Chapter: 01

It was already midday when Yoonseul finally opened her eyes. After merely washing her face, she hurriedly left the house.

Her dull complexion from working through the night and her terribly swollen face were the unfortunate fate of a drama writer.

After getting into her car to head to the writing studio, she habitually called her husband, Taekyung.

The long ringing tone cruelly ended once again.

It had already been several years since Taekyung had left for a construction site in Brazil. Because it was a remote area with the additional difficulties of tropical diseases and other factors, she could only see his face once or twice a year.

These days, even hearing his voice had become difficult.

“……I miss you, Taekyung.”

Just as she tried to swallow her disappointment and start the car, her cellphone screen lit up.

[Beloved Mom]

Just seeing the name displayed on the screen made a corner of her heart ache.

Junghee was the precious mother who had taken in seven-year-old Yoonseul, who had been born as the daughter of a single mother and had even lost her biological mother, and had raised her like her own child ever since.

But today, more than anything, Yoonseul wanted to avoid her call.

However, in the end, Yoonseul pressed the call button with a heavy sigh.

― Yoonseul. Where are you?

“I just woke up.”

― You should wake up earlier. Since you’re coming anyway, I told you to make yourself pretty before coming.

“I told you I’m not going.”

There was no reason for Yoonseul to go.

It was a party celebrating her older sister Sara winning an award with Yoonseul’s stolen script.

At the time, Yoonseul had been forced to remain silent because Junghee had pleaded with her through tears, but she had no intention of applauding her sister while she smiled proudly with a trophy she had stolen.

However, at Junghee’s next words, Yoonseul had no choice but to turn the steering wheel.

“Taekyung is coming too. What are we supposed to do if you don’t come?”

The hotel’s private banquet hall was dazzlingly illuminated by magnificent chandeliers and fresh flowers.

On the large screen, footage of Sara receiving her award was repeatedly playing.

The 50th Songbaek Arts Awards TV Best Screenplay Award goes to… Insomnia. Min Sara!

Dressed in a glamorous gown like an actress, Sara wiped away fake tears onstage and gave a lengthy acceptance speech.

Yet while countless names were mentioned, not even a single letter of Yoonseul’s name was spoken—the woman who had poured her heart and soul into writing the script.

As Yoonseul stared blankly at the screen, Junghee approached her and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“My daughter is here? Sara must have been so overwhelmed that she forgot to mention your name. She knows in her heart that it’s all thanks to you. Don’t be upset, okay? Next year, our Yoonseul will win an award.”

The warmth conveyed through Junghee’s comforting pats slowly melted the resentment in Yoonseul’s heart.

Leaning against Junghee, Yoonseul said,

“When I win an award, I’ll mention Mom’s name first.”

“Yes, what a good daughter. But Sara went up to her room earlier and hasn’t come down. The guests are coming too, so could you go check on her? And while you’re there, stop by my room and change your clothes. Pick whichever spare outfit you like and wear it. You’re seeing your husband after a long time. A hoodie isn’t exactly appropriate, is it?”

Yoonseul lowered her gaze and looked at what she was wearing before nodding.

She should put on some makeup while she was upstairs, too.

She wanted to look pretty for her husband, even if no one else cared.

“Mom, by the way, when did Taekyung contact you?”

“Oh my. Another guest is coming. Yoonseul, hurry and go.”

Junghee avoided answering, placed two room key cards into Yoonseul’s hand, and pushed her away.

So the man who wouldn’t even answer her calls had at least contacted Mom on his way back to Korea.

But why did he have to return on this particular date…?

It almost seems like he’s coming to congratulate my sister.

With a bitter feeling, Yoonseul got into the elevator and stopped in front of Sara’s room.

As soon as she tapped the key card and opened the door, she heard obscene moans.

What the hell? Min Sara. Did she bring a man in here?

Yoonseul sighed and quietly closed the door, intending to leave immediately, when a familiar name caught her ear.

“Ahh…. Mm, Taekyung oppa…. That feels so good there……”

Taekyung oppa.

No… It can’t be. It could be someone else with the same name.

Even when Sara called her husband’s name, Yoonseul still clung to a tiny thread of hope, doubting her own ears.

But the familiar voice that followed cruelly shattered that hope.

“Ha…. Sara. Why are you so hot and soft? Every time, I feel like I’m going to melt.”

“Why do you like me so much? Even though you have a wife. Tell me honestly. You really haven’t slept with Yoonseul?”

“You know that, don’t you? I can’t do it with her.”

“Pfft. Well, even if I were a man, I don’t think I’d be attracted to her. No matter how hard you look, there’s not a trace of sex appeal.”

Yoonseul tightly curled her trembling fingers into fists and stepped inside.

“Y-Yoonseul!”

Taekyung, who had been touching Sara while completely naked, turned deathly pale as though he had seen a ghost and tumbled beneath the bed.

