Chapter : 35
“Meet the three of you only after you get a clear answer. That way, you two can talk about the divorce more rationally.”
Whenever couples went for divorce counseling, both sides inevitably became tense.
This was especially true when sensitive issues like asset division were involved.
To navigate such situations while being considerate of each other’s feelings, the presence of an objective third party was necessary.
“People usually think it’s better for couples to talk alone… but from my experience, it’s better to have someone else there, even if it’s just a lawyer. You get time to think before speaking.”
It was advice only someone who had actually gone through a divorce could give.
While Juhye quietly nodded in admiration, Yoonhee had already fallen asleep.
Startled by the baby’s tilted head, Juyoung quickly reached out.
“Looks like Yoonhee’s asleep already.”
She carefully took Yoonhee and disappeared for a moment, returning with a baby blanket.
After laying it on the floor and placing the baby down with a pillow, Yoonhee quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.
While Juyoung watched over the baby, Juhye went to the living room to make coffee for the two of them.
Adding ice quickly cooled the coffee.
“I hoped you wouldn’t end up divorced like me… Ah, thank you.”
Juyoung smiled softly at the gentle aroma of the coffee.
Sitting across from her, Juhye awkwardly scratched her head.
She was concerned because Juyoung seemed to regret her divorce more than she did herself.
“You really have a strange kind of decisiveness. That’s something you take after the chairman.”
Even in his old age, Chairman Jin had a stubborn personality but remained upright in his ways.
Juhye looked gentle and calm outwardly, so it seemed like she didn’t resemble him—but in crucial ways, she clearly did.
“Your wedding was quite a fuss too.”
“What do you mean?”
“The chairman and especially your brothers… it was a lot to handle.”
The first time Juhye had introduced Daehyun to her family as her fiancé.
Juyoung could never forget Jin Suha’s expression that day.
Even Sukyeong, usually so stoic, couldn’t hide her emotions that day.
“Who actually goes pale at the news their little sister is getting married? I almost wish I were the only one who saw that face.”
It was a rare occasion for the family to gather for a meal together.
Juyoung, attending at Chairman Jin’s suggestion, sincerely congratulated her when she heard the wedding news.
After all, Juhye had never introduced any man she liked before.
“My brothers were always so worried about me. Even when I was little.”
“Let’s set them aside. You’re feeling excessively guilty, aren’t you?”
“Me?”
“You can’t pretend you don’t feel it.”
Juyoung smiled mischievously and lightly pinched Juhye’s arm.
Even as she feigned pain and tried to pull away, Juyoung persisted with playful hand gestures.
‘This is always worrying.’
Juyoung swallowed words she couldn’t bring herself to say aloud.
As far as she knew, Juhye carried strong guilt toward their mother, who died giving birth to her.
She felt responsible for Sukha and Sukyeong losing their mother too.
Chairman Jin had repeatedly told her it wasn’t her fault, but it never convinced her.
Even the usually stern Chairman Jin had struggled for a long time in the face of his wife’s death.
“They’re overprotective, yes, but you’ve always been too cautious too.”
“That’s just my personality.”
“Is it really just that?”
Because of this, even as a child, Juhye never expressed what she truly wanted or desired.
Naturally, she never indulged her desires.
Her wedding was the first time she clearly asserted what she wanted.
“Anyway…”
Juhye tried to change the subject to avoid Juyoung’s increasingly persistent questions.
“At that time, the atmosphere wasn’t exactly welcoming. Still, my brothers didn’t oppose it outright. They even attended the wedding.”
“Ugh, Juhye!”
Juyoung drank her coffee in a bitter gulp.
The clatter of the cup startled Juhye slightly.
Juyoung’s gaze sharpened as she looked at her.
“I know you’re a good person. I do. But… no matter how close family is, don’t trust them completely.”
“Huh?”
“Do you really think your brothers just gave Daehyun a warning?”
Juyoung scoffed and shook her head.
The struggles Daehyun went through to solidify his position at Jinju Construction were countless.
From what Kangil had told her, there were mountains of stories, most of them power struggles within the Jinju Group.
There were many incidents where Sukha and Sukyeong tried to suppress Daehyun’s momentum.
“Of course, they didn’t do that in front of you. But you have no idea how much they underestimated him elsewhere.”
“My brothers…?”
“Now that you’re getting divorced, I can finally tell you. Ah, it’s a relief.”
Juyoung patted Yoonhee’s belly, fussy from a nap, and sighed deeply.
‘Unbelievable.’
Juhye stared blankly at Yoonhee, who slept peacefully without a care, feeling a fleeting pang of envy.
Meanwhile, as soon as Daehyun returned to Korea, he headed straight to the office.
He sent people to search around the arboretum, but Juhye’s whereabouts were not easy to track.
Apparently, Juhye had people erasing her traces as well, and Secretary Kim apologized for failing to do so.
Since scolding him wouldn’t solve anything, Daehyun went home.
He noticed a few of Juhye’s belongings had disappeared from the house.
“….”
On the bedside table lay the wedding ring Juhye had left behind.
It was irritating that she left the ring, which she had cherished so much, as if to show it off.
When he rolled the ring with his fingertips, it felt cold.
“Hello? Oppa? Are you listening to me?”
“Yes.”
It seemed Eunjae was anxious that he hadn’t paid attention, and hurriedly prompted him.
Daehyun frowned, recalling their recent conversation.
“Seo Woo-hyun went to find you personally and threatened you.”
“I was startled. Fortunately, he just left… but it seems like he has some ulterior motive.”
“Ulterior motive?”
“If it weren’t, why would he come all the way to the arboretum looking for me?”
Hearing this, Daehyun’s expression darkened.
“Wait, the arboretum?”
“Yes, the arboretum. Why?”
“No… nothing. I just need a moment to think.”
There seemed to be a flaw in the surveillance he had set up.
Otherwise, Seo Woo-hyun would not have been able to sneak past and appear there.
Where could the breach have been? Daehyun gritted his teeth.
“Maybe….”
Meanwhile, Eunjae cautiously voiced her suspicion.
“Do you think that guy is saying strange things to the madam for no reason?”
Daehyun didn’t answer. He had the same suspicion.
But what could Seo Woo-hyun possibly say to Juhye? If he does, what could it be?
It was a question with no easy answer.
“Any other leads?”
“No. But the madam already seemed aware I was here. She asked me directly how I got here without your help.”
Eunjae paused before offering the solution she had been thinking about.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you told the madam first?”
“I’m sorry, Eunjae. That’s impossible.”
Daehyun firmly rejected the cautious suggestion.
Juhye might be kind enough to understand Eunjae’s situation.
In fact, Daehyun was certain she would.
“Juhye doesn’t know, but I can’t predict how others will react.”
Sukha and Sukyeong would never accept Eunjae’s presence.
They cherished their sister so much that they monitored every action of hers.
The moment Eunjae’s presence was revealed, they would certainly hear about it.
Then they might view her as an obstacle and try to remove her.
“It could even negatively affect you.”
“Ah…”
“When we got married, I promised that if Juhye ever asked for a divorce, I would step aside without objection.”
Eunjae gasped in surprise.
Daehyun remained cold and composed, like someone who had endured such treatment countless times.
“That’s the only way I could have married her.”
“Oppa, why…?”
Why choose to marry despite all those adverse conditions?
Daehyun’s dry lips moved in response to her puzzled voice.
“Because I… love her too much to let anyone else have her.”
