Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 5: Nothing Happened

Chapter 5: Nothing Happened

At Lee Joon’s arrogant command, Eunchae lifted her gaze to look at him. His expression had turned cold, his emotions neatly tucked away.

It was hard to believe that this was the same person who had just been so close and acted so sensually. There wasn’t a trace of what had just happened. Even his shirt remained perfectly unwrinkled, while Eunchae was left feeling completely disheveled.

Still holding Eunchae’s gaze, Lee Joon stepped back and picked up the jacket she had placed neatly on the bed. After tidying up his appearance, he spoke in a flat tone.

“Fix your makeup, finish getting ready, and come out.”

Then, he left the bedroom. Eunchae stared at the closed door, feeling dazed, before turning to look at her reflection in the mirror.

Her lipstick was smudged, her spring blouse wrinkled, and her neatly combed hair was now disheveled. She looked completely different from the composed appearance Lee Joon had just displayed.

The contrast was painfully clear, leaving her feeling sad and small. While she was easily flustered and overwhelmed by even the smallest gesture from Lee Joon, he remained completely calm and collected. He was so in control, even of his desires, that she almost felt a sense of admiration for him.

“Sigh…”

Eunchae let out a long sigh, reapplied her lipstick, and brushed her hair. After tidying up her appearance, she put on her trench coat and grabbed her bag.

As she walked from the annex to the front gate, she saw Lee Joon standing by his idling car, finishing a phone call.

“Get in. I’ll drive you to the art museum,” he said, nodding toward the back seat as he ended the call.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll take my car,”

Eunchae declined Lee Joon’s offer, explaining her reason.

“I have plans today.”

“With whom?”

“Yurim.”

“Is that so?”

Lee Joon nodded at the familiar name and opened the backseat door.

“I’ll head out first.”

“Yes, have a good day,”

Eunchae replied as she watched him get into the car. She stood there, watching until his car disappeared from view. Only after it was completely out of sight did she finally get into her car.

***

Eunchae worked as the deputy director of the Kumyoung Art Museum, which was part of the Kumyoung Group. However, she wasn’t particularly interested in the museum’s work. After finishing her studies abroad, she had hoped to either work at her father’s company or at Kumyoung Electronics, where Lee Joon worked.

But Mrs. Kang strongly opposed this idea.

‘Just because you studied business doesn’t mean you’ll be good at it. Start at the art museum and learn under me. It’s going to be your responsibility anyway, so you should gain experience now.’

Right after the wedding, Mrs. Kang decided for Eunchae to work at the art museum, leaving her with no choice but to comply. At the time, Eunchae tried to interpret Mrs. Kang’s intentions positively, thinking she wanted to teach her how to work.

But it was just a misunderstanding. Mrs. Kang didn’t want her daughter-in-law involved in the company’s business. Additionally, she intended to keep Eunchae close to control and train her.

Despite everything, Eunchae did her best. She worked hard to learn the museum’s operations while keeping Mrs. Kang pleased, and she studied the field diligently, often seeking advice from her mother, who was an artist.

Mrs. Kang acknowledged this to some extent. She appreciated Eunchae’s efforts and natural talent, gradually entrusting her with more important tasks.

However, when Eunchae didn’t conceive even after a year of marriage, Mrs. Kang’s interest cooled significantly. Eventually, she told Eunchae to focus on having a child and limited her workdays to just two per week.

Reluctantly accepting the situation, Eunchae became a deputy director in name only, showing up twice a week just to sign paperwork.

“The director would like to see you, Deputy Director,” reported Moon Sujin, the assistant who helped with the museum’s work, speaking politely after Eunchae finished signing documents for the upcoming exhibitions.

“Alright, I’ll be there.”

Eunchae handed the file to Assistant Moon Sujin and responded, her expression darkening slightly as she guessed why Mrs. Kang had called for her.

After wrapping up her tasks, Eunchae headed to the director’s office. As she entered, Mrs. Kang’s secretary greeted her with a bow, and Eunchae nodded in return.