Sara, on the other hand, seemed irritated that their private time had been interrupted. She put on a silk robe with an annoyed expression.

“You two… What are you doing?”

“T-That… Well… How that happened is……”

“Do you really need an explanation? Are you an idiot? Can’t you tell what’s going on just by looking?”

When Taekyung fumbled for words, Sara cut in mockingly.

“Since it has come to this, I’ll tell you everything. Taekyung oppa never went to Brazil. He stayed in Seoul with me the entire time. How could you be so completely fooled, even if you are that clueless?”

Heh heh.

At Sara’s mocking laughter, the corners of Yoonseul’s eyes trembled.

Back when they were dating, Taekyung had said that he wanted to cherish her, and shortly after they married, he confessed that he suffered from erectile dysfunction and avoided having a marital relationship with her.

Then, several years later, her husband supposedly left for Brazil for business, making it difficult even to see him.

But in reality, he had been in Seoul all along, sleeping with her sister.

He had called her using a Brazilian country code, and she had even gone to Brazil to meet him, so she had never suspected a thing.

To think everything had been a lie…

Yoonseul’s entire body boiled with rage.

“……I even gave you the script that was like my life. But did you really have to take my husband too?”

“Who took anything from whom? You stupid bitch, Woo Taekyung was my man long before he ever became your husband!”

At Sara’s impulsive outburst, Yoonseul’s eyes shook violently.

“Sara! How could you tell her all that?”

Taekyung hurriedly grabbed Sara’s arm.

The fact that there was an even uglier secret hidden beneath everything made Yoonseul glare fiercely at Taekyung.

“Then why did you marry me? You could have married my sister!”

Yoonseul screamed, but Sara became annoyed instead.

“Ah! I don’t know! If you’re so curious, go ask that mother you love so much.”

For a moment, Yoonseul went deathly pale as if someone had poured ice-cold water over her.

“Why is Mom involved here? Mom… knew too?”

The shock was incomparably greater than the betrayal of the two people standing before her.

“Don’t lie! If Mom knew, would she really have just stood by and done nothing?”

‘From now on, I’ll be your mom, Yoonseul.’

‘When my daughter is sick, Mom hurts even more. Let’s get better quickly.’

‘I don’t know how happy Mom is because she has Yoonseul.’

Remembering Junghee’s affectionate smile, Yoonseul shook her head violently.

They’re trying to drive a wedge between Mom and me because they got caught doing something filthy.

You wicked bitch.

Yoonseul gritted her teeth and swung her hand toward Sara’s cheek.

Slap!

Sara’s head snapped to the side.

At the same time, Taekyung viciously swung his large fist into Yoonseul’s face.

Thud!

With the dull sound of the impact, Yoonseul was violently thrown to the floor.

“This crazy bitch! How dare you put your hands on her face?”

Sara rubbed her cheek and whispered with a cruel smile as she looked down at Yoonseul sprawled on the floor.

“Whether what I said is a lie or not, go find out for yourself from Mom.”

Yoonseul was beside herself.

Her face was horribly swollen from Taekyung’s punch, but she couldn’t even feel the pain.

There was only one thought in her mind.

She wanted to hear Junghee tell her that it wasn’t true.

“Oh my. Yoonseul? What happened to your face? You haven’t even changed your clothes yet.”

“Mom…. Sob…. Mom……”

“What happened?”

When she saw Junghee looking at her with a worried expression, as though she had no idea what was going on, the tears Yoonseul had been desperately holding back poured down like a waterfall.

Junghee warmly embraced Yoonseul, who couldn’t even speak properly because she was sobbing.

It really was a lie. If Mom knew, she couldn’t possibly be this calm.

After comforting Yoonseul for a long time, Junghee took her to the room and sat her down on the sofa.

“Tell Mom slowly what happened.”

With tears filling her eyes, Yoonseul nodded and opened her mouth.

“Mom…. Taekyung… is cheating on me. I want a divorce. Sob.”

She couldn’t bring herself to say that the person he was cheating with was her own daughter, Sara.

She was afraid that the shock would be too great for Junghee to bear.

“You must be so upset, my daughter.”

“Sob… Mom……”

At Junghee’s comforting words, Yoonseul cried bitterly like a child who had finally found someone who was on her side.

“This is Camilla tea. It should help you calm down. Drink this.”

After crying so much, Yoonseul’s throat was parched, so she gulped down the tea Junghee handed her.

But perhaps because she had cried too much, or perhaps because she had drunk the warm tea, a sudden drowsiness washed over her, and her vision rapidly became blurry.

Why am I… so sleepy?

Yoonseul rubbed her eyes in an attempt to fight off the overwhelming sleepiness, but it was useless.

Just as she began to suspect that something was wrong, a chilling voice from Junghee pierced through her fading consciousness.

“You troublesome bitch.”

Strange.

There was no way Mom would say something like this…

I must be about to have a nightmare.