Crossing the Line in Married Life - Chapter 31

After finishing a somewhat noisy brunch, Tae Sung’s Sunday afternoon spent with documents in his room.

The once thick and extensive case files from three years have now been reduced to just a few cases.

It will still take time to track the recent activities of suspects in cases where revenge is suspected, but what mattered was that there was an end in sight to these tedious case files.

For three years, he had truly been treated like a dog.

Even though he had lost his memory, he could see clearly as the palm of his hand who had dumped this case on him and who had made him take the fall.

In that process, just the enemies he had sorted out filled an A4 file.

It was a period where he only felt the reality of a life like war.

Well, it was nothing special since he had been fully prepared for it.

Tae Sung rubbed his stiff brow after finishing another case.

As even the sound of turning pages stopped, he began to hear the presence outside that he hadn’t noticed before.

“I need to hang the laundry. Where have all the hangers gone?”

He thought it was some singing, but it was Ji Wan looking for hangers.

Being a woman with a lot of cheer, she wouldn’t get bored even when alone.

In contrast, Tae Sung, who rarely found joy alone, unknowingly leaned his ear towards the living room where she was.

He could hear the sound of her footsteps lightly moving here and there.

“Why isn’t there a speck of dust in this house? Geez, where’s the duster?”

He also heard her voice muttering words about him that were unclear whether they were praise or criticism.

“Ah, this is the lost sock. At least he has the sense to find things like this and put them in a visible place.”

That one was clearly praise.

Because there was a hint of laughter in her voice as she said it.

The corners of Tae Sung’s mouth lifted without him realizing.

Before he knew it, he had closed his eyes and was concentrating all his senses on her presence.

Even though he was now certain that their relationship was a contract relationship with no truth from the beginning.

In fact, yesterday’s date was a series of confirmations.

It was done to verify whether the dating records written in his phone were a diary of actual events or a scenario.

It didn’t take long to reach a conclusion.

She said she became interested because horseback riding was her hobby, but she had never ridden a horse, she didn’t seem to have talent in pottery, and she confessed with her own mouth that she was ignorant about wine.

After recognizing it as a simple contract relationship, Tae Sung’s attitude was set.

He had to be careful not to reveal too much of himself, as they were complete strangers, and maintain an appropriate distance.

But strangely, he didn’t feel like doing that.

Was it because of her relaxed smile at the drinking place?

‘Here! One more glass! And since we’re out of side dishes, one more order of blood sausage soup!’

Or was it because of her loneliness when speaking honestly?

‘I’m a fake marriage partner who can be used if you pay me, that’s just right for you, Tae Sung.’

Whichever it was that captured his heart, he didn’t want to put up a barricade right away.

It was the first time his heart didn’t follow his head.

His heart, which was resisting despite having valid reasons, was certainly dangerous and inefficient.

So he kissed her.

To find out if the reason I was acting unlike myself was due to the aftereffects of the accident or because of this woman.

For the first minute, Tae Sung thought.

That this woman and I are clearly kissing for the first time.

A kiss where neither knew each other’s tempo presented a strange unfamiliarity for about a minute.

But that was only for a moment.

As her frozen breath began to softly come over to him, Tae Sung’s reason was pushed away and disappeared.

What he was thinking when he briefly parted his lips. What he was thinking when he kissed her again.

Despite it not being a night where he was particularly drunk, it was all just a foggy white blur.

A night that ended with a more complicated relationship rather than clarifying it.

What Tae Sung had to do now was regain his lost reason.

It seemed he would have to return to work from next week.

The shaking of reason must be possible because there’s too much free time.

Tae Sung picked up his work phone to inform Chief Administrator Choi Sook Hyang about his return.

When he turned it on after a long time, ignored contacts came pouring in.

70 percent were from reporters who had heard about Tae Sung’s accident and unauthorized discharge, 20 percent were from the prosecutor’s office, and the rest were from not-so-close associates concerned about his well-being.

‘Even a popular life is tiring.’

Without even pressing to check the numerous messages, Tae Sung searched for the message thread with Chief Administrator Choi Sook Hyang.

At that moment, a message arrived from his father Joo Sung Gye’s number.

Even without pressing to check, the short content that popped up captured Tae Sung’s gaze.

“This is…”

The home address that had become too familiar to ignore.

It was the address of Ji Wan’s apartment where Tae Sung was staying.

“…”

Tae Sung’s eyes sharpened in an instant.

Though it was just a message with an address, the intention behind it was all too transparent.

.

.

.

The firmly closed door opened.

The person coming out was Tae Sung, who had already prepared to go out.

“Where are you going?”

Ji Wan, sitting on the living room sofa, asked with a puzzled expression.

Instead of answering, Tae Sung headed straight for the entrance.

“Tae Sung…?”

Sensing an unusual atmosphere, Ji Wan gently got up and followed behind Tae Sung.

Only then did Tae Sung meet Ji Wan’s eyes and say,

“I might be late today.”

“What? Where are you going?”

“Don’t worry if there’s no contact.”

Tae Sung left the house hurriedly, as if chasing after something.

