My Husband Fell in Love - Chapter 15
Jo Seo Ha had lived alone with her maternal grandmother in this house, working as an accountant at a factory. Most of the money she earned routinely went toward her ailing grandmother’s medical bills.
But after being laid off from the factory, she couldn’t find a new job, and while her grandmother couldn’t get proper treatment, she passed away.
“I only found out too late and rushed her to the hospital. But the complications were already too severe—it was past the point of intervention. Why didn’t you tell me right away? Wait, you probably didn’t know yourself either. Damn it!”
Jae Wook grumbled as he chewed on slices of pork belly. It was incredible how easily angered he was about everything—he was quite a strange man.
“By the way, why are you only picking at lettuce? Don’t you know the meat gets tough when it cools down?”
“It’s been meat for days already. I’ve already told you I personally prefer a vegetarian diet.”
“Didn’t I tell you over and over that you’d jump right out of bed in the middle of the night for meat? And patients are supposed to eat meat—it’s necessary to replenish protein!”
“Excessive animal protein can actually be harmful to patients. Moderation is best in everything.”
Seo Ha placed her half-empty rice bowl in front of her and gently dabbed the corners of her mouth clean.
“I’m done eating. Thanks again for having me over today.”
“That’s all you’re eating?”
“Overeating makes my body feel heavy.”
Jae Wook, looking utterly baffled, dumped Seo Ha’s leftover rice into his own bowl.
“Go upstairs and get ready.”
“For what?”
“We’re going to the hospital today, right? I’ll give you a ride—be out in thirty minutes.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I can go by myself.”
“It’s not like I’m doing you a favor because I’ve got free time. I have to deliver a bulk order in that area anyway.”
Though reluctant, Seo Ha accepted a ride in Jae Wook’s fruit truck to the hospital. Riding in the truck, with its seats steeped in cigarette smoke, was far more exhausting than taking the bus or subway.
“How long will your treatment take?”
“A few hours. Don’t worry about it—go ahead and leave first.”
As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Seo Ha hopped nimbly out of the truck.
In truth, there was no outpatient treatment at all. Seo Ha had come here to find her mother.
If they could talk face to face, maybe her mother would regain her senses. After all, even though she was now inside a completely different shell, she had recognized Seo Ha the moment she saw her.
This belief was Seo Ha’s only hope—and her lifeline.
‘It’s the perfect day for a walk.’
As soon as her “treatment” finished, Seo Ha headed to the garden behind the hospital where she had first met Hae Sun.
Her choice proved excellent—Hae Sun appeared right across the path. And she was alone.
‘Why is she by herself?’
Neither Kyung Joon nor any caregiver was in sight. Overjoyed yet worried, Seo Ha hurried over and grabbed Hae Sun’s hand.
“Mom!”
“……?”
Hae Sun looked at Seo Ha, who had suddenly blocked her path, with puzzled eyes—then broke into a wide smile.
“My baby. Did you come home from school well?”
Tears spilled uncontrollably. Seo Ha quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve and smiled back.
“Do you recognize me, Mom? Who am I?”
Hae Sun blinked a few times. The smile slowly faded from her lips.
“A young lady I’ve never seen before. Might I ask your name…?”
“President!”
At that moment, Kyung Joon came running from the direction Hae Sun had come, shouting as if in alarm. His forehead was drenched in sweat, and his jacket was haphazardly crumpled in his hand—as if he’d been frantically searching the entire hospital for her.
“What are you doing? Didn’t I warn you last time?”
Breathless, Kyung Joon seized Seo Ha’s wrist, causing her to lose hold of her mother’s hand.
“Ouch!”
“You were spying on the president during her appointment last time too. Why do you keep sneaking around? What’s your goal?”
He growled fiercely. Hae Sun was now blocked entirely from Seo Ha’s view.
“You’re being extremely rude.”
Seo Ha lifted her chin and stared straight into his eyes.
“What did you say?”
“Don’t try to cut me off so casually. Do you really think I’m beneath you?”
Kyung Joon had no reply. His gaze at Seo Ha was complicated—unreadable, like a spy’s.
“I was just taking a walk after my outpatient visit and saw someone clearly unwell walking alone, so I got worried and held her hand. Where were you while President Kang was wandering by herself that you’re acting so entitled now? Do you even realize I could report you for assault right now?”
The grip on her wrist loosened. Rubbing her sore wrist, Seo Ha turned away. She desperately wanted to exchange even one more word with her mother, but with Kyung Joon here, that was impossible.
“She definitely knows something. I’ve never called her ‘President Kang’ in front of that woman before.”
Kyung Joon muttered quietly, watching Seo Ha’s retreating back.
“And… why does she speak so much like Yoon Seo Ha?”
Lee Seung Oh and Ryu Kyung Joon’s commute home.
Silence hung thick in the car—no radio, no music, nothing but quiet.
“It’s spring.”
After driving silently ahead for a while, Kyung Joon suddenly said something completely out of character. Seung Oh was taken aback for a moment, then replied awkwardly.
“Yes. It is spring.”
“How does it feel to have ruined the S/S season sales for the third year in a row—after last year and the year before that?”
“It wasn’t quite that bad…”
“It was exactly that bad. Chairman Ryu was deeply disappointed.”
