“The food here is quite good!”

As silence descended, Young Ja carefully opened her mouth.

“I think Hee Joo’s kimchi stew is the most delicious. Now that they’re divorcing, I guess we won’t be able to eat it anymore?”

As Jenny thoughtlessly chimed in, Young Ja pinched her thigh, signaling her to be quiet.

“Oh, so you two are divorcing… I sensed that atmosphere, but I guess I jumped in tactlessly.”

Ro Na pretended as if she hadn’t known at all.

“You were tactless in many ways.”

“Pardon?”

Chae Won looked at the flustered Ro Na and laughed lightly.

“I’m joking. The atmosphere was too stiff, so I made a joke.”

As Ro Na’s face clearly showed her displeasure, Young Ja, who had been rolling her eyes awkwardly, took care of her.

“What kind of joke is that? Um, Jae Min’s friend, eat a lot more. I’m full, so have some of mine too.”

Although she had changed from the usual warm “Ro Na” to “Jae Min’s friend,” Ro Na’s heart softened a bit at the gesture of care directed only at her.

“Thank you, mother.”

Ro Na put a piece of steak in her mouth and observed Hee Joo’s slow movements right in front of her.

It was always Kim Hee Joo in baggy clothes and an apron.

Where had the simple Kim Hee Joo gone, who used to come out with a bare face after cooking and greet people hurriedly, and now…

During her observation, her eyes met Chae Won’s.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ro Na quickly averted her gaze.

“Just thinking you seem very different from before.”

“Well, that’s actually because of me.”

Jae Min chimed in with a proud voice while chewing his steak.

Unlike at first when he was tense even when Ro Na and Chae Won’s gazes merely crossed, now he felt relieved, believing his wife was completely fooled.

“She completely transformed from head to toe to change my mind, putting in a lot of effort in her own way.”

“Ah, there are no tissues?”

As Chae Won looked for tissues while chewing the meat in her mouth, Jae Min immediately called a staff member.

“Hey, over here! Can we get some tissues please!”

After ordering, Jae Min turned his head and blinked in surprise at Ro Na’s fierce gaze that happened to meet his.

“Oh? Elder sister, your ring is pretty!”

Jenny, who had been looking at her phone uninterested in the table conversation, suddenly grabbed Ro Na’s hand and asked.

Seizing the opportunity, Ro Na smiled broadly and showed her hand.

“This? My boyfriend bought it for me. It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

“Oh, so Ro Na has a boyfriend.”

When Chae Won reacted, Ro Na looked pleased.

“We’re going to get married soon.”

“Marriage?”

“Yes. Actually, I’m pregnant.”

Cough cough. Young Ja and Jae Min, who had been listening nervously, made choking sounds in surprise.

As Jae Min cleared his throat several times as if to say that’s enough, Chae Won turned her head.

“Honey, are you okay?”

“Oh, oh, cough! Cough! Ah, I was surprised because I didn’t know. Um, congratulations Ro Na. Yeah.”

Honestly, Ro Na wanted to tell them everything.

That the child in her womb now was her husband’s child. So please, get a divorce and take the hint and leave.

“These days, having a child before marriage isn’t a flaw, so there’s no reason to hide it. That’s why I mentioned it. And I might have looked a bit chubbier due to the pregnancy.”

“I see. Congratulations, Ro Na.”

Jae Min’s signaling eyes telling her to stop.

But the more he did so, the more Ro Na didn’t want to end it here.

“My boyfriend’s mother likes me a lot too. She says it’s as good as a dowry. I’m so grateful that everyone is happy for me.”

Wishing it would show.

Wishing she would quickly notice and throw a fit and get divorced.

“I see. You must be happy, Ro Na.”

The moment I’ll truly be happy is when you, Kim Hee Joo, get divorced.

So please, just leave.

Ro Na, who had been shouting inwardly, wanted to properly provoke her.

“By the way, it’s bitter that you two are getting divorced. I feel like if you had a child, it might have been a bit better.”

“You think so?”

“I do. After all, children connect couples.”

