Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 35. Living with Her Ex-Husband
Chapter 35. Living with Her Ex-Husband
Gyeongju had taken on a special meaning for Eunchae. Since it was where her parents lived, she asked Lee Joon with a sense of eagerness.
“Did you visit Gyeongju?”
“Yeah.”
Lee Joon nodded and turned the steering wheel, smoothly guiding the car out of the street.
Meanwhile, Eunchae took a piece of bread from the box, cut it in half, and took a bite. The flavor was mild and not overly sweet, filling her mouth with a comforting taste.
As she chewed, a thought suddenly struck her, causing a bittersweet smile to cross her face.
“What’s wrong? Does it not taste good?”
Stopping briefly at a red light, Lee Joon observed Eunchae’s expression, noting her bittersweet demeanor.
“It tastes good. It’s just… a bit strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“I never received a single gift during our real marriage, but now that I am pretending to be married, I am getting a gift. It’s just so ironic.”
“I… never bought you anything?”
Lee Joon frowned and tried to remember. Eunchae answered without hesitation.
“Never. Not even once. You bought gifts for Grandfather and Dad from time to time, but you’ve never bought me even a key chain.”
“Who buys keychains these days?”
Slightly embarrassed, Lee Joon snapped back. However, he wondered if he had never bought her anything and fiddled with his lips. Eunchae watched him and added with a slight smile,
“I was hurt at first, but after seeing your cold behavior toward my parents, I just gave up. I realized that you were always just indifferent and distant”.
As she popped the last piece of bread into her mouth, her words carried a sharp edge.
“The Geumyoung Group is impressive, isn’t it? Tae Lee Joon even brings gifts from his business trips.”
Eunchae’s laughter faded as she noticed the intensity in Lee Joon’s eyes. He looked as if he was on the verge of saying something important, but at that moment, the traffic light turned green, interrupting the moment.
Lee Joon started the car, thinking they could continue the conversation later. After all, they would have plenty of time together ahead.
***
When they arrived at the family’s home in Hannam-dong, the hired servant, who had been informed in advance, was waiting to greet Eunchae.
Under orders to keep quiet about the reconciliation, the hired servants greeted Eunchae with their expressions, looks, and smiles instead of words. She returned their greetings with a gentle smile, just as she had before.
As she stepped into the main house, Eunchae felt a mix of complicated emotions. She had thought she would never set foot here again, yet here she was, returning to play the role of a fake wife alongside Tae Lee Joon.
Despite maintaining a calm expression, Eunchae’s emotions were in turmoil. Her heart raced wildly, and her legs felt stiff with tension.
Memories of leaving this house in tears flooded back to her, making her heart even heavier and more troubled.
As she entered the living room, Tae Moo-jin, Tae Seong-yeol, and Kang Yeosah were waiting for them.
“It’s been a while. How have you been?”
Tae Moo-jin stood up to greet Eunchae as she bowed her head.
“Eunchae…”
“Grandfather.”
At the warm call from Tae Moo-jin, tears welled up in Eunchae’s eyes. While she felt relief seeing him looking healthy, the thought of having to deceive this kind man was overwhelmingly painful.
“Welcome back. I’m so glad you’re here.”
Tae Moo-jin held Eunchae’s hand tightly with one hand while gently patting her shoulder with the other. He had been informed by his secretary about how hard she had been working and managing her life.
Still, it seemed that she was not well. The sadness and pain in her eyes were still deeply visible.
“Come in.”
Tae Seong-yeol also greeted Eunchae warmly.
“Hello, Father.”
Had the two years seemed so short?
The term “father” came out so naturally that Eunchae was surprised. It felt completely uncomfortable.
When she finally faced Mrs. Kang Yeosah, Eunchae took a discreet breath. The only person in this play who didn’t make her feel guilty was standing right in front of her.
“Hello, Mother.”
“Well… it seems like we should be saying hello to each other, shouldn’t we?”
Mrs. Kang forced a strained smile, the tension evident in her expression. She barely held back the response, “How could you even say that?”
However, considering Lee Joon’s need to inherit the company and the years she had endured, Mrs. Kang restrained her true feelings.
As soon as she heard about the reconciliation from Lee Joon, she immediately ran to Tae Moo-jin.
She did everything she could—she expressed her grievances, pleaded with tears, and even emphasized the need for solid family backing, trying to sway Tae Moo-jin’s heart.
But Tae Moo-jin was unfazed. He did not change his decision. Instead, he told Mrs. Khang to take good care of Eunchae, which only deepened her frustration.
*“I cannot pass the company to someone without an heir. There’s no one like Eunchae. And Lee Joon hasn’t outright refused either.”*
*“Father! But…”*
*“If you don’t like it, you can either give up the company cleanly or pass it on to the second child.”*
Hearing such a threat, Mrs. Kang finally accepts the absurd situation. Things were moving too fast and there was nothing she could do.
“Okay. That’s how it should be, Mother.”
Eunchae replied with a calm smile that seemed to provoke Mrs. Khang’s sharp gaze.
“Let’s start with the meal.”
At Tae Moo-jin’s command, everyone moved to the dining room. Eunchae quickly looked around the room, noticing that it hadn’t changed much since before the divorce, and sat down next to Lee Joon.
Once the family was seated, the hired servants swiftly began serving the food.
As Eunchae tasted the long-awaited dishes prepared by the chef, a smile spread across her face.
