Thus, Seong Jun felt quite unhappy all afternoon with guilt and self-loathing towards his wife.

Seong Jun had barely shaken off his thoughts and was reviewing today’s meeting contents on his tablet in his office when a message arrived from his wife.

– You didn’t forget we’re going together today, right? I’ll be waiting.

It was a strangely proactive message. If it were him, he would have hated all his in-laws, including himself.

Yet she was fond of him just because he wasn’t unkind to her. He felt endlessly pitiful and sorry for his wife, but also doubtful.

“Does she not meet her family often?”

Unlike himself who grew up competing with all family members from the start, he heard Seo Yeon grew up in a home with ideal parents and an elder brother who cherished her.

He was curious about how there could be such a harmonious family. In fact, Seo Yeon often talked about how much she was loved by her parents and elder brother growing up.

At that moment, he recalled Seo Yeon’s lonely face as she cried sadly saying she missed her family. In his mind, he thought she must be missing them because she was especially close with her family.

But something felt off. When he came to his senses, he had already thrown away the lunchbox sent by his mother-in-law without Seo Yeon’s consent and ordered a new one.

From that moment on, it started bothering him that his wife’s face was too dark for someone who grew up loved in a wealthy family.

As Seong Jun was lost in thought, silently staring at his phone with Seo Yeon’s message displayed,

There was a knock on the office door. Seong Jun’s gaze turned to the door.

“Come in.”

As soon as Seong Jun gave permission, the secretary opened the door and entered.

“Sir, the meeting preparations are complete.”

“Alright. I’ll head over now.”

“Also, the CEO of Han Kyung Construction called again.”

Seong Jun smiled coldly.

“He must be in a hurry. He said he’d never contact us again, but here he is calling after just one day.”

“What should we do?”

“Don’t connect him until he humbles himself more, knowing there’s essentially nothing for me to gain from them.”

“Understood, sir.”

After frantically holding meetings and giving work instructions, it was suddenly time to leave work. As he was reviewing the final submitted report before leaving, his secretary approached him with hurried steps.

“Sir. Your wife is waiting in the lobby.”

Seong Jun looked at the secretary with a surprised face. That was because in the past 3 years, his wife had never set foot near his company.

Before he could answer, his body moved first. He carelessly draped the jacket hanging on his chair over his arm and went down to the lobby, where he saw a pretty back figure looking towards the main entrance.

“Seo Yeon.”

Seong Jun called her name with an excited heart. At his call, she turned her head towards where Seong Jun was standing.

Seo Yeon’s eyes widened in surprise when they found Seong Jun, wearing an elegant yet casual dress. Why was she so pretty today, just looking at her made him smile.

“Seong Jun?”

Despite his joyful heart, his voice came out somewhat gruff for some reason.

“Why did you come without notice? If you came, you should have come up.”

“I was worried you might still be working. I’m not interrupting, am I?”

“I was just finishing up and coming down. But really, what brings you here?”

“I came to keep an eye on you in case you try to run away.”

“What?”

He had expected a romantic answer, but what was this absurd response? Seemingly oblivious to Seong Jun’s feelings, Seo Yeon continued nonchalantly.

“You usually hate attending family events. I came to make sure you weren’t sneaking off somewhere else.”

It was true he didn’t like it, but he didn’t hate it to that extent.

The reason he started avoiding family gatherings was out of consideration for his wife, hoping she would feel a little more comfortable, as she showed discomfort just being in the same space with him.

But explaining in detail felt petty. He just wanted to leave the spot for now.

Because as soon as Seo Yeon started talking to him, employees coming and going through the lobby couldn’t take their curious eyes off the two of them.

First, he wanted to snatch away the large bag hanging on his wife’s slender shoulders.

“Give me the bag.”

“You don’t have to carry it……”

At Seong Jun’s gaze that seemed to ask why she was refusing, Seo Yeon hesitantly said,

“We’re not college students in our early 20s anymore….. It’s weird, isn’t it?”

“Is there a law that says you can’t carry your wife’s bag if you’re not in your early 20s? I didn’t know that.”

“I’m saying this because it might be embarrassing in front of your employees……”

“Are you not going to give it to me?”

Grumbling, Seo Yeon reluctantly held out the bag to Seong Jun. That’s better. Seong Jun quickly took the bag from Seo Yeon and walked ahead.

Seo Yeon followed behind him. After confirming that his wife had safely fastened her seatbelt, Seong Jun was about to start the engine when,

“But, is it true?”

