Chapter 4
“What do you think you’re doing? Didn’t you want to leave? None of this is your concern. Just go.”
At first, Hyein felt offended by the lady’s harsh words, but she became flustered as the situation sank in. She couldn’t fathom why things had taken this sudden turn. Despite her confusion, she managed to maintain her composure and politely excused herself. A hand gripped her shoulder as she attempted to leave the reception hall.
When she turned around, she found herself face-to-face with Woojin’s mother.
“Your name is Seo Hyein, right? How long have you been dating my son? Are you two in a serious relationship?” Mrs. Shin asked, her eyes imploring Hyein to deny it.
Hyein bit her lower lip, sensing that Mrs. Shin would not accept any answer she gave. Even if she explained that this was their first meeting in eight years, this middle-aged lady would never believe her under these circumstances.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. There’s nothing between us, Ma’am.”
As soon as she responded, Woojin intervened.
“Ms. Seo, didn’t you hear me? Leave.”
“I’ll take my leave now. Excuse me.”
Hyein bid them farewell once more and managed to exit the reception hall. She closed the door behind her. Just as the door clicked shut, Mrs. Shin delivered a resounding slap to Woojin’s cheek.
The slap echoed in the air, and one of Woojin’s cheeks turned red and swollen.
“Shin Woojin, what on earth are you thinking?!”
Woojin responded with a scornful laugh.
“Mother, I thought you were someone who values etiquette. Could you speak with a bit more refinement?”
“Do I look like I care about etiquette right now? You invited me to this exhibition. Did you deliberately show me this? Do you find these marriage meetings so repulsive?”
Contrary to his mother’s apparent distress, Woojin politely retorted, as if he had anticipated this reaction from the beginning, “Why are you so agitated?”
“You…you orchestrated this whole thing just to introduce me to that girl, didn’t you? Do you expect me to stay calm after being deceived? Do you think I’ll leave her alone after witnessing this chaos? I’m going to interfere with her life from now on. I’ll torment her and drive a wedge between you two. Do you hear me? By introducing her to me, what are you trying to achieve? Declaring war? Are you planning to marry her?”
“How did you figure that out?”
“You rascal, that girl clearly has nothing…”
Once again, Mrs. Shin raised her hand, but Woojin didn’t allow her to strike him this time. Instead, he firmly grasped his mother’s delicate wrist.
“Let’s not go too far this time. I won’t stand by if you keep insulting her.”
“Do you really want to take it this far?!”
His mother’s suspicions were correct. He had deliberately suggested tonight’s dinner and invited her to the exhibition to introduce her to Hyein. It was a pretext for him to approach Hyein, not as her boss but as a man.
Woojin couldn’t recall a single instance where his marriage-obsessed mother had succeeded. For years, he had resisted her attempts. He knew what his mother would do if the woman he was with didn’t meet her standards.
“Please, take a look at the paintings. Don’t you enjoy selling valuable items? Including my brother and me.” Woojin spoke, indicating that she had fulfilled the purpose he had intended.
His face, marred by his mother’s abuse, turned toward the closed door of the reception hall from which Hyein had fled, leaving behind his devastated mother.
Woojin had successfully laid the groundwork. Now, all he needed to do was act on it.
With sharp, determined eyes, Woojin stared at the closed door.
***
It was twilight. Hyein walked up a steep hill on her way home from work.
Her rented apartment was located in a run-down building at the hill’s summit. The bus didn’t reach this area, so she always had to climb as if on a mountain expedition. As she struggled uphill, thoughts of a particular person and his elegant face filled her mind.
There was a time when she had regarded Shin Woojin as her savior. He stood by her side, shielding her from harm. He taught her the meaning of love and was always there to lend a helping hand when times were tough. Throughout their time together, his attitude had remained unwavering. There was not even the slightest change.
Consequently, she relied on him more than her own family. She loved him as if her life depended on it. But now, all she felt toward him was a mixture of hatred and confusion.
“What should I do now?”
How should she interact with him from this point on? He was the one who had destroyed her life back in high school.
During her final year of high school, Hyein, who ranked second in her class, was falsely accused of a crime. She was allegedly involved in a plot with the top-ranked student to steal exam papers and cheat on the college entrance exam.
Hyein was innocent. Despite her poverty, she had never compromised her integrity. By the time the real culprit was apprehended, the rumors had already spread like wildfire, and the incident had made headlines.
Her school, renowned for its prestige and history, urged her to drop out as someone needed to take responsibility. Hyein was still a minor then, and she believed the teachers would protect her. She was naive. Convinced that she had to be the scapegoat, she accepted her fate. Hyein was an orphan with a sick younger sibling, and she couldn’t summon the strength to evade the target on her back.
