Chapter 34
When Eun-ha hesitated in surprise, Sun-ju snapped irritably.
“What did you see?”
“I didn’t see anything. Everything was in file binders anyway, so it was hard to even look.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
All she had seen was a single slightly suspicious sheet that only had names and phone numbers written on it.
There was no need to mention something like that.
She’d only paused because Chan-woo’s name happened to be on it. If not for that, she probably wouldn’t have cared or even paid attention.
“Fine then. Don’t come to the main house until I call for you.”
Watching Eun-ha silently do what she was asked had made Sun-ju think she was foolish—but she didn’t expect her to be this clueless.
Or was it that she actually sensed something and was snooping?
Either way, she felt guilty and uneasy, unable to sit still.
Thirty minutes earlier, Se-hoon had called and immediately taken out his irritation on her. It was clear he was furious because of Eun-ha.
—Mother, please pay attention! Why are you letting my sister-in-law wander around the house? I ran into her in the annex room and I think she went through my files. If this leaks outside, neither you nor I will be safe in this house. So please, just—get a grip!
More than anything, what shocked Sun-ju was that Se-hoon had spoken so rudely to her.
Ever since Eun-ha married into the family, Se-hoon had been anxious and on edge. That made Sun-ju anxious as well.
Either way, letting Eun-ha wander around the house was no good. It was best to stop giving her chores for a while.
She wanted to work her daughter-in-law a bit, but honestly…
It annoyed her that Eun-ha obediently did whatever she was told, and it annoyed her just as much to raise a white flag now because of all this—but this was the best choice.
Meanwhile, Eun-ha felt relieved that she no longer had to do chores at her in-laws’ house, but at the same time she felt uneasy.
What was so dangerous about that room? Or those documents?
She didn’t think she’d done anything that wrong, yet both Sun-ju and Se-hoon had acted like she’d committed a crime, so of course she felt strange.
Even after returning home, she couldn’t shake the thoughts circling in her head.
Of all things, the name she saw there was her uncle Chan-woo’s… that bothered her most.
“Is something wrong? You’ve looked upset for a while.”
Do-hoon asked as he changed his clothes after he returned home.
Only then did Eun-ha snap back to reality and look at him. Apparently her anxiety had been showing plainly on her face.
“It’s nothing.”
She hurried to compose herself. She didn’t want him to worry.
“If anything’s bothering you, tell me. If I can fix it, I will.”
She knew. If she told Do-hoon, whatever she was dealing with at the main house would be solved immediately.
But she didn’t want him to become uncomfortable with Sun-ju because of her.
Besides, what happened today was her issue. Now that she no longer had to handle chores at the main house, there was no need to burden him further.
“Thank you for saying that. But really, it’s nothing.”
Suddenly, she remembered when she had first proposed the contract marriage to Do-hoon.
Back then, he had told her not to expect anything from him…
Yet he turned out to be someone who was more attentive and considerate than anyone.
Maybe that was why she’d grown even more fond of him.
Respecting her silence, Do-hoon nodded and brought up his own matter.
“I’m leaving for a business trip to the U.S. tomorrow.”
“Oh…”
“It’ll take about ten days.”
“I’ll pack your bag.”
Eun-ha’s voice immediately dropped.
He was always busy, and sudden business trips were nothing new, but she couldn’t help feeling disappointed every time.
And ten days… felt too long.
Do-hoon noticed the gloom on her face.
Eun-ha was the type to keep everything inside. The chores she did for his family must have been exhausting, yet she never complained and handled it alone.
Something must’ve happened at the main house today…
But he couldn’t pressure her into talking, nor could he openly show concern.
That would only make her worry more.
For now, the best he could do was warn Sun-ju not to cross any lines and quietly keep watch—without Eun-ha noticing.
The next morning.
“You don’t need to prepare breakfast. We’ll eat at the main house.”
“At the main house?”
Eun-ha froze just as she was about to get up after hearing the alarm.
“You said you’re leaving for the U.S. today…?”
“That’s why I sent word yesterday that we’d have breakfast there, so I can report to the chairman as well.”
“Oh… okay.”
When had he sent word?
It made her uneasy, but since the plan had already been arranged, she had no choice.
“We just need to arrive by eight, so take your time.”
“Yes.”
Eun-ha got up.
