After meeting Yong Woo, Jin Han frequently contacted the detective handling the slow-moving investigation. Finally, a few days ago, he got an update.
“We’ve found the original source of Hae Joo’s marriage scandal.”
“Really?”
Holding the phone, Jin Han tried to remain calm, though his hands sweated.
“I couldn’t contact you earlier because the rumor was too vague to verify the truth.”
“So it didn’t start online?”
“No, those online were just reposting it. The origin was different.”
As Detective Kim explained more, Jin Han felt like he was in a labyrinth.
“So, who spread it?”
“The rumor started at the dementia center of S Hospital.”
“…!”
“I can’t explain the whole investigation process, but I’ll tell you the result.”
The confirmation of Yong Woo’s rumor was shocking and unsettling for Jin Han.
“It wasn’t started online, then?”
“No, the people online were just spreading it; the real origin was different.”
As Detective Kim continued, Jin Han felt increasingly lost in a maze of confusion. Impatient for answers, he pressed on.
“So, who started it?”
“The rumor originated from the dementia center at S Hospital.”
“…!”
“I’ll skip the details of the investigation process and just share the outcome.”
The rumor Yong Woo mentioned wasn’t wrong. Jin Han had hoped otherwise, but the impact was too significant to ignore.
“You know S Hospital’s dementia center also has a nursing home, right?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Park Do Jun’s father, Park Jeong Cheol, is admitted there.”
“…!”
“Since Park Jeong Cheol’s condition restricts visitor access, we had to inquire from those around him.”
“I see.”
“We’ve learned that Park Jeong Cheol’s dementia is quite advanced.”
“…”
“The opinion we’ve gathered is that in his state, it’s unlikely he could intentionally create such a rumor.”
As the conversation progressed, Jin Han’s unease grew. He loosened his tie and cleared his throat.
“Park Do Jun, his son, frequently visits, I hear.”
“Yes.”
“Actually, we haven’t met Park Do Jun yet.”
“Is that so?”
“If we summon Park Do Jun for further investigation, it could escalate the situation, so I wanted to consult you first.”
Could Do Jun really be behind the rumor?
Detective Kim seemed cautious yet confident.
“Is there evidence that Park Do Jun spread the rumor?”
“We can’t disclose the identity, but we have secured a reliable witness.”
Jin Han’s heart raced.
He felt an indescribable conflict tightening around his heart.
“How should we proceed… File additional charges?”
This needed consultation with Hae Joo.
They had to act before the media caught on, but the situation was complex.
Hae Joo’s ongoing film project couldn’t be taken lightly.
A direct approach was the only way to handle this issue.
Thus, a media response team was hastily formed, with preparations for every possibility.
“We can’t let this slide quietly.”
Detective Kim’s attitude suggested the media might already know.
If the police couldn’t be trusted, going it alone was the best option.
Jin Han felt a surge of betrayal towards Do Jun.
If all this was a scheme by Do Jun to claim Hae Joo, it was unforgivable.
“And what about me?”
While Hae Joo remained unaware, Do Jun had been meticulously planning everything.
All to make her his own.
Leaving things as they were wasn’t an option.
This issue required more cold-heartedness than ever before.
As Jin Han’s passion cooled and hardened, Hae Joo knocked on his office door.
Choi In Ho headed back to the prison.
He needed to meet Yura, who was facing trial, and extract any information he could.
Regardless of the truth, embellishing and distorting it was inevitable.
It was the only way to make it compelling for the public.
“Seon Gyu, isn’t it astounding?”
“What is?”
“The rumor about Hae Joo’s marriage. It seems like Do Jun spread it.”
“Indeed.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I wonder.”
“With his wealth and looks, most women would be lining up.”
“True. If it were me, I’d be filing for divorce, not marriage.”
“My point exactly. They weren’t even dating, so why…”
The pieces of Hae Joo’s story still didn’t fit perfectly.
And Yura’s words weren’t entirely reliable.
Yet there was a reason for the visit.
If controversy arose, they could shift the blame onto Yura.
“We’ve arrived.”
Choi In Ho, who had requested a visit with Yura, took out his notebook.
After an anxious wait, she appeared.
“Stop coming to see me.”
“I’ll help you start a normal life after your release, as a thank you.”
“Really?”
“I can at least provide a studio apartment lease.”
Yura naively believed Choi In Ho’s empty promises.
“Don’t break your promise.”
“Of course not.”
“What else do you want to know?”
“Do Jun and Hae Joo weren’t dating before their marriage, right?”
“Right.”
“They lived separately for years and now they’re playing house. Why?”
Yura chuckled, remembering the past.
Do Jun, who would have done anything for Hae Joo, must be happiest now.
“Do you know Do Jun’s nickname?”
“Nickname?”
“Crazy maniac.”
“What?”
“He went crazy over Hae Joo. Even threatened me!”
“Since when?”
“It’s been a long time. It was almost like obsession.”
Choi In Ho was shocked.
“Do Jun was obsessively in love with Hae Joo even before their marriage?”
“Don’t even start. If anyone said anything about Hae Joo, he would beat them up.”
“My God! Now it’s starting to make sense.”
Do Jun waited three years after losing contact with Hae Joo.
Given his love, his desperation was obvious, Choi In Ho thought.
“Shouldn’t you find out if Hae Joo likes Do Jun?”
“That’s not important.”
“Why not?”
“People prefer an exciting show over a boring truth.”
“…!”
“Anyway, I’ve got enough material on Yura, Hae Joo’s sister.”
A sinister smile crept across Choi In Ho’s face.
Yura felt chills, as if thrown into a storm.
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you hear Yura also tormented Hae Joo terribly?”
“Wait, you used me?”
“I’ll write up Yura’s story appropriately. Can’t help being hated for it.”
“You bastard!”
“Thanks for the meal, Ms. Yura.”
Choi In Ho snapped his notebook shut and hung up first.
Despite time remaining, he left the visitation room without a second thought.
Yura screamed in despair, pounding on the glass until guards dragged her away.
Do Jun hurried back to his company.
He was eager to leave work early just for today, anxious to see Hae Joo.
“Will I make it on time?”
He planned to take Hae Joo to the hospital first, noticing she had lost weight.
He wanted to stay by her side and take care of her, but there were pressing issues at hand.
Entering his office, he was greeted by Manager Song and Lawyer Park, who stood up simultaneously.
“What’s going on?”
“Something serious has happened, CEO. It seems things are going to escalate.”
“Why?”
“It appears the police have been conducting a covert investigation at the hospital where your father is.”
“Suddenly?”
Manager Song then sent a message somewhere.
Soon, a nursing assistant, held back by an office employee and sobbing, was brought in.
Unaware of the situation, Do Jun received a report from Manager Song.
“The nursing assistant has spoken to the police about your and madam’s marriage scandal.”
“…!”
“A detective named Kim has been persistently inquiring and apparently even threatened her.”
“Do Jun sighed heavily.”
“It seems the doctor couldn’t withstand the pressure either. They’ve been instructed not to say a word to our side.”
A vein throbbed in Do Jun’s neck as anger surged within him.
He walked up to the frightened nursing assistant, who had closed her eyes in fear, and stood firmly in front of her.
“Did you say… I spread those rumors?”
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
