The Wife Who Ran Away (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
The team leader steeled himself with the firm resolve that a manager must never make a mistake, then calmly continued his report.
“The contractors are demanding an increase in construction costs. Due to volatile raw material prices, skyrocketing material costs, rising labor wages, and increased fuel expenses, they argue that continuing under the original contract amount not only eliminates any profit but even threatens their company’s viability.”
Jin Wook, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke.
“What percentage increase are they requesting?”
“They’re demanding a 25% increase on subcontracted payments.”
Twenty-five percent. Jin Wook gave a bitter smile.
“A major corporation isn’t a charity. Tell them we’ll adjust up to 15%, considering the rise in material and labor costs, but that no further negotiations will be entertained.”
He spoke in a firm tone.
“And add that if they refuse, we won’t hesitate to cancel the contract and pursue legal action.”
The team leader hesitated briefly before voicing his concern.
“But… the longer the negotiations drag on, the greater the losses we’ll suffer.”
“If we give in to their demands just to avoid immediate losses, they’ll come back later with even bigger ones.”
Jin Wook met the team leader’s gaze with unwavering resolve.
“Take a hard stance. And make absolutely clear who ends up tasting the bitter consequences of this strike.”
His cold eyes sharp, he added,
“We need to crush this completely—so they never dare try anything like this again.”
***
As soon as the meeting ended, Jin Wook headed straight to his office.
His office reflected its owner’s temperament—minimalist decor in neutral tones, furnished only with essentials, clean and uncluttered.
Jin Wook removed his suit jacket and sat down. His desk was piled high with documents awaiting review and approval.
Sitting upright, he began examining the paperwork. The key was quickly grasping each document’s essence and making prompt decisions.
Jin Wook possessed exceptional comprehension and judgment, enabling him to work with remarkable efficiency. He never overlooked even the smallest detail, ensuring his work was always thorough and flawless.
Thus, while employees sometimes resented his cold demeanor, they universally acknowledged and respected his professional competence.
Today, as always, Jin Wook displayed astonishing focus as he reviewed documents.
Swish. The only sound in the office was the rustle of turning pages.
After some time had passed, his eyes began scanning the documents more slowly, and his hand turned the pages with increasing sluggishness.
“…”
Jin Wook briefly looked away from the papers. He tried refocusing, but it was no use. His mind felt clouded, and the words on the pages refused to register.
There was only one reason he couldn’t concentrate: Yeon Joo’s image from last night kept flashing before his eyes, clouding his thoughts.
‘…It’s just too hard.’
It was the first time he’d seen Yeon Joo drunk.
‘It’s all too heavy… I can’t bear it anymore.’
It was also the first time he’d heard her say something like that.
What could have burdened her so deeply?
Was it the stress of her pregnancy and the constant attention from others?
But surely she’d anticipated that kind of pressure when she chose to marry him.
Whatever the cause, had he perhaps been too cold?
Jin Wook let out a dry, frustrated sigh.
He didn’t know how to comfort a woman. Before marriage, whenever a woman cried or sought attention, he simply cut things off. Since he’d never been deeply involved with anyone, he’d never needed to think hard about it.
But a wife was different. Even after arguments, they still had to face each other again.
Whether they liked it or not, they lived together every day. This was a relationship he couldn’t abruptly end or ignore.
That was why he’d chosen a calm woman as his marriage partner—someone unemotional, not prone to pettiness, and unlikely to interfere with his work or make unreasonable demands. Yeon Joo had seemed exactly like that.
Yet lately, she’d started changing. Her transformation unsettled him—so much so that he couldn’t even focus on work.
“Hah.”
Jin Wook exhaled deeply. His wife’s issues belonged to home life. He was frustrated and embarrassed that he couldn’t concentrate at the office because of domestic matters.
Feeling a throbbing pain at his temples, Jin Wook pressed his hands to his forehead and called for his secretary.
[Yes, Director.]“Bring me some aspirin.”
[Understood. Right away.]A few minutes later, a knock sounded at his office door, followed by his secretary’s voice.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and Ju Min Hee entered, dressed impeccably in office attire. With her long straight hair and slender frame, she was one of Jin Wook’s three secretaries—and the one who had served him the longest.
Min Hee’s sharp personality and error-free work ethic made her the secretary Jin Wook trusted most with important tasks.
She placed the tray she was carrying on his desk.
“I’ve brought the aspirin you requested.”
Jin Wook popped two pills into his mouth and washed them down with water. Adjusting his posture, he fixed his eyes back on the documents and said, without looking up,
“Thank you. You may go.”
“If there’s anything wrong with your health, please let me know. It’s better to get a proper medical checkup than just toughing it out…”
“I know my own body. Leave.”
At his firm tone, Min Hee closed her lips. She turned to leave with the tray but paused and faced Jin Wook again.
“Director, there’s one more thing I’d like to mention.”
“…”
“During our last business trip, it was your wedding anniversary, but I completely forgot to remind you. I’m sorry—I should’ve been more attentive.”
