Chapter 21
When Hyun-ah arrived at the hospital room, it was already past lunchtime, but a faint scent of food still lingered in the air.
Perhaps because she hadn’t eaten anything since last night, a sudden hunger hit her. How strange humans were—feeling hungry only now.
Since this was a hospital run by the Hwamyung Group Foundation, Su-ah’s room was a VIP suite, specially arranged to accommodate CEO Baek Woo-sik. The costs were entirely covered by the Hwamyung Group, and Ji-eun had persuaded a doctor she knew to dismiss any drug misuse as nothing serious.
She was careful to prevent rumors that Su-ah had attempted suicide over a man, fearing it would damage Su-ah’s reputation within Hwamyung.
Even if something happened to her father, to remain part of Su-ah and Ji-eun’s family, Hyun-ah could not fully reject Chairman Jung Young-woong’s proposal.
For Hyun-ah, the significance of this political marriage was largely about protecting her family. But that didn’t mean she would let CEO Jung Chan-soo have his way. She earnestly hoped her choice would be for the good of everyone.
As Hyun-ah stepped into the room, Ji-eun hastily grabbed her jacket.
“Su-ah, I’m going. Your sister’s here now. Hyun-ah, please take care of her.”
Ji-eun looked at Su-ah’s face once more, her own pale from the past night, then left the room.
“…Why are you here? Just to mock me?”
After confirming that Ji-eun was fully out of the room, Su-ah sprang up.
The lifeless look in her eyes moments ago, when she could barely hold a spoon, now sparkled with life.
“Call Lee-chan oppa.”
“What?”
“I don’t want to see my sister’s face… I want you to call oppa. I can’t do without him.”
“You’re going this far just to see Jung Lee-chan again?”
“…Doesn’t oppa worry about me?”
“….”
Hyun-ah was stunned.
“Jung Lee-chan wasn’t sincere with you.”
“I am sincere. There’s no one like oppa who spends money so freely and treats me so well.”
The men Su-ah had dated before were no comparison. When she was with Jung Lee-chan, he treated her like he would give her the world.
Even if he treated a woman like trash in the morning and discarded her, before sleeping he was always gentle—a rule of his.
He had known from an early age that most women would follow him to bed easily with sweet words and expensive gifts.
“Su-ah…”
Hyun-ah reached out, feeling a bittersweet urge to comfort her.
“Liar.”
Su-ah slapped Hyun-ah’s hand away and glared.
“Oppa, you lied to me.”
“Su-ah…”
“You said you wouldn’t marry him. No matter what, you promised me you wouldn’t marry Jung Lee-chan. So you told me to give up.”
“…”
“If you want to take oppa away from me, just divorce him quickly! Right now! Because you hesitate, oppa says he won’t meet me. I… oppa…”
Su-ah covered her face with both hands, trembling in her fragile shoulders.
Seeing her like this, Hyun-ah felt a bitter weight in her mouth, as if all this were her fault.
“I’m sorry… Don’t worry. I’ll divorce him.”
“How could you defy the chairman’s wishes? Abandon our family and run abroad alone to hide? The chairman chose oppa for you. How could you…”
Su-ah, knowing the impossibility, was even angrier.
She resented Hyun-ah’s calculated demeanor and the unchangeable situation.
Why did her love have to be so full of hardship? She felt like the tragic heroine of a melodrama.
“I’ll handle it myself.”
Hyun-ah brushed Su-ah’s shoulders gently.
“I won’t marry Jung Lee-chan. Just trust me this once.”
“Really…?”
Su-ah looked up with tearful, wide eyes.
It was her own delayed decision that had hurt her delicate younger sister so much.
“Who said you could divorce?”
The deep voice of a man made them both turn toward the doorway.
Jung Lee-chan appeared at the hospital door, and Su-ah’s eyes shone.
“Oppa! Did you come to see me? I was really sick and miserable.”
Su-ah’s voice lifted, brimming with excitement.
“Baek Hyun-ah. Why are you ignoring my calls? Really trying to cancel the marriage?”
“….”
“Oppa, please help me.”
Pointing to the needle mark, Su-ah whimpered.
Ignoring Su-ah, Lee-chan spoke only to Hyun-ah.
Despite his scolding tone, his soft words gave her a sense of dissonance, sending chills down her spine.
