It was a clear warning.

Barely three hours had passed since the photo with an unclear origin was delivered to Do Eum, and the front page of entertainment news was already flooded with reports about the dating scandal between popular actress A and the second son of a conglomerate.

The gist of the content was that,

Popular actress A, who had been involved in several dating rumors, collapsed in the studio apartment where she had been enjoying secret meetings with her chaebol boyfriend and was rushed to the hospital.

The photo of the chaebol boyfriend who supposedly stayed by her hospital bed all night was blurred, but it was undoubtedly Ji Wan in the photo that Do Eum had received just a moment ago.

Not wanting to be the fish that stupidly takes the bait thrown out with ill intentions,

Not wanting to do as the person who deliberately sent her this photo wanted, Do Eum spent the day as if nothing was amiss.

‘There must be a reason, nothing is more important than a person’s life.’

Even though she thought there must be a situation,

‘You said you were shaken by me? You said you want to do this and that, that you’re going crazy just looking at me? What, do your desires change drastically when you’re with me versus when you’re with that woman? You’re such a player.’

On one hand, anger boiled up inside her.

She felt sorry for becoming an unwelcome guest between the two due to the sudden marriage, but even if she tried everything, being the second-place who had to readily give up her spot when the first-place appeared was pitiful.

After missing several buses to Hwa-an-dong and finally getting on the last one to return,

Do Eum’s feet stopped abruptly at the brightly lit living room light.

Thinking that the blind Mrs.Kyung must have forgotten to turn off the lights before leaving, but with a lingering feeling of uncertainty, Do Eum quickened her steps into the house.

“…CEO-nim?”

Thinking that Ji Wan must have gotten an earful at the Bando Group headquarters after causing a stir on portal sites all day,

She naturally assumed that Ji Wan would be late coming home.

“Is that you, CEO-nim?”

Forgetting all her disappointment and calling his name out of joy, the shoes placed in the shoe rack were unfamiliar high heels belonging to a woman she had never seen before.

*****

Seo Hyeon’s age, seven years old.

It was the day of her first performance since starting ballet at Chairman Jin’s stubborn recommendation.

Finding it strange that her turn kept getting pushed back, the moment she saw her father who appeared an hour later than the performance time, she intuitively knew.

Ah, this is Father’s intention.

Since the sponsor is late, the organizers deliberately pushed my turn back.

At this point, even if she were to do the can-can dance on stage, the glory of the award would go to her.

The moment her father entered with dozens of people dressed in black suits, as if parting the Red Sea,

Beyond the emotion, it was a clear sense of discomfort.

It was just a 7-year-old’s little performance at the level of a kindergarten event.

It wasn’t something to summon on a Saturday evening with family, with each high-ranking executive holding a bouquet of flowers.

Despite taking private lessons and putting in months of effort, Seo Hyeon didn’t get to take the stage that day.

If only at that time, her father had quietly supported her.

Instead of scolding her as a useless girl when she said she couldn’t do it, if he had told her it was okay, would things have been different?

If he had sincerely offered to gladly take her out of there if she wanted, like this man now.

“It’s okay.”

Seo Hyeon averted her gaze, rejecting the hand that was barely extended to her.

Back then she had simply hidden under the stage out of fear, but now there was nowhere to hide.

The pregnancy was inevitable, the baby’s father had to be Ki Hyeok, the eldest son of the Bando family, and she no longer wanted to be a useless person.

“I will put the flowers in the CEO’s office.”

San Ha, who had turned away at her rejection, picked up the flowers on the table and disappeared leisurely.

“Do you like it?”

“I already said it’s pretty.”

Thinking that pushing forward a single flower and seeking praise was excessive, Seo Hyeon’s answer was sharp.

“No, that man.”

“Pardon?”

He was talking about San Ha, not the flowers.

Without realizing it, Seo Hyeon averted her gaze.

“What is there for me to like or dislike about an assistant secretary? Instead of worrying about such useless things, you should focus on getting rid of Seo Ji Wan.”

Pleased with her relatively restrained answer, Ki Hyeok let out a dry laugh.

“Is there anyone who cares about that b*stard more than me.”

Only the setting sun was peaceful.

It was an ominous night.

*****

At the newlywed home in Hwa-an-dong.

Without even having time to think about what the unfamiliar woman’s shoes that weren’t her own implied,

The bathroom door suddenly swung open.

“Mom!!”

The woman with a towel wrapped around her head, wearing only a bathrobe, was undoubtedly Yi Seol.

The Yi Seol who had plastered the TV and internet with her scandal with Do Eum’s husband just today.

“…Oppa, oppa!!”

At Yi Seol’s noisy call, Ji Wan, who had changed into comfortable clothes and was coming out of the bedroom, faced Do Eum who had frozen still by the shoe rack.

One man and two women.

It was a strange scene no matter who looked at it.

Do Eum, who had been alternately looking at the two, hastily turned her body with a pale face.

As if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.

Like a wife who had witnessed the scene of her husband’s affair, flustered.

“Do Eum-ah.”

Ji Wan hurriedly grabbed Do Eum, who was frantically searching for her shoes to put on.

“No, no.”

She held out her small hand, reproaching him not to come close.

Even amidst the world’s clamor, she had thought there must be a reason for him not contacting her even once.

But this was too much, even if it was excessive.

She no longer wanted to understand or pretend to be composed.

Throwing open the front door, Do Eum began to quickly walk down the garden hill.

‘I didn’t do anything wrong, so why am I the one running away? Why do I feel like I’m the one at fault? If it was going to be like this, he shouldn’t have confessed. What about my life!’

When bitter laughter slipped out, mixed with resentment and complaints, Do Eum’s wrist was grabbed by Ji Wan’s hand as he chased after her as if running.