Seo Yeon asked cautiously.

“What?”

“Was your grandfather really that strict with you?”

“He was the strictest with me out of all the family members.”

“Why? You’re the eldest grandson.”

“I grew up constantly hearing that since he gave the eldest son multiple chances but was always disappointed, he wouldn’t give any chances to you, the eldest son’s son, even if you made just one mistake. Verbal abuse was the norm. Family members say he had the highest expectations for me, but how would I know? I only remember the hardships.”

“……Was it like that?”

An embarrassed look appeared on Seo Yeon’s face, as if she didn’t know there were such circumstances. If he said this much, she should understand that trying to play mediator between estranged family members would be a waste of time.

“If your grandfather was never kind to you, I’ll try to be a little kinder to you in my life. In return, you should try to be kind to your grandfather.”

However, that was Seong Jun’s misunderstanding. How could she come up with such an answer? Seong Jun asked with a suddenly serious face,

“Why are you going this far?”

At his question, Seo Yeon’s eyes trembled slightly.

“That’s……”

At his question, Seo Yeon recalled Seok Hyun’s grandly held funeral.

People sobbing. People wailing. And her husband standing with an expressionless face.

Her husband guarded the funeral hall for three days without showing any particular emotion. And when the funeral ended, he left for the company as if he had urgent matters to attend to.

He didn’t wail or sob like others, but Seo Yeon thought he looked so sad.

And she clearly remembered. The aching pain she felt in one corner of her heart as she watched her husband like that.

The regretful memories of wanting to comfort him, wanting to hold his hand, but not having the courage to even speak to him.

“I just like older people originally.”

Unable to explain those inner circumstances, Seo Yeon said nonchalantly. She worried what if he probed further, but Seong Jun didn’t ask anything more about it.

‘That’s a relief.’

Even she thought her answer wasn’t very logical, but he seemed to have accepted it to some extent.

‘If Seong Jun cooperates, we can get him to have a health checkup more smoothly.’

So the decision to accompany her husband was a good one. That’s what she thought.

*

As if mocking Seo Yeon’s thoughts, the two started a battle of nerves as soon as they met.

“What brings you here, you brat. I don’t remember calling for you.”

“Rest assured, I didn’t come to see you, grandfather. I came with my wife.”

“Your arrogance pierces the sky and makes you unable to distinguish heaven and earth. Who on earth did you take after to be so arrogant?”

“Who do you think I took after?”

Seok Hyun slammed his fist on the table and a thunderous roar burst out.

“Chief Joo. Throw this brat out right now. And make sure he never sets foot in my house again!”

Why are you doing this when you should be trying to make a good impression? A flustered Seo Yeon hurriedly opened her mouth.

“Grandfather. Actually, this person had a schedule today but came at my request. Please calm your anger, if only for my sake.”

“Han Seo Yeon. What are you doing right now.”

Seong Jun’s face hardened as if he didn’t like her apology.

“You stay quiet.”

However, at Seo Yeon’s crisp voice, he soon closed his mouth as if he had no choice.

Though his expression remained stiff as if he was still annoyed by the situation, he didn’t argue against her restraint. Seok Hyun watched the two with great interest.

Seong Jun was the only one among Seok Hyun’s children and grandchildren who knew how to refuse his words.

He would follow Seok Hyun’s instructions well, but if he thought Seok Hyun’s instructions were unreasonable, he would immediately raise objections. He even overturned plans Seok Hyun had laid out.

Though he was his grandson, he was truly an arrogant brat.

But Seok Hyun’s expectations for him were just as great. He thought that even if it were himself, if he only cared about others’ opinions without any backbone, he wouldn’t be able to lead this large Han Kyung Group.

His expectations were high. That’s why he had hinted long ago to abandon Seo Yeon, who had a natal family that backstabbed rather than helped.

He said he would provide some help to resolve this situation if Seong Jun did so. But at that time, Seong Jun had said with a frightening face,

‘I won’t divorce. I don’t need help. I’ll resolve everything myself.’

After that, Seong Jun bridged the crisis and built up achievements again without Seok Hyun’s help, as if to prove him wrong. Though his brazen face and way of speaking were irritating, his management skills were certainly unrivaled.

‘Back then, I thought he was just stubbornly refusing to divorce out of pride.’

Seok Hyun looked curiously at his grandson who had swallowed his pride at one word from his wife.