Chapter : 30
Jinju Arboretum was a far better job than Eunjae had expected.
Before starting work, she had vaguely imagined that her tasks would involve simply taking care of flowers or trees.
But those duties were actually important work reserved for people with far more specialized knowledge than Eunjae.
“Eunjae, please handwrite and submit the list of schools we visited on the tour today.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And when you prepare the report, take the receipts from the second drawer under the desk and attach them. The team leader will need them later.”
“Yes!”
Eunjae’s job, in simple terms, was mostly miscellaneous tasks.
She handled most of the small chores that occurred at the desk.
Unless a visitor needed to settle a payment or ask for directions, there was rarely any reason to go around or engage in conversation.
That was exactly the kind of job Eunjae wanted.
“At my last job, I saw a lot I wish I hadn’t. This place is really peaceful.”
There had been times when she needed urgent money and worked part-time in cafes or bars.
But every time, male employees or customers would flirt with her, and she’d end up quitting.
It didn’t matter if she wore a mask or a tightly pulled-down hat.
They would find a way to see her face and ask for her number.
And sometimes, ridiculously, even a reporter would show up.
“Hello, this is a reporter from the A Entertainment Department. Are you the daughter of Song Bitna?”
Bitna, a third-rate actress whose fame had faded and who no longer appeared on TV, was Eunjae’s mother. She was currently hospitalized with pneumonia and had been for a long time.
Eunjae sometimes felt annoyed and resentful that there were still reporters looking for an actress who had faded into obscurity.
That was also why she only chose work where her face wouldn’t be exposed.
“Good work today, Eunjae. You can leave now.”
“Ah, yes!”
As Eunjae sat in the chair at the desk, lazily basking in the sunlight, a female employee approached and spoke to her.
Hearing the long-awaited news of leaving, Eunjae smiled brightly and rushed to the locker room.
After changing from her uniform to regular clothes, she stepped outside, where the staff on shift was already at the desk.
“Goodbye.”
Eunjae bowed her head slightly and hurried toward the back gate of the arboretum.
She planned to visit the hospital to check on her mother, whom she hadn’t seen in a while.
But just as she reached the main road to hail a taxi,
“Ugh!”
Suddenly, a man appeared from the wall and covered Eunjae’s mouth.
Startled, Eunjae flailed her arms, but he skillfully crossed her arms and pushed her against the wall.
Only when she screamed did the man release her mouth, spitting out the cigarette he had been holding.
“You’re alive, Song Eunjae.”
His voice, full of hostility, was harsh and chilling.
The man forcibly removed Eunjae’s baseball cap and threw it to the ground.
Finally, under the streetlight, Eunjae could see his face.
‘Seo Woo-hyun!’
Recognizing him, Eunjae’s eyes widened.
Woo-hyun’s gaze, meeting hers, was equally fierce.
“Seems Seo Dae-hyun really kept you hidden, huh? Bold move. Working at an arboretum?”
“Let go of me!”
“Don’t shout. Or would you like me to wait until everyone at the arboretum gathers and give a proper introduction?”
Eunjae trembled in fear, gritting her teeth at the icy threat.
Coincidentally, Woo-hyun knew very well the connection between her mother and Dae-hyun.
“Looks like Dae-hyun still cares about you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have a way to work here.”
“I don’t care about Dae-hyun… I applied on my own.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
When Woo-hyun was arrested, Dae-hyun had submitted decisive evidence.
But the one who actually handed that evidence to Dae-hyun had been Eunjae, who worked like a maid in Woo-hyun’s house at the time.
“Typical of the same bloodline… still sneaky, doing dirty work like a little mouse.”
“You…!”
“You stole my embezzlement files, didn’t you?”
Woo-hyun’s grip on her arm was incredibly strong.
Eunjae endured the pain, sweating profusely, and bit back a scream.
Seeing Eunjae glare fiercely, Woo-hyun laughed softly and released his hand.
“If I had known you were in cahoots with Dae-hyun, I would’ve gotten rid of you earlier. Taking in a worthless girl like you out of pity for your father… that was a mistake.”
“You took me in?”
This time, Eunjae burst out laughing.
Through bloodshot eyes, she glared at him.
“Being responsible for your child is a parent’s duty! You call that ‘taking in’?”
Since childhood, Eunjae had been fed up with hearing those words.
Her father, Seo Nam-jae, was the father of both Dae-hyun and Woo-hyun.
Growing up as Seo Nam-jae’s illegitimate child, she had to feel the despair of being a child who should never have been born.
Because of Woo-hyun, who constantly reminded her of her illegitimacy and tormented her.
Or because of her father’s disdainful gaze, treating her like a burden…
“If you hated it, you shouldn’t have recklessly sown your seed in the first place!”
Watching Eunjae struggle quietly, Woo-hyun raised his right hand sharply.
“Ugh!”
Eunjae, standing firm, squeezed her eyes shut and assumed a defensive stance.
Though she wanted to act bravely, her body remembered his violence and moved instinctively.
“…Coward…”
Seeing this, Woo-hyun laughed arrogantly and turned away.
As if he had already accomplished his purpose in coming here, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving Eunjae slumping to the ground in relief.
“Haa… haa…”
Her legs were weak; she didn’t even have the energy to stand again.
It was as if the recurring nightmare of the past few years was about to start again.
“No, oppa…”
But this time, she couldn’t rely on Dae-hyun.
He now had a family, and the moment her identity was revealed, she would become his weakness.
Just like now, in this moment.
…Later
“Hello, Madam.”
Director Park was a man far more diligent and taciturn than Juhye had imagined.
Perhaps because of this personality, he quietly complied with any task without argument or question.
In a way, Juhye had found the best employee.
“…Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Understood.”
After delivering the first request, Director Park quickly left the villa.
Juhye hurriedly finished preparing to go out and stepped outside.
Today, she planned to move important luggage to the villa in advance and then head home.
She also contacted Director Park to check if Secretary Kim might have planted someone nearby.
About an hour later, Director Park discovered Secretary Kim’s location and sent her a message.
Fortunately, Secretary Kim wasn’t near the house. Juhye breathed a sigh of relief and parked successfully.
‘I’ll get clothes and furniture later. For now, let’s grab the important documents and seals.’
She planned to pack her things quickly into a bag and leave.
But when she took the elevator up and stepped into the hallway,
“…!”
Juhye frowned at an unexpected figure.
Sensing her presence, the man turned from the door he was blocking.
When their eyes met, he slipped the lighter in his hand back into his pocket and smiled.
“Hello, Madam.”
“You…”
“May I call you ‘sister-in-law’?”
He was Dae-hyun’s older brother, Seo Woo-hyun.
Like Dae-hyun, his jet-black hair and strong frame were striking.
He wore a white shirt and black suit pants, carrying a document envelope under his arm.
“What brings you here all of a sudden?”
Momentarily surprised, Juhye quickly regained composure and asked.
She didn’t know how Woo-hyun found out her address, but he was a physically capable man.
If he had a purpose in coming here, he would chase her to the end, so it was best to respond to conversation for now.
“I doubt you have enough affection for me to call me ‘sister-in-law.’”
His coldly muttered voice made Woo-hyun smile wryly.
He wondered how such a delicate, doe-eyed woman could act so haughty.
But she was Dae-hyun’s chosen woman. Surely, she was not easy to deal with.
“You seem to remember my face.”
“We met on Inwangsan Mountain.”
Her flat reply triggered Woo-hyun’s immediate provocation, sharp as thorns.
“My brother didn’t even remember you, poor thing.”
