My Husband's Lover (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8

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Thick darkness. The only light was the faint, hazy glow of the predawn moon. Hae Yeon, who had been thoroughly enjoying her long-awaited date, came home and quickly fell asleep, exhausted, not long after entering.

Someone leaned over her, watching her sleep soundly with soft, quiet breaths. Even without fully understanding the emotion, the deep guilt furrowed between their brows was clearly visible. Do Ha looked down at his wife with troubled eyes and gently clasped her palm, curling his fingers around her small five fingers.

Soon, a voice like a sigh pierced through the darkness.

“……Hae Yeon.”

The corners of his eyes were faintly red. His expression, heavy with self-reproach, made him seem like someone utterly defenseless.

— “Mr. Do Ha, Hae Yeon suddenly says she wants to go back to work.”

— “……I want to work.”

Do Ha’s hand, pulling the blanket up to her chin, paused on Hae Yeon’s cheek. Afraid his touch might wake her, he pulled back slightly and traced the outline of her face in the air, murmuring softly.

“I wish you’d never remember.”

With a deep sigh, Do Ha slowly blinked his eyes. He didn’t understand what this change meant. His face—wishing only that this wasn’t part of her regaining her memories—looked strangely weary.

Hae Yeon couldn’t enjoy the ordinary college life her peers had.

She had to maintain grades for her scholarship, obtain various certifications, and meet required English proficiency scores. On top of that, she juggled courses and extracurricular commitments, leaving her with hardly any time to sleep. Of course, some other students worked hard too. But she—

Was alone.

Thus, she lived her life under complete self-control. To think or act impulsively was simply unthinkable for her back then. It was a mindset that had shaped her entire life—a result imprinted upon her by circumstances beyond her control.

For Hae Yeon, whose busy life made private gatherings a luxury, attending the department gathering that day had been pure coincidence.

The owner of the café where she worked her evening part-time job had closed suddenly due to a traffic accident, and with unexpected free time on her hands, Hae Yeon aimlessly wandered until she recalled a classmate had casually invited her: “Come if you’re free!” On impulse, she headed there.

“Ahha-hak! Drink up quickly!”

Boisterous laughter spilled from the establishment just as Hae Yeon arrived. Inside, a group of young people in their twenties clinked drinks together. The department jackets some wore confirmed they were students from Hae Yeon’s university.

Unaccustomed to such scenes, Hae Yeon hesitantly approached, and a classmate who recognized her jumped up in surprise.

“Min Hae Yeon? No way! It’s really Min Hae Yeon!”

At the classmate’s overly excited shout, every customer in the place turned to look. Hae Yeon’s face flushed crimson—being the top student in her college with an impressive résumé had thoroughly deprived her of time and energy for gatherings like this. Embarrassed and unsure what to do, she was suddenly enveloped in a tight hug by her friend.

“Min Hae Yeon! I thought I’d graduate without ever having a drink with you!”

“Really? Sorry.”

Of course, she’d had drinks with friends before—just a few times in her dorm with a small group. Having always assumed she’d never form lasting connections, she’d consistently avoided departmental social life. Now, she began to feel a slight warmth rising within her. But that feeling didn’t last long.

“So you’re that Min Hae Yeon?”

A familiar face, flushed red and squinting, spoke up. It was Kim Seung Woo, her classmate—technically. As a returning student, Kim Seung Woo was several years older and deeply resentful that Hae Yeon had never once attended department gatherings, clubs, or festivals.

In truth, she simply couldn’t go—but would others truly understand that? They, who had stable, supportive families, couldn’t possibly empathize with her situation.

Kim Seung Woo was especially like that. The son of a nationally renowned politician, he stood apart from ordinary students. Though Hae Yeon rarely saw him on campus, she knew of him through friends.

“I must be lucky today. You show up at a gathering you never attend, and I get to see Min Hae Yeon. Hey, pour me a drink.”

The atmosphere instantly turned tense, and no one dared speak up. Rumors abounded that Kim Seung Woo, heir to a powerful family, was untouchable—even professors and the university president avoided provoking him. Given the multiple incidents he’d caused and always escaped unscathed, it clearly wasn’t just hearsay.

“All the ugly people I’ve been drinking with lately ruined the taste of alcohol for me. Seeing you, my appetite’s back.”

In the sudden, almost unbelievable silence—so stark compared to the earlier noise—Hae Yeon spoke calmly.

“You asked me to pour you a drink?”

Her expressionless face turned toward Kim Seung Woo.

“Yeah. Over here.”

Kim Seung Woo tapped the seat beside him. A junior, clearly wanting no part of this, quickly vacated the spot.

