Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 50: I Was Wrong

Chapter 50: I Was Wrong

When Lee Joon finally confessed his feelings, Eunchae was in shock, unable to react. She stood still, frozen, as if time had stopped, her sense of reality slipping away.

A light breeze blew through the large window in the kitchen, gently ruffling her hair. It was the only reminder of the passage of time.

“…Do you even realize what you’re saying right now?”

“Of course, I’m fully aware.”

Eunchae was left speechless again by his directness. A sense of bewilderment quickly spread across her face, making her lips twitch.

“Do you want me to explain further? I want to start over with you.”

‘…That’s impossible.’

Eunchae mumbled, lost in her thoughts. Her eyelids blinked mechanically as confusion clouded her mind.

“No… why on earth…?”

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, leaving her speechless.

‘Could it be…?’

Her complexion turned pale as realization dawned, and her eyes sharpened with intensity.

“Has there been another change in the content of your will?”

“…What?”

Lee Joon frowned at the unexpected mention of a will.

“What do you mean?”

“Is it because your grandfather said I had to be with you to inherit the shares? Is that why you’ve been so nice to me? Is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s not it at all.”

Lee Joon’s expression hardened in shock. He hadn’t realized Eunchae would misunderstand him to this extent, viewing him as a heartless person.

“Why are you saying something like that?”

Eunchae glared at him, her voice sharp.

“You wouldn’t do something like that just because we had s*x together. What’s wrong with you? What are you really up to this time?”

Her suspicious reaction made Lee Joon feel helpless. He had expected Eunchae to be reluctant to accept his feelings; if she had accepted them easily, he would have been even more confused.

But… he never expected her to misunderstand him like this.

“The will… had nothing to do with the inheritance in the first place.”

“I asked my grandfather to help bring you closer to me. I wanted him to use the company shares as an excuse to keep you by my side.”

“…What… what did you just say? What on earth are you…?”

Eunchae sprang to her feet, the sudden motion causing the dishes on the table to rattle noisily.

“Calm down, Eunchae. Just sit down for a moment…”

“Do I look calm? You deceived me and brought us to this point!”

“I was desperate. I wanted to start over with you, so I used every means at my disposal. The clause in our divorce preventing me from remarrying for three years was my only hope.”

Lee Joon’s expression changed to one of urgency as he explained. His eyes shone with a pleading intensity that revealed the depth of his feelings.

“Did you orchestrate the bank harassment as well?”

“Yeah.”

His direct answer left Eunchae in disbelief, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. She had suspected as much, but hearing it directly from Lee Joon made her feel even more uneasy.

“You haven’t changed at all. Your selfish attitude, always putting yourself first, is still the same.”

Her breaths came out in shaky bursts of excitement and anger. She was furious at how thoroughly she had been deceived.

“I completely understand that you’re angry and frustrated. I knew you would hate and resent me. But at that time, I had no other choice. So, Eunchae…”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear it!”

Eunchae shouted sharply, cutting him off.

“How could you forget what you did to me? When we were married, and right up until the divorce! Have you forgotten everything, Tae Lee Joon? Especially here, in this place!”

Her emotions surged, and she paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to collect herself.

“Do you remember what you did to me here…?”

“I’m sorry.”

Lee Joon apologized with a heavy gaze, filled with regret. He deeply regretted his actions that day.

At the time, he was overwhelmed by his cousin’s desperate situation – she was seriously ill and on the verge of death. As soon as he received Alice’s call, he brushed aside Eunchae’s attempts to stop him and rushed to Seoul in a panic.

‘I should have left this place with you that day. If you had known that my beloved cousin was in such critical condition in the car, and if I had taken you home afterward, you would have been less hurt.’

Although he knew that regret was useless, Lee Joon was haunted by the same thoughts every time he thought about that day.

“I still think about that day every time my birthday rolls around. All I can picture is your back as you left me for her!”

As she spoke, painful memories resurfaced, making Eunchae tremble.

“And now what? Do you want to start over? No, I don’t want that.”

Her anger was more about the deception than the idea of starting anew.

“Don’t you ever say that again…”

Eunchae glared at him. Her eyes were fierce as she warned him. As she tried to walk away from the kitchen, Lee Joon grabbed her shoulder and turned her back to him.

“Eunchae…”

“Let go of me!”

As she twisted to break free, Lee Joon tightened his grip on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I messed up.”

Hearing his desperate apology, Eunchae finally stopped her movements. Her eyes, filled with turmoil, trembled as they met his.

It was the first time she had ever heard Lee Joon apologize and it left her speechless. She could feel his genuine remorse and the sincerity of his request for forgiveness.

