The Returned Father of My Child (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
“Bo Mi. Listen carefully. Huh… Won Yi… Won Yi is dead.”
What on earth had she just heard?
Bo Mi’s ears went numb, and not even a sound could escape her lips.
“It was an accident. I’m at the morgue right now. I’ve also met Won Yi’s real family.”
A dull ache tightened deep in Bo Mi’s lower abdomen.
It’s a lie. It can’t be true.
His face, smiling as he greeted her that morning, remained vividly imprinted in her mind.
Even the soft sensation of his lips brushing against her cheek…
“I guess they’ve been searching for you for a long time. I was too overwhelmed to mention you.”
This must be a dream.
Bo Mi’s legs gave way, and she barely managed to steady herself by gripping the wall.
The thunderbolt of news—only half a day after he’d left—left her mind spinning into darkness.
“He died instantly. Bo Mi?”
Even as she struggled to exhale and felt herself losing consciousness, Bo Mi wrapped her arms protectively around her belly.
“Han Bo Mi. Are you listening?”
Her aunt’s voice from the other end of the phone faded into the distance.
Amid her hazy awareness, the crushing truth tore through Bo Mi’s chest.
Her lover, her husband—and the father of the child in her womb.
Nak Won was dead.
[This is the timeline separator]“I’m sorry I can only give you something like this right now.”
Won Yi, seeming nervous himself, spoke with more intensity than usual as he slipped a crudely handmade ring onto Bo Mi’s slender finger. Nak Won looked up, having gently stroked the soft skin between her fingers. The fresh scent of the forest—his scent, the one she loved so much.
Upon hearing Bo Mi’s confession that she was pregnant, Nak Won proposed without hesitation. It was miraculous how her morning nausea would calm whenever she was near him.
At Nak Won’s proposal, Bo Mi’s heart pounded more fiercely than ever before.
“I love you, Mr. Won Yi.”
“I love you, my spring.”
His breath tickled Bo Mi’s lips.
Whenever she asked what he’d done before coming to Nak Won Village, he’d only give a bitter smile and fall silent. Perhaps even the name “Nak Won” wasn’t his real one. She knew how reckless it was to promise a lifetime to a man shrouded in secrets. Yet, despite everyone trying to stop her, Bo Mi had not a shred of regret about this marriage.
It had been over ten years since Bo Mi had returned to Nak Won Village. The man who’d lived in the old house with her mother—when she looked into the deep black eyes of the man called Nak Won, it felt as if every drop of blood in her veins rushed toward her heart in a roaring tide.
Ah… At that very moment, when the sound of willow branches rustling wildly in the wind filled her ears and her heart fluttered like an electric shock, making her nearly forget how to breathe—Han Bo Mi fell in love for the first time in her life.
“I’ll be a good husband to you.”
The obsidian eyes she’d fallen for disappeared beneath his thick, dense eyelashes.
My man. Bo Mi cradled Won’s cheek and gazed up at him with tear-filled eyes.
His lips curled into a smile at her unspoken “Why?”—like a misplaced spring breeze gently fluttering between his trembling lips.
Their breaths, hot and mingled, merged into one.
As warmth bloomed between them, she yearned for him even more, entwining with him feverishly. He playfully blew a soft breath against the tip of her lips.
A shiver coursed through Bo Mi’s body as if piercing right through her.
In this perfectly interlocking moment—like two puzzle pieces fitting together—there was no fear of the past or worry for the future; Nak Won melted into Spring, and Spring into Nak Won.
“Mr. Won Yi… you’ll stay with me forever, right?”
This moment was so happy it made her anxious.
“Promise me, Mr. Won Yi.”
Her voice trembled with unease.
“I’m sorry.”
His voice had turned cold—as if it hadn’t just been soft and warm moments ago. Even his body, which had filled her arms completely, now felt icy.
“I can’t promise that.”
Don’t say that. You promised we’d be together forever and happy. Bo Mi shook her head as she clutched his sturdy arms. But he slipped through her palms like a ghost.
“Ah… No.”
Nak Won, already far away, began to blur. Bo Mi flailed desperately to grab him, but her fingertips couldn’t even reach him. The spot where he’d stood was utterly empty.
“Don’t go… Please don’t leave me behind.”
