Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 44. Late Night Bread

Chapter 44. Late Night Bread

After finishing her call in the bathroom, Eunchae sighed heavily, her expression troubled.

It was exhausting to lie to Woo-sung, especially if it wasn’t just for a day or two. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him the truth, which put her in an awkward situation.

*“Is it just my imagination? Why has he been contacting me so often lately?”*

Eunchae tilted her head in confusion. Although they saw each other at work every day, Woo-sung’s contact had become noticeably frequent.

“Hmm…”

She let out a shallow sigh, wrinkling her nose. Something definitely felt off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, which left her feeling uneasy.

Realizing that overthinking wouldn’t lead to any answers, Eunchae decided to set aside her thoughts and stepped out of the bathroom.

She walked through the bathroom and was about to go to bed when her eyes widened in shock. Lee Joon was sitting on the headboard reading some documents.

“Finished showering?”

Lee Joon glanced briefly at Eunchae, who was frozen in place and casually spoke. The way he acted so naturally as if they were truly a married couple, left Eunchae momentarily speechless.

“Aren’t you working tonight?”

she asked, unable to bring herself closer to the bed.

“I’m tired today, so I thought I’d turn in early.”

He lifted his head from the documents and made direct eye contact with Eunchae. His unwavering gaze made her lips move nervously.

So… tonight she would have to fall asleep in the same bed with Tae Lee Joon.

As that realization hit her, Eunchae’s mouth went dry with nerves.

For the past few nights, she had shared the bed with Lee Joon. However, he would work late and wake up early, so she had never actually seen him lying in bed.

This made sharing the bed with him seem less and less important over time. Just when she’d started to get used to it, now she had to lie next to him and fall asleep together.

“You must be tired. Go to sleep,”

Lee Joon said, motioning with his chin toward the space next to him before turning his attention back to the documents.

“Okay…”

Mumbling her response, Eunchae hesitantly climbed into bed. She lifted the blanket and slipped under it, turning her back to Lee Joon as usual and closing her eyes.

A moment later, the rustling sound of the blanket indicated that Lee Joon was settling in as well.

Then the lights went off, leaving the room in darkness. Eunchae jerked involuntarily.

Her chest rose and fell with each breath. Her eyes wandered anxiously through the shadow-filled room, uncertain where to focus. In the silent bedroom, only the sound of their steady breathing filled the air.

She could feel his persistent gaze on her back, causing her to swallow nervously. She wrestled with the urge to turn around and look at him while simultaneously warning herself to ignore it.

She knew it. She knew she shouldn’t turn around. But emotions always betray reason.

*”Your heels were too high that day…”*

Lee Joon’s words from Yoonjung-ro echoed in her mind, compelling Eunchae to turn around before she could stop herself. Her eyes met Lee Joon’s, who was lying on his side, facing her.

She gasped, drawing a sharp breath. His deep, dark eyes were unmistakably clear, even in the darkness.

Their gazes locked, and for a long moment, they simply stared at each other.

Eunchae’s eyelids trembled. As she looked into Lee Joon’s abyss-like eyes, a swirl of complex emotions cast shadows over her face.

He was such a hateful and resentful man, so why did she keep feeling this way about Tae Lee Joon? She couldn’t understand her own emotions, and it frustrated her.

Irritated, Eunchae turned away from him and forced herself to try to sleep.

*’Ugh… this is driving me crazy.’*

After tossing and turning for a long time with her eyes closed, she sighed inwardly. Being sensitive by nature and acutely aware of Lee Joon’s presence, she found it impossible to fall asleep.

“Is it… really uncomfortable?”

His low, slightly hoarse voice reached her ears. Eunchae bit her lip, choosing not to answer. Taking her silence as a yes, Lee Joon sat up in bed.

As Eunchae turned around, she saw that Lee Joon had already gotten out of bed and turned on the mood light.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“It seems like you can’t sleep because of me.”

He slipped on a nightgown and picked up the documents from the bedside table.

