To the daughter-in-law she had always faced with a stiff neck, she now lacked the courage to bow her head.
“Ah, this is driving me crazy!”
Deciding that today was not the day, Heo Young-joo was about to turn away.
Just as she thought that, the voice she desperately wanted to hear reached her from afar.
“Huh? Pretty Grandma!”
“……!”
Startled, Heo Young-joo quickly withdrew from the door.
As if asking when such a thing had happened, fully recovered and radiant, Woo-joo stood there, holding her mom’s hand tightly.
“Ah, dear…….”
Blinking, Heo Young-joo looked towards Seolwon.
Seolwon’s expression showed no emotion.
Feeling awkward, Heo Young-joo, after thoroughly observing Woo-joo, tried to turn away.
That’s when Seolwon spoke, “Come in. Since you’ve come this far.”
“…….”, Seolwon said and opened the door, entering first.
Woo-joo, who was entering with her, turned back and gestured for Heo Young-joo to come in.
It was a temptation that she couldn’t refuse.
A while later, instead of the usual black tea, a fragrant flower tea, unfamiliar to Heo Young-joo, was brought out.
Meeting Seolwon like this was a rare occasion.
However, unlike the past, there was now a child between them.
Watching Woo-joo, who was babbling in front of warm milk, Heo Young-joo suddenly recalled the old days.
When she first learned about Seolwon’s pregnancy, the harsh words she had said.
Thinking about that word, too embarrassing to even recall, Heo Young-joo felt like she wanted to hide in a mouse hole.
Especially looking at the child smiling at her, it became even more so.
“What brings you here?”
From Seolwon’s calm tone, only the minimum courtesy towards her mother-in-law could be felt.
Anyway, now that it had come to this, Heo Young-joo had decided to completely untie the knot today.
Whether she had to turn away with her tail between her legs or not.
Regardless, she was Chae-ha’s mother and Woo-joo’s grandmother.
She couldn’t deny that fact.
Gaining courage, Heo Young-joo took a sip of the flower tea and then casually opened her mouth.
“I came to see for myself how our child is recovering.”
“…Dr. Shim would have explained everything. There’s no problem.”
“But doesn’t it feel different when you see it with your own eyes?”
Almost raising her voice, Heo Young-joo quickly drank the flower tea again like a tranquillizer.
Then, looking at Woo-joo, who was squirming cutely, Heo Young-joo gathered her courage once again.
“Well… it’s an old story.”
Seolwon stared at her with a dry gaze.
As if her courage would crumble under that gaze, Heo Young-joo blurted out.
“I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please forgive me.”
“…….”
A heavy silence descended.
The uttered apology seemed to weigh heavily in the quietness.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Woo-joo broke the silence.
“Eung~? What did the pretty grandma do wrong to our mom?”
“Well, well. So, Grandma came to apologize.”
Grateful for the child’s intervention, Heo Young-joo subtly emphasized the word ‘grandma.’
Once she received forgiveness and revealed to Woo-joo that she was her grandmother…
“Mom, do you think forgiveness is that easily obtained?”
“Huh? W-what…?”
Unexpectedly, Seolwon’s response was different from what was anticipated, and Heo Young-joo shuddered her shoulders.
Of course, she didn’t expect an immediate ‘yes,’ but Seolwon’s attitude was endlessly cold.
In this atmosphere, it seemed like she would not only be forgiven but also receive a beating at any moment.
Seolwon stared at her, and once again, spoke methodically,
“Even if Baek Jaeyoung or Baek Sara faces the judgment of the law, what have you paid as their mother?”
“…….”
“The person asking for forgiveness, you haven’t done anything.”
“I, I…!”
It was an accurate accusation, but Heo Young-joo’s feelings about receiving that accusation were only tumultuous.
As if pleading her case, she poured out her words rapidly.
“Why haven’t I done anything? Like this… I came to apologize! And you don’t know, during this time, how well I treated our child, and again…”
“You happened to say it well. Mother.”
Seolwon’s gaze cutting through her words was even colder than before.
Then, Seolwon pronounced the verdict to Heo Young-joo.
“I hope you don’t come to see Woo-joo anymore.”
At those words, Heo Young-joo widened her eyes.
Her posture seemed like she might collapse immediately from the shock.
“Pretty grandma, can’t we see Woo-joo?”
Perplexed, when Woo-joo intervened, Seolwon delivered an even harsher verdict to Heo Young-joo.
“Listen well, Woo-joo. This grandma is the one who drove Mom away and separated her from Dad in the old days.”
“Eung?”
“So, Mom couldn’t meet Dad for five years, and Woo-joo couldn’t meet Dad either.”
With repeated shocks, Heo Young-joo clutched her chest.
“You, you… What are you doing in front of the child…!”
“Is that true, pretty grandma?”
Woo-joo lifted her head towards Heo Young-joo and asked a question.
Although she should deny it, she couldn’t say anything.
In the disappointed eyes of the child who seemed to understand the answer, a great sense of regret flashed.
“Oh, no. Baby! I am… this grandma is…”
In desperation, Heo Young-joo grabbed Woo-joo’s hand.
However, the small and warm hand of the child was no longer affectionate.
Pushing her hand away, Woo-joo shouted at Heo Young-joo.
“Woo-joo doesn’t like people who bother Mom! So, you’re not the pretty grandma. Now, you’re the ugly grandma!”
When Woo-joo moved away from Heo Young-joo, helpless, she seemed like she might collapse immediately.
Watching her in this state, Seolwon coldly ended the conversation.
“If you’ve finished your tea, please leave now. I don’t think there’s anything else to discuss.”
With a sentiment hoping for a miracle, Heo Young-joo stared desperately at Woo-joo.
However, Woo-joo completely avoided her gaze and hid behind her mom.
At this moment, Heo Young-joo was truly paying the highest price.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
