“… I said I don’t like it!”

“A Rin.”

Above A Rin’s head, the sound of Jae Hyuk’s deep sigh could be heard. She forcibly pushed away his voice that was digging into her mind.

“I’ll wait.”

“……”

A Rin turned her head completely so that Jae Hyuk couldn’t see her face.

After looking at A Rin for a moment, Jae Hyuk stood up and stood in front of Kyung Sook. He looked down at Kyung Sook with a cold gaze.

“Sob.”

A Rin was crying alone. At the sound of her mournful crying, Jae Hyuk’s face twisted.

Under Jae Hyuk’s cold gaze, Kyung Sook made an effort to control her expression.

“I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding. I think I need to talk to my daughter first, so let’s talk again next time.”

“I’ll back down for now… but if even a single word you said to me earlier was a lie……”

Jae Hyuk clenched his fists tightly.

“I can only give you two days. Sort everything out within two days. I can’t overlook this any longer. And if even a single word you said to me earlier was a lie, you’ll have to be prepared to face the consequences. I hope you make a wise decision so that I can continue to treat you as an elder, mother.”

At Jae Hyuk’s warning, Kyung Sook’s fists trembled. The corners of her mouth twitched.

“O-Of course!”

But soon Kyung Sook collected herself and responded with the most benevolent smile a mother could give.

“Why would I do such a thing?”

At Kyung Sook’s answer, Jae Hyuk turned around without a word.

Soon, with the sound of the store door opening, it closed. Jae Hyuk had left the store.

“Sit down.”

After confirming Jae Hyuk had left, Kyung Sook hardened her expression. The voice that had been pretending to be friendly until a moment ago had suddenly turned cold.

“I’ll stand and listen.”

“Choi A Rin, why are you being so stubborn?”

“Who’s the one being stubborn right now!”

Kyung Sook messed up her hair with an irritated expression.

“Just sit down first. Let’s talk sitting down.”

In the end, A Rin sat facing Kyung Sook.

“Why are you so rude? Is this how your mother taught you? What kind of behavior is this when there’s a guest?”

Kyung Sook, who had been wearing a noble mask because Jae Hyuk was there, revealed her true colors once the person she needed to look good in front of disappeared.

“Didn’t you get my calls? How many times did I call……”

“I got them.”

“Then why didn’t you pick up? Why did you delete your number? No, before that, why is Ban Jae Hyuk helping our family? I told you he and I are already over.”

“Are you sure it’s really over?”

“…Mother.”

“If you’re going to end it, end it properly.”

At A Rin’s words, Kyung Sook raised her voice.

“You, speak straight. You think it’s over just because you say you’re getting a divorce and leave? Your father is sick and making a fuss while you go to Jeju Island saying you’re getting divorced and ignore us. If you’re getting divorced, at least get a hefty alimony? But you say you won’t even take alimony. What do you expect me to do?”

Kyung Sook’s irritated voice rang throughout the store. At Kyung Sook’s unfamiliar appearance, A Rin was at a loss for words.

“What did I do wrong? You went to Jeju Island for your own comfort. Your siblings are young, but you’re telling me to take care of the sick and make money.”

A Rin had always thought that the reason Kyung Sook was not affectionate towards her was because she was awkward at expressing emotions and A Rin herself was not yet worthy enough to receive love.

She had unquestioningly believed that if she became a bit more of a proud and good daughter, naturally her mother would give her more love. How foolish her thoughts had been.

“Do you know how our family has been living because of you? How could you kick away such a good position yourself? Fine. Sue or whatever, get divorced. Don’t make things hard for the people around you for nothing.”

At Kyung Sook’s words that burst out like a dam breaking, A Rin was speechless.

‘What have I been seeing all this time?’

From her mother, there was not love for her, but resentment and bitterness.

“To be honest, I don’t understand why you’re angry now. Why are you angry? Okay, I used Ban Seobang’s… yes, Vice Chairman Ban’s card a bit. So what? I used it because you two aren’t divorced yet. I was dying to.”

“……….”

Kyung Sook held out a black card in front of A Rin’s face.

“You listen to me carefully. I used this card because he told me to use it.”

“…Mother.”

“You’re going to get divorced, right? Then it doesn’t matter what Vice Chairman Ban thinks. You just need to become the bad woman. If you sacrifice yourself, your father can get treatment comfortably. Seo Rin and Soo Rin can live without worries too. Same goes for your mother.”

Kyung Sook’s hand gripping A Rin’s shoulder tightened. Her shoulder tingled.

A Rin saw the greed and desires swirling in Kyung Sook’s eyes.

“And get divorced right away. If Vice Chairman Ban says no, tell him to do it quickly. Right. You can give other reasons. Like you found a man you love or something like that would work, wouldn’t it?”

Kyung Sook’s aggressive words were all true.

A Rin’s eyes looking at her shook intensely.

‘She wasn’t like this before….’

Had she been seeing her wrong all this time?

Although Kyung Sook had always been blunt and cold to her, she wasn’t someone who revealed her emotions like this.

To A Rin, the Kyung Sook in front of her was more unfamiliar than ever.

Kyung Sook glared at the seat where A Rin had been sitting a moment ago.

“Ha, they say even dog poop has its uses, but this is useless.”

She clicked her tongue hard.

“Why did she have to come at that time? How the hell did Choi A Rin know?”

She thought A Rin wouldn’t be able to find her if she disconnected contact and changed her number… but A Rin’s visit had ruined everything.

“Why did she have to come when Vice Chairman Ban was here? How can she be so clueless? Haa, if Madam Jung finds out, she’ll throw a fit.”

Madam Jung didn’t acknowledge it, but Kyung Sook had already noticed that Jae Hyuk had feelings for A Rin.

