As the sound of running water from the bathroom ceased, 아린 clutched her heart and let out a shallow sigh.
She bit her lower lip hard, her heart fluttering as she contemplated what she would say to 재혁. Even though she felt dizzy, 아린 steeled herself to do well.
Her small voice, sounding like a sigh, was damp with emotion. The tiny fists on her knees trembled.
“I can do this… I can tell him it’s over.”
A lump formed in her throat.
The mere thought of breaking up brought tears to her eyes.
“재혁 오빠.”
Just uttering his name made her heart surge.
A modern-day Cinderella?
A love story of the century?
These labels had followed her ever since before her marriage.
Her marriage to 반재혁, the heir to VAN Group, the top conglomerate in South Korea, and the daughter of 반 회장’s driver, 최아린, was touted as a love story transcending class differences.
However, none of these labels applied to her.
A contract couple.
A showcase couple.
No, neither a contract couple nor a showcase couple. The relationship between 반재혁 and 최아린 was merely that of a master and servant.
Was it foolish to want to be by his side, enduring scorn as a ‘bought marriage’ because she loved him too much?
After three years of a hellish marriage, all that remained were scars.
반재혁, the only heir to 반호준, chairman of South Korea’s top conglomerate, and 최아린, the daughter of the chairman’s driver, had their lives set from the moment they were born.
[아린아, let’s play together.] [Here’s a gift for you, 아린이. I thought it would suit you.]As a young child, 아린 was unaware of the social divide that separated her from 재혁, who always reached out to her first.
Gradually, she began to look forward to meeting 재혁. Those feelings…
[I like you, 오빠.]… marked the beginning of her first love. Her love for him deepened day by day. Then, one day, unable to contain her overwhelming feelings, she confessed to him.
[I like you too, 아린이. I really like you.]He felt the same way. Young 아린 believed that these feelings would last forever.
The gap started to widen when 재혁 entered a prestigious middle school and 아린 went to a regular public school. Over time, the gap grew into a distance she couldn’t bridge.
Yet, she couldn’t stop loving him.
For 최아린, 반재혁 was the only love of her life.
Now, reminiscing about those days, 아린 recalled the changed look in 재혁’s eyes.
In her memories, he was always smiling. But now, he seemed cold, as if he had forgotten those times, his eyes filled with contempt for her.
Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.
The marriage to 재혁, arranged by his mother 정 여사, was purely due to her superstitions.
정 여사 was a believer in shamanism, having survived death three times in her youth with the help of local shamans. Her devotion led her to consult 천 도사, a renowned shaman with a year-long waiting list.
[천 도사 said that 재혁 must marry you to have an heir.]정 여사 believed only 아린’s horoscope could bring grandchildren, but her disdainful gaze never wavered.
As if her gaze was reminding me that she accepted me not as a ‘daughter-in-law’ but for something else.
“Ask for what you want. Oh, I heard Mr. Choi is now suffering from cancer, the hospital bills must be huge. We will take care of the hospital expenses.”
Even though the official class system had disappeared, a class structure still existed in modern society, dictated by money and family background.
재혁 was a man at the pinnacle of the pyramid, possessing money, honor, and power, while 아린 existed at the very bottom, having nothing.
No matter how much she loved 재혁, she didn’t want to accept such a marriage.
“I refuse.”
Her decision was driven by love for 재혁 and the inability to sell her life for money. That was until a few days later when her mother pressed her, and Mr. Choi’s health rapidly deteriorated, leading her to accept the marriage to 재혁.
정 여사 told her,
“You just need to play the role of a formal wife. I’m telling you this so you don’t get any wrong ideas,”
She thought she could manage until she heard that.
“There was a girl 재혁 liked since he was young. She’s studying abroad now but might return soon.”
정 여사’s voice was colder than ever.
‘A girl 오빠 loves…’
She never dreamed of a future with 재혁. The social difference was insurmountable.
But she couldn’t bear the thought of 재혁 loving another woman.
She felt utterly devastated.
‘I have to marry 오빠 knowing he loves someone else?’
There seemed to be no other way than to marry 재혁…
Even knowing everything, deciding to marry felt pitiful and miserable.
A year after her father was unjustly blamed and ousted by the 반 family, she reunited with 재혁.
Seeing his cold expression, her already shattered heart crumbled further.
Her heart bruised under the weight of contempt and disdain.
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
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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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