SB 16

Chapter 16

Crunch, crunch.

Hyena crushed the ice into small pieces and swallowed it.

The housekeeper who was watching nearby got goosebumps at the harsh grinding sound.

But Hyena calmly chewed through every last piece of ice in the glass.

Right now, ice was the least of Hyena’s problems.

What was really scraping at her nerves was—

“Goodness, what should we do? You’re in big trouble.”

Hyena tightened her grip on the glass.

Even so, the trembling wouldn’t stop. Shame and a sense of defeat had already seeped deep into her body.

“If you knew your place, you’d crawl away on your own.”

“……”

“And who knows? Maybe someone might pity your miserable life—good for nothing except leeching off others—and show you a bit of mercy?”

Choi Juyoung.

The woman Hyena had run into by chance at CS Group headquarters a few days ago.

Go Hyena replayed Juyoung’s words over and over in her mind. They wouldn’t fade.

Because she was furious.

Furious—but Juyoung wasn’t wrong.

If Choi Kwon-yong’s feelings changed, Go Hyena would be discarded. Even if she weren’t, the moment Choi Kwon-yong died, everything would be over for her.

Choi Kwon-yong would toss her luxury bags and gift her black cards, but he never placed any position within CS Group into Hyena’s hands.

Which meant she couldn’t claim ownership over anything in CS Group.

Why? Why won’t you give me a chance?

Because I don’t have a child who carries Choi Kwon-yong’s blood?

Bang!

Unable to contain her anger, Hyena slammed the glass down on the tea table as if to smash it.

Why isn’t it happening?

I’ve seduced Choi Kwon-yong and slept with him without a condom so many times—so why the hell not?!

“Hah….”

A sigh boiling up from deep in her abdomen burst from her lips.

It was something she’d worried about and thought about for a long time, but lately the frequency had increased.

This, too, was because of Choi Juyoung.

“Hahaha! To go to such lengths just to protect some pathetic memories of her mother—how delightful, hahaha!”

During breakfast, Choi Kwon-yong skimmed through several articles related to Choi Juyoung.

The articles included photos of Juyoung shopping with Bae Seonghun at a CS department store.

Once photos of the two—who looked quite like a couple—were published, CS Group’s stock price had continued to rise for days.

There were even reckless rumors going around that CS Group and Seongun Group might be forming an in-law relationship.

Everything was going exactly according to Juyoung’s plan. At this rate, things might truly become dangerous.

“That damn bitch.”

Choi Juyoung, of all people—how dare she pity me? Talk about showing mercy?

That woman who wastes time on something as pointless as a summer villa in Oido—how dare she?

The one living a miserable life wasn’t me, it was Choi Juyoung. The one who lost her mother because of a father obsessed with women was Choi Juyoung.

The one who truly deserved sympathy—the one with a wretched life—was Choi Juyoung.

“Ajumma!”

Hyena shouted as she turned around.

The housekeeper hurried over.

“Yes, madam.”

“The herbal medicine I drink every day—are you sure I had it personally prescribed?”

“Of course.”

“Then why the hell isn’t it working?!”

She had faithfully taken herbal medicine said to be good for pregnancy every single day for two years, yet there wasn’t even a hint of morning sickness—no sign of pregnancy at all.

What was the problem? Was the medicine faulty?

She’d gone to the most famous traditional medicine doctor in Seoul for fertility issues…

Don’t tell me—

A sudden ominous thought flashed through her mind. Hyena sprang to her feet.

“Ajumma. Get the car ready.”

“Are you going out?”

“I feel like my body’s been weak lately. I need to get the medicine prescribed again.”

Hyena immediately began preparing to go out.

She wanted to believe it wasn’t the case—but sometimes that “what if” could ruin everything.

She needed to make sure.

Normally, the doctor was someone you couldn’t even meet without a reservation. But CS Group’s wealth made the impossible possible.

“I’m just as busy as you are, so I’ll be direct.”

At the appointment the doctor had squeezed into his schedule with great difficulty, Hyena jumped straight to the point without a word of thanks.

“If I can’t get pregnant even after taking herbal medicine for two years straight, does that mean there’s some special reason?”

“A special reason, you say… Ah, are you suggesting there’s something wrong with the medicine—”

“No! Not that!”

Legally, they were nothing, but everyone who mattered already knew that Go Hyena was Chairman Choi Kwon-yong’s mistress.

That was why Hyena tried to maintain her dignity whenever she was outside the house.

She insisted on calm, elegant fashion, avoided flashy, overly eye-catching accessories, and even paid attention to her speech and tone.

But when things didn’t go her way, Go Hyena couldn’t break her old habits and would turn vulgar.

Just like now.

“I mean, something else—some fundamental illness, or a past procedure or something—could that make the medicine ineffective?”

“……No, that’s not the case.”

The doctor hesitated for a moment, then quickly grasped her intent and shook his head.

“Then why isn’t it working?!”

“Do you still enjoy cold drinks these days, by any chance?”

“……Tsk. That again.”

“Madam. As I’ve emphasized many times, you need to keep your body warm. Only then can the herbal medicine be fully effective.”

“Do you have any idea how much money I’ve poured into this clinic over the past two years?”

Hyena frowned.

“So I’m supposed to believe I can’t get pregnant just because of iced coffee?”

“I’m sorry. Since you’re here, perhaps we could at least do some acupuncture—”

“Acupuncture, my ass. You’re just a quack.”

Before the doctor could even finish speaking, Hyena stood up.

Seeing her leave the examination room, the driver who had been waiting approached.

“Are you finished with the consultation?”

“Why else would I be coming out?”

“…….”

“The car keys.”

“Here you are, madam.”

The driver carefully handed them over.

“I’ll go down first. Settle the bill and come.”

“Yes, madam.”

Ignoring the doctor who followed after her, Hyena left the clinic.

Located in the heart of Gangnam, the entire three-story building was dedicated to this clinic and operated strictly by reservation.

Thanks to that, clients never ran into each other inside, and there was even a private underground parking garage, so no one had to pass through outside.

But Hyena was an unreserved visitor today.

She had used CS Group’s influence to meet the doctor, but she couldn’t conjure up an empty space in the underground parking lot.

“You…”

She was heading toward a nearby outdoor parking lot where the car was parked when a man passing in front of the building called her name.

“Go Hyena?”

“Who the hell do you think you are, calling my—!!”

Hyena turned around with a scowl.

The moment her eyes met the man who had called her, her face turned deathly pale.

Fuck—of all people.

What greeted Juyoung as she entered the swimming pool was the night view of Seoul spread out beyond a massive glass wall.

It was a view impressive enough to draw admiration, but Juyoung merely commented, “Nice,” before turning away.

A sunbed, prepared in advance knowing she would come, caught her eye. Cushions were set up, with drinks and finger food placed beside it.

Juyoung placed the cushion behind her back and leaned against it. Then she took out the laptop she’d brought and resumed reading documents she hadn’t finished at work.

The Seongun Hotel’s indoor pool operated until 10 p.m.

But the current time was 10:20 p.m.

In a pool that should have been in the middle of cleaning, someone was swimming.

And Juyoung, completely unconcerned with whoever it was, didn’t even lift her gaze from the laptop.

Step. Step.

The sound of wet footsteps echoed through the space. Someone was approaching her.

Only when a shadow spread across her laptop did Juyoung slowly raise her head.

Bae Seonghun, having just finished swimming, stood there, his chest heaving as he let out rough breaths.

“The swimming…”

Juyoung closed her laptop.

“Are you done?”

“I should do more.”