Chapter 14
by GideonJust hearing the words made her feel like she was standing in the middle of a chaotic scene. Hyewan pressed a hand to her throbbing forehead. Yundo rubbed his stiff neck.
“I know it’s bad to say this to someone who just took pills, but the bottle was still pretty full. He seemed conscious when they loaded him into the ambulance, too.”
“There was a suicide note, wasn’t there?”
“How did you know?”
Hyewan’s voice was scathing as she watched Yundo’s startled expression.
“Wasn’t my name half the note?”
Yundo’s silence was an admission.
“He didn’t take them to die. He took them to scare me.”
Hyewan hadn’t wasted three years dating Kim Jin-myeong. She knew his patterns—she had sensed the true motive behind his suicide attempt instantly.
Kim Jin-myeong had always been a man consumed by narcissism and self-pity. He’d conveniently ignored his own role in their breakup, hoping instead that Hyewan would come crawling back to him. He must have planned to keep her in his life even after his marriage, but hearing that she was seeing Yundo had sent him over the edge.
The suicide note was a calculated move to socially destroy Hyewan. He knew Bae Jeong-ju would be the one to make it public.
How stupid. This will only ruin him, too.
How does he expect to get married now?
Then again, Jin-myeong had never been one for planning. He’d always let Bae Jeong-ju handle the hard work.
“What happens now?”
“I’m not sure… The union filed a complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labor. They’re conducting a full investigation into workplace harassment.”
“I’m sorry. This is all because of me…”
“No, I’m getting an apology from Lawyer Kim. Don’t apologize. It feels like you’re taking his side, and I don’t like it.”
It was impossible to tell how far this would escalate, but the responsibility lay with Kim Jin-myeong. This wasn’t something Hyewan needed to apologize for.
“Hyewan. It’s going to be chaotic for a while. There’s no guarantee Professor Bae won’t come back, so let’s get you out of the way.”
Yundo tried to persuade Hyewan, who remained silent.
“We’re avoiding this shit because it’s filthy, so don’t be offended. Just pack your essentials and come out.”
“Alright. I’ll go to my mom’s house.”
“You think they won’t look for you there? Your mother already moved to a friend’s place.”
She looked at Yundo in shock.
“You told my mom?”
“No, I contacted her friend. She said they’re like sisters.”
“How did you… Did you run a background check on my mother?”
He shrugged. Hyewan didn’t even have the energy to get angry.
She followed Yundo to an unfamiliar apartment.
“The security is top-notch, so don’t worry. Just make yourself at home.”
How could I ever feel at home in a place where the living room alone was the size of a playground?
“Where is this?”
“My place. I couldn’t stay at the hotel forever, so I was just about to move back in.”
“If I’m staying here, where will you be?”
“I can spend a few more days at the hotel. Don’t worry about it.”
He kept checking his watch.
“Are you busy?”
“I’m sorry. I want to stay with you, but I have to get to the office.”
“Then hurry and go.”
“Call me immediately if anything happens. If you need anything at all…”
“I’ll call you, so just go.”
Yundo’s worry was so intense it felt like he was leaving a preschooler all alone. Hyewan found the feeling strange—she’d never even been treated this way by her own mother.
“A twenty-five-year-old can turn on the stove and guard the house just fine by herself,” she joked.
Yundo grinned. “Alright. I’ll call you.”
After he left, she was alone in the unfamiliar house.
She stood rooted to the center of the living room for a moment before walking to the window. The city sprawled out below her. But she had no room to admire the beautiful night view. Her life had always been a tedious, ordinary cycle, but now, yesterday was different from today, and morning was different from evening.
The dizzying pace of change made her realize how precious her once-mundane routine had been. Hyewan sighed deeply, turned away, and sank into the sofa. It was going to be another sleepless night.
Just as she leaned back and let out a long breath, her phone rang.
Jolt.
The sudden ringtone shattered the heavy silence, making me jump out of my skin. I scrambled to check the caller ID. It was Mom.
Why is she calling now?
My heart hammered against my ribs in a frantic rhythm. I answered the call quickly.
“Mom?”
“Wan, honey, it’s Mom. Have you eaten?”
