Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 29. Ridiculous Nonsense
Chapter 29. Ridiculous Nonsense
Eunchae stared at Lee Joon without moving. She didn’t blink or show any emotion. She just stared at the man who had just said something so absurd.
They say when you’re truly shocked, you can’t even react. Eunchae was experiencing this firsthand. This was even more outrageous than when Lee Joon had asked for a divorce.
She was so stunned that she didn’t know how to respond.
Eunchae considered her options. She could pick up the wine glass and throw the contents at him, or she could get up and leave immediately. But even as a storm of rage raged inside her, she couldn’t bring herself to do anything. Her mind went completely blank.
A long silence was broken by a knock on the door as the waiter came to serve the meal.
“Yes,”
Lee Joon responded briefly. The manager entered with a tray of food. Lee Joon had requested that the manager serve them to avoid others witnessing their conversation.
“Take the food back,” Eunchae said abruptly.
The manager hesitated at Eunchae’s icy command, looking back and forth between the two. He was caught off guard.
“I’m sorry, but if the food is served, I might end up throwing it all over the place,”
Eunchae said, glaring at Lee Joon as if he were her worst enemy. The manager blinked, unsure of what to do, then glanced at Lee Joon for permission.
Lee Joon nodded, allowing the manager to leave. The manager bowed politely and exited the room.
“I know this is surprising,”
Lee Joon said, acknowledging the tension.
Eunchae’s expression twisted in anger at his words.
“Knowing that… why would you say such nonsense? You have quite the talent for spitting out garbage,”
Eunchae sneered. A bitter laugh slipped from her lips. Finally, her mind started working again after that shocking pause. Without hesitation, she stood up and glared at him.
She wanted to slap that smug look off his face, but the very thought of touching him made her feel sick.
“Let’s just forget about your investment offer. No matter how starving I get, I won’t eat rotten food,” she stated firmly.
She made sure to leave him with a warning.
“And don’t ever show up in front of me again. Next time… I can’t guarantee what I’ll do. Don’t cross the line with me.”
Eunchae shot a deadly glare at Lee Joon, her eyes filled with icy rage. Just as she turned on her heel, ready to storm off, his calm voice stopped her in her tracks.
“I’m not crossing the line; I’m telling you to clean up your mess. Because of you, Ms. Yoon Eunchae… I’m on the verge of losing my inheritance.”
“What did you just say? What are you talking about?”
It felt as if someone had pulled at her collar. Eunchae turned to face him again.
“The condition you set right before the divorce,”
Lee Joon said, taking a slow, deliberate sip of his wine while keeping his eyes on hers.
“It’s turned into a ticking time bomb now.”
“How… What on earth are you talking about?”
Eunchae struggled for words, completely at a loss. None of it made sense.
“Explain this in detail!”
In her confusion and shock, Eunchae yelled out. Lee Joon simply raised an eyebrow and calmly directed her.
“Take a seat first. I can see you’re surprised, but this isn’t something to discuss while standing.”
“Ha…”
Eunchae sighed, her face pale and drained. What was happening? Her mind went blank again, her eyes trembling with confusion.
“Sit down, Yoon Eunchae.”
His voice was low and calm, but there was a firm order in it.
Eunchae hesitated, her lips twitching, then finally moved to sit down.
Only then did Lee Joon nod slightly, seemingly satisfied, and began to explain the situation.
“Originally, the succession process for me to take over the company should have been underway by now. But my grandfather has put everything on hold. He’s set a strange condition.”
“Grandfather suddenly changed his mind? Did you do something wrong? What’s the condition, then?”
Lee Joon laughed softly at Eunchae’s flood of questions. His look turned serious, indicating that she should let him finish his explanation.
“The condition is that I must remarry within a year. If I don’t, I won’t get even 10% of my grandfather’s shares. Without those shares, it is impossible to take over the company.
“So… that means…”
Eunchae’s mouth dropped open as she finally started to piece things together.
“Right, just as you think. I can’t remarry because of the condition you set, even though I need to for the succession of the company. There’s still one year left before the three years you set are up.
“Oh my god…”
Now that she understood the full situation, Eunchae felt completely stunned. Her body collapsed as if all her strength had left her.
“Of course, I have no intention of giving up the company, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure I succeed.”
Lee Joon’s eyes became sharp as he gave his explanation. Eunchae shivered slightly as she felt the cold determination in his gaze. It was a clear warning: anyone who stood in his way would not be spared.
“When I told Grandfather about the condition you set, he said we should just get back together. And frankly, I agree. Right now, reunification seems to be the most practical solution.
“Re…reunite? That’s ridiculous!”
Eunchae shook her head vigorously, rejecting the idea out of hand. Lee Joon quickly backtracked.
