Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 16. A Despicable Act

Chapter 16. A Despicable Act

“Hello?”

Eunchae tried her best to answer the call calmly, but her voice trembled slightly at the end. She swallowed nervously without realizing it.

[Uh… isn’t this Tae Lee Joon’s phone?]

Hearing the nervous voice of the person on the other end, no, the woman named Alice-Eunchae’s eyelids trembled slightly and her eyes flickered.

It was as if she could picture the person just from her voice. Alice’s voice, though anxious, was clear and gentle.

She had a similar impression when she first heard that voice. Even with the urgency of calling for Lee Joon, Alice’s voice sounded very attractive.

Maybe that’s why Eunchae had the strange experience of imagining the woman’s face. An intelligent and beautiful woman’s face seemed to flicker before her eyes.

“Yes, this is Tae Lee Joon’s phone. I’m his wife.”

Eunchae revealed her identity first as if it were her strongest weapon.

[Oh, is that so? Can I speak to Lee Joon? It’s urgent.]

Alice’s response, skipping any pleasantries, made Eunchae’s expression harden. Her tone implied that she didn’t care who Eunchae was and felt no need to show any regard.

“He’s stepped out for a moment, but I’ll have him call you when he—”

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Before Eunchae could finish her sentence, a sharp voice cut through and the phone was abruptly snatched from her hand. The sudden force caused her to stumble.

“…Lee Joon,” she murmured.

Eunchae barely managed to hold on to a chair as she stared blankly at Lee Joon. He stood there with a cold, hardened expression, holding the wine and the phone in his hands. His piercing gaze was icy cold.

“Why did you answer someone else’s phone without permission? Where did you learn such bad behavior?”

“Wha… What did you say?”

Eunchae’s face turned pale at the shock of his harsh words. Not only her lips, but her entire body trembled, unable to form a coherent response.

“The phone… the phone rang, so I answered…”

Even in this situation, Eunchae felt foolish and miserable for explaining herself, but she tried to clarify what had happened.

However, Lee Joon wasn’t interested in listening. Instead, he escalated his criticism.

“Even between a married couple, you should respect each other’s privacy. Why did you cross the line?”

With a displeased expression, Lee Joon frowned as he answered the call and walked out of the kitchen. Left alone, Eunchae felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her, and her legs gave out as she sank into a chair.

“…Ha…”

A bitter, disbelieving laugh escaped from Eunchae’s lips. She had just witnessed, in the most blatant way, how her husband truly saw her. It wasn’t just a suspicion she had—it was a harsh reality confirmed.

She clasped her cold, trembling hands together, trying to hold back the tears, but they kept coming. She tried to deny it, but the situation she was in felt too bleak and unsettling.

It seemed like Lee Joon had… another woman.

The moment she accepted this fact, her mind felt as if it were being shaken by an earthquake.

When did it start? How deep is their relationship? Has he been coming home late recently because he’s been with her?

Once the doubts and suspicions started, they spiraled endlessly. When the image of the two of them together in bed crossed her mind, Eunchae squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip so hard it nearly bled. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn’t even think to wipe them away.

Just as jealousy was about to overwhelm her, Lee Joon made his presence known as he returned to the kitchen. Eunchae, with her tear-streaked face, stood up.

“…W-where are you going?”

Eunchae asked in a daze, noticing that Lee Joon had packed some things.

“Something urgent came up, so I need to head back to Seoul first. I’ll send a car for you, so you can rest and come back tomorrow.”

“No, I don’t want that. Let’s just go together.”

“Yoon Eunchae.”

Lee Joon’s stern tone carried a clear warning to follow his instructions. Despite this, Eunchae clung to him, knowing that he was likely going to see the other woman.

“Just wait a moment. I’ll pack quickly, and we can—”

“Stop it and listen to me.”

Even though his voice was low, the command carried an overwhelming pressure. His dark eyes were chillingly cold, making Eunchae instinctively step back.

“Don’t make things difficult. I don’t have time to argue with you.”

Lee Joon’s emotionless statement felt like an ultimatum. His forehead creased with uncontrollable irritation as he looked at Eunchae.

Intimidated by his demeanor, Eunchae was at a loss for words, her lips moving soundlessly.

“I’ll call you later.”

With that dismissive remark, Lee Joon left the villa. Eunchae, who had been staring blankly at his retreating figure, suddenly snapped out of it and hurried after him.

“Lee Joon! Lee Joon—!”

Barefoot, Eunchae burst out of the front door, only to see Lee Joon’s car speeding away from the villa in the distance.

“Ha… ha…”

Despair filled her eyes as she watched the car disappear. Her ragged breaths were tinged with the sound of her crying.

“Huuk…!” (cry)

Unable to bear the sorrow and shock, Eunchae collapsed to the ground. Clutching her chest, she wept uncontrollably, her vision blurred by tears.

