Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 22: Romance
Chapter 22: Romance
The condition that Eunchae had thrown out was a clear act of revenge. It was the most she could do to take revenge on Tae Lee Joon and the woman he had been with.
Loving someone else was something she could accept. After all, it had been an arranged marriage from the beginning, without love. She could accept that a hundred times over. But the fact that Lee Joon had betrayed her was something she could never forgive.
If he had been honest and sought her forgiveness, she would have let him go, even if it tore her apart and left her heartbroken. Even if others called her a fool or an idiot, she would have wished for his happiness.
At the very least, she wouldn’t have chosen such a filthy and disgraceful path to divorce. Because love… love in itself is not a sin.
“So, you’re planning to hold a grudge?”
Lee Joon asked mockingly, and Eunchae readily admitted it.
“Yes, because if I don’t get back at you somehow, I feel like I’ll go crazy from the injustice.”
Eunchae replied with a cold smile, standing tall. With her arms crossed and an air of arrogance, she stared directly at Lee Joon.
“You’re going to live like a married couple without the ceremony anyway, so what’s the problem? If you’re in love enough to go through all this trouble just to get a divorce, then you should be willing to face some obstacles. If it’s so unfair, why don’t you set your own condition? Like making Yoon Eunchae live alone and be celibate until she dies.”
“Ha…!”
Lee Joon let out a bitter laugh, completely baffled by Eun-chae’s brazen defiance. Frustrated that things weren’t going his way, he dragged his hand across his face and sighed heavily.
“Fine, let’s put that aside for now. But I can’t accept that you won’t take any alimony. Stop making this so uncomfortable and just say what you want. Be it money or property, name it.
“I told you, there’s nothing I want!”
To an outsider, their standoff would have been incomprehensible. Normally, people argue about getting more alimony or refusing to give it. But these two did the exact opposite.
“This isn’t the time for pride, Yoon Eunchae. How do you plan to live after divorcing without a single cent? Your father’s company isn’t doing so well right now.”
“That’s none of your conc–“
“What will people say?”
Lee Joon cut her off mercilessly, his gaze cold as he continued.
“They’ll say I divorced because of an affair and didn’t even give alimony to my ex-wife. People who don’t know the full story will gossip about whatever comes to their minds. Why should I endure that kind of criticism too?”
“Oh… so that’s the reason?”
Eunchae let out a biting, sarcastic laugh.
She had thought he was insisting on giving alimony out of guilt. In the end, it was all for his own sake.
“I must have forgotten how much the noble Tae Lee Joon cares about what others think.”
“If you understand, then just say something, anything.”
Lee Joon commanded coldly, watching her with narrowed eyes. His imposing presence made Eunchae shiver involuntarily.
His gaze, now sharper, fixed on her face. As he narrowed his eyes, it felt as if her face was shrinking, almost suffocating under his intense gaze.
“Stop making things difficult.”
His deep, gravelly voice pierced Eunchae’s ears. She bit her lip, feeling that if she pushed any further, she would only provoke Lee Joon’s anger.
“If you insist…”
After a moment, Eunchae spoke slowly. Lee Joon narrowed his eyes, staring intently at her full lips as she continued.
“There’s a painting called *Romance* in your mother’s secret safe. Give me that.”
“A painting?”
Lee Joon looked at her as if she had just said something completely absurd.
“Yes. Among her collections, it’s a piece your mother treasures greatly. Do you think you can get it?”
Her testing tone made Lee Joon’s eyes narrow as if he were trying to read her true intentions.
“The painting’s value has risen quite a bit. It’s probably worth about as much as an apartment in Gangnam.”
Only after making it clear that the painting wasn’t cheap did Lee Joon reluctantly agree.
“Fine. I’ll talk to her and get it.”
“It won’t be easy, but do your best to get it.”
Eunchae’s response, indicating she didn’t have high hopes, prompted Lee Joon to confirm once more.
“Are you sure that’s all you want?”
“Yes… that’s all… I need.”
A faint smile spread across Eunchae’s lips as she replied.
As expected, he didn’t remember. He had no recollection of what *Romance* was or the memories it held for the two of them.
Eunchae felt a pang of bitterness as she thought of the memories she had cherished alone. She had emptied and abandoned everything, yet she couldn’t help but feel a sudden wave of disappointment. The lingering attachment she couldn’t quite understand made her sad.
“If we’re done talking, please leave. I need to start packing,”
Eunchae said, forcing her still-unripe emotions into submission as she delivered her dismissal.
Lee Joon’s gaze lingered on her face, taking in her expressionless features and eyes that remained as calm and unshaken as a still surface of water. His eyes settled a moment longer on her lips, where a scab had formed, a sign of the wounds she had endured.
Slowly, his eyes traveled back up to meet hers. The air around them was quiet and still as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Eunchae met his steady gaze and offered a final farewell.
“Goodbye.”
Right after her brief farewell, she turned around and went into the bedroom.
***
Three days after Lee Joon’s visit.
Eun-chae woke up to her last morning at the in-laws’ house. She had a simple breakfast alone in the annex and sent her hastily packed belongings ahead to her parent’s home.
