Did I Ever Love You? (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14

“Don’t you remember that time? I told you, didn’t I? That our Min Woo wouldn’t give up on me. Why didn’t you listen to me? If you’d just let us be, Min Woo would’ve been happy, I’d have been happy—wouldn’t it have been wonderful for everyone?”

“How dare you act like this right now! I’ll call Ji Yeon this instant and—!”

“Mother, he and that woman haven’t lived together in a long time. Min Woo’s been living with me for over five months now.”

“What? Are you two… out of your minds?”

Joo Ran was so flabbergasted she stumbled over her words.

‘So that’s why Ji Yeon’s been acting so smug ever since she came home last time!’

Her anger suddenly shifted toward Ji Yeon.

“I’ll confirm things with Min Woo myself—just leave for now! Get out of this house!”

Joo Ran grabbed Se Ah’s arm roughly and dragged her toward the front door.

But Se Ah shook off Joo Ran’s hand firmly, crossed her arms over her waist, and stood facing her.

“Why are you acting like this? If anyone should leave, it’s you, Mother. This house will soon belong to Min Woo and me. So don’t think you can just barge in anytime you like—only come when we invite you!”

As soon as she got home, Joo Ran collapsed onto the floor, groaning in distress.

She never could have imagined—not even in her wildest dreams—that Jung Se Ah would reappear before Min Woo.

“I should’ve pushed her away more forcefully back then. Three years ago, I should’ve dug deeper, presented irrefutable proof, and made sure she could never show her face in front of our Min Woo again. It’s all my fault for taking it too lightly.”

She felt entirely to blame for allowing Se Ah to stand so boldly before them now, simply because she hadn’t been ruthless enough back then.

She’d even resorted to paying off Se Ah, fearing the woman might show up at Min Woo and Ji Yeon’s wedding or separately approach Chairman Cha or Ji Yeon herself to ruin everything—but clearly, that hadn’t been the right move.

That man and Se Ah in the photo—

Joo Ran’s uncanny intuition had told her right away their relationship wasn’t ordinary, so as soon as she got the photo, she’d shown it to Min Woo to sway him.

“Min Woo, she’s no ordinary girl. There must be another man—that’s obvious. Look at this. Even in this photo, the way they’re together seems off.”

“Mother, what are you even doing? Instead of wasting time on this sleazy snooping, why don’t you sign up for more cultural enrichment classes for Father’s sake? It’s pathetic—spying on your own son’s girlfriend. Do you know how ridiculous you look? Everyone probably thinks you’re just like all those other gossipy mothers.”

“What? Like those other mothers? How can you talk to me like that?”

“It’s precisely because of how you act that our family back home looks down on me even more. Can’t you just live quietly and with a bit of dignity for once?”

“How can you speak to your own mother so harshly? Don’t you trust me?”

“Se Ah isn’t the kind of woman who schemes with men on purpose. I found her first, and with great difficulty made her mine—so please don’t treat her like she’s some easy girl.”

Three years ago, Min Woo had been far more deeply infatuated with Se Ah than she’d realized.

In the end, that day, Joo Ran had walked away with nothing but Min Woo’s scornful words ringing in her ears.

If Min Woo discovered that she’d paid Se Ah to leave three years ago—especially now that he’d apparently been searching for her even after his marriage—there was a chance he might never speak to her again.

She needed to meet Ji Yeon to resolve this mess, but Ji Yeon wasn’t replying to messages or answering calls.

Min Woo wasn’t reachable either….

[If I don’t hear from you by today, I’ll come straight to your office—consider this fair warning.]

After texting Ji Yeon, Joo Ran flopped back down and lay there, turning things over in her head.

As soon as Ha Young returned to Seoul from her business trip, she immediately contacted Ji Yeon, and they arranged an urgent meeting.

“Ji Yeon, your phone keeps ringing. If it’s urgent, why don’t you just answer it?”

