Chapter 37
Eunha had stayed secluded for several days.
She couldn’t summon the energy or motivation to do anything.
It turned out that Dohun had already paid the delayed salaries to the employees at Haneul Foods.
A few days ago, as soon as she left Chansook’s house, Eunha called one of the employees she was close to. She wanted to resolve everything at once while she was out, regardless of her disappointment and anger toward Chansook.
However, that employee said he had already received his delayed salary and even heard that Cheil Group was planning to revive Haneul Foods.
Eunha could have been angry at Dohun for acting on his own without consulting anyone, but instead, she only felt embarrassed and sorry.
“Why did he do that…? Did he pity me because I’m always so focused on money?”
Eunha couldn’t help blaming herself. She felt ashamed of even suggesting marriage to him by mentioning such a huge sum of 1 billion won.
Hospital bills for her father, living expenses to satisfy Chansook’s vanity, and debts paid to the Haneul Foods staff—why did he give her so much?
If they were in love, she might have felt less guilty. She could have loved him more and supported him, repaying him in that way.
But right now, she could only be cautious about her feelings toward him.
Of course, there was nothing she could do for him.
As she lay in bed tossing and turning, she heard a cat meowing from outside.
Eunha let out a weak smile and got up.
“I can’t just lie here feeling down because of you, pretty one.”
“Pretty One” was the name Eunha had given the cat because of its beautiful eyes.
“Pretty, wait. I’ll give you some food.”
As she prepared the cat’s meal, her phone on the table rang with a message.
[Alumni gathering at Rahyeon Middle School tonight. Ye Eunha, you must come. I want to see your face.]
It was Mina, a middle school friend. They had lost touch after Eunha went abroad, but Mina had contacted her again after hearing about her marriage.
Although the wedding article had hidden her face and only used initials, Mina had recognized Eunha and reached out.
Eunha appreciated Mina’s thoughtfulness, but her recent mood was complicated, and she wasn’t the type to attend gatherings often, so she was about to ignore it.
Another message came in. Assuming it was Mina again, she glanced at it—and froze.
[Happy birthday. Eat something delicious and have a happy day.]
It was Sungwoo. Seeing his name as the sender was touching, but the message itself stirred her heart even more.
As always, he offered his birthday wishes in a simple, gentle manner.
“Today is my birthday…”
Only then did Eunha realize the date and that it was her birthday.
Someone remembering a birthday she herself had forgotten.
Sungwoo was always such a warm and kind person.
She wanted, more than anything, to meet Sungwoo and talk about her feelings—what she should do in this situation.
Even just sharing with someone could make her melancholy feel a little lighter.
“Don’t meet Sungwoo anymore.”
But Eunha couldn’t ignore what Dohun had said. She didn’t want to meet Sungwoo and upset him.
[Thank you, oppa. I hope you have a wonderful day, too.]
This was the best she could do.
After sending the message, she let out a long sigh.
It was her birthday, yet her father was bedridden, and her stepmother didn’t care.
Sungwoo was the only one remembering her birthday, and now even he couldn’t meet her—no wonder she felt down.
If only Dohun were there, it would have been better. Even if he didn’t remember her birthday, just being together might have eased her loneliness.
But it was an impossible wish.
He was in the U.S. and, according to his schedule, wouldn’t return for another two days.
Moreover, he hadn’t contacted her for over a week.
Even knowing this was normal for a contractual marriage, she couldn’t help feeling hurt.
When Eunha brought the cat’s food and returned indoors, her phone rang loudly.
Expecting no calls, she checked the caller ID and was shocked stiff.
It was Seonju. She hadn’t been in touch with him separately since visiting Dohun’s family home with him.
Taking a deep breath, Eunha answered the call.
“Yes. Mother?”
“Stop by the house today. Around 4 PM.”
“Ah? Oh… okay…”
She had been expecting him to say more, so the brief instruction left her tense.
She let out another long sigh.
3:50 PM
Eunha rang the front door bell at exactly that time.
She didn’t want to be late, nor too early to seem out of place, so she arrived 10 minutes prior, the safest choice.
Upon entering, Hamyangdaek greeted her warmly.
“You’re here?”
“Yes. Mother is here, right?”
“Well, a guest is here now…”
“Oh… a guest?”
From the living room, she heard quiet conversation.
She had expected a private meeting with Seonju and felt a bit flustered, but smiled anyway, trying to stay composed.
“Come in first.”
As a family member, Hamyangdaek beckoned her inside rather than leaving her at the entrance.
Eunha stepped into the living room. Despite visiting the house several times, she still felt unfamiliar with its atmosphere.
“You’re here?”
“Yes, Mother.”
Only then did Seonju glance at her.
After greeting him, her attention shifted naturally to the young woman sitting beside him. She had to stop her breath for a moment.
“Wow, she’s gorgeous.”
The woman had a fair, small face with distinct Western features. Tall enough to model, with a striking figure and an elegant, sophisticated aura.
“Say hello. This is Dohun’s cherished junior.”
“Yes? Oh…”
“And this is Dohun’s wife, recently married.”
Seonju’s words carried a hint of displeasure—he didn’t seem to like Eunha.
The woman greeted Eunha warmly.
“Hello. I’m Seo-Young. Nice to meet you.”
“Hello. I’m Ye Eunha.”
Seo-Young’s smile was angelic. Eunha was surprised there was such a beautiful woman around Dohun.
“I was so curious about who he’d married. I was shocked when I heard, Dohun oppa got married.”
“Dohun oppa…”
The words sounded unusually gentle, making Eunha wonder if she was misunderstanding.
She had already been bothered by Seonju calling her “cherished junior.”
“You should have come home earlier. You know people’s hearts change. Dohun really cherished you. You two looked so pretty together.”
“Yes, Mother. How could I have known he’d declare marriage right away? If I had, I wouldn’t have gone abroad; I would have stayed in Seoul.”
Seo-Young smiled at Eunha and chimed in with Seonju’s words.
But Eunha couldn’t smile. The conversation felt insulting, as if implying that had Seo-Young been in Seoul, Dohun wouldn’t have married her.
“You seem younger than I thought. The age difference…?”
“Seven years. Even I was surprised.”
“Seven years? Dohun oppa likes younger women?”
Seo-Young scanned Eunha from head to toe, looking surprised.
“Yes, men only care about age sometimes. Honestly.”
The two women treated Eunha like a straw doll while their conversation escalated. Eunha could no longer listen in silence.
“Excuse me, but may I ask why you called me, Mother?”
She tried to speak politely, though her hands and feet trembled from indignation and hurt.
Seo-Young subtly flaunted her closeness with Dohun, while Seonju openly expressed his displeasure toward Eunha.
“Your medicine is in the kitchen. Go get it.”
“Medicine?”
“Didn’t you hear? Father asked you to take the herbal medicine he prepared.”
“Oh, okay. I understand.”
If he had said it was herbal medicine from the start, she wouldn’t be confused.
“Then, have your chat.”
Eunha, keeping her expression neutral, briefly greeted Seonju and Seo-Young before returning to the kitchen.
“You never know what can happen. Dohun is coming today. Have dinner, take your time, and meet him. He’ll be so happy to see you.”
“Oh, really? That’s great. I wanted to see oppa.”
Eunha stopped in her tracks, turning to look at Seonju.
Even if his remark about her was blunt, …Dohun is coming? Today?
