Love is Madness (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
Warm sunlight streamed through the window, tickling Tae Joon’s sleeping face.
After a long struggle against the rays, he finally scowled and opened his eyes—only to find Seo Rin seated by the window.
Her fair skin, delicate features, and jet-black straight hair exuded an Eastern beauty that made the San Francisco morning feel exotic. Yet, despite her flawless appearance, her profile—lips tightly pressed together—looked not just aloof, but downright icy.
Because of this, Seo Rin had always carried the nickname “Ice Queen.”
But people didn’t know. They had no idea how fiercely passionate she became in bed.
Tae Joon was the only man who knew.
“You woke up early.”
At the sleep-laden sound of his voice, Seo Rin’s dark eyes turned toward him. Her mesmerizing gaze filled him with happiness right from the morning.
“Yeah. I think I should head home early. I need to pack.”
“Oh, right. You’re going back to Korea tomorrow, aren’t you? What time’s your flight again?”
Tomorrow marked the day Seo Rin would end her two-year study abroad and return to Korea. Tae Joon was simply double-checking her exact flight schedule.
Yet Seo Rin, gazing one last time—perhaps forever—at the San Francisco skyline, spoke indifferently.
“You don’t need to come see me off.”
“What are you talking about? Of course I’ll come.”
“You’re busy.”
“I’m not. And even if I were, I’d make time to come.”
As if her words made no sense, Tae Joon sat upright in bed with a serious expression. The sheet that had been wrapped around him slid to the floor, revealing his perfectly sculpted physique, completely unfiltered before her eyes.
This was the same body that had held her tightly and burned intensely all through the night. Unlike his gentle-looking face, his frame was the pinnacle of masculine genetics—a truly exceptional build.
Because of it, she’d lost count of how many times she’d collapsed beneath him last night.
Seo Rin narrowed her eyes slightly, taking in one last look at his body—possibly the final time. The thought that she might never see him again already filled her with regret.
“Just wait two months. I’ll have some free time then. Let’s meet in Korea. Once you’re in Korea…”
“Let’s break up.”
Despite everything, those words finally escaped her lips.
Stunned by her unhesitant declaration of parting, Tae Joon turned to her with still-drowsy eyes. His black eyes, swaying aimlessly beneath tousled bangs, clearly betrayed his bewilderment.
“What… are you saying? Is it because you’re going back to Korea? Even if that’s the case, we won’t be able to see each other as often, but…”
“I don’t have the confidence for long-distance relationships. I’ve never even considered it.”
“So… you’re ending it like this?”
“Yes.”
Her reply was unbearably cold—coming from the same woman who’d burned so fiercely in his arms just last night.
For a moment, Tae Joon closed his mouth, wondering if this were a dream.
But Seo Rin’s stubborn eyes staring right at him confirmed this moment was painfully real.
“You’re joking, right? We’re… lovers. Breaking up can’t be that easy.”
“It’s not difficult at all. We’re not even married.”
Her indifferent response left Tae Joon breathless.
He knew all too well from past experience: whenever she spoke with that expressionless face, her decision was final.
“We loved each other.”
“Have I… ever once confessed that I loved you?”
In that instant, shock flashed through Tae Joon’s eyes. He’d always been the one constantly saying “I love you,” yet now realized she’d never spoken those words—not even once.
“But… you don’t need words. Love isn’t always expressed in words.”
In bed, she’d been burning hot—possessing a warmth impossible without love. That’s what Tae Joon was trying to say.
“And you… were my first.”
At that, Seo Rin’s dark eyes turned back to him.
Yes—her first man.
Kind and warm, Tae Joon had been perfectly suited to be her first. Maybe that’s why she’d accepted him without resistance.
“They say… first loves never come true.”
But even Tae Joon’s warmth couldn’t penetrate her icy heart. And Seo Rin looked away from him again, clearly unwilling to reconsider their breakup.
“Hey, Baek Seo Rin!”
“Even if it feels like you’ll die right now, you’ll be okay soon. Your life has so much more than me. Take comfort in that.”
“No, that’s no comfort at all.”
“…”
“Because for me… love is everything.”
