That evening.

An unexpected message arrived from an unexpected person.

– I was hoping you could spare some time…

It was Jae Hyuk.

She didn’t question how he got her contact information. She also didn’t question the sudden message.

“I can just ignore it and that’ll be the end of it.”

She had decided not to think about him, no matter what.

A Rin clicked the three dots in the upper right to delete the message he sent. The delete button appeared.

Just as she was about to press ‘Delete’.

The image of his hurt face, the scratches on his face, began to haunt her like an afterimage.

Her slender finger froze in midair.

‘If only I hadn’t seen him being hit by his mother…’

She put the phone down on the table. She couldn’t even delete his message.

“Choi A Rin, you idiot.”

She didn’t want to hurt him again when he was already hurt.

The next day.

“Thank you for coming out to see me.”

“Sure.”

She had hesitated countless times before coming here. Up until the moment she opened the shop door, she wondered if coming here was the right thing to do.

By the time she came to her senses, he was in front of her.

After exchanging greetings, no more words were spoken.

‘Why is he taking so long to say something when he was the one who asked to meet?’

Unable to understand his silence after asking to meet first, A Rin waited for Jae Hyuk to speak first.

Without realizing it, A Rin stared intently at his face. Wondering what he was thinking, his long eyelashes trembled. His skin had become rough, and the dark circles under his eyes made her heart waver.

‘Why does his face look so battered again?’

Ah, again.

She was worrying about him.

‘Choi A Rin, have you lost your mind?’

She felt pathetic and foolish for forgetting the past and being swayed.

‘Why are you being nosy? He’s not someone worth worrying about. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten everything he put you through just because you saw him get hit a little?’

She couldn’t understand her own heart wavering even more than a year ago. She felt like she was becoming strange by being around him.

‘Get a grip, didn’t you say you want to stop this?’

She wanted to shake off her wavering heart. Shaking her head vigorously, she broke the silence first.

“I’d like you to tell me what this is about now.”

She thought there was no future with him. A Rin vowed never to come out again.

However, his next words turned her resolution to dust.

“My father has woken up.”

“The chairman?”

“Yes.”

She knew about Chairman Ban Ho Jun’s health through the news. Even the chairman who once ruled the world was now clinging to life through life support. Upon hearing this, A Rin even thought to herself how fleeting power is.

“What I’m about to say may sound selfish and absurd, but please hear me out to the end.”

He said, meeting eyes with her, unable to hide the trembling in his tension-filled eyes. A Rin nodded to indicate she understood.

“I’ll be honest. My father said he won’t hand over his shares to me unless I bring you back.”

“Wh-what kind of nonsense is that?”

A Rin raised her voice without realizing it.

“…Shares? Didn’t you already receive them? You said before that you were inheriting shares…”

She asked, recalling the time around when they got married.

“It wasn’t all of it.”

“It wasn’t all?”

“Yeah. He only gave me a small portion.”

“A small portion? After doing all that?”

After he actively participated in management, news spread that the share inheritance was taking place, causing a buzz.

VAN Group was in crisis around the time the two got married. There were rumors about Chairman Ban Ho Jun’s retirement from management and deteriorating health. Furthermore, there were various conspiracy theories about his close aide and driver, Mr. Choi, being booked for special theft.

In addition, rumors about Chairman Ban’s personal life and discord with Madam Jung circulated, with VAN Group at the center of all the gossip.

The group needed a new topic to change the atmosphere. Jae Hyuk’s share inheritance instantly changed the tide. Expectations for a new owner who would break away from the old generation immediately quelled all rumors and conspiracy theories.

“Then why make such a fuss if he wasn’t giving it all to you?”

Setting aside her feelings for him, A Rin couldn’t understand Chairman Ban Ho Jun’s thinking. At that time, Jae Hyuk had sacrificed himself for the company. He was the one who protected the company, even taking on all the responsibility.

“Did Chairman Ban use you as a shield back then?”

He rarely came home even once a week, working a murderous schedule. She still remembered how haggard his face was, showing how hard he worked.

But still…

‘Chairman Ban saw how much effort and hard work he put in, but he’s doing this now? Why?’

“…Ha.”

His silence felt like he was affirming the situation.

Just like her own parents, the fact that his parents used him as a shield made her angry for some reason, and she also felt bad for him.

She was someone who had struggled because of her parents’ selfishness. That’s why she could empathize with his situation more than anyone.

“So what? What happens to the company if you can’t inherit the shares?”

“I won’t be able to take over the company.”

“Wh-what did you say?”