Perhaps that was why she found it hard to reject him as resolutely as before.

“Don’t do this… it’s not like you, Tae Lee Joon.”

“This will be the real me that moves forward. I’ll take care of you, Eunchae, and think only of you.”

He removed a hand from her shoulder and gently lifted her chin to meet her eyes.

“I’m not asking you to accept me without question. Just give me a chance to be forgiven. Don’t push me away. I can’t give you up. I will never let you go.”

“Lee Joon!”

“You were shaken too.”

“Who… who was shaken?”

Eunchae replied, her voice rising in denial. Lee Joon smiled faintly and stroked her cheek gently.

“Then what about last night? That hot, intense night we spent together?”

“That was impulsive…!”

“Don’t fool yourself, Yoon Eunchae.”

Lee Joon interrupted her protest with a bitter smile, his tone firm.

“You of all people had impulsive sex? With your ex-husband, the one you divorced for infidelity?”

“…”

“If it had been a mistake, it would have ended with that one time. But it didn’t. We’ve done it countless times, and each time you’ve gasped and trembled in my arms. And you still call it impulsive?”

Eunchae was at a loss for words, unable to argue.

Yes, she admitted it. She had come up with all sorts of excuses and reasons, but ultimately, she had let her heart draw her into spending the night with him.

“I’ve tried so hard to get closer to you. But… it always seemed to lead to misunderstandings.”

Reflecting on the past month, Lee Joon offered a bittersweet smile.

“The more I think about it, the more I realize what kind of person I was to you, and how difficult it must have been for you. I understand now how painful and lonely it is to only see the back of someone else.”

Seeing his face clouded with gloom, Eunchae felt her heart waver. She sensed his genuine remorse and regret.

Eunchae felt her resolve weakening, wanting to avoid Lee Joon. When she turned her head away, he grasped her chin again, turning her back to face him.

“Look at me. Just don’t run away.”

His intense gaze held hers and he wanted her to meet his, even if it was with hatred and contempt. He wished she would hurl insults at him instead of turning away in indifference.

Eunchae’s feelings were turbulent and complex. She knew she should push him away, but when it came down to it, she couldn’t bring herself to act. Her heart raced uncontrollably.

Struggling to suppress her wavering emotions, she replied coldly.

“If you understand, then stop. This isn’t something you should be doing. I don’t want to start over.”

“Eunchae…”

“Let’s just go back to Seoul. I don’t have anything more to say.”

Eunchae rejected Lee Joon’s apology and feelings once and for all. She brushed his hand away from her shoulder and cheek.

“I completely erased you from my heart when we divorced.”

Even as she said the words, tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Quickly, Eunchae turned and fled from the kitchen, her heart racing as she tried to escape.

Fortunately, Lee Joon didn’t follow her, so she could go straight to the bedroom, feeling his lingering gaze on her back.

***

“Haa… haa…”

Eunchae closed the bedroom door and leaned against it, breathing heavily through her tears. Her vision was blurred and tears trickled down her cheeks.

“Why… why now…?”

Her words trailed off, unable to find completion. Memories of the two difficult years she spent as Lee Joon’s wife flooded her mind, bringing back all the scars and pain she had endured. 

Living like a window display couple, they remained in parallel lines, never really belonging to each other or reaching each other. Even when Eunchae tried to connect with Lee Joon, he coldly pushed her away. 

His cold look and his sharp words cut deep. The more she loved him, the bigger the wounds and pain became. Even when she wanted to give up, her foolish love wouldn’t let her.

So she endured. She thought that Lee Joon wanted her to be patient and bear it, so she gritted her teeth and held on. 

But with each passing day, her body and mind felt more and more exhausted, as if she was clinging to a thorny vine. 

What was the result? Not only had Lee Joon been unfaithful, but he had also demanded a divorce, brutally tearing at her heart in the most despicable way.

‘After all that… he wants to start again? Who does he think he is?’

Eunchae shook her head, insisting that it was too late, that such a thing was impossible. Just as she was beginning to collect her thoughts, she heard a knock at the door.

“Eunchae.”

She didn’t answer. Then Lee Joon spoke in a low voice.

“I’ll have the car waiting. Take your time getting ready and come out.”

His words sounded almost like a plea for her to open her heart slowly, and Eunchae chose not to respond again.

As the sounds faded and silence enveloped the room, she slid against the door and sat on the floor.

“Haa…”

Letting out a deep sigh, she brought her knees up to her face, hiding it.

She had rejected him with determination. Yet, like reeds swaying in the wind, her resolve wavered.

‘I can’t give you up. I will never let you go.’

Lee Joon’s voice echoed in her mind like a persistent ringing.