CHAPTER 06…………………………………….
“Do you even realize what people are saying about you right now? Everyone thinks you didn’t marry for love—they say Seoga Food was just trying to grow their company and sold their daughter to Ilju Group, that the daughter slept with President Jung so the marriage alliance could happen, and now that daughter lives knowing her husband cheats on her but can’t say a word. Do you know how ridiculous these rumors are?!”
“…It’s not entirely untrue, though, is it…”
“What?”
“Enjoy your meal.”
At that moment, the food they had ordered arrived perfectly on time. Hana scooped a large portion onto her spoon and popped it into her mouth.
“This is so good! Nayeon, you have to try it too—it’s amazing.”
“Hey…!”
“Quick! It’s getting cold!”
Hana exaggerated wildly as she handed a spoon to Nayeon. Not wanting to continue the conversation, Hana deliberately changed the topic, and Nayeon reluctantly accepted the spoon, letting out a small sigh.
“Son!”
Misook waved with a smile as she spotted Geonwoo entering the restaurant. He returned a faint smile and took the seat across from her.
“Out shopping again?”
Geonwoo’s gaze shifted to the shopping bags stacked beside Misook.
“Oh, this? It’s all for you, my son.”
“You don’t need it.”
“Well, I went to the department store after a long time, and I kept thinking of you. So, before I knew it, I ended up buying all this.”
Geonwoo shook his head slightly, amused.
“Have you ordered?”
“I ordered in advance. I didn’t want you to be hungry, my son.”
Then there was no need to even look at the menu. Geonwoo pushed it aside.
“By the way, son, Jet Group’s only daughter came to Korea yesterday.”
“Oh, really?”
He acknowledged his mother’s words but sounded completely uninterested.
“I was thinking we could have a meal this weekend with Chairman Park to discuss business. How about that?”
“Do as you wish.”
“Then I’ll talk to them and try to schedule it.”
Geonwoo simply nodded in response. Misook’s face immediately lit up with a huge smile.
“Son, Se-rin is still going crazy over you.”
“……”
“What about you? She said she’d get engaged immediately if you were okay with it. And Jet Group thinks it’d be perfect timing to move forward with the engagement while she’s here.”
“Huh.”
Geonwoo let out a hollow laugh, looking at Misook with disbelief.
“I’m married.”
“So what? Divorce and it’s done. Se-rin wouldn’t care either way.”
Misook smiled as she spoke, which only made Geonwoo frown deeper.
What on earth were they even talking about? He shook his head and looked away, seeing no point in arguing further.
“Besides, your original marriage match was Jet Group. Your grandfather insisted because of a promise made decades ago with the late Chairman Seo.”
“……”
“Because of that ridiculous promise, you ended up marrying someone like Hana. My son…! How did I raise you only to have you marry a girl from a family with no background?”
Misook panted, taking a sip of water as she continued to fume, clenching her lips and letting out rough breaths.
“She was raised well too.”
“What?”
“Hana isn’t someone who deserves to be treated like that by you, Mother.”
Leaving work much earlier than usual, Hana drove directly somewhere familiar.
Her hands gripped the steering wheel confidently, showing no hesitation. Soon, she arrived at the mansion—a place she had visited only half a day ago, and now again by her own feet.
In truth, it wasn’t really by choice; she had come because Misook told her to visit after work.
Having neither the confidence nor an excuse to refuse, Hana’s destination was inevitably the same.
Crossing the entryway and entering the living room, Hana saw Misook sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, eyes glaring at her in disapproval.
“Back?”
Hana briefly froze in the unusually quiet house, then quickly responded.
“Yes.”
“Then go prepare dinner. I ate lunch early and I’m hungry.”
“……”
“I don’t like heavy dinners, so make it light. But don’t put salad on the table—I don’t want it.”
Dinner preparation… something Hana hadn’t expected. She had never really cooked before. She nervously bit her lips, unsure how to proceed.
Since the household chores were usually left to the housemaids, the kitchen had only ever been a place she passed by.
“What are you standing there for? Move quickly!”
Misook raised her voice impatiently at Hana’s lack of movement.
“Yes? Ah, yes.”
Without even setting down her bag, Hana hurried to the kitchen. She thought she could faintly hear Misook clicking her tongue behind her, clearly annoyed.
Entering the kitchen, Hana first placed her bag on the table. Then she rummaged through it to pull out her phone and look up ideas online.
A light dinner.
She scrolled through recipes, looking for something she could actually cook immediately. Though simple, most seemed complicated. She hesitated, fingers scrolling endlessly.
After a while, she found one that seemed doable.
“Tomato and scrambled eggs…?”
Finally, a very simple recipe she could manage. She scanned it with her eyes, then opened the fridge.
The ingredients were sufficient. Seeing what she had, a thought struck her: she could also make fresh spring rolls.
She had everything needed, and Misook loved spring rolls, so it would make a perfect dinner.
Not a complicated dish, Hana rolled up her sleeves. Having spent a lot of time deciding the menu, she felt the pressure to move quickly.
Her hands moved faster, chopping vegetables. Then—
“Ah!”
She cut herself. A short yelp escaped as she wrapped her finger, blood trickling from the small cut. It was fairly deep; a bit of flesh had lifted.
“Are you done yet?”
“No, I’m done!”
But there was no time to dwell on it. Misook’s voice from the living room urged her on. Hana tore a paper towel to wrap her finger and immediately refocused on cooking.
Though her finger throbbed painfully each time, she gritted her teeth and finished cooking after about an hour.
Finally, she carefully plated the food and set it on the table. Worried it might get cold, she quickly ran to the living room to face Misook.
“Mother, dinner’s ready.”
“Do you cook all day?”
“Yes?”
“Someone would think you’re preparing breakfast for tomorrow instead of dinner.”
“I… I’m sorry. I’m not very good at cooking…”
Hana bowed, intimidated by the piercing gaze she could feel even without looking.
“You really can’t do anything right, can you?”
Misook shook her head, clearly displeased, her look of disdain unmistakable.
“That’s enough. At this hour, what’s the point of dinner? I’m leaving, so clean up this messy kitchen before you go
