Chapter 6
“What are you talking about right now?”
Mrs. Hwang’s voice trembled violently over the phone.
As if he had expected this reaction, Dohyeon answered calmly.
“I mean exactly what you heard.”
“Gu Dohyeon! Have you lost your mind?!”
“You’ve been in a hurry for me to remarry anyway, haven’t you?”
His expression didn’t change in the slightest.
“I don’t care how urgent it is! Even if we’re desperate, it can’t be that girl! I never liked her from the beginning. I only forced her to sit beside you because of your scandal.”
“…”
“I could barely stand looking at her the whole time she lived with us. We finally got rid of her, and now what?”
“…”
“You’re getting back together with her?!”
Dohyeon didn’t respond.
He simply held the phone to his ear, his face as calm as ever.
“Why?”
After a moment of silence, he finally answered.
“We’ve already lived together once, so I believe she’ll fulfill the role of my wife well.”
“What? She was only using you to save her family’s business! What kind of wife is that supposed to be?!”
“I also used Seo Ina to suppress my scandal.”
“I don’t think that’s a problem.”
Dohyeon’s voice remained completely flat.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Hwang sounded as though she was about to foam at the mouth with rage.
“No! I couldn’t stand her even when her family was rich! Now their family’s ruined, and her father and brother are on the verge of going to prison!”
“…”
“Why would someone like you remarry a girl like that? There are countless daughters of wealthy families lining up to marry you. That girl is out of the question.”
Hearing his mother’s firm refusal, Dohyeon fell into thought.
Why was he insisting on Seo Ina when his mother hated her this much?
“Do you pity her?”
“…”
“Do you feel sorry because she completely lost everything after divorcing you?!”
No.
That definitely wasn’t the reason.
Although theirs had been a marriage of convenience, after the divorce Dohyeon had hoped she would live a happy life.
When he later heard what had happened to her, he had felt sorry for her.
But that alone wasn’t why he had chosen Ina as his future wife.
“It’s not because of that.”
“Then what’s the reason?!”
“It’s just…”
“…?!”
“…a hassle.”
That was the real reason.
Searching for someone new to marry.
His mother’s enthusiasm for drawing up lists of potential brides and arranging blind dates every week.
Meeting each woman, introducing himself, listening to her introduction, and wasting time.
Every bit of it was bothersome.
Simply put…
He hated putting effort into remarriage itself.
“What…? Are you seriously calling that a reason?”
“I’m sorry, Mother.”
“I’ll prepare the list, arrange the meetings, and handle everything! What’s so troublesome? All you have to do is show up where I tell you—”
“That’s exactly what I don’t want.”
Dohyeon cut her off firmly.
His decisive tone left the other end of the line silent.
“I don’t want to spend every Sunday going on blind dates, sitting across from women whose names I don’t even know, just wasting my time.”
“Dohyeon…”
“I don’t want to explain what I like…”
“…”
“…what annoys me…”
“…”
“…or spend my life negotiating and adjusting to another person.”
He meant every word.
Mrs. Hwang seemed speechless.
She couldn’t answer.
“So…”
“…”
“I thought someone I’ve already lived with…”
“…someone who already knows me…”
“…would be a better choice.”
If he had to marry again…
If remarriage was absolutely necessary to secure the company’s management rights…
Then Seo Ina seemed to be the most suitable wife in every respect.
Even if he remarried someone else…
There wouldn’t be any love in that marriage either.
To him, marriage had always been business.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
He simply needed someone who would quietly remain within the boundaries he had set and faithfully fulfill the role of his wife.
This time…
That role simply included becoming the mother of his child.
“Then I’ll bring Ina home sometime.”
“Gu Dohyeon! The moment that girl steps foot in this house again, I’ll cut you off completely!”
With that, the call ended.
Dohyeon slowly stared at the dark phone screen.
After thinking for a moment, he opened Ina’s contact information on his phone.
Even then…
His expression remained completely unreadable.
When Ina returned to the hospital, she looked down at her father, who was asleep under the effects of his medication, and let out a long sigh.
Even now, his phone kept ringing nonstop with calls from creditors.
“…Sigh.”
Letting out another deep breath, Ina turned off his phone.
For a brief moment, the hospital room became quiet.
Looking sadly at her sleeping father, she noticed that even in his dreams, his face was twisted in pain.
“Dad…”
She gently held his hand.
These days, simply looking at his face was enough to bring tears to her eyes.
She was grateful to her father…
And at the same time, she felt sorry for him.
After losing his wife, he had struggled alone to raise his two children.
Ina’s mother had passed away after a long battle with cancer in the year Ina entered middle school.
At the time, Injun was only an elementary school student.