That’s what he’d learned—from a woman who’d once claimed no force in the world was stronger than love.
So the moment he met Seo Rin, captivated by that powerful pull, he’d given her everything without hesitation—because he believed she was that love.
Yet despite his desperate gaze, Seo Rin’s cold eyes didn’t soften at all.
“I’m sorry, Tae Joon.”
“…”
“But for me… love is a curse.”
He’d never once imagined the love that meant everything to him could be someone else’s curse.
It was a shock.
The grip of Tae Joon’s hands, which had been holding onto her, slowly loosened.
Now free, Seo Rin turned her back on him without hesitation.
Not that she regretted the time they’d shared. Kang Tae Joon being a good man remained an undeniable fact.
Perhaps she… could have loved him.
No—she had loved him.
She just hadn’t staked her whole self on that love, as he had with her.
She’d always kept one step back, always ready to run—because she never wanted to become love’s slave again, never wanted to create another nightmare.
Everything she’d ever loved… had died.
Her mother, her older sister, the nanny she’d grown attached to, and even the first puppy she’d ever truly cared for.
And those lost ones always returned as nightmares. Since then, she’d locked away her emotions, having realized far too young that if she never gave her heart, she’d never get hurt again.
That’s why letting go was easy.
Because she’d never once given him her whole heart.
And so, she let him go.
Coldly—more coldly than ever—as if she’d never look back.
Eight years later.
The overcast weather deepened the funeral parlor’s gloom before finally breaking into rain. And then, suddenly, a scream came from over there.
“Oh my, Madam Park!”
Madam Park had finally collapsed. Perhaps it was inevitable—she hadn’t taken a single sip of water in three days, wringing every drop of moisture from her body as tears.
Seo Rin’s eyes turned toward the commotion.
But she didn’t rush over to support her stepmother or join in emotional theatrics. Instead, she calmly addressed Director Park standing behind her.
“Director Park.”
“Yes.”
“Please contact Dr. Lee and ask him to make a house call.”
“Yes, understood.”
Her composure—so calm it seemed cold—drew sideways glances from the crowd.
“Incredible, just incredible! How can she not shed a single tear when her father just died?”
“Right? I’ve never seen someone so dry-eyed in mourning. She’s ruthless—truly, I’ve never met anyone this cold-hearted.”
After finishing his call, Director Park quietly whispered to her from behind, sensing the murmurs.
“Don’t listen. They’re just ignorant people talking nonsense.”
Seo Rin’s red lips twitched slightly as she replied.
“I know. I don’t hear them.”
It was a lie.
Though called mere mutterings, their words pierced her ears with painful clarity. She was simply pretending not to hear—maintaining composure through sheer will.
Today’s funeral was for her father, Chairman Baek Hyung Ki.
As a businessman, Chairman Baek had been flawless—but as a father, painfully lacking.
At age five, Seo Rin lost both her mother and older sister in a car accident. She was the sole survivor. Yet just a week after their funeral, Chairman Baek had left his young daughter behind and returned to work.
That’s how Seo Rin grew up.
First under the care of a nanny, then under Madam Park, her stepmother—and truthfully, from an early age, she might as well have raised herself.
He had existed—but she’d never once felt him as a father.
Last winter, Chairman Baek received a terminal lung cancer diagnosis—and ultimately lost his battle with the illness.
“Are you alright?”
Director Park asked from behind.
“What about?”
“You… loved the Chairman very much.”
At that, Seo Rin turned slightly to look at Director Park, as if asking what he meant.
She had no ordinary memories with her father—none at all.
And now he was saying she’d loved that stranger known as her father?
Her, who carried only indifference toward him?
It was an impossible notion.
“Yes, you did. Very, very much.”
Yet Director Park repeated his words firmly, showing no intention to retract them.
Only then did a storm of sorrow crash over Seo Rin.
Apparently… somewhere deep inside, without even realizing it, she’d loved that distant father dearly.
Once again, that nightmarish formula held true: everything she loved died.
It was a vicious cycle—no matter how hard she struggled, she could never escape it.
But for reasons unknown, she still couldn’t cry.
Seo Rin’s dark eyes turned toward the person suppressing her tears—and at the end of that gaze stood a man who bore an uncanny resemblance to her late father.