“I’ll go to the study room and get some more work done. You can sleep comfortably.”

“Wait…”

Eunchae hastily sat up, trying to call him back, but he had already closed the bedroom door and left.

*Sigh… since when did he start caring about me?*

Eunchae ran a hand through her tousled hair, feeling like she was about to cry. Even though Lee Joon had left to give her some space, it didn’t make her feel any better. In fact, it made her feel worse, as if she were the bad person, even more so than when he had been in the room with her.

What worried her the most was the look in Lee Joon’s eyes. It was the same as when they were married, when they were alone together in bed. It was a look filled with desire when he saw her as a woman.

What was even more shocking was her own reaction to him.

*”This is ridiculous… I’ve lost my mind.”*

Yes, it was absurd. She knew she shouldn’t feel this way. She understood that perfectly well… and yet, her body and mind seemed to be moving on their own, against her better judgment.

Suddenly, her mind became a mess and her chest tightened. The more she thought about it, the more she felt like she was sinking into a swamp. Desperate to escape her thoughts, Eunchae fell onto the bed and closed her eyes tightly. Sleep would be the only way to stop overthinking.

But for some reason, the bed didn’t feel comfortable at all, and she felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness. The unexpected sense of loss startled her, causing her to lie still with her eyes blinking open.

Unable to fall asleep, her thoughts drifted back to her evening walk with Lee Joon at Yoonjung-ro. The memory of his touch as he removed the petal resurfaced, and she found herself slowly tracing her lips with her fingertips.

Remembering the look in his eyes as he watched her touch her lips, Eunchae squeezed her eyes shut.

*”Get a grip, Yoon Eunchae. He’s your ex-husband. And not just any ex-husband—he’s the one who had an affair.”*

Eunchae scolded herself, shaking her head vigorously.

However, the chain of thoughts kept circling in her mind, refusing to break easily. It was well past midnight when she finally managed to fall asleep.

***

The next morning, when Eunchae woke up to the sound of her alarm, Lee Joon was, as usual, not beside her. Her gaze lingered on the empty space next to her, lost in thought.

*”It might be better to just sleep together. It’s more bearable than being uncomfortable and on edge…”*

Finally deciding to go with her instincts, she took a shower and headed downstairs.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Good morning, young mistress.”

Eunchae’s gentle greeting was met with warm replies from Chief Lee and the household staff.

“What I asked for… Ah, here it is.”

Spotting the plastic bag on the kitchen island, Eunchae smiled and picked it up, holding it close.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Smiling, Eunchae quickened her steps toward the western annex where she used to live. The passcode hadn’t changed, so she was able to enter without any trouble.

*Sigh…*

Returning to this place after two years brought a rush of mixed emotions. It felt both strange and made a part of her chest ache.

“Not much has changed.”

As she made her way to the kitchen, she looked around and noticed how little had changed.

‘Well, I suppose he left for the New York branch right away, so he wouldn’t have had the chance. Maybe he plans to redecorate when he remarries.’

The thought of “remarriage” left Eunchae feeling unsettled. No matter how much a couple’s relationship had ended, the idea of the other person remarrying was still hard to ignore.

“Enough with the pointless thoughts, let’s just get to work.”

Determined to put her thoughts aside, Eunchae shook her head and put on an apron. Then she set to work and quickly began baking bread and cookies.

As she worked and the oven whirred away, the aroma of freshly baked bread and sweet cookies filled the kitchen.

In the midst of her baking, a familiar deep voice rang out.

“What are you doing here?”

Startled by the voice, Eunchae turned around to find Lee Joon standing by the kitchen island, arms crossed.

“You’re here?”

She placed the bread pan on the island, eyeing him. He was dressed in a neat suit, clearly ready for work.

*’Where does he change clothes and get ready every morning?’*

She wondered to herself, curious. Eunchae then carefully transferred the freshly baked bread onto a plate.

“You baked… night bread?”

