Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 20. The Ultimatum
Chapter 20. The Ultimatum
“Lee Joon.”
Her voice trembled as she called his name. Sitting on the living room sofa, Lee Joon looked up from his phone and met Eunchae’s gaze.
His dark, emotionless eyes quietly swept over her gaunt face and the pitifully trembling look in her eyes.
“When did you…?”
Despite the coldness in his stare, Eunchae felt a flicker of relief and started to speak, but his icy tone cut her off.
“Why are you still here?”
Eunchae’s eyes widened in shock at his sudden reproach, and the heart that had been pounding with anticipation upon seeing Lee Joon now sank coldly.
“Then where am I supposed to be?”
Eunchae raised her head and demanded an answer, her voice full of defiance. Lee Joon narrowed his eyes and stood up.
His imposing physical presence momentarily unsettled her, but Eunchae quickly met his gaze with clear, resolute eyes, determined not to be intimidated by him.
Though her stance was resolute in her way, it seemed only laughable to Lee Joon. With one hand casually tucked into his pants pocket, he tilted his head slightly, a smirk forming on his lips.
“Anywhere but not here.”
Lee Joon’s reply was cold, and he didn’t hesitate to follow it up with more cruel words.
“Don’t you have any pride? Why are you clinging to a house where no one wants you? Staying here won’t change anything, Yoon Eunchae.”
His words were so harsh and final as if he were making a formal declaration that he would never come back to her.
This made Eunchae feel even more pitiful and completely crushed her spirit. If he wanted to break her will, he was halfway there.
But Eunchae had no more room to retreat. It was bad enough that she wasn’t the one demanding a divorce; she couldn’t allow herself to be the one abandoned. She still couldn’t let him go.
“Where I stay is my choice. It’s none of your business, Tae Lee Joon.”
Her voice was clear and firm as she responded, straightening her shoulders and adding with determination.
“And besides, your mother might be the only one celebrating, but no one else is pressuring me. They’ve all told me to stay strong and wait, saying they’ll find a way to convince you.”
It was true. Right after Lee Joon announced the divorce and left, both Chairman Tae and Honorary Chairman Tae comforted Eunchae, insisting that the divorce was out of the question.
Perhaps it was their words that had given her the strength to endure each day, holding on and waiting for Lee Joon to come around.
“Why should I give you a divorce? I’m going to make sure you and that woman remain nothing more than an affair. If I ever do divorce, it will be on my terms, when I decide to.”
As she spoke, Eunchae’s eyes grew colder, fueled by a growing sense of defiance. Her chest heaved with her uneven breaths.
“If you keep this up, you’re only going to make things harder on yourself. If we go to court, it’s going to be a messy battle that will leave you in ruins. Don’t regret it later—just agree to the divorce now.”
Before Eunchae could calm her heightened emotions, Lee Joon pressed her further with a tone that bordered on a threat.
His expressionless demeanor and cold words made him seem like a tyrant, effortlessly pushing a powerless opponent to the edge of a cliff.
Lee Joon’s attitude, bordering on boredom, took the last bit of determination out of Eunchae. The divorce meant nothing to him. It wasn’t even as important as a business contract.
“How can a person be so…?”
As anger slowly welled up inside her, Eunchae trembled, clenching her fists. She fought to hold back the words of bitterness that threatened to escape as tears, taking a deep breath to steady her emotions.
“You didn’t realize I was this kind of person?”
Lee Joon let out a slight laugh, straightened his posture, and looked directly at Eunchae.
“Didn’t you know all this when you married me?”
His piercing gaze carried a hint of reproach and mockery as if to say, “Why are you bringing this up now?”
“I’ll give you three days. Leave this house within that time. Don’t cling to the hope that my grandfather or father will change anything. Even if my grandfather’s grandfather gets involved, it won’t matter this time.”
Lee Joon stepped forward, delivering his ultimatum with a presence that radiated warning.
Eunchae tried to resist the crushing pressure, but her frail shoulders trembled uncontrollably. She was painfully aware that she couldn’t possibly win against him.
“Wasting my life because of my grandfather’s wishes… The marriage was more than enough for that.”
“Waste.”
The word Lee Joon had uttered pierced deep into Eunchae’s heart. The word he used to sum up their marriage was so brief… and so cruel.
For a man who lived such a busy life that he couldn’t afford to waste even a single second, there couldn’t have been a more blunt expression.
Feeling as if her body might collapse under the weight of his words, Eunchae forced herself to stand firm, summoning all her strength. In the end, enduring was all she knew how to do.
As she realized the full extent of her situation, Eunchae’s face flushed with shame and self-loathing.
Lee Joon, who had been watching her silently as if watching her fall into self-loathing, decided it was time to end the conversation. He urged her once more to leave the house.
“If you’re still here in three days, clinging on in misery, I can’t guarantee what I’ll do. Don’t push me to cross the line.”