Chae Won made an “Mm” sound and rested her chin on her interlocked hands.

Seeing her expression of deep thought, Ro Na somehow felt like a winner.

“Then honey, shall we have a child too?”

The corners of Ro Na’s smiling mouth dropped instantly.

Her sensitive gaze immediately clung to Jae Min.

Jae Min’s lips quivered for a long time as he alternately looked at Ro Na’s sharp gaze and Chae Won’s serious face.

“Um… well… but we’re getting divorced…”

“True, we still have some issues to resolve.”

“Oh, well, that’s right.”

“A child is just a matter of time, so there’s no rush. Let’s start by aligning our hearts first.”

Ro Na’s tensely frozen face drifted towards Chae Won.

“Hee Joo, aren’t you thinking of not getting divorced?”

Chae Won, who had been resting her face on one arm on the table, turned to Jae Min once again.

“Do you really want to divorce me? To become strangers and never see each other for the rest of our lives… like that?”

Jae Min’s lips, which should have obviously said yes, showed no signs of moving properly from a moment ago.

Ro Na’s brows gradually drew closer as he looked for words with a restless expression.

“Tell me. Your answer right now is very important.”

As Jae Min began to breathe heavily while looking into Chae Won’s clear eyes, Young Ja, unable to bear it any longer, called out loudly to wake her son’s senses.

“Jae Min!”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Mother.”

“You need to express your thoughts properly. That way there won’t be any confusion, right?”

“Um, yes. That’s right, but…”

Chae Won lowered her gaze with a disappointed expression.

“It’s fine. I understand your heart clearly now.”

“No, that’s not it, Hee Joo. Let’s talk later, okay?”

Ro Na, who had been watching, put down her fork with a loud noise.

“I’m feeling unwell due to morning sickness. I’ll go to the restroom for a bit.”

As he watched Ro Na walk away, Jae Min sighed with a troubled expression.

He couldn’t follow her with his wife beside him.

Feeling upset about why she had brought up such words and created an awkward situation, Jae Min inwardly blamed Ro Na for a long time.

“Ro Na seems to be feeling very unwell.”

“Should I go check on her?”

As Chae Won was about to get up at Jae Min’s mumbling, Young Ja rose.

“No, no. I’ll go! I’ll go!”

In the end, two seats were left empty next to Jenny, who was still just looking at her phone, uninterested in whatever was happening. At that moment, Hee Joo’s phone on the table vibrated briefly.

After checking the message and realizing it was an advertisement, Chae Won put the phone back down.

“But why aren’t you replying to my texts?”

Ah, was that so?

It seems that putting it off out of annoyance had made him anxious.

Chae Won looked at Jae Min with a pretty smile.

“On purpose.”

A smile soon spread across Jae Min’s face, which had been staring blankly. As if even such an answer was too cute.

“I knew it. Actually, I knew everything.”

As Jae Min giggled, thinking it was pathetic even though he knew she had roughly come around, Jenny, who was still looking at her phone, muttered to herself.

“I knew our family was a mess, but it feels like even more of a mess now.”

Jenny’s nonchalant voice soon faded as she focused back on her phone game.

*

“Well then, take care, CEO Choi. Next time, let’s have a drink somewhere nice instead of this hotel.”

Yoo Gun briefly shook hands and said goodbye after finishing the meeting with the company representative.

After confirming that he had walked away, Secretary Ahn sighed and said,

“President Hwang still likes to drink, I see.”

Even while discussing the ongoing business project, there were three suggestions to go out and have a proper drink while talking.

He said it was hard to speak when having a neat tea at a luxury hotel during a time good for drinking.

Knowing that he wasn’t someone who drank quietly, Yoo Gun firmly concluded the conversation at the hotel to ensure he remained sober.

“Sir, are you going straight home now?”

“I should.”

Yoo Gun checked the time on his wrist and headed towards the elevator to go to the underground parking lot.

At that moment, his steps gradually slowed as he saw a woman approaching with a flushed expression.

A woman walking with a phone to her ear and an unmistakably angry expression.

