Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 32. For Public or Personal Reasons
Chapter 32. For Public or Personal Reasons
Recalling Lee Joon’s words from the past, Eunchae smirked. Lee Joon said nothing in response, simply staring intently at her face.
Meeting his unreadable gaze calmly, Eunchae continued speaking.
“Don’t worry too much. I won’t look like this in front of your grandfather. I’ll play my part well, especially considering the amount of money we’re talking about. It’s not a small sum, after all.”
Aware of Lee Joon’s intense gaze, Eunchae spoke stiffly. The two engaged in a subtle power struggle, their eyes locking and intertwining in the air.
Eunchae unconsciously swallowed hard. Though he appeared calm, Lee Joon’s gaze was intense and penetrating, as if he was dissecting her every thought, ready to consume them all.
‘I must be crazy, trying to engage in a battle of wills with a man like him.’
Awakened by the charisma and presence of Lee Joon whom she had momentarily forgotten, Eunchae slowly lowered her gaze. She then repeatedly stabbed the unfortunate steak with her fork.
As Eunchae continued to sip her wine without touching her food, Lee Joon finally spoke up.
“Isn’t it a bit much to drink on an empty stomach?”
“Yesterday, you complained that I wasn’t drinking, and now you’re complaining that I am?”
Eunchae snapped defensively, not bothering to hide her complicated feelings.
“I just want to drink because my situation right now is so absurd and pathetic.”
Letting out a hollow laugh, she shook her head and lamented her sad situation.
“Because of money… I have to live under the same roof as my ex-husband who cheated on me. How do you think I feel about that? And on top of it all, deceiving your grandfather.”
“……”
“I once cursed you, hoping you’d shed tears of blood. But, as expected… that’s not happening.”
Eunchae stared into her wine glass for a moment before lifting her head to look at Lee Joon’s expressionless face.
“The real tears of blood… it’s me who’s shedding them,”
Eunchae murmured, her expression growing more sullen as the words left a bitter taste in her mouth. When she reached for the wine bottle, Lee Joon was a step ahead, his large hand picking it up and refilling her glass.
Perhaps it was because of the mention of tears of blood, but the red wine swirling in the glass looked almost like blood itself, causing Eunchae to frown slightly.
“You don’t need to be so upset and resentful,” Lee Joon said quietly.
“What you know and see… isn’t everything.”
“What?”
Sensing there was a hidden meaning in his words, Eun-chae’s eyes widened as she questioned him. However, Lee Joon said nothing and simply poured wine into his glass.
The two continued drinking in silence. When their glasses were nearly empty, Lee Joon stood up.
“Let’s get going.”
“Already?”
Eunchae glanced between his plate and his face. He hadn’t touched much of his food either.
“There’s no point in staying if neither of us has an appetite.”
“Oh… okay.”
Nodding in agreement, Eunchae couldn’t help but watch Lee Joon closely. She remembered him mentioning that he’d skipped lunch, and it bothered her.
“Why don’t you finish your meal…?”
“What’s the point of eating alone? Forget it,” he replied bluntly, shrugging off her suggestion as he put on his suit jacket.
Eunchae awkwardly got up, watching him as he effortlessly and smoothly slipped into his jacket.
His cold, stern expression and masculine silhouette were vividly imprinted in Eunchae’s eyes. Time had been kind to Tae Lee Joon, making him more stable and mature.
Watching him, Eunchae’s mood sank even lower. It felt as if she alone was stuck in place, if not left far behind.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
His smooth voice filled her ears. With a heavy heart, she replied softly and followed him out of the private room.
***
“I’ll give you a ride.”
As they left the restaurant, Lee Joon gestured toward the parking lot. Eunchae declined.
“It’s okay. I’ll just call a taxi. Besides, you’ll need to call a designated driver anyway.”
“Driver Sung is on standby. So, just get in.”
“Driver Sung?”
Eunchae asked in surprise. Driver Sung had been Lee Joon’s driver for a long time.
“Then I don’t want to—”
“Which is exactly why you need to get in. We need to show evidence that we’re meeting for our reconciliation.”
“…”
“Stop arguing and just get in.”
Lee Joon’s voice carried a tone of command. It was clear that he was determined to get her into the car, leaving Eunchae with little choice. In frustration, she ran a hand through her hair, which cascaded like a waterfall, catching the gentle evening breeze.
Lee Joon watched her, his gaze darkening as a faint heat settled in his eyes.
The light spilling out from the restaurant touched Eunchae’s hair, making it shimmer like strands of gold.
Lee Joon’s gaze deepened, tracing her from the crown of her head to the cascading hair that flowed down her back as if caressing her with his eyes. His fingertips tingled with the urge to reach out and touch her.
Sensing his persistent gaze, Eunchae turned her head. Her eyes wavered when they met his. Despite his impassive expression, his eyes were dark and intense.
Her eyelids fluttered in surprise. The heightened sensitivity that only reacted to Tae Lee Joon was starting to awaken once more. Fearful and unwilling to let those feelings resurface, Eunchae quickly lowered her gaze and turned away.
At that moment, the manager approached them.
“Here you go.”
“What… is this?”
Eunchae looked puzzled as she took the paper bag the manager handed her.
“You barely touched your food, so I asked them to pack it up. Eat it at home.”
Lee Joon explained, his tone implying that she shouldn’t skip a meal. Eunchae was taken aback by this unexpected gesture of kindness. It felt unfamiliar coming from him, so she simply nodded without saying much in response.
“Please get home safely. I’ll take my leave now,” the manager said before departing.
When the manager bowed and returned inside the restaurant, a heavy silence settled between them. The sound of a car engine arriving broke the awkward quiet.
