Chapter 4
“Oh my! To have GH Group come all the way here is truly an honor! Was your journey comfortable?”
Yang Mincheol rushed out barefoot to greet them.
GH Group, a top-tier multinational corporation, was incomparable to Jusang Foods, a mid-sized company. It was the largest conglomerate in the country.
Sooncheol gently reassured Mincheol, who was soon to inherit Jusang Foods following Yang Byeonghoe.
“Why, of course. My longtime friend passed away first, so naturally I had to come.”
“Thank you so much for coming all the way here. My father would have smiled happily, seeing an old friend on his way.”
Sooncheol, leaning on his cane, extended his hand toward Byeonghoe’s portrait.
“Farewell, Byeonghoe. I’ll follow soon. Just wait a little, my old comrade.”
He brushed the photo tenderly, tears welling in his eyes. Sooncheol had been one of the elderly men in the old photo who had jokingly talked about marriage with Byeonghoe in his lifetime.
After the grandfather’s funeral, Soeun, overwhelmed by grief and barely eating, was scolded by Mincheol’s family for making too much fuss. She couldn’t even cry freely and spent several days secretly crying.
Then, unexpectedly, news arrived.
GH Group had formally proposed an arranged marriage to Soeun.
Sooncheol had contacted them, explaining that after Byeonghoe’s passing, it was time to fulfill the decades-old promise made between two friends—to arrange a marriage between their families.
Soeun was stunned by the news.
She had heard of the promise before, but her grandfather had said it would be forgotten.
Yet Mincheol and his wife were ecstatic.
They had been annoyed with the idea of keeping their niece, who had stayed with them while Byeonghoe was ill, but now there was a legitimate reason to “send her away.”
And it was GH Group, no less.
‘Soeun, we’re not just marrying anyone. Marrying into a top-tier company like GH Group means that if Jusang Foods ever needs investment, we could get help from your in-laws. Your late father’s wartime promise is finally paying off! You’re going to marry—no, you must become the bride of GH Group’s Jeon Hyunjun! Understand?’
Mincheol and his wife practically forced her into agreeing to the arranged marriage.
Her twin cousins, Hyein and Miin, envied Soeun but still teased her.
‘Soeun~ Even if you become the lady of GH Group, you can’t ignore us, got it? Lucky girl, getting all the perks just for being the eldest grandchild.’
‘Hyein, don’t be jealous~ Marrying a man you’ve never seen is really unfortunate. And didn’t they say his nickname is “monster”?’
‘True. He supposedly got burned as a child, has terrible scars, a ruined personality, anger issues… basically all the bad traits you can think of. If he doesn’t beat her up later, that’ll be a miracle. And he’s been studying abroad to avoid people, only coming to Korea for the wedding. At least now we can see how horrifying he really looks. Ha ha ha.’
Inside GH Group, hidden amidst rumors and whispers, was the man Soeun was about to marry.
Though terrified by the stories, she had no choice but to accept the marriage and follow the household’s instructions for preparation, alone, without her husband.
Time passed, and finally, the morning of the wedding arrived.
Soeun, filled with nerves, arrived at the venue and headed toward the bride’s waiting room.
It would be the first time she would meet her husband, just returned from the U.S.
Click—
The study door opened, and Hyunjun appeared.
Showered, wearing a crisp shirt and black slacks, he looked every bit like a celebrity.
The house itself was so grand it resembled a drama set, and the man walking toward her looked like an actor. For a moment, she almost thought the scene was being filmed.
The image of Hyunjun, standing in the bride’s waiting room that day, remained vivid in her mind.
The heir to GH Group, a recluse studying abroad, rumored to be extremely ugly. Soeun had steeled herself for the worst.
But the man before her was stunningly handsome.
Even Hyein and Miin, seeing him for the first time, were dumbfounded.
‘Wait, didn’t they say he had horrible scars from burns?’
‘Yeah, what’s going on? He’s so handsome! Soeun is marrying this guy?’
‘Ugh, I should be the one getting married!’
‘Hey, Miin. You know the promise between the grandfathers, right? That’s why the eldest grandchildren are getting married. No matter how much you protest, it won’t happen.’
‘Ugh, so annoying. That orphan Soeun is taking such a man!’
Orphan…
Soeun overheard Hyein and Miin whispering like this after a brief greeting with the groom, but she could say nothing.
She had indeed grown up without her parents, living with her uncle’s family for two years after her grandfather collapsed.
“Have you changed yet?”
Hyunjun asked, looking at Soeun sitting neatly on the sofa in a proper dress.
Snapped out of her thoughts, she smoothed her hair and stood.
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Um… will we have dinner at your family home too?”
“Probably.”
Soeun followed him out of the entrance hall.
As she put on her shoes, his gaze briefly brushed her left ring finger. The wedding ring, absent before, was now on her hand.
By the time they reached the elevator, a secretary had parked the car downstairs.
After greeting them, the secretary handed the keys to Hyunjun and disappeared.
Hyunjun unconsciously approached the driver’s side, paused, then opened the passenger side for Soeun.
“Come here and get in.”
“Whose car is this?”
“Whose would it be? Mine.”
Soeun hesitated, staring at the sleek luxury sedan.
It was natural for a husband to open the door for his wife, yet it felt strange.
Had she really gotten married? That reality was only now sinking in.
Standing awkwardly, unsure where to step, Hyunjun sighed softly.
Soeun noticed the sigh and glanced at him.
“What are you doing standing there like that?”
He grabbed her hand firmly.
His large, strong palm enveloped her small hand.
“Come here.”
Pulled along by his strength, she stood by the car.
Once she entered the passenger seat, Hyunjun closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side.
Fastening his seatbelt and starting the car, he stared at the frozen Soeun.
“You’re going to stay like that?”
“Y-yes?”
She turned toward his deep, resonant voice.
“I know you don’t want to go, but will you sit there like a helpless animal being dragged to slaughter, looking like the world is ending?”
Ah…
Soeun’s eyes flickered.
“N-no, it’s not that.”
The idea of married life beginning now felt awkward, and after three years, having her husband suddenly appear was uncomfortable and difficult.
The eight-year age gap, his status as the first grandson of GH Group’s honorary chairman, his honor and position—all of it intimidated her.
“This is an arranged marriage, so don’t show your dislike so strongly.”
Hyunjun’s gaze fixed on her as if missing not a single expression, his cold voice cutting through the car.
“Right, Yang Soeun?”
‘Don’t show dislike.’
I dislike you too—but at least I’m making an effort.
His words struck her like a dagger.
“So, when we visit your family or attend formal occasions, at least pretend to smile a little.”
