True Marriage After Divorce (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2

The small fist resting on her knees began to tremble faintly.

She hastily wiped away her tears and lifted her head. As she looked up, her eyes met his—just as he shook the water from his damp hair. Her heart, which had settled moments ago, suddenly raced.

His narrow, elongated eyes without double eyelids, his straight nose, and the sharp jawline framing his thin lips resembled a statue sculpted by the gods.

“Except for Choi Ah Rin herself… everything else your brother owns is a luxury.”

She always felt shabby and miserable beside him. Overwhelmed by surging emotions, Ah Rin bit down hard on her lower lip.

“Were you crying?”

He asked, having quietly closed the distance between them.

Ah Rin turned her head away from Jae Hyuk, who was staring intently at her face.

Don’t forget—it’s only out of pity. He doesn’t love you.

Confronted by a reality she could no longer ignore, she clenched her fist tightly.

The man she’d loved for half her life. Once her innocent first love, then later someone she cherished more than her own life.

And now, someone she had to let go.

So she mustn’t hope anymore, nor delude herself.

Ah Rin composed her expression and turned her head. He was still looking at her.

“…No.”

“Really didn’t cry?”

“Yes.”

His eyes seemed not to believe her words, but it didn’t matter.

“Today is my last day with you. Nothing matters anymore….”

Ah Rin forced a smile. Though Jae Hyuk’s scrutinizing gaze remained fixed on her, she pretended not to notice and took off her cardigan before lying down on the bed.

After lying down, Ah Rin made one more attempt to hide the turmoil inside her, offering him another forced, carefree smile.

“I’m really okay.”

Jae Hyuk studied her expression for a long moment, then removed his bathrobe and climbed onto the bed.

“Alright. Then.”

Jae Hyuk said with an unreadable expression.

Instead of answering, she lifted her head slightly so his arm could slide beneath her neck. Soon, his strong arm—shaped by consistent exercise—cradled her head.

She knew it was absurd self-justification.

She could’ve handed him the divorce papers the moment he stepped out. But she wanted just one last indulgence.

Maybe it would hurt every time she thought back on it later….

“But it’s the last time.”

Ah Rin wished Jae Hyuk would regret it when he saw the traces she left behind. Even though she knew he’d never regret anything, she needed to believe this—just so her departure would feel a little less pathetic.

The distance between them narrowed, and soon a warm heat touched her lips.

The warmth spreading through her skin was so soft. The scent of white musk, mingled with his natural fragrance, filled the air around her. When his long fingers brushed her waist, a sharp jolt ran through her like electricity.

Her love for him—though it had always clung stubbornly to things that never truly belonged to her—was merely foolish attachment. Yet, it remained the one and only love of Choi Ah Rin’s life.

Now, she had to let all these feelings go.

“Goodbye, my love.”

Afraid tears would spill, Ah Rin squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

[This is the timeline separator]

As usual, the moment everything was over, Jae Hyuk immediately rose from the bed as if he’d been waiting and headed toward the bathroom. Ah Rin’s eyes followed his body, toned from consistent workouts.

Jae Hyuk was a man who had everything.

He was talented and came from an excellent family. Normally, someone born into privilege might become complacent—but he was also genuinely hardworking.

“That’s why I always felt even more pathetic. No matter how hard I tried, I was constantly reminded that I could never reach you, Oppa.”

Had he noticed her gaze?

Jae Hyuk stopped mid-step toward the bathroom and turned around, approaching Ah Rin.

He reached out and gently stroked her cheek.

Ah Rin’s heart fluttered at the touch of his hand on her cheek.

She had tried countless times not to mistake his small acts of consideration for love. But every effort ended in vain, leaving only wounds in her heart.

“I’ll be out for a bit. Don’t wait up.”

Ah Rin lifted her head and silently looked at Jae Hy uk.

Where could he possibly be going at this late hour?

Was it work? Or was he meeting that woman?

Her mood plummeted instantly.

How foolish of her—asking about his whereabouts when they were getting divorced.

Instead of the question burning inside her, she bit down hard on her lower lip and blurted out something else.

“Um… do you have… a moment?”

In response to Ah Rin’s words, Jae Hyuk simply glanced at his watch.

“Wait. I’ll shower, change, and be right back.”

As soon as Jae Hyuk left the room, Ah Rin picked up the cardigan that had fallen beside the bed.

She stood up and walked straight to the vanity drawer.

[Divorce Agreement.]

“…Let’s get divorced. Let’s end this.”

She’d rehearsed those words countless times—but every time she spoke them aloud, her chest still ached sharply.

Staring down at the document she’d pulled from the drawer, Ah Rin forced the necessary words out like a groan. Her thin voice grew increasingly hoarse.

Moments later, she heard the door open.

Ah Rin quickly wiped her tears and turned her head. Jae Hyuk approached her, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit.

“What did you want to say?”

His tall 190 cm frame, broad shoulders, and solid build made the luxury suit look even more striking. His fair, flawless skin, sharp features, and angular jawline radiated a cold, metropolitan aura.

From the very beginning, this place was never meant for her—it was a position she’d selfishly clung to without reason. Even now, she had to let go.

Ah Rin steadied her expression and clenched her fist tightly.

“Mr. Jae Hyuk.”

“Yeah?”

