An Unbearable Marriage (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
“Meeting like this today is fate, don’t you think?”
“…….”
Though I can’t even properly call out to you, is it alright to give you a name like this? A strange sense of guilt kept my lips sealed.
Da Jung silently gazed at the child, her heart tangled with complex emotions.
Rosy cheeks like a peach, thick, fluffy black hair—the child, whose features resembled no one in particular, was simply angelically beautiful.
“Why? Is it difficult?”
“Yes. I don’t know how to come up with one.”
“Hmm… Then how about thinking of your own name?”
“My name?”
“That’s right. Haven’t your mom and dad ever told you why they named you Da Jung?”
“…….”
They said they chose “Da Jung” because they hoped the world would have more kindhearted people. But I’d retorted, asking how anyone could name a child so simplistically, and demanded to know just how much teasing I endured because of it.
It was a memory faded yellow like an old bookshelf. Da Jung let out a small chuckle, then turned her gaze back to the child. Its tiny hands moved restlessly, as if trying to grasp something.
Suddenly, as if possessed by something, her lips parted effortlessly.
“…Hope. Cha Hee Mang.”
“Hee Mang? That’s a lovely name. Oh dear, look at this child—seems she really likes it.”
Cheol Jung smiled contentedly as he watched the baby cooing.
“She must understand already.”
“Of course. She understands everything.”
Looking at the gentle smile of Director Dad, Da Jung’s heart quietly grew resolute.
Now that she had a hope worth protecting, she couldn’t just sit idly and wait for demolition. Da Jung firmly etched Cheol Jung and Hee Mang into her memory, then rose from her seat.
“Excuse me, but I think I’ll head out first today.”
“But you said you’d stay longer. Why the sudden change?”
“I just got a call saying my schedule abruptly shifted—I have an early-morning flight tomorrow, so I need to go home and rest early tonight.”
“What kind of company works people this hard, day and night…?”
“Right? Dad, I’ll come back another time.”
“Alright. Also say hello to Young Jin for me.”
“Yes!”
A bright smile lingered on Da Jung’s face as she stepped out of the director’s office.
In the heavy afternoon sunlight, a flat, monotonous voice echoed tonelessly through the otherwise tranquil executive office.
Reports casually mentioning figures in the billions or trillions—enough to send chills down one’s spine—yet Tae Sang’s voice remained perfectly steady throughout.
“As you’ve already been briefed, operating profit rose 7.2% compared to the same period last year. While passenger transport yields showed little change, cargo…”
It was like a graceful social dance—elegant, yet concealing intent—but Tae Sang’s pointed reminder that the chairman had “already received the report” left Chairman Cha no choice but to stop feigning ignorance.
“Hmm….”
He looked at Tae Sang with the expression of someone chewing a bitter persimmon.
“You want me to repeat a report you already know in full?”
“Are you still angry?”
“What’s there to be angry about when simply presenting performance results?”
“…….”
Admitting he’d summoned Tae Sang for unrelated reasons would only prompt his stubborn grandson to storm off immediately. Yet he couldn’t afford to waste more time going in circles, either.
After a brief pause, Chairman Cha opted for a temporary retreat.
“Fine. How’s the partnership with Malaysia Airlines coming along?”
“They’ve accepted all our demands. We’ve also agreed to transfer three Boeing Dreamliners after internal reconfiguration.”
“It’s good you stepped in—things always move faster that way. However…”
Chairman Cha slowly sipped his chrysanthemum tea, preparing to steer the conversation toward the real issue. Sensing this, Tae Sang glanced at his wristwatch and spoke first.
“If you have further questions, I’ll submit them in writing—I have another meeting now.”
“Wait a moment.”
“Is this related to company business?”
“If I say no, will you leave?”
“Yes.”
That single, frostbitter reply made Chairman Cha click his tongue in irritation.
Tae Sang had always been willful, even as a child. Though he’d anticipated the boy wouldn’t be easily controlled once grown, he hadn’t expected this level of cold detachment.
In the old days, he would’ve asserted his grandfatherly authority with a sharp rebuke—but after relentlessly pushing matchmakers and engagement talks onto Tae Sang, he’d lost that leverage for good. After repeatedly downing bitter tea in silence, Chairman Cha chose direct confrontation.
“Fine. The performance report was just an excuse. Meeting my own grandson has become as hard as plucking stars from the sky—I had no choice but to resort to this petty trick.”
“If you have something to say, please convey it through Secretary Kim.”
“What fault do the secretaries bear as middlemen?”
“Then please leave me a message via the company messenger.”
This time, Tae Sang clearly intended to leave: he straightened his suit and fastened his jacket buttons. Alarmed, Chairman Cha sat upright and hastily called out.
“Is it truly impossible with Mi Yeon?”
“That matter is already over.”
“Have you even considered Mi Yeon’s position?”
“That’s why I arranged it to look like *I* was the one broken up with.”
“Well, how proud you must be of that accomplishment! Do you even know what rumors are circulating because of it?”
“I do.”
“…….”
His grandson’s indifferent demeanor stiffened Chairman Cha’s face.
“The Vice President has no interest in women.”
That was the rumor circulating internally when Tae Sang first joined the company—a natural assumption, considering how not even a shadow of a woman was ever seen near him, despite his seemingly perfect qualifications and appearance.
Yet as time passed, peculiar eyewitness accounts began cropping up, adding flesh to the rumor:
He wasn’t disinterested in women—he actively avoided them. Something must be wrong with him.
Amid such suspicions, marriage talks began with Daeseong Group, a long-standing ally. The engagement rumor—embellished with glittering details across economic, social, and romantic spheres—sufficiently quelled the earlier gossip.
But soon after, the engagement broke off spectacularly, reportedly due to Tae Sang himself.
