Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 33. Just Stay as My Brother

Chapter 33. Just Stay as My Brother

“What? Personal?”

As expected, Woo-sung flared up, his voice shaking with anger.

“You…! Why do you keep messing with Eunchae when she’s minding her own business? What right do you have?”

Despite Woo-sung’s growing agitation and accusations, Lee Joon didn’t even blink. Instead, he responded with a calm and collected demeanor.

“You are barking up the wrong tree, Kim Woo-sung. Instead of taking it out on me, you should beg Yoon Eunchae. Ask her not to be swayed.”

“What?”

“What have you been doing for the last two years? You’ve been with her practically every day, and you still haven’t won her heart.”

Lee Joon’s eyes locked with Woo-sung’s, taunting him as he watched the man’s eyes flicker with confusion and frustration.

“Are you really that lacking in confidence? You’re begging me not to sway her?”

“This bastard!”

Unable to hold back his anger, Woo-sung grabbed Lee Joon by the collar.

“What are your intentions? Why are you hanging around Eunchae? What do you want now?”

“I thought you were a saint. You’re quite wild.”

Lee Joon smiled thinly, despite being held by the collar as if he admired Woo-sung’s courage.

“No matter how angry and jealous you are, this is too much.”

Lee Joon quickly wiped the smile off his face, and a cold intensity filled his gaze. The atmosphere became so tense that Woo-sung flinched and shrank back, yet he still tried to maintain his fierce look.

“You need to know who you’re dealing with before grabbing someone by the collar.”

Before Woo-sung could even finish his thought, Lee Joon’s hand shot out, gripping Woo-sung’s neck.

“Gah…!”

Woo-sung gasped as a sharp pain shot through his side, forcing him to stumble backward. Lee Joon, his face a mask of indifference, moved with a chilling calmness. Without a hint of exertion, he shoved Woo-sung against the hood of his car, pinning him there effortlessly.

Thud! The heavy sound echoed as Woo-sung collapsed onto the hood.

“Vice President!”

Driver Sung rushed out of the car, panic evident on his face. However, before he could say anything, Lee Joon sternly commanded,

“Please step aside for a moment.”

“……Yes.”

Not wanting to intervene, Driver Sung quickly stepped aside. Even then, Lee Joon didn’t release his grip on Woo-sung’s neck, his eyes cold and piercing.

“You mentioned ‘decency’ earlier?”

Lee Joon slowly loosened his grip, speaking in a voice so low that it sent shivers down his spine. With his airway barely clear, Woo-sung gasped for air, his labored breaths filled with pain.

“If we’re talking about being shameless and unscrupulous, you’re not exactly innocent either.”

“W-what do you mean?”

Woo-sung’s face turned bright red as he let out ragged breaths like clanging metal. Seeing the audacity on his face, Lee Joon twisted one side of his mouth into a cynical smirk.

“You know exactly what I mean, don’t you, Kim Woo-sung?”

Turning the question back on him, deep lines formed on Woo-sung’s forehead. The tension between the two men was palpable as their gazes clashed fiercely in the air.

“If you don’t know, then you truly are a garbage bastard.”

His deep, clear voice was cold as ice. Lee Joon flashed an inappropriately charming smile before suddenly grabbing Woo-sung’s collar and pulling him closer.

Woo-sung was lifted effortlessly like a stuffed toy, unable to even scream. His wide eyes were filled with shock as Lee Joon’s face loomed closer.

“I warn you, Kim Woo-sung,” Lee Joon’s voice was icy and firm.

“Stay out of our business from now on. Be a good brother to Yoon Eunchae for the rest of your life. I’ll be generous and turn a blind eye this time.”

Lee Joon warned him with an even broader smile.

‘No way…’

Woo-sung’s eyes widened in fear as he realized what Lee Joon was implying. Frozen in terror, he couldn’t move or speak. Lee Joon let out a cold laugh, releasing his grip on Woo-sung’s collar. He casually brushed off the wrinkles on Woo-sung’s shirt, as if nothing had happened.

“We’ve both overstepped, so let’s consider this an apology and wrap things up here.”

Woo-sung had no reply to the dismissal. He could only glare at Lee Joon, who smirked faintly in response.

“Well then, take care, Team Leader Kim Woo-sung.”

With that mocking farewell, Lee Joon got into the car. Driver Sung rushed over to the driver’s seat.

The heavy engine rumbled as the car began to move slowly. Woo-sung stood there, dazed, watching as the car picked up speed and drove smoothly out of the street.

“Damn it…!”

Woo-sung glared at the back of Lee Joon’s car, cursing under his breath. His face twisted in despair as he clenched his fists tightly.

“Just be a good brother to Yoon Eun-chae for the rest of your life. I’ll generously turn a blind eye.”

Lee Joon’s warning echoed in his ears like a haunting refrain.

“Damn it…”

His feelings of hopelessness drove him to mutter more curses.

When he finally opened his eyes, a beautiful spring night unfolded before him, with pink petals falling like confetti.

As he stared at the scene, his expression gradually faded. It was a cruelly beautiful spring night, in stark contrast to his own dark and hopeless situation.

The next day, after hastily finishing urgent tasks, Eunchae left work two hours early to start packing her things.

Although she didn’t feel particularly rushed, a message from Lee Joon that she checked first thing in the morning prompted her to act. He had informed her that he had paid off the bank loan in full and deposited the entire initial investment.