“Get in,”
Lee Joon said as he opened the backseat door for her.
Eunchae was now beyond surprised—she was stunned. Tae Lee Joon, opening a car door for her? She could hardly believe her eyes.
“Are you sure… you’re not seriously injured or anything?”
Eunchae eyed him warily, full of suspicion. They say people change suddenly when they’re near the end. Instead of finding his changed behavior surprising or intriguing, she was beginning to feel a creeping sense of fear.
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine,”
Lee Joon replied with a faint smile, looking slightly incredulous. His voice carried a hint of annoyance as he continued,
“I just opened the car door. Is it something to react to like that?”
“Isn’t it obvious? When we lived together, you never bothered to open a car door for me, let alone a regular door. So why the sudden change?” Eunchae retorted, her voice cold and cutting.
“Hearing it like that… I suppose it’s understandable. I was a man with no sense of courtesy or consideration back then,”
Lee Joon admitted with a bitter self-deprecation. He then explained the reason for his newfound kindness.
“We have to show affection in front of my grandfather, so it’s better to practice in advance, don’t you think?”
“Well… if that’s the reason,”
Eunchae replied. It made sense, so she reluctantly accepted the explanation, although something still felt wrong.
Once she got into the car, Lee Joon closed the door for her. He then entered from the opposite side and instructed the driver to go to Eunchae’s place first.
“Understood, sir,” the driver replied as the car started moving.
Eunchae deliberately kept her eyes on the passing scenery outside the window. Sitting so close to Lee Joon in the confined space made her nerves stand on edge. Even though there were three people in the car, including the driver, it felt as if only the two of them were there.
She could feel the imposing presence next to her and the persistent gaze on her cheek. It took all her patience not to turn and meet his eyes.
‘Why is he staring like that? If he has something to say, he should just say it. He’s making me uncomfortable.’
Despite her growing irritation, she didn’t say anything to Lee Joon. She didn’t want to show that he was close to her. After what seemed like an eternity, the car finally stopped in front of the two-room apartment building where she lived.
“Haah…”
Eunchae let out a sigh of relief without realizing it. After a day of running around and dealing with Lee Joon, she was mentally and physically exhausted. All she wanted now was to get inside and rest.
Once again, Lee Joon got out of the car first and opened the door for her.
“Get out,” he said. His tone, though polite, still had a hint of command.
Eunchae frowned at the unwelcome kindness as she stepped out of the car. Since he called it “practice,” she couldn’t outright reject it coldly.
“Move into the main house by the end of this week. I’ll handle informing the elders,”
Lee Joon said, pushing things forward aggressively, as usual, the moment the agreement was made. Eunchae simply nodded in agreement. There was no point in delaying the inevitable—nothing would change.
“Go inside and rest. You must be tired today,” he added, offering a farewell as he extended his hand toward her.
“One way or another, we’re in this together now. Let’s make the best of it.”
“Yes…”
Eunchae replied softly, hesitating for a moment before taking Lee Joon’s hand. The feeling was strange, this skin-to-skin contact after two years. It wasn’t simply unpleasant, uncomfortable, or odd—there was no straightforward way to describe it.
One thing, however, was certain: the hand of her ex-husband, whom she thought she’d never have to touch again, was still as big and warm as ever. That was the one undeniable fact.
When Lee Joon tightened his grip, Eunchae’s hand was nearly swallowed up in his big one.
Startled by the strength of his grip, Eunchae looked up at him. His expression was impassive, but he held her hand firmly as if he had no intention of letting go.
“You need to let go so I can go inside.”
Only after Eunchae spoke did Lee Joon release her hand.
“Alright, go on then.”
With a stiff expression and a quick nod, Eunchae hurried into the two-room apartment. As she climbed the stairs, the sensor lights flickered on one by one along the hallway.
Lee Joon stood rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on the windows where the sensor lights illuminated.
He didn’t need to see to know. He could picture exactly how Eunchae was feeling as she climbed those stairs—her shoulders slumped dejectedly, each step heavy.
And in her mind, she was probably cursing and blaming that damned bastard, Tae Lee Joon.
A bitter smile, almost self-mocking, crept onto Lee Joon’s face as the scene played out vividly in his mind.
“Sigh…”
He let out a weary breath, loosening the knot of his tie. He, too, had been swamped all day with various matters, barely finding a moment to breathe.
Rubbing his head, he started walking toward the car when—
“Tae Lee Joon!”
A sharp voice sliced through the air from behind him. Lee Joon turned around, his expression souring at the sight of the approaching figure. Woo-sung was storming toward him with an intensity that suggested an impending confrontation.
***
Woo-sung’s face was flushed with anger and looked like it was about to explode.
Eunchae’s behavior had been off the last few days. She had never been very open with him, but lately, it was clear that she was deliberately keeping her distance.
He was sure that Tae Lee Joon was the cause of all this. The man had suddenly reappeared and used the excuse of investment to get close to her. And now, with what nerve, he was brazenly demanding meals with Eunchae.
It was clear that something had been discussed during their meeting, but Eunchae had kept her lips sealed. Because of this, Woo-sung felt like he was on edge, anxiety eating away at him.
And today, to make matters worse, he saw Eunchae getting out of Lee Joon’s car. He had been worried sick all evening when he couldn’t reach her, only to find out she had been with Tae Lee Joon.
Seeing that scene unfold from his car, Woo-sung was overcome with jealousy. What little reason he had left kept him from confronting them while they were still together—he knew well that Eunchae would hate that.
“What exactly are you doing here? Why were you with Eunchae?”
“Well, this is quite the predicament.”
Lee Joon smirked calmly, clearly aiming to provoke Woo-sung.
“I’m just not sure if I should answer you for public reasons or personal ones.”