Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 14. Margarita
Chapter 14: Margarita
“Lee Joon.”
“Lee Joon, when did you get here?”
Eunchae and Mrs. Kang, both rising awkwardly from their seats, addressed him.
“I just got here. You were so engrossed in your conversation that you didn’t even notice me.”
Lee Joon replied casually and then sat down next to Eunchae.
Eunchae looked at his image as he sat with a straight posture, one leg crossed over the other. He wore the scent of early summer grass, cool cologne, and a faint trace of cigarette smoke. Although he looked a bit tired, his eyes were sharp and clear.
“I overheard your conversation, and I believe we must seize this opportunity.”
When Lee Joon firmly expressed his opinion, Mrs. Kang’s hesitation quickly disappeared.
“Should we? Should we go for it?”
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s Henri Sarr’s exhibition, and it would be the first in Asia.”
Lee Joon, explaining the rationale, added further details from a business perspective.
“Naturally, this would attract significant attention from both domestic and international media, and our company would also gain exposure. That alone would more than make up for the losses from suspending the regular exhibitions. This would be especially beneficial for our electronics division, which has strong ties to the media.”
Mrs. Kang’s mind was fully made up after hearing Lee Joon’s logical argument. With her son poised to reap the most benefits, there was no need to hesitate further.
“Now that I hear your reasoning, it doesn’t sound like a bad idea. You’re right, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We should do whatever it takes to secure the exhibition.”
As if she had never been angry with Eunchae, Mrs. Kang announced her decision with a warm smile. Only then did Eunchae finally feel relieved and let out a sigh of relief.
‘Thank goodness. Lee Joon’s help was crucial.’
A smile spread across Eunchae’s lips as she looked at Lee Joon, hoping he would continue to be this supportive in the future.
While Eunchae felt a rare warmth in her heart, Mrs. Kang was caught in a tangle of emotions. Even though she had been persuaded by Lee Joon to give her consent, she still felt bad about it.
‘How arrogant will Eunchae become now? Ugh, I can’t stand the sight of her.’
Mrs. Kang silently grumbled to herself, biting her lower lip hard with her upper teeth. Then, suddenly, a thought crossed her mind, causing her eyebrows to arch sharply.
‘Ah! Of course, there is that way!’
As the clever idea struck her, a triumphant smile spread across Mrs. Kang’s lips, and her expression brightened considerably.
“You two can head back now. We’ll have dinner in an hour.”
“Yes, Mother.”
With a smile, Eunchae stood up and headed to the annex with Lee Joon.
***
“Thank you, Lee Joon. Thank you.”
Eunchae’s excited voice carried her gratitude, and Lee Joon, slightly widening his eyes, handed her his tie.
“You’re that happy? You seem thrilled.”
He gave a small smile as he unfastened his metal wristwatch.
“Yes, I’m very happy. So happy.”
Eunchae, placing the watch in the display case, added with a bright smile,
“Securing Henri Sarr’s exhibition is great, but what makes me even happier is feeling my worth again after so long. The thrill of accomplishment—it’s exhilarating. Thank you so much, Lee Joon.”
As she repeated her gratitude, Lee Joon shrugged and unbuttoned his shirt.
“You don’t need to thank me so much. I just helped out to make sure I got something out of it too. It’s a great opportunity, so we have to seize it. Make sure to include a company promotion clause in the contract terms.”
Lee Joon’s response was very businesslike, causing the smile on Eunchae’s face to fade. It became clear that his reason for persuading Mrs. Kang wasn’t solely for her sake—it was more for his business interests.
‘Still, he could’ve at least made it sound a bit nicer.’
Even though Eunchae knew it would never happen, given Lee Joon’s personality, she couldn’t help but hold onto that foolish hope.
“Yes, I’ll make sure to mention it.”
Her voice fell, heavy with the sudden wave of disappointment. As she swallowed a sigh, Lee Joon’s voice fell casually over her.
“But who ever denied Yoon Eunchae’s worth?”
He narrowed his eyes as he looked directly at Eunchae.
‘Then have you ever acknowledged it until now?’
The resentful reply hovered on the tip of her tongue, but Eunchae held it back. She didn’t want to ruin the mood.
Today had been unusually good, with one positive thing happening after another. The long-awaited meeting with the Sarr Foundation had been arranged, Lee Joon had come home early, and he had even helped her. She wanted to keep the positive momentum going.
“No, it’s nothing. I just… feel that way sometimes.”
Eunchae mumbled, making it seem like it was her insecurity. Then she quickly changed the subject.
“Shall I run a bath for you? You look tired. Oh, and I’ll take care of packing for the trip, okay?”
“Yoon Eunchae.”
Lee Joon’s expression darkened with displeasure.
“Didn’t I tell you to stop that habit? Why do you always stop talking halfway and avoid answering?”
Scolding her for not speaking properly, he took off his shirt. As the fabric fell away, his well-toned chest was revealed.
“And next time something like this comes up, talk to me first. Don’t try to handle Mother on your own. It worked out this time, but it was risky. Challenging her pride is a double-edged sword.”
Eunchae felt a surge of indignation at his reprimanding tone as if she were a subordinate. She opened her mouth to retort but then closed it again, knowing that arguing would only lead to a fight, and she would end up hurt.
“Okay. I’ll do that next time… I’ll run the bath now. Come in a bit later.”