Swoosh.

Her body, which had turned around urgently, staggered unintentionally, and Ji Wan barely managed to wrap his arms around her waist.

“Let go.”

When their gazes met, the anger she had been holding back poured out.

She bit her lower lip, determined not to show any tears despite being shaken by his confession that was like playing with fire.

The fingertips that had tickled her waist, the ones that had heated up her chest, were cursed.

Do Eum-ah.

The man who made her tingle from head to toe just by calling her name,

This man who was too calm despite her heart feeling like it would burst, was resentful.

“Is this Hollywood or something? Bringing your lover into the house where your wife lives? Why? Are you going to suggest living together?”

There was no time to think about polite anger or anything like that.

“Then why did you marry me? If it was because of your grandmother’s opposition and you took care of it, then you should have! Am I some kind of pushover? A borrowed barley field? Even if it’s a contract, there should be courtesy towards the other person. If you were planning to do this, you should have at least chosen someone with a very American style. I’m quite conservative, you know! I won’t even have a cup of coffee with a man who has a lover!”

Pfft.

The story had already gone off track a long time ago.

So it made sense for a man who rarely laughed to be laughing like that.

“You’re laughing? You find this funny right now? Why, am I not allowed to be like this again? Since you told me not to be shaken, no matter what the CEO does, I have to stand still like a totem pole? What kind of woman would, when her husband goes out and takes photos with another woman…”

“She’s my sister.”

“Ah, yes. Is that so? If she’s your sister, then what… what?!”

The voice that had been pouring out non-stop suddenly quieted down, and a small hand covered her open mouth.

“My mother remarried before coming to me and had her.”

The gaze that had been directed at Ji Wan shifted to the woman standing in the garden far behind him.

Mother?

Sister?

…Remarriage?

From a Hollywood-level story to a morning drama-level shocking development, it was a varied moment.

*****

Leaving behind the poor man she loved but couldn’t promise a future with, Eun Hee chose Myeong Han of the Bando Group.

By the time she found out he was a married man, it was after Ji Wan was born, and her life twisted with the wrong choice.

Eun Hee was only twenty-four years old.

“Why are you out here?”

Under the dimly darkening sky, curator Ji Soo approached Eun Hee from behind.

“Because I have no face to show. I keep causing trouble for the two children like this, what should I do with all these sins?”

It was about the scandal article about Ji Wan that came out yesterday.

The woman in the scandal holding back her son was her daughter.

The two were not lovers, but siblings. It was the lament of a mother who couldn’t hold her head up high.

Leaving behind the baby Ji Wan, she had hidden away in a remote place to avoid the people of the Bando family.

Around the time when the traces of the people Chairman Jang sent became faint, that man found her.

The man she had loved at twenty-four but readily let go because he had nothing.

The one she had intended to bury in her heart and live with forever.

The man, who made a living driving a truck, said he had searched for her all over the country.

He asked her to stay by his side like this if she regretted her betrayal in her youth.

Without a wedding or marriage registration, they lived together and had a pretty little daughter.

It would be a lie to say she didn’t think of Ji Wan, whom she had left behind early on, as she watched Yi Seol take her first steps and call for her dad and mom.

The more her love for her daughter grew, the more the love she couldn’t give to Ji Wan remained as guilt.

“Director-nim.”

“It’s a sin, my sin. In order to repay the motherly sin that can never be forgiven even in death, Ji Wan… CEO Seo is suffering like that.”

With a single word from Chairman Jang, who had found her after 14 years as if they had met just yesterday, Eun Hee packed her bags.

It wasn’t a fulfilling life, but it wasn’t lacking either.

She earned enough money for the three of them to eat and live, and the man’s love remained unchanged.

Except for just one thing, the regret for her son Ji Wan whom she had left behind, she would have settled down right there.

With that one lingering attachment, Eun Hee returned to the Bando family.

“More than anyone else, CEO Seo knows well that Director-nim is also suffering, don’t you think?”

Yi Seol had received enough love and grew up without any shortcomings.

Sometimes, she thought the love was too excessive and her spoiled whining was too much, but she felt that was enough for her daughter.

The man who had been abandoned by her twice didn’t hold onto Eun Hee this time either.

It was because he understood that just as his daughter was precious to her, the son of the woman he loved was precious to him.

They would point fingers, saying she abandoned her son, daughter, and even her husband.

They would think, what kind of wealth and glory was she trying to enjoy by stealing the position of a chaebol daughter-in-law?

But there was no other way.

That was the best a mother with children in different places could do.

When she left her daughter like that,

Yi Seol was only six years old.

*****

In the living room of the newlywed home in Hwa-an-dong.

Yi Seol sat next to Ji Wan, and Do Eum sat across from them.

“If it’s as you say, CEO-nim, why can’t you two say that you’re siblings?”

“They don’t know at the Bando Group headquarters. The fact that my mother remarried, and that she has a daughter.”

Yi Seol, who had been fidgeting with her legs crossed and arms folded, added,

“What mother? A person who has committed many sins is trying to hide it all and live, so only her children suffer. Is she the only one who has been abandoned by her? My brother and I, fine, but what sin did our father commit? He’s the most pitiful one.”

“Seol-ah.”

Ji Wan’s low voice called out the name of the woman who was babbling on without hesitation.

“Sit up straight.”

With those words, Yi Seol lowered her legs and unfolded her arms like an obedient cat.

“If Chairman Jang finds out, he won’t let it slide. He’ll immediately summon my mother to the Bando Group headquarters and keep her by his side, tormenting her. The same goes for Seol.”

So that was it.

To cover up his mother’s past and save his sister, that was why this man was pretending to be the worst person in the world.