Chapter : 60
The end of summer arrived quietly, without a sound.
The day after she decided to retract the mutual divorce, Joo-hye went to the hospital with Dae-hyun.
This time, it was to hear the results of her checkup together with her husband.
“Yes, everything is developing healthily. That’s a relief.”
She had an ultrasound taken, and together with Dae-hyun, she looked down at the images while listening to the doctor’s explanation.
When she was told that the baby had arms and legs at eight weeks, Dae-hyun went from pale shock to overjoyed, repeating the cycle of emotions over and over.
“The baby is so tiny…”
Watching the way his expression changed every moment was quite amusing.
Still, Joo-hye didn’t comment and quietly swallowed a smile.
When Dae-hyun wrapped his trembling hands around her shoulders, her heart fluttered, and she felt a lump in her throat.
“This is the gestational sac. It’s about 1–2 cm now.”
“So cute.”
“You can’t really see much yet.”
“But you can imagine it all. The hands are small, the feet are small… just like you.”
“It should take after you, not me. That way it’ll grow tall.”
Joo-hye chattered on about how wonderful it would be if the child, boy or girl, grew tall. Dae-hyun simply watched her and smiled.
In that moment, if time stopped, it would feel like the perfect ending.
She had never expected that after months of self-loathing, such sweet happiness could fill the emptiness.
Joo-hye, right in front of him, seemed extraordinary, capable of swallowing all his anxiety in an instant.
“By the way, you know the villa,” Joo-hye whispered as they held hands tightly, heading toward the parking lot.
Dae-hyun tensed reflexively.
Joo-hye noticed, but she smiled gently, pretending not to see his nervousness.
“It was beautiful. I hadn’t noticed while inside, but the view outside is amazing.”
“….”
“When I asked Manager Jung, he said that if you go upstairs, you can even see the night sky through the attic roof.”
Listening to Joo-hye’s calm explanation, images naturally formed in his mind.
Lying side by side on the attic bed, gazing at the stars through the roof, taking a rest…
Even imagining such a moment made Dae-hyun feel like he could breathe freely.
“Let’s go again, the villa. This time, show me both inside and outside properly.”
Her request left him momentarily breathless. Was it really okay?
Dae-hyun’s face darkened as he rolled his eyes around and finally spoke.
“Wouldn’t it be scary?”
“Scary? What’s scary about the villa?”
“Because I… kept you there.”
It was a place where he had once locked her in.
He swallowed the answer he couldn’t bring himself to say.
His conscience pricked at his chest like thorns.
Joo-hye chuckled softly at his silence.
“It was way scarier when I was staying there, thinking you mistook me for your brother’s mistress.”
“….”
“If we make good memories there again, it’ll just be a villa. A villa you got as a gift for me.”
With these warm words, she forgave him.
Such a small reason, such a simple gratitude, yet it extinguished Dae-hyun’s guilt.
He wondered how such a woman could come back to him again.
“I’ll be bothersome from now on. You should prepare for that.”
“Bothersome?”
Dae-hyun wrapped his arms around her again and kissed her ear gently.
Joo-hye sighed and looked down at her belly.
“Joo-young unnie said that there will be muscle aches, cravings, sudden nausea… it will be hard even for the person watching.”
Hearing about the pain of childbirth from Joo-young made her late worries resurface.
They had been temporarily forgotten while looking at the ultrasound photos with Dae-hyun.
Seeing her gloomy expression, Dae-hyun rested his head against her as if to say not to worry.
“I’ll be very bothersome. I’m ready for it.”
“Really?”
“I’m prepared to do everything for your happiness.”
Tilting his head, Dae-hyun impulsively kissed her lips.
It was a passionate kiss filled with emotion, but Joo-hye only smiled softly.
Seeing Dae-hyun’s eyes redden, she realized how deeply the child’s presence affected him. After all, he had been anxious for not having a child all this time.
“I used to think you didn’t like children.”