“Oh, let me rephrase that. We just need to pretend to get back together, to fool Grandfather.”
“No. No way! I can’t do that!”
Eunchae shook her head even harder, her words tumbling out in a panicked, incoherent rush.
“I… I’ll change the divorce condition. I’ll take it back. I mean…”
“If it were that easy, do you think I would go through all this trouble? I would just send a lawyer to amend the documents and that would be it. But you’ve set up this term so well that it can’t be undone.”
Lee Joon cut her off, looking frustrated, pressing his smooth forehead as if to ease the tension.
“I have to get married and live as a couple for a year to secure about 60% of the shares. Two years, 70%. Three years, 80%. I have to live at least five years to get the full share. That’s what it says in the new will that Grandfather recently changed.”
After explaining everything in detail, he looked at Eunchae, who sat there in a daze. He was ready to strike a deal.
“Sixty percent is cutting it close, but with enough effort, I can still take over the company. So just live with me for one year. I’ll make sure you’re well compensated. You can save your company too.”
“N-no way. This isn’t right!”
Eunchae kept repeating the words, refusing to accept the situation.
“No matter how shameless and heartless you are, this is too much! After everything you put me through during the divorce… How can you suggest we get back together without even blinking? All for the sake of a company!”
“Well, I’ve always been that kind of guy, haven’t I?”
Lee Joon’s lips curled into a slight smile, his demeanor remaining arrogant and cold even as he acknowledged his character.
Eunchae felt an uncontrollable surge of anger rises within her. She couldn’t bear to look at him for another second.
“I refuse. I don’t care about your company. Why should I?”
She stood up, glaring at him with a bitter smile.
“Maybe this is just karma. You’re on the verge of losing what you wanted so much, so why should I help you?”
“Without the investment, it will be hard to pay your employees next month. Are you really okay with that?”
His harsh reality check made Eunchae’s shoulders flinch. She couldn’t bring herself to turn around, biting her lip hard.
“On top of that, Ironworks just announced they’re mass-producing lithium carbonate. Can you compete with them on cost? If some of your current customers cancel their contracts, will you be able to survive?”
“I’ll… handle it myself.”
Eunchae gripped the strap of her bag so tightly that her finger bones showed. She snapped at him, telling him it was none of his business.
But why did her chest feel so tight, and why was her whole body shaking? She knew all too well that if she refused Lee Joon’s offer, the company wouldn’t survive.
‘But… this isn’t right. This just… isn’t right…!’
No matter how many times she thought about it, the answer was always the same – it wasn’t right. But deep inside, a wave of anxiety began to rise. Afraid of this feeling, she tried to leave the room as if fleeing, but Lee Joon said the final blow.
“I heard you need to repay more than half of the bank loan by next week. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
Eunchae had no choice but to turn around and face Lee Joon. Seeing the despair in her eyes, Lee Joon casually took another sip of wine.
“If that happens, other banks will also demand early repayment. Can you handle that?”
“…”
“Ms. Yoon Eunchae. If you were promoted to your position so quickly just because you’re the CEO’s daughter, then you should be able to carry the weight of that title. Putting your personal feelings before the company is a rather amateurish attitude, don’t you think?”
With every word he spoke hitting its mark, Eunchae found herself unable to fight back. The suffocating pressure made her breathe in ragged gasps, her chest rising and falling sharply.
“Think rationally. Let’s create a win-win situation where we both get what we need.”
“Win-win, huh…”
Eunchae let out a hollow laugh at Lee Joon’s overly businesslike proposal.
“How can things be so… easy for you? You got a divorce easily, and now, just to get what you want, you’re asking your ex-wife to lie for you, just like that. You’re unbelievable. It’s chilling.”
“It wasn’t easy at all. I made this decision after a lot of consideration. No matter how much of a trashy bastard I might be, do you think I would make such a proposal so lightly?”
Despite Lee Joon’s unwavering gaze, Eunchae couldn’t bring herself to believe him.
“You know yourself well, you trashy bastard. Yeah, you’re the kind of person who could easily do that. Honestly, you could do worse.”
Remembering the terrible things Lee Joon had done right before their divorce, Eunchae shuddered. The fact that he could still appear in front of her as if nothing had happened was terrifying.
As she unleashed her pent-up anger, Lee Joon stared intently into her eyes.
“And yet, didn’t you once try to hold on to that dirty bastard? You even refused to divorce him.”
“Even though you tried to hold on to that trash,” he continued, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly before dropping again. He ran his fingers along the edge of his wine glass, pausing before speaking again.
“We lived together once, so why not twice? Especially since we won’t even be a real couple this time. It shouldn’t be that hard.”