“Oh, did you notice? I don’t have a loss of appetite. Ha, isn’t it lovely that Hojin thinks about his mom like this?”

“Hojin? Is that a nickname?”

With a nonchalant nickname, Oh Yeosa looked at Seorin with a curious gaze.

“Yes. I named him that, hoping he would grow up well and lead Hojin like his father.”
“Yes. I raised him with the hope that he would grow up healthy and lead like his father, Hojin.”

During this time, Serin was too busy to even give her child a proper name.

But, at the moment when Oh Yeosa brought up the child’s story, ‘Hojin’ brushed past Serin’s mind.

Oh Yeosa also did not seem oblivious to Serin’s discomfort.

Despite the hastily chosen name, Serin was quite satisfied, and she smiled.

“It was made in a hurry, but I really like it a lot.”

Moreover, if her child really ascended to the position of Hojin, she would be truly happy.

As Serin began to covet one thing, she wanted an even bigger position.

As she hid her desires tightly, they grew like a snowball, becoming too big to conceal.

Looking at Serin with a strange smile, Oh Yeosa spoke.

“What a bold name. When I became the head of our company, I wanted to eat this Cheonggukjang (fermented bean paste stew) like that, but I couldn’t.”

“Really? Why?”

Serin asked Oh Yeosa in a friendly manner.

Looking at her, Oh Yeosa, who had been smiling, put down the cup she had been holding.

Only then did Serin feel that Oh Yeosa’s gaze towards her was not ordinary.

“Your bad breath is too severe; just smelling the soybean paste scent makes me nauseous. I liked this Cheonggukjang so much, but you didn’t even mention it during the ten months with Ji-Han.”

Serin was surprised, and a cough echoed unintentionally.

When the sudden cough didn’t subside, Oh Yeosa handed a tissue to Serin.

“Ha, hahaha… Your bad breath is severe. It must have been tough for you.”

“A woman like a mudfish. Have you ever experienced rejection, now?”

Serin felt a momentary surge of unpleasant emotions but forced herself to endure it.

She erased the bitter expression towards Oh Yeosa and forced a smile, then seemed to cough on the water in front of her.

Noticing the change in Serin’s mood, Oh Yeosa, this time, laughed and clapped with a friendly smile.

“Hey, it’s not that serious. Bad breath varies from person to person.”

“…”

“By the way, I came all the way to the shop because I have something to talk to you about.”

Oh Yeosa put down the tableware.

‘It wasn’t because she came to accept me as a daughter-in-law, was it?’

Serin thought she came because of her request to choose a dress together.

Looking back on the morning memories, Oh Yeosa seemed indifferent to the dress Serin chose.

Rather, Oh Yeosa’s gaze seemed sharper when looking at Yejin, who came out in a dress.

Her straightforward voice, telling Serin to wear the dress she wanted, echoed in her ears.

‘Then why did she come to the wedding shop?’

Looking at Oh Yeosa’s mysterious expression that she couldn’t see through, Serin’s heart pounded fiercely.

Oh Yeosa focused her gaze on the trembling Serin and spoke.

“You must have seen him then. Chairman Seo Mu-Jin, he’s not an easy person.”

‘Chairman Seo Mu-Jin?’
Serin recalled an old man she had seen at the hotel.

Though he had a dignified age, the authority of a leader responsible for a group emanated from his sharp, twinkling eyes.

It was clear that he held a high position, enough to keep Ji-Han and Min-Guk in check.

However, Oh Yeosa bringing up Mu-Jin’s story made Serin uncertain about her intentions, and she tilted her head.

“Even if you have my son’s child, if you fall out of favor with the chairman, you won’t be allowed into this house.”

“But…! Mother, my feelings for Ji-Han are genuine. You can’t suppress even the love I feel.”

Serin dropped the utensils she was holding.

The clattering chopsticks collided with Oh Yeosa’s shoe, bringing them to a halt.

Oh Yeosa looked down with an unpleasant gaze, nudging the utensils away with her foot.

But Serin was too absorbed to notice, as everything being at the chairman’s discretion sounded like a veiled threat to her.

“Nice words about love. In the end, it doesn’t change the fact that it was an arranged relationship, right? Ji-Han has been engaged to Yejin for a long time.”

“Even if that’s true… I can’t raise a child without Ji-Han! Separating him from Hojin is too cruel.”

Serin momentarily looked at Oh Yeosa with teary eyes.

She had been grateful to Oh Yeosa all day for coming to the dress shop at her request.

However, recalling the woman who likely pitied her for choosing a dress, Serin felt a sense of betrayal.

Watching Serin shed tears like the heroine of a melodrama, Oh Yeosa laughed as if finding it amusing.

“Who told you to break up with Ji-Han? It’s just that words don’t get through to you.”

“…”

“It’s about the wedding. Let’s pass for now, and once the situation is settled, you can get married. How about that?”

‘It’s not about breaking up?’

Serin’s trembling shoulders gradually calmed down with a stir.

When she looked up, Oh Yeosa was gazing at her disapprovingly.

“Because of Chairman Seo’s divorce news, a significant project at Hojin Construction has been delayed. It’s related to a family apartment brand.”

She knew that the new apartment brand he was in charge of had suffered a damaged image due to the divorce news with Yejin.

“At times like this, instead of provoking Chairman with marriage issues, think about your position in the company first. Even if you delay marriage, it’s fine. Think about your standing within the company first.”

Finally, Serin fully understood what Oh Yeosa was saying.

Along with a bright idea, her complicated thoughts were organized in an instant.

Thinking that Serin understood her intention, Oh Yeosa, now relaxed, refilled her glass.

“Even if not said, Representative Seo, in a difficult situation, will be grateful to you. Won’t she?” Saying this, one corner of Oh Yeosa’s mouth curved into a smile.