Postponing Divorce (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1

“Did you sleep well, Grandfather?”

A clear, bright voice echoed through the spacious living room.

Ji Pil, seated on the sofa reading a newspaper, shifted his eyes.

He looked up toward Chae Yoon, who had come down from the second floor and was now approaching him, his eyes softening warmly.

“Yes. Did you sleep well too, Chae Yoon?”

“Yes.”

When Chae Yoon answered with a bright smile, Ji Pil set the newspaper he’d been reading down on the table and asked,

“What about Jae Oh?”

“He’ll be down soon.”

Ji Pil gave a small nod, glanced between Chae Yoon and the second floor, then said,

“Chae Yoon, come sit here for a moment.”

Chae Yoon, who had been heading toward the kitchen, changed direction toward Ji Pil.

Once she sat down, he asked carefully,

“You and Jae Oh these days… are you still just like that?”

It was a question she hadn’t heard in a long time.

Chae Yoon gave a slightly awkward smile and nodded.

“Yes.”

“Not even a little something?”

“……”

When Chae Yoon simply smiled without answering, Ji Pil began clicking his tongue.

“Tsk tsk tsk. That guy—how is it that three years have passed and he still hasn’t changed a bit.”

At Ji Pil’s words, Chae Yoon pressed her lips together tightly, her mouth drawn thin.

Just then, they heard footsteps coming down from the second floor.

Chae Yoon’s eyes moved.

Unlike her, dressed casually, the man walking down wore a perfectly tailored suit and an utterly expressionless face.

With his naturally striking looks, tall stature, and a perfectly V-shaped physique despite being consumed by work—this man was none other than her first love and current husband, Han Jae Oh.

Three years ago.

Chae Yoon had become a married woman at twenty-one, right after her father, Hae Sang, died.

Her mother had passed away when she was young, and having grown up almost entirely under her father’s care, Hae Sang had been everything to her.

Then came the sudden news of his death.

Chae Yoon couldn’t believe it—his passing, delivered over the phone.

She had only just entered society, still unable to do much on her own, and the feeling of being left alone in the world overwhelmed her.

She was terrified of how she would live from now on.

It was Jae Oh who reached out his hand to her then.

[Let’s get married.]

Marriage?

That wasn’t something the man would say—someone who’d always treated her merely as a younger acquaintance and cared only about work.

So she asked,

[All of a sudden… why me?]

He replied,

[I need you.]

His gaze was intense and purposeful.

Her heart fluttered at this unfamiliar look, hope welling up inside her.

Maybe… maybe he’d started to like me too?

[More precisely, your father’s company.]

Her rising hope was instantly snuffed out by his next words.

[…Why does my company matter to you, Oppa?] [Taeil was lacking in chemistry and biotech sectors. Your father’s company holds unmatched technological strength in those fields. I don’t want to let that slip away.] […]

Even though she’d always known his feelings for her weren’t romantic, hearing “I need you” had sparked hope—and that made the bitterness sting even more.

[It doesn’t seem like marrying me would be such a bad deal for you, either.] […Why not?] [There are management issues with the company, and wouldn’t it be better for you to live with Grandfather and others rather than staying alone here? You’ve always gotten along well with Grandfather.]

Only someone like Ji Pil—who had cherished both Hae Sang and her like his own son and granddaughter—could say such a thing.

She, too, felt uneasy about living alone, but no matter how close they were, she couldn’t marry Jae Oh just for this reason.

So she should have refused his proposal…

[The marriage you’re suggesting… it’s an arranged one, right?] [If you want to put it that way, yes.]

Chae Yoon couldn’t reject Jae Oh’s proposal.

To him, “marriage” was a business necessity—meaning he could just as easily propose to another woman if needed.

She’d harbored a one-sided crush on him for a whole year.

Though she rarely saw him—Jae Oh, always immersed in business, even when visiting Ji Pil’s house—on the rare days they managed a brief conversation, her heart raced so much she couldn’t sleep. And when Hae Sang passed, the first person who came to her mind was Jae Oh.

That’s why.

Because this man was so deeply etched into her heart.

Chae Yoon couldn’t bear the thought of him marrying another woman.

