Chapter 4
Secretary Park, who had glanced briefly at In-Young, bowed and left the CEO’s office.
“Isn’t that outfit a bit too cheap for a secretary?”
No sooner had Secretary Park left than In-Young commented on her attire.
“There are so many employees who dress like that. If we reprimand them, the union would probably make a fuss.”
Seong-Hyuk reacted nonchalantly. Complaining about such outfits felt pointless. People didn’t even make the effort to dress appropriately, so what good would scolding do?
Frankly, whether they dressed like that or not elicited no particular reaction from him. It simply didn’t matter.
“Well, if the CEO doesn’t mind, what’s there for me to add? Let’s get up; we have things to do outside.”
In-Young rose first. Seong-Hyuk moved beside her and gently took her arm.
What’s gotten into him today? The man who usually kept his distance suddenly held her arm.
Nonetheless, with his arm around hers, the two left the office and headed to the parking lot. There, each got into their respective cars, and In-Young drove them to the fine-dining restaurant she had reserved.
As they drove, Seong-Hyuk found himself lost in thought. Today, In-Young seemed unusually attentive toward him. Secretary Park’s flirtations weren’t anything new, and she was slated for a transfer to another department during the next formal reshuffle. Her work performance left no room for dismissal, so a department transfer was the only option.
Seong-Hyuk wasn’t the type to be swayed by someone like Secretary Park. In fact, no one could sway him—except perhaps In-Young. So her choice of clothing was irrelevant, as long as it didn’t interfere with her duties. Yet seeing In-Young take issue with it today made him think their relationship might grow closer.
Two years of marriage hadn’t even reached the full span. It wasn’t unhappy, but it certainly wasn’t blissful. At home, where he felt he was intruding into In-Young’s domain, Seong-Hyuk often felt frustrated. It was fortunate, perhaps, that his responsibilities as CEO of DA Construction—rescued by In-Young’s efforts—kept him away from home most of the time.
Moreover, the thought that In-Young might be misunderstanding his relationship with Chae-Soo made him feel increasingly hesitant whenever he faced her. She never questioned him about Chae-Soo, so he never had a chance to clarify. Her requests for connection suggested she wasn’t indifferent, but the brevity of her interactions implied she didn’t find him particularly appealing.
Still, there was time. Their marriage would continue, and he would have eternity with In-Young, so he could wait. Bit by bit, inching closer to her, he believed he could eventually enter her world—and he exercised patience.
By the time he finished his thoughts, they had arrived at the fine-dining restaurant. They were escorted to a private room, and at In-Young’s request, the main course was served swiftly. After finishing dessert, In-Young finally spoke.
“Do you remember the prenuptial agreement my father had prepared before we got married?”
The mention of the prenuptial agreement came abruptly.
The agreement had indeed existed. Two years ago, Chairman Choi had agreed to the marriage according to In-Young’s wishes, but insisted it couldn’t proceed without a contract. The terms stipulated that if In-Young requested a divorce, it would be finalized without property division or alimony.
Other clauses restricted Seong-Hyuk’s access to BR Group’s assets, but the key to all of them was In-Young. If he went against her wishes, divorce would be inevitable. Signing the agreement alone had subjected him to humiliation and indignity, making it impossible to forget.
When In-Young asked if he remembered the agreement, there was only one answer.
“I remember every clause in that contract.”
He answered without understanding why she was asking.
“Good, then. We’re getting a divorce. Let’s proceed quietly, within a month, without lawyers, through mutual consent.”
“What… Divorce?”
Seong-Hyuk’s voice came out louder than intended, startled by her sudden declaration. Though the right to request divorce belonged to In-Young, he hadn’t expected her to demand it so abruptly.
Not now—he didn’t want to be apart from her just yet.
“I’ll tell my parents once the divorce is finalized. You should tell your mother as well.”
In-Young’s words confirmed that the divorce was her decision, not Chairman Choi’s.
“Why… Why do you want a divorce?”
He felt as if he’d been struck on the head with a hammer, but he had to know the reason. He couldn’t be divorced without understanding why.
“I don’t see the need to live together anymore. DA Construction is restored, and I’ve lost interest in you. Since we have no children, it’s easier to divorce now.”
In-Young couldn’t bring up Chae-Soo. She couldn’t ask him about the child in the photo she had received from In-Jun.
“You say you’ve lost interest, but were you like that before going to the U.S.?”
Seong-Hyuk, unaware that Chae-Soo might be related to the divorce, focused solely on her claim of lost interest.
“Consider it a final check before talking divorce. That day made it clear: I don’t need to continue. I’m going to get a divorce and go to the U.S. to rest. The decision isn’t yours, Seong-Hyuk—just go home and sign the documents.”
Her expression was cold. She spoke as though discarding an object no longer of use, with no trace of regret.
Seong-Hyuk, who hadn’t anticipated this demand, had nothing to say. In truth, he had much to say, but the words wouldn’t come out.
Finally regaining some composure, he said,
“…Give me some time too. Let me go on the U.S. business trip first, then we can talk again.”
The five-day U.S. trip interfered with In-Young’s plans. If she waited until after the trip, she wouldn’t be able to finalize the divorce and make the hospital appointment in time.
She didn’t want to use the photo from In-Jun to finalize the divorce—it was too humiliating, and she couldn’t bring herself to ask about the child in it.
Although her plan was disrupted, she believed it wouldn’t be a major problem. She resolved to endure until then, finishing the meal.
The final, possibly last, grand dinner ended quietly.
The following five days felt like walking on thin ice.
Seong-Hyuk, claiming many tasks to finish before the trip, skipped breakfast and dinner at home, leaving at dawn and returning late at night.
In-Young didn’t press him. Though she didn’t push, she had to manage the disruption to her original plan. Ideally, she would have filed for divorce immediately and traveled to the U.S. for surgery. Since that was impossible, she had to reschedule the operation.
Even with mutual consent, the one-month reflection period meant filing after Seong-Hyuk’s trip wouldn’t allow her to meet the hospital date. She first adjusted the surgery schedule. In-Young contacted M Clinic and moved the appointment from forty to sixty days later.
That gave enough time to complete the reflection period and finalize the documents. The clinic advised hospitalization before the surgery if her condition suddenly worsened, preferably three days prior. In-Young only wished to be admitted three days before the procedure.
On the day Seong-Hyuk left for the U.S., In-Young stayed in without seeing him off.