Unsurprisingly, the dormant rumors flared up again—spreading from tea rooms to cafeterias, from lunch tables to drinking gatherings.
Word travels fast: in no time, executives and major shareholders alike had heard the stories. Though many dismissed them as baseless, quite a few found them compelling.
Ultimately, Chairman Cha had unwittingly weakened his own grandson’s position. Heavy-hearted, he spoke again.
“Rumors… in the end, they devour the person they target.”
“No harm in that. After all, it isn’t entirely untrue.”
“…….”
His blunt reply shattered the chairman’s composure.
So much time had passed. He’d undergone treatment for so long. Logically, his wounds should have healed—but like his personality, they remained stubbornly unyielding.
“But still, my boy… Why insist on framing it as *you* being dumped? You could’ve simply said it was a mutual agreement.”
“It was Mi Yeon’s idea—she was remarkably enthusiastic about it.”
“What? Mi Yeon suggested it?”
“Yes. She said unless she got to vent *this* much, she wouldn’t consider the matter settled.”
“I never took that girl for someone like that…”
“A new article will likely appear within days—detailing just how hopeless a fiancé I was.”
“What? No—Chairman Kang, you blasted old coot! Just how did you raise your granddaughter?!”
Thus, a forty-year friend was demoted to “old coot” in an instant. Chairman Cha grumbled, pulling his phone from his inner breast pocket.
Seizing the opening, Tae Sang rose immediately—his lean frame wrapped in a perfectly fitted black suit, resembling a sleek jaguar.
In a flash, his eyes shifted; he locked his gaze onto Chairman Cha. A glint flickered in his dark pupils, like a predator silently tracking invisible prey.
“There’ll soon be friction with the board. I appreciate your concern—but don’t interfere.”
“…….”
Chairman Cha hesitated briefly, then looked up at Tae Sang. The kind, familiar grandfatherly expression had vanished completely from his face.
Now embodying the “Bull of the Business World,” he spoke solemnly.
“What kind of friction are you referring to?”
“The kind involving dismissals.”
“…….”
It had been two years since Tae Sang’s appointment as Vice President—and thus far, he’d avoided any direct clashes with senior executives.
Yet company affairs could never be steered by constant avoidance and detours. Knowing this better than anyone, Chairman Cha leaned back into the sofa and nodded quietly.
“Fine. I won’t stop you. If you believe it must be done, then do it.”
He placed both hands firmly on the armrests—the broad-shouldered elder fitting handsomely into the large leather sofa.
“Thank you. I’ll take my leave now.”
His upright, steadfast posture was a silent show of support. In response to the chairman’s overt backing, Tae Sang gave a slight, respectful bow.
“Yes. However, Tae Sang…”
“Yes?”
Tae Sang lightly turned his head as he was about to exit the office.
“With Mi Yeon—truly, it’s impossible…?”
Thud.
Tae Sang slammed the door shut with enough force to silence the voice inside.
“Sigh…”
Left alone in the office, Chairman Cha exhaled a long, weary sigh.
If Tae Sang remained isolated like this—if the family line were to end—it was already too painful just to imagine facing his deceased son and daughter-in-law.
He took another sip of the now-cold chrysanthemum tea, then set the cup back down. Today, of all days, the tea tasted unbearably bitter.
Tae Sang checked his watch, then quickly pulled out his phone—he’d wasted far too much time on nagging disguised as a report.
After two rings, as always, Secretary Kim answered promptly in his crisp tone.
“Yes.”
“I’ll be slightly late for the next meeting. Please inform them to begin without me.”
“Already… finished speaking with the chairman?”
Secretary Kim carefully omitted the word “chairman” as he asked.
“No. It wasn’t finished—but *I* ended it.”
“…I’ll have the car ready immediately.”
“Thank you.”
Just as he was about to hang up, Tae Sang held onto the call’s final moment.
“What’s the status of the matter I asked you to look into last time?”
“…Regarding Managing Director Kim, correct?”
“Yes.”
“…”
The elevator ride down to the parking lot shouldn’t take more than five minutes—yet the urgency in his tone suggested he couldn’t even wait that long.
Suppressing his curiosity, Secretary Kim hurriedly continued.
“Recently, Managing Director Kim has frequently contacted the purchasing and materials departments. Moreover, the meeting locations were unusually private—hardly standard for official business.”
“And anything else?”
“He reportedly visited Director Yoon Myung Ok’s office recently. Though he didn’t stay long, she seemed visibly upset for the rest of the day.”
“I see.”
Though Secretary Kim sounded puzzled, Tae Sang didn’t so much as blink. His face, eerily calm and icy, held only quiet, simmering anger.
Just then, a nasal, high-pitched voice thickly coated the hallway.
“Come to flatter your father, have you?”
Before Tae Sang could even turn to identify the speaker, the voice’s owner blocked his path.
A thick stack of documents tucked under her arm, an elegant yet formal suit—the woman who arrived clicking her heels was none other than Tae Sang’s mother, Myung Ok.
Even without specific business, she often visited Chairman Cha’s office like today, making a show of her influence.
She eyed Tae Sang sideways, arms crossed tightly.
“Well, after causing such a massive scandal, it’s only natural you’d tread carefully.”
“That woman… Please keep a close watch on her.”
“What?”
Confused by the cryptic remark, Myung Ok frowned deeply, narrowing her eyes as she scanned him.
A moment later, spotting his phone, she let out a scoffing “Ha!” in exasperation.
“How is it possible that, the older you get, the *less* manners you have?”
“Have you uncovered anything further?”
“This is truly…”
Tae Sang met her gaze directly, continuing the call unabated. His clearly dismissive attitude gradually flushed Myung Ok’s face red.
“Hey! I’m talking to *you*.”
“Quiet…”
“What?!”
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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