Chapter 49
by GideonHearing the sound that announced her presence, she was swept by a joy and excitement she had never felt before. It was a different kind of happiness from what she felt for Yundo. She finally understood what it meant to be willing to give one’s life without regret. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for Haetsal.
The agony of failing to protect and losing such a baby was unbearable. She hated herself for eating, receiving treatment, and sleeping while her baby was dead.
Would this memory naturally fade into the back of her mind with time? Could she endure it until then?
Hyewan’s heart was festering.
Meanwhile, her rehabilitation therapy was grueling. Every time she moved her joints, it felt as if her legs were breaking all over again.
And now, that time had come again today.
“Ma’am, it’s time for your treatment. Will you be using the walker?”
“I want to save my strength. I’ll take the wheelchair.”
As she settled into the wheelchair brought by her caregiver, a knock sounded at the door.
“Yes, come in.”
Jinju-daek stepped into the room.
“Young Madam.”
“Oh, you’re here?”
“The Vice President asked me to bring you some things and some food. How are you feeling, Young Madam?”
“I’m getting better, little by little.”
“Are you going somewhere?”
“I’m heading to the treatment room.”
At that, Jinju-daek hastily set down the bag she was holding and hurried over.
“I’ll go with you.”
“No, it’s all right. The caregiver is here.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll wait here for you. Go on ahead, Young Madam.”
Jinju-daek saw Hyewan off and remained alone in the hospital room. Even though Hyewan wasn’t her own daughter-in-law, Jinju-daek felt a pang of sympathy and heartache. She let out a heavy sigh. That lovely woman, entangled with this madhouse of a family! She even regretted not telling Hyewan the truth when she first announced her marriage. Jinju-daek knew she had to side with her employers who paid her salary—a hungry belly has no ears, after all—but this was just too much. If my own daughter were treated like this, I’d lose my mind.
Just then, Chief Ma walked in. Jinju-daek’s eyes flashed with hostility as she spotted the box of herbal medicine in his hand.
“What are you doing here again?” she snapped, her voice dripping with venom.
“Are you here to torment the Young Madam again? She’s still in critical condition. Why are you so desperate to keep making her suffer?”
“Jinju-daek, watch your mouth.”
“Watch my mouth, my foot!”
Jinju-daek pointed at the box of herbal medicine. “Is that more of that contraceptive drug?”
Jinju-daek trembled with fury at Chairwoman Kang’s ruthlessness.
“How could you all be so cruel? You brought that here to make the young madam take it, right after she just miscarried?”
“Of course,” Chief Ma retorted coldly. “Who would want an heir from a cursed woman? Getting pregnant in the first place was the mistake. What kind of family is the Cha clan? Do you think they’d want to taint their bloodline with a shaman’s filth? It’s a blessing she miscarried.”
“How can you even say that?” Jinju-daek seethed, but Chief Ma remained completely unfazed.
“The Chairwoman was delighted. And this is for Ko Hyewan’s own good. She’ll be divorced after three years anyway. Being a single woman is far better than being a divorced mother.”
“What are you talking about?”
In an instant, Jinju-daek and Chief Ma both spun around. Hyewan, seated in her wheelchair, was staring at them. The caregiver standing behind her couldn’t hide her own shock. A look of dismay clouded Chief Ma’s face.
“What birth control pills? What do you mean, a scapegoat wife? Answer me!”
Hyewan’s voice trembled.
“Young Mistress, it’s nothing. Jinju-daek is just speaking out of turn.”
“I might have a broken leg, but my ears are fine. You said it yourself, didn’t you? You said birth control pills.”
Jinju-daek fell silent.
“So everything I heard is true?”
“Young Mistress…”
Hyewan pressed a trembling hand to her forehead.
A scapegoat wife for three years. A fake wife who couldn’t get pregnant. They said they’d give her ‘more’ birth control pills. That means she was already taking them. Then how did she conceive Haetsal?
Her mind raced. Then, she remembered the supplements she’d received along with her wedding gifts before leaving for Hawaii. The ones she’d stopped taking after developing a rash… Those supplements were birth control pills!
It had all been meticulously planned from the start.
Hyewan clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream.
They were happy that our Haetsal was dead.
Her heart felt shattered into a thousand pieces.
“Aaaah!”
