Chapter 17
“You probably already know this, but Dohoon is blunt and not the type to treat women particularly well. If you go just by his looks, you’re bound to get hurt. Don’t you think?”
“He treats me well.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I also thought he was cold and distant, but he’s actually more considerate than he looks.”
Eunha meant it. The way he had politely visited her father first and respectfully looked after him even when he was unconscious had been genuinely moving to her.
Seonju could tell Eunha was being sincere. So… had these two really just met by chance and ended up getting married?
It was confusing, but ultimately, it didn’t matter.
After all, as Sehun had said, even if they married and divorced later, that would only hurt Dohoon’s position in the heir race.
So Seonju added with a calm smile,
“Well, I hope your feelings don’t change. But did you know that Dohoon’s father is quite the womanizer?”
“…What?”
Eunha blinked, not understanding why Dohoon’s father, Iljun, suddenly came up in this conversation.
“He still cheats, you know.”
Seonju let out a bitter laugh, but Eunha couldn’t join in.
“They say things like that run in the family.”
“……”
Was she implying that Dohoon might cheat too, after marriage…?
As Eunha mulled over the thought, Seonju spoke again.
“Oh, speaking of family, Dohoon used to take psychiatric medication as a child. Had episodes of delusion too.”
That was something Eunha had never heard before.
Dohoon, having delusions? He seemed so strong and composed now—it was hard to believe.
“Psychiatric illnesses don’t just go away overnight. You never know when they might recur. If you ever see him acting strangely after you marry, come talk to me anytime.”
“……”
“Well then, I’ll go. I’ve said what I wanted to say.”
When Seonju left the living room, Eunha sat there, stunned and speechless.
A quiet private room in a high-end Korean restaurant.
Sehun sat anxiously, waiting for someone. He frowned and checked his watch irritably—just as the door opened and a man entered.
A large, bald-headed man with sly eyes—Chanwoo—stepped inside, flashing a greasy grin.
“Team Leader, how have you been? Sorry I’m a bit late.”
Sehun’s face wrinkled in irritation, but he quickly composed himself. There was nothing to gain from showing emotion here.
“Mr. Jang Chanwoo. I don’t appreciate this attitude. Do you take me for a fool?”
“Oh no, of course not! I just came back from the States—that’s why I couldn’t reach out sooner. You know I make regular trips there.”
Hearing that, Sehun shuddered inwardly. Chanwoo made those “trips” for his serious gambling addiction, and he spoke of them proudly, laughing as if it were something impressive.
He should never have gotten involved with someone like this.
But even if he had known, the temptation might have been too strong to resist.
Six months ago, Chanwoo had approached Sehun and handed him confidential technical data for a new product from Haneul Foods—claiming it would be profitable.
At first, Sehun was skeptical, but once he reviewed the documents, his eyes widened. The technology was beyond what a small company could achieve, and if released, it could have a massive impact.
At the time, Sehun was desperate to prove his worth within Jeil Group. The pressure and stress had been suffocating.
So he gave in.
That same product was now being developed under Jeil Foods’ name, with the prototype already gaining great attention ahead of its official launch.
“I’ll say this once more—I work for Jeil Group. If you’re trying to play games with me, I won’t stand for it. Burying one man like you? It wouldn’t be hard.”
“Come on, there’s no need for that. But honestly, I was blindsided too. I had no idea that woman would end up marrying Director Choi Dohoon.”
Chanwoo rolled his eyes and tried to look pitiful. He didn’t seem to be lying.
Could it really just be a coincidence? Was such a thing even possible?
“Please, believe me. If this blows up, I’ll be arrested for attempted murder! Why would I deliberately send that wretched niece into that house? Maybe she found out and planned revenge on her own, but I swear, I had nothing to do with that marriage, Team Leader.”
Sehun believed him—Chanwoo wasn’t clever enough to scheme that deeply. If he’d wanted more money, he would’ve just blackmailed Sehun directly.
That thought gave Sehun some relief, though unease still gnawed at him.
