Chapter 18
Because of a lunch meeting, Tae-geon had no choice but to come up to Seoul.
Even though Hyun-jung pretended not to know him in front of Jo Jae-seok, he was still desperate to stop that marriage.
If anyone asked why he was meddling in her affairs, he could easily justify it.
As someone who’d been like an older brother to her since childhood, he naturally had the right. How could he just sit back and watch when she was about to ruin her life with such a marriage?
He couldn’t understand why she wanted to marry Jo Jae-seok at all. The more he looked into the man, the clearer it became that Jae-seok was nothing but a total scoundrel.
On top of that, he was the youngest of four brothers, and his birth mother had no powerful family connections. Because of that, in that particular social circle, Jo Jae-seok had long been dismissed as a worthless nobody.
Of course, since people tended to hush such things up, outsiders who weren’t familiar with that world wouldn’t know any better.
“No matter how I think about it, there’s no way Hyun-jung is marrying him out of love.”
After the luncheon, Tae-geon had no further appointments that day, so he planned to head straight back to the hospital where Hyun-jung was staying.
Even if she foamed at the mouth and pretended not to know him, he had decided he couldn’t just ignore her.
“By the way, Director Kang, I hear you’re getting married soon.”
While savoring the rich aroma of coffee after lunch, the CEO of SH Trading smiled warmly from across the table and offered his congratulations.
“Congratulations. Chairman Kang seemed overjoyed about it.”
He could easily picture his grandfather making phone calls to acquaintances since early morning. Despite Tae-geon’s insistence that he wasn’t marrying anyone, his grandfather seemed determined to see him wed before the year was over.
Even if it meant stirring up rumors to make it happen.
Not that his grandfather didn’t know Tae-geon wasn’t someone who’d rush into marriage just because of gossip.
“Nothing’s been decided yet,” Tae-geon corrected politely. He couldn’t make his grandfather look foolish, after all.
“So there is a woman, then. No wonder the chairman’s so delighted. To think you, of all people—the man who buried himself in work every day—are in a relationship! I guess you really do live long enough to see everything. You finally seem… human.”
“……”
“Enjoy life while you’re young. Love, or whatever else.”
“Thank you for your words. Shall we get going?”
Tae-geon glanced at his watch. By now, the results of Hyun-jung’s detailed medical exam should be coming out.
He was worried she might have hurt her head in the car accident—an uncharacteristic sense of urgency tightening his chest.
“Oh my, it’s gotten this late already?”
The SH Trading CEO rose first, and Tae-geon followed.
“I know we’re asking for quite a favor this time, but we’re counting on you.”
“You worry too much,” Tae-geon replied calmly.
The meeting had been arranged because SH Trading, facing soaring material import costs, was requesting an additional loan.
“We’re relying on you, Director Kang.”
“Take care.”
Joking that at this rate all construction companies would go bankrupt from rising prices, the CEO waved and left after setting their next meeting.
Outside the restaurant, Secretary Kim was waiting.
“Secretary Kim, did my words mean nothing when I told you to take a break?”
He had made the man rest in the car after two sleepless nights, but apparently the secretary had been waiting there anyway.
“Do I look like someone who can’t get anything done without you? I’ll go to Gangwon Province with Driver Choi, so you can clock out now.”
“Miss Seo Hyun-jung is currently in Seoul.”
“What?”
“She’s been transferred to a hospital under the Joshu Group.”
“When?”
“She left as soon as her test results came out. And it’s true—she really didn’t recognize you.”
“……”
“She’s been diagnosed with amnesia.”
Secretary Kim had suspected that Hyun-jung’s act of not recognizing Tae-geon might not be an act at all—and it turned out to be true.
Amnesia… If that was the case, then he had all the more reason to stop this marriage.
Tae-geon’s chest tightened, his thoughts racing.
“So, where is she now?”
* * *
It had already been a week since Hyun-jung was transferred to a Joshu Group–affiliated hospital in Seoul.