Tears welled in Bo Mi’s eyes. You’re abandoning me again…
Is that place without me really so wonderful? For me, this place without you feels dangerously unstable—just like the ground beneath my feet now.
Boom.
With a loud crash, the floor beneath Bo Mi collapsed.
Bzzzt.
Bzzzt.
Bo Mi jolted awake at the persistent vibration. It wasn’t easy to lift her swollen eyelids heavy with tears. She pressed the back of her hand firmly against her eyes. Gradually, the floral pattern on the ceiling of her temporary two-pyeong gosiwon room came into clearer focus.
That dream again.
The dream of Nak Won—the man who vanished from this world five years ago along with news of his accident.
She wiped away the lingering tears from the corners of her eyes.
She’d thought time would heal everything, yet Bo Mi still ached with longing for the man who was dead.
Hiding her suffocating emotions, Bo Mi picked up her phone. Working late into the night always left her sleep-deprived, so on days like this, even a phone call acting as an alarm felt like a blessing.
“Yeah, Su Young.”
“Were you asleep? I figured you would be, so this oppa gave you a wake-up call.”
It was Su Young—her business partner and university classmate.
“Thanks. I was just about to get up anyway. It’s an important day today.”
“Get ready and come out on time. Ugh… I’m so nervous.”
Su Young’s tension came through clearly over the phone. Bo Mi unconsciously bit her lip as well.
“I know you’re uncomfortable with Dowon Group…”
“How could I be uncomfortable? It’s a company that recognizes the value of Narae Creative.”
She couldn’t let personal matters ruin professional opportunities.
Narae Creative, a startup with strong capabilities but chaotic management, had finally met a promising investor—only for deals to fall through and even fall victim to fraud. As debt piled up and the company’s future looked bleak, they received a miracle: Dowon Distribution announced they were shifting to online shopping to cut operational costs of expensive facilities like outlets, and also revealed plans for offline entertainment marketing using augmented reality (AR). They were seeking partners to execute this strategy.
Narae Creative had developed diverse metaverse spaces using AR technology—from games to shopping malls—and possessed precisely the expertise Dowon Distribution needed.
Having beaten out fierce competitors to be selected, today marked Narae Creative’s long-awaited turnaround—the day they’d finally sign the collaboration contract and reap the rewards of their hard work.
“Won’t it be awkward since Hwangdo Construction is also involved?”
Su Young had shown Bo Mi the job posting with concern.
But the previously unimaginable contract advance and benefits offered by Dowon Group erased all of Bo Mi’s hesitation. The present mattered more than the past; the future, more than the present.
She wasn’t foolish enough to reject Narae Creative’s only chance of survival over personal feelings.
Bo Mi quickly finished getting ready and boarded the bus.
Even as she was jostled among the packed crowd, anticipation for the day ahead swelled in her chest, lifting the corners of her mouth.
It’ll go well. Everything will be fine now.
Arriving slightly early, Bo Mi looked up at Dowon Group’s twin towers standing symmetrically. Her eyes landed on the “Hwangdo” logo embedded on the left building used by Hwangdo Construction.
I shouldn’t dwell on it.
“I can do this! Han Bo Mi.”
She couldn’t relax until she signed that contract.
Bo Mi took a deep breath as if to absorb all the good energy she could.
Vroom!
Startled by the roaring engine of an approaching car, Bo Mi stumbled backward.
A sleek, dark luxury sedan with heavily tinted windows barely missed her as it sped past.
“Oh… That gave me a scare.”
Bo Mi patted her chest and shifted her gaze toward a black sedan stopping in front of Dowon Group’s right building. Two more cars pulled up behind it, and a group of well-built men in black suits quickly exited and stood at attention.
Must be company executives—such tight security.
Curiosity stirred in Bo Mi. Who could this important person be? Though she, as the head of a modest development firm, likely wouldn’t even cross paths with someone of that rank, she still felt she ought to at least know what he looked like.
“What kind of person could he be?”
Normally indifferent to others, she must really be on edge today.
As the car door opened—smoothly, as if revealing the owner’s personality—Bo Mi involuntarily swallowed hard. A long leg clad in polished dress shoes entered her view, and her eyes instinctively traveled upward along the man’s frame.
Ah!