At those words, Jin Wook—who had been focused solely on his papers—glanced up slowly.
“…”
A wedding anniversary. Only now, hearing his secretary’s words, did everything suddenly make sense.
This explained why Yeon Joo had recently looked so downcast and seemingly discontented.
‘I thought she was the type who wouldn’t care about things like that.’
She seemed younger than he’d realized—and, in a way, rather endearing. He hadn’t expected someone as emotionally reserved as Yeon Joo to be upset over something like this.
Fortunately, even if he didn’t know how to comfort women, he did know what they liked most.
Something beautiful that also made them shine—something special, yet not easily obtainable by just anyone.
Women often lost their hearts to such things, whether objects or people—it made no difference.
Jin Wook turned to Min Hee and said,
“Chief Secretary, I have one favor to ask.”
***
Yeon Joo stepped out of the bathroom after finishing her shower.
Wearing only a white robe, she sat at her vanity, applied toner to her face, and dried her damp hair.
Her reflection in the mirror looked unusually worn-out. Her pale face lacked color, and her thin shoulders appeared frail.
In truth, she was still suffering from last night’s drinking. Her stomach had felt uneasy all day, and her head throbbed. It was only natural—after all, she’d never touched alcohol since getting married, yet last night she’d downed high-proof whiskey nonstop.
Even she couldn’t explain why she’d drunk so heavily.
From the moment she heard the devastating words at the obstetrics clinic—the final place she’d gone, hoping for just one last chance—she hadn’t been in her right mind.
She’d desperately wanted someone to lean on, but there was no one. No one to confide in, no one to comfort her.
Returning to her empty house, the only thing she could turn to was alcohol.
‘To put it plainly, it looks very difficult.’
She’d wanted to forget everything—to go back to that blissfully ignorant time before she knew anything.
So she kept drinking. The burning sensation in her throat didn’t matter. She even thought she might die—but that didn’t matter either. In that moment, death didn’t seem like such a bad thing.
When she finally woke from her drunken sleep, the only face she saw was her husband’s—cold and composed.
‘What’s making you so miserable?’
Just recalling his icy gaze made it hard to breathe.
‘All I ever wanted from you was to quietly stay by my side and fulfill your role as my wife. Is that really so hard?’
All he wanted from her was to be a dutiful wife—and the most crucial part of that role was bearing his child.
If he found out she couldn’t fulfill that role… how would he react?
Suddenly, her chest tightened as if crushed. The suffocating pressure climbed up her throat, and Yeon Joo stood up from her seat.
She left her room and headed to the kitchen. Her mouth was dry, and she was parched. She gulped down a glass of cold water.
“Ha—”
Wiping the droplets from her lips with her fingertips, Yeon Joo turned around. The dark, silent living room stretched before her.
‘Go inside and sleep.’
Jin Wook hadn’t returned since saying those words last night. It was uncertain when—or even if—he’d come home today; he might not return until tomorrow.
To him, the office was home, and their actual house was just a place he passed through—a place to shower, change clothes, rest briefly, and conceive a child.
Over time, she’d stopped waiting for him, since there was never any guarantee when he’d come home.
She’d tried getting used to being alone and pretended to enjoy the silence. After two years of effort, she’d come to one realization:
No one truly enjoys being left behind.
“…”
Once again, Yeon Joo gazed wordlessly at the quiet house. It was just like Jin Wook—furniture in lifeless neutral tones, floors spotlessly clean, and the air so empty that any words spoken turned into lonely monologues.
She’d thought having a child would transform this space—turning it into a warm, lively place filled with cheerful noise.
But now, even that small hope was gone.
With a gloomy expression, Yeon Joo let out a long sigh.
‘What should I do now?’
Ever since learning she couldn’t have a child, her future had vanished. She felt like she was barely clinging to the edge of a steep cliff.
She had to tell Jin Wook…
But when? And how?
Her vision blurred with despair, and her heart burned black with dread. Lost in tangled thoughts that made her head ache, she suddenly heard—
“Beep-beep.”
The sound of the door lock unlocking came from the entrance. Yeon Joo checked the time as she saw Jin Wook walk in through the front door.
It wasn’t even eight in the evening yet. Why was he home so early?
His footsteps echoed through the silent house. Though she sensed him approaching, Yeon Joo remained facing away, standing in the dining room.
She could smell his cologne behind her, and then his low voice spoke.
“You must be really mad at me.”
He placed a shopping bag on the table. Yeon Joo looked at the bag before her—it bore a luxury brand logo.
His voice came again from behind.
“It’s your wedding anniversary gift.”
“…”
“To be honest, I’ve been so preoccupied lately that I forgot.”
Jin Wook spoke plainly. He was straightforward and honest, never embellishing his words—and that was both his strength and his flaw.
“And I didn’t realize you were the kind of woman who cared about things like this.”
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
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His words.. God Damm.. His words would really cost him everything… 😱😱
Oooo… I really want his POV.. What’s on this mind…
JIn wook’ POV… What’s he thinking… He obviously likes her.. Communication