Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 1: The Smudged Lipstick
Chapter 1: The Smudged Lipstick
Standing by the bedroom window, Eunchae stared intently at the garden streetlight. It was almost 11 PM. Even though the whole world was covered in darkness, her husband, Lee Joon, had not come home yet.
“*sigh*…”
Eunchae sighed in resignation and looked down at the phone in her hand. Even though she knew there would be no calls, she instinctively touched the screen.
The background image showed their wedding photo.
Eunchae, shyly smiling, and Lee Joon, with a detached expression. The wedding photo was much like their married life.
Eunchae, who had been biting her lip while looking at the background image, finally decided to touch the keypad. Just as she hesitated a few times and was about to call Lee Joon, the two dogs she kept in the garden, Lexi and Miller, began to bark loudly.
Eunchae stopped what she was doing and opened the window. Even though she couldn’t see the front door of their separate house, she peeked out, hoping her husband had come home.
Suddenly, she felt a pang of sadness and a bitter smile crossed her face. She had hoped he would come home early today. Instead, Lee Joon had informed her just before dinner that he had an important appointment and would be coming home late.
Lee Joon had informed her of this not even by phone, but through a text message, which felt no different from instructing his assistant.
With a stiff expression, Eunchae turned away from the window and tightened the strings of her nightgown. She was reluctant to show Lee Joon the sexy lingerie and see-through panties she had chosen after much deliberation. She didn’t want to look like she was getting excited and preparing for nothing, as it would hurt her pride.
“Maybe I should have removed my makeup…”
Eunchae muttered to herself as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She saw her slim face with fair skin, large and clear eyes, a straight nose, full and red lips, and long, shiny hair.
Objectively speaking, Eunchae looked very beautiful and elegant. Her well-balanced, slim figure and relatively full breasts added to her pure and intellectual image, giving her an alluring charm.
Fortunately or unfortunately, even the cold and indifferent Lee Joon seemed to be satisfied with Eunchae’s appearance.
As far as she knew, he had never been unfaithful. There were times when he was so in love with her that it was overwhelming.
As she gloomily wiped off her lipstick, the bedroom door opened. Startled by the sound, Eunchae instinctively turned her head.
Lee Joon walked in through the wide-open door.
Eunchae kept her eyes on Lee Joon. Even after almost two years of seeing him every day, she still couldn’t get used to his handsome face. It wasn’t just his cold and grim appearance. Despite his cold demeanor, his undeniable charm was hard to resist.
His face was like a finely carved marble sculpture, with well-shaped eyebrows, serious and steady dark eyes, a prominent nose, and perfectly balanced sensual lips. Add to that his nearly 190cm height and well-built physique, along with his dignified presence and grace.
He had such a strong presence that he attracted people’s attention from afar. Some even joked, only half-jokingly, that he seemed to radiate light.
Eunchae felt the same way. Sometimes, he seemed so unreal that she would spend the whole night staring at his sleeping face, unable to look away.
She found it hard to believe that such a man was her husband. It was hard for her to grasp that he was in the same bed and the same space as she was.
To Eunchae, her husband, Lee Joon, was an unattainable and admirable figure.
“Did you not sleep?”
Lee Joon’s tone was somewhat discontented as if he was questioning why Eunchae hadn’t come to greet him at the door even though she hadn’t slept.
“Didn’t you hear me come in?”
In response to his question, Eunchae calmly changed the subject.
“I heard the dogs barking.”
“What?”
Lee Joon took off his suit jacket and looked at Eunchae as she approached. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at her and noticed that her lipstick was smudged on the left side of her mouth.
“Your lipstick is smudged.”
When he reached out with his lips, Eunchae turned her head while taking his suit jacket. The smell of alcohol on him made her feel disgusted. His look, which had been indifferent, changed.
“Just leave it. I’ll be doing a cleansing anyway.”
Eunchae went to the dressing room, hung up the jacket, and came out with Lee Joon’s underwear and pajamas.
“Go wash up and get some sleep. You must be tired.”
“Why do you look like that?”
Lee Joon casually asked the question while taking off his watch and placing it on the vanity. His irritation was obvious, causing Eunchae’s eyebrows to rise.
When Eunchae didn’t respond, Lee Joon finally met her gaze. Her normally calm and serene eyes now had a sharp edge.
“Is it about your mother again?”
With a tired look on his face, he removed his tie and began unbuttoning his shirt one button at a time. The reason for his wife’s constant annoyance and irritation was always the same: his mother, director Kang Hye-young.
“Didn’t I tell you before we got married? My mother is a very difficult person to deal with. She’s not someone to be taken lightly.
Hearing Lee Joon’s reprimand, Eunchae felt a wave of frustration. In this situation, he added coldly,
“If you keep worrying about this every time, it just tires me out.”
Eunchae, angered by his harsh words, replied,
“Then do something to stop it. I’ll be hearing about it again tomorrow morning because of you.”
When Eunchae called him by his full name, Lee Joon frowned and took off his shirt.
A well-built upper body suddenly appeared in Eunchae’s view. She reflexively turned her head away. Even though she had seen and embraced his body countless times, it was still embarrassing to see her husband’s bare body in a bright place.
Feeling awkward, Eunchae cleared her throat and said to Lee Joon in a reproachful tone.
