Did I Ever Love You? (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5

“Where should we go this summer? How about a luxury resort? Where can we go that I can brag to the kids about? Hmm… Maldives sounds perfect!”

Se Ah was completely absorbed in browsing a website filled with photos of various vacation spots and their prices, scrolling back and forth across her screen.

“That jerk was so stingy—if I mentioned going overseas, he’d shake his hands nervously and say absolutely not. Ugh, such a tightwad.”

Suddenly remembering someone from her past, Se Ah shivered involuntarily.

“Min Woo would say yes to anywhere I want to go, right? Ahh, that’s just perfect.”

Just imagining a luxurious vacation at a high-end resort with Min Woo made her hum a tune without even realizing it.

Rrrr Rrrr

It was Min Woo calling.

“Min Woo-ssi, what brings you to call at this hour?”

I’m calling because I need a favor, Se Ah.

“A favor? What could my Min Woo possibly need from me? Are you going to ask me to give you a hundred kisses tonight?”

Hearing Se Ah’s playful, coquettish voice, Min Woo’s low chuckle came through the phone.

That sounds good too.

“Alright then. I’ll stay up all night if I have to—just to grant this request.”

Se Ah brought her lips close to the phone as if it were Min Woo’s own and kissed it with a clear ‘mwah.’

Thanks, Se Ah. But I have another favor too.

“What is it?”

Go to my place and bring me some of my stuff. I’ll send you the location.

“My place? Which place are you talking about?”

Oh, not that… uh…

Min Woo cleared his throat awkwardly, his voice shifting as if suddenly flustered.

The other house.

Only then did Se Ah realize he meant the house he shared with Eun Ji Yeon—and her smile vanished instantly.

“That house? You want me to go there alone? No way.”

It was outrageous enough that he’d called it “our house,” and now he wanted her to go there?

Her voice turned cold and icy with disbelief.

“And what if that woman happens to be there?”

Don’t worry, no one’s home right now, Se Ah. I’ll text you the address, the password, and where my things are.

Since Min Woo had already planned to divorce Ji Yeon, he clearly didn’t think it mattered, casually instructing Se Ah to go pick things up from that house.

“Is it really urgent? Can’t you just go yourself later?”

I absolutely need it tomorrow. Besides, I won’t have time to go in the afternoon. Don’t worry—Ji Yeon isn’t home right now.

‘How would you know that? Did you talk to her today?’

Min Woo’s confident assertion—almost as if he’d just spoken with Eun Ji Yeon—infuriated her even more, but she bit it back.

Se Ah?

“Sigh… Fine.”

Grumbling, she hailed a taxi and headed toward the address Min Woo had sent.

“Why doesn’t Min Woo just take all his stuff out already? Why’s he still leaving things behind?”

When Se Ah arrived, the sight before her made her involuntarily gasp and widen her eyes.

The entire complex was beautifully landscaped like a luxury hotel, and the house itself—built grandly with premium materials—looked elegant and impressive.

‘So this is where he lived with that woman for three whole years.’

Looking at the password Min Woo had texted to unlock the front door, Se Ah’s brow furrowed unconsciously.

She recognized the numbers.

20XX0520

The date of Eun Ji Yeon and Cha Min Woo’s wedding.

‘Min Woo really is something. He didn’t even think twice before sending me this password.’

Taking a deep breath to calm her worsening mood, Se Ah stepped inside.

What greeted her was an even more stunning interior—she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

Her current officetel, arranged by Min Woo, was neat and nice—but this house wasn’t just pretty.

A dazzling chandelier hung in the spacious, high-ceilinged living room, luxurious full-grain leather sofas filled the space, an enormous dining room matched the scale of the living area, and right in the center hung a beautiful wedding photo of Ji Yeon and Min Woo.

The moment she saw their wedding picture, Se Ah clenched her fists tightly without realizing it.

No one had ever said it aloud to her—but the space itself seemed to speak:

[“Jung Se Ah, this is reality. Look at this house—this grand, luxurious house. Who lives here? Cha Min Woo says he loves you? Sure, maybe he does. But his wife is Eun Ji Yeon, who lives in this house. You’re just the woman he’s tucked away in a tiny back room. Do you really think she’ll hand this place over to you willingly?”]

A silent voice echoed in her head.

“No! No, that’s not true! I’m the only woman for Cha Min Woo! I, Jung Se Ah, am his woman! Eun Ji Yeon is just a dummy! I’m Min Woo’s woman, and this house belongs to me!”

Shaking her head fiercely, Se Ah shouted into the empty air.

After calming her ragged breathing, she decided to find the things Min Woo had asked for.

“I need to grab his stuff and get out of here fast.”

Whether Ji Yeon and Min Woo usually used separate rooms or whether there was another room altogether, Min Woo’s belongings mostly seemed gathered in the room he’d mentioned.

Finding the requested items wasn’t difficult—she grabbed them and turned to leave, but paused to glance around the room one last time.

It was sparse—no paintings or photos, few furnishings—just shelves full of books and documents.

But there was no bed.

‘He says he never forgot me all this time… yet for three years, they still slept together.’

This was the place where her beloved man had lived as a married couple with that woman—three years she knew nothing about.

And possibly another six months still to come.

Furious at the mere thought, she flung open another door in front of her.

A massive king-sized bed immediately confirmed it was their bedroom.

Beautiful lace-printed bedding and curtains, and above the bed—another large wedding photo of the two of them.

In the picture, Eun Ji Yeon beamed radiantly as she wrapped her arms around her man’s waist.

“So for three whole years, while telling me he couldn’t forget me, he lived here with Eun Ji Yeon. He said we’d split right away—but it’s already been three years.”