Her father had done everything he could to care for his wife.
But sadly, she hadn’t survived more than three years.
Without even having time to grieve, he had thrown himself back into work for the sake of his young son and daughter.
He had worked harder than anyone else.
He had raised Ina and her younger brother honestly, never taking shortcuts.
Because of that, Ina respected him deeply.
At the same time, she couldn’t help wondering whether life had become unbearably difficult for him because of her and Injun.
With tears filling her eyes, she gently stroked his rough, dry hand again and again.
“Dad… everything is going to be alright.”
“So please don’t worry anymore.”
“From now on…”
“I’ll protect you…”
“…and Injun.”
Just then, the phone inside her bag vibrated.
Ina quickly took it out and stepped outside the hospital room.
“Hello, this is Seo Ina.”
She quietly closed the door behind her as she spoke.
“You… have you lost your mind?!”
A furious voice exploded into her ear without warning.
Startled, Ina looked at the screen.
It was Mrs. Hwang.
“…Mother.”
Her face immediately turned cold.
It was the first time they had spoken since the divorce.
“‘Mother’? Just because you have a mouth doesn’t mean you can call me that!”
Hearing Mrs. Hwang’s vicious voice again after so long sent a chill down Ina’s spine.
She hurried toward the emergency stairwell.
Mrs. Hwang’s voice thundered through the phone.
“I was actually about to contact you myself.”
“You? How dare you!”
“…I don’t know if you’ve already spoken with Mr. Dohyeon, but…”
“Come downstairs. Right now.”
Ina froze for a moment.
“If you’re not downstairs within ten minutes…”
“I’ll come up there myself.”
“And if you don’t want your collapsed father to witness something ugly…”
“…crawl down here immediately.”
With those sharp words, Mrs. Hwang hung up.
Ina stood there blankly for a moment before taking a deep breath and leaving the stairwell.
For some reason…
Her steps toward the elevator felt unusually heavy.
“Have you lost your mind?!”
It had been a long time.
But Mrs. Hwang hadn’t changed at all.
She might even slap her the moment they met.
Even so…
Ina wasn’t afraid of her anymore.
She looked back once at the hospital room where her father was resting before stepping into the elevator.
People always said that if you couldn’t avoid something, you should face it.
She certainly couldn’t enjoy facing Mrs. Hwang…
But she promised herself that this time, unlike before, she wouldn’t just keep repeating,
“I’m sorry.”
Just then, her phone vibrated again.
[I told Mother. She’ll probably call you soon, so if possible, don’t answer. Even if she comes looking for you, don’t meet her.]
It was a message from Dohyeon.
It was the first time…
He had ever sent her a message because he was worried she might suffer at Mrs. Hwang’s hands.
Ina stared blankly at the text for a long moment.
Just before the elevator doors opened, she finally replied.
[I’m sorry.]
She didn’t think she could do as he had asked.
*
“Mother, it’s been a long ti—”
Smack!
Just as expected…
The moment Ina stood before Mrs. Hwang, a slap landed across her face.
Her head snapped violently to the side.
The sound was loud enough that people walking past stopped in shock to look at them.
“You crazy bitch.”
Mrs. Hwang immediately spat out a filthy insult.
She had heard those same insults countless times while living with her in-laws.
But hearing them again after so long…
For some reason, they hurt even more.
“Did your father tell you to do this?!”
“…!”
“Did he tell you to cling to my son so you could save your ruined family?! Is that it?!”
“No.”
“Then what?! Or is this another sign that you grew up without a mother? People raised without one always show their low upbringing!”
“…Mother.”
“Who are you calling ‘Mother’?!”
Mrs. Hwang raised her hand again, preparing to slap her.
“I’m sorry.”
“You…!”
This time…
Ina grabbed Mrs. Hwang’s wrist.
Her eyes were already red.
“Let go of me!”
“…I’m truly sorry, but…”
Holding back the tears that threatened to spill, Ina looked straight into Mrs. Hwang’s eyes.
“I can endure anything else.”
“…What?”
“But please…”
“Don’t insult my parents.”
It was the first time.
The first time Ina had looked directly at Mrs. Hwang and spoken with such determination.
Mrs. Hwang trembled in shock, unable to hide her surprise at seeing this completely different side of Ina.
Just then…
Ina’s phone vibrated.
<Mr. Dohyeon>
Dohyeon was calling.
But at that very moment, Mrs. Hwang glanced at the phone in Ina’s hand.
She suddenly snatched it away.
Then, right in front of Ina…
She violently slammed it onto the ground.
Grabbing Ina by the collar, she hissed through clenched teeth,
“Stay away from my son.”
“Otherwise…”
“I’ll make sure you disappear from Korea.”
