“I’m just saying that it doesn’t matter to me even if you meet someone now and plan a future with them.”

Those were the words he said when he first came to Joo’s room late at night.

More than giving permission to freely date, Joo was disappointed that Do Hyun didn’t show even a hint of jealousy.

She felt so gloomy that she wondered if it was okay to feel this upset.

“Is that really all?”

“That’s all.”

Do Hyun did nothing wrong, but she grew to dislike him.

Despite understanding everything, she wanted to ask again in a clingy manner.

“Sir, are you officially allowing me to cheat now?”

“Just don’t do it loudly. I’d rather not have people find fault and ruin my reputation.”

She thought he would correct it as a slip of the tongue, but he drove the point home once more.

Would he really not care at all even if she met Seo Jin Won or another man?

As long as she dated quietly, would it be okay?

‘Is it obvious.’

To Nam Do Hyun, I’m just a junior from school, an employee at work, and a housemate.

The heart that was fluttering and shaking calmed down in an instant.

Once she accepted reality, it wasn’t that surprising.

“I’ll have to work hard and do well since you’re worrying about my future like that.”

She put a lot of strength into her neck so as not to reveal her shaky voice.

She tried hard to forcefully smile, lest her gloomy expression turn downward.

She acted more vigorously and confidently, as if she was not hurt at all by Do Hyun’s words.

“As you advised, I’ll date quietly, secretly, without causing trouble.”

She didn’t want to show Do Hyun, who was acting as if he had no interest in her, that she was disappointed.

Joo walked over to where Do Hyun was standing in the room and grabbed the door.

“I’m tired, so please leave now.”

She tried to kick Do Hyun out before he noticed her mood.

As soon as Do Hyun turned around without a word, Joo slammed the door shut.

Joo stood there stubbornly in front of the door until she heard the sound of Do Hyun entering the room across.

Only after hearing Do Hyun’s door close did Joo’s eyes well up pitifully.

“Then why did you tell me to wear the ring.”

He told her to wear it and show that she’s married, that she has an owner.

Joo took off the ring she had been wearing on her finger all morning.

A red mark was already left on her fourth finger where the ring had been.

“Why are you confusing me. Why.”

The words full of resentment did not reach Do Hyun.

Joo turned around and threw the ring she had been wearing on the desk.

The ring that had been spinning around on the desk fell over with a thud.

“Making people misunderstand… Making their heart flutter…”

From earlier, her heart had been hurting and aching as if it had touched cold ice.

She had given meaning to every single word Do Hyun had thrown yesterday.

But Nam Do Hyun had said those words without much thought, and she felt like a fool for not knowing that and immediately going to find and wear the ring.

“You think I can’t do it if you tell me to?”

She suddenly felt a sense of pride.

For the past year, she had lived with the sole thought of paying off her debt, so she hadn’t even glanced at dating.

But now that her husband was so actively cheering her on, what could she do but date.

I have to date.

“As you advised, I’ll date quietly, secretly, without causing trouble.”

Do Hyun, who had entered the room, took off the jacket he was wearing and threw it on the bed.

His hands unbuttoning the cuffs seemed somewhat impatient.

Do Hyun’s brow, unable to hide his displeasure, furrowed deeply.

“She says she’ll date as if she’s been waiting for it.”

He thought she would say she had no intention of dating because she was occupied with work.

He only thought she wouldn’t have the leisure to do so because of her debt, but did she now have room to date?

Or did she like Seo Jin Won enough to make time to meet him?

Telling her she could meet other people was not an impulsive remark.

He had already reached a conclusion before entering the house. Because he had no intention of maintaining his marriage with Shin Joo even after 2 years.

The Clark Resort construction was drawing public attention to Anshine Resort, and Do Hyun’s position as the head in charge of Clark Resort was also solidifying.

After 2 years, Jong Pil would not be able to easily block his moves like before.

So the value of his marriage to Joo after 2 years was just ‘0’.

‘Twenty-nine.’

Even after divorcing him in 2 years, Shin Joo would only be twenty-nine.

She was still young, in the prime of her life, and could ordinarily marry a good person.

What right did he have to stop that?

He couldn’t take responsibility, so he just gave Joo another option.

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

That’s what Joo had said the day after returning from Clark when they were drinking together.

Since Joo also said she didn’t care who he met, they had no choice but to be of the same mind.

The answer was predetermined, the decision he had made, but he didn’t like that answer at all.

“She says she’ll do it secretly.”

I wonder how she’ll date secretly.

Do Hyun, who had been breathing out the heat that had risen hotly, roughly brushed back his bangs.

Today, the air around him felt suffocatingly hot.