Realizing there was no other choice—if she could help him in any way and he needed her—she answered,

[I’ll do it. Let’s get married.]

And so their marriage happened.

Though she’d steeled herself not to expect much from an arranged marriage, the real Jae Oh surpassed even her lowered expectations.

[When will we hold the wedding?] [Oh, the wedding…]

His face looked as if he’d never even considered it.

[Do we really have to hold the wedding now?]

His eyes even conveyed clear annoyance at the idea of diverting attention from work.

Knowing that planning a wedding with such a man wouldn’t bring her joy either, Chae Yoon replied,

[If you’re busy, we can do it later.] [Alright, then.]

And she thought,

Once his workload eased, he’d think of her a little.

But the indifference that began from day one continued for three full years, and Chae Yoon was growing weary of it.

“Han Jae Oh.”

At Ji Pil calling out to Jae Oh, Chae Yoon snapped out of her thoughts.

Jae Oh was looking at Ji Pil.

“What is it?”

“What is it? Don’t you have anything to say to Grandfather?”

When Grandfather had grabbed him first thing in the morning, Jae Oh swept a glance over Ji Pil and asked,

“Are you unwell?”

“No.”

“Then that’s settled.”

After giving that indifferent reply, Jae Oh started walking again.

Ji Pil’s brow furrowed as he watched his grandson—always so dry and distant—walk away.

Without even glancing back, Jae Oh’s broad back receded, and Ji Pil called out,

“Eat breakfast before you go!”

“……”

“Han Jae Oh!”

Despite Ji Pil’s shout, Jae Oh kept walking steadily, and his imposing figure soon vanished from both Ji Pil’s and Chae Yoon’s sight.

Chae Yoon’s lips turned down as she watched him disappear without sparing her a glance.

‘No matter how busy he is, he should at least eat before leaving.’

He’d always worked late as if it were normal, but lately his schedule seemed even heavier—he’d been coming home later than usual.

Though he didn’t look particularly exhausted from their brief morning encounters, she guessed from his slightly thinner frame that he probably wasn’t eating properly.

Even if he didn’t seem tired on the outside, proper nutrition really did make a big difference.

Chae Yoon, blinking her large eyes deep in thought, carefully rose from her seat.

She headed straight to the kitchen.

After asking the housekeepers to prep simple salad and sandwich ingredients, Chae Yoon soon finished packing a lunchbox for Jae Oh.

“Thank you.”

After thanking those who’d helped her, Chae Yoon went upstairs to get ready to leave.

In one corner of her spacious room—larger than an average officetel—stood two queen-size beds.

Seeing them, Chae Yoon was reminded of the first time she’d entered this room.

It had been soon after they’d filed their marriage registration.

[How should we use the room?]

Instead of offering even a basic “You must be tired from moving,” Jae Oh had immediately brought up the room arrangement, leaving Chae Yoon feeling slighted. She’d replied indifferently,

[Do whatever you want.] [We can share the room, but not the bed.]

Chae Yoon stared at him, bewildered.

She hadn’t even suggested sharing a bed—why did he say it like that? Anyone listening would think she’d asked to share it.

Feeling unfairly accused, she fixed her gaze firmly on him.

Jae Oh gave a light shrug and added an excuse,

[I’ve never shared a bed with anyone before—it’d be uncomfortable.]

As if someone else were involved.

[I haven’t either.]

When she replied in a tone that clearly conveyed her exasperation, his thick eyebrows arched slightly.

[So let’s each use our own.]

She hadn’t wanted to share a bed anyway—but why did his blunt phrasing have to sting so much?

Unable to help herself, Chae Yoon snapped back,

[Fine. Who cares?]

At her sharp tone, Jae Oh’s eyebrows twitched.

After staring for a moment at Chae Yoon, who stood there with her lips jutting out, he said,

[…I’m being considerate of you.] [Yeah, I know. I didn’t want to share a bed with you either.]

Having his hollow attempt at playing the considerate husband thrown right back in his face, Chae Yoon added with a look that said, “Wow, how utterly grateful I am.”

[But why the irritated tone—wait, where are you going?]

