“For now, just observe. Keep me updated.”

“Understood, Ma’am.”

After sending the secretary away, Hyo Young looked at the photo again.

She’s quite cute.

When she fled in a panic at the news of the marriage, I thought she was just an ordinary woman and paid no attention. Who would have thought we’d meet again seven years later?

Hyo Young clearly knew about the change in Seung Jun at that time.

When Seung Jun first came to her house at the age of seven, he had difficulty sleeping at night, missing his mother.

Hyo Young did not accept such feelings from Seung Jun. She scolded him harshly and beat him. She wanted him to engrave in his bones the lesson that no one could accept such emotions from him anymore.

The beating was also for herself, trying to sympathize with Seung Jun.

‘No. How can I, as the eldest daughter-in-law…’

The eldest daughter-in-law who couldn’t even have a child. Hyo Young had to somehow keep her position as the useless eldest daughter-in-law. Seung Jun’s pain and hardship was a secondary issue.

As a result of that lesson, Seung Jun became a child who knew how to hide his emotions. He kept an emotional distance from everyone and didn’t give his heart to just anyone.

For twenty years. Then she appeared. The woman who turned all those efforts to nothing. The woman who made Seung Jun get swept up in emotions again and forget his duty.

‘This time, a marriage announcement won’t be enough.’

There was no hope left for her husband, the chairman’s eldest son who lacked ability and didn’t gain his father’s recognition.

The person she had to raise well was Seung Jun, and now Hyo Young was willing to devote her everything for that.

‘It’s your fault. Didn’t I teach you so harshly? So don’t resent me too much.’

Hyo Young mercilessly tore up the photo. Putting the photo in the trash can, Hyo Young smiled.

That’s when there was a knock at the door.

Hyo Young quickly changed her expression and returned to her usual kind and gentle face. The person who opened the door was a different secretary than before.

“Ms. Lee In Hye has arrived.”

“Ah, yes. Tell her to come in.”

As the woman called In Hye entered, Hyo Young smiled brightly and approached her.

“Unni.”

Hyo Young, who also serves as the director of the group-owned art gallery ‘BADA Gallery’, met the painter Lee In Hye, who is more famous in the United States than in Korea, twenty years ago.

Since then, Hyo Young has aged day by day, but In Hye has gotten younger by the day. The reason was that In Hye devoted herself solely to her work without getting married or having children.

“Why are you so busy? There’s no time to see you.”

“I know. Why am I so busy when I have nothing to do?”

Hyo Young took In Hye’s hand, walked her to the reception table, sat her down, and sat across from her. Soon, the secretary came in, took the tea order, and left.

“What do you mean you have nothing to do? Where else can you find someone as busy as you, Unni? You had a hospital event yesterday, right?”

In Hye was famous for participating in various events without pay, in addition to her work. Yesterday, she visited the hospital to teach painting to children with childhood cancer.

“Yes.”

“Even without a child, how can you be so active in child-related events, Unni? Sometimes you seem more like a mother than I am.”

Hyo Young was smiling, but In Hye was looking at her with somewhat disgruntled eyes, only slightly raising the corners of her mouth. Hyo Young noticed and quickly lowered the corners of her mouth.

“Sorry. Did I say something wrong?”

“No. I’ve been thinking these days. I haven’t lived a very womanly life because I’ve been so busy with my work and doing what I love. Getting married and having children. It had nothing to do with me.”

At In Hye’s words, Hyo Young lightly tapped the back of her hand and replied.

“Don’t say that, Unni. These days, if you say something is womanly, you’ll get cursed at for being anachronistic. Especially an artist like you. These days, it’s an era of humanity that transcends gender. You should live the way you want.”

After saying that, Hyo Young let out a small sigh.

“Do you think I’m happy then? I studied education, but now I’m just playing the role of a puppet in a chaebol family. I’m happiest when I’m standing at a university lectern.”

“Then why don’t you do it now? You were a popular lecturer.”

Hearing In Hye’s words, Hyo Young gave a bitter smile.

Her in-laws didn’t acknowledge such a thing. Not to mention her own family. When there was an opening after raising Seung Jun to some extent, she worked for a while but had to quit soon after, conscious of their watchful eyes.

“Unni. Being womanly? Don’t envy that. Honestly, I envy you the most. My family had to marry me off like I was being sold because my father wrongly guaranteed a debt, but you didn’t have anything like that. So enjoy. For my share too.”

Hyo Young’s father, who had lived an upright life as a judge, wrongly guaranteed a close friend’s debt and ended up losing all his assets and sitting on a pile of debt.

If it weren’t for that reason, Hyo Young would probably have married a man in a similar situation and stood at a university lectern.

She wouldn’t have had to live paying off debt even after marriage. She wouldn’t have had to raise a child who wasn’t of her blood as a son to gain Chairman Han’s recognition.

“People envy lives they haven’t lived.”

In Hye lowered her eyes that somehow looked lonely.

“I know what part you envy about me. Yes, to you, I may seem endlessly free. But what you see isn’t everything. Sometimes, I wonder what would have happened if I had made a different choice.”