Although the divorce had effectively driven her away, Eunchae occasionally missed the people who worked here. Among them, she thought most of the cook, who had taken care of her like a second mother.
The meal continued in a quiet atmosphere.
Tae Seong-yeol expressed great interest in the battery technology development that Eunchae’s company was researching. Thanks to this, Eunchae was able to momentarily bury her guilt and focus on the conversation.
Mrs. Kang rolled her eyes at Eunchae’s involvement in the discussion. Though she couldn’t openly show her contempt, the frustration was evident in the way her lips tightened and her eyes narrowed.
As the meal was nearing its end, Tae Moo-jin called out to Mrs. Kang, his tone calm but firm.
“Yes, Father.”
Mrs. Kang replied shortly, having picked at her food the entire time. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hide her feelings of disappointment toward him.
“From today, the kids will be staying in the east annex.”
“What? Father, what do you mean by that?”
Mrs. Kang gasped in surprise at the statement.
Eunchae also looked between the two of them with wide eyes. She thought that the discussion with Mrs. Kang was over, but Tae Moo-jin announced it in front of the whole family, catching her off guard.
“How much longer do I have to live anyway? I want to keep them close so I can see them more,” he said.
“But Father, they can still visit from the West Annex,” Mrs. Kang replied.
“Is it the same as having them right next to you?”
Seeing that Tae Moo-jin showed no signs of backing down, Mrs. Kang felt completely confused. While one might think that living in the east or west annex would be the same since they were both separate from the main house, this was far from the truth.
The fact that Eunchae would be staying in the eastern annex meant that Mrs. Kang’s power would be completely cut off. Even if Eunchae was just a temporary daughter-in-law for one year, it was too much.
“Father, the west annex is much closer to the main house. It would be inconvenient for Eunchae to go back and forth…”
“Eunchae won’t need to come and go much. She’ll be too busy taking care of me while working.”
Tae Moo-jin spoke firmly, cutting off any further discussion, and added with a tone that suggested she should just accept it.
“Do not think you can keep her at home under the guise of teaching her how to run a household. I’ve heard that the company is very busy right now, so let her concentrate on her work. Once Lee Joon starts the succession process, Eunchae will have to make a public appearance, so that’s something to think about.
“Well… that’s true, but…”
Mrs. Kang struggled to find a counterargument, her words faltering as she opened and closed her mouth in frustration. She wanted to object, but Tae Moo-jin’s tone made it clear that his decision was final.
“Move Eunchae’s things to the east annex.”
After giving instructions to the hired servants, Tae Moo-jin sipped his soup. That settled the decision—it could no longer be reversed.
Mrs. Kang anxiously chewed her lips, unsure of what to do. She shot a pleading look at Tae Seong-yeol, but he pretended not to see.
‘Well, when has he ever taken my side? He’s always so generous to others.’
Mrs. Kang’s anger only intensified as she watched Eunchae sit there, composed and unbothered by the tension in the room. The more Eunchae maintained her serene demeanor, the more Mrs. Kang felt her frustration boiling over.
‘She must have known about this all along.’
Mrs. Kang furrowed her brows, her suspicions growing stronger. If it were solely up to her, she wouldn’t hesitate to drag Eunchae out by the hair and throw her out, company be damned.
“They need to rest, so let’s wrap this up for now.”
As Tae Moo-jin stood up, everyone followed suit, getting ready to leave the table.
“You should rest too, Mother. You look extremely tired.”
Tae Moo-jin pointedly scolded Mrs. Khang, who was shaking with suppressed anger. Her face contorted in frustration; she couldn’t keep her composure at all.
Tae Moo-jin clicked his tongue in disapproval. Leaning on Lee Joon for support, he was the first to leave the dining room.
“Well then, I’ll be on my way. Father, Mother.”
“Take care and rest well,”
Tae Seong-yeol replied with a warm smile while Mrs. Kang gave Eunchae a scornful look.
Eunchae felt a wave of fear wash over her. It was as if she had stepped into a time machine and returned to two years ago. No matter how much she had prepared herself or how much Lee Joon had promised to act as a shield, the situation was just too uncomfortable and awkward.
“Good night,”
Eunchae said, bowing her head as she followed Tae Moo-jin and Lee Joon out of the dining room. The sharp and piercing gazes from behind felt especially uncomfortable.
***
When they arrived at the eastern annex, Eunchae helped Lee Joon escort Tae Moo-jin to his room. Afterward, she exchanged brief greetings with the hired servants responsible for managing the annex.
“Go ahead and rest. I need to talk to Grandfather for a bit.”
“Okay.”
Lee Joon’s words prompted Eunchae to nod and head up to the second floor. As she walked down the long hallway, her expression tightened.
Even though she had moved back and forth to the east annex during their marriage, she had rarely entered this part of the house. Perhaps that was why the interior of the second floor felt so unfamiliar and strange to her.
Her heart raced with anxiety, and her neck felt stiff, but it wasn’t just the unfamiliarity that caused it. The burden and awkwardness of having to live in the same space as Tae Lee Joon again weighed heavily on her.
“Hah…”
Stopping in front of the second-to-last room on the left, Eunchae took a deep breath, inhaling slowly before exhaling just as gradually.
As she stepped inside and opened the door, Eunchae’s eyes widened in disbelief. Right before her was an astonishing sight: there was only one bed.
The realization hit her hard and her heart beat faster. She had expected to live together again, but she hadn’t expected it to be so intimate. Uncertainty and fear swirled inside her as she took in the room.