“Yes. Chief Lee mentioned that you often ask for chestnut bread, so I thought I’d give it a try. There were still some baking tools left here…”

Eunchae trailed off as she noticed Lee Joon tearing off a large piece of the bread. His expression was almost reverent, a look of pure satisfaction, like a monk finding spiritual nourishment.

“Mmm… It’s delicious. Just like the old days.”

He smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling with genuine pleasure. It was rare to see him like this, and Eunchae found herself captivated by the sight.

That gentle smile brought back memories. She remembered how moments like these, when he showed his innocent and kind side, had always made her heart flutter.

Tearing off another piece of bread, Lee Joon couldn’t stop smiling. He had missed this taste so much. Back in New York, when he was drowning in alcohol and work just to keep going, he had longed for the chestnut bread Eunchae used to make.

He had searched countless bakeries but could never find anything that tasted like her bread. Eventually, he even learned to bake, trying to recreate it himself.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t replicate the taste of Eunchae’s chestnut bread.

“I’d like to take some to the office. Is that okay?”

He looked at the generous amount of bread she had made and asked. Eunchae nodded, agreeing without hesitation.

“I made it for you, so eat as much as you like. I’ll pack some for you to take to the office.”

“Really?”

A faint flush appeared on his face as he asked again.

*’Did he really miss chestnut bread that much?’*

Seeing how visibly happy he was, Eunchae nodded.

“Yes, it’s not a problem at all.”

Eunchae smiled and began tidying up. Then, a surprising scene unfolded before her eyes: Lee Joon casually started helping her.

He began organizing the baking tools and then moved on to washing the dishes. Eunchae could only stand there in disbelief. Lee Joon, washing dishes with a sponge in hand? Even seeing it with her own eyes, it felt unreal.

“You’re going to ruin your clothes. Just leave it,” she managed to say, still half in shock.

But he didn’t stop. He was about to enjoy the bread she made to his heart’s content—what were a few dishes compared to that? He was willing to do even more.

Soon, the kitchen was filled only with the sound of running water and dishes being washed. Still trying to wrap her head around what was happening, Eunchae hesitantly called out to him.

“Lee Joon.”

“Yeah?”

“From now on, just sleep comfortably. Don’t go to the study to work because of me.”

“Are you sure about that? Won’t it be uncomfortable?”

Lee Joon paused mid-rinse, turning halfway to look at Eunchae.

“Yes. When you left last night, it didn’t feel right for me either. We have to live together for a year, so we might as well get used to it.”

Even though Eunchae’s tone was more resigned than anything else, Lee Joon felt grateful and happy.

“That couldn’t have been an easy decision. Thank you.”

He expressed his gratitude and continued with the dishes, his hands moving even faster now that he was in a good mood.

“Grandfather was hoping we could take a break at the Yangpyeong villa this weekend. Is that alright with you?”

Finishing up the dishes, Lee Joon rolled down his sleeves as he relayed his grandfather’s wishes.

“Yes, it’s… fine,”

Eunchae replied, not showing any objection.

Eunchae responded with an uncertain tone. To be honest, it wasn’t that it didn’t matter to her at all. The Yangpyeong villa was where the chaos had unfolded before their divorce.

“Alright.”

With a slight nod, Lee Joon picked up the plates filled with bread and cookies, one in each hand.

“Let’s go. Time for breakfast.”

“Okay.”

Lee Joon left the kitchen first, and Eunchae followed behind him.

***

A few days later.

After finishing her morning work, Eunchae used her lunch break to visit the Geumyoung Art Museum. She was there to meet with Mrs. Kang and the staff to prepare for Henri Sarr’s exhibition.

It felt nostalgic to be back at the museum after such a long time. Eunchae walked through the interior, taking in the familiar surroundings.

Though she hadn’t had any particular passion or attachment to it, the place where she had worked diligently had not changed much.

“I wonder how Secretary Moon is doing.”

Thinking of Secretary Moon, who had always been diligent and competent, Eunchae made her way to the director’s office. Just then, someone familiar approached her from the opposite direction—it was Lee Se-hyun.