“Hmm?” Lee Joon, as usual, locked eyes with Eunchae, expecting a response. But Eunchae remained silent, simply glaring at him with tear-filled, dark brown eyes.
When he didn’t get the answer he was looking for, Lee Joon sighed wearily and left the living room. The sound of his heavy footsteps echoed, followed by the opening and closing of the front door.
“Sigh…”
The moment Lee Joon left the guest house, Eunchae collapsed onto the floor, as if her strength had been drained away. Her eyes filled with despair as she struggled to hold back her tears.
She already knew she wouldn’t be able to hold out for long before the divorce was finalized.
But deep down, she had hoped that Lee Joon would at least apologize, admit his mistake, and that they could go their separate ways after facing each other.
She didn’t want to end things by facing each other at their absolute worst.
But… damn it, Tae Lee Joon was doing exactly what you’d expect in a trashy soap opera. The disgraceful actions his mother had taken against her were just the icing on the cake.
“Ugh… Aaaaaah!”
Eunchae’s face twisted with anger and fury as she covered her ears and screamed.
As she cried out until her voice was hoarse, all she could think about was the image of Lee Joon before he left the guest house. The way he had looked at her with contempt, his brows furrowed in disdain, sharply tore at her consciousness.
In the brightest and most peaceful room of the guest house, filled with sunlight, only Eunchae’s anguished screams echoed.
***
On the morning of the promised third day, Eunchae lay in bed, still in a dazed state after another sleepless night.
To say that she wasn’t afraid would be a lie. She was anxious, unsure of how Lee Joon might attack her. But at the same time, she had accepted whatever was going to happen and waited for it to happen.
Even though she felt utterly drained, barely able to move a finger, she forced herself to get up and go to the bathroom. She hadn’t showered in three days, and her appearance was a mess.
Mrs. Kang had used Eunchae’s poor condition as an excuse to prevent her from going to the art gallery, effectively sidelining her. Eunchae, recognizing that she wasn’t in any shape to work, had reluctantly agreed.
After she finished showering and stepped out of the bathroom, Chief Han brought in a meal that would serve as both breakfast and lunch.
“The Honorary Chairman personally called and asked me to make porridge for you, ma’am.”
Eunchae gave no response to Chief Han’s words. She stared blankly at the bowl of porridge before speaking in a weak, lifeless voice.
“Just leave it. I’ll eat it later.”
“The Honorary Chairman asked me to make sure you eat it.”
When Tae Mujin and Tae Seongryeol heard that Eunchae had refused to eat and had been lying down all day, they were worried. They wanted to visit her, but knowing that their presence might burden her even more, they decided to care for her in this indirect way.
“Alright.”
Eunchae let out a sigh as she reluctantly sat down at the dining table. Just then, her phone rang. When she saw who was calling, her eyes widened in surprise. It was her mother, Mrs. Hwang.
Clearing her throat, Eunchae tried to sound as upbeat as possible when she answered the call.
“Yes, Mom, it’s me.”
[Eunchae, I’m outside your in-laws’ house right now. Can you come out for a moment?]
“…What?”
Eunchae responded a beat late, caught off guard.
[If I go in, I’ll have to greet your in-laws, so it’s probably easier if you come out.]
“Oh… okay, Mom. I’ll be right out. Just wait a moment.”
As soon as the call ended, Eunchae hurried to the bedroom and stood in front of the vanity.
“Sigh…”
A deep sigh escaped her as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her complexion was ghostly pale, and her eyes were dull and lifeless. Her lips were chapped and cracked, with scabs forming.
At least she had managed to shower, she thought with relief as she quickly set to work. With no time to spare, she applied some BB cream and lip gloss. Even just a basic touch-up made her look somewhat presentable.
After finishing her makeup, Eunchae discarded the loose dress she had been wearing and changed into a more fitting dress she usually wore around the house.
She tied her hair back neatly into a single ponytail before stepping out of the guest house. Despite the dizziness making her vision spin, she walked briskly through the well-maintained garden, acknowledging the greetings from the security guards as she made her way to the front gate.
“Eunchae!”
As soon as Eunchae appeared, Mrs. Hwang got out of the car and called out to her.
“Mom, what are you doing here all of a sudden? Is something wrong?”
Eunchae approached her mother with a worried expression, her face etched with concern. Mrs. Hwang took her daughter’s hand, her face filled with distress.
“The problem isn’t with me; it’s with you. Why didn’t you tell me? How could you endure such a harsh situation all by yourself…?”
“Mom…”
Eunchae stared at her mother in a daze, realizing that she had found out everything. Mrs. Hwang’s eyes were already filled with tears.
“How… how did you find out? Does Dad know too?”
“Of course, we know. Yesterday, Tae Lee Joon (your husband) came to see us and told us directly. He said he’s going to divorce you and asked us to please take you out of his house.”