Mrs. Jung was not one to mince words. Kyung Sook knew better than anyone how cruel she could be.

“No answer?”

Kyung Sook nodded with all her might.

Only then did Mrs. Jung release her grip on Kyung Sook’s chin, seeming satisfied.

Kyung Sook touched her still aching chin and thought to herself.

‘This won’t do. If I just keep my eyes on lady like before, something terrible will happen. Who knows when I’ll be used and thrown away again.’

Kyung Sook had to think of someone who could stand up to Mrs. Jung.

‘That’s right. Sir Ban. There’s Sir Ban.’

Finally, Kyung Sook remembered her son-in-law Jae Hyuk, who had not yet divorced A Rin.

‘It’s been a while since A Rin went to Jeju Island, and they’re still not divorced. That means they have no intention of divorcing.’

Like a rat that had found an escape route, Kyung Sook lifted the corners of her lips.

The next day, she went straight to find Jae Hyuk.

Though Jae Hyuk’s eyes were not kind when he saw her, Kyung Sook didn’t care.

She hadn’t sought him out expecting a warm welcome in the first place.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll get straight to the point. I’ll help you reconcile with A Rin.”

“……”

“So promise me you’ll support me for life, including my husband’s medical expenses and living expenses.”

She thought Jae Hyuk would rejoice and welcome this offer.

However, Jae Hyuk’s gaze grew even colder and more frigid than before.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“…What did you say?”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you just said.”

“Why on earth? I’m saying I’ll make things work out between you and A Rin. You know A Rin, right? You know she listens well to me.”

What a frustrating bastard. Kyung Sook cursed inwardly.

But Jae Hyuk spoke calmly.

“I don’t want to win back A Rin’s heart that way. The heart decides for itself. If you love her even a little, don’t come to me like this, using her heart as a bargaining chip.”

Kyung Sook was dumbfounded.

“You’ll regret this. If I tell A Rin, she’ll absolutely…”

“Please leave.”

“What?”

Jae Hyuk’s unexpected reaction was a snag. Contrary to her expectation that he would eagerly accept if she offered A Rin, Jae Hyuk firmly rejected Kyung Sook’s proposal.

‘Damn it, you won’t even take that?’

Kyung Sook ground her teeth as she left Jae Hyuk’s office empty-handed.

“What do I do now?”

Kyung Sook bit her innocent nails. No matter how much she struggled, in the end, she was trapped helplessly in Mrs. Jung’s palm once again.

That evening, Mrs. Jung summoned Kyung Sook.

“You called for me?”

“Why did you go see Jae Hyuk?”

“…Well, that’s…”

“Didn’t I tell you not to do anything stupid?”

“No, it’s not like that. I just told them to hurry up and get divorced.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, of course. I told them to get divorced quickly.”

Kyung Sook glanced at Mrs. Jung, who pursed her lips as if not believing her words. For her, making a living was more important than her pride.

“Don’t do anything to cause misunderstandings in the future.”

Only then did Mrs. Jung lower her hand that she had raised high in the air and sit on the sofa.

“…I apologize.”

Kyung Sook suppressed her anger and humiliation, gritting her teeth as she bowed her head.

“Raise your head.”

“……”

“Use this card from now on.”

Mrs. Jung held out a card in front of her.

Kyung Sook quickly checked the cardholder’s name, and her eyes widened.

“…This is…”

“That’s right. It’s our Jae Hyuk’s card.”

Mrs. Jung lifted the corners of her lips.

“From now on, everything your family wears, eats, and all of Mr. Choi’s hospital expenses, it’s not me providing them for you. It’s our Jae Hyuk doing it for you. You understand what I mean, right?”

‘That’s right, there’s no choice now. Take it. You have to save your husband.’

The devil’s whisper rang in Kyung Sook’s ears.

“From the beginning, you and I were in the same boat. If you do anything stupid, I’ll kill you without anyone knowing, so don’t try to use your wicked mind for nothing.”

Rationalizing herself, Kyung Sook shook hands with the devil.

Not knowing that someone was watching over her.

[This is the timeline separator]

Upon receiving a report that Mrs. Jung and Kyung Sook, who had not been in contact for the past few years, had met, Jae Hyuk had someone keep an eye on the two of them.

“Vice President. Ms. Yun Kyung Sook and the elder lady met.”

With Jae Hyuk’s help, Kyung Sook opened a store and strangely spread rumors to those around her that she was using his card.

Realizing that Mrs. Jung was behind it, Jae Hyuk went to find Kyung Sook.

“I’ll get straight to the point. Hand over the card. My mother may do this, but you shouldn’t. Don’t use A Rin’s heart. If you give me the card today, I’ll overlook what you’ve used so far.”

“I can’t.”

Jae Hyuk’s eyes turned cold. Kyung Sook seemed unwilling to back down either.

Kyung Sook had crossed a river of no return. She had no intention of living as a good person now.

“Since you already know, I’ll tell you. The elder lady gave me this card. So don’t do this to me and discuss it with her. If she tells me to bring it, I’ll give it to you then.”

Kyung Sook was confident. Mrs. Jung would never take the card away from her.

She was a woman who would do anything as long as she could get her son divorced.

Jae Hyuk spoke firmly.