Her life had spiraled into an inescapable abyss.
During those challenging times, there were moments when Hyein yearned for an escape from it all. However, there was one person who remained a steadfast presence, offering her care and support – Woojin, who was a year older than her. Hyein couldn’t help but develop feelings for him.
Sadly, it was all a mirage. Woojin was the one responsible for bringing a distressing incident to light. Hyein was stunned when she discovered the truth, tears streaming down her cheeks. He had completely deceived her.
“Do you recall that incident? It could have been quietly swept under the rug. But Woojin blew it out of proportion. Do you remember him? He was in the student council and your senior. He’s handsome, intelligent, and comes from a respectable family…”
On the day of their third anniversary, her former math teacher suddenly visited the café where she worked. The teacher assured her that she knew Hyein was not guilty and revealed shocking information. Hyein had no reason to doubt her teacher’s credibility. Her teacher presented a letter from the school’s ethics committee.
The document bore Woojin’s signature, stating that Hyein had to face consequences.
The handwriting was unmistakably his.
Hyein was painfully aware of this fact.
Yet, she desperately wanted to believe in him. She prayed for him to explain. She was desperate because of the kindness he had shown her; she was willing to give him a chance and even accept his apology if he had been honest about his actions.
But he didn’t.
“Let’s forget the past. You’re fine as you are now. Let’s focus on the present.”
When he evaded the truth, Hyein found it incredibly difficult to cope with her disappointment. She had opened her heart to someone for the first time in her life. Now, it seemed like she couldn’t trust anyone anymore.
All her trust in him crumbled, leaving her in despair.
Hyein, her heart entangled with memories of the past, finally reached her home. She paused as her phone rang.
“Hello, this is Seo Hyein.”
“Is this the guardian of Patient Seo Hyesoo? This is from the convalescent hospital.”
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Hyein’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Ah, I haven’t deposited Hyesoo’s hospitalization fee yet, have I? I apologize for making you call about this every time.”
“Don’t worry about it. Even though you’re sometimes late, you’ve never missed a payment. I’m just checking as a formality.”
“I’ll be receiving my paycheck soon. I’ll make the payment this week.”
“Alright, then I’ll contact you again.”
The phone call ended, and Hyein gazed at the moon in the dark sky. She was about to continue her weary journey when bright headlights suddenly appeared.
Hyein shielded her eyes from the blinding light with the back of her hand. A luxury sedan she had never seen in this modest neighborhood approached her.
Why is there an expensive car here…
Soon, the sound of a car window rolling down reached her ears, and a figure emerged from the backseat. She recognized his cool demeanor and features. Despite a small wound at the corner of his mouth, the man exuded charm. It was Shin Woojin.
“Are you heading home, Ms. Seo?”
“Director Shin?”
He glanced at the run-down building in front of her from the car window.
“People can actually live in a place like this…” His eyes returned to Hyein. “I see.”
Woojin was astonishingly impolite. Caught off guard, Hyein forgot to reprimand him.
“Are you looking for me?”
“Right, as if we can meet like this by chance. It must be fate!”
“Why me?”
“I thought we should have a conversation.”
“I have nothing to say to you, Director Shin.”
“That’s fine. I do.”
Hyein took his words to mean that she had no choice as long as he had business with her. Woojin signaled the driver’s seat, and the driver promptly exited the car to open the rear door.
“Get in.”
Woojin stared at Hyein with a blank expression. She scoffed.
“Why should I? We’re not on hotel grounds anymore, which means we’re strangers.”
Hyein’s cold words prompted Woojin’s tone to turn peculiarly frosty. “Are you confident enough to face the consequences of your words right now?”
Hyein was irritated that she remembered him well enough to notice this subtle change.
“What is it that you want to tell me?”
“According to your logic, Ms. Seo, we won’t be strangers every time we meet at the hotel in the future. Can you handle that?”
“I had no idea the relationship between employer and employee could be so intimate. I’ll remember that in the future. Goodbye.”
Woojin realized he couldn’t get through to her. As Hyein unilaterally ended the conversation and turned to leave, Woojin had no choice but to step out of the car and block her path.
“Listen to me before you go. It won’t take long.”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to.”
Hyein was already worn out from today’s events. Her encounters with Woojin, the insults from Woojin’s mother, and her sister’s convalescent hospital bills had given her a headache.
“I’d appreciate it if you listened, though. You’re misunderstanding, Ms. Seo. My mother… she’s quite goal-oriented. She can be cruel, too, and she won’t leave you alone from now on. You’ll face various unimaginable confrontations, and you’ll likely suffer greatly.”