***

It was not long after Joo’s cheating was officially allowed.

Do Hyun was taking the elevator down to a lower floor for a meeting schedule.

The elevator stopped once on the 25th floor before reaching the basement.

An unpleasant scene unfolded beyond the doors that opened to either side.

Seo Jin Won greeted him and entered the elevator. Joo was also with him by his side.

“Hello.”

“Ah, hello.”

Joo mumbled a greeting, following Jin Won’s voice.

Do Hyun alternately looked at Joo and Jin Won standing in front of him.

The distance between the two seemed close enough to barely fit a fist.

Jin Won turned his head and looked down at Joo standing next to him.

Do Hyun’s one eyebrow rose like a mountain at the faint smile he showed.

“You’re not bothered that I didn’t reply to the message Joo sent in the evening, are you?”

They’re at the level of messaging each other in the evening?

“Did I perhaps contact you while you were asleep, sir?”

“I’m usually awake at that time. I wanted to reply to the message right away that day, but it was too late.”

Each and every one of his words contained consideration for Joo.

That consideration was so evident to Do Hyun’s eyes that it was annoyingly noticeable.

“I was worried because it was something that could sufficiently upset you.”

“Hmm. It was a bit surprising. Because I suddenly had to meet someone I never expected.”

“I’m truly sorry about that.”

“You’ve apologized enough. I don’t want to receive any more apologies.”

As Joo raised her head that had been lowered, she became aware of Do Hyun standing in the back.

She had no choice. Because from the moment she got on the elevator until now, he had been staring at the back of her head intensely.

Ignoring his presence when he was making it so clearly known was also a hardship.

‘How much is he cheering on my dating that he’s staring at me like that.’

Joo didn’t realize at all that her judgment was off the mark.

So she intended to live up to his seemingly high expectations.

“This may be too sudden, but do you have any plans this evening?”

“No. Are you going to eat with me this time?”

“Only if it’s okay with you, sir.”

“How about around 8?”

“Sounds good.”

The appointment was made in a speedy manner.

In front of her husband.

“Then I’ll see you this evening.”

When the elevator arrived on the 1st floor, Joo got off after saying goodbye to Jin Won.

She also didn’t forget to lightly bow to Do Hyun standing in the back before turning around.

The elevator carrying Jin Won and Do Hyun went down towards the underground parking lot.

Do Hyun straightened his body that had been slightly leaning back and approached next to Jin Won.

“I guess you had a meeting with the TF team today.”

“No. I stopped by the construction team and picked up the necessary documents.”

Come to think of it, Jin Won’s one hand was full of heavy documents.

Even though JIN was a small company compared to Anshine, it wasn’t so short on employees that the CEO had to move directly.

There seemed to be only one reason why Jin Won had graced the company with his presence for the purpose of collecting documents.

Interest in Shin Joo, his wife.

“You could have made the employees do it.”

“Directly interacting with the subcontractors’ employees is also a big help for the work.”

So I’ll be visiting my company often.

That’s what it sounded like.

Was there no intention at all to meet Joo under the guise of coincidence?

Was it really purely for work?

Questions followed one after another, and the elevator arrived underground.

Jin Won spoke kindly as he pulled his body out of the open door.

“Have a good evening.”

He was not going to have one.

Because of him who was wishing him a good evening.

***

As expected. Indeed, there was no good evening for Do Hyun.

Do Hyun, who had come home from work early, had been sitting on the sofa keeping his spot.

The second hand on the clock on the wall was moving busily as if informing him of the passing time.

10:20.

Joo still hadn’t come home.

Since she was supposed to have dinner with Jin Won at 8, she should have arrived home by now with time to spare.

Perhaps dinner wasn’t the end. Maybe they went for coffee. If not… a drink?

“Why am I concerning myself with this.”

It was Do Hyun himself who had told Shin Joo that she could meet other men.

But contrary to his expectation that he wouldn’t be bothered, his work was paralyzed to the point that he couldn’t touch a single thing properly.

Do Hyun, who had put down the documents he hadn’t been able to read properly on the table, picked up his cell phone.

If the person living together doesn’t come home until this late, he could at least try calling, right?

Finding a plausible excuse, Do Hyun called Joo as if he had been waiting.

Beep beep. Beep beep. The tedious dial tone was cut off.

Before Do Hyun could part his lips and say a word, a mechanical voice flowed from the other end of the phone.

[The customer’s phone is turned off, so after the beep sound, you will be connected to voicemail.]

The cell phone is turned off.

“…What is she doing that she even turned off her cell phone?”

A shadow as dark as the night sky covered the face of Do Hyun, who was holding the cell phone in his hand.