DBEM ~ 07

Chapter – 07

Seol-hwa clenched her trembling fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.

The film screenplay her late father had written had not only launched Gi-beom’s commercial directing career with tremendous success but had also made him enormously wealthy.

That was precisely why he had chosen a drama written by someone else for his next project.

As a film director, he desperately wanted to preserve his pride in writing his own screenplays—but the truth was, he simply didn’t have the talent.

His words, spoken without even the slightest shred of conscience, made Seol-hwa’s blood boil.

And then—

“I’ve been hearing rumors that Jung Seol-hwa is making a comeback. I just assumed she’d be starring in Director Jeon’s next project.”

Someone else’s comment was immediately followed by Gi-beom’s confident voice.

“Huh? No way.”

“Jung Seol-hwa can’t come back.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because she’s become a monster.”

“A real monster.”

“Especially her eyes… and that face…”

Yoo-kyung chimed in as though the mere thought disgusted her.

What Gi-beom said next made the cold fury inside Seol-hwa burn even hotter.

“With a face like that, Jung Seol-hwa will never stand before the public again.”

“Besides, she won’t even have the courage to try.”

“Just wait and see.”

He was openly mocking her scars.

He had abandoned her from the very beginning, so she had never expected courtesy or respect from him.

But…

How could you possibly say something like that?

At the very least, have some human decency!

Ironically, the rage rising to the top of her head only made her calmer.

Her own reflection appeared on the black screen of her phone.

“…!”

It took only an instant for her to understand the meaning of the beautiful mask fate had suddenly placed upon her.

At that moment, Tae-oh leisurely lifted his glass of water to his lips.

Cold droplets condensed on the surface of the glass before sliding down the curve of his prominent Adam’s apple.

Clink.

The bottom of the glass touched the table with a clear sound.

“Ms. Jung Seol-hwa.”

His eyes suddenly pierced straight into hers.

His voice was quiet, but unwavering.

“Do you want revenge?”

He asked as casually as if he were discussing tonight’s dinner menu.

Yet those indifferent words made the humiliation she was enduring almost unbearable.

“If you want…”

“I can crush them completely.”

How strange.

Why did his cynical voice give her the courage to start over?

“No.”

The bitterness crushed between her tightly clenched teeth quietly escaped.

“I…”

“I want to come back.”

Her voice was vivid with determination that had long surpassed mere anger.

“If that’s what you want…”

“Then it’s entirely possible.”

Only then did the rigid lines around his eyes soften into a faint smile.

When Seol-hwa returned home, she received a phone call she had no desire to answer.

It was Gi-beom’s mother calling to demand her monthly living expenses.

Did Gi-beom already tell her we’d broken up?

For nearly five years, the woman had lived comfortably on the money Seol-hwa sent her every month.

Perhaps…

She was calling to apologize.

Or at least say she felt sorry things had turned out this way.

Of course, considering the woman’s shameless and overbearing personality, that was wishful thinking.

With an exhausted voice, Seol-hwa answered.

“Hello, Mother.”

“Hey!”

“Why haven’t you sent this month’s money yet?!”

The shout nearly burst her eardrums.

“You’ve already got that hideous face, and Gi-beom is still willing to stay with you.”

“You should be grateful!”

“It’s only ten million won! Why are you acting so stingy?!”

Seol-hwa let out a deep sigh and pressed against the tightness in her chest.

“It’s not like that.”

“Something came up.”

“I don’t care.”

“Just make sure you get the money.”

“Again?”

“What? Do you think it’s too much?!”

Even a legal mother-in-law wouldn’t dare act this shamelessly.

Looking back now, everyone in that family had treated her like nothing more than a walking ATM.

“I’ll call you back.”

Without waiting for a reply, Seol-hwa ended the call.

As she rubbed her aching chest, her eyes landed on the white envelope.

The partially opened delivery envelope still had the sender’s address neatly written on the back, just as Tae-oh had said.

She slowly opened it completely.

Just as he’d promised, there was a script inside.

Her eyes traced the hastily handwritten title.

Snow Blossom, Bloom Again — Episode 1

“Snow Blossom…”

“Bloom Again…”

The title, which reminded her of her own name, held her gaze for a long time.

She slowly traced each character with her fingertips.

An indescribable emotion spread from her fingers through her veins.

“Hoo…”

Taking a long, steadying breath, she opened the script with trembling hands.

It had been so long since she’d last held one that the rustling pages felt strangely nostalgic beneath her fingertips.