“I heard you returned all the engagement gifts. What’s wrong? Shouldn’t we talk about it?”
“….”
“Oppa, is it true? You returned all the engagement gifts?”
Suddenly, her previously tear-stained face lit up.
“Oppa, we can talk later. This is a hospital room.”
Hyun-ah’s expression calmed like a still lake.
The countless expressions she had shown in front of Yoon-gyeom now seemed false, and her emotionless face slowly lifted.
“Right now, I have to take care of Su-ah. If you didn’t come to visit, leave.”
“Who made you my oppa tell me to leave?”
Su-ah glared, fearing that the man she had finally seen might leave.
“Sigh… How long do you plan to refuse talking to me?”
“….”
“Damn. You always shut your mouth when you’re at a disadvantage.”
“Oppa, now’s not a good time.”
“Then can I tell Su-ah? That you…”
“Oppa!”
No!
Hyun-ah could not let Su-ah discover that she had told Lee-chan to cut ties.
She lunged to cover his mouth, but Lee-chan brushed her hand aside, smiling slyly.
“Hyun-ah! Are you two making some deal? What’s going on? What is this?”
“Su-ah, if you knew how devious your sister is…”
As Hyun-ah twisted her waist to escape Lee-chan’s grip, he began speaking to Su-ah.
Hyun-ah grabbed his clothes and shook her head, silently pleading him not to speak. Lee-chan just laughed.
“I… Oppa, I’ll call you. So for now… I can’t leave until Mom arrives. Once she’s here, we’ll go straight to the penthouse, okay?”
“How can I trust you?”
Lee-chan scoffed and lightly nudged her hand.
“Oppa.”
“That innocent face, scheming something… sigh… pretending to be naive then betraying—did you get that from your father?”
“Your words are harsh.”
Hyun-ah frowned at the insult to her father.
“I’m not running away. I’ll come as promised. Just trust me.”
“Okay. If you run away, I’ll wait right here.”
Unlike usual, Lee-chan seemed unwilling to back down. Hyun-ah sensed he knew she wasn’t bluffing about divorcing him.
It didn’t matter to her since she planned to notify him anyway, but a sense of unease lingered.
“Hyun-ah, you’re impossible… I’ve never been able to read you.”
Su-ah grabbed Lee-chan’s arm at the bedside, drawing his attention to herself.
Even though Lee-chan replied distractedly, Su-ah chattered on, unwilling to let him go. Hyun-ah’s heart sank, fearing that even if she divorced him, Su-ah wouldn’t give up on Lee-chan.
“Su-ah. Don’t forget the promise you made to me.”
“Hmph. Take care of your own business, sister.”
Su-ah spoke coldly to Hyun-ah but smiled flirtatiously at Lee-chan.
Already unwell, Hyun-ah’s head throbbed, and she frowned.
“Why the long face? Am I too late? Oh, Lee-chan’s here too.”
“Hello, ma’am.”
Ji-eun appeared, noticing them, and greeted warmly.
“Hyun-ah has something to discuss. Is it okay if they go?”
“Of course. They’ll soon be family… let them have some time together.”
Su-ah pouted weakly and waved at the two as they left.
By the time Lee-chan’s car, with Hyun-ah inside, arrived at Hwamyung City Hotel, Hyun-ah’s phone rang.
[From Yoon-gyeom]
As soon as she saw the screen, Hyun-ah reflexively tried to put it in her pocket, but Lee-chan noticed.
“Why the hell is Jung Yoon-gyeom calling you?”
“…I don’t know.”
Her hand trembled as the phone vibrated.
“Answer it.”
“….”
“Let’s see if he’s trying to have a conversation he can’t in front of me.”
Lee-chan’s expression turned threatening, and Hyun-ah felt a shiver of fear.
“Let’s hear what kind of conversation you’re having with your soon-to-be brother-in-law.”
Hyun-ah tried to hide the phone, but Lee-chan swiftly grabbed it.
“Oppa! Don’t do this.”
“If you have nothing to hide, answer it! Damn it!”
Pressing the call button, a deep voice came through the speaker.
-Hyun-ah Baek.
Seeing Lee-chan muttering curses, Hyun-ah tried to turn off the speaker, but her wrist remained trapped in his large hand, trembling.
