Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 3: You Two Should Sleep in Separate Rooms

Chapter 3: You Two Should Sleep in Separate Rooms

Eunchae’s face flushed with embarrassment at the unexpected question during breakfast. Lee Joon’s expression also turned stern with displeasure.

“Mother,” Lee Joon said with a furrowed brow, addressing Mrs. Kang. But before he could say more, Eunchae, feeling humiliated, clenched her fists and spoke first.

“We didn’t do anything last night, Mother. Lee Joon came home after drinking,” Eunchae said calmly, though her eyes were sharp.

She made it clear what had happened, knowing that Mrs. Kang must have intended to humiliate her; otherwise, such a question wouldn’t have been asked.

Moments like these made Eunchae painfully aware of her position in this household.

“What? So you didn’t do anything?” Mrs. Kang asked, incredulous.

Eunchae responded in a low but firm voice.

“No, we didn’t do anything.”

The truth was, they had done something—more than enough. However, it hadn’t been to have a child.

“You…! How can you say that? You know how busy your husband is, and you didn’t even bother to coordinate your schedules?”

As expected, all the blame fell on Eunchae. The disappointment was clear in her father-in-law, Chairman Tae Sung-Yeol’s, eyes as well.

Eunchae, familiar with this situation, gave a bitter smile before explaining her side of the story.

“Of course, I informed him ahead of time, Mother. But…”

“There was an important, last-minute business meeting that couldn’t be avoided.”

A calm, steady voice interrupted Eunchae’s explanation. She turned her head to see Lee Joon answering in her place.

From his overly detached attitude, it was clear that Lee Joon had no intention of defending his wife. He came across more like a reporter simply stating the facts.

“So you should have handled it better!”

Despite Lee Joon’s explanation, Mrs. Kang’s anger didn’t subside. Even though she knew it was unfair, she still put all the blame on Eunchae.

“If he went to a business meeting, of course, he would drink. It’s your job to advise him to just go with the flow and pretend to drink,” Mrs. Kang coldly scolded Eunchae.

“Don’t you know the saying, ‘It’s up to the woman how things go’? Don’t you have any sense? You did a good job of biting his lip.

Mrs. Kang’s last words were filled with mockery and contempt, clearly implying that she knew exactly why Lee Joon’s lip was in that condition.

Eunchae’s face burned with shame, her neck and earlobes turning bright red. It felt as if their private life as a couple had been exposed in front of her in-laws, making it impossible for her to lift her head.

With her head bowed, she clasped her trembling hands together under the table. Her long eyelashes cast a shadow beneath her eyes, adding to the weight of her humiliation.

“I’m sorry. I’ll be more mindful from now on,”

Eunchae apologized, bowing her head. She wanted to avoid any further conflict and was too embarrassed to argue.

Lee Joon finally intervened when Mrs. Kang was about to ask when Eunchae’s next ovulation date was.

“Please refrain from having this kind of conversation at the dinner table. It’s uncomfortable. It is a private matter between my wife and I.”

“Lee Joon, how can the issue of having a child be considered a private matter between a couple? It’s about continuing the family line,” Mrs. Kang replied, raising her eyebrows in frustration.

She couldn’t understand his response, especially when the extended family was constantly eyeing the company, waiting for an opportunity. The pressure on Lee Joon to have a son was intense.

Moreover, Lee Joon’s cousin, Tae Young-Joon, who got married around the same time, had a son last year. This only heightened Mrs. Kang’s anxiety about the situation.

Mrs. Kang looked at Eunchae, who remained silent like a mute.

‘She doesn’t have a single appealing quality!’ she thought bitterly.

Her sharp look was filled with dissatisfaction towards Eunchae. She had never been happy with her as a daughter-in-law, and the fact that Eunchae hadn’t had a child yet made her even more of a thorn in Mrs. Kang’s side.

If she could, Mrs. Kang would have thrown Eunchae out right then and there and found a new daughter-in-law who was more to her liking.