Ha Young was worried as she watched Ji Yeon’s phone buzz nonstop.

“It’s not urgent.”

Ji Yeon was beyond frustrated with the alternating calls from Min Woo and Joo Ran over the past few days.

[If I don’t hear from you by today, I’ll come straight to your office—consider this fair warning.]

She’d been avoiding thinking about it, but clearly, this couldn’t go on.

[Let’s meet at your place this Friday at 7 p.m. Make sure that woman isn’t there.]

First, she sent a message to Min Woo, then immediately messaged Joo Ran as well.

[Please come to my place by 7 p.m. Friday. Absolutely do not come to the office.]

Determined not to be disturbed anymore, she shoved her phone deep into her bag.

“So, urgent matters taken care of now?”

“Yeah, handled.”

“Good. Then let’s really talk now.”

“Okay….”

“Ji Yeon, you know how much I adore you, right? Because I know you so well, please listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

“Got it.”

“You’re such a sweet, wonderful person—not just because you’re my friend, but anyone would agree you’re truly special.”

“Thanks.”

“But right now, you’re trying to fill your precious time with anger, hatred, and revenge. Please don’t, Ji Yeon. That’s never going to help you. Let me tell you a little story.”

“Alright, I’ll listen.”

“There were two people who’d dated for a long time and then broke up—because the guy met someone new. He went on to live happily with this new woman. His long-term ex-girlfriend? Completely out of sight, out of mind. The only thing that annoyed him was that she kept clinging on.”

Ha Young let out a heavy sigh and continued.

“As for the woman—the ex—she felt so wronged and angry that every day was a struggle. To prove a point to him, she constantly posted her pain on social media.”

[You’ve made my life so hard. Because of you, I’m this unhappy.]

“But did you know? He’d show these posts to his current girlfriend, laughing as he said,”

[“Look, she still can’t get over me. Guess that makes me quite the catch, huh?”]

“Sounds ridiculous, right? But that’s reality. The more you hold on, claiming you’ll get revenge, the more Cha Min Woo—that bastard—will laugh with that other woman—what’s her name, Jung Se Ah?—boasting that you still can’t let him go. Is that really what you want?”

Though wounded by Ha Young’s blunt words, Ji Yeon also felt deeply grateful for her honesty.

‘Who else would tell me this? You’re right—I’ve been a fool.’

“Do you really want to spend your whole life trapped in Cha Min Woo’s shadow, alone forever? Of course not. You deserve someone who cherishes you, someone to share sweet, affectionate moments with—someone who appreciates your love and returns it. Isn’t that true? The best revenge is living happily—right in front of Cha Min Woo, the one who dumped you. Nothing beats that.”

“Yeah….”

“Ji Yeon, didn’t you say the Department Head confessed to you? Give him a chance—not that you have to jump into anything right away, just meet him casually. You said he’s handsome and a true gentleman, right? I know it stings to hear this, but legally, you’re free. You’re unattached. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with meeting someone like him.”

Ji Yeon, who’d been quietly listening to Ha Young, slowly nodded.

She’d originally planned to wait six months for a clean break—but it seemed she needed to wrap things up a little sooner.

Not for Min Woo or that woman—but entirely for herself.

Ji Yeon had been so absorbed in work she hadn’t even noticed how the morning slipped by—until around noon, when the blinking company messenger icon caught her eye.

[Do you have lunch plans? There’s something urgent I need to discuss.] [No plans, Department Head. Is there something urgent you need me to handle?] [It’s personal but urgent. If you don’t mind, I’d really appreciate your help. It’ll take about two hours—I have an external appointment. Is that alright?] [Yes, that works. Where should we go?] [I’ll send you the parking spot—please come down to the parking lot. We’ll take my car.] [Understood.]

Ji Yeon quickly gathered her things and headed down to the parking lot he’d specified.

Kang Hyun was already waiting, seated in the driver’s seat.

