Yeoreum’s house, though small, was charmingly adorned with cute dolls and various trinkets, giving off the vibe of a place where two women lived.
“It’s been ages since we’ve had a chance to talk, just the two of us.”
Yeoreum came into the living room, slicing a peach. Yeong arranged the books on the table and placed the plate of peaches on it. She also brought out beer and snacks.
“We’re going to be busier from now on, Unni.”
“Yes, we will.”
“Yeah. Once shooting starts, we might not see each other for days.”
They shared stories of the past few days. Yeoreum talked about her daily meetings with Tae-seok, and Yeong mentioned her awkward reunion with Luda at the shop.
“Both of us have mountains to climb.”
Yeoreum sighed deeply.
“It’s not the same for both of us. Honestly, I just have to pretend, but Unni has a bigger issue.”
Beautiful-hearted Yeong always put Yeoreum first. Even her words of comfort were filled with sincerity. Despite being five years younger, she seemed like an older sister at times like this.
“Unni ended things unilaterally, but Tae-seok Oppa unilaterally started it again. What will you do?”
Pop! She opened a beer. The foam poured out nicely. After wiping it with a tissue, she handed it to Yeoreum.
Yeong never asked about the reason behind Yeoreum and Tae-seok’s breakup but had a rough idea. How could she not? She was the only one who saw how much Yeoreum struggled after the breakup.
A separation forced by external pressure, perhaps from someone like a company CEO.
Yeong smiled sadly.
“Tae-seok Oppa is really persistent.”
“That he is.”
Yeoreum answered with a sigh-like tone and gulped down the beer. The coolness prickled down her throat.
“What are you going to do now, Unni?”
“What can I do? I just have to endure silently. He will eventually end this revenge.”
“Revenge?”
Yeong tilted her head.
“Do you think what Tae-seok Oppa is doing is revenge?”
“What else could it be?”
Yeong stared at Yeoreum with a peculiar look. She debated whether to speak up but eventually turned away.
Was it only Yeoreum who didn’t know? Or did both of them not know?
Revenge should be simpler and more straightforward. Besides, Tae-seok had the power to execute it.
He could have easily forced the production company to replace the writer with his participation as bait. Yeoreum would have been ruthlessly ousted. Cold, but that’s the reality. A powerless new writer stands no chance against a top star.
That’s what revenge would have looked like.
Just a few repeats of such incidents would spread the rumor that Yeoreum was blacklisted by Seo Tae-seok.
Industry insiders would refrain from hiring her, no matter how good her scripts were, and she would have to leave the industry without even really starting. All this could happen in less than a year.
A clean and easy plan that could ruin someone’s life without even seeing their face.
“Unni. Tae-seok Oppa’s gaze. How can a man look at a woman with such eyes? Do you know I used to get excited two years ago?”
So, Yeong started the conversation. Unable to speak directly, she hoped Yeoreum would realize soon and spoke her honest thoughts.
“When Tae-seok Oppa is with Unni, he doesn’t look like the charismatic actor he’s known for. What charisma? He’s either a fool or a puppy.”
“I’d rather not talk about the past.”
Yeoreum rejected it, but Yeong didn’t stop.
“I once asked Tae-seok what he liked so much about Choi Yeoreum, and he got all serious and couldn’t give a proper answer. He said he just couldn’t pick one thing, no matter how hard he thought. I mean, who spends hours pondering over such a question? It was really funny.”
Yeoreum didn’t respond.
“Actually, Unni, on the day that tax evasion article about Tae-seok came out, he was at our house.”
“······!”
“It was raining heavily that day, and he waited outside our house all night. I’ve never told you this before, right? You were so angry that day that I couldn’t bring myself to tell you.”
“I had no idea.”
“I lied that you weren’t there and coldly turned away, but he grabbed me. He asked me to keep you from going online. He was worried that it would hurt you to see all the hate comments about him······ He came because he was worried that you’d be upset by the comments.”
Yeoreum’s heart started to ache.
“He said that it was okay that you reported him for tax evasion, that he understood······ He said he would sort it out and come back, so you should just wait. Of course, I was a terrible person for not passing on his message and instead packed my bags.”
At that time, Yeong wished for a quick breakup for Yeoreum, who was in so much pain.
Yeong had kept this story hidden, thinking it unnecessary, but now seeing Yeoreum meeting Tae-seok again, she thought it was time to tell her. She felt sorry for Yeoreum, who couldn’t even realize his feelings.
By then, Yeoreum began to feel confused whether Yeong’s consolation was support or added pain. The sound of rain tapping on the window was heard.
“It’s raining.”
Was it like this that day too?
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.