The man rose from the car, his sturdy build wrapped in a navy suit—as if he’d just come from a workout—and murmurs of admiration rippled through the crowd. Passersby around the building all stopped in their tracks, staring at him.
His hair was slicked back flawlessly without a single strand out of place, and his face was so strikingly handsome it deserved to be called the masterpiece of a divine sculptor.
Thud.
The sound of her heart dropping echoed in Bo Mi’s ears.
She clapped a hand over her mouth, suppressing the scream threatening to slip through her fingers.
No way.
The man, seemingly oblivious to Bo Mi’s presence, strode confidently through the parted crowd.
Though his demeanor carried a sharp, cold edge, Bo Mi knew that face all too well.
It was him—the one who’d supposedly died five years ago.
“Mr. Won… Yi.”
Like a madwoman, Bo Mi shoved through the crowd and ran toward him.
She moved so swiftly and desperately that even the bodyguards were momentarily caught off guard.
“What’s with that woman?”
“Isn’t she a fan of the department head? Grab her!”
One guard noticed and reached out to grab Bo Mi. But she was faster—she yanked the sleeve of the man’s jacket.
“Mr. Won Yi… Mr. Won Yi.”
Her throat tightened; merely uttering his name filled her chest with overwhelming emotion. Tears welled in her wide, deer-like eyes.
“You’re… You’re alive. I knew it. I always believed… it was a lie.”
He was the one she’d loved most, the one with whom she’d promised a future—yet five years ago, he’d abruptly vanished from her life. He was alive—standing here perfectly healthy—so why hadn’t he contacted her even once all this time?
Bo Mi had never personally confirmed Nak Won’s death. For some reason, his family hadn’t wanted her to come and gave her no information. She’d traveled all the way to Seoul but was denied a meeting due to their refusal. So, she’d often fantasized that he might still be alive somewhere.
“I’ve imagined you returning alive hundreds, thousands of times. But… this isn’t a dream, is it?”
Afraid even the sleeve she clutched might vanish like an illusion, her hands trembled with frantic anxiety.
With great effort, Bo Mi moved her fingers to cover the back of his hand.
Unlike in her dreams, it was warm and solid. Beneath her palm, she could vividly feel the raised veins on his hand.
Ah… Ah… Thank you.
Just as tears of gratitude streamed down Bo Mi’s face, her hand dropped into empty air.
“What is this woman?”
His voice—cold and unfamiliar—made Bo Mi flinch. His palm, harshly brushing hers away, stung.
“Mr. Won Yi?”
His expression was laced with disgust. In that icy atmosphere, she couldn’t find the Nak Won she knew.
“I don’t know who you’re looking for, but you must be mistaken.”
Frowning with clear displeasure, the man turned away.
“Mr. Won Yi. Don’t you recognize me? Did you lose your memory and forget everything?”
As Bo Mi desperately tried to grab him again, he gave an annoyed glance to his bodyguard.
“Am I someone worth remembering?”
“Won—”
“You can’t behave like this here.”
Before Bo Mi could speak further, a bodyguard blocked her.
“Secretary Kim.”
“Yes, Department Head.”
Secretary Kim, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, handed him an alcohol disinfectant wipe.
The man briskly rubbed the back of his hand—as if Bo Mi had contaminated him with something filthy.
“Change the security company immediately. I specifically instructed not to let salespeople or religious groups anywhere near.”
His flat, emotionless voice was so sharp that everyone around him flinched.
“Yes, understood.”
Secretary Kim replied mechanically, clearly accustomed to this.
“Let go! Let go of me! After all this time… now that I’ve finally found you! Mr. Won Yi!”
As the bodyguard dragged her away, Bo Mi thrashed desperately, her eyes fixed on the man growing distant.
“Hey! Because of you, our heads are about to roll. Just who are you?”
“That man… I can’t just let him go like this.”
There were still mountains of unspoken words she needed to say to him… A hot lump rose in Bo Mi’s throat.
“Tch. What, are you his ex-lover or something?”
“How did you know?”
The bodyguard sighed as if pitying the naive look on the woman’s face.
If you’re going to be obsessed with a man, at least do it gracefully…
“Do you think you’re the first woman trying to get close to him? Some even brought kids, hoping to cash in. Please, come up with something original—stop using these pathetic, ineffective tactics that only cause trouble for everyone.”
