Only Bad for Me (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
“What kind of relationship do you have with that bastard?”
Eun Jo, who had been staring blankly downward, suddenly lifted her head with a start, doubting her own ears.
“…What did you say?”
That fucking idiot bastard. Jae Ha silently swallowed the curse he’d bitten back and wished he could slap himself.
Why did he always end up acting so pathetically childish in front of Yoon Eun Jo?
“You heard me. Just as I said—what’s your relationship?”
His voice was calm and casual, as if he were simply asking, “Did you enjoy dinner?” Eun Jo shuddered.
“…Do you even know who that person is?”
“I don’t care who that bastard is.”
“What if we were dating? Would that interest you? Why—what’s your reason?”
Whoosh—suddenly, the car accelerated, throwing Eun Jo back against her seat.
She couldn’t tell whether her heart was pounding violently because of nausea, or whether the frantic beating of her heart was causing the nausea.
All she knew was that Kwon Jae Ha was angry for no apparent reason.
It was obvious he thought he could control someone completely just because he’d thrown around an absurd sum of six hundred million won.
And it was equally clear that only by acting this way could he keep his old, bitter resentment in check—but…
It’s not like that for me. My feelings are on a completely… different level. Eun Jo quickly steeled her stance.
“We’re not like that. He’s someone I’m grateful to—someone who helped me a long time ago.”
Someone who lent me their shoulder in your place and let me cry without restraint.
“…”
“He’s a doctor. Back when I was… unwell, he helped me immensely.”
In New York, where I couldn’t talk to a single soul, inside that cold hospital room.
“Enough.”
Jae Ha’s voice had turned icy cold, rasping as he spoke.
Eun Jo turned her head sharply to the right and bit hard into the tender flesh inside her lip.
Behind her tightly shut eyelids, everything burned hot. Voices swirled chaotically inside her ears,
foreign words too rapid and urgent to decipher.
Every scene she’d convinced herself she’d forgotten flashed through her mind like lightning.
[My God, she’s bleeding!]She’d clearly closed her eyes—so why was everything suddenly drenched in crimson?
And now… that unpleasant dampness soaking into the luxurious beige leather seat.
“…”
Open your eyes, Yoon Eun Jo.
It’s all fake!
Illusions—meaningless images that no longer exist!
Eun Jo forced her eyelids open and pulled the dazzling cityscape into focus, though her breath still wouldn’t come easily.
“Could you… lower the window just a bit? My head… really hurts.”
Ssssh—the black glass slid down two finger-widths, letting in a stream of cold air.
Eun Jo parted her lips and sucked the chill deep into her lungs as if receiving oxygen.
“Don’t be so sensitive. I was just curious—whether he might be the kid’s father.”
But his tone plainly said he no longer cared to know. Kwon Jae Ha’s voice carried that unmistakable note.
As if to prove it, he immediately laid on that familiar cello tone.
Its smooth, steady, rich yet warm sound tried earnestly to soften the sharp air inside the car.
Eun Jo tried hard, too.
She struggled desperately to push away the specters of the past gnawing at her mind.
Though their clasped hands trembled slightly in the car’s dim interior,
she deliberately raised her voice to sound calm—just to ward off fear,
as she always had throughout her life.
“Did you know… they say the cello is the instrument closest to the player’s heart?”
“Because when you sit and hold the cello against your chest to play—it’s obvious, right?”
Whether by fortune or misfortune, Jae Ha’s voice had returned to its original cello-like smoothness and steadiness.
“Cello’s actually short for its full name…”
“Violoncello.”
“Right, violoncello. It’s the instrument that most resembles the human voice… Though it usually plays in the lower register, if you shift into high positions, it can produce notes as high as a viola or even a violin.”
“Why bring this up all of a sudden?”
“No, I just meant that’s how it’s always been.”
“I mean, why suddenly start giving a lecture on instruments?”
“Oh…”
“You’ll catch a cold.”
Ssssh—the window slid back up.
Whew… Eun Jo pressed the back of her hand against her still-warm cheek. Breathing did feel a little easier now.
Fine. I’ll just pretend I don’t know myself. That’s all I need to do.
“Breathe comfortably.”
“Huh? Yeah… Hey, I’ve been thinking.”
“Useless thoughts from that tiny brain—predictable as always.”
“Stop being difficult. I just want us to get along.”
“What?”
Ha. Ha. Ha. Jae Ha let out a deliberately fake laugh, as if he couldn’t believe her audacity.
“At least until I pay off my debt, I’d like us to… get along.”
“There’s only one way I’d consider ‘getting along’ with you. Think you can manage it?”
“…”
“Get along? After what you did to me? Don’t even dream it—your ambition’s way too optimistic.”
“That’s not what I meant! I just meant that, until I repay the money—at least while we still have to see each other—we don’t need to snap at each other.”
“Fine.”
Get along. Jae Ha muttered the words to himself as he scanned for a place to pull over.
Once again. Under the same roof. Getting along.
Let’s try to find the right answer.
“And besides, what happened between us was so long ago. Isn’t it about time we forgot it…?”
“We’re here.”
