Secretary Jeong had been getting on in years, making it difficult for him to support Chae Ha at the forefront. So they had been hiring new secretaries for a while now.
Not one lasted more than a month, and the departing secretaries’ gossip only served to spread ill rumors about Chae Ha.
‘He completely erased the existence of his wife.’
The frequent resignation of the secretaries was a headache for him, their superior.
While it was true that Chae Ha was strict at work, the real reason they quit was something else.
“Hey! Kwon Chae Ha! Your mother is here, and what’s with this ‘just leave’ thing?”
“…Why are you here again?”
“Why? I have to arrange a weekend meal with the Sara family, and since you’ve been ignoring me, I had to come here!”
Today too, dressed in vibrant attire, his mother Heo Young Joo comfortably sat on the leather sofa in the vicepresident’s office.
Her attire was becoming more and more flamboyant over time.
Even if she had been a popular actress in her heyday, that was no longer the case. Yet she appeared as if she was stuck in her past glory.
Having had a fun shopping spree, Heo Young Joo’s shopping bags soon filled the leather sofa.
“That is a seat for the guests, mother.”
“Oh my, look at this boy? If I’m not a guest, then who is?”
“I’m busy. If you keep coming like this while I’m working, it’s difficult. I think I’ve told you several times.”
“Yeah! You’re right. How many times have I had the same conversation too?”
Another repetition of the same conversation, Chae Ha rubbed his throbbing forehead.
The cause of the slight headache that had recently developed was undoubtedly his mother.
An icy response automatically poured out of his mouth, as if he had ice in it.
“I’m sure I told you. I can’t attend that dinner.”
“Look at you! How long are you going to be so stubborn, you!”
“Perhaps you should stop being so persistent and find another hobby. If you keep raising your voice at your age, you’ll collapse from high blood pressure.”
“Kwon Chae Ha!”
In the end, Her Young Joo, overwhelmed with anger, got up abruptly and glared at her son, who was so cold.
“It’s been 5 years. Surely you haven’t forgotten that Min Seol Won, or whatever her name is?”
“Mother.”
From the marble desk where Chae Ha’s elbow was resting, a shattering noise came, as if by mistake.
“I must have warned you. Don’t mention that name in front of me.”
“Why? Is she a sanctuary or something? You need to get your act together! I’ve told you so many times… she’s dead… Ah!”
Bang! The nameplate rolled onto the floor.
Although it wasn’t thrown at me, Mrs. Heo shuddered at the blatant threat.
“Fine. Let’s see how long this goes on! This Sunday, I’m arranging a meeting. We’re going to discuss a marriage meeting with Sara!”
“I’m not going.”
“You must know that the most valuable land among the potential sites for our new resort that’s going to be built by our Chaewoon is owned by the Baekyeong Group. If you marry her, Chairman Baek will give it to you. Where else in the world would you find such a deal?”
“Mother.”
The sound coming from deep in Chae Ha’s throat, as he scratched it, was as chilling as the call of a death god.
But perhaps this time Mrs. Heo couldn’t back down either, and she continued to raise her voice.
“You’re right. Where would you find a girl like Sara? The man she’s loved for a long time even married another woman, but she endured and waited! Listen well, Kwon Chae Ha! You must remarry Baek Sara this year!”
Beep.
Instead of a reply, a mechanical sound was heard, and then Chae Ha’s announcement followed.
“Please escort the unwelcome guest out. Right now!”
The word ‘unwelcome guest’ made Heo Young Joo’s eyes blink in mortification.
Then she clenched her fists and stormed out of the vice president’s office.
“Ha……”
She was my mother, she was my mother.
There was no warmth felt where she had come and gone.
The stark contrast added to Chae Ha’s longing for the warmth of someone who had already disappeared from within him.
An unbearable thirst, an unbearable withdrawal symptom had come.
“Damn it!”
Chae Ha, who had been rummaging through the drawer for a headache pill, pulled his hand back and brought it to his chest.
Kwon Chae Ha pressed hard on the object hanging at the center of his neck over his shirt collar.
As if engraving a mark on his heart, as if imprinting it onto his soul.
A familiar pain soon asserted its presence, bestowing a bitter sensation on his chest.
Pain, agony, a fortunate existence.
Then it happened.
Without a knock, he felt the vicepresident’s office door slide open.
Already standing on edge, Chae Ha shot a sharp glance towards the door.
“What is it? I clearly said not to enter without permission…”
“You still haven’t gotten rid of that terrible habit.”
“…!”
Surprised, Chae Ha dropped his hand, and secretary Jung walked in with a goodnatured laugh.
Walking slowly towards Chae Ha, he reached into his pocket and extended a crumpled handkerchief.
“You’re being too harsh on yourself. What would you do if your shirt got bloodied?”
“…”
“Relieving your pain like that isn’t good, VicePresident.”
At Secretary Jung’s subtly comforting and scolding tone, Chae Ha took out the object that had just wounded him.
The thin metallic sound chimed as it fell to the floor.
The object, a wedding ring, had faint traces of wear at the end of its bent bezel.
It was the wedding ring of two people, left behind by his wife, Min Seol Won.
Every time he wanted to call her name, he bent the bezel of the ring to suppress his urges, like a punishment to himself for never wearing the ring.
Secretary Jung frowned at the sight of his reddened welts.
“Because of this, I’m upset by the rumors surrounding you, VicePresident. Everyone’s talking as if the crown prince of Chaeun had been mourning for five years.”
“…It’s not mourning.”
When Chae Ha lowered his gaze, Secretary Jung gently placed his wrinkled hand on his back of the hand.
When Chae Ha lifted his head again due to the unexpected gesture, Secretary Jung wore a gentle smile as if he knew everything, and finally spoke.
“If it’s not, that’s a relief, VicePresident. How about finally letting go of the young lady?”
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
