The Wife Who Ran Away (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14

[Shin Mi Hyun]

Yeon Joo stared at the name tag stuck on the hospital room door, then knocked.

Knock knock.

Not long after the knock, the door opened.

“Ms. Yeon Joo.”

The one greeting Yeon Joo was Mi Hyun’s caregiver.

“What brings you here so late at night?”

“I just… missed my mom.”

“I see. It’s so cold outside—why not come during the day?… Please, come in.”

Yeon Joo handed her the drinks and gifts she’d brought along.

“Thank you so much for always taking such great care of my mom.”

“Oh, it’s nothing—I’m not really doing anything special…”

Yeon Joo spoke to the caregiver, who gave an awkward smile.

“Could I spend some time alone with my mom?”

“Of course. Then I’ll be in the lounge. Just let me know when you’re leaving.”

“Thank you.”

After the caregiver left, only the mother and daughter remained in the room.

Yeon Joo slowly approached and stood beside her mother.

“Mom. I’m here.”

Mi Hyun gave no reply. As always, she lay there motionless.

“Mom…”

Yeon Joo gently stroked Mi Hyun’s hand. She had clung desperately to the hope that one day this hand would wrap tightly around her again—but now she didn’t even know how to keep holding on.

It had already been nearly a month since she’d learned pregnancy would be difficult for her.

Yet she hadn’t told a single soul. Countless times, she’d tried to confide in Jin Wook, only to turn away each time without uttering a word.

“Unfortunately, given your current condition, the chances of pregnancy are very slim.”

“All I ever wanted from you was simply to quietly stay by my side as my wife. Is that really so hard?”

A body with slim chances of conceiving. A distant, cold husband. A mother-in-law who constantly pressured her.

How much longer could she possibly endure all this?

Even if she did hold on, it would eventually come out. Once they found out about her condition, she’d surely be cast aside.

“Mom… What should I do now?”

She wanted to run away—but with her mother here, she couldn’t go anywhere. She had neither the means nor the resources to care for her, especially not knowing when she might wake up.

“I just want to give up everything…”

She didn’t want to do anything anymore. She couldn’t stand living in that suffocating house any longer.

“I just want to drop everything and run away…”

But what would happen to Mom then?

The unspoken words circled in her mouth, too soft to be voiced aloud.

Yeon Joo gently stroked Mi Hyun’s hand again. Though pale and slender, the tips of her fingers were rough and calloused.

Before getting married, Mi Hyun had raised Yeon Joo all by herself through tough times. She’d had to be tough, enduring hardships no one should have to bear.

She’d thought marrying Dae Han would bring happiness—but instead, she’d lived under Kyeong Ok’s scorn and criticism.

Her mother’s life had been too tragic for Yeon Joo to just let go. Leaving Mi Hyun like this felt unbearably sad and pitiful.

Yeon Joo steadied her wavering heart.

Had Mi Hyun ever, even once, let go of her hand?

No matter how difficult things got, Mi Hyun had always put Yeon Joo first. When marrying Dae Han, Kyeong Ok had insisted Mi Hyun couldn’t bring a child if she wanted to marry into the family.

But Mi Hyun had declared she’d rather give up Dae Han than leave Yeon Joo behind.

So Yeon Joo, too, would never let go of this hand. She’d endure—somehow—until Mi Hyun woke up.

If only her mother would open her eyes, nothing else mattered. It didn’t matter how things ended with her husband, her parents-in-law, or her own family.

Mi Hyun was everything to Yeon Joo. Now that she’d also lost hope of ever having a child, Mi Hyun truly was all she had left.

“Mom…”

Yeon Joo reached out and touched Mi Hyun’s face.

“Wake up soon.”

She whispered softly while stroking her cheek.

“Wake up quickly… and let’s run away far away together.”

Yeon Joo’s eyes shimmered, clear and bright, as she gazed at Mi Hyun.

“Let’s go somewhere no one knows us and live like we used to.”

Somewhere without that grandmother who treated her worse than a stranger, somewhere without a father…

Somewhere without even that husband in name only…

“Let’s live happily.”

Yeon Joo leaned her head against Mi Hyun’s side and closed her eyes.

For a moment, she wished she could just fall asleep right there—forget everything and sink into deep slumber until Mi Hyun woke up.

After all, no dream could be crueler than this miserable reality.

***

A long sedan pulled to a stop in front of a hotel.

Jin Wook stepped out from the back seat and strode briskly into the hotel.

His steps led him directly to the Korean restaurant on the hotel’s second floor—a place renowned for its elegant interior and exceptional cuisine.

As Jin Wook entered, neatly dressed staff bowed their heads.

“Welcome.”