As soon as Ji Yeon sat in the passenger seat, he started the car.

“You came down quickly—I’m sorry if I made you rush.”

“No, not at all, Department Head.”

“And thank you for giving up your personal lunch break to help me.”

“It’s truly nothing—just doing my part. But what exactly is this urgent matter…?”

“You’ll find out once we get there—just hang on a bit longer.”

“You’ve done so much for me already that this really is nothing. Please feel free to ask me anytime you need anything.”

“Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. Thank you. It’ll take about fifteen minutes to reach our destination.”

As they drove, Ji Yeon kept glancing at her ringing phone.

It was Kang Joo Ran.

“You can take the call. Since it’s ringing so persistently, it must be urgent.”

“No, it’s neither urgent nor important. It’s fine.”

Ji Yeon sent a quick text and turned her phone off.

[I’m working. Since we’ll meet Friday, please stop calling.]

Their destination turned out to be a stunning traditional Korean house—completely unexpected amidst busy downtown Seoul.

There was no sign outside, so it was impossible to tell what kind of place it was.

“Let’s get out—this is it.”

Following Kang Hyun inside, a woman dressed in elegant hanbok greeted them and, without asking any questions, quietly led them further in.

They were shown into a room with large windows overlooking a beautifully landscaped garden—truly picturesque.

A large table sat in the center, and Kang Hyun and Ji Yeon took seats facing each other.

“Department Head, what is this place? It’s so peaceful and gorgeous. Look at the garden outside—butterflies are fluttering around. Wow….”

“Do you like it?”

“Yes, it’s absolutely beautiful.”

“A close acquaintance of mine runs this Korean restaurant. It’s not open to the public—you can only get in through private reservations among people who know the owner—so you probably haven’t heard of it.”

“Really? Thanks to you, I get to experience a place like this. But this urgent matter… is it something we’ll handle here?”

Kang Hyun chuckled softly at Ji Yeon’s question and let out a short sigh.

“Honestly, Ji Yeon, you really are clueless about these things—even though you’re so sharp at work.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I was just too eager to meet you alone—that’s why I brought you here so suddenly.”

“……”

Though Kang Hyun explained with a warm smile, Ji Yeon found it hard to respond.

After his confession, they’d both been swamped with work, and he hadn’t made any further moves or said anything else—so she hadn’t felt particularly burdened.

That’s why she’d never expected such a sudden invitation today.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“No, it’s not that….”

Kang Hyun watched her, waiting for her to continue.

“I think I should mention this upfront.”

“Please go ahead.”

“I was married. Not anymore, though.”

“……”

An unexpected silence followed Ji Yeon’s words.

She hadn’t mentioned being married or having a boyfriend before, so she worried Kang Hyun might have assumed otherwise.

Divorce wasn’t a sin or a mistake, but she believed it was essential to disclose it before starting anything new.

Of course, her situation was a bit different—but it was still true she’d been married for three years.

“You said ‘not anymore’… so maybe that’s not even the most important thing right now.”

“What?”

“What matters most right now is whether or not you’re interested in me, Ji Yeon.”

“But….”

“How about we take things slowly and get to know each other better, Eun Ji Yeon?”

“……”

She was thrown off by how casually he brushed past something that would’ve been difficult for others to discuss.

“We barely know each other beyond our stiff, formal work personas. Why don’t we spend more time together, get closer, and really get to know one another?”

“I… I don’t feel emotionally ready yet. My previous marriage wasn’t easy. I’m just not sure if I can ever feel the same way about you.”

“You don’t need to be sure about anything right now. I’m not asking you to fall in love instantly—that’s hard for me too. Let’s just enjoy good moments together, share hobbies, and talk more—go at whatever pace you’re comfortable with. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be the one to fall head over heels for me first?”

His sweet words were enough to make Ji Yeon’s heart race.

She even worried he might hear her heartbeat pounding louder than usual.

“I can wait. What about you?”