Thankfully, her voice was as gentle as ever.
“What time do you think it is? Of course I’ve eaten.”
“Make sure you keep eating well. You can’t get anything done on an empty stomach.”
“I know. But why are you calling?”
“I’m just calling to tell you that I’m going to Gangneung with Aunt Gyeong-ae tomorrow morning.”
“Gangneung?”
“Yes. Gyeong-ae’s menopause symptoms have been getting worse lately. She said she’s feeling depressed just staying at home, so we’re going to get away for a few days. I’ve already closed the shop, so I figured I might as well take a break too. The trip might end up being a bit longer.”
“That’s a great idea, Mom. The weather’s perfect for a trip right now. I’ll send you some extra money.”
“What do you mean? I’m not calling to ask for money. I’m just letting you know in case you come home and get surprised that I’m not here.”
“Mom, I’m making good money. Buy Auntie lots of delicious food. And you, buy whatever you want, too. Okay?”
“Just hearing you say that is enough. I guess this is why people have children. Alright, I got it. Thanks, honey. I’m hanging up now.”
Hyewan was certain that Yundo had planned her mother’s trip to Gangneung. Just how far did he go for her? Seeing Yundo’s sincerity, she hoped Min-suk would never find out.
About an hour later, the intercom buzzed. Did Yundo send someone?
A text message arrived on her phone.
[ Ko Hyewan. It’s me. I’m in the lobby. Please verify the security. ]
It was her friend, Bora. When Hyewan checked the intercom, Bora was waving. Just as Bora had requested, Hyewan pressed the security verification button, and the screen immediately turned off.
“Ta-da! Your favorite sister is here!”
Bora burst in, her arms full of bags.
“What’s all this? How did you even know I was here?”
“Your little Mr. Snail Groom told me.”
“Mr. Snail Groom? You mean Cha Yundo?”
“Yep. That man is incredibly polite, but he’s also firm. He told me to get here quickly because you’re too anxious being alone. I swear, I thought I was his subordinate for a second.”
The tension that had kept my body wound tight finally deflated.
“I shouldn’t have dragged you into this. I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing? I practically flew here to trash-talk that bastard Kim Jin-myeong with you. Didn’t I tell you we should’ve just killed him long ago?”
“I’m bitterly regretting not listening to you.”
“Enough of that. From now on, listen to your big sister, okay? You haven’t eaten, right? I brought spicy tteokbokki. On days like this, you need to set your tongue on fire.”
Bora handed Hyewan the takeout tteokbokki. Her presence instantly shifted the atmosphere in the house. This, too, must be Yundo’s doing, Hyewan thought.
As the night deepened, Yundo’s predictions became a reality.
Hyewan’s social media was flooded with curses posted by Bae Jeong-ju. When she even released a suicide note as a YouTube video, Hyewan was instantly branded a gold-digging social climber who had dumped her lawyer boyfriend for a chaebol heir. She switched her account to private, but it was already too late.
People who knew nothing about Ko Hyewan poured out vile insults and personal attacks that were almost too painful to read. She was branded a woman devoid of morality, conscience, and common sense.
No matter how strong her mental fortitude was, this was an unbearable ordeal. Moreover, it was agonizing to see Yundo’s name being dragged into the public eye in real-time. The rumor that he had stolen his employee’s fiancée was bound to be fatal for Yundo, the designated next owner of Sewon Group.
Bora cursed Kim Jin-myeong as she frantically scrolled through the portal site’s news articles.
“Is this fucking crazy bastard insane? If he’s going to get high, he should just do it quietly. Why the hell did he have to drag an innocent person into this and make such a mess?”
Bora drained the glass of cold water Hyewan had handed her in one gulp, but her anger still simmered. She paced the small room like a caged animal.
“How much more of his life is he planning to ruin?”
“The article is already out, so it’ll probably blow over.”
“Like hell it will! I’m going to rip that bastard’s throat out! I’ll sue him for stalking, defamation—whatever I can throw at him!”
Even in this worst-case scenario, it felt reassuring to have someone take her side.
“It feels good to have you on my side, you know?”
“How can you say something like that right now? You’ve got some nerve, don’t you?”
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