The front door quickly opened and closed, leaving Ji Wan alone in the space.

“What… suddenly…”

At the chilly atmosphere so different from the morning, disappointment settled on Ji Wan’s face.

A fact she herself had not yet realized.

* * *

It was the Hannam-dong family home that he rarely visited even before the accident.

After becoming a prosecutor and moving out, Tae Sung only showed his face once when Hyun Woo visited, never coming alone to meet his father.

At his appearance, the family home was truly a series of inexplicable tensions.

In the reception room where even the resident house managers and Chairman Joo’s secretaries held their breath.

Of the two people sitting face to face without moving, despite the served tea, the first to speak was Tae Sung.

“How did you know where I live?”

“Did you intend to hide it?”

“You found out even the exact unit number. Do you still have people following me?”

“Why. Are you planning to take me down this time?”

A tense conversation with only one person questioning and no one answering.

Tae Sung’s gaze towards Chairman Joo grew even colder.

The black eyes devoid of any emotion were 180 degrees different from when dealing with Joo Hyun Woo.

Based on the information gathered up until recently, there was only one reason for going as far as a contract marriage.

To prevent a forced political marriage with Yi Young.

He had not yet figured out what Yi Young had done to drive Tae Sung to such extremes.

But the fact that Tae Sung, who always ignored her, had taken the drastic measure of having a fake spouse meant that Yi Young had tightened her grip around Tae Sung that much.

The vanguard of that was undoubtedly his father.

Since Chairman Joo Sung Gye’s long-standing goal had been to become a member of a chaebol family.

Although that intention had been thwarted by Tae Sung’s unilateral marriage registration, he probably couldn’t easily give up that desire.

For such a father, this recent attack would have been no different than an opportunity to end Tae Sung’s marriage that he wouldn’t even remember anyway.

Knowing his father’s intentions clearly, Tae Sung spoke firmly without even putting on a fake smile.

“If you’re targeting my wife, you’d better stop. If you remember how I dealt with your associates who had better reputations than you.”

It was clearly a threat, but Chairman Joo answered without blinking an eye.

“If that was my intention, I wouldn’t be contacting you, I would have barged in myself. I can end that wench quietly at my level.”

“Then did you call me to pressure me about divorce again?”

“If you were the type to listen when pressured, you would already be living with Yi Young and have had children. I don’t want to waste time on useless things.”

If this was the place to clearly talk about that, but he already knew, there was no need to bring it up again.

Thinking the business was finished, Tae Sung immediately gathered his coat and prepared to leave.

“If you already know, then I have nothing more to say. I’ll be going now.”

But before he could even stand up, Chairman Joo’s voice, which had been cut off, continued again.

“Introduce her properly.”

Tae Sung’s gaze turned back to Chairman Joo.

“… What did you just say?”

“Did the accident affect your ears too? I said introduce her properly.”

He heard correctly, but it was an incomprehensible proposal.

Asking for a proper introduction meant acknowledging this marriage to some extent.

That was absolutely impossible given Chairman Joo Sung Gye’s ambitions.

“That won’t happen.”

Certain there must be malicious intent, Tae Sung expressed his firm refusal.

Joo Sung Gye leisurely sipped his tea in front of him, and put down the teacup with a calm expression, saying,

“Are you afraid of what I might do now?”

“…”

“Even if you don’t remember, 3 years of married life clearly existed. It’s impossible to undo that as if it never happened, and from the moment the engagement was broken off, a political marriage with Yi Young’s family was off the table.”

“…”

“So I’m asking you to introduce her. There’s no point in hiding anymore when it’s all over.”

Chairman Joo’s eyes turned to Tae Sung.

Despite being his father, the inscrutable black eyes were exactly like Tae Sung’s.

So with a gaze that couldn’t be ignored, Chairman Joo added words that Tae Sung couldn’t turn away from.

“Hyun Woo takes after your dead mother, but you take after me. Colder and more cruel than anyone. It’s impossible for someone like that to sacrifice for a woman.”

“…”

“That’s why I want to see that woman. I’m curious what kind of woman she is for you to pretend to have humanity.”

Just seeing how he could so casually bring up his wife who died of depression after living with his heartless self, he was certainly a cold and cruel person.

And unfortunately, Tae Sung knew that he took exactly after him.

“Hah…”

Feeling cornered again, Tae Sung’s brow noticeably furrowed.

Chairman Joo’s mouth corners twisted up as he finally saw Tae Sung emotionally shaken.

“So introduce her properly. If that woman isn’t a mirage or a cheap actress.”

Now it was clear that his incomprehensible proposal was a trap.

The worst trap that Tae Sung must neither step on nor avoid stepping on.

Though he hadn’t regained his memories, he could understand one thing.

The Tae Sung in his lost memories would have been most concerned about this very situation.

The present Tae Sung, who had to bear all the responsibility of the past, pondered fiercely for a short time.

What would I, who planned everything, have answered in this moment?

There was only one possible answer.

As he realized this fact, deep wrinkles formed between Tae Sung’s brows.