The moment Jae Ha finished speaking, Eun Jo flung open the car door and bolted out.
Her stomach churned so violently she couldn’t wait even a single second longer.
Once she was far enough that she couldn’t see herself reflected in the car windows, she dropped to her knees and retched.
Bracing her palms against the ground, Eun Jo let out a bitter laugh.
“Get along…?”
How exactly are we supposed to ‘get along’? Ugh—it’s laughable, even to me.
Truthfully, there’s no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ here.
I’m simply asking you to let me keep playing this act.
An easy performance—meeting Kwon Jae Ha’s eyes and smiling casually, however clumsily.
You must never know. About those moments I myself prefer to ignore.
An effortless act. One that doesn’t require honesty.
★★★
“Why are you late every day?”
Who were you with? Min Ah squinted suspiciously at Eun Jo.
“What do you mean ‘late’?”
“Mommy!”
Da On, clad in pajamas printed with green dinosaurs, burrowed into Eun Jo’s arms.
Rubbing her eyes sleepily with limp hands, she looked utterly adorable.
The sweet scent wafting from her small body seemed to wrap gently around Eun Jo’s frayed heart.
“I watched Doraemon with Auntie. ‘Nobita’s Great Adventure in Antarctica.’”
“Ah, Da On’s on a Doraemon marathon. Although she just dozed off the moment it started playing.”
“I didn’t fall asleep!”
Da On swung her plump little fist toward Min Ah—but of course, Min Ah easily dodged it.
“Uh-huh, your eyes got all wide when the red bean buns showed up.”
Bleh! Min Ah stuck out her tongue mischievously, just like a kid her age. Eun Jo flicked her sister’s thigh in response.
“Why don’t you just put her to bed instead of messing around?”
“What am I supposed to do if she refuses to sleep? By the way—did you drink? With who? That guy…?”
“Sun Woo came in.”
“You drank with Sun Woo oppa? Without me?”
Eun Jo, taking off her outerwear, looked at Min Ah with clear surprise.
She knew they occasionally video-called, but…
“You already knew Sun Woo was coming in?”
“…Yeah. He mentioned a while ago he’d join as soon as he finished his residency. Want some fruit? I bought really sweet oriental melon.”
“What about Da On?”
“Don’t worry—I fed her! She gobbled it all up happily. Right?”
“Yeah. But I want to eat more with Mommy.”
Hmph—helplessly charmed by Min Ah’s exaggerated pout, Eun Jo was too busy planting affectionate kisses on her soft cheeks to answer.
“Alright, I’ll go wash up quickly, and we’ll split one piece between us.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? Since when do you say ‘okay’? Dreaming about Yoon Da On?”
“Teacher said today—if you love someone, you use honorifics.”
“If you love someone, sunshine. If you love someone, honorifics. I’m dying of sadness here.”
Min Ah ruffled Da On’s hair wildly, and Da On immediately tackled her like an overexcited puppy.
“Auntie’s mean!”
“I hate you too!”
“Stop jumping around! Be quiet! The neighbors downstairs will call!”
They’ll probably make the kid cry again. A smile tugged at the corners of Eun Jo’s eyes, now softened.
★★★
The next afternoon,
Eun Jo hurried down to the company lobby after suddenly receiving a call from lawyer Kim Woong Chan.
He stood up the moment he spotted her in the café and bowed politely.
Eun Jo returned the bow. It was their first meeting since the police station.
“Hello.”
“Yes, hello. I’m sorry for showing up unannounced like this.”
“No, I should apologize—I never got to properly thank you.”
“Not at all. I was just doing my job. Shall we move somewhere else? If you’re uncomfortable here, we could go nearby.”
“No, I’m fine. Unless you’re the one uncomfortable.”
“I don’t mind either. And it won’t take long—please, have a seat. Oh, let me get you a drink first. Coffee okay?”
Eun Jo declined as Kim Woong Chan reached into his pocket—but ten minutes later,
she found herself sipping the cold water he’d brought her.
Unlike him, whose face revealed no emotion like a true professional,
Eun Jo’s face had gone deathly pale—paler even than the white paper in her hands.
[Debt Repayment Agreement]Creditor Kwon Jae Ha (hereafter referred to as ‘Party A’) and debtor Yoon Eun Jo (hereafter referred to as ‘Party B’) hereby enter into the following debt fulfillment agreement…
“It was drafted quickly, but as you can see, the terms aren’t complicated or lengthy. Still, if anything seems unclear or unacceptable, please let me know.”
“So… repay the entire amount within three months…”
“Or provide labor equivalent to the debt as Resident House Manager. Party A retains sole discretion over the valuation and duration of said labor. For your reference, the CEO has expressed full understanding and respect for whichever option Ms. Yoon Eun Jo chooses.”
Kwon Jae Ha’s representative had fulfilled his role precisely and efficiently—
unlike Party B, who couldn’t lift her shame- and outrage-flushed face.
Resident House Manager.
Hearing it in English made it sound rather respectable. Eun Jo gave a bitter smile.
In plain terms: “live-in helper, available 24/7.”
It was a clear threat—he intended to work her to the bone, day and night.
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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