Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 18. It's All True
Chapter 18. It’s All True
Ding-dong… Ding-dong…
The doorbell rang, and Eunchae struggled to open her eyes. Her eyelids, heavy with sleep and fatigue, slowly closed and opened again, repeating the cycle.
Ding-dong…
The doorbell rang once more, prompting Eunchae to sit up. She ran her hand through her disheveled hair, her face still groggy. Her unfocused eyes wandered around the bedroom, unable to fully grasp her surroundings.
What time is it?
That was the first thought that crossed her mind. Soon, the persistent doorbell rang again.
Ding-dong…
Eunchae let out a heavy sigh as she got out of bed and threw on a thin shawl that had been casually draped over the vanity chair. She shuffled toward the front door, her voice hoarse as she asked who it was.
“Who is it?”
“Ma’am, it’s Chief Han.”
“Oh… yes.”
As soon as she heard his response, Eunchae quickly adjusted her appearance and opened the door. The sight of Chief Han standing there with a tray in hand slowly came into focus within her lifeless vision.
“Ma’am, please have your meal.”
“Thank you. I’ll take it.”
“No, it’s alright. I’ll bring it over for you. I have something else to give you as well.”
Chief Han politely declined Eunchae’s offer to help and carried the tray to the kitchen, placing it on the island counter.
“Even if you don’t have much of an appetite, you should try to eat everything. I steamed the crab and picked out all the meat for this porridge. So, please eat it all, if only for my effort.”
“Yes, Chief Han. I’ll eat it all. Thank you.”
Eunchae responded with a faint smile, expressing her gratitude for his care.
“Oh, and this—this came for you,” he added.
“There’s no sender listed.”
Eunchae accepted the envelope from Chief Han, looking at it with puzzled eyes.
“Yes, it was in the mailbox, and the security office sorted and brought it over.”
“Is that so?”
Frowning slightly, Eunchae carefully tore open the well-sealed envelope. The moment she pulled out the contents and saw what was inside, she was shocked.
Inside the envelope were photos of Lee Joon with another woman.
***
Eunchae spent the entire day sitting like a stone statue on the living room sofa.
The afternoon sunlight seemed to embrace her in comfort before fading away. The sunset flared up as if it would burn away her anguish and fury, only to disappear, leaving the world shrouded in darkness.
She waited on the sofa without moving, even as the clock struck 10 and Lee Joon had yet to come home.
She didn’t eat, sleep, or even go to the bathroom. Without any movement, she sat there with her legs numb, staring at the photos of Lee Joon with another woman.
In the end, Eunchae had undeniable proof of her husband’s infidelity, but her mind felt foggy and unclear as if lost in a dense mist. She was overwhelmed, unsure how to handle this situation.
No, the conclusion was clear, but she just couldn’t bring herself to accept or acknowledge it.
Her lips, already sore from being bitten repeatedly, began to bleed as she unconsciously bit down again, the taste of blood spreading in her mouth. Just then, she heard the barking of two dogs. Lee Joon had returned home.
Only then did Eunchae snap out of the thoughts that had consumed her all day, swallowing nervously. She had no idea what to say when she finally faced Lee Joon.
Should she confront him outright, or calmly ask what was going on?
As she struggled in the depths of her thoughts once more, Lee Joon opened the front door of the guest house and stepped inside. He seemed startled by the darkness inside, as his footsteps slowed.
The silence was so profound that even the quiet sigh he let out was clearly audible. Then the living room lights flicked on, and Eunchae could hear Lee Joon moving again.
As his footsteps grew closer, Eunchae took a deep breath and clasped her hands tightly together.
“What are you doing here? Why didn’t you turn on the lights?”
Lee Joon asked, his tone one of disbelief as he noticed Eunchae. Instead of answering, she slowly lifted her gaze. Lee Joon, dressed in a black suit, was frowning as he looked at her. His face showed signs of deep fatigue, and his eyes were sharp.
“Yoon Eunchae, didn’t you hear me?”
“Where were you, and who were you with?”
The direct question slipped out of Eunchae’s mouth, making all her earlier deliberations seem pointless. Lee Joon’s eyes narrowed in displeasure. Normally, she would have been careful to read his mood at this point, but not now. Jealousy and a sense of betrayal made it impossible for her to stay calm.
“Are you asking because you don’t know?”
When Lee Joon replied that he was, of course, late because of work, Eunchae scoffed loudly. Her sarcastic attitude made Lee Joon’s eyes narrow.
“I know, but I wanted to confirm it.”
With that, she picked up the photos from the table and handed them to him.
“You’d better have a proper explanation for this.”
A cold, fiery determination flared in Eunchae’s eyes, her voice as icy as her gaze.
Lee Joon took the photos from her hand and began to look at them one by one.
Eunchae held her breath, watching Lee Joon’s face closely. At first, he seemed surprised, his eyes widening as he stared intently at the photos. But gradually, his expression settled, and he only furrowed his brow slightly.
“Is the woman in these photos Alice?”
“Where did you get these photos? Did you have someone follow me?”
His response was almost audacious. Instead of addressing the issue, Lee Joon turned the question back on Eunchae, as if she were the one at fault. His tone and expression were overly calm and composed.