Her uncle, President Baek Hyung Joon.
During Chairman Baek’s lifetime, the two had repeatedly clashed over differing management philosophies. Now, President Baek had become the de facto power behind Sungwon Group—and wouldn’t stop until he seized full control, even if it meant eliminating her.
Ignoring the rain, Seo Rin kept her eyes fixed on President Baek until he disappeared into his car.
She felt like an orphan abandoned in the middle of a battlefield.
Tears finally threatened to fall—but the more her eyes stung, the tighter she clenched her fists.
Yes, she couldn’t cry yet.
No—she couldn’t afford to cry.
Instead of weeping helplessly,
“Director Park, how’s our outreach to The MG going?”
“We’re still awaiting their response.”
She’d chosen to fight a war—to protect control of the company.
Wasn’t this the very company Chairman Baek had built, the one he’d left behind after taking her away from it as a child?
Letting it fall entirely into President Baek’s hands was unthinkable—it felt as if her entire painful childhood would vanish in an instant.
No matter what, she would protect the company’s management rights.
And so, Seo Rin gritted her teeth, forcefully locking away her grief.
With only the weeping sky as her companion.
On the way back from the funeral.
Seo Rin stared blankly out the rain-streaked window before finally speaking.
“It seems like The MG is our only option, isn’t it?”
“Given that President Baek has been with the company since its founding, most major shareholders are already on his side. The MG, however, is a foreign investment firm and only appeared as a shareholder four years ago—so President Baek likely hasn’t managed to sway them yet.”
“So The MG is our only hope.”
A quiet sigh escaped her.
She was desperate.
She knew Madam Park was on her side—or at least, even if not fully aligned with her, Madam Park wasn’t the type to stand by and watch the company fall entirely into President Baek’s hands.
Given the conflicting interests, Madam Park would likely support her stepdaughter over President Baek. Though Seo Rin and Madam Park weren’t close, they weren’t enemies either.
The problem was that even combining their shares—including those inherited from Chairman Baek—they still held fewer shares than President Baek.
“To block President Baek from securing the CEO position at the special shareholders’ meeting, we need more shares than he holds. If we can win over The MG, we’ll win the first round decisively.”
Murmuring to herself, she soon spoke again, resolve hardening in her voice.
“Director Park. Give me The MG’s contact information.”
“What? Why?”
“Thirsty people dig their own wells. I… should contact them myself.”
Waiting passively wasn’t her style. And her strategy worked—three days later, The MG called her directly.
The war was just beginning.
An upscale Japanese restaurant in Cheongdam-dong.
Seo Rin sat there, anxious, awaiting The MG’s representative.
If she failed to win this person over, she might have to surrender before even entering the battlefield. The stakes were that high—and even Seo Rin, with her iron will, couldn’t help but feel nervous.
As she clenched her fists and steeled herself, The MG’s representative finally arrived.
She heard the door open—and even Director Park, who’d seemed calmer than her, tensed up immediately.
She still couldn’t see who’d entered the room. Opaque glass panels from the entrance blocked her view.
Seo Rin rose from her seat, fixing her dark eyes on the glass wall. A tall, imposing silhouette moved behind it—clearly a man of considerable height and build, evident even from the outline alone.
Thud. Thud.
The soft harmony of premium handmade shoes against marble echoed pleasingly in her ears.
But the moment that silhouette emerged from behind the final glass panel, Seo Rin froze on the spot.
Walking toward her with a slow, elegant gait—
A face once achingly familiar—
Yet now radiating an aura so unnervingly foreign—
“It’s been a long time, Baek… Seo Rin Executive Managing Director.”
It was her first man—Kang Tae Joon.
When male lead is the homewrecker
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
I’ve read the novel below twice already. Girls, I’m highly recommending it to you!
The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.
Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.
The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.
I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.
There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.
For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.
I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.
Here’s the story synopsis:
One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Intro 1:
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.
Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.
In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.
Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…
Intro 2:
Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.
He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.
Watched her go public with her boyfriend.
Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.
Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.
The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.
Fan Xia, how can I have you!
【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】
1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy
2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
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