She was so absorbed in empathizing with his situation that she failed to notice the strangeness of his reaction.

“That’s crazy. Is he saying he’ll kick you out?”

“…”

Jae Hyuk remained silent.

“Really? Is it really possible you won’t become the chairman?”

‘Why? Why does he need to drive his own child to the edge like this? For what is he making his child suffer so much?’

A Rin was furious at Jae Hyuk’s parents for ruining their child’s future. Thinking that Jae Hyuk must be feeling the same way she felt about Kyung Sook, she couldn’t help but feel pity for him.

“Did you ask why he’s doing this?”

He made a complex expression at her question. After a moment, a self-deprecating smile appeared on his face.

“He said he wants to atone to you. That he’s sorry. And that only then can he be forgiven.”

“What? What kind of nonsense is that?”

At his words, the last thread of reason she was barely holding onto snapped. A Rin raised her voice without realizing it.

“What does that have to do with you inheriting the company?”

He listened to her silently.

“That’s not all, is it? There’s some other reason, right?”

Yes, there had to be another reason.

He shook his head firmly at her words.

“No, there isn’t.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. There’s only one reason my father is doing this.”

“…”

“It’s you.”

He looked straight into her eyes.

“So for me to protect the company, I need you.”

“…”

“I know it makes no sense to say this to you after we divorced, but…”

Jae Hyuk’s voice trembled thinly as he spoke to A Rin.

“Come back to me.”

“If you know it makes no sense, then what are you saying?”

“Stay by my side, A Rin.”

Her anger at his situation didn’t lead to a positive response to his proposal.

She felt unpleasant. She no longer wanted to be by his side. She felt dirty, as if they were betting on her.

“You have no conscience. How can you say that to me? After the way we broke up, you come to me now and… How can you say such a thing?”

Complex emotions surged through her. She bit her lower lip hard as her heart welled up. Her small fist placed under the table trembled finely.

“Yes, you’re right. I know very well that I have no right to ask this of you. I know it’s really selfish of me to ask you to be by my side even though I know it’ll be hard for you. I’m sorry for saying it even though I know all that. But I can’t give up the company. I can’t ask you to understand. But could you consider it?”

“Hey, Ban Jae Hyuk, right now you’re…”

At that moment, A Rin noticed a drop of blood on Jae Hyuk’s lower lip.

She got the feeling that he also didn’t want this situation and was suppressing his emotions unintentionally. Somehow, her will to be angry disappeared.

‘I heard everything I need to, so let’s go. As quickly as possible!’

She no longer wanted to be entangled in this complicated situation. A Rin opened her mouth to wrap up.

“What are you…”

But the quick-witted him cut her off and added.

“It’ll be for a very short time.”

“…”

“Stay by my side for the time being. A Rin. I’ll convince my father during that time.”

She was confused. Her head was spinning and she couldn’t organize her thoughts.

Jae Hyuk’s proposal was ridiculous, and she couldn’t understand Chairman Ban Ho Jun who made him propose it either.

But what was even more inexplicable was herself, unable to flatly refuse this nonsense and wavering instead.

‘It’s strange. No matter how heartless the chairman is to not give his child everything, he knows what the company means to him. He knows it was him who revived the company while the chairman was away. So why go this far? To pay his dues to me? Is he trying to sway our lives for such a petty reason?’

A Rin still remembered what Chairman Ban Ho Jun had done to her.

‘How shameless, calling me in like this. After how much I suffered in that house. Knowing full well how I was treated!’

Even when Mr. Choi was framed as a thief as if it was planned, Chairman Ban feigned ignorance.

Furthermore, Chairman Ban Ho Jun had witnessed her being physically and psychologically abused by Madam Jung several times. But not once did he mediate or stop it.

A Rin remembers the cold way Chairman Ban looked down at her then. The miserable memories resurfaced.

At the same time her heart surged up, the image of his injuries, swollen from being hit by his mother, came to mind. His face, pretending to be fine while crying, threw her heart into turmoil.

‘Hah.’

A heavy silence fell between the two.

She bit the inside of her cheek hard as she looked at him, his expression seemingly gripped by guilt.

“So you’re saying…”

She asked after much deliberation.

“…you want us to do something like a contract relationship?”

“Yes. A contract relationship.”

He neatly summed up the situation in response to her question.

“Not a contract marriage?”

“I’m not shameless enough to propose that to you. Even if it’s called a relationship… it won’t be for long.”

Somehow, A Rin felt like Jae Hyuk’s voice was trembling a little.