In the past three years, Seung Oh had actually met Ryu, Chairman of the Tae Yang Group, only once. Yet the impact of that single encounter was so profound that, for someone as small-minded as Seung Oh—whose capacity barely surpassed that of a soy sauce dish—the word “Chairman” had become practically traumatic.
“Clean up your design department. It was already a mistake to appoint Lee Ji Soo as head designer based purely on your personal relationship.”
“I hired her based on her talent.”
That absurd excuse didn’t hold any water. Kyung Joon let out a derisive snort.
“The Tae Yang Group isn’t a charity. Remember—your performance here will significantly influence the selection of key positions after the upcoming merger.”
Seung Oh had no answer; he just bit his lip helplessly.
During the first year after he took over as president, Kang Yoon’s brand had stagnated. The next year, sales began to decline, and the year after that, the decline grew even steeper.
The car pulled into the apartment complex entrance. True to its name “DH Forest,” the entire complex was eco-friendly—a home Hae Sun had gifted her daughter as a wedding present.
“Let’s go in.”
Kyung Joon parked right in front of the building and even courteously opened the rear door. To any outside observer, he appeared exactly as he should: a devoted aide and secretary to the president—nothing more, nothing less.
“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Yet it was Seung Oh who bowed deeply, almost obsequiously.
“Yes. I’ll take my leave now.”
Kyung Joon transferred to his own car parked nearby and drove out of the lot. Seung Oh sighed in relief now that the day was over and took the elevator up.
“What’s that smell?”
As soon as the elevator doors opened, a pungent odor assaulted his nose. In this building, where each floor had only one unit, the source of the smell could only be his own home.
“Honey!”
As Seung Oh flung the front door open, Ji Soo came running out wearing a cute apron, holding a ladle in her hand.
“You’re home! Give me your bag—and your clothes too.”
“What’s that smell?”
Seung Oh handed his bag to Ji Soo as he asked.
“I made cheonggukjang. I’ll fix you some delicious lettuce wraps—go take a bath. I’ve already drawn your bathwater.”
“Cheonggukjang?”
Seeing Seung Oh’s deeply displeased expression, Ji Soo became uneasy.
“Well… I remembered how much you used to enjoy it back then… Do you… not like it anymore?”
“That was at your place! What are you doing cooking that here!”
Her old place had been a rented attic room. This apartment was a luxury complex, entirely paneled in marble and solid wood. The windows barely opened, and the ventilation system only circulated a fixed amount of air—making cheonggukjang utterly inappropriate.
“How am I supposed to get rid of this smell? It’ll take days to fade.”
Grumbling, Seung Oh opened every window he could, then turned around with a strange feeling.
“Honey! What are you doing!”
Ji Soo, who had been about to pour the cheonggukjang pot into the sink, froze and looked at him in alarm.
“I-I’m sorry! I’ll throw it away right away!”
“Why throw it away now? You’ve already cooked it.”
Seung Oh snatched the pot from Ji Soo’s hands, placed it back on the induction stove, and licked a bit of cheonggukjang off his fingers.
“It’s tasty. Give me rice. I’m hungry.”
“R-really?”
Ji Soo’s face instantly brightened.
Lee Ji Soo had always been this way—laughing or crying at Seung Oh’s slightest word. When he came home late, she waited for him on the living room sofa, dozing off repeatedly. At the crack of dawn, she prepared fresh rice and a new soup to set the breakfast table.
He liked that. It made him feel like a respected head of household—his shoulders lifted unconsciously, and confidence filled him.
That was how it had been for the first few months.
Seung Oh looked across the table at Ji Soo with fresh eyes.
Since they started living together, Ji Soo had covered herself entirely in luxury and designer brands—some previously owned by Yoon Seo Ha, others newly bought. Even the hairpin she wore now was from an overseas luxury label.
He’d clearly wanted to give her this—wanted her to wear and eat only the best, to never suffer hardship again.
Yet for some reason, his mouth tasted bitter.
“Is the F/W new collection coming along well?”
As he picked up his rice spoon to ask, Ji Soo pouted slightly.
“We agreed not to talk about work during meals.”
“This isn’t the time for that. Will the samples be ready this month?”
Seung Oh tried hard not to sound irritated.
“It might take a bit longer. Another designer just quit.”
“Again?”
When Yoon Seo Ha had been team leader, not a single person had left the design team. Now, this was the fifth resignation. Naturally, efficiency had plummeted, and new designs were all over the place.
“It-it’s fine. I-I’ll handle the designs myself. Anyway, the person who left hadn’t been here long—they weren’t important.”
“……”
Seung Oh stopped eating and pressed his fingers to his forehead.
He loved Ji Soo, but he had to admit it: her designs were far too safe and utterly lacking in distinctiveness. Put kindly, they were wearable by anyone; put bluntly, they were generic—available anywhere.
“We need a new brand. And new designers.”
Ji Soo’s eyes widened as she stared at Seung Oh.
“A new brand and designers? Then what about me?”
“It doesn’t mean you’ll lose your position. We need to fill the empty spots anyway, and the new brand was something President Kang had already been pushing before she became unwell.”
“But—”
“Just do as I say.”
Seung Oh cut off Ji Soo’s protest sharply. There was only so much leniency he could show. If this kept up, the merger would collapse—and the resulting losses would be far worse than just a minor setback.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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