ASDR 09

Chapter : 9

If she said she had never imagined the birth of a child, that would have been a lie.

Juhye sometimes imagined having a child with Daehyun.

After Juyeong gave birth, those imaginings happened even more often.

Daehyun wasn’t the affectionate type, so it would be difficult for him to be a tender, doting father—but socially, he would surely be a father worthy of great respect.

They were vivid imaginings, yet ones she had never dared to speak of in front of him. They were small, but precious to her.

“There will never be a child between us.”

“How can you be so certain?”

“Because there will never again be a Friday night between us.”

At her roundabout rejection, a crease formed between Daehyun’s brows.

But only briefly. He soon returned to an expressionless face and raised his hand.

The hand gripping Juhye’s shoulder tightened with firm strength.

“You agreed when you said we should take a cooling-off period. That means we talk again after a month.”

“……”

“Then you have to give me a chance too. A chance to try to restore our relationship.”

It was exactly the same conversation they’d had before.

Faced with this endless repetition, Juhye lowered her eyes quietly.

She was tired, but she didn’t have the confidence to break Daehyun’s stubbornness right now.

He seemed like someone prepared to wait indefinitely until she gave in.

“Otherwise, who knows.”

His cracked, dry whisper bored into her ear.

“In my impatience… I might be the one to tell your father first.”

Juhye shook her shoulders sharply, shrugging his hand off.

The indifference still on Daehyun’s face made it feel all the more cruel.

“Right now….”

Her voice trembled violently.

She asked back with a look that said she couldn’t believe it.

“Are you threatening me right now? That if I don’t do as you say, you’ll scare my father?”

“It’s not a threat. It’s a suggestion.”

Daehyun replied calmly and let his fully loosened tie fall to the floor.

He kicked it aside lightly and strode toward her, making Juhye step back.

The wall against her back was cold; Daehyun’s body pressed close was hot.

“I gave you the choice, so it’s not a threat.”

“It sounds like one.”

“It only sounds that way because my voice lacks composure.”

Juhye almost snorted.

For someone claiming to lack composure, his attitude was far too languid.

Misinterpreting her faint laugh, Daehyun closed the distance even more.

His large palm wrapped around her pale thigh, roaming intimately.

“You were really shocked today.”

“……”

“You’ll recover soon. He’s always been healthy.”

While she could feel his sincere wish for her father’s recovery, it was absurd that the hand stroking her skin didn’t stop.

Why on earth was this man like this?

Juhye lifted her head with a complicated expression. His lips brushed her ear, tickling.

When she felt the sensation of him biting down lightly, a dizzying feeling shot through her waist.

“I’ll comfort you.”

Comfort—what a ridiculous word.

The very person who had caused her the greatest distress was offering comfort.

“For a month, I’ll do everything I can to hold on to you.”

Before she could scoff, his lips came down.

The way he sucked firmly at her lower lip was so strangely sensual it seemed to ensnare all her senses.

“No, don’t… mmh….”

“Don’t think about anything today.”

I’ll make it that way.

There was certainty in his firm whisper.

Juhye knew she would soon end up just as he said.

Every time she slept with him, she always collapsed into sleep afterward and couldn’t wake up easily.

“Open your lips.”

With the calm command, a kiss began—one that had lost even a small measure of restraint.

When she opened her eyes again, as expected, Daehyun wasn’t beside her.

Juhye woke on the cold bed, habitually groped for the empty space next to her, then clenched her fist.

Daehyun had left at dawn for a golf appointment with an important client.

“I’ll be back.”

Before leaving, Juhye faintly heard his voice.

The hand that had gently stroked her hair felt like a lie.

Seo Daehyun had never been that kind of man.

He used to inform her dryly that he had an appointment, then disappear like mist on the day itself.

“……”

She absentmindedly retied the belt of her robe.

As she got off the bed and shuffled forward, the mirror on the vanity caught her eye.

Her exhausted face was reflected plainly. So were the reddish marks trailing down her neck and shoulders—someone’s bite marks.

“I told him not to leave marks.”

Sighing, Juhye rubbed her shoulder with her right hand.

In the end, she had faithfully kept Friday’s appointment again last night.

Daehyun hadn’t backed down, and halfway through, Juhye herself had been so consumed by anger that her mind turned red.

She had deliberately dug her nails into his solid back, unlike usual, and even bitten the arm that reached for her.

Juhye.

Hah, ah….

Lift your legs.

But the more she resisted, the more relentlessly Daehyun pushed forward.

Looking up at him as he moved without a hint of fatigue, she breathed until her breath caught in her throat—and then fell asleep as if fainting.

“At least he had some last shred of conscience, I guess? Since he put my robe back on….”

Leaving the vanity, she went into the bathroom. The cold air greeted her.

Under the heavy stream of warm water from the shower, the state of her body—tormented by her husband all night—was laid bare.

Her arms and legs were covered with red marks, scattered as if she’d been bitten by a dog.

“I’d like to think of them as proof of his efforts to change my mind.”

To be clear, Seo Daehyun hadn’t gone all the way last night.

As if serving her, he focused more on his wife’s pleasure than his own.

In that sense, he had kept his promise to some degree—and it was an experience Juhye had never had before.

“……I’m hungry.”

After showering, she dried her hair and changed into comfortable clothes.

Once she was cleaned up, a delayed hunger set in.

“I don’t want to eat alone.”

The housekeeper would come in the afternoon, but it was still early morning.

Everyone was asleep, and there was no one suitable to contact. It was an awkward situation for someone who didn’t want to eat alone.

“What should I do….”

Sipping a mouthful of freshly warmed black tea, Juhye turned on her phone.

Messages she hadn’t checked last night had piled up.

Juhye, did you get home safely?

Juyeong’s message was the first to catch her eye.

She would still be sleeping with the baby, so it seemed better to reply after dawn.

As she moved past Juyeong’s message and checked the next one—

Senior, it’s Junhwi.

The address “senior” was familiar. The name Kang Junhwi was displayed at the top.

Juhye moved to the sofa and read the messages carefully.

Let me know as soon as you decide where to place the ceremonial flowers. I want to check the location in advance.

It’d be even better if you could come in person when you have time.

Thinking about the arboretum ceremony made her gloom lift a little.

It was disappointing that her father couldn’t attend, but the thought of being able to show it to her brothers still made her heart race.

It’s before work, but he’s probably awake by now….

After some thought, Juhye sent a reply.

She apologized for the early hour and asked if they could meet to talk about the ceremony and see each other’s faces.

When she said she’d go directly to the arboretum, the reply came readily.

That works for me. A good restaurant just opened near the arboretum—how about it?

Seo Daehyun was out anyway, and if she said she was going to the arboretum, Secretary Jung wouldn’t follow her.

Even normally, she went there alone without staff.

Shall we eat tteokbokki?

Pfft—Juhye let out a small laugh.

The word tteokbokki instantly brought back old memories.

She thought of the countless times she’d eaten it with this man at a snack bar near their university.

I like tteokbokki. Let’s have sundae too.

After sending the message, Juhye got up immediately and headed to the dressing room.

As she chose and put on a neat shirt dress, her heart thumped for no reason.

She planned to go out without contacting Daehyun at all.

Before, she would always tell him—where she was going, who she was meeting—like reporting, even without being asked.

But today, she had no intention of doing that.

Let me know your estimated arrival time.

She needed a bit of a change of pace too.

I’ll head out now, Junhwi.

After replying, Juhye grabbed her car keys and hurried to the front door.

Her steps as she left the house felt unusually light.