“Hae Yeon, don’t go. Let’s just leave.”

A classmate whispered urgently into her ear. Hae Yeon stood still, as if she hadn’t heard.

“Hey, Yoon Ye Eun. Want to delay your graduation this year?”

Ye Eun, who’d been persuading Hae Yeon, flinched. Kim Seung Woo gleefully jiggled his glass, clearly signaling: Come pour it yourself. Though Hae Yeon tried to stop Ye Eun, she walked straight toward Kim Seung Woo, closing the distance.

“So eager to drink, huh?”

“Not just any drink—yours.”

“Fine.”

Hae Yeon let out a breath that sounded almost like a sigh and picked up the bottle. Instead of pouring into the glass Kim Seung Woo held out, she filled an empty glass on the table. After pouring every last drop from the bottle, she picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp.

For a moment, the room fell utterly silent.

After finishing the drink, Hae Yeon shook the empty glass overhead, and applause erupted. Kim Seung Woo’s face twisted in anger, but Hae Yeon stared straight back at him.

“I couldn’t bear to waste it on you.”

“What? Hey!”

Kim Seung Woo looked ready to spit out a crude insult, but suddenly burst into loud laughter.

“Didn’t someone say she skipped her shift and came here?”

Trending

“Y-yeah…”

A senior nearby reluctantly confirmed it.

“Hey, Min Hae Yeon. I’ll give you a hundred per hour—come here and say that again.”

The group split in reaction. Some feared what Kim Seung Woo might do next, while others were furious at his behavior but unsure how to intervene.

“What’s wrong? Everyone knows you’re desperate for money. He’s offering a hundred—want another bill?”

Kim Seung Woo opened his wallet. Amid the uncomfortable silence, the scrape of a chair echoed as someone stood up.

In that hair-trigger moment, all eyes turned toward the source of the sound. At the center of attention stood a tall man who naturally drew everyone’s gaze.

“Oh? Cha Do Ha. What’s up? If you’re here, why not say something earlier? Wanna join us?”

“……”

There was no way Kim Seung Woo wouldn’t recognize Cha Do Ha—the man who attracted attention wherever he went. His classmates whispered among themselves as Kim Seung Woo spoke with feigned nonchalance.

“Hey, someone rein in Seung Woo, hyung.”

“If we intervene now, he’ll just make it worse.”

Ignoring the murmurs around him, Kim Seung Woo kept pushing.

“Come over already. What’s the point of being classmates?”

“……”

Though Cha Do Ha and Kim Seung Woo were technically in the same class, frequent leaves of absence had put them in different grades. Kim Seung Woo’s face clearly darkened at Do Ha’s continued silence, glaring sideways at him. Hae Yeon, too, found herself studying the man’s sharp nose and full lips, his profile chiseled like a sculpture.

It was her first real look at him. Within the university, this man was even more famous than Kim Seung Woo. While Kim Seung Woo was known for his notoriety, Cha Do Ha drew interest purely for himself—and like Kim Seung Woo, he came from an influential background.

But unlike Kim Seung Woo, who was practically disowned by his family, Cha Do Ha was already officially designated as the heir to Gil Myeong Group.

“Damn it. Aren’t you gonna say anything?”

Unable to endure the silence any longer, Kim Seung Woo snapped. The still man lifted his head slightly.

“Does Congressman Kim Su Dong still let that stain on your family run loose?”

His tone wasn’t mocking—it genuinely sounded like a question.

“What? You…”

Just as Kim Seung Woo, furious at being dismissed, was about to retort—

“I was willing to overlook this for the university’s reputation, but a slippery eel keeps muddying the water, so I can’t let it slide.”

It was a low, quiet voice. “Cha Do Ha!” Kim Seung Woo yelled the name, but couldn’t say another word, only sputtering in frustration. Though Hae Yeon was fed up with the whole scene, she couldn’t just leave—Ye Eun and the others were clearly worried. The man’s low voice continued.

“I hate dealing with nuisances, so from now on, keep quiet. Or should I call your father myself?”

“What?!”

The unspoken threat was clear: Behave, or I’ll contact your father and get you expelled. Given Kim Seung Woo’s history of incidents and Gil Myeong Group’s substantial influence over the university—especially through Cha Do Ha—there was no doubt what the outcome would be.

“Finally, some peace.”

At the man’s indifferent remark, the atmosphere instantly quieted. Kim Seung Woo tried to protest, but the man turned away. Someone quickly defused the tension by shouting the department cheer, and soon, the mood settled as if nothing had happened.

Hae Yeon stared blankly at the man as he walked away calmly, until Ye Eun grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the establishment in a daze. Once outside, Ye Eun grinned.