Before stepping out of the annex, Eunchae took a slow, thorough look around the house. It was a place she would never see again, but still, it had been her nest for two years.
There were many painful memories, as well as some that were pleasant in their way. And in every corner of that house were the memories of the passionate moments she had shared with Lee Joon.
“You’ve done well, Yoon Eunchae,” she whispered to herself with a faint smile, giving herself a bit of praise before heading to Tae Moo-jin to pay her final respects.
“Grandfather, please accept my farewell.”
As Eunchae bowed gracefully, Tae Moo-jin’s eyes reddened. He had thought he was too old and numb to feel such emotions, but letting go of his granddaughter-in-law, whom he couldn’t protect, tore at his heart.
“Eunchae..”
He called her name tenderly and held out his hand. Quietly, Eunchae stepped closer and took his hand. At that moment, tears welled up in her eyes, betraying her earlier promise not to cry.
“I’m sorry… This is all my fault,”
Tae Moo-jin said, holding Eunchae’s hand tightly as he blamed himself.
He had always worried that his grandson was too indifferent towards women, but he never imagined that Lee Joon would commit such an affair. No matter how much he tried to change his grandson’s mind, Lee Joon remained steadfast, stubbornly demanding a divorce.
“I’m sorry…”
Eunchae cried, bowing her head deeply. Tae Moo-jin gently patted her trembling shoulders.
“Why should you be sorry? It’s all because of that worthless Lee Joon.”
Putting all the blame on Lee Joon, Tae Moo-jin sincerely wished for Eunchae’s happiness.
“Forget all the painful memories and spread your wings freely now. If you ever face any difficulties, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
“Yes… Grandfather.”
Eunchae expressed her gratitude to Tae Moo-jin, who had embraced her warmly until the very end.
“Then, I’ll be on my way. Please stay healthy.”
“You too, stay healthy and take care of yourself.”
As they exchanged their final goodbyes, their eyes blurred with tears.
Wiping away her tears, Eunchae left the eastern outhouse where Tae Moo-jin lived. Despite her embarrassment, she made her way to the main house to say goodbye to her in-laws. On her way, she spotted someone and stopped.
“Father.”
At her call, Chairman Tae Sung-yeol, who had been standing in the garden staring up at the sky, turned his head and approached her.
“My dear.”
Chairman Tae looked at her with a troubled and heavy expression.
“Why are you out here?”
“I wanted to say goodbye to you.”
“Huh? I was just on my way to see you…”
Eunchae blinked in surprise, puzzled by his words. Chairman Tae, his face troubled, explained further.
“If you came to the main house, you’d have to face your mother. I don’t want her to hurt you again, not even at the very end. Knowing her temperament, she’d likely insist on saying something harsh to you.”
“I see… Thank you for being considerate, Father.”
Eunchae couldn’t argue with his reasoning, so she simply nodded in agreement, expressing her gratitude with a respectful bow.
“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out, alright?”
Chairman Tae wanted to take care of Eunchae, driven by his sense of guilt and compassion. However, Eunchae merely responded that she would. She was grateful for his words, at the very least.
“Then, I’ll be on my way. Goodbye.”
“Alright, take care.”
“Yes.”
With a polite bow, Eunchae turned away from Chairman Tae and walked toward the gate. As she passed, the household staff came out one by one, bowing to her respectfully.
Eun-chae acknowledged her bow with a silent nod. As she passed the main house, despite Chairman Tae’s efforts, she locked eyes with Madam Kang, who was standing by the living room window, watching her.
Even just seeing her standing there, arms crossed arrogantly, it was clear how relieved she felt. The way Madam Kang’s lips curled upwards, with a hint of triumph, spoke volumes.
Whatever Lee Joon had said to persuade her, Madam Kang had agreed to give up the painting without much resistance.
When Eunchae heard the news through her lawyer, her feelings were complicated. Madam Kang was that eager to see her gone.
“Hoo…”
As Eunchae stepped out through the gate, her heart fluttered uneasily. She couldn’t quite put a name to what she was feeling.
It was only after she accepted the greeting from the security chief and got into the waiting car that Eunchae could finally define the feeling.
Eunchae cried.
As soon as the car started moving, she let out the tears she had been holding back. The emotion was neither complicated nor unfamiliar. It was simple and clear. It was sorrow.
‘This is the last time. This is the last time I’ll cry like a fool, hurting like this… truly the last time.’
Vowing never to cry again, Eunchae cried hot tears until just before the car arrived at her parents’ house.
***
One week later.
Lee Joon and Eunchae sat across from each other, accompanied by their respective lawyers. They were there to sign the divorce papers. Today would be their last day as a married couple.
Despite Geumyoung Group’s efforts to keep things under wraps and avoid any scandals, news of their divorce had leaked to the media. Because of this, the two would finalize the paperwork today and proceed with the rest of the divorce process through their representatives.
“Is there nothing else that needs to be negotiated?”
Lee Joon’s lawyer, Park Tae-kyung, spoke first, his expression troubled. Handling the divorce case of his closest friend made the situation all the more complicated for him.
“There is nothing else to negotiate.”
At the signal from Eunchae’s lawyer, both Eunchae and Lee Joon picked up their pens and began signing the divorce papers.