Just moments ago, she had been so happy, but now the dark clouds of misfortune had swallowed her whole.

Even at this moment, she felt foolish and pathetic for feeling sadness instead of anger over Lee Joon’s affair.

The burning red sunset, as if it could set the world on fire, cast its deep hues over Eunchae’s sorrowful, trembling body.

***

“What? Is that true?”

Mrs. Kang, who had been drinking wine while on the phone, was so surprised that she immediately sat up straight from her reclined position on the sofa.

[Yes, ma’am. I’ll send you the report and the photos right away by email.]

“Alright. I’ll check them right now. And Lee Joon hasn’t noticed anything, right?”

[No, ma’am. The Vice President is very cautious, so we observed from a distance. That’s why the investigation took so long.]

“Alright. Thank you for your hard work.”

Pleased, Mrs. Kang curled her lips into a smile as she picked up her wine glass and walked over to her desk in the study. Her eyes gleamed with anticipation as she opened her laptop and connected to the internet.

Finally, she opened the email and reviewed its contents, a joyful smile spreading across her face.

“Things are getting interesting. It seems I won’t need to intervene much.”

Feeling thoroughly satisfied, Mrs. Kang beamed and raised her wine glass high.

“Cheers.”

Celebrating, she downed the expensive red wine and, on a whim, played music on the turntable.

As she danced to the grand opera piece, the hem of her red nightgown, similar in color to the wine, clung to her curvaceous figure, creating soft, flowing waves.

For someone, it was a night of hell, but for her, it was a night of absolute ecstasy.

***

Eunchae left the villa the next morning. The car that Lee Joon had sent came to pick her up.

Only after settling into the car heading back to Seoul did Eunchae close her eyes, trying to get some sleep.

The previous night, she had stayed awake on the sofa in the empty villa’s living room. Even though she knew Lee Joon wouldn’t return, she forced herself to prepare dinner, exhausted from crying.

And then she waited. She waited for Lee Joon to come back. Even though she knew it was a pointless obsession, she kept waiting until the food had gone cold and dried out.

In the meantime, Eunchae had tried to contact Lee Joon, but his phone was turned off.

She gave up waiting when the morning light came. Since Lee Joon never returned, her waiting wasn’t so much a decision to give up as an inevitable end.

Only then did Eunchae face reality, rising from the dining table where she had sat like a statue. Her face was drained of all color as she dumped the untouched food into the sink.

The wasted food in the sink felt like a reflection of her own situation, and as she washed the dishes, she cried again. It amazed her that she still had tears left to cry, despite how much she had already cried.

After just finishing her shower, Eunchae received a message that the driver would be arriving soon. She moved mechanically, packing her belongings into the suitcase, and after a brief farewell from the villa manager, she got into the car.

When she arrived at her in-laws’ house and greeted the elders, she casually lied, saying that something had come up for Lee Joon, so she had come alone.

Given how busy Lee Joon always was, the elders didn’t think much of it. However, Mrs. Kang’s reaction was unexpected.

“Get some rest; you must be tired. There’s no need to come over for dinner.”

Eunchae was taken aback by Mrs. Kang’s unexpected kindness. She was so surprised that the pain Lee Joon had caused her almost faded away.

She briefly wondered if there was another reason behind it, but she was too exhausted to care. So she simply thanked her and returned to the guesthouse.

Before falling asleep, she desperately tried to call Lee Joon again, but his phone was still off. Even though she knew he wouldn’t contact her, Eunchae clutched her phone tightly as she fell asleep.

When Eunchae woke up, the outside world was completely covered in darkness. The bedroom was dark as well, with not a single light on.

“Sigh…”

A sigh escaped her lips out of habit, and she pressed them together as she got out of bed. She was about to get some water to quench her thirst when she encountered an unbelievable sight.

Kwon Seokho, Lee Joon’s chief secretary, and a bodyguard helped a heavily intoxicated Lee Joon, who was barely conscious, to the guesthouse.

“What on earth… what happened? Who was he drinking with?”

Eunchae’s eyes widened in shock, unable to close her mouth. Lee Joon was always dignified, almost obsessively so, and he had never been disheveled or drunk like this, even at social gatherings.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. The Vice President moved separately, so we don’t know exactly who he was with. However, we do know that he spent a long time at a funeral.”

“A funeral? Who passed away?”

“Well… all we know is that it was an acquaintance. They seemed to be quite close, but we don’t have any more details…”

Chief Secretary Kwon bowed his head in apology.

“Oh… I see,” Eunchae replied.

Feeling like she was walking through a thick fog, Eunchae could only nod, her frustration weighing heavily on her. Lost in thought, she found herself even more curious as to whether Lee Joon had been with that woman. Just then, Lee Joon’s limp body collapsed into her arms.