Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 52. Just Be Her Brother

Chapter 52. Just Be Her Brother

Eunchae swallowed nervously and stared at Lee Joon. His expression was cold and rigid as he approached, one hand casually shoved into his suit pocket. The deep furrow in his brow made it clear that he was angry. 

“I thought I warned you – just stick to being her brother.” 

Lee Joon threw the words at Woo-sung with a cold smile. He didn’t even bother with the bare minimum of politeness, like a simple greeting. There was no need for that with an unwelcome guest who had the nerve to follow his wife to her front door. 

After glancing at Woo-sung for a moment with sharp eyes, Lee Joon turned his gaze to Eunchae’s stunned face.

“Another sleepless night, huh? How much longer is she going to stress about this?”

Lee Joon clicked his tongue in frustration, already imagining Eunchae worrying about the situation. 

“That’s what I do – being her brother.”

Woo-sung shot back, his eyes blazing with anger. He was on the verge of losing control, his judgment clouded with anger. 

But even that anger seemed ridiculous to Lee Joon. He tilted his head slightly and let out a small, mocking laugh as if he were dealing with a mere child. 

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes. So just tell me the truth. Why is Eunchae standing in front of a house that wouldn’t even be satisfying to tear apart?”

Woo-sung sneered, his fists clenched as if ready to strike at any moment. His eyes were filled with poisonous rage.

And yet, for all his hostility, Woo-sung was no match for Lee Joon. Once again, it was Lee Joon who took control of the situation first.

“Why ask if you already know? She’s here because she lives with me.”

“W-what… what did you just say?”

“Lee Joon!”

Amidst Woo-sung’s stunned reaction, Eunchae’s voice rang out reflexively.

Lee Joon ignored the pleading look in her eyes and silently begged him not to continue. He had already spoken the truth – it was too late to take it back, and he had no intention of doing so.

He was going to make sure that Woo-sung, as cowardly and petty as he was, understood that clearly.

Yoon Eunchae would be by his side forever. It was time for Woo-sung to give up any false hope and wake up. He had to stay away from his wife forever.

“What did you just say? Say it again!”

Woo-sung’s face turned red with anger. He was on the verge of losing control, ready to explode at the slightest provocation.

“Gladly.”

Lee Joon nodded slightly and repeated his words in a clear voice.

“I said she lives with me. Do you want me to make it even clearer?”

“You… you bastard! I knew it! You used this investment as leverage to do something dirty to Eunchae, didn’t you?”

Woo-sung’s patience and self-restraint finally snapped. His face contorted with rage as he swung his fist toward Lee Joon.

“I warned you last time, didn’t I?”

Lee Joon frowned as he raised his hand to block the punch. But Eunchae was a step quicker.

“Oppa!”

She screamed, wrapping her arms tightly around Woo-sung’s waist. Whether thanks to her or despite her, his fist stopped just inches from Lee Joon’s face.

“Don’t, oppa. Please don’t.”

“Let go, Eunchae! I won’t let him get away with this!”

“Oppa, please…”

“How could he… how dare he do this to you? Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”

Woo-sung struggled, overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness and frustration he’d never felt before. The mere thought of Eunchae living under the same roof as Lee Joon was enough to drive him mad, but Lee Joon’s smug words from earlier only deepened his misery.

‘Shall I make it even clearer?’

“Damn it…!”

Even a curse, something he rarely uttered, slipped from his lips. The more his anger flared, the more guilty and confused Eunchae felt. It all seemed to be her fault.

“I wanted this! I… I asked for it!”

“…What?”

Woo-sung, who had been struggling, froze as if someone had slammed the brakes.

“It wasn’t Lee Joon who did anything wrong. As we kept meeting, old feelings resurfaced. So… I asked him if we could try living together again….”

“Are you serious? You expect me to believe that?”

Woo-sung turned to face Eunchae, his face twisted with disbelief and anger as he stared down at her.

“Believe me. It’s the truth.”

Eunchae nodded, her gaze unwavering. Even though they both knew that wasn’t entirely true, she insisted that it had been her choice, not forced, because she believed that was the only way Woo-sung would let go.

Even if Lee Joon had pressured her, she had signed the contract of her own free will.

“Eunchae, what’s wrong with you? Did Tae Lee Joon tell you to say that?”

Woo-sung grabbed her shoulders, demanding she tell him the truth.

“No, oppa. I was the one who brought it up first. So please, just go home.”

“Yoon Eunchae!”

“Quiet down, unless you want to be dragged away.”

The deep, chilling voice made both Eunchae and Woo-sung jump. Instinctively, their mouths closed as their gaze shifted to Lee Joon, whose expression had hardened into a cold, unyielding mask.

“Stand by.”

At Lee Joon’s command, they both turned to follow his gaze.

“Oh no…”

Eunchae sighed in dismay. The commotion had attracted the attention of Lee Joon’s security team, who were now watching the scene intently, waiting for further orders. At his signal, they were ready to act.

“Let go of her hand. Unless you want your wrist broken before they even drag you away.”

Lee Joon’s eyes were fixed on Woo-sung’s hand, which was still holding Eunchae’s shoulder. Eunchae, her face full of fear, watched Lee Joon closely. From the intensity of his gaze, it seemed as if he was fully prepared to carry out his threat.

When Woo-sung stubbornly refused to let go, Lee Joon took a step closer. Sensing the danger, Eunchae quickly twisted her body to free herself.

“Come here.”

Lee Joon’s expression softened slightly as he held out his hand to Eunchae. Obediently, she took his hand and moved to his side.

“Eunchae!”

