It was exactly 1 year after the wedding.

The husband who had never spent a single day like a married couple returned.

Thanks to that, the place she had been roaming around like her own house was extremely uncomfortable.

To avoid meeting each other in the house as much as possible, she skipped even the breakfast she always ate and went to work early.

Perhaps because she had been tossing and turning all night, Shin Joo’s body was languidly sinking, and she headed to the lounge with a mug in her hand.

It was before she could even put her toes into the lounge.

“I heard the CEO came to the company today. Did everyone see him?”

As soon as Nam Do Hyun went to work, the female employees were fired up.

Shin Joo couldn’t come out from behind the lounge door, fearing that the conversation that had just started would be cut off because of her.

“I saw him too. Is it because it’s been a year since I saw the CEO? Don’t you think he’s become more handsome?”

“I think his skin is a bit tanned, but it’s overflowing with wildness.”

The female employees made a fuss as if they had made a pact.

It’s no wonder they’re happy to see a face that looks like it popped out of a pure romance comic every day except the red days.

“I’m so envious of Assistant Manager Shin. Such a handsome husband is also good at making money.”

“I’m envious too. Look at him getting promoted at the right time. I’m telling you, luck is on his side.”

Nam Do Hyun probably doesn’t even know that he has become a manager.

But even if the name of effort is tainted, Shin Joo has nothing to be wronged about.

Thanks to Do Hyun, she receives room and board, and even a monthly salary.

It was when Shin Joo, who had missed the timing to enter the lounge, turned her body.

“So what. The two of them are not an ordinary couple anyway.”

Shin Joo’s eyes, which had been quiet until now, trembled.

The female employees who gathered around in a circle whispered secretively.

“Didn’t you hear? The CEO has a separate lover in Clark.”

“No way. They’ve only been married for a year, newlyweds?”

“Cha, who is currently dispatched to Clark, told me directly.”

Oh my, oh my.

The employees who couldn’t contain their exclamations even clapped their hands in agreement.

“So I guess that’s why he went on a business trip right after getting married.”

“I told you it was strange, right? Originally, the head of the department was supposed to go on the business trip, but the CEO went directly.”

It was inevitable that it would be noticeable to others as well.

It was inevitable to be suspicious of a newlywed couple who had been separated for more than a year right after getting married.

“What are you doing not going in?”

Yang Mi hit the shoulder of Shin Joo, who was standing absent-mindedly in front of the lounge.

Shin Joo, who met eyes with Yang Mi looking at her curiously, turned around in embarrassment.

“I forgot to send an email requesting data to the branch office.”

Shin Joo, who quickly left the vicinity of the lounge, sat at her seat.

However, she could only stare at the email window without moving a single finger.

“Didn’t you hear? The CEO has a separate lover in Clark.”

What’s there to know? Anyway, there was not even 1% of personal feelings in this marriage.

Whether Nam Do Hyun meets someone or not, Shin Joo didn’t want to break this marriage where she even gets a monthly salary.

In the end, both a year ago and now, the superior is Nam Do Hyun.

So even if he meets a lover or has a child in Clark, she had no authority to interfere.

The problem was that even though she knew all that, she couldn’t find the reason why her heart felt stuffy.

Perhaps because she spent the whole day like a person with a screw loose in her head, even her work processing slowed down.

Shin Joo, who had done overtime that was not planned, entered the house.

Seeing Do Hyun’s black shoes placed in the entrance, Shin Joo realized that he had come home first.

Shin Joo, who came out walking through the corridor, looked around the living room to find Do Hyun.

“You’re late.”

When she turned around at the sound coming from behind, Do Hyun was standing in front of the island table.

He was also in a shirt with only his jacket off, as if he had just arrived.

“Since it’s late, you must have had dinner.”

Do Hyun poured dark red wine into a transparent glass.

“Do you want to have a drink too?”

Do Hyun, who brought one more wine glass from the cupboard, looked at Shin Joo.

She didn’t really like the rising body temperature or the excited feeling when alcohol entered.

So even at company dinners, she only pretended to drink and was always sober.

“It won’t be fun to drink with me.”

“I’m not the type to drink for fun.”

“You’ll regret it?”

Pff, Nam Do Hyun smiled blandly.

“What’s so great about that.”

“……”

“Let’s do it, regret.”

Nam Do Hyun poured wine into a glass and handed it to Shin Joo.

If it were usual, she would have refused Nam Do Hyun’s suggestion.

There was no need to spend time with Nam Do Hyun while drinking alcohol that she didn’t really like.

But the married life with Do Hyun was just beginning.

“The two of them are not an ordinary couple anyway.”

Even if they were not a loving couple, they tried to become an ordinary couple.

‘I’ll just drink moderately.’

Shin Joo walked into the kitchen and accepted the glass Do Hyun handed her.

At the end of a sip of tart wine, there was a sweet flavor. Come to think of it, it was the first time she had properly drunk wine.

‘It’s better than I thought.’

One sip called for two sips.

When she quickly emptied one glass, she felt like she could drink more.

