of the arrivals gate like grains of sand. Among them, the middle-aged man with sharp eyes behind his glasses instantly spotted the person he was searching for.
Amid the sea of sand, one figure stood out—a black pearl gleaming on its own. Cha Tae Sang, the man he served, radiated a singular light even in a crowd.
After lightly adjusting his glasses, the man swiftly approached him.
“You’ve arrived.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll briefly summarize the meetings held in your absence. First…”
Tae Sang hated wasting time most of all—and speaking excessively ranked second.
Thus, over the past three years working together, Secretary Kim had never once exchanged formal pleasantries like “How have you been?” with him.
As usual today, he intended to cut straight to the point—until a calm, low voice gently stopped him.
“Secretary Kim.”
“Yes?”
“There’s something important I’d like you to handle.”
“Please go ahead.”
He waited quietly for further instructions—but Tae Sang abruptly halted, locking eyes with him. Normally, to save time, he would have continued walking while speaking; today, however, he was clearly different.
“Look into Managing Director Kim Gi Ju from the Passenger Department.”
“Is there any particular aspect you’d like me to focus on?”
“Everything. Find out who he’s connected to internally, what he’s involved in, what he’s doing—everything.”
“Yes. Understood.”
“And that man claiming to be Managing Director Kim’s younger brother… Dig everything out—down to the very bottom.”
“…”
His voice, halting and fragmented, carried an icy chill that sent shivers down the spine. Sensing something deeply unusual, Secretary Kim looked up—and met a face so frigid it could freeze winter itself.
Secretary Kim was utterly bewildered.
It wasn’t just anyone—it was *Tae Sang* showing emotion. The same man who, in three years, had never once shown a smile—or even anger.
The anger now visible on that previously empty, impassive face felt strangely unfamiliar. Concerned, Secretary Kim spoke carefully.
“Did something happen on the flight, perhaps?”
“Yes. Something did.”
“May I ask what occurred?”
“Someone touched something of mine. Something I’d lost.”
Tae Sang’s expression twisted as though chewing sand. Simultaneously discernible were his fury toward that “someone” and his deep attachment to “my thing.”
“They were unfortunate. Had they known it belonged to you, Deputy Director, they surely wouldn’t have done it.”
“Even ignorance doesn’t earn my forgiveness.”
“…Shall we go? I’ll escort you to the car.”
Secretary Kim bowed crisply in agreement, then lightly extended a hand to guide the way.
During the brief walk to the car, Secretary Kim concisely recited upcoming meetings and external appointments scheduled for next week.
Each time he mentioned a day and agenda, Tae Sang gave a slight nod—signaling he already knew and needed no elaboration.
Secretary Kim swiftly moved to the most critical matter.
“I’ve arranged for you to attend the concert as in previous years, with the award ceremony handled by foundation staff.”
“I won’t be attending this year. Please let the foundation manage it entirely among themselves.”
“What? The concert?”
The *Hyosung Classic Youth Competition*, aimed at nurturing and supporting talented young musicians, was officially run by the Hyosung Foundation—but no one was unaware that it was a project personally spearheaded by Tae Sang.
Last year, he’d even altered an overseas business trip schedule just to insist on attending. So why this sudden change of heart? Bewildered, Secretary Kim double-checked.
“…Are you absolutely certain?”
“Yes. I no longer have any reason to go.”
Tae Sang spoke as he lightly stepped into the sedan, already waiting for him.
Secretary Kim, momentarily stunned as he watched his back, quickly climbed into the passenger seat. With a glance signaling the driver to depart, the black sedan glided smoothly through the night air.
“The foundation staff will be quite surprised.”
Secretary Kim casually remarked, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
“Undoubtedly.”
“Might you be considering another charitable initiative in a different direction?”
“…”
Apparently not—Tae Sang’s eyes slowly shifted sideways. After a few languid blinks, lost in thought, he murmured almost to himself:
“…Bread.”
“Pardon? Bread… did you say?”
“Yes. It’s just simple food—but doesn’t it feel good to receive it?”
“…Y-Yes, it does.”
Unable to grasp Tae Sang’s intent, Secretary Kim’s eyes flickered nervously. He frantically searched his mind—until a news article he’d recently read resurfaced.
A touching story about a bakery owner who, despite modest means, consistently donated bread to underprivileged children.
Coupled with heartfelt thank-you letters from the children who’d grown up eating that bread, the segment had warmed viewers’ homes nationwide.
Certain he’d hit the mark, Secretary Kim quickly replied:
“Actually, Hyosung Food’s consumer trust has dropped significantly lately—this could be an excellent strategy. I’ll explore linking it with social welfare organizations for implementation.”
“…There was no strategy involved.”
“Pardon? Then…”
“It was merely a personal reflection.”
“…”
There was something oddly gentle in his tone that nagged at Secretary Kim. Stealthily, he glanced upward, catching Tae Sang’s reflection in the rearview mirror.
Relaxed eyes, lips softly upturned into a subtle curve—a smile utterly unseen before now bloomed across that once-sharp, unyielding face.
Tae Sang slowly turned his head, gazing out the window. Streetlights flickered across his jet-black pupils, deep as the night sky.
“If I give you this, what do you give me?”
“It’s okay. I’m Han Da Jung, so I’ll do the ‘Da Jung’ part.”
“Da Jung… what?”
“Hehe.”
Everything remained unchanged—her warm, smiling face; her habit of always putting others first. Even that stubborn streak of vanishing when desperately sought, then reappearing out of nowhere, stayed perfectly consistent.
Savoring the first warmth he’d ever felt in life, an irrepressible smile graced Tae Sang’s lips.
“Um… Deputy Director?”
Even this light call drew no reaction from him. Secretary Kim cleared his throat theatrically to reclaim his attention.
Tae Sang flinched slightly, opening his eyes. As his dark pupils surfaced, the soft, tender aura surrounding him vanished instantly.
“The Chairman’s office called—quite… a few times.”
Thirty-three calls far exceeded the threshold of “quite a few,” but stating the exact number felt like disrespecting the Chairwoman—so Secretary Kim omitted the detail.
“I know. They kept calling me too.”
“Do you plan to answer…?”
“No.”
“…I see.”
Chairman Cha Nam Jin, who built Hyosung from the ground up, was an outstanding entrepreneur—and as stubborn as an ox. Yet even the business world’s ox was powerless before his grandson.
“Where’s your fiancée?” “When will I meet my great-grandchild?” Every time he opened his mouth, it was marriage talk—and ultimately, Chairman Cha unilaterally arranged Tae Sang’s engagement.
Since Tae Sang had no intention of marrying, he decisively broke off the engagement—and afterward, severed all visits to the Chairman’s office.
In the end, the caught-in-the-middle secretaries now bore the brunt, their backs nearly splitting—such was Hyosung’s current internal reality.
“He wishes to hear the first-half performance report in person tomorrow.”
“Tell him I can’t go—it’s too tedious to make excuses.”
“…Deputy Director, if you don’t attend, our phones will literally catch fire. This trip was quite long—couldn’t you go just as a courtesy visit, to pay your respects?”
The head shrimp among shrimps, Secretary Kim, pleaded toward the back seat.
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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