“If you thought doing this would make me break up with A Rin, you are greatly mistaken. My relationship with A Rin is a matter between her and me. It’s not something a third party can have a say in.”

Kyung Sook shrank at Jae Hyuk’s sharp gaze. But if she backed down now, it was clear she would lose all the economic prosperity she had been enjoying.

“A Rin is my daughter. But for a mother to interfere…”

At Kyung Sook’s words, Jae Hyuk’s face turned cold.

“A mother, you say? Is that the kind of person who hurts A Rin? Don’t hurt her. You know well how much she has done for this family, yet you do this.”

“……”

“I will do anything to protect A Rin from now on. I can’t just let the people who hurt her be. Even if they are her family.”

“……”

“If you keep resisting like this, I’ll have no choice but to take legal action. Remember that using a credit card issued under someone else’s name can result in up to 7 years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won.”

It was Jae Hyuk’s warning. A firm will to shield A Rin, to never let her go.

Kyung Sook’s eyebrows trembled. She had to somehow get out of this situation.

“Ah, A Rin knows too.”

Jae Hyuk’s eyebrows twitched.

“Bluntly put, it’s not like you and A Rin are divorced now. So I’m using my son-in-law’s card, does it make sense for a mother-in-law to sue for theft?”

“Ma’am.”

“It’s true. I asked A Rin after receiving this card and she said I could use it…”

That’s when it happened.

With the sound of the store door opening, the person who walked in was none other than A Rin.

‘This is the worst.’

Jae Hyuk read the clear resentment in A Rin’s eyes directed at him. The reason he came to meet A Rin’s mother Kyung Sook was for no other reason.

It was simply to warn Kyung Sook, who was using A Rin as a means. But Jae Hyuk had also hurt A Rin.

[I don’t want to hear it, so leave. I said leave! It’s all over.]

At A Rin’s angry voice, Jae Hyuk’s world crumbled. He felt like the ground beneath his feet was caving in.

‘That’s not what you think.’

Jae Hyuk couldn’t bring himself to say those words that had risen to his throat. He was afraid that his words, which he had said with the intention of clearing up misunderstandings, would not reach A Rin’s heart and would only worsen the situation.

‘Damn it!’

Jae Hyuk clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth. Until he came here, he never imagined this. That A Rin would come, that the situation would get this tangled…

He couldn’t divorce A Rin. Jae Hyuk felt suffocated in a situation where he couldn’t even lift a finger.

‘If I were in A Rin’s position, I would have thought I was being deceived and mocked.’

At that moment, Jae Hyuk heard A Rin’s sorrowful sobs. He felt the pain of his heart being torn apart.

‘Don’t cry. Please.’

Jae Hyuk wanted to lift A Rin, who had collapsed, but he couldn’t.

The reason she was crying was because of him. Anger rose in Jae Hyuk at himself for being unable to handle the situation any better than this.

All he could do was bite his lower lip and endure, which made him feel even more powerless.

Jae Hyuk was disgusted by Kyung Sook’s hypocritical attitude. And he loathed himself.

Jae Hyuk couldn’t take his eyes off A Rin’s trembling, delicate shoulders. After a brief silence, he spoke to Kyung Sook while keeping his gaze fixed on A Rin.

There was no way A Rin would have allowed her to use his card. It was clear that Kyung Sook was lying to him.

He didn’t need to think deeply to know who was behind Kyung Sook.

If he had his way, he wanted to snatch the card from her hand and settle everything here, from the store to the house. But A Rin had ordered him to leave.

In the end, Jae Hyuk had to leave without being able to do anything.

[This is the timeline separator]

A Rin ran away from Kyung Sook as if fleeing.

“How could mother say such things…”

A Rin was confused by Kyung Sook’s behavior, which was completely different from the mother she knew.

‘I don’t remember what she said at the end. I don’t know how we concluded the conversation.’

A Rin felt empty as if her heart had been carved out whole. Her mind was also blank as if someone had erased it with an eraser.

She hated both Jae Hyuk and Kyung Sook. She felt endlessly miserable, as if she had become the only fool.

The tears wouldn’t stop.

Her staggering figure looked precarious. Her shoulders, exposed by the off-shoulder dress she was wearing, were swollen red from being grabbed by Kyung Sook earlier.

A Rin’s body swayed greatly and plopped down after bumping into someone. A large shadow loomed over her small body.

“Ah, what the hell are you doing?”

A burly man was glaring at A Rin, who had fallen to the ground.

“Can’t you watch where you’re going? Are your eyes just for decoration?”

The man’s voice directed at A Rin was quite threatening. But A Rin just sat there blankly, unable to get up.

“Ah, what rotten luck to run into some crazy woman.”

When A Rin didn’t respond, the man thought she was crazy.

“Hey, consider yourself lucky. I’m not avoiding you because I’m scared of shit.”

The man glared fiercely at A Rin and went on his way.

Numerous people passed by A Rin, who was left alone.

‘What do I do now? Where should I go?’

A Rin felt like there was nowhere in this world where she belonged.

How long had it been?

Once again, a large shadow fell over A Rin’s head.

“A Rin…”

A Rin thought she heard Jae Hyuk’s voice for a moment. A little later, she felt a hand brushing her hair back.

‘It must be a dream.’

A Rin slowly raised her head.

“……”

And the moment her eyes met someone’s, darkness engulfed A Rin’s world.