“Have you… heard anything from Madam Jeong?”

To Ah Rin, Jae Hyuk had always been “Oppa.” Yet after marriage, she was never allowed to call him that. Madam Jeong forbade her from addressing her as “Mother” or calling him “Oppa.”

“No.”

After that short reply, Jae Hyuk fastened his cufflinks. From his oblivious expression, Ah Rin instantly understood Madam Jeong’s intention.

“She’s placing the blame entirely on me. Since I’m leaving anyway, she probably thinks it’s fine if I take some of the hatred…”

To Ah Rin, Madam Jeong had always been the cruelest mother-in-law imaginable—but to her son, she was utterly devoted.

In front of Jae Hyuk, she always played the kind and generous mother-in-law, but the moment he was gone, her demeanor changed completely.

Her fists trembled slightly.

She didn’t want to be hated anymore—but she had no choice.

Biting her lower lip hard, she placed the document she’d left on the table squarely in front of Jae Hyuk.

“Let’s end it. Us.”

Maybe all those hundreds of rehearsals in front of the mirror had paid off—her delivery was flawless.

Her voice, saying “end,” was calm and composed.

“…What?”

His hands, adjusting his cufflinks, froze mid-motion.

“What is this?”

Instead of answering, Ah Rin simply gestured for him to take and read it himself. Jae Hyuk’s eyes darkened the moment he took the document.

“I’ve already signed it. You just need to fill in your part and submit it.”

After a brief silence, he spoke.

“Who told you to do this? My mother? Or your mother?”

His voice came out sharp and cold.

His face hardened instantly, and his gaze pierced into her, demanding an explanation.

But Ah Rin didn’t look away.

“No. It’s my decision.”

“Choi Ah Rin.”

Jae Hyuk gripped both her shoulders firmly.

“I just… want to live more comfortably.”

“…What?”

“Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

“It’s not sudden. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.”

“…”

“This place is too much for me. I’m tired of everything I do becoming gossip for others.”

Jae Hyuk stared at Ah Rin with a stunned, almost dazed expression—as if he’d been struck hard on the back of the head.

“I’m also tired of being pressured about children.”

Outwardly, Ah Rin’s eyes remained calm—but inside, her heart was shattered.

“I wished that, even if the whole world ignored and criticized me, you wouldn’t. I didn’t want you to look at me with indifference and coldness. Every time my so-called family demanded money from you, I felt I couldn’t even hold my head up.”

That’s why.

She wanted to let go of everything. She was done clinging to a life that grew no easier, no matter how hard she tried.

“I’ll talk to my mother again. Don’t worry about the child issue.”

Jae Hyuk crumpled the divorce papers and threw them onto the floor. Ah Rin’s eyes followed the crumpled sheets as they landed.

“No, please don’t.”

Whenever she clashed with Jae Hyuk, Madam Jeong would subtly and thoroughly trample her—always in places he’d never notice.

Aside from Hyun Yu Jeong, the personal secretary he’d assigned to her, no one in his family was on her side.

Ah Rin picked up the divorce papers he’d thrown away. She smoothed out the crumpled document and handed it back to him.

“I want a divorce. My decision won’t change.”

At Ah Rin’s words, Jae Hyuk looked at her with utter bewilderment.

Jae Hyuk had always been her one impossible love—the savior of her life when she’d fallen into despair.

She vaguely knew it was impossible to ever meet a man she’d love more than him—then, now, or in the future.

“You’ve endured all this time. Why now?”

“…”

“Is it because my mother dragged you to that infertility clinic?”

No—it wasn’t something that simple, and it was already over.

I guess you really never cared about me at all.

The final thread of foolish emotion she’d clung to for Jae Hyuk slipped quietly away.

With a detached expression, Ah Rin said,

“No. I’ve already been there and back.”

“What? You went?”

“Yes. I’ve done all the tests, and Dr. Kim said it’s difficult. So…”

“Choi Ah Rin.”

She’d always thought these things only happened in morning dramas.

A marriage of convenience, the in-laws’ neglect and abuse, her mother-in-law’s tyranny.

She used to think all those were just melodramatic exaggerations on TV. For her, they were all reality.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”

How could she possibly tell him?

If she told him—the very person who treated her like she was invisible—that his mother had forced her to go to that clinic, what would he even say?

Would he just ask, “Why are you telling me this?”

The words she couldn’t voice swirled helplessly in her mouth.

Yes. There was a time when she’d actually hoped for words like these from him.

“Could it be that Oppa has started to care about me? That he likes me, even just a little?”

[Jae Hyuk has liked another girl since he was little. You’ve probably heard of her before.]

“If Madam Jeong hadn’t told me that, I might’ve completely misunderstood.”

She almost let herself hope—remembering how, when they were very young, he’d offered her a yellow flower and said they’d marry when they grew up.

[Don’t complicate things. Just stay as you are.]

Jae Hyuk used to say that like a habit. And every time, despite knowing better, her hopes were always shattered into pieces.

Just like now.

“Divorce isn’t happening.”

“Mr. Jae Hyuk.”

Jae Hyuk bit his lip, then abruptly turned his head away.

“Don’t say things so drastically.”

Ah Rin couldn’t understand his reaction.

Why on earth?

Wasn’t divorce what he’d wanted all along?