She wanted nothing more than to tear that photo down and rip it to shreds—but she held back and walked toward the walk-in closet instead.

Inside hung an array of high-end clothes and bags—some brands she’d only heard of, others completely unfamiliar.

Among them, a delicate dress studded densely with tiny pearls caught her eye instantly.

Still tagged with its price, she picked it up and held it against herself in front of the mirror.

She gave a bitter smile as she stared at her reflection.

She didn’t even need to try it on—she knew this dress would suit her perfectly.

Just like this house—it would suit her too.

“Eun Ji Yeon… why do you have everything? Why only you!”

[I might be a bit late today. Won’t be back by 8.]

“Today? Eight o’clock? Oh right!”

Ji Yeon had completely forgotten that Min Woo was supposed to come home on Friday—until she saw his message that afternoon.

Once a month, he reluctantly agreed to meet her after she’d pressed him with pleading insistence.

[Understood.]

She hadn’t made any special plans, and in the busyness of daily life, she’d simply forgotten—so his message suddenly left her flustered.

‘What should I do when he gets here? Ugh… I’m such a mess. How could I forget something like this? Maybe just share dinner together tonight.’

As soon as 6 p.m. hit, she clocked out and headed straight to the supermarket.

While shopping, her hands naturally gravitated toward ingredients for Min Woo’s favorite dishes.

Though never her intention, the years of living under Kang Joo Ran’s demanding supervision had transformed Ji Yeon into an exceptional cook.

Unable to endure Joo Ran’s constant nagging about serving Min Woo a different side dish every morning, she’d enrolled in special cooking classes taught by a famous chef—just as Joo Ran had insisted.

At first, she made frequent mistakes—but gradually, she discovered a genuine interest and even uncovered her own talent, eventually earning a Korean cuisine certification.

Even Min Woo, with his discerning palate, always finished every bite of her cooking.

The moment she opened the front door, the rich, delicious aroma made Min Woo’s mouth water involuntarily.

It was Ji Yeon’s cooking—he hadn’t smelled it in months.

Living with Se Ah, he rarely ate home-cooked meals.

Most of what Se Ah served came from delivery apps—famous, trendy restaurants—but Min Woo, who preferred light and clean flavors, had grown weary of all the overly spicy, heavy dishes.

“That smells amazing.”

“I made your favorite tteokgalbi and stir-fried eggplant. Also a bit of japchae. Go wash your hands and come right away—it’s all just finished.”

Ji Yeon, as always, knew his tastes perfectly.

Clearly enjoying this rare, familiar meal, a satisfied smile briefly appeared on Min Woo’s face.

After dinner, Ji Yeon brought out a bottle of sparkling wine, and Min Woo fetched his glass too.

“You don’t drink sparkling wine, do you?”

“I’ll have a glass or two sometimes.”

In the living room, only soft classical music played as they silently sipped their wine.

Perhaps because of the silence, the bottle emptied quickly—and soon, they opened a second one.

“I’m not sure if it’s okay to ask this, but… I didn’t expect you to bring up divorce so soon. Is there a reason you decided this quickly?”

Min Woo suddenly broke the awkward silence.

“Why are you suddenly curious about that?”

“To be honest, I thought you’d never agree to divorce me.”

“Ha! How shamelessly you say that. Did you really think I’d cry and cling to your pants, begging you not to leave?”

Min Woo smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth, and gave a slight shrug.

He didn’t say it outright—but his expression clearly confirmed he’d assumed exactly that.

At that look, Ji Yeon’s mouth turned bitter, and she downed the rest of her wine in one gulp.

“Maybe… I’d already given up on you long before I realized it myself.”

“Really? When was that? When did you first give up?”

His wine-loosened boldness was becoming ridiculous—but Ji Yeon decided to outdo him in shamelessness.

As if questions like this meant nothing to her anymore.

“Hmm… now that I think about it, it must’ve been that night.”

“That night?”

“The first night we ever spent together.”

Min Woo couldn’t recall precisely when their first night together had been.

Early in their marriage, they hadn’t even shared a room—no physical affection, no warm glances, no emotional connection whatsoever.

But once they’d spent one night together, those nights had gradually increased.

Though his longing for Se Ah had never faded, after that first night with Ji Yeon, he’d unknowingly become drawn to her body.

Min Woo didn’t remember—but their first night had actually been around a year and a half into their marriage.

That evening, he’d returned home late after drinking with his half-brothers and relatives.

Something had infuriated him—who knew what—but he was so drunk he could barely walk straight.

Ji Yeon tried to help him to his room, but he was far too heavy.

Staggering together, they collapsed right in front of the living room sofa.

“Min Woo-ssi, wake up. Just walk with me to our room, okay?”

Lying pinned underneath him, Ji Yeon shook him—but he gave no response.

A few minutes passed.

Slowly, heavily, Min Woo opened his eyes and stared intently at Ji Yeon beneath him.

His dark eyes shone black—but though he looked at her, he didn’t truly see her.

She’d never seen such a frightening gaze before.

After staring at her for a long moment, Min Woo suddenly grabbed both her wrists, pinned them above her head, and leaned down to kiss her.

The bitter, sharp taste and smell of alcohol filling her mouth—that was her memory of their first kiss.

He plunged deep inside her, rough and relentless.

She couldn’t refuse him.

“You gave up on me that day?”

Utterly baffled by Ji Yeon’s inexplicable words, Min Woo asked again.

“Why that day?”

“Because that night… you kept whispering in my ear, over and over.”

Her dark eyes, fixed straight into Min Woo’s, grew icy cold.

“Calling out… ‘Se Ah…’”