Eunchae was stunned and speechless. She had expected Lee Joon to be shocked or at least flustered, but her expectations were completely off the mark.
“Is that what’s important right now? It’s not about how I got these photos—it’s about you explaining or justifying what’s in them!”
As she spoke, Eunchae’s anger and frustration grew, causing her voice to rise. Her breathing became erratic and harsh. However, Lee Joon remained completely unaffected, not even blinking.
“And when I explain, will you believe me?”
“Wha… what did you say?”
Eunchae was left speechless by his flat response. It seemed as though this entire situation meant nothing to him.
“You’re not asking me for confirmation because you’re unsure. You’ve already moved from doubt to certainty, haven’t you?”
“That’s…!”
Eunchae was caught off guard and couldn’t bring herself to argue. Even though she desperately wanted to deny it, to convince herself that it wasn’t true, her mind had already accepted Lee Joon’s infidelity as a fact.
Yet, she still hoped that Lee Joon would deny it. Or perhaps she wanted to see him panic, apologize, and beg for forgiveness.
But it was all an illusion. The arrogant and cold Tae Lee Joon was not the type to do that. Even at this moment, he showed no signs of being shaken.
Instead, he held his head high and looked at her with a cold stare, as if she had done something shameful.
Their sharp gazes clashed in the air, the tension between them palpable. As the silence continued, Eunchae’s eyes trembled with uncertainty.
Lee Joon, however, continued to meet her gaze calmly. It was Eunchae who finally broke the silence.
“Say something… anything…!”
“It’s all true.”
A dry, deep voice cut through Eunchae’s frantic words.
She stared at Lee Joon in disbelief, wondering if she had heard him wrong. As he looked directly at her pale, ghost-like face, Lee Joon said the final blow.
“Everything in these photos is true. I was with Alice at the times and places these photos were taken.
The moment Lee Joon admitted his affair, Eunchae felt as if time and space were distorting around her. Even though he was only a few steps away, he suddenly seemed distant, as if he was miles away.
A ringing filled her ears, mingling with the sound of her ragged breaths and the chaotic pounding of her heart.
“Ah…!”
Suddenly, a tightness gripped her chest, making it impossible to breathe. Eunchae clutched her chest, gasping for air as the pain strangled her.
She tried to move her lips, now dry and cracked, but her body felt as though it were sinking into a deep, heavy swamp, dragging her down. Her vision blurred.
“Eunchae!”
Just before she completely lost consciousness, she heard Lee Joon’s urgent voice calling her name, echoing in her ears like a song from a stretched-out tape.
***
When Eunchae regained consciousness and opened her eyes, she found an IV needle in her arm. Beside her stood Chief Han and the nurse who visited twice a week to check on Tae Moo-jin’s health.
“Ma’am, are you awake?”
In a low, cracked voice, Eunchae redirected the question.
“Where is Lee Joon?”
“Well… he went to work.”
“Work?”
The meaning of the words didn’t immediately register, so Eunchae slowly moved her eyes. Noticing her confusion, Chief Han calmly explained.
“Per the Vice President’s instructions, a mild sedative was added to your IV to help you sleep. So… you’ve been asleep for nearly 12 hours.”
“12 hours?” Eunchae asked in surprise.
Chief Han nodded in confirmation. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Sigh…”
Eunchae let out a flustered sigh and asked for the IV to be removed. After the nurse took out the needle, another question came to her mind.
“Did Mother… say anything?”
Habits are powerful. She was so used to being wary of her mother-in-law that, even in this situation, she was still concerned about Mrs. Kang’s reaction.
“No, ma’am. The Vice President informed her separately, so she didn’t say anything.”
“Is that so?”
Eunchae felt a moment of relief hearing that Mrs. Kang had remained quiet. It seemed that Lee Joon had made up some excuse for her. But she knew it was only a temporary solution at best.
“Then, I’ll sleep a bit more.”
Eunchae glanced at Chief Han, who looked at her with concern, then closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. Even in her current state, she felt sad that Lee Joon wasn’t by her side.
But she didn’t know that the real sorrow was just beginning.
After that day, Lee Joon used project meetings as an excuse and didn’t return home for more than three days. A backup secretary came to the house just to pick up fresh clothes for him.
Her in-laws didn’t seem particularly concerned, as it was something that occasionally happened. They were more worried about Lee Joon’s health and even suggested that Eunchae prepare herbal medicine for him.
Although she knew her husband was avoiding her, Eunchae lamented her helplessness, unable to do anything about it. In truth, she had no idea what to do or how to proceed.
Eunchae felt an overwhelming sense of self-loathing, consumed by her helplessness and powerlessness. There were days when she cried all day, tearing at her chest, and eventually fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.
Trying to keep up appearances for her in-laws while waiting for Lee Joon to come home drained her with each passing day. He wouldn’t answer her calls, and when she went to his office, she was told he wasn’t there and had to leave.
A week passed like this.
Barely able to move from exhaustion after not eating properly and struggling to make it to the art gallery and back, Eunchae was informed by a servant upon her return that Lee Joon was waiting for her in the glass greenhouse.
The moment she heard this, she ran to him, only for Lee Joon to demand a divorce.
The reason wasn’t even his infidelity. In a shocking twist… it was because Eunchae loved him.