“How on earth… have you endured all this time?”

His deepened gaze, his trembling dark pupils, honestly revealed Woo Jin’s emotions. His reaction was also a shock to Tae Eun. She thought he would first tell her to understand and accept it.

“You should have told me. That day when you first met Park Seo Woo, you should have told me.”

He gently reprimanded her, but she knew. Even if she went back to that day, she would have made the same choice.

“You know. That’s not the kind of person I am. And meeting Park Seo Woo that day wasn’t surprising. I had searched about you on the internet before going, though not as much as you. But at that time, there was a scandal with Park Seo Woo. So… I guess I just accepted it.”

“Are you stupid? How could you just accept that the man you’re marrying is in that kind of relationship with another woman? Even if it’s a marriage started without love, how is that possible?”

“That’s your perspective, who has everything. You, who’ve lived as the heir of Jangwon for over 30 years, were someone who could do anything confidently.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think that far. I didn’t think Seo Woo would come to the wedding venue either. It’s all my fault. I should have been more careful.”

He spoke as if blaming himself. If they had taken more time to get to know each other, could they have avoided this situation? No, he couldn’t be sure. In any case, he would still have had to deal with Seo Woo, who couldn’t accept the breakup.

“And I… I had no choice then. Even if you were worse than that, I wanted to marry you to escape that hell. I wanted to take care of my grandmother without worry.”

“…”

“That alone was enough to make the marriage valuable to me. Moreover…”

“Moreover?”

“I don’t know why. But… I trusted you when I first met you. I thought that if I married this man, at least my and my grandmother’s safety would be guaranteed.”

“Ha! I like that part at least. It’s a bit ironic that you felt such trust in a man who had another woman, but…”

At those words, a quiet laugh escaped Tae Eun’s lips. But Woo Jin became serious at that laugh.

“Don’t laugh. I’m serious. So you’re saying it’s okay if I see Park Seo Woo?”

“No. It’s not okay. I thought it would be okay, but it wasn’t. Still, you… accepted me even knowing I might have difficulty having a child. So I thought I could endure that much.”

“Endure? Again with enduring? I told you, stop living by enduring. And where’s such a nonsensical theory? How is that the same?”

“What’s different?”

“A married man seeing another woman… Although there’s no law against adultery these days, it’s at least morally wrong. But not being able to have children…”

He stopped mid-sentence and looked at her earnestly, taking her hand. She could feel his warm temperature. And even more than that, his feelings seemed to be conveyed without words, already bringing her to tears.

“Not being able to have children, Tae Eun… is not a sin.”

“…”

“You’ve done nothing wrong. Why are you trying to endure such nonsense because of that?”

He was the first person to say this to her. In reality, in Korea, a woman who can’t bear children is treated like a sinner. So when she saw beautiful children, she would be incredibly happy but then shrink back, knowing she couldn’t have them. Like someone who had committed a crime.

But he says it’s not a sin. Moreover, it’s not her fault.

Finally, the tears that had blurred her vision flowed down, unable to bear their weight.

She had tried to hold them back. She had tried not to cry. This man keeps making her weak.

But she didn’t dislike becoming weak to this man’s weighty presence. At least in front of this man, it seemed okay to cry.

“Hah… I didn’t think of it. If I had explained beforehand, you wouldn’t have misunderstood. Actually, I didn’t feel the need to.”

“…”

“It’s true that I had a past relationship with Park Seo Woo. It’s complicated to explain. But I can tell you one thing for sure.”

“…”

“Park Seo Woo and I, we ended long ago.”

“But the scandal…”

“We were over before the scandal broke.”

“Still, you met Park Seo Woo after that. Even on our wedding night… you went to Park Seo Woo.”

Yes. That’s what hurt. The moment he thought Tae Eun had known everything from the beginning, that was what bothered him most.

Her feelings, watching her husband rush to another woman.

Her position, unable to even ask where he was going.

…It hit him deeply, enough to make his stomach churn.

“That was, Tae Eun. I did it because I was worried. It’s not known to the media, but Seo Woo once attempted suicide. So I was afraid she might do something dangerous again with bad thoughts. She’s an actress. She’s that sensitive emotionally. And…”

He was about to talk about the deceased Seo Jin. Then maybe Tae Eun could understand the special relationship between him and Seo Woo. However, talking about Seo Jin meant exposing his own weaknesses, so he still needed time.

A story he couldn’t tell anyone.

A story he had kept only in his heart.

In fact, casually speaking about it was too much for him. Or maybe it would be too much for his entire life. Because Seo Jin’s death could never be okay.

Of course, he couldn’t keep it a secret from Tae Eun forever. It was a story he would have to tell someday, but at least not now. Fortunately, Tae Eun seemed to understand to some extent and nodded at that point.

“I didn’t… think of that.”

“Still, I thought Seo Woo would be okay after some time passed. After all, I was emotionally over it. So… I didn’t feel the need to explain that to you.”