With that, Eunchae knew she had to fulfill her end of the contract. Ultimately, this was a choice she had made.

“I’ll just pack the clothes I’ll need right away, and for the rest, I’ll come back to switch them out as the seasons change.”

As she said to herself and opened her suitcase, a call from Lee Joon came in.

“What now?”

Eunchae answered the phone with an unwelcoming tone.

“Yes.”

After her brief response, Lee Joon got straight to the point.

[We need to move the date up.]

“By when?”

[Tomorrow.]

“What… what did you say?”

Eunchae was surprised by the unreasonable schedule.

“That’s impossible! How can I pack everything by tomorrow? And what about organizing the house? Even if I come back to organize things, I will have to leave it empty for a year…”

[Just take the important things for now, and you can move the rest later. I’ll send someone to take care of the house tomorrow.]

Eunchae felt disoriented by Lee Joon’s nonchalant response. This was how he always operated—once he made a decision, he pushed forward regardless.

“Um, Lee Joon…”

She tried to insist it couldn’t be done, but he cut her off completely.

[It’s your grandfather’s order. Since we’re getting back together anyway, it’s better to merge as soon as possible so we can adapt to each other. I agree; that way, we can avoid any complications.]

“Complications?”

When Eunchae asked what he meant, there was a brief silence from Lee Joon. Worried that something was wrong, she called out to him cautiously.

“Lee Joon?”

[Just keep that in mind for now. I have to hang up; something urgent came up.]

“Lee Joon! Wait a second!”

As he abruptly ended the call, Eunchae felt flustered and called after him. But, as always, there was no response—just the echo of her voice.

“Of course. I thought maybe he had changed a bit recently, but I guess old habits die hard.”

Eunchae laughed softly as she looked at the darkened screen of her phone.

“Seriously, how am I supposed to pack everything in just one day?”

The more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed, and she let out a sigh. It looked like she would be up all night packing and cleaning the house.

***

When the car arrived at the house, Lee Joon walked purposefully through the front gate and made his way to the annex. When he arrived at the annex where he had lived with Eunchae, his expression became even colder.

As he opened the front door and stepped inside, the tantalizing scent of food filled the air, stimulating his senses. The sounds of chatter and movement made the interior feel lively and somewhat chaotic.

Lee Joon frowned, feeling an uncontrollable irritation wash over him as he headed toward the kitchen.

Upon reaching the entrance, he saw the hired help bustling around setting the table, while Mrs. Kang watched, and So-hyun was in an apron, preparing food.

“What on earth is going on here?”

Lee Joon’s eyes narrowed dangerously, a sharp glint reflecting his suppressed emotions. He remained silent, assessing the situation before him with a cold, calculating gaze.

“Oh, Lee Joon! Why are you here so early?”

Mrs Kang, startled by his sudden appearance while instructing the staff to swap out a dish she didn’t like, approached him with surprise.

At that moment, So-hyun, who had been diligently stir-frying something, handed the frying pan to the hired helper and came over to join them.

“You’re here, Lee Joon?”

So-hyun greeted him with her trademark confident smile, but Lee Joon just stared at her in silence.

Noticing Lee Joon’s lack of response, Mrs. Kang stepped in between them.

“So-hyun is making nutritious food for you. She was worried that you’ve been so busy since your return and wanted to make sure you were healthy. She prepared all the food and I just helped a little.”

Mrs. Kang pointed to the dishes on the table, praising So-hyun. However, Lee Joon didn’t even glance at the food and called out instead.

“Come in.”

As soon as he gave the command, a few people entered the kitchen.

“What are these people…?”

Mrs. Kang’s eyes widened as she saw the men in suits and a neatly dressed middle-aged woman. The men in suits were bodyguards.

“First, clean that up over there.”

Lee Joon said, finally glancing at the table.

“Yes,” they responded in unison.

The people he commanded sprang into action. Instead of removing the dishes one by one, they grabbed the tablecloth and swept everything into the trash can.

“Lee Joon! Are you out of your mind? What the hell are you doing?!”

Mrs. Kang screamed in disbelief at the scene unfolding before her.

As the food they had spent over two hours preparing was thrown away, So-hyun trembled with anger and glared at Lee Joon.

It was the first time she had ever experienced such humiliation. He had always been cold and distant, but today he had crossed a line.

For two years, even while she lingered around him in New York, she had managed to keep her indifference. Yet, he had never been this rude before.

“Be careful! You’ll break all the plates! Do you know how much these plates cost?”

Mrs. Kang shouted furiously at the people carelessly handling the food they had prepared.

Regardless of her outburst, the hired helper paid no attention to her. They quickly cleared the table and the kitchen, as if washing everything away with water, and then lined up behind Lee Joon.

“Oh my goodness… this is unbelievable. What on earth…?”

Mrs. Kang was so shocked that she could barely speak, her lips moving without forming any words.

“From now on, no one can enter the annex without my permission. Meals and cleaning will be handled by the person I’ve hired, so don’t use that as an excuse to come here.”

Lee Joon warned Mrs. Kang firmly, then turned his gaze to So-hyun, who looked hurt and was biting her lip.

“Director So-hyun, it’s time for you to stop as well. I’m not interested in clingy women.”