But she couldn’t hold on any longer. Tomorrow was going to be brutal with three meetings lined up.

Eventually, Seo Rin picked up her phone.

After marriage, she never wanted to be the wife who’d nag her husband about when he’d be home, but tonight, she felt the need to call.

However, Tae Joon didn’t answer.

“Is he still in conversation?”

She ended the call after listening to the voicemail message. After staring at her phone for a while, she decided to send a message.

[Dash] Tae Joon, it’s getting late. Drive safely. I’ll be asleep.

She sent the message and lay down, but strangely, her heart felt heavy.

So, it took Seo Rin a while to drift into sleep.

It was a particularly lonely night.

After parting from Go Young Hee, Tae Joon, instead of going home, visited a bar within the hotel and ordered consecutive shots.

Still trapped in the shock of the revealed truth, he didn’t have the courage to face Seo Rin. He had no clue how he would look at her.

He simply wished to forget the truth he heard today. No, he wanted to drown it out with alcohol and erase the day altogether.
Could we perhaps go back to before hearing that brutal truth?

There might have been a chance to overlook this shocking truth based on Go Young Hee’s words that there was no evidence. But there were too many existing puzzles.

[Dash] Several people heard Mrs. Jung on the phone with a man at night. I don’t recall exactly who.

Park Gil Ja’s previous words come to mind.

At that time, he didn’t want to believe it; he actively turned away from the truth.

Today, Go Young Hee confirmed that fact.

[Dash] It’s Chairman Baek Hyung Ki, now deceased…

This was the first time Chairman Baek’s name was mentioned, but the fact that his mother had a man was more convincing since he had heard it from various people.

Over and over, Seo Rin’s face flashed across his mind.

If this unbelievable truth is real, then what becomes of us?

Frustrated, he took a sip from the glass in front of him. The burning sensation from the alcohol added to his pain, but for a moment, it emptied his thoughts.

However, that moment was short-lived. Once the pain subsided, the thoughts flooded back.

“Would you like another drink?”

At the bartender’s question, Tae Joon nodded.

He couldn’t endure tonight sober. But strangely, the more he drank, the clearer his mind became.

Thanks to that, Go Young Hee’s words kept ringing in his ears.

[Dash] Then, I saw it. That day… Mrs. Jung entered the chairman’s room.

Was it true?

Reaching for the refilled glass, Tae Joon got lost in his thoughts again. He desperately wanted to find an argument against the truth.

It couldn’t be. It was impossible. It shouldn’t be.

Yet, he lacked the courage to deny the truth or any logical argument against it.

It felt like being trapped in a dead-end alley, not knowing where or how to escape. A psychological pressure that was beyond imagination seemed to be pressing heavily on him.

Then, the phone on the table vibrated. It was Seo Rin. But he couldn’t muster the courage to answer.

What should he say if she asks? He hadn’t prepared an answer yet.

He wished she didn’t know this truth. The pain and turmoil were enough for him alone.

The call ended after a brief vibration, but soon after, a message notification sound followed.

The message displayed on the screen:

[Dash] Tae Joon, it’s getting late. Drive safely. I’ll be asleep.

A surge of emotion rose as he felt her concern through the message.

Though he lacked the courage to hear her voice and answer the call, Tae Joon found himself unable to look away from the message she sent for a while.

Then, slowly, reality began to sink in.

If he acknowledged this truth, his relationship with Seo Rin would end.

But he didn’t want to lose her, not after the painful 8 years they’d lost.

He couldn’t bear the thought of living with a dead heart that wouldn’t beat for anyone ever again.

I need you in my life.

So, shouldn’t he struggle at least once to break free from this unbelievable truth?

He pondered deeply. Then, suddenly, the words of Park Gil Ja flashed across his mind.

[Dash] Honestly, I’m a bit hesitant to say this. Back then, a maid strictly silenced us.

[Dash] Mrs. Jung and a certain maid were close. Their congenial nature matched very well.
Perhaps, just maybe, Han Ji Sun might know something that could overturn everything he’s known to be true so far.

It was a sliver of hope, almost invisible. But Tae Joon wanted to cling to that, to hold onto his relationship with her.

It wasn’t his style to concede to such a truth without a fight.

Yes, he’d turn this unbelievable truth on its head. He couldn’t lose her over baseless rumors that lacked evidence.

With that determination, Tae Joon finished his drink and stood up.

But the clarity he felt while seated quickly blurred the moment he got up.

He hadn’t realized how drunk he was until he moved.

Dizziness struck him, and he gripped the bar stool, briefly closing his eyes.

“Sir, did you drive here? Should I call a designated driver for you?”

The bartender, having closely observed Tae Joon’s drinking, approached and asked.

“Yes, please.”

He gladly accepted the offer.

He sat for a while, catching his breath and sipping the water the bartender brought him. About 15 minutes later, he was informed that the designated driver was waiting at the hotel entrance.

He still felt his body swaying.

Had the walk from the bar to the hotel entrance always been this long?

He was frustrated. Earlier, when he drank to forget his tangled thoughts, it seemed to have no effect. But now, as he tried to head home, both his body and mind seemed uncontrollable.

He shouldn’t have drunk.

Regret flooded him, but he couldn’t turn back time.

With all his remaining strength, he exited through the hotel’s revolving door, only to stagger again. But as he leaned against the glass door, someone helped steady him.

“Oh dear, are you okay?”

It was a woman with a slender height and a sensuous figure.

“It seems you’ve had a lot to drink.”

“The designated driver…”

Tae Joon instinctively tried to push the woman away, looking for the driver. But his push was weak, likely due to his inebriation. Instead of being pushed away, the woman clung to him again.

“The designated driver? Let me find them for you.”

“It’s fine. I can find them. They said they’re already here…”

“If you can hardly stand, just wait. Let me assist you.”

She took advantage of the moment Tae Joon’s body and mind were out of his control.

Such overbearing kindness.

Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me

One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.

Synopsis:

Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.

But this is still far from enough.

He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.

_____

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