As Woo-sung reached for Eunchae, desperately trying to stop her, Lee Joon wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him with a smug grin.

It was the unmistakable moment when the line between Woo-sung and defeated became clear.

While Lee Joon smiled with a mixture of triumph and hollow self-recrimination, Woo-sung’s eyes gradually lost their sparkle, as if his soul had been drained, leaving behind an empty shell.

After looking at Woo-sung’s defeated expression, Lee Joon turned to Eunchae and calmly instructed her.

“Go inside.”

“I’ll talk to him.”

“Talk to him? Here? Do you see how many eyes are watching us right now?”

Lee Joon motioned toward the bodyguards standing behind her, making it clear that they were not alone.

“Do you want to attract even more attention?”

Unable to argue, Eunchae lowered her gaze, staring at the ground in silence. How did it come to this? Where had it all gone so wrong?

Tears welled up in her eyes, the weight of regret and helplessness pressing down on her. She lifted her head to look at Woo-sung, whose expression was empty and lost, which only made her heart hurt more. It felt as if it was all her fault. 

“Oppa, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” 

Eunchae repeated. Her eyes filled with tears. Woo-sung remained silent, his face stiff and unreadable, while Lee Joon’s jaw clenched as he watched. Even at that moment, he felt a pang of jealousy at her affection for Woo-sung.

It wasn’t just today. Lee Joon had always been jealous of Kim Woo-sung.

He resented the deep bond and shared memories they had. Every time Eunchae leaned on Woo-sung and treated him like a real brother, it annoyed him. And when she smiled warmly at Woo-sung, it twisted something inside him.

‘Oppa. Woo-sung.’

Even that name, which occasionally slipped from her lips, fueled his jealousy. Her smooth, clear voice was always filled with affection and unwavering trust whenever she spoke about Woo-sung. 

Sometimes, when Eunchae would casually mention Woo-sung, Lee Joon would silence her with a kiss—forcefully, as if to punish her. ‘I’m the one in front of you; how dare you talk about another man?’ His kisses were rough, driven by jealousy. 

Other times, when she spoke of another man, he would make her cry out only his name. He would hold her fiercely and passionately until the heat of their intimacy blurred her vision. He wanted her to see only him, to forget that anyone else existed.

“Go inside.”

“Lee Joon…”

“Your precious Woo-sung oppa won’t be harmed, not a single hair on his head. So don’t worry, just go.”

Knowing exactly what she was afraid of, Lee Joon assured her of Woo-sung’s safety. But even at that moment, jealousy was tearing him apart.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Eunchae reluctantly started to leave after Lee Joon assured her with a serious look.

Woo-sung couldn’t bring himself to stop her. Even if he ran after her and grabbed her, what would change? As Lee Joon had warned, he would probably just be dragged away by the bodyguards. It would be a foolish act of bravery.

“We’re finally facing reality, aren’t we?”

A mocking smile curled the corners of Lee Joon’s lips. The open contempt in his grin made Woo-sung’s face harden. He clenched his fists tightly, but all he could do was breathe heavily, his breaths uneven with the frustration he felt.

“Do you have a conscience at all? How much more will you hurt Eunchae before you’re satisfied? You’re just going to use her and toss her aside like it’s nothing, and yet…!”

“You’re speaking far too carelessly. No manners at all.”

Lee Joon interrupted Woo-sung’s tirade with a frown. He had expected this scholarly type to be calm and collected, but the more he got to know him, the rougher Woo-sung’s behavior became.

“What are you going to do when her parents find out…!”

“Ah, there it is. The pathetic way to pressure Eunchae, your trump card to play Big Brother.”

Lee Joon’s reply was calm as if he had anticipated this all along, causing Woo-sung’s brow to furrow in frustration.

“With her father bedridden, there could hardly be a bigger threat to Eunchae than that, right?”

Lee Joon added the weight of their shared knowledge of the worst-case scenario and stepped closer to Woo-sung. The gap between the two men closed and their gazes met with fierce intensity.

“If you want to tell her parents in Gyeongju, go ahead. I won’t stop you.”

“What…?”

Woo-sung was taken aback by Lee Joon’s indifferent response. He couldn’t understand what Lee Joon was relying on to be so calm. Sensing Woo-sung’s confusion, Lee Joo

n kindly explained his reasoning.

“If her father collapses from the shock, Kim Woo-sung, you’d really be finished with Eunchae. Wouldn’t that make you an unfortunate adversary to her family?”

Lee Joonn’s eyes were icy as he delivered the final blow. Woo-sung swallowed nervously, his anxiety and fear growing. It became clear that he was the one being threatened now.

Seizing the moment, Lee Joon placed a hand on Woo-sung’s shoulder. Woo-sung’s body tensed immediately, likely remembering their previous encounter.

“Relax. Last time, I was simply returning the favor. Today, you won’t get hurt.”

Because I promised Eunchae. Lee Joon gave a faint smile, staring intensely at Woo-sung, who glared back as though he wanted to kill him.

“I told you, didn’t I? For the rest of your life, just be her brother.”

“……”

“My words weren’t a threat to tell Eunchae, but rather a warning not to get caught.”

“A… warning?”

Woo-sung repeated Lee Joon’s words, his voice filled with confusion. His narrowed eyes reflected his growing unease.

“Yes, a warning. To Eunchae, you’re truly like an older brother. So…”

Lee Joon deliberately paused, tightening his grip on Woo-sung’s shoulder. The pressure made Woo-sung’s face contort in discomfort.

“So, don’t ruin that. Don’t let her see you as anything else.”

“Never get caught. If you do, Eunchae… won’t be able to handle the betrayal. It’ll break her completely.”