“I told you that today would be my ovulation day. I even mentioned it ten days ago and asked you to adjust your schedule. But…”
“And even if I came home late, why couldn’t you guess that something important had come up?”
Lee Joon cut off Eunchae’s words and bluntly explained the situation.
“I had an important meeting I couldn’t postpone. It’s not like today is the only day.”
Eunchae realized anew the difference in their feelings about having a child, given Lee Joon’s negative attitude toward the day of ovulation.
With the increasing mistreatment from her harsh mother-in-law and the subtly cold behavior of her indifferent father-in-law, along with the expectations of her still-strong grandfather-in-law, Eunchae felt herself drained by the layers of rejection and neglect every day.
Yet her husband showed no interest in getting pregnant. Eunchae was the only one anxious and restless, constantly visiting the obstetrician and doing everything she could to improve her chances of pregnancy.
“It wasn’t just because of the in-laws’ pressure and scrutiny. Eunchae also wanted to have a child with Lee Joon.
It’s really strange. Why does something always come up for you on ovulation days, Lee Joon?”
Eunchae sneered with cynicism. Did he think she was stupid? Lee Joon’s actions were suspicious to anyone who looked. It seemed like he was deliberately avoiding ovulation days as if he didn’t want to have a child.
“Stop making excuses. Why are you acting so different from yourself?”
Lee Joon, with an annoyed expression, scolded Eunchae. Despite this, his eyes were drawn to her crossed arms and prominent chest. The black lace visible through her nightgown and her rounded bust caught his attention.
“Or should we just do it now?”
With a heated look in his eyes, Lee Joon approached her.
“Eugh…!”
Eunchae was incredulous at his behavior, which seemed like a cruel joke. She bit her lip in humiliation, feeling a hot, rising emotion in her throat, almost to the point of tears.
But as always, she quickly gave in and swallowed her anger.
Getting angry and arguing wouldn’t change her husband. No matter how much she tried to confront him, it was always she who ended up hurt and in tears.
“You have been drinking, what can we do now? Just go wash up. The smell of alcohol from you is terrible.
Eunchae scolded Lee Joon and left the bedroom, heading to the kitchen. She took a pot with a spout and began pouring and squeezing the herbal medicine through a cloth.
According to her mother-in-law’s instructions, she had to prepare Lee Joon’s medicine like this every day. Now, the smell of the herbal medicine was more familiar to her than perfume, and it made her sigh automatically.
“What’s the point of making medicine with such care if the person who takes it doesn’t appreciate it?”
As Eunchae put the medicine bowl on the tray, she muttered with a bitter smile. When she entered the bedroom with the tray, Lee Joon came out of the bathroom, drying his wet hair after a shower.
Eunchae stopped and stared at him, unable to take her eyes off his freshly showered appearance.
His expression was cold, but the way he brushed back his wet hair and the toned upper body visible through his still-wet robe made her admire him involuntarily. He radiated strong, sexy masculinity.
She knew well how broad and solid Lee Joon’s embrace was, and how hot it could be when he was excited.
“More medicine again?”
When Lee Joon immediately frowned, Eunchae snapped back to reality. She reacted with irritation, her frustration showing.
“So, from now on, don’t drink on ovulation days and come home early. If we have a baby, you won’t need to take medicine.”
Lee Joon’s eyebrows twitched at her sharp words. Despite what she had said, he looked indifferently at Eunchae’s face, which seemed to be silently pleading with him to drink.
*Sigh…*
A frustrated sigh escaped from Lee Joon’s lips. Reluctantly, he took his medicine and then went to brush his teeth. Only then did Eunchae finally lay down on the bed, feeling the exhaustion of a day of stress. Her head hurt from all the worrying. The fact that they couldn’t even try to have a child because of Lee Joon’s uncooperativeness made her feel even more exhausted.
Feeling too tired to care about anything, she closed her eyes. She heard the sound of the bathroom door closing and footsteps, followed by the lights turning off.
Finally, the day was over, and Eunchae let out a quiet sigh of relief mixed with emptiness.
Soon after, the blanket lifted as Lee Joon slipped into bed. Eunchae tensed up without realizing it, knowing all too well what was likely to happen next.
As expected, Lee Joon’s arm slid under Eunchae’s armpit. He quickly pulled her close, hugging her from behind, while grabbing her chest and burying his face in the nape of her neck.
Lee Joon’s actions were very natural and familiar. Eunchae didn’t resist at all. His hugging her from behind as they slept had become a habit since they got married.
*Hmm…*
Lee Joon let out a satisfied sigh as he slowly rubbed the fabric of her panties.
Eunchae let out a soft, involuntary moan, and her body twitched slightly. Through her half-open eyelids, her light brown eyes wavered unsteadily.
Lee Joon breathed heavily as he pressed his body closer to hers, his touch becoming more obvious. He grabbed her full br**sts and squeezed through her panties while teasing her earlobe with his mouth.
“Mmm…”
The strange sensation made Eunchae close her eyes, exhaling the rising excitement through her breath. Her toes curled with tension, and her legs twisted slightly.
It was strange. The smell of alcohol that had bothered her a moment ago now felt strangely stimulating. It was a cool, refreshing scent, different from the skin product Lee Joon usually used.
Seeing that he was getting the reaction he wanted, Lee Joon slipped his hand under her panties and touched Eunchae’s body more boldly.