Two weeks later.

Time flew by, and the day of Yu Jung’s wedding finally arrived.

Worried about being late for the wedding, A Rin took the earliest flight to Seoul at the crack of dawn.

“Ji Yun.”

As soon as she arrived at Gimpo Airport, A Rin called Ji Yun. Before departing from Jeju Island, she had received a message from Ji Yun saying that a problem had arisen with the event scheduled for today and she had to rush to the venue for work, but the plane took off immediately so they couldn’t talk on the phone.

[A Rin, have you arrived?]

“Yes. Just now. Is everything okay?”

[Haa.]

Ji Yun let out a short sigh at A Rin’s words.

[Not really. I think I can make it in time for the ceremony. But it’s not good to just wait around, and I don’t know what else might happen, so I think it’s better for you to go in first.]

“Okay. Got it.”

[Sorry. For making you go alone. I’ll wrap up quickly and come too.]

“It’s fine. I’m not a child.”

[Still.]

“Call me when you arrive.”

[Okay.]

“See you later.”

Just as A Rin was about to end the call, Ji Yun called out to her.

[A Rin.] [Be careful, and I heard the Vice Chairman is attending today. If you see him, just avoid him.]

“Ah, yes. Elder sister said so too. She said her husband has a connection with that person.”

[Yeah. So try not to run into him as much as possible.]

“Alright.”

At the worriedly urging voice, A Rin replied in the brightest tone possible.

“Don’t worry. I told elder sister I won’t eat and will just attend the ceremony. See you later.”

After ending the call, A Rin put her phone in her bag.

[This is the timeline separator]

TS Hotel Bridal Waiting Room.

A Rin opened the door to the bridal waiting room where Yu Jung was and entered.

“Elder sister.”

As her eyes met the most beautiful bride in the world wearing a snow-white V-line dress, something surged up in A Rin’s heart.

“A Rin.”

Yu Jung also got up with teary eyes as she made eye contact with A Rin.

“Elder sister.”

A Rin quickly walked over and grabbed her hand tightly.

“You’re so beautiful.”

Tears welled up in A Rin’s eyes as she looked at Yu Jung.

“Elder sister is so pretty today.”

A Rin always thought that she made things difficult for Yu Jung. Every time, Yu Jung would say ‘that’s absolutely not the case’, but she knew. She realized more painfully after breaking up with Jae Hyuk how much Yu Jung had endured to protect her in that house.

Filled with guilt and gratitude, she wished and hoped for Yu Jung’s happiness.

And seeing Yu Jung’s joyful face as she was getting married to the man she loves today, A Rin was overwhelmed with emotion.

“Thank you, A Rin. Let’s sit down for now.”

Yu Jung sat down, holding A Rin’s hand tightly.

“I thought you might not be able to come.”

Yu Jung’s voice saying that somehow sounded choked up.

“It’s elder sister’s wedding, who else would come if not me.”

Yu Jung’s heart ached at A Rin’s haggard face.

“Are you feeling okay?”

The already thin child had lost even more weight after being sick.

Yu Jung said while caressing A Rin’s cheek.

Yu Jung reached out and gently stroked A Rin’s cheek.

“Your face has become very gaunt.”

As Yu Jung thoroughly examined A Rin’s face and body, her expression darkened.

“I’m sorry. I wanted to visit, but I couldn’t find the time at all.”

“Where would a person busy preparing for her wedding go.”

A Rin said with a laugh, but Yu Jung’s face fell even more.

A Rin was always grateful for Yu Jung’s concern, but today of all days, she didn’t want to make her worry.

“I’m really fine. Ji Yun was there for me too, and Mother made a lot of delicious food.”

“…That’s a relief then.”

A Rin deliberately smiled widely, curling up the corners of her mouth to change the subject.

“Brother-in-law is handsome.”

“…Ah.”

Yu Jung blushed at A Rin’s words.

“I’ve never seen him before.”

“Right. He was a regular employee back then, so there was no chance to run into each other.”

“He seems like an amazing person.”

Yu Jung’s husband Min Se Jun was the second son of TS Group’s Chairman Min. Hiding the fact that he was Chairman Min’s son, he joined as a regular employee and rose to the position of a manager with his own abilities.

“He worked hard for it. And I heard he’s coming today too.”

The subject was omitted, but A Rin knew who Yu Jung was referring to.

“…Ah, yes. I heard. I’m really okay now. So don’t worry about it.”

A Rin felt sorry for Yu Jung who was concerned about her even on her wedding day.

“Still.”

“I mean it. Elder sister. It’s elder sister’s wedding today, you don’t need to worry about those things too. Are you hurting anywhere? I heard wedding preparations were tough.”

A Rin changed the subject again.

“It was fine because Se Jun helped a lot.”

“The one who will become brother-in-law seems thoughtful.”

“…Yes.”

And fortunately, this time too, Yu Jung followed A Rin’s lead.

“Elder sister, it feels weird that you’re getting married.”

Yu Jung and A Rin didn’t start off as sisters from the beginning. Even after A Rin left the VAN Group, Yu Jung called her ‘Madam’ for a while.

[Chief, I’m not the madam anymore.] [Ah, that’s right.] [Please call me by my name. I want us to be like sisters now, Chief.] […Alright.]

As it was uncomfortable being called madam when she wasn’t anymore, A Rin asked to be called by her name.