“If it hadn’t been for senior Cha Do Ha, what would we have done? Did you see Kim Seung Woo shrink back?”

“Huh? Um…”

Hae Yeon couldn’t say anything. Her feelings were strange—somewhat good, somewhat bad, refreshing yet suffocating. She couldn’t make sense of it at all.

“I should thank him, but I’m too nervous. Anyway, thanks to senior Cha Do Ha, my mood’s recovered from Kim Seung Woo ruining it. Oh, a taxi’s here. Hae Yeon, let’s go.”

While waiting on the curb, Ye Eun pulled Hae Yeon toward the arriving taxi.

Cha Do Ha.

At the name flashing through her mind, Hae Yeon instinctively turned her head inside the taxi. Through the rear window, she saw his figure still standing there. Something about his expressionless walk tugged at her heart, and she called for the taxi to stop.

“Min Hae Yeon, why?”

“I just remembered something. Sorry, Ye Eun—I’ll go separately!”

Before Ye Eun, already seated beside her, could ask further, Hae Yeon quickly got out and ran toward the man. Gathering some inexplicable courage, she matched his pace, walking beside him as he stared straight ahead with the same indifferent expression.

“Thank you for earlier.”

The man stopped walking and finally looked down at her. Streetlights reflected in his pitch-black eyes, adding a kaleidoscope of colors. When their eyes met, Hae Yeon panicked and quickly looked away.

“I’d like to repay you—please contact me at this number.”

Gratefulness was gratitude, after all. She pulled a post-it note she always carried in her bag and wrote down her number. When she handed it to him, he frowned deeply, then spoke in a pleasant voice that rang in her ears.

“I didn’t do it to be thanked, so it’s fine. But may I offer one piece of advice?”

“Advice…?”

Hae Yeon blinked in surprise, and the man frowned again.

“Guys often misunderstand things like this.”

ads

He handed the post-it back. Hae Yeon took it with a burning face, feeling utterly embarrassed—like she’d been bluntly rejected.

“I’m sorry…”

Before she could finish her apology, the man straightened his head as if signaling it was enough. His expression seemed oddly stiff, leaving Hae Yeon awkward and flustered.

He started walking again. Without realizing it, Hae Yeon found herself trailing behind—until suddenly, he stepped off the sidewalk, hailed a taxi. Hesitantly, she followed, but shame made her turn to leave—only for her wrist to be caught.

“Get in.”

“Huh?”

Cha Do Ha tilted his chin slightly. His dark eyes remained expressionless. Caught in an atmosphere where refusal seemed impossible, Hae Yeon entered the taxi as if drawn by a magnet. Just as he seemed about to shut the door, he sat in the front seat.

“Where to?”

When the driver asked, Do Ha turned slightly to look at Hae Yeon. Under his gaze, she quickly gave the name of the station near her home.

“Please take us to Dobong-gu Station.”

She turned to look out the window, but before any awkward silence could settle, the driver switched on the radio. A trot song—jarringly out of place—filled the car, and as they pulled away, Hae Yeon slowly exhaled, as if all her tension had drained away at once.

A thought crossed her mind: How far is this man planning to follow me? Or is he just heading the same way?

“Um…”

When Hae Yeon spoke, Do Ha turned his head back toward her. Flustered and blushing again, she awkwardly continued,

“Where are you headed, by the way?”

“I’m fine—just go to Dobong-gu.”

Do Ha’s brows furrowed slightly as he spoke. His curt reply left Hae Yeon embarrassed again, and she turned back to the window—but her feelings were plain on her flushed face, nearly pressed against the glass.

“Thank you.”

At the station, as she reached for her wallet to pay, Do Ha was faster. Caught off guard, Hae Yeon couldn’t even react properly.

The driver had already taken his card, completed the transaction, and handed it back. As Do Ha stepped out of the taxi, Hae Yeon quickly pulled out cash—wanting at least to cover half the fare.

“Please take this.”

“Let’s go.”

Cha Do Ha spoke flatly. When Hae Yeon hesitated, he added,

“I’ll walk you.”

“What?” Hae Yeon asked with her eyes, bewildered—but Do Ha simply walked ahead. Unable to decide what to do, she followed him. When they reached her doorstep, Hae Yeon hesitated—should she invite him in for tea? Ask for his contact info? Or just say thanks and leave it at that?

While she was still pondering, Do Ha turned and walked down the alley. With his long legs and towering height, he strode away so quickly she couldn’t even catch up.

“What on earth was that?”

Watching him disappear into the distance, Hae Yeon murmured to herself as she entered her home.

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