Chapter : 50
Juhye’s trembling voice scolded him.
Suha covered his mouth with his right hand and swallowed a sigh, his expression a mix of embarrassment and discomfort.
He had rushed over, startled by the sudden visit from his younger sister, but he never expected to be met with a situation like this.
“Juhye, calm down and listen to me first. I’ll explain everything,” he said.
“I’m already calm. Just explain quickly,” she replied.
“First, give me that paper.”
Juhye instinctively stepped back as Suha trudged closer.
When she tried to hide the paper behind her back, Suha stopped in his tracks.
He hadn’t intended to intimidate her, but even his approach seemed threatening to Juhye at this moment.
“You’ve probably guessed from the contract….”
Since she had already checked the contract, there was no room for excuses.
Suha, brushing his hair back calmly, began to speak at length.
“The risk of allowing that marriage just because you liked him was too high.”
At that time, Seo Daehyun was not even the heir to Unam Construction, and even if he were, it would have been a problem.
Unam Construction was already struggling due to Seo Woohyun’s incompetence.
So even if Daehyun were to take over directly, Suha saw this marriage as a potential loss for the Jinju Group.
“Risk? What kind of risk?” Juhye asked.
“You were dreaming of running the arboretum, and we were starting a new business. There was no way to pay attention to both the arboretum and start a company like Jinju Construction.”
Suha’s explanation was calm, cold, and mechanical.
“That’s when Representative Seo appeared.”
“So, letting me run the arboretum was….”
“He agreed to the conditions first.”
Juhye’s lips twisted at the word conditions.
She had never understood why her brothers had imposed all kinds of conditions on her marriage.
Yet Suha seemed to find nothing unusual about it.
“The condition was to quietly support the arboretum and cooperate with the founding of Jinju Construction. Along with that, he promised to respect certain matters regarding your married life.”
Suha’s eyes briefly glanced at the contract.
It was as if he regretted not hiding it more thoroughly.
“The conditions we asked for were minimal. They were more than reasonable for him to accept.”
“I saw it… this is what you call the conditions?” Juhye asked, her voice trembling as she pointed at the lower part of the contract.
She wanted to confront him calmly, but the surge of emotion made it impossible.
Every time she read the lines aloud, it felt like a sharp knife cutting through her chest.
“If we get divorced, he will quietly step away without making any demands?”
“……”
“If we have a child and divorce, he promises not to fight for custody?”
As she read each line, she imagined Daehyun’s feelings upon facing this contract.
How miserable he must have felt, being treated this way without protest…
If she had received such a contract herself, she would have been shocked and run away immediately.
“Why put conditions on my marriage? Do you think you have the right?”
“Juhye…”
“Didn’t you even care about how he would feel reading this?”
But he didn’t run, and he signed the contract.
He had endured this treatment and still continued their married life.
Even as Juhye’s eyes turned red, Suha added coldly, without a hint of embarrassment.
“When you enter a marriage that doesn’t match your status, you should have been prepared for this. That’s normal.”
It was cruel, a line impossible to believe came from the kind, gentle eldest brother.
“Suha oppa!”
Unable to hold back, Juhye raised her voice.
Suha froze, startled, at the redness around her eyes.
“I chose him because I loved him!”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, falling in droplets that left dark circles on the floor.
She knew her voice was wet with tears, but she didn’t stop and continued fiercely.
“I didn’t choose him because I wanted him to crawl to me after seeing some conditions!”
She gripped the contract tightly in her hand.
She had wanted to marry purely for love.
Everything Suha and Sukyung did trampled that sincere love mercilessly.
And it was done to the one she loved the most, Daehyun.
“What is this? Treating a person like a stud, demanding compliance in married life… Who would marry after hearing conditions like this…?”
Juhye gasped for breath after firing words like a machine gun.
It was a contract filled with terms anyone would be horrified to see.
Yet Seo Daehyun chose the marriage without hesitation, lowering his pride.
Despite all the talk about benefits, it was a contract that could have taken everything away from him.
And still, he didn’t hesitate.
Why?
After pondering repeatedly, the only explanation was love.
That’s why Juhye couldn’t understand Daehyun’s heart.
If he loved her so much, why did he start an affair?
Could a man truly love two women at the same time?
“It’s over now. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Suha whispered cautiously in the brief silence, trying to calm her down.
But Juhye shook him off violently and staggered back.
“Don’t contact me for a while, oppa.”
“Juhye!”
“I’ll check for myself.”
Suha tried to grab her in urgency, but she twisted away completely.
Knowing he couldn’t stop her—or perhaps intending to let her handle it—Suha didn’t pursue.
Juhye folded the contract neatly, placed it in her handbag, and hurried out of the company.
Outside, darkness had already fallen.
If I show it to him directly and confront him, will he answer honestly even now?
Daehyun probably hid this contract for the sake of his pride.
Juhye hugged her stomach instinctively and let out a long sigh, deciding she would visit him tomorrow since it was late.
“Ma’am, we’ve arrived.”
“Thank you.”
At the secretary’s voice, Juhye lifted her heavy eyelids.
Even walking from the arboretum entrance to the front desk, drowsiness came in waves.
“Director, welcome!”
The arboretum, transitioning from summer to autumn, was tinged with brown.
Juhye leisurely scanned the surroundings as usual, only to frown when she noticed the desk late.
‘Huh?’
Eunjae’s face was missing.
She might have stepped away briefly, but even after waiting, she didn’t appear.
Curious about where she went, Juhye found out the reason later, after calling Junhui to the office.
“Song Eunjae had to settle her affairs due to a family issue.”
“Settle… you mean she quit?”
“Yes. She can’t be here for the time being because of her family.”
Junhui said her expression was not good, looking worried, and seemed frantic, as if chased.
‘Could she have known Seo Woohyun took photos?’
Maybe she ran to avoid being discovered.
Even after Junhui left the office, Juhye’s mind was full of questions.
Unable to focus on work, she took out her phone.
“….”
She dialed Daehyun’s number, but he didn’t answer.
There was no special contact from Suha or Sukyung either, so it didn’t seem like they intervened.
Still, why wasn’t he picking up?
“- Yes, ma’am. I received the call.”
“Hello, Director Park. It’s been a while.”
Eventually, Juhye turned to Director Park Suho.
Though she had lost some trust in him for working under Suha, he was still competent.
Fortunately, when she offered more money to keep the matter secret, he accepted without hesitation.
“I want to know where my husband is right now.”
“- Are you referring to Mr. Seo Daehyun?”
“Yes. Can you tell me his whereabouts? I tried calling, but he doesn’t answer.”
She spoke as calmly as possible so as not to raise suspicion.
Even if he couldn’t give the exact location, she believed he might know roughly.
However, that evening, just before leaving work, the reply from Director Park shocked her:
[Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I could not trace your husband’s whereabouts.]
It seemed Daehyun had deliberately gone missing.