Hyo Young tilted her head.

In Hye’s father was a bank branch manager who had lived his whole life without lacking anything. He didn’t make the mistake of wrongly guaranteeing debt like Hyo Young’s father, and he generously paid for In Hye’s overseas studies.

But a different choice? Could there have been a man she loved?

“Anyway, I just want you to do well as you are now, Unni. Forget about the past. Especially if it’s related to men. It’s all useless.”

When Hyo Young shook her head, In Hye laughed. But somehow, there seemed to be a sense of emptiness in that laughter.

*

President Bang Du Sik was standing in front of the vice chairman’s office, stroking his chin.

He was currently in the water purifier business and had been supplying and managing water purifiers to the JK headquarters office for several years.

But suddenly, last night, he received a call directly from the vice chairman. Saying he wanted to meet today.

‘What on earth is going on?’

For him, the JK Group was a place that threw him a lifeline. Just as he was about to close his water purifier business because it wasn’t doing well, he joined hands with the JK Group and the company got back on a stable track.

“Please come in.”

After a while, the secretary guided President Bang Du Sik and brought him to the vice chairman’s office. As Du Sik entered the office, Seung Jun, who was sitting in front of the desk, slowly rose from his seat.

Du Sik’s mouth fell open when he saw Seung Jun for the first time, whom he had only heard about.

Indeed, he was the spitting image of Chairman Han, his grandfather.

His tall stature and sharp face gave the appearance of a scholar or gentleman, but his eyes were vividly alive, as if they would find all the hidden thoughts of the other person.

His long nose bridge and sharp jawline made him seem like a celebrity, but looking at his solid body, one felt strangely discouraged by the overwhelming presence.

“Please have a seat.”

Seung Jun offered Du Sik a seat across from him and sat down on the sofa.

“I don’t have much time. Let’s finish this in ten minutes.”

Without even offering tea, Seung Jun looked at his watch and spoke. Du Sik swallowed his saliva, wondering what on earth he was talking about.

“I’ll get straight to the point. We’re changing suppliers. From now on, we at JK will have no use for your company’s water purifiers.”

“What?”

Du Sik’s eyes widened.

A bundle of documents was tossed to where he was sitting. Seung Jun pointed to the documents with his eyes.

“Take a look.”

Du Sik picked up the documents with trembling hands. But after looking at only a few pages, he let out a slow groan.

“The record of lobbying Team Leader Ko Jin Han from the Business Support Team. Is that correct?”

As Seung Jun’s brows furrowed deeply, Du Sik let out a deep breath.

He couldn’t say anything and just lowered his head.

The company was like a candle in the wind. He called out a few employees including Team Leader Ko Jin Han, treated them, and gave them enough not to feel neglected.

At that time, it was the best he could do. In the end, he was able to secure the deal.

“I can’t stand this filthy sight. Team Leader Ko Jin Han and the cooperating employees will soon face disciplinary action. I intend to clearly reveal it within the company as well.”

At Seung Jun’s words, Du Sik fell to the floor as if he had collapsed.

Without hesitation, Du Sik knelt down on both knees in front of the man who was like a younger brother to him.

“I apologize, Vice Chairman.”

With his forehead on the floor, Du Sik pleaded in a voice mixed with groans.

“Please forgive me just this once. If the deal is cut off like this, our company will go under. It’s a company I barely managed to start. Please, for the sake of our employees at least.”

“For the sake of the employees.”

Seung Jun also rose from his seat.

“You shouldn’t have done such a filthy thing then. Right? President.”

Looking down at Du Sik, Seung Jun lightly clicked his tongue.

“I know that when business isn’t going well and sales aren’t coming in, your heart gets impatient. That it couldn’t be helped. But in order to last long, you have to walk the righteous path.”

Checking his watch again, Seung Jun nodded.

“It’s been exactly ten minutes. Ah, one last thing. Take good care of your son and wife. Who knows what kind of trouble they’re getting into? There must have been a recent lawsuit too.”

“What?”

Du Sik raised his head from his kneeling position.

“You must know. The Gold Land incident. The trial must still be ongoing.”

Walking over to his seat, Seung Jun pressed his shoulder with one hand and said,

“What are you doing? I told you to leave.”

Realization dawned on Du Sik’s face.

“I apologize, that, that was something my wife did without knowing better. I was going to apologize separately…”

“Come here and see the guest out.”

Ignoring Du Sik’s words, Seung Jun picked up the phone and called the secretary.

Soon, the secretaries came in and escorted Du Sik out.

Even as he was being dragged out, Du Sik desperately sought the vice chairman, but Seung Jun didn’t even look back.

“This can’t be happening, this can’t be!”

Collapsed in the corridor of the headquarters, Du Sik pounded his chest and then took out his cell phone.

− Look at this, some man gave it to me at the playground today. Hehehehe.

The image of his wife bragging about having Gold Land tickets came to mind. He should have told her not to go then.

Du Sik shouted at the person on the other end of the phone.

“You wench, nothing goes right because of you and Shin Young, nothing!”