That afternoon, in the CEO’s office.
Juhyuk was staring at the report on his desk.
It was something Secretary Kim had handed him that morning.
“I told you to think of the worst-case scenario.”
But the list of “worst things that could happen if we divorced” looked far too weak to change her mind.
Last night, he had tried to hit her with a strong blow to scare her off, but all he got in return was… divorce again.
“She called it a grace period, didn’t she?”
He remembered her even worrying about whether he’d be okay if the divorce got dragged out longer. That just made him shake his head.
Sigh…
For the first time, Juhyuk felt like he was facing the biggest crisis of his life. His mind was a mess.
Knock—
He didn’t even hear the knock.
“Ahem!”
It wasn’t until Secretary Kim cleared his throat that Juhyuk looked up.
“The lawyer is here. Should I let him in?”
Juhyuk gave a slight nod, and Kim called the man in.
A well-dressed man stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind him.
“I heard you’re the best.”
The lawyer froze at those words. The air around CEO Kwon felt heavier, thicker—almost suffocating. The pressure alone made Lawyer Kang swallow hard.
“Ah, well… it’s embarrassing to say myself, but when it comes to divorce cases, I am the best in the country—”
“I don’t like lies.”
That sharp, blade-like gaze made the lawyer clamp his mouth shut.
“What I hate even more is incompetence. So…”
Juhyuk glanced at the business card in front of him.
“…let’s hope this reputation of yours isn’t just your own fantasy.”
“…”
“And you’ll keep your mouth shut about this.”
“O-of course.”
When Juhyuk seemed to relax just a little, Lawyer Kang let out a quiet breath of relief and spoke.
“First, could you tell me the situation? Are you the one preparing for a divorce?”
“It’s the opposite.”
“Ah… so your wife is—”
One glance from Juhyuk was enough to make him cut off the sentence.
Usually, no matter how messy the case, he’d take it if the money was good enough. But this… he’d rather turn it down. Too bad there was no going back now.
“Ahem… In that case, even if your wife files for divorce, if there’s been no serious conflict between you two, it might not be a problem. If her reasons are unreasonable, the court could dismiss her request.”
“I want my wife to give up on her own.”
Changing her heart—that was the real goal.
Shouting or begging wouldn’t work.
He’d already learned that last night.
Even if he used their child or found a way to legally block the divorce, what would be the point if she didn’t want to stay?
She had to choose to stay herself.
Hearing the desperation in his voice, the lawyer cautiously said,
“Have you heard of the divorce deliberation period?”
“What’s that?”
“For a mutual divorce, if there are children, you have to wait three months before it can be finalized. If there are no children, it’s one month. If your wife is determined, maybe you could use that to your advantage.”
The lawyer’s confidence grew as Juhyuk listened closely.
“So basically, agree to the divorce—but insist on a certain waiting period. During that time, you work to change her mind. It’s not easy, but if what you want isn’t just to cancel the divorce legally, but to win her heart back, this is the only real option.”
Last night, she had mentioned a “grace period” too. Same words, but she’d meant something else entirely.
After thinking for a moment, Juhyuk said,
“Let’s make that grace period… a year.”
—
Once the lawyer left, silence filled the office.
Tap—tap—
His fingers drumming on the desk were the only sound.
His eyes fell on the Agreement to Divorce form.
The thought that a single sheet of paper could end everything between him and Chaerang made him want to laugh.
Beside it was the notarized “grace period” document the lawyer had drafted.
‘During the grace period, you must change your wife’s mind.’
Easy to say.
Chaerang might look soft, but she had a backbone of steel. If she decided to divorce, she would’ve thought long and hard about it.
She’d probably been preparing to leave for the last six years.
She doesn’t know how I endured that time.
That’s why she could do this. She didn’t know what it was like to wait for her.
The more he thought about it, the more it annoyed him.
If she was going to leave, she shouldn’t have smiled at him. She shouldn’t have even come back.
Now that he knew…
Now that he’d remembered her scent, her smile—there was no way he could let her go again.
“…Should I fake an illness or something?”
It was tempting, but he quickly dropped the idea.
She wasn’t the type to just worry—she’d blame herself endlessly.
He let out a bitter laugh. Torn between wanting to keep her by his side at any cost and not wanting her to worry, he thought—
What am I supposed to do with this impossible woman?
—
“Looks like he’s late again.”
Chaerang picked up her silent phone and set it back down.
She missed him.
She didn’t care if he got angry or sighed at her—just not the exhausted, worn-out look. That wasn’t like him. That wasn’t what she wanted to see.
Six years was a long time. Her mind had healed bit by bit, but her feelings for him had only grown deeper.
People’s hearts are fickle.
She’d left because she was afraid to face him, yet checked his name online several times a day just for comfort.
And then one day, she’d seen that interview.
“Last question, sir. Since this is our ‘Family Month’ special, I can’t skip this: what do you think marriage is?”
“I think it’s like a shadow. No matter how far away, it’s always nearby.”
The moment she read that, she realized—
Even now, while we’re apart… I’m still holding him back. With this hollow marriage as a chain.
She couldn’t delay any longer.
All she had to do was let go.
He doesn’t love me.
He hadn’t stopped her from leaving, and he hadn’t contacted her once in six years.
That could only mean one thing.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door code being punched in.
Her body moved faster than her mind—she reached the door just as it opened.
Bathed in pale moonlight, the man standing there looked like a painting. His deep, dark eyes could pull her in, and yet she couldn’t turn away.
Click—
When the door shut, she finally came to her senses.
“Were you busy again today?”
“Not really.”
She quietly followed him down the hall.
The mood was different from that morning—quieter, heavier somehow.
Trying to read him, she asked,
“Tired? Should I run you a bath?”
“No.”
“But it’s good for—”
“You don’t have to do anything.”
He crossed the living room to the kitchen, pulled a bottle of water from the fridge, and drank.
Even something that simple looked like a scene from a movie when he did it.
“Did you want to say something?”
“Ah… um…”
She bit her lip, wondering if he noticed her staring.
He looked down at her and smirked.
“If you don’t, you don’t. What—afraid I’ll scold you?”
“…I don’t have any clothes. To change into, I mean.”
“Clothes?”
“Yeah… like an idiot, I only brought one set of pajamas, and I washed them after wearing them yesterday.”
If she’d realized sooner, she could have bought some today.
“And… I don’t think I should keep staying here. It’s not right. It’s late today, but starting tomorrow, I’ll stay at a hotel.”
Truthfully, she’d been waiting for him just to say this.
She’d thought about it while he was gone, and she was sure—
If she stayed here any longer, the feelings she’d worked so hard to let go of might come crashing back. Already, in less than two days, she’d lost herself too many times just watching him.
It’s dangerous. Really dangerous.
At the word “hotel,” his eyebrows twitched. He set the water bottle down with a thud and said—