Each day still felt strange and unfamiliar, but slowly, she was beginning to adjust. Her memories had not returned—neither those of her family and fiancé nor even of the day of the accident.
Her mind was a blank white sheet, filled only with the words others told her about herself. Yet, she couldn’t picture any of it clearly.
Instead, the fleeting image of one tall man remained vividly in her mind, lingering like a memory.
During that time, Myung-hee had been diligently nursing her. There was a live-in caregiver who stayed overnight, so Myung-hee only came during the day—but she worked tirelessly, determined to help Hyun-jung regain her memories.
Hyun-jung was grateful for that—but also, somehow, uneasy.
“Mom, you really don’t have to keep bringing food like this. I eat fine here. The hospital meals are good, and they even have a bakery.”
“What’s so hard about it? This is for my daughter. You eat so well that I can’t help but want to make more. I’d bring you home-cooked meals three times a day if you wanted.”
When her mother gently brushed Hyun-jung’s hair with her hand, Hyun-jung smiled faintly. It felt like the right thing to do—to smile sweetly under her mother’s loving touch.
“Madam, your cooking skills are incredible. These look like something straight out of a bakery! They’re so pretty I almost feel bad eating them.”
The caregiver, who had come with Hyun-jung from Gangwon Province, was amazed every time she saw the desserts Myung-hee brought.
“I could never do this, even if my own daughter were sick. You must love your daughter dearly, madam. Hoho.”
Myung-hee didn’t care much for the talkative caregiver. Whenever she turned from Hyun-jung to the caregiver, her kind expression vanished, replaced by a coldness sharp enough to chill the air—and even Hyun-jung could feel it deep in her bones.
“I’d like a little time alone with my daughter.”
“Oh, of course. I’ll go for a walk and let you two talk.”
As soon as the perceptive caregiver left the room, Myung-hee began to grumble.
“Isn’t that caregiver too noisy? Should we replace her?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“She has no manners, no sense of grace. Really. I only hired her in a rush because no one else could come right away, but I can’t stand her. We can easily find someone better in Seoul. Just say the word.”
To break the tension, Hyun-jung picked up a fork and took a bite of the food her mother had brought. It was a chocolate cake—so sweet and rich she could hardly believe it was homemade.
“Wow, it’s delicious.”
“Is it?”
“It really is.”
Pleased, Myung-hee poured her a glass of milk.
“Have it with milk, or it’ll choke you.”
Following her mother’s instructions, Hyun-jung drank the milk. It was clear everything Myung-hee did was for her—but somehow, it still didn’t feel natural.
Every affectionate gesture from her mother felt unfamiliar rather than comforting, leaving her strangely uneasy.
She even felt more at ease with the caregiver she’d only known for a few days—and that made her feel guilty.
And although the cakes and desserts Myung-hee made were all beautifully crafted and delicious, they somehow didn’t suit her taste. They were too sweet—so sweet her tongue tingled and her head throbbed. After a few bites, she realized they weren’t to her liking.
Unable to finish even half of her slice, Hyun-jung put down her fork and dabbed her lips with a tissue, pushing the plate slightly away.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Why aren’t you eating more?”
Myung-hee, smiling fondly, pushed the plate back toward her with a disappointed expression.
“I guess I ate too much lunch. I’m too full.”
“Still, don’t you think eating what your mother made might help you recover your memory? I made it all this morning, even though I wasn’t feeling well, just for you…”
Hearing that, Hyun-jung’s heart softened, and she picked up her fork again.
“Oh, you don’t have to force yourself.”
“No, it’s fine. You worked hard to make it—I should finish it.”
“Such a good girl, my Hyun-jung. Eat well, rest well, and get better soon. Then you can finally settle down after marrying Executive Jo.”
Like a dutiful daughter, Hyun-jung obediently scooped up a large bite of cake and stuffed it into her mouth.