Of all days, after everything that happened yesterday, they were going to have breakfast at the main house. Her nerves tightened.
Do-hoon told her to take her time, but afraid of being late, she hurriedly washed up and started packing his luggage.
“Underwear, socks, toiletries, extra clothes, shoes… what else…”
The thought of not seeing him for ten whole days made her linger over the packing longer than usual.
She wanted to pack everything perfectly for him.
Maybe then… each time he opened the suitcase, he would think of her.
“Would you check the suitcase once? I packed what you need, but just in case I missed something.”
She pointed at the suitcase when Do-hoon entered the dressing room.
“If anything’s missing, I’ll buy it there. Just get ready to leave.”
Do-hoon responded briefly, unaware of her deeper intentions, and changed clothes.
“Oh… yes.”
She closed the suitcase and forced a smile.
Really, why was she being silly about a suitcase?
She felt pouty about the long separation, but then laughed at herself for being upset over something so small.
“If you’re ready, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
She replied a little louder than usual.
Sun-ju had a headache from the moment she woke up.
As if yesterday wasn’t stressful enough, now Do-hoon and Eun-ha were suddenly coming for breakfast? She had no idea why, and that made it worse.
Eun-ha surely hadn’t seen anything yesterday. According to Se-hoon, the documents she held weren’t the important ones.
But now that Do-hoon was coming, she was nervous again.
Something about him always made her feel that way.
Maybe it was the way he looked at her—like he could see right through her.
And of all things, he chose a woman who resembled her.
She thought the young bride would be easy to dominate, but Eun-ha wasn’t submissive or timid at all.
Last night, after hearing that Do-hoon and Eun-ha would be coming, Sun-ju discussed it with Se-hoon.
“What would she have said? You’re involved in this. No matter how rude she is, if she wants to stay in this house as a daughter-in-law, she should at least know what’s good for her.”
Thankfully, Se-hoon didn’t seem too shaken, and that calmed Sun-ju a little.
“Anyway, we should send her out of this house as soon as possible. If we leave her alone, who knows how high she’ll climb.”
Se-hoon was already thinking not about yesterday, but about how to get rid of Eun-ha.
Sun-ju felt the same, but the mere thought of Do-hoon coming home made her feel cornered.
“You’ve been making the young bride do chores lately, haven’t you?”
Already on edge, Sun-ju turned when Il-joon spoke.
“It’s fine to act like a mother-in-law, but don’t overdo it. Do-hoon seems serious about her.”
Il-joon wasn’t a great father, but he liked seeing Do-hoon married and living well.
Still, it bothered him when Sun-ju acted like she had a grudge against Do-hoon.
He understood she was protective of Se-hoon, but if she went too far, it would only backfire on her.
“What have I done? And can’t a mother-in-law do even that much? At the meeting with her parents, her own mother begged me to teach her daughter properly.”
“Just know that if the chairman hears about this, it’ll only hurt Se-hoon.”
Il-joon knew the only thing that could move Sun-ju was mentioning Se-hoon. After saying it, he left the room.
It made Sun-ju grit her teeth. Even Il-joon was criticizing her now.
She swore she’d put Se-hoon at the very top of this family—and get paid back for the twenty years she invested in the house.
When they arrived at the main house, the familiar cold air made it hard for Eun-ha to breathe.
Still, she reminded herself that this was considered mild—she’d seen far worse stories of in-laws openly tormenting their daughters-in-law.
But the little calm she mustered shattered quickly.
“Ever since sister-in-law joined the family, the house feels so much brighter. And hyung also looks much more at ease.”
While they were all eating together, Se-hoon spoke with a pleasant smile, looking at Do-hoon and Eun-ha.
“Please come by more often. It’s nice when we all eat together.”
His warm tone, soft eyes, even a friendly smile—
Eun-ha immediately lost her appetite.
She tried to think positively, but the memory of Se-hoon treating her like a rat and kicking her out yesterday flooded back, and her expression stiffened.
People changed, sure… but Se-hoon was impossible to read.
“Marriage is like that. Once a man and woman settle down, everything else starts going much better.”
Lee-hak nodded at Se-hoon’s comment.
“You’ll have a child right away too, I hear?”
“Yes, grandfather.”
At the sudden mention of a child, both Sun-ju and Se-hoon turned sharply to look at Do-hoon and Eun-ha.