But it wasn’t that simple. Despite Eunchae’s outwardly reserved behavior, she somehow managed to keep Lee Joon’s attention away from other women.

Some couples are compatible in bed even without love. Maybe they’re one of them… But what good is that if they can’t even have a child?’ she thought bitterly.

With a displeased frown, Mrs. Kang couldn’t resist making a mean remark. She coldly ordered Eunchae,

“If you have s*x too often, it can prevent pregnancy. You should sleep in separate rooms and only come together during ovulation. That’s what noble families used to do.

“Mother, didn’t you hear me when I asked you to stop?” Lee Joon interjected firmly.

Finally, Lee Joon coldly spoke and set down his chopsticks. His eyes narrowed, and his gaze became sharp and fierce. The intensity was so strong that even Mrs. Kang tensed up and fell silent.

“Lee Joon, my son…” Mrs. Kang called out, trying to smile despite her shock and discomfort. But the more she tried, the colder Lee Joon’s expression became.

“Why are you losing your dignity and composure more and more? Is this a conversation to have in front of your son and daughter-in-law, especially at a family meal?”

“Lee Joon, I’m only doing this for the sake of the family… Honey, Chairman, why are you just sitting there? Do you think I’m doing this for myself?”

Feeling embarrassed and at a loss after her son’s criticism, Mrs. Kang turned to her husband for support, hoping he would back her up.

“Lee Joon is right. You’ve crossed the line. Stop this now. Pressuring them won’t make a child appear.”

Chairman Tae took charge as the head of the family. He acknowledged that his wife had gone too far and recognized that their son and daughter-in-law’s struggle to have a child was a source of worry and disappointment that needed to be addressed.

After rinsing his mouth with a sip of cold water, Chairman Tae opened his tightly pressed lips and spoke seriously.

“But it’s also true that your mother and I are becoming anxious. No matter how well we manage the company, it means nothing if there’s no one to inherit it.”

“I’m sorry, Father, Mother,”

Eunchae apologized, bowing her head on behalf of her silent husband. Though a wave of sadness washed over her, she forced herself to maintain a calm expression.

“I didn’t say that to receive an apology, especially not one just from you, Eunchae.”

Chairman Tae looked at Lee Joon, whose expression remained utterly indifferent, with a troubled look.

“Such a cold-hearted guy, with no affection at all,” he muttered.

He bit his tongue and silently scolded Lee Joon. Although he knew that his son had inherited his stoic nature, it was moments like this that made him feel a deep sense of disappointment in him.

‘If he’s this distant with his parents, how much worse must it be for his wife? Eunchae needs some warmth and comfort to feel secure, and only then will she be able to conceive a child,’ Chairman Tae thought to himself.

Seeing Eunchae so tense and barely able to breathe made him feel sympathy and pity for her. Letting out a heavy sigh, he resolved to end the conversation on a more positive note.

“I understand that having a child doesn’t always happen just because you want it to. So, try to relax both your mind and body, and do everything you can. By the way, isn’t your birthday coming up soon?”

“Yes, Father,” Eunchae replied cautiously, lifting her head slightly after it had been bowed in guilt.

She was surprised by the sudden mention of her birthday.

“Why don’t you and Lee Joon spend a night at the Yangpyeong villa? Enjoy a nice meal and some quality time together.”

“Oh… no, thank you, Father. It’s alright,”

Eunchae politely declined her father-in-law’s kind offer. She appreciated his thoughtfulness, but she was worried about the backlash from Mrs. Kang that would surely follow such a trip.

Last year, after Eunchae went on a two-day trip with Lee Joon thanks to Tae Moo-Jin’s generosity, she returned only to be harshly scolded by Mrs. Kang. Mrs. Kang picked on Eunchae for every little thing, showering her with criticism and even making hurtful remarks that hurt her pride.

“Go ahead and take the trip. You need to breathe and live a little. Make some time to go out to eat with Lee Joon too,” Chairman Tae insisted.