“Me? Why?”
“I just… worried that having a child forced by the family would bother you.”
She had once feared that Chairman Jin’s push for a child would make him uncomfortable.
Dae-hyun didn’t answer but shook his head, denying her concern, and Joo-hye smiled faintly.
“Now that I think about it, you probably wanted a child more than I did. So we could really feel like a family.”
“A child…”
Dae-hyun stopped walking for a moment, words trailing off.
Holding his hand, Joo-hye turned to look at him slowly.
Under the bright green trees, shadows of leaves rolled over them like waves.
“If there’s a child, I thought you’d never leave my side.”
“….”
“I admit I was selfish about that.”
Dae-hyun confessed honestly, a bitter smile on his face.
Worried it might hurt her, yet Joo-hye confidently stepped closer.
“What do you think now?”
“I’m overjoyed. Just receiving your love was enough, but now with a child too… I’m incredibly happy. Still, I worry.”
Her excitement softened at his words.
When she looked at him as if asking what he was worried about, he fiddled with her fingertips.
His touch on her knuckles was careful, as if handling something precious.
“I worry if I’ll be a good parent.”
What does it mean to be a good parent?
Dae-hyun realized it was a concern he had never thought of before.
He had even studied related books for days, but it was no easy task.
“Why would you worry about that?”
Thinking she might be tired, Joo-hye scolded him lightly in her mind.
“I’ve never experienced good parents myself.”
Immediately, she felt apologetic for her scolding.
She steadied her trembling hand while looking at her husband’s darkened face.
“They say children take after their parents, but what if…”
“That’s a completely unnecessary worry.”
Still, Joo-hye firmly cut off his anxiety.
“By that logic, I’ve never seen my mother either.”
“Joo-hye, you and I…”
“We’re not that different.”
Anticipating his protest, she shook her head.
She knew now she didn’t have to agonize over such worries alone.
“It’ll be fine, for us.”
During this unusually long summer, she had realized an important truth.
“We’ve realized so much this time: the conversations we lacked, the time we needed, the love we should have shared.”
This autumn would be spent preparing busily for their new family member.
Seeing Joo-hye smile, Dae-hyun smiled too.
“You’ll be busier too… I’m worried.”
Dae-hyun had successfully reclaimed his position as CEO of Jinju Construction.
Su-ha and Soo-kyung even bowed to apologize in person, but it seemed they still didn’t fully acknowledge his abilities.
Now it was up to Dae-hyun to prove himself through his achievements.
Joo-hye had no doubt that her husband would succeed brilliantly.
“The chairman contacted us too,” Dae-hyun said, nodding, adding quietly.
Though Joo-hye didn’t confirm personally, it seemed Chairman Jin had subtly apologized over the phone.
She had worried about his stubbornness, but hearing that he lost sleep over the grandchild made her laugh.
“Thanks to our baby, so many things are changing.”
“Looks like it. Oh, and hyung sent a painting for our home.”
“A painting?”
“Yes. You said there was a painting you liked at his house… here.”
Dae-hyun showed her a message from Su-ha.
Inside was the painting Joo-hye had admired at Su-ha’s house, the one that had captivated her so much.
“That’s right, I liked this painting.”
The ink painting gleamed beautifully on the phone screen, now framed in gold.
Dae-hyun recognized it and showed a late smile of delight.
“Oh, this is the painting I sent.”
“They said the title reminded them of me.”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Why did you think that?”
Leaning her head on his shoulder, Joo-hye smiled softly.
Walking together, sharing quiet conversation, she cherished this moment.
Soon, their child would share in this happiness too.
“I love you,” Dae-hyun whispered, kissing her forehead.
Looking at Joo-hye’s bright smile, he felt the weight of the happiness he had finally earned after a long journey.
The stability he had finally gained seeped joyfully deep into his heart.
“I know,” she replied confidently, her own loving declaration as his wife.
—The End—