“The deputy director is here.”

“Send her in.”

After the secretary announced her arrival and received Mrs. Kang’s permission, Eunchae took a deep breath and stepped inside.

“Mother, I’m here.”

“Oh, yes, come in.”

Mrs. Kang replied, offering a superficial welcome before turning her attention back to the guest she had been speaking with.

“So-Hyun and I were just chatting over tea. She’s so charming and witty that I completely lost track of time.”

Eunchae responded with a faint smile.

“Is that so? It’s been a while, So-Hyun.”

“How have you been, Eunchae?” So-Hyun replied.

So-Hyun responded to Eunchae’s greeting with a bright smile.

“Yes,”

Eunchae replied briefly as she took a seat, observing So-Hyun’s confident smile. With her striking, sophisticated looks, So-Hyun always appeared bold and self-assured. Sometimes, her boldness bordered on arrogance.

“So-Hyun, you were such a great help this time. Your keen eye is impressive! I was really surprised and touched,”

Mrs. Kang began praising So-Hyun again, while Eunchae quietly picked up the teacup that the assistant had brought her.

There had been an issue with one of the main pieces in the upcoming exhibition, a painting by the renowned artist Kim Soo-Baek.

The problem arose just before the exhibition, and there wasn’t a suitable replacement, causing a lot of stress. When So-Hyun found out, she quickly offered a painting that would generate even more buzz than Kim Soo-Baek’s piece.

The painting had been a gift from her grandfather when she was young, created by an artist who wasn’t well-known at the time. So-Hyun had seen the painting once and liked it so much that she begged her grandfather to give it to her.

Whether it was her keen eye or just luck, by the time So-Hyun was an adult, the artist had become famous, and the value of the painting skyrocketed. The artist’s early works were now worth a fortune.

So-Hyun generously offered this valuable piece for the exhibition without asking for anything in return. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and this gesture greatly increased Mrs. Kang’s admiration for her.

“This is why I’ve had my eye on you since you were young. They say you can tell a lot from just one thing. Usually, being too perfect makes someone seem less human, but not you, Seo-Hyun. You’re truly admirable and wise.”

Mrs. Kang praised So-Hyun, clearly intending for Eunchae to hear every word. The more she spoke, the more Eunchae’s expression became blank. She sat there like a lifeless doll, showing no emotion.

“Honestly, our Lee Joon lacks judgment. To pass over someone like you and instead choose…” Mrs. Kang trailed off, leaving the implication clear.

Mrs. Kang left the rest of her sentence hanging, her expression sour as she glanced sideways at Eunchae. Eunchae, showing no reaction, simply sipped her tea, which further irritated Mrs. Kang, causing her eyes to narrow sharply.

“Mother, how could you say such things in front of Eunchae?” 

Though So-Hyun secretly enjoyed the situation, she pretended to be concerned about Eunchae’s feelings. The use of “Mother” made Eunchae’s eyebrow twitch slightly, but she didn’t show much reaction.

“It’s okay, So-Hyun. Everyone knows that Mother wanted you as her daughter-in-law. Understandably, she’s disappointed it didn’t happen, and I’m truly sorry about that,”

Eunchae replied with a graceful smile, accepting it calmly.

Eunchae’s reaction, as if she were discussing someone else, left Mrs. Kang and Seo-Hyun momentarily stunned. They exchanged awkward glances, caught off guard by how openly Eunchae acknowledged the situation. Feeling a bit embarrassed, they both focused on their tea.

‘She’s not ordinary. To stay so composed after hearing something like that… Well, I suppose that’s how she manages to endure living under a mother-in-law who doesn’t even treat her like a person.’

Just as annoyed as Mrs. Kang, So-Hyun silently mocked Eunchae. So-Hyun had liked Lee Joon for a long time, and Mrs. Kang had even considered her as a potential daughter-in-law.

She had been confident that she would marry Lee Joon, but then Eunchae, the daughter of Seongwon Corporation—a mid-sized company at best—ended up marrying him instead, all because of some outdated marriage agreement between their families.