Hyewan tore at her chest, howling like a wounded animal.
“Young Mistress, please calm down.”
Jinju-daek tried to approach, but Hyewan blocked her.
“Stay back!”
“Young Mistress…”
Jinju-daek called out, her face on the verge of tears. But Hyewan had no strength left to spare for the flustered woman.
“Chief Ma, answer me!”
“I’ll come back later.”
“Chief Ma!”
“Excuse me.”
“Stop right there!”
Hyewan tried to chase after him, but she tumbled out of her wheelchair. It felt as if her body had shattered into a thousand pieces.
“Ma’am! Nurse! Hurry over here!”
The caregiver shoved Jinju-daek aside while calling for a nurse.
“You, get out! Now!”
Yundo was in the middle of a report from the Planning Team when calls from Jinju-daek and the caregiver came in, just moments apart.
Frowning, Yundo checked his missed calls and immediately announced a break, leaving the conference room. A sudden, ominous feeling washed over him. He dialed the caregiver first.
“Sir!” Dong-yeong rushed to his side, but the caregiver answered the phone just then.
—Vice President!
Yundo cut Dong-yeong off with a gesture, focusing entirely on the call. “Yes, it’s me. What happened to my wife?”
—Vice President! You need to get to the hospital right away.
The caregiver’s voice was low and urgent, as if she were trying not to be overheard.
—Some people from your family came by and said some terrible things. The Madam heard them.
For a moment, Yundo felt as if his heart had stopped beating.
“What do you mean, ‘terrible things’?”
—They were talking about some superstition… They said the Elder was pleased that the Madam miscarried.
The strength drained from Yundo’s legs.
“Sir!” Dong-yeong caught him, supporting his weight.
The world went dark before Yundo’s eyes.
—Vice President, please, hurry.
Dong-yeong spoke to him, who was still gripping his phone with a trembling hand. “The car is waiting. Let’s go, now.”
Yundo managed a nod.
Madam Park, who had been sitting on the living room sofa, sprang to her feet in alarm as Jinju-daek entered, looking like she’d seen a ghost. Tears had left clear streaks down her face.
“Jinju-daek? What’s wrong?”
At the sight of Madam Park, Jinju-daek burst into tears.
“Madam… what are we going to do? I’ve made a terrible mistake. The Young Madam knows everything now.”
A sudden chill swept through Madam Park’s chest.
“W-what do you mean? What does she know? Could it be…?”
Stammering, Madam Park grabbed Jinju-daek’s arm.
“Jinju-daek, tell me plainly. Did Hyewan find out what Mother was thinking when she arranged the marriage?”
“Yes.”
Jinju-daek nodded, unable to even wipe away her tears.
“Why in the world…!”
“Madam!”
Madam Park stumbled, her voice raised in a heartbreaking cry, and Jinju-daek quickly caught her. Madam Park managed to steady herself by gripping the back of the sofa.
“When I arrived, the younger Madam was just leaving her hospital room for rehabilitation therapy. So I saw her off, and while I was alone organizing the refrigerator, Chief Ma showed up.”
Madam Park asked, her voice trembling, “Chief Ma?”
“Yes. He brought a box of herbal medicine.”
Oh my god! Madam Park squeezed her eyes shut and clutched her chest. She knew exactly what that herbal medicine meant.
“I should have held back, but I just couldn’t control myself. It’s only been a few days since she lost the baby, and yet they’re already trying to force her to take birth control again… How can anyone be so cruel?”
Madam Park agreed with Jinju-daek’s words. Yes, that was something no human being should ever do.
“But Chief Ma said something even more outrageous. He said that since the Chairman was going to force a divorce anyway, what was the point of having the baby? He even said the Chairman was happy about the miscarriage.”
Madam Park couldn’t believe her ears.
“What? Happy about the miscarriage? How could he even say such a thing?”
“And of all times, that’s when the young madam returned to the hospital room and heard him say it.”
It didn’t matter what Chairman Kang thought of Hyewan or what plans he had made. Yundo would never let things go according to the Chairman’s wishes. Even Madam Park had no intention of following his orders.
But putting everything else aside—happy that Hyewan had miscarried? A fragile life she had carried in her womb for over fourteen weeks had died.
Madam Park’s body trembled with rage.
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