So, without even knowing her alcohol tolerance, she emptied the glass as soon as the wine was filled.

She realized that she was drunk when she unconsciously brought her palm to her cheek.

She thought the heat wave had invaded the house, but her body was full of warmth.

Come to think of it, she was also oddly excited, shaking her head from side to side from time to time.

Shin Joo, who was sitting facing Do Hyun at the island table, tried to overcome the drunkenness.

“Is there no change in our marriage period?”

“Yes, 3 years. Now 2 years are left.”

The promised duration of marriage was a total of 3 years.

In 3 years, Shin Joo could also pay off her accumulated debt and become independent, and it was also a period for Do Hyun to solidify his position as a CEO.

It meant that she had to stay with Nam Do Hyun in this house for the next 2 years.

“If you change your mind, you can end this marriage.”

“Why. Did you save some money in a year and don’t need me anymore?”

Even at the playful question, Shin Joo became rather serious.

“I heard you have a lover, CEO.”

Do Hyun’s brows furrowed noticeably.

“Lover? Who said that.”

“You’re trying to change the subject now, aren’t you.”

Do Hyun answered without a second of hesitation.

“I don’t have a lover. I didn’t have the leisure to have one either.”

“Meaning you would have if you had the leisure.”

Nam Do Hyun didn’t miss the small mumbling sound either.

“I can hear everything. If you’re going to say that, say it out loud.”

Perhaps it was because of the wine, but she felt like even her heart was getting hot.

Shin Joo twirled the wine glass in her hand and moved her lips.

“I don’t care. Even if you, CEO, make a lover and say you’ll marry that person.”

“Right now, I’m going to focus on my married life.”

Shin Joo, who had been staring intently at the wine glass, raised her gaze.

Since when he had been looking, Nam Do Hyun was also staring at her.

The eyes like black beads trembled here and there.

“We’re not even a real couple anyway.”

“In the eyes of others, we are a real couple.”

“……”

“So I know you’re uncomfortable, but try to make an effort.”

Shin Joo had a face as if a secret she thought she had been thoroughly hiding had been exposed all at once.

She covered her surprised, parted lips with her fingertips and asked cautiously.

“You… knew?”

“Didn’t you want me to know? You went to work early this morning trying not to run into me, right?”

I thought he wouldn’t even pay attention to someone like me.

She thought that she might be in Nam Do Hyun’s range of interest more than she thought.

Maybe it was because she drank too much, but suddenly she felt like her body was floating in the air.

“There’s no need to be particularly friendly.”

“You weren’t like that when you were in school.”

“I wasn’t. Just like everyone admired you, senior, I was one of them.”

The fact that she had been hiding until now was unsealed by alcohol.

“I didn’t know that.”

“I was afraid you’d be smug like now if I said it.”

Even jokes that she doesn’t usually make are popping out, so she must be quite drunk.

Now she was honest enough to tell Nam Do Hyun her bank password if he asked.

“Then tell me frankly now, if you admired me, why are you uncomfortable now?”

So Nam Do Hyun’s question felt as easy as 1 plus 1.

An honest word without a single exaggeration flowed out so naturally.

“Because you kissed me, senior.”

Unlike Shin Joo, whose face color didn’t change at all, confusion took hold of Do Hyun’s face.

It was the first time she had seen Nam Do Hyun look perplexed, so Shin Joo found it amazing.

“…What?”

Nam Do Hyun, who had been creating a long silence, only spat out a single syllable.

Shin Joo, who had her elbows on the island table, quietly looked at Nam Do Hyun.

The eyes like black beads swayed here and there.

“I guess you still think it was really a dream.”

It was a monologue, but the sound was quite loud.

Enough to stick exactly in Nam Do Hyun’s ears.

“I’m tired, so I’ll go in first. I couldn’t sleep well yesterday because I was uncomfortable.”

Not knowing that she had done a tremendous thing, the drunken Shin Joo tried to go to her room peacefully.

As soon as Shin Joo pushed back the chair and stood up, Nam Do Hyun followed a step closer.

“Now, what do you mean by that. Are you saying I kissed you?”

It was natural to be perplexed since he had no memory of it.

However, Shin Joo had been experiencing that perplexity alone for a long time since she was twenty-one.

I guess the resentful feelings from back then had slowly risen.

She could explain it clearly to Nam Do Hyun, but she didn’t particularly want to let him know kindly.

“You’re smart, senior. There are no more hints.”

Shin Joo pushed Do Hyun away mercilessly and went into the room.

Not knowing what would happen tomorrow, Shin Joo threw her body onto the bed as it was.

The bed seemed to sink into the sheet as if it were a marshmallow. Before long, Shin Joo fell into a deep sleep.

It was after the night had receded and the sun had risen that she lifted her closed eyelids.

The aftereffects came sooner than expected.

As soon as she opened her eyes in the morning, Shin Joo abruptly sat up.

Even if she drank enough to exceed her alcohol tolerance, she should be able to forget at least one thing, but everything came to mind.

“Because you kissed me, senior.”

Now it was time to pay the price for what she had done.