Even now, the thought of it made So-Hyun grit her teeth in frustration.

Fortunately, it seemed that Lee Joon didn’t have much affection for Eunchae, and Mrs. Kang still appeared to have some lingering interest in her.

So-Hyun had become convinced over time that if she remained patient, an opportunity might eventually come her way. That’s why she stubbornly called Mrs. Kang “Mother” in front of Eunchae.

Mrs. Kang shifted the conversation back to So-Hyun, saying, “I heard your uncle is entering politics,”

Eunchae mentally tuned out and began thinking about other things.

She wondered if she should make Lee Joon’s favorite seafood stew for dinner or pick up some freesia flowers on her way home to place in his study.

Lost in her thoughts, Eunchae suddenly heard Mrs. Kang’s voice.

“Eunchae, why don’t you join So-Hyun and me for lunch? We should treat her well after all the help she’s given us.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mother. I already have a prior appointment.”

Eunchae explained her situation and asked for understanding. She knew that if she joined them, she would likely be ignored and treated as an outsider. Besides, Mrs. Kang’s invitation wasn’t entirely sincere.

“Oh, is that so? Well, I guess there’s nothing I can do about it.”

As expected, Mrs. Kang didn’t seem to mind at all. She seemed pleased to have the chance to dine alone with So-Hyun.

‘Go ahead and enjoy your gossip without me, Mother,’ Eunchae thought sarcastically as she stood up with a composed posture.

“I’ll be leaving now. Enjoy your meal, Mother. See you next time, So-Hyun.”

With a polite smile, Eunchae gave her farewell and then turned to leave the director’s office.

***

When Eunchae arrived at the meeting spot, she was greeted by Choi Yurim, who had arrived first. Yurim, a longtime friend of Eunchae, currently works as an economics reporter.

“Hey there, Madam! How have you been?”

Eunchae couldn’t help but smile brightly, something she hadn’t done in a while, at Yurim’s cheerful greeting.

“Yes, I’ve been well. How about you?”

“Same old, same old.”

Yurim, casually brushing off her situation, asked with a playful yet curious look in her eyes.

“And how’s your ever-elegant mother-in-law? Still difficult?”

“They say if a person changes suddenly, it’s a sign they’re dying. No matter how disappointed or upset I am, I don’t want that.”

“Oh, what a dutiful daughter-in-law,”

Yurim said with a wry smile, about to launch into a rant about Mrs. Kang. But before she could, Eunchae quickly handed her the menu.

“Hurry up and order. I’m treating, so pick something delicious and expensive.”

“You’re too good for your own good…”

Yurim gave Eunchae a sympathetic look but then turned her attention to the menu. Eunchae smiled softly and began looking at the menu as well.

“Is everything okay with your family?”

“What do you mean?”

After placing their orders, Yurim asked the question, causing Eunchae to tilt her head in confusion.

“Well… I heard that one of the researchers at your father’s company leaked some key technology to China. It was technology developed with investment from Kumyoung Electronics. The losses are said to be huge.

“What? Is that true?”

Eunchae was shocked at the news. She had been so preoccupied with her in-laws that she hadn’t paid attention to her own family and had no idea that this had happened.

“Yeah, don’t act like you know, but you should visit and see how your parents are doing.”

“Oh… right, I will. Thanks, Yurim.”

Eunchae nodded, her face turning pale. She held her water glass with trembling hands as her mind went blank, overwhelmed by the news.

***

“What? So-Hyun, what did you just say?”

Mrs. Kang, who had been cutting her steak, looked at So-Hyun with wide eyes.

“You said you saw my Lee Joon… my son, where?”

Stunned and struggling to find her words, Mrs. Kang asked again, her voice shaky. So-Hyun glanced around briefly before lowering her voice.

“I saw Lee Joon at a hotel yesterday, Mother. And he was with a woman, going into a room together. He came home late last night, didn’t he, Mother?”