It was clearly Go Ro Na.

“I’m at K Hotel right now. No need to go until the weekend, come right now and follow them. Find out everything they’re doing and where they’re staying, even the slightest suspicious dust!”

Her excited voice as she passed by was no longer audible.

“Sir?”

When Yoo Gun suddenly stopped, Secretary Ahn tilted his head.

“Did you forget something, sir?”

Secretary Ahn blinked several times at Yoo Gun’s deeply thoughtful appearance.

“No.”

As Yoo Gun started walking again, Secretary Ahn followed without much concern.

Lost in thought, Yoo Gun suddenly stopped and turned his head towards the direction of the restaurant where Ro Na had come from earlier.

*

“Oh, there are a lot of taxis over there!”

Young Ja, who had left the lobby after finishing the meal, pointed at the taxis.

“Miss Ro Na, you’re not alone, so hurry and take one first. I’d like to give you a ride, but the car would be too cramped and uncomfortable.”

Ro Na gave Young Ja a warm smile.

“Mother, happy birthday once again.”

Young Ja smiled awkwardly, glancing at Hee Joo, at Ro Na’s consistent use of “mother,” which was supposedly an appropriate term for a friend’s mother.

“Yes, thank you. And please take good care of our Jenny’s English tutoring. And… take care of yourself and get home safely.”

“Yes, mother.”

Ro Na passed by Jenny, who was still just looking at her phone, and fixed her gaze on Chae Won.

“Hee Joo, you be careful on your way home at night too.”

Since it had been an unpleasant time throughout, Ro Na wanted to get one last jab at Kim Hee Joo.

But Chae Won smiled leisurely and gently tilted her head as she spoke.

“What’s there to be careful about when I’m with family?”

“Actually, I heard when Hee Joo went to the bathroom earlier. That you’re living separately before the divorce.”

Jae Min, aghast, cut in while watching Chae Won’s reaction.

“Hey, Ro Na, why are you saying such things? Hurry up and go!”

Unlike Jae Min, Chae Won smiled slightly at Ro Na’s arrogant behavior, seemingly wanting to show off that she was the other woman.

“It’s nice to be apart for a while. It feels refreshing, and my husband’s gaze feels new too.”

The smile on Ro Na’s face, which had been calm, quickly faded.

“…Your husband’s gaze?”

“If I’m scared, I can just hug my husband and sleep at home, so don’t worry about my night journey, Ro Na.”

“So you’re saying you’re moving back home now!”

“Hey, Ro Na, go quickly. You’re not alone, aren’t you overdoing it? Hurry and get in. Hurry and go.”

Sensing danger, Jae Min forcibly grabbed Ro Na and opened the taxi door.

“Take care! Ro Na. Please take good care of my sister’s English tutoring, and yeah, go on in!”

Ro Na, who had been deliberately not looking at him due to her hurt feelings, left a sharp gaze at Jae Min before getting into the taxi.

With Chae Won’s voice saying goodbye and waving her hand as the final sound, Ro Na closed the door and bit her lower lip, her hands trembling.

“What? Her husband’s gaze feels new? Having a child? Ha, this is ridiculous.”

Kim Hee Joo has no intention of divorcing at all. It’s obvious, but the stupid Noh Jae Min just believes her words and is being led around weakly.

Moreover, when Kim Hee Joo asked if he really wanted to divorce, Jae Min’s inability to answer properly came to mind again, making her blood boil.

“How dare you two gamble with my life?”

She felt that if things continued like this, she would be at a disadvantage. The clueless Noh Jae Min would continue living two separate lives, and Kim Hee Joo would just drag things out and end up not divorcing.

And if they really had a child between them…

As she felt dizzy from her excessive imagination, her phone vibrated.

It was a call from the private investigator who had started following Kim Hee Joo.

“Even if it’s just a speck of dust, find something. Where she’s staying, who she’s meeting, everything! Don’t let her out of your sight, follow her absolutely!”

Ro Na showed a sharp gaze as she tightly gripped her phone.