He hadn’t even finished speaking when she walked out of the room, effectively ending the conversation—and soon enough, two beds stood side by side in that large room.

Remembering how their two-bed arrangement had begun, Chae Yoon sighed.

‘Share a bed? Please…’

She figured it was already lucky they weren’t using separate rooms.

Thinking of that cold man who clearly didn’t see her as a woman, Chae Yoon swept a quick glance over the bed Jae Oh used, then headed toward the walk-in closet.

The moment Jae Oh arrived at work, he was summoned to the Vice Chairman’s office—and subjected to unsolicited advice.

The topic of their conversation was the distribution business Jae Oh had recently shown interest in.

“So, that plan carries too much risk.”

Jung Woong, Vice Chairman of Taeil Group and Jae Oh’s uncle, spoke firmly. At this, Jae Oh’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Ever since Jae Oh had formally entered management, Jung Woong had constantly interfered—criticizing his decisions with “You shouldn’t do it this way” or “You must do it that way.” And today, as always, his unhelpful commentary continued.

Wasting time on such pointless matters irritated Jae Oh, and he retorted sharply,

“On the other hand, the approach you’re suggesting is far too conservative—it won’t differentiate us from other brands.”

“No matter what, pushing forward with this marketing strategy while taking on such heavy risk—”

“I’ll shoulder the risk. Not you.”

His firm tone, edged with irritation, cut Jung Woong off mid-sentence.

Silence fell over the Vice Chairman’s office.

“……”

Though offended by Jae Oh’s rudeness, Jung Woong suppressed his anger—for the sake of appearances—and replied as calmly as he could,

“All this is just your own opinion.”

His follow-up—“So you should listen”—drew a mocking smile to Jae Oh’s lips.

‘My opinion…’

That was the last thing Jung Woong should have said.

If he’d truly cared about him—

[What are we going to do now that even Uncle has turned out like this?] [What can we do? It can’t be helped.] [Now that Jae Oh’s an orphan, Father will definitely take him under his wing. He’ll probably favor Jae Oh over us now…] [But he’s just a kid—why worry? Besides, Jae Oh’s always been obedient to us. Maybe my brother passing away early was actually good for us.]

He couldn’t possibly have said those words—at his own brother’s funeral.

Remembering the conversation he’d overheard between Jung Woong and his wife Kyeong Hee—who’d acted sweetly toward him, telling him to think of her as his mother—Jae Oh’s eyes narrowed further as he said,

“You really shouldn’t meddle where you don’t belong.”

Jung Woong’s gaze turned icy.

“Han Jae Oh.”

Even at that low, warning tone, Jae Oh remained unfazed.

“I’ll handle this myself. Don’t bring up this business matter again.”

His expression clearly said he had no intention of wasting any more time.

Seeing Jae Oh’s deeply annoyed face, Jung Woong’s lips twisted slightly.

‘That rude little bastard.’

Though his eyes showed clear displeasure at his arrogant nephew, Jae Oh maintained his haughty expression, stood up, and walked out of the Vice Chairman’s office.

The moment he stepped out of the office, an irritated mutter slipped through his finely shaped lips.

“How much time did I waste on such pointless nonsense?”

Woo Jong, standing beside him, quickly darted his eyes around—alarmed by the volume and lack of filter in Jae Oh’s voice, and by the secretaries’ fixed stares.

His boss never cared about others’ opinions, and with an important meeting coming up, he was even sharper than usual—but still, it was better to avoid giving people gossip fodder. Woo Jong hurriedly led him away.

“Managing Director, let’s go quickly.”

They stepped into the elevator heading to Jae Oh’s office.

About a minute later.

Jae Oh arrived at his office at a brisk pace—and was met with an unexpected sight.

Chae Yoon, whom he’d only ever seen at home, had come to his workplace.

The moment he saw her, his long legs, striding with wide steps, came to an abrupt halt.

“Huh? Mrs. Han…?”

At Woo Jong’s voice, Chae Yoon—who had been talking with another secretary—turned her head toward Jae Oh.

Her pale face came into view.

Seeing her large eyes widen at the sight of him, Jae Oh’s expression softened almost imperceptibly.