Chapter : 40
The moment I stepped into Junhwi’s house, my eyes landed on the clock hanging on the opposite wall.
Looking at the round clock, I could see that it had just passed midnight.
Junhwi, taking off his shoes, looked around busily as I stood there blankly.
“Do you want some slippers?”
“No, it’s okay. I don’t need any.”
Even though I said it was fine, Junhwi went somewhere and came back with a pair of slippers.
They were fluffy, rabbit-like slippers he must have gotten from somewhere.
Sliding my feet in, the soft texture tickled lightly.
They were so different from the shoes I usually wore at home that a small laugh escaped me.
“I don’t usually have guests at home…”
Junhwi scratched his head awkwardly and disappeared back into the kitchen.
Wearing the slippers, I headed toward the living room and saw him bringing a proper teacup.
“Is green tea okay? It’s all I have.”
“Of course, that’s fine. Let’s drink together.”
He placed a teabag in the cup and poured hot water; steam rose gracefully.
Since it was late, the house was quiet, with only the sound of water trickling softly.
Junhwi seemed slightly tense, as if having a guest at home was unfamiliar.
“Has anything else happened recently?”
To ease his tension, I decided to start a conversation.
He tilted his head slightly as he slid the teacup toward me.
“Nothing in particular…”
“What about the staff?”
“Oh, the new employee was a bit uneasy. She said she encountered a suspicious person in the parking lot.”
Parking lot? My eyes lit up at the unexpected news.
“You mean the new employee, Song Eun-jae?”
“Yes, that’s her.”
Hearing the confirmation, my thoughts twisted in a complex knot.
Since Daehyun had been at home monitoring me all this time, Eun-jae wouldn’t have met him.
Could it be that this was why she felt uneasy? I wondered.
“How has senior been?”
While sorting through various questions in my mind, Junhwi asked quietly.
It was natural for him to be curious since quite some time had passed since the last contact.
But there was nothing about what had happened at that house that I could easily talk about.
“Just… nothing special.”
I forced a smile, feeling embarrassed.
“Nothing special, really?”
“Yeah, I just couldn’t contact anyone because my phone was taken.”
As soon as I explained why I hadn’t reached out, Junhwi’s face crumpled.
“How can that be nothing special?”
“…”
“Do things only count as ‘something’ if you get hurt or something happens?”
He was right; there was no excuse.
Although Junhwi spoke calmly, I could tell he must have felt some hurt inside.
‘That’s why, the moment Juyoung came over, he immediately wondered if there was anything he could do…’
I bowed my head deeply.
“Sorry.”
“You’re not angry right now. Wait, are you not mad at all?”
“I’m not feeling good about it either.”
“That man, your husband… if he were sane, he wouldn’t act like this.”
Junhwi’s reaction was completely normal.
So I had no grounds to argue and simply listened.
“It’s one thing to oppose a divorce. But then, at least try to resolve conflicts through discussion. Locking someone up won’t solve anything…”
“I disappeared first.”
Still, strangely, I felt the need to defend Daehyun’s situation.
Junhwi frowned sharply at my excuse-like explanation.
“I ran away silently, and then got caught.”
“But still…”
“So…”
“You’re saying that just because I ran away first, he can just hold me captive?”
Junhwi’s voice grew rougher.
His anger sank the mood into tension.
“It wasn’t exactly captivity.”
“It wasn’t?”
“He didn’t tie me up. It was just…”
“If keeping someone locked up at home and under surveillance isn’t captivity, then what is?”
How could he argue so precisely at the exact sore spot?
Even though it wasn’t a funny moment, I let out a small laugh.
The mood softened slightly, but Junhwi’s expression still wasn’t good.
“Senior, there’s something I don’t quite understand.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you still love your husband?”
My gaze shook violently.
That alone felt like an answer, but Junhwi pressed for certainty.
“It feels like you’re defending him.”
“I’m not trying to.”
“If you still love him, then why do you want a divorce?”
Junhwi asked the question, assuming I still loved Daehyun.
Otherwise, there would be no reason to defend him even in this situation.
I could read Junhwi’s thoughts.
I realized I had to tell the truth to make him understand.
But I also knew that the moment I revealed the truth, he would understand me even less.
“My husband… has another woman.”
Still, since I was now caught up in my own affairs, I had to share at least this much with Junhwi.
“That’s why I asked for a divorce.”
Junhwi froze, his mouth agape in disbelief.
The intensity of his previous scolding instantly softened.
I removed my hand from the teacup and moved my lips weakly.
“You’re asking why I want a divorce even though I still love him?”
“Senior.”
“I’m curious too, Junhwi.”
Yes, I was genuinely curious.
Why couldn’t I remain indifferent to him even now?
“I’m dying to know why I feel like this.”
If I had hurt him with harsh words, said I hated living with him more than death… maybe Daehyun would have quickly signed the divorce to get rid of me.
Feeling stuck, I was frustrated at myself for just going in circles.
“People would think… I have no pride, like a woman losing her mind over a man…”
Even this lingering love for Seodaehyun felt insane.
I couldn’t explain why, after seeing my husband with his mistress twice, I still felt this way.
Even when Junhwi asked why I was defending a man who had kept me locked up, it didn’t hurt my heart like this.
“I’m sorry for pushing you like this.”
Junhwi had no idea about this background, so he was understandably taken aback.
Maybe that’s why I couldn’t explain last time at the snack shop.
Of course, there was betrayal at the fact my husband had a mistress, but my pride was hurt too.
“You must be having a harder time… I was thoughtless.”
Junhwi hurriedly ended the conversation and cleared the empty teacups.
“You’ll be tired today, so go to bed early and we’ll talk tomorrow. It’s Saturday anyway, so no need to go to work…”
As he tidied the table, I wiped the tear-warmed edges of my eyes with my sleeve.
No matter how emotional I was, I couldn’t continue to act pathetic in front of Junhwi.
“Okay, thanks. You should go to bed too.”
“Don’t mention it. Oh, by the way, senior, you can use that room.”
Junhwi pointed to the room on the right side of the living room.
Through the open door, I saw a neat room with a bed.
Since Junhwi lived alone, it was probably his bed.
“Junhwi! You’re the owner! You should sleep on the bed.”
“How am I supposed to make senior sleep on the floor?”
Junhwi said bluntly, then lightly nudged my back.
“Ha, but…”
“If you want to thank me, buy me a meal tomorrow. An expensive one.”
I hesitated but was pushed into the room.
When I quickly looked back, Junhwi had already closed the door.
He meant I could sleep on the sofa, so don’t worry and get some rest.
“Ah…”
Smiling from gratitude and guilt, I paused, pressing my hand to my forehead.
I hadn’t told him, but the headache that felt like it would split my head had been lingering since earlier.
The warm tea had helped somewhat, but standing up made the pain return.
Perhaps it was because I had slept oddly while trapped at home.
‘Even too much sleep can cause headaches, so that must be it.’
Clearly, stress was the real cause, so there was no need to overthink it.
I ignored the headache and sat on the bed.
I couldn’t keep relying on Junhwi like this, so I had to think about where to stay starting tomorrow.
‘My sister must still be having a meal. I want to let her know I arrived safely… but texting could be risky if someone sees it.’
I wondered if Director Park had returned safely or if Juyoung had already been contacted.
Thinking a call would be easier, I quickly turned on my phone and found two missed calls.
One was Juyoung’s, as expected. The other was…
‘Oppa…?’
Surprisingly, it was my oldest brother, Jin Suha’s number.