“Mr. Jang. I’ll take your word for it. But my brother-in-law is sharp and persistent. If he catches even the smallest clue, he’ll uncover everything.”
“Don’t worry. There’s no evidence. All the key personnel have been silenced, and the documents destroyed. I even took care of President Yeo myself, remember?”
“If you were going to handle it, you should’ve done it properly. The embers are still burning. If she ever wakes up and talks…”
“She won’t. I guarantee it.”
“……”
Chanwoo smiled as he said it, and Sehun immediately understood what that guarantee meant.
“Don’t get cocky. Make sure it’s finished—people can surprise you.”
“Of course.”
Chanwoo promised confidently, and Sehun chose to believe him one last time.
Chansook rifled through her wardrobe with growing irritation.
“There’s nothing to wear! These clothes are all ancient!”
She had a social gathering that evening and couldn’t find anything suitable.
Vain and status-conscious, Chansook had attended every elite social event since marrying Eunpyo, mingling with the wives of political and business figures.
Of course, she could never break into the top-tier circles—mostly she associated with the second- and third-tier wives—but that was enough to make her feel elevated.
But after Eunpyo’s accident, she’d stopped going. The excuse was that she was too busy caring for him, but really, it was to avoid judgmental stares. The truth was, these events mattered deeply to her.
“This won’t do. I’ll go shopping, even if I have to rack up more credit card debt. I can’t wear cheap clothes when my son-in-law’s an executive at Jeil Group.”
Excited at the thought, she started getting ready to go out—then froze when she heard footsteps entering the house.
“Who’s there?”
Could it be Eunha? Chansook scowled and stepped into the living room.
“Sis, how have you been?”
“Oh my, Chanwoo!”
Realizing it was her younger brother, she was relieved—but quickly lowered her voice.
“Should you even be here? Your brother-in-law’s hit-and-run case isn’t closed yet.”
“My, my. You’ve gotten cautious. Weren’t you the one who said staging an accident for the insurance payout wasn’t a bad idea?”
“Well…”
Chansook fell silent. She hadn’t married Eunpyo for love, but for money—and his accident had ultimately brought her more benefit than harm.
“So what brings you back to Korea?”
“Eunha’s wedding.”
“Eunha? What about her? Oh, right—she’s marrying that Jeil Group guy. Guess she’s got a knack for catching men.”
The idea of being related to Jeil Group was appealing, but the thought of Eunha doing well made Chansook bristle with envy.
“That Jeil Group company? That’s the one I worked with, Sis.”
“What?”
“I’m the one who sold them President Yeo’s stolen technology.”
Chansook’s face turned pale. She hadn’t imagined that at all.
She’d known vaguely that Chanwoo had done something shady to get revenge on Eunpyo, and she hadn’t stopped him. She’d grown tired of her husband, and every time Eunha’s scheming caused Eunpyo to turn on Chanwoo, her heart had ached.
After Eunpyo’s accident and Chanwoo’s disappearance, she’d collected the insurance payout—and Eunha’s upcoming marriage to a chaebol family made everything seem like it had worked out perfectly.
But now—to find out that Chanwoo’s deal had been with Jeil Group?
What in the world was going on?
“So… are you saying Eunha knows what you did?”
“I don’t think so. Must’ve just been a coincidence. Dumb luck.”
“How could something like that happen?”
Chansook’s hands trembled, her heart pounding in dread.
“Then what do we do now? Should we stop the wedding? If they find out, it’s over!”
“No. Actually, this could work out in our favor.”
“What? How?”
“She doesn’t know anything, right? So we can use her as leverage—to squeeze more money out of Jeil Group.”
“But if this gets exposed—”
“It won’t. Not if President Yeo dies.”
“…Chanwoo.”
Chansook looked at him, horrified, understanding what he meant.
“Well, poor woman. I thought about letting her live out her days on life support, but now that there’s a reason, she might as well go.”
Chanwoo grinned wickedly.
“Sis, once you collect your husband’s life insurance payout, think about how you’ll spend it.”