She didn’t really care why he suddenly gave his heart to her daughter.

The most important things to Kyung Sook were her own well-being and money.

Biting her nails, she shook her head vigorously from side to side.

“No. This is actually a good thing. With what happened today, Choi A Rin will try to get divorced no matter what. It’s impossible to catch two rabbits at once. As long as this issue gets resolved well and I get the money, I need to go abroad.”

No one would suspect if she went abroad under the pretext of her husband’s treatment.

The only problem was whether Mr. Choi had the physical strength to get on a plane… but Kyung Sook had no room to think about that right now.

Now there was nothing more to gain through A Rin. Jae Hyuk would not move according to her intentions.

If that was the case, all that was left was to moderately accept Madam Jung’s proposal and receive money.

Kyung Sook was flustered at the news that Mr. Choi, who was imprisoned, had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. There was still a long time left in his sentence.

She had no money and no connections. Then one day, Madam Jung came to see Kyung Sook.

Kyung Sook was not pleased with the visit of Madam Jung, who had thrown them away like worn-out shoes five years ago.

“I heard Jae Hyuk is still going to Jeju Island.”

“……”

“As a mother, you can’t even keep your daughter in check?”

“Well, Madam, right now the divorce is not…”

Both Madam Jung and Kyung Sook knew that the formal marital relationship was being maintained because Jae Hyuk had not stamped the divorce papers.

So it was absurd.

But even if she said it, Madam Jung would not acknowledge the fact that Jae Hyuk did not want a divorce.

“Does A Rin not have another man?”

“I wouldn’t know that.”

“You’re her mother but you don’t even know that?”

Kyung Sook frowned at Madam Jung’s rebuke.

‘She knows everything but still says that.’

It irked her even more that Madam Jung, who knew A Rin was not her real daughter, would say such things.

Kyung Sook was one of the people who knew about the secret relationship between A Rin’s biological father ‘Min Hyun Jun’, ‘Mr. Choi’, and Jae Hyuk’s father ‘Chairman Ban Ho Jun’.

“Think of a way to get them divorced no matter what. But you must not let Jae Hyuk and Choi A Rin meet directly.”

How the hell was she supposed to get them divorced?

Kyung Sook gritted her teeth at Madam Jung’s nonsensical words.

“If you just get them divorced, I’ll give you as much money as you want.”

But as soon as Madam Jung’s words registered in her ears, Kyung Sook’s anger subsided in an instant.

“Money?”

“Yes.”

“How much will you give me?”

“What?”

“You said you’ll give me money, so you have to tell me first how much you can give for me to match it, Madam.”

Heh. They say a person never completely dies.

At first, Madam Jung’s visit was unwelcome, but now it felt like an opportunity given by God.

Madam Jung felt Kyung Sook, who didn’t avoid her gaze, was insolent.

“Yun Kyung Sook, you’ve gotten quite impudent in the time I haven’t seen you.”

Money is everything in the world after all. Without money, you get disrespected, and even if they point fingers behind your back calling you nouveau riche, they still treat you well to your face.

That’s what Kyung Sook believed.

If she wasn’t the lady of VAN Group, would she disrespect her like this?

Also, if she had a lot of money, would she always be used and discarded like a doormat like this?

“Yun Kyung Sook, did you forget while I was gone? There’s no dog that bites its owner. If a dog does bite its owner, what should be done to that dog?”

“……….”

“Of course, the dog needs to be killed. Isn’t that right?”

The ‘dog’ Madam Jung was referring to was Kyung Sook herself and Mr. Choi. Kyung Sook could say nothing at Madam Jung’s cold warning.

Madam Jung crossed her arms and looked down at Kyung Sook.

‘We know so many secrets about you… You shouldn’t treat us like this.’

If those secrets were revealed to the world, Madam Jung would fall into ruin. But despite that, Madam Jung always treated them poorly.

Kyung Sook had always been displeased with that.

‘The moment I open my mouth, it’s over for you too.’

There was one reason Madam Jung could be so bold with Kyung Sook and Mr. Choi. Although it was under her orders, Kyung Sook and Mr. Choi also could not deny that they had actively participated in ‘that incident’.

The moment Madam Jung fell into ruin, Kyung Sook and Mr. Choi would not be safe either. They shared the same fate, in the same boat.

But to keep being treated like this irked Kyung Sook. She could not be discarded like trash again.

“…How can I trust you, Madam?”

“What?”

Madam Jung’s face turned cold at Kyung Sook’s words. But Kyung Sook had no intention of backing down.

“The Chairman threw away my husband like a worn-out shoe. Do you know what my husband did for the Chairman and what he endured? The one who killed that man was not my husband, but the Chairman, wasn’t it? That day, you told my husband to try to persuade Min Hyun Jun, but behind his back you……”

“Shut that mouth. Don’t run that mouth recklessly, Yun Kyung Sook. Who killed whom? That was an accident. And anyone can see that the perpetrator was not our Chairman but Mr. Choi. Was our Chairman at the scene? Do you want to fall even lower than this?”

Yun Kyung Sook knew Madam Jung better than anyone.

Was she a bit too greedy? She only meant to threaten a little, but in her anger, Kyung Sook had crossed a line she shouldn’t have. She belatedly realized Madam Jung’s mood had greatly soured, but it was already too late.

Madam Jung grabbed Kyung Sook’s chin and lifted it up.

“Kyung Sook, I am a magnanimous person.”

“……….”

Kyung Sook trembled with the pressure and fear Madam Jung gave off.

“So I’m saying I’ll forgive Mr. Choi even though he committed murder and theft. Get rid of Choi A Rin from in front of our Jae Hyuk. Then I’ll give you as much of that money you like as you want. Understand? And next time, if you act impudent like you did now, I won’t be able to end this nicely. Got it?”