The Wife Who Ran Away (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
“Yeon Joo.”
Her husband, with a devastated expression, lowered his head.
“Please give me another chance.”
It was truly strange.
Even as she watched that normally composed man fall apart, she felt nothing at all.
She didn’t pity him,
didn’t want to stroke his hair,
and didn’t feel like saying the usual “It’s okay” out of habit.
She held neither longing nor hope for him anymore.
Now, she wished for nothing from him.
Looking at him with hollow eyes, she said,
“No. I don’t want to go back.”
At her coldly spoken words, her husband’s face twisted in pain.
He grabbed her hand. A slight tremor passed from his grip into hers.
“What should I do?”
“…”
“Tell me. What should I do to change your mind?”
Hot tears fell onto the back of the hand he was holding.
She silently stared at the wetness spreading across her skin.
If only you’d shed these tears a little sooner,
if only you’d cried for me just once during all that time…
Maybe then I wouldn’t have left you.
“Stop it.”
It’s already too late.
I always wanted to run away from that place.
I was no different from a doll there.
Not once was it ever truly my life.
“It’s all over now.”
I don’t want to live as your wife anymore.
★ ★ ★
“Yeon Joo… Could you possibly be pregnant?”
Yeon Joo, who had been preparing tea in the kitchen, looked at her mother-in-law Ae Ran with startled eyes.
“What?”
“Well, you barely touched your dinner earlier, saying you had no appetite. That’s normal when you’re pregnant—your digestion gets worse. I was the same when I was carrying Jin Wook.”
Before Yeon Joo could respond, Ae Ran quickly continued.
“You don’t feel bloated or overly stuffed, do you? Have you taken a pregnancy test?”
Overwhelmed by Ae Ran’s barrage of questions, Yeon Joo answered in a slightly subdued voice.
“I’m not pregnant, Mother. It’s just that my digestion was a bit off.”
“Still, why don’t you at least take a—”
“I finished my period two days ago.”
At that, Ae Ran’s lips instantly turned downward. The faint glimmer of hope in her eyes vanished completely. She turned her back and let out a long sigh.
“Hoo…”
The sigh was so heavy that Yeon Joo’s shoulders instinctively tensed.
“Are you taking the herbal medicine I gave you properly?”
“Yes. I’ve been taking it regularly.”
“What about vitamins?”
“I’m taking those too.”
“You haven’t been drinking alcohol or eating too much greasy food, have you?”
“I avoid greasy food as much as I can, and I don’t drink alcohol at all.”
“Now that I think about it, you ate pork at dinner today. Pork and flour are cold-natured foods—you should avoid those too. I’ve told you this repeatedly, haven’t I?”
Yeon Joo tightly pressed her lips together under the unrelenting nagging, knowing that any reply would only make the lecturing drag on longer.
Unaware—or perhaps uncaring—of Yeon Joo’s darkening expression, Ae Ran sighed deeply once more and spoke, her brow furrowed.
“It’s already been nearly two years since you started trying to conceive. How come there’s still no news? You’re both still young.”
“…”
“Could there be something wrong with your body? You should go to the hospital for a thorough check-up sometime.”
Just as Ae Ran’s words pierced Yeon Joo’s ears and stabbed straight into her heart—
“Enough.”
A deep voice from the dining room made both Ae Ran and Yeon Joo turn their heads.
“If you keep stressing her out like this, even a child who could be born won’t come.”
The man standing tall with broad shoulders was Cha Jin Wook—Yeon Joo’s husband and Ae Ran’s son.
Jin Wook approached Yeon Joo’s side and looked at his mother.
“We’re doing more than enough without you pressuring us.”
At his curt words, a wrinkle formed on Ae Ran’s forehead. She replied,
“It’s already been two years since you got married. How can I not push you?”
“…”
“Just imagine—what if your sister-in-law announces tomorrow that she’s pregnant? Grandfather is already ready to hand over full control of the company the moment he gets a great-grandchild.”
Her voice rose even higher as she vented her frustration.
“Chairman already favors In Hyuk excessively, calling him pitiful all the time. If they give him a great-grandchild on top of that, it’ll be game over.”
“…”
“So no matter what it takes, you have to have a child before your older brother does—”
“We’re leaving now.”
Jin Wook cut off his mother’s words coldly and wrapped one arm around Yeon Joo’s shoulder.
At his touch, Yeon Joo’s eyes flickered slightly.
As Jin Wook turned to leave with her, Ae Ran looked hurt.
“Already?”
She pointed toward the tea and fruit Yeon Joo had prepared.