“…”

“But that was a mistake. I never thought it would come back to you.”

Those words, that he was emotionally over it, were the greatest comfort to Tae Eun. But she couldn’t hold back her tears.

Until now, enduring had been a habit. And it was what she did best. So she naturally thought she had to endure.

But it seems that was a foolish thing. If she had asked him about Park Seo Woo from the beginning, could the situation have been different? She was afraid to hear the definitive answer from his mouth. Still, unable to give up on this marriage, she chose to pretend not to know.

“I’m sorry for making you suffer all this time.”

“…*sob* *sob*”

The sorrow she had endured and endured finally burst out.

She doesn’t know how much she had clutched her heart, which had turned to ashes watching him rush to another woman at dawn. Fearing that if she couldn’t hold onto even that blackened heart, she wouldn’t be able to maintain their married life, she had resolved again and again. To never, ever love him.

But it seems that even though it’s her own heart, it doesn’t go as she wishes. That’s why whenever Park Seo Woo’s existence was imprinted on her mind, it felt like her insides were being coldly cut. The emotion she had tightly locked away was leaking.

But now he promises.

“Never… It will never happen again.”

That it will never happen again.

Now there was no reason to lock away her leaking heart. With her tears, her burst heart flowed into him.

Feeling Woo Jin’s touch gently patting her as he held her, Tae Eun admitted.

That he had already become her world.

* * *

In the spacious living room without a single light on, Seo Woo glared at the phone on the table in the darkness.

Woo Jin is not answering her calls. Three days have passed since he sternly warned her and turned away. The calls he hasn’t answered for three days since leaving like that were gradually tightening around her throat.

Is he really thinking of ending their relationship like this? So one-sidedly?

Woo Jin’s face looking down at her before leaving the house flashes vividly through her mind.

Since meeting him, it was the first time she had seen such a frightening face. Considering the past when he couldn’t even get angry at her once, it was a drastically different appearance that made her doubt if he was really the Seo Woo Jin she knew.

In the darkness, Seo Woo unconsciously muttered through her teeth.

“Marriage? Fine, do it with another woman. I gave up on that position long ago anyway. But still… you should love me, oppa. Not that woman.”

She picked up her phone. But it wasn’t to call Woo Jin. She knew too well that even if she called, he wouldn’t answer. Instead, she called someone else who couldn’t avoid her call. It was Manager Park, Woo Jin’s closest secretary.

No matter how much he tries to end his relationship with her, there’s one thing he absolutely can’t ignore.

Her safety.

That’s why although she couldn’t talk directly to Woo Jin, Seo Woo thought that the opportunity to talk with Manager Park would be open in case of any situation. And that thought was correct.

“Hello, Manager Park. This is Park Seo Woo.”

[Yes, I know. What’s the matter?]

“Woo Jin oppa isn’t answering his phone.”

Manager Park calmly replied to her words.

[From now on, our managing director will not answer Park Seo Woo’s calls.]

It wasn’t surprising as she had expected it. But Woo Jin’s response didn’t end there.

[And from now on, I will be responsible for Park Seo Woo’s safety. Even if Seo Woo gets sick or hurt, I will handle it at my level.]

At Manager Park’s firm words, a slight crack appeared between Seo Woo’s brows. This was an unexpected situation.

“Did oppa… tell you to do that?”

[Yes. The managing director told us not to report anything about Park Seo Woo.]

She couldn’t believe it. Is he really going this far?

“Did oppa really say that?”

[Yes.]

At Manager Park’s calm answer, her teeth clenched.

“I see. I’ll hang up now.”

Seo Woo ended the call. But she unconsciously bit her lip.

Woo Jin had started moving sharply to cut her off. It’s true that Seo Woo was momentarily flustered by this unprecedented situation. However, she regained her composure again.

Because she knew better than anyone that Woo Jin couldn’t completely cut her off. She had a tenacious connection that he could never sever. Not only that, but Woo Jin had made a fatal mistake by turning his back on her. He had revealed his weakness.

“Min Tae Eun…”

Seo Woo picked up her phone again without hesitation. A year ago, on the day Woo Jin said goodbye, she had once investigated, thinking he had found another woman. She was now calling the errand center she had hired then.

When she heard the other person’s voice, Seo Woo spoke in a subdued voice.

“Hello. I’d like to make a request.”

Humans don’t know. How much of a weakness their burning desire can be to themselves.

Woo Jin’s feelings for Tae Eun will become a fatal weakness for the invincible him. Because humans will do anything to protect what’s precious to them.

[Yes. What kind of job is it this time? Is it about that person again…]

“No. It’s someone else this time.”

Yet when they lose it, they crumble.

Just like she did when she lost Seo Jin.

That’s why Seo Woo had no doubt.

“That person, his wife.”

That Min Tae Eun would become such an existence to Woo Jin.