A staff member who recognized him immediately guided him to a private room. Standing before the door, the attendant announced,

“Director Cha has arrived.”

Then he opened the door. Jin Wook adjusted his suit jacket and stepped inside.

Inside the room were Hong Seok, In Hyuk, and Congressman Park—a long-time acquaintance of Hong Seok. Jin Wook had a lunch appointment scheduled with them today.

Jin Wook bowed respectfully toward Hong Seok and Congressman Park.

“Sorry I’m late. My meeting ran longer than expected.”

Congressman Park greeted him with a laugh.

“Haha, it happens when you’re busy. Please, sit down.”

Jin Wook took the empty seat next to In Hyuk. Despite his arrival, In Hyuk didn’t even glance at him. An unusually heavy silence hung only between the two of them.

“The food just arrived—perfect timing. Let’s eat.”

“Yes. Please go ahead.”

“Alright, let’s all eat together.”

The four began their meal. Although Congressman Park was an old friend of Hong Seok’s, it had been years since all four of them had gathered like this.

Since the Congressman was someone who could offer significant business support, Hong Seok wanted both Jin Wook and In Hyuk to maintain a good relationship with him—which was why he’d carved out time from his busy schedule to arrange this meeting.

“You both seem even more impressive than the last time I saw you. How is it that you only grow more handsome with age? Haha.”

After alternating compliments between In Hyuk and Jin Wook, Congressman Park asked a question as the meal neared its end.

“By the way, I saw in the news recently that your ready-mix concrete supplier went on strike, causing you some headaches. Did everything get sorted out well?”

Jin Wook, who was in charge of that matter, replied immediately.

“Yes. We reached an agreement smoothly by slightly increasing the subcontractor payment rates. The strike was withdrawn per the agreement, and construction at the site is now proceeding normally.”

“Strikes are always such a headache—glad to hear you handled it well, Director Cha. You must have worked hard.”

“Not at all.”

Hong Seok, who’d been listening to their conversation, chimed in with a pleased expression.

“Director Cha has handled far bigger issues than that. I always knew Jin Wook would take care of things perfectly.”

His tone revealed deep trust in Jin Wook. In Hyuk’s expression gradually hardened. He silently gulped down cold water to cool his temper.

Congressman Park glanced between Jin Wook and In Hyuk and said,

“Chairman Cha must feel full even without eating—what with such capable grandsons firmly holding down the company.”

“Exactly. Thanks to these boys, I can finally step down with peace of mind.”

Hong Seok chuckled, then added with a hint of regret,

“Though if I have one more wish… it’s to see a great-grandchild before I die—but it just doesn’t seem to be working out.”

“They’re both still young—you’ll surely get good news soon.”

This time, both Jin Wook and In Hyuk’s expressions darkened. Whenever the topic of great-grandchildren came up, the two always fell silent, as if on cue.

Hong Seok turned to Congressman Park.

“I heard your second son’s family just had another baby boy.”

“Yes. He just turned 100 days old.”

Congressman Park suddenly pulled out his phone and began showing them photos of his great-grandson.

“Look—this was taken for his 100-day celebration. He’s the spitting image of my second son.”

“Haha, his eyes and nose seem to resemble yours too, Congressman Park.”

“Really? I thought so as well, but my second son keeps denying it. Haha.”

From then on, the Congressman proudly kept showing more photos of his great-grandson, while Hong Seok watched with unmistakable envy.

Jin Wook and In Hyuk, feeling increasingly uneasy in that atmosphere, could only wish for the meal to end quickly.

Just then, Jin Wook felt his phone vibrate inside his suit jacket. He took it out and checked the caller ID.

“…”

After glancing at the screen, Jin Wook slipped the phone back into his jacket, stood up, and said,

“Excuse me for a moment.”

He left the room and headed outside the restaurant. In a quiet corridor, he answered the call.

“Hello.”

[It’s me, Director.]

The caller was someone Jin Wook had asked a few days ago to handle a personal request—specifically, to discreetly check whether anything unusual had happened with Yeon Joo.

[As you instructed, I looked into things and found some information I believe you should know, so I’m calling now.]

“What is it?”

[A few weeks ago, I noticed your wife started visiting multiple hospitals instead of her usual one. Finding that odd, I investigated further and managed to access her medical records…]

His voice sounded unusually grave. After a brief hesitation, he continued,

[I’ve sent the details in a file. Please take a look, and let me know if you need anything else.]

“Alright. Good work.”

After ending the call, Jin Wook opened the attached file the man had sent. Inside were several pages of documents.

“…”

Jin Wook’s expression turned grim as he read them. A problem he’d never anticipated had just landed on his doorstep. His vision started to blur with darkness.