With his repeated encouragement, Eunchae couldn’t refuse any longer.

“Yes, Father. Thank you. We’ll have a good time,” she replied.

When she looked at Lee Joon, he gave a small nod of understanding and said, “I’ll tell my assistant to clear my schedule and make a restaurant reservation. I’ll also have them contact the villa manager in advance.”

“Yes, thank you,” Eunchae replied, appreciative of his efforts.

Eunchae’s heart ached at his formal response. She knew that the places he would instruct his assistant to book and the gifts he would prepare would be nothing short of luxurious and exquisite.

But none of that made her happy. What she longed for wasn’t a fancy, high-end restaurant or expensive food.

She wished for a simple place where they could share a meal she had prepared herself, just the two of them while looking at each other with warmth and affection.

The same went for the gifts. She didn’t want something extravagant or expensive. What she truly desired was something Lee Joon had personally chosen after careful thought, even if it was just a simple plastic ring.

Others might see her feelings as ungrateful or spoiled, but this was Eunchae’s true desire.

She wanted to be loved by Lee Joon—not just as a husband fulfilling his obligations, but as someone who genuinely cared for and loved her.

Of course, she had expressed these hopes before, but they were completely ignored.

On her first birthday after their marriage, when Lee Joon told her to tell his assistant if there was a special place or gift she wanted, Eunchae hesitated before finally being honest about her wishes.

The result was exactly as she had feared. Lee Joon, with a look of disbelief, scolded her for her request.

‘Do you expect me to give such childish instructions to my assistant? Did you get married to play house?’

From that moment on, Eunchae clearly understood her place and duties within this family. She realized she had to get used to receiving and following orders, even from her husband.

Reflecting on the past with a faint smile, Eunchae once again expressed her gratitude to her in-laws.

“Thank you, Father, Mother.”

“Oh my, are you thanking me too? How nice of you. Thanks to your father, I get to enjoy some of the gratitude as well.”

Mrs. Kang sarcastically remarked with a refined smile. Her petty behavior made Eunchae’s face turn pale.

“Honey!”

Chairman Tae called out sternly, causing Mrs. Kang to pout and poke at her food. Then, as if she suddenly remembered something, she clapped her hands and said, ‘Oh, right.’

“Hey, Eunchae.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Just when she thought the uncomfortable conversation had ended, Mrs. Kang called her again, causing Eunchae to tense up. She instinctively straightened her posture and swallowed nervously, a shiver running down her spine.

As expected, Mrs. Kang, who had barely touched her food, decided to bring up a difficult topic while stirring her rice into the soup.

“You remember you’re meeting with Director Lee Seo-Hyun from Dongyang Textiles today, right?”

“Yes, Mother. The meeting is scheduled for 11 o’clock.”

Eunchae replied politely while glancing at Lee Joon, who seemed uninterested in the conversation and continued eating quietly.

As Eunchae redirected her attention, waiting for what would come next, Mrs. Kang chewed her rice slowly before reminding her firmly of something important.

“Make sure to greet her properly when you meet. Remember, Lee Seo-Hyun was a great help during the last exhibition.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Eunchae replied automatically, though her nerves were on edge. The name “Lee Seo-Hyun” always made her tense and uncomfortable.

This was because Lee Seo-Hyun had been someone Mrs. Kang had invested considerable effort into as a potential match for Lee Joon. Whenever Lee Seo-Hyun was mentioned, Mrs. Kang couldn’t resist making a pointed comment.

“The more I see her, the more I think she’s such a missed opportunity. She would have been a perfect match for our Lee Joon. I wonder why things didn’t work out between them.”

Once again, Mrs. Kang deliberately used her words to make Eunchae feel insecure. With a soft smile that contrasted sharply with her harsh words, she took a napkin and lightly patted her mouth. Then she got up from the table.

“I’ve lost my appetite, so I’ll head out first. Enjoy the rest of your meal, dear.”

After asking a servant for coffee, Mrs. Kang left the dining room.