Could he really not be Nak Won? The bodyguard’s words reignited the unease she’d felt since the beginning—and a seed of doubt took root.
“…What’s his name?”
“Seriously? If you’re going to cause a scene, at least know who you’re dealing with.”
The bodyguard clicked his tongue at her foolishness. This girl would get scammed anywhere she went.
Nak Won had died—and she’d learned he had a family. Just as she’d suspected, “Nak Won” hadn’t been his real name from the start. He had a true name… For the first time, Bo Mi realized she knew nothing about the man who’d shared her bed and whispered love to her every night. She hadn’t even known about his funeral.
After collapsing in shock upon hearing Nak Won’s death notice, her aunt had urged her to forget him—for the sake of the child in her womb. But when Bo Mi pressed her aunt, who’d delivered the news, she refused to reveal anything. Perhaps because Nak Won’s family had concealed his disappearance and tried to blame his death on the villagers, Bo Mi’s repeated, frustrated questions were met only with, “I don’t remember,” and “Just forget and move on.”
Now, even if she learned who that man truly was…
“Bo Mi!”
Su Young came running as Bo Mi slumped in despair.
“Let go of her.”
She tried to pull Bo Mi away from the bodyguard.
“Are you with her?”
“We’re here today for the contract signing with Dowon Distribution. Why is our CEO receiving this kind of treatment?”
When Su Young showed her authorized pass, the bodyguard finally released Bo Mi.
“Hah… If you came to sign a contract, just do your job properly.”
Though she heard the bodyguard’s resentful mutter, Su Young was too busy supporting the exhausted Bo Mi.
“Bo Mi… what on earth just happened?”
“Su Young… I… I saw him. He’s alive. He didn’t die.”
“Bo Mi…”
A bad feeling crept over Su Young. She remembered Bo Mi’s state five years ago—completely out of her mind. After disappearing for a couple of months, Bo Mi had returned alone to that old house, neglecting even basic care like eating and sleeping, talking to thin air. Her unborn child had been in danger too.
Afraid Bo Mi might die if left alone, they’d stopped her from going back to Nak Won Village and moved her to her aunt’s house.
She’d seemed fine… yet Nak Won still lived inside her.
“He didn’t recognize me. Did he forget me? Or is he really someone else? How can someone look exactly the same?”
Bo Mi’s eyes grew dull and clouded. The Won in her memory was a man for whom she was the entire world. The man she’d met today looked exactly like Nak Won—but his presence was utterly different.
“Doppelgänger. They say there are always three people in the world who look alike.”
Su Young gently helped the dazed Bo Mi to her feet.
He’s dead. Telling her to finally let go would be too cruel.
“It’s just someone who looks like him.”
The man who’d wiped his hand as if touching something repulsive had Nak Won’s face—but he wasn’t Nak Won. Had she imagined it? Did missing him so much make her mistake a phantom for reality?
“Yeah… I really am foolish.”
Bo Mi touched the corner of her mouth and stared blankly into space.
Nak Won is dead. It’s time to accept it.
After all, he left her something even more precious.
Bzzzt.
The strong vibration on her wrist startled Bo Mi, and she frantically pulled her phone from her bag.
She dabbed her eyes and gave Su Young a look. Su Young responded by forming a circle with her fingers and silently mouthing:
You’re beautiful, Bo Mi.
“Yeah, Yeo Reum!”
“Mommy!”
As she slid to answer, a round face with dark, sparkling eyes—like precious gems—appeared on the screen.
The reason Spring existed after Nak Won disappeared.
Yeo Reum—Nak Won and Spring’s child.
When male lead is the homewrecker
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
I’ve read the novel below twice already. Girls, I’m highly recommending it to you!
The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.
Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.
The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.
I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.
There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.
For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.
I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.
Here’s the story synopsis:
One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Intro 1:
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.
Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.
In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.
Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…
Intro 2:
Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.
He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.
Watched her go public with her boyfriend.
Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.
Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.
The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.
Fan Xia, how can I have you!
【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】
1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy
2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
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Ga Jin is such an interesting character. If FL had been friends with him, she might have had an even more terrible childhood because of Mrs. Hwang. But he’s exactly the type of person who could be a friend or family member.