Written by Kim Jin-ah, Snow Blossom, Bloom Again told the story of a woman who had grown up suffering domestic abuse and later sought merciless revenge against the husband who abandoned her, ultimately finding herself along the way.

Even after reading only the first episode, the script left a profound impression.

Not only because of its title—

The story itself felt like it had been written about her.

Kim Jin-ah’s celebrated ability to portray the deepest corners of the human heart was evident on every page.

“…I hope this moment of blooming again lasts for a very long time.”

She quietly recited the calm, yet fiercely emotional line.

With every page she turned, her longing to act came back to life.

The heroine suited her so perfectly that it almost felt as though the role had been written specifically for her.

Of course, that had to be wishful thinking.

Still…

Any actress would desperately want this role.

The project had already appointed Jeon Gi-beom as its director.

If possible, she wanted to avoid him.

Yet she wanted this role enough to endure seeing his face every day.

In fact…

A part of her even wanted to stand proudly before the man who had called her a monster.

“I wonder how shocked he’ll be when he sees my face.”

How would he react after seeing her completely restored appearance?

If he asked what had happened…

She couldn’t even imagine how she would answer.

Then again…

There’s no reason I owe him an explanation.

A strange mixture of anticipation and anxiety tightened her throat.

Seol-hwa gently touched her face as if confirming it was real.

Only after feeling the smoothness of her restored skin did she take out her phone.

Without hesitation, she pressed the call button.

“Seol-hwa!”

Woo-cheol answered after only a few rings.

“Are you free tomorrow?”

“I’d like to discuss my comeback.”

“So you’ve finally made up your mind?”

“Of course!”

“What time are you coming?”

“No—better yet, why don’t you come right now?”

“It’s too late today.”

“I’ll come tomorrow at ten.”

A single cold tear rolled down her smooth cheek, reflected in the cracked vanity mirror.

These tears were no longer born from unbearable sorrow.

Nor from pain so deep it threatened to tear her apart.

They were sorrow…

Forged into a cold blade.

The lobby of Jang Entertainment looked exactly as it had three years ago.

The artwork and antique books chosen to suit Woo-cheol’s pretentious intellectual taste remained unchanged.

While Seol-hwa’s confidence had crumbled and collapsed over those three years…

This place had stayed exactly the same.

As though she alone had changed.

“Actress Seol-hwa!”

Yoon-ji—whose title had apparently changed to Office Manager—grasped Seol-hwa’s hands excitedly.

“Yoon-ji.”

“I missed you so much!”

Her bright voice and puppy-like smile were exactly as Seol-hwa remembered.

She could still vividly picture the shy rookie manager who had nervously handed her a fan letter.

Now she was already a manager.

Everything except Seol-hwa seemed to have moved forward.

“Seriously, how do you still look exactly the same?”

“I’m the only one who’s gotten older.”

“So unfair.”

Seol-hwa laughed awkwardly at Yoon-ji’s playful complaint.

“You should go in.”

“The president has been waiting for you since this morning.”

“Thank you.”

Following Yoon-ji into the president’s office, Seol-hwa barely stepped inside before Woo-cheol rushed toward her.

Only after pulling her onto the sofa did he finally let out a relieved sigh.

“I was worried you weren’t coming.”

She assumed his relief came from the fact that she had chosen his company again.

That would be just like Woo-cheol.

He always acted according to profit.

He never accepted a loss.

He had been that way ever since the day she debuted.

From collecting every possible advertising commission…

To ensuring he received every last penalty fee when her contract with Jang Entertainment ended.

Seol-hwa hadn’t returned because she trusted him.

She returned because she trusted something else—

That he would do absolutely anything to make the goose that laid golden eggs successful again.

Smiling faintly, she placed the script she’d brought onto the table.

“I received this before I called you.”

Woo-cheol looked at the script and nodded as if he’d been expecting it.

“Doesn’t it feel like it was written with you in mind?”

“You’ve read it too?”

“I finished it a week ago.”

It wasn’t unusual.

Once a script was completed and casting began, copies naturally circulated among entertainment agencies.

But what Woo-cheol said next genuinely surprised her.

“The person who gave me that script…”

“Was Director Seo Tae-oh.”

“How did you know?”

“Because he’s the one who gave it to me.”

“He contacted me a week ago.”

“He asked to meet.”

More than the fact that Tae-oh had given Woo-cheol the script…

It was the words ‘a week ago’ that made Seol-hwa freeze.