Eunchae obediently answered and left the dressing room, heading to the bathroom.
As she turned on the faucet, hot water gushed into the large bathtub, spacious enough for two people.
Eunchae stood there, quietly watching the tub fill. The more the water rose, the more she felt a hollow emptiness growing inside her, as if everything was being drained away.
***
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the window of the presidential suite, stopping just short of Eunchae’s feet.
Displeased by the light’s hesitation in reaching her, she wrinkled her nose and nudged her foot forward. When the tip of her shoe touched the edge of the light, a faint smile spread across her lips.
Just as she was about to move her foot a little more, she heard the sound of people entering the office. Three or four individuals had just walked in.
“Sorry for being late. I got an urgent call.”
As Eunchae stood up, a tall blonde woman approached, offering an apology in English.
“That’s alright. It gave me a moment to relax and enjoy some tea.”
Eunchae responded with a gentle smile, quickly scanning Margarita Sarr. Since Margarita rarely appeared in the media, the impression Eunchae had from the few photos she had seen was quite different from reality.
In her mid-40s, Margarita exuded an intellectual and meticulous aura, with her sharp, dark brown eyes enhancing that impression.
“Allow me to formally introduce myself. I’m Yoon Eunchae, the deputy director of Geumyoung Art Museum. Eunchae can be difficult to pronounce, so please call me Rachel.”
“Nice to meet you, Rachel. Let’s sit down and talk.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Eunchae greeted Margarita with a respectful nod before sitting down on the sofa, keeping her back straight. Though she appeared calm on the surface, her heart was pounding with nerves, and her palms were slightly sweaty.
“First of all, I want to thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to meet with you. I was so overwhelmed that day—I thought I was dreaming.”
“Oh my, really?”
Margarita laughed pleasantly at Eunchae’s honest remark. Her lively demeanor, which contrasted with the serious first impression, caught Eunchae’s attention and made her feel more at ease.
“I had been planning to formally discuss matters with Geumyoung, and as it happened, I had an urgent reason to visit Korea. So I thought, why not take the opportunity to meet you as well, Rachel.”
“I see.”
Learning the circumstances behind the meeting, Eunchae nodded with a gentle smile. As she brought the steaming coffee cup to her lips, Margarita posed a question.
“Aren’t you curious why I chose to meet only with Geumyoung?”
Eunchae’s eyes widened at the question, which carried significant implications.
‘So there hasn’t been any contact with Hanseong.’
Eunchae quickly grasped the situation and felt a sense of relief.
“Well, was there a particular reason?”
Eunchae responded with a graceful smile, meeting Margarita’s gaze. The way Margarita looked at her as if testing her, made Eunchae’s entire body tense up.
“Perhaps… it was due to the terms we proposed?”
Margarita pulled the corners of her lips into a smile and shook her head.
“I have received similar suggestions before. Oh, the idea of temporarily suspending your regular exhibitions was indeed bold. But that’s not the only reason.
“Then… what was it? Was there something else that captivated you?”
Eunchae, now genuinely curious, waited eagerly for Margarita’s response.
At that moment, Margarita’s usually calm eyes sparkled, making her appear unexpectedly innocent. The sight brought a soft smile to Eunchae’s eyes.
“Rachel, it was the last email you sent that touched my heart.”
“The last one…?”
“You mentioned that your favorite of my father’s works is the one named after me, Margarita. Do you remember?”
“Yes, of course.”
Eunchae nodded enthusiastically, her face lighting up.
“Margarita” was a work Henri Sarr created spontaneously, captivated by the sight of his four-year-old daughter holding a cat with such love and beauty. The piece was intended for personal collection, rarely exhibited, and is currently on display at the Henri Sarr Memorial Hall.
“It was quite unexpected. While everyone else praised my father’s award-winning works and accomplishments, you wrote a simple yet heartfelt reflection on the piece that my father and I cherished the most.”
Margarita continued with a gentle smile.
“The day I read that email, I pulled out an old photo of my father and me—something I hadn’t done in a long time.”
As Margarita seemed to reminisce about memories with her father, her eyes softened with longing. No matter how old you get, parents are always a cherished presence.
“That photo always reminds me of my father as well. He loves photography too. When I was 20, we spontaneously took a trip to France together, just the two of us. It was then, at the Sarr Memorial Hall, that I first saw that photograph.”
Remembering her own time with her father, Eunchae felt a sudden sting of emotion. At the same time, an image she had often imagined came to mind—Lee Joon as a father, capturing a photo of their child with a tender smile, filled with love.
“You could feel how much he loved his daughter just from that photo. It was that picture that made me a fan of Henri Sarr.”
“I see.”
Listening attentively to Eunchae, Margarita straightened her shoulders and interlaced her fingers.
“Are you really planning to suspend your regular exhibitions while displaying my father’s works? The losses could be significant.”
“It wasn’t an easy decision, of course. But that’s how much we want and value the opportunity to host Henri Sarr’s exhibition. Please give us that chance.”
Eunchae’s appeal, filled with sincerity and confidence, caused Margarita’s expression to turn serious. Her gaze sharpened as she stared intently at Eunchae. The tension in the air between them grew taut.
“Alright.”
After a brief pause, Margarita spoke, revealing her decision.
“I’ll proceed with the exhibition at Geumyoung.”