[Let’s talk comfortably with each other. Sisters don’t use honorifics with each other after all.] […Okay. A Rin.]

Yu Jung replied with a bright smile at A Rin’s words.

“Elder sister, congratulations on your marriage, truly.”

At the sincere words, Yu Jung smiled brightly.

Three years after leaving Jae Hyuk, Yu Jung and A Rin became closer than anyone else. Ji Yun too.

Yu Jung was a warm-hearted and considerate person. Someone who made you want to be like her.

“Alright, now that the bride’s friend is here, we should take pictures.”

Just then, the photographer on standby in the bridal waiting room spoke. A Rin held Yu Jung’s hand tightly and smiled towards the camera.

When the hotel staff said there were 5 minutes left until the ceremony, A Rin said goodbye to Yu Jung and left the bridal waiting room.

A pretty smile was painted on A Rin’s face as if drawn there. Yu Jung was someone who made you feel good when you were with her.

“Elder sister is really pretty.”

Even though it wasn’t her own wedding, she somehow felt choked up with emotion.

However, it didn’t take long for the smile to disappear from A Rin’s face.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Oh. Who do we have here.”

It was the moment she was about to pass by a man coming from the opposite direction in the corridor leading to the wedding venue.

A Rin was grabbed by a man she was seeing for the first time. A Rin’s face stiffened at the unpleasant touch of the hand grabbing her wrist.

“Who are you to do this?”

A Rin said coldly, frowning at the face shaking off the hand on her wrist.

“You don’t know me?”

The man clicked his tongue, making an absurd expression.

“Are you pretending not to know?”

“I really don’t know.”

“You don’t know who I am? Why don’t you know me? We even greeted each other.”

A Rin tried to remove the man’s hand, but she was no match for an adult man’s strength.

“Wow, what a prude. We’ve met several times.”

The man’s eyes flickered with a strange emotion as he leered at A Rin from head to toe.

“Well, whatever. I don’t dislike a woman’s coyness.”

A Rin was afraid of the man who was a head taller and much larger than her. Goosebumps rose all over her body at the sly gaze like a snake’s. It was a terrible feeling, as if bugs were crawling on her.

“Let go of this hand. Right now.”

A Rin spoke in the most resolute and cold voice she could muster. But the man only sneered as if he found A Rin’s reaction amusing.

“Did you come alone?”

The man added tsk-tsk and slapped his own forehead.

“Of course you would have come alone. You weren’t hurt by what I said, were you?”

They weren’t legally divorced. She also knew that many people began to think they were divorced as she left the VAN Group main house, cut off contact with Jae Hyuk, and their separation lasted a long time.

But this was the first time a man so blatantly brought up divorce to her.

“Don’t you know this is to your detriment?”

“Detriment? Me? Do you think I’m stupid? I heard it all. Ban Jae Hyuk is getting married.”

A Rin’s expression was intensely shaken at the mention of Jae Hyuk. The man grabbed her wrist and continued.

“So there’s no reason I can’t touch you, Choi A Rin.”

The man raised the corners of his mouth, satisfied with A Rin’s reaction of turning into a gentle lamb in shock.

“That’s right. Good girl.”

The man had a basis for his belief.

‘Well, I was a bit doubtful, but everything that guy said turned out to be true.’

The man who had tipped him off was none other than Jae Hyuk’s mother, Madam Jung’s lover.

[The rumor is that Ban Jae Hyuk and that woman aren’t legally divorced, right?] [Well, you could say that since they haven’t stamped the divorce papers. But on the flip side, it’s practically the same as being divorced, just without the stamp.] [Really?] [Of course. Why would I lie in front of you? You know who’s behind me, don’t you?]

In a secret place known only to those in the know.

The man he met there whispered like that.

[If you’re lying to me, I’ll kill you.] [Yes, yes. Do that. But you know, don’t you? Our Vice President is getting married now.] [Ah, yes. I heard. It’s funny that he’s doing that without even filing for divorce.] [I know you had feelings for Choi A Rin. So don’t hesitate anymore. She’ll want it too. She was quite a spendthrift, so imagine how lonely she must be after living as a chaebol wife. She’ll welcome KK Group with open arms.] [Hahaha. That’s true.]

Not realizing it was the devil’s whisper, the man nurtured his lust for A Rin that he had been holding back.

The man, whose nature was arrogant and rude, pushed A Rin more roughly thinking she was no longer a VAN Group person.

A Rin’s round shoulders trembled finely.

“I’ll call someone.”

The man burst into a snicker.

“Go ahead and call. Not only will no one probably come, but even if they do, they’ll just pass by.”

A Rin was appalled by the man’s attitude. Who on earth was this man to be so arrogant and rude?

“Let go.”

“Oh. The feisty look is pretty too.”

The man rubbed his chin with his other hand that wasn’t holding A Rin’s.

A Rin was disgusted by the man’s insulting words. She didn’t know who the man was, and she didn’t want to know either.

“I heard you left that house three years ago. Even if you didn’t stamp the papers, you’re already done with Ban Jae Hyuk.”

A Rin had no idea how this man she was seeing for the first time knew about her relationship with Jae Hyuk.

It was a strange man she had never seen even once before. But the man acted as if he knew her very well.

“It’s okay. You couldn’t acknowledge me before because of Ban Jae Hyuk, but not anymore. I know. You looked at me very seductively.”

As Jae Hyuk’s name was mentioned again, A Rin’s body stiffened rigidly.