“At least have some tea. You come home only once a month, and now you’re leaving right after dinner? It’s really disappointing.”
“If you keep nagging Yeon Joo like this, she won’t come home once a month—she’ll never come home again.”
Jin Wook’s icy gaze made Ae Ran bite her lip. Even though he was her own son, whenever Jin Wook gave her that look, she always lost her words.
“We’re going.”
He left the kitchen, still holding Yeon Joo’s shoulder.
★ ★ ★
A sedan pulled up in front of an elegant two-story mansion.
Jin Wook stepped out from the driver’s seat, and Yeon Joo followed from the passenger side.
They entered through the front door. The house was neat, spacious, and so silent it felt starkly empty.
Without a word, they removed their shoes and walked into the living room. They hadn’t exchanged a single word on the drive back from his parents’ home.
During their two years of marriage, conversation between them had always been rare.
Except for formal occasions like parties or gatherings where they had to appear as a couple, or when sharing necessary information for maintaining appearances, they rarely ever spoke.
As if accustomed to the silence, Yeon Joo quietly headed toward her room as soon as they entered.
Then, a deep voice echoed from behind.
“Don’t worry about what Mother said.”
Yeon Joo turned to look at Jin Wook, who stood before the dressing room, having taken off his black suit jacket.
“She’s always been this nagging. Just let it go in one ear and out the other.”
“…”
How could she possibly let those words slip away so easily?
Seeing him dismiss something so impossible with such ease left Yeon Joo momentarily speechless.
She called out to him just as he was about to turn away.
“I think I’ll go to the hospital soon. Maybe there really is something wrong with my body, like Mother said.”
Jin Wook looked at her for a moment, then undid his tie as he replied,
“If it’s a comprehensive health check-up, I’m all for it.”
“…”
“You’ve lost too much weight lately. Make time to see a doctor.”
“…Alright.”
Yeon Joo’s gaze drifted toward Jin Wook’s hands as he unbuttoned his shirt. As each button came undone, revealing his firm torso, she unconsciously held her breath.
Feeling her ears grow warm, she quickly looked away and said,
“Then… you must be tired. Rest.”
Just as Yeon Joo turned to head toward her room, a firm hand caught her wrist, and a low voice whispered in her ear,
“Even if I’m tired, there are things I still need to do.”
Soon, his large hand wrapped around her waist.
Yeon Joo’s eyes widened slightly as she turned to look at him. One glance at his darkened gaze told her exactly what he intended to do.
She caught his hand just as it reached the zipper of her skirt.
“Wait.”
At her restraining touch, Jin Wook’s eyebrows twitched in surprise.
It was understandable—he’d never been stopped before during this act.
Yeon Joo bit her lip, then slowly spoke.
“Right now… it’s not a day when pregnancy is possible.”
She meant it wasn’t her ovulation period—and that there was no need for them to be together tonight.
Their nights together existed solely for conceiving a child. There was no reason to engage in something that brought no benefit to either of them.
Yet Jin Wook’s hand remained firmly on her waist—no, his grip even tightened further.
“It doesn’t matter.”
With a rough voice, he used his other hand to grasp her chin.
“It might be less likely based on timing, but it’s not impossible.”
Heat flared in his darkened eyes as he lowered his head toward her lips.
“The more times we try, the higher the chances get.”
Jin Wook’s lips covered hers. He gently pressed into the kiss, then slipped his tongue through the slight part in her lips.
Their warmth mingled as heated breaths passed between them. As the kiss deepened, a breathy sigh escaped Yeon Joo’s lips.
“Haa…”
Hardly had their lips parted when they met again. Heat spread wherever his hands touched. Her body, long accustomed to this repeated act, instinctively responded and yearned for him.
She resented how easily her body grew heated.
Her racing heart felt foolish for reacting like this to something that was merely a duty.
She wanted to push him away—but couldn’t.
Just one heated look from him, just the brush of his lips against her skin, and a fierce longing surged through her body.
If this emotion, learned only through the body, could be called love…
Then it would be far too tragic.
She hoped—more than anything—that this wasn’t love.
Because if this trembling and instinct truly were love… then she felt utterly pathetic.
The pressure of his fingertips on her skin intensified. Her mind went blank, unable to think of anything.
Drowning in the dizzying sensation spreading through her body, Yeon Joo closed her eyes.
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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Oh wow… Atleast the ml doesn’t start off with being ruse or ignoring and such… But I guess this kind of treatment is far worse off
Haiihhh… Girl just man up and walk away… But haiihh on top of your head is your mother and bills…. 😓😓
His words.. God Damm.. His words would really cost him everything… 😱😱