Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 57: The Truth I Didn't Know (2)

Chapter 57: The Truth I Didn’t Know (2)

“What do you mean by ‘advances’? What has Eunchae done?”

At the mention of Eunchae, Mrs. Kang’s expression turned fierce.

“Huh… I don’t know how that woman bewitched Lee Joon… They meet outside every day, holding hands in public, not caring who sees them… I can’t stand it!”

“What? Is that true?”

“Yes… I even had someone follow Eunchae to keep an eye on her. And then…”

So-hyun sobbed as she pulled a photo from her bag and placed it on the table.

Mrs Kang picked up the photo to look at it, her eyes glowing fiercely. So-hyun’s words rang true; the picture clearly showed Eunchae and Lee Joon as a loving couple.

“Hah…! That sly woman. I told her to act, but it seems she’s just feeding her desires.”

Mrs Kang’s eyes narrowed. She stared at Eunchae’s bright smile in the photo. The happiness she radiated was infuriating.

“No matter how indifferent he is to women, he’s still a man. If his ex-wife makes advances, won’t he be influenced? After all, they share a bedroom. What if Eunchae gets pregnant…”

“Oh, So-hyun! Don’t say such terrible things!”

Mrs Kang jumped up in alarm. The thought of Eunchae having Lee Joon’s child was terrifying to her.

“There’s no way Lee Joon would do that!”

“Do you think I would worry without reason? Just recently, they were spotted at the beach… and they even spent the night together. Mother… you didn’t know, did you?”

“What?!”

Mrs. Kang was taken aback, clearly shocked by the news.

“What do you mean? When did this happen?”

“It was over a week ago, Mother.”

So-hyun’s eyes welled up with tears as she showed her photos of the couple on the beach. Another showed them entering a hotel together.

“Oh my… what in the world!”

Mrs Kang was at a loss for words as she stared at the photos. The sight of the two of them confidently entering the hotel hand in hand left her speechless.

“I knew it! I felt bad from the moment my father took that woman to the eastern annex!”

Her face flushed with anger. Since Eunchae had been hiding under Tae Moo-jin’s influence, she had no idea what was happening. 

Furthermore, Lee Joon had insisted that she not provoke Eunchae, so Mrs Kang was unable to call her to warn her or keep an eye on her.

“Mother, I’m really worried. No matter how good it is for the company if Eunchae gets pregnant… it’s over for us”.

As So-hyun wiped her tears, Mrs. Kang’s expression turned fierce. Her fingers trembled as they clutched the photos tightly.

“That must never happen… Do you know how hard I worked to get rid of that woman?”

Mrs Kang coldly ordered her assistant to prepare the car. She could no longer watch as Eunchae tried to charm her son.

***

Amidst the bustle of the crowd, Eunchae moved with a dazed expression. Her eyes, unfocused and blurred, began to fill with tears.

Eunchae walked aimlessly and before she knew it, she bumped into a passerby.

“Hey! Where are you looking?”

“I’m sorry…”

Her weak apology barely escaped her lips and she found herself unable to move, as if her body was frozen. The conversation with Director Park kept replaying in her mind.

“What do you mean by ‘tied up’, director? Are you saying that Lee Joon… had a vasectomy or something?”

Her face drained of color as she anxiously turned to Park Seong-kyung, who had fallen silent, searching for answers.

“Director!”

Startled, Eunchae shouted, causing Park Seong-kyung to freeze in embarrassment, unsure of how to respond. She had made a mistake, something she never did in such serious matters.

“I’m sorry, Eunchae. I misspoke.”

“Misspoke? More like you just revealed the truth.”

With a cold, piercing gaze, Eunchae pressed on.

“Lee Joon had a vasectomy, didn’t he? You knew everything from the beginning, that’s why he introduced you to me – to hide that truth. Am I right?”

“Eunchae…”

“Oh my…”

Park Seong-kyung’s inability to explain left Eunchae completely devastated. There was no need to hear more, it was all true.

“How… how could this happen?”

Overwhelmed by a betrayal she couldn’t endure, Eunchae walked out of the examination room.

“Eunchae!”

She could hear Park Seong-kyung calling her from the waiting room, but Eunchae didn’t look back as she left the hospital.

“Damn him… that bastard Lee Joon.”

Eunchae’s lips trembled as she let out a curse filled with resentment, stifling her cries. How could someone deceive her to such an extent? How could he hide such an important truth?

“Hah…!”

Her incredulous laughter was laced with the sting of tears. She wanted nothing more than to collapse on the floor and cry out loud. She couldn’t understand Lee Joon’s intention to start over after such a monumental betrayal.

“Ugh—!”

Suddenly a wave of nausea hit Eunchae and she covered her mouth with her hand. Instinctively, she put her other hand to her stomach.

“It’s okay, little one. It’s okay.”

She gently stroked her belly, interpreting the morning sickness as the baby trying to communicate. It was then that the reality of her situation began to sink in. 

Now that Director Park knew she was pregnant, it was only a matter of time before Lee Joon found out. What would he say?

He had undergone a vasectomy, yet he still avoided intimacy on ovulation days. Of course, he didn’t want a child.

“If it weren’t for the contract…”

Eunchae wailed in a desperate voice. If it weren’t for the contract, if it weren’t for the money he had invested, she would want to end it all right now.

As she sighed deeply, overwhelmed by the sad reality, her phone rang with a call from Manager Kwon.

“Hello?”

She answered in a soft voice that seemed devoid of strength, only to be met with a desperate tone. 

“Ma’am! This is serious! The big lady…!” 

At Manager Kwon’s report, Eunchae’s wide eyes filled with urgency. After hanging up, her expression twisted with pain as she made her way home.

***

Manager Kwon and the staff at the eastern annex stood anxiously outside Eunchae and Lee Joon’s bedroom, pacing back and forth.

What could have happened to make Mrs. Kang storm into the eastern annex where her father-in-law was staying? With a fierce look in her eyes, she headed straight for the couple’s bedroom.

Manager Kwon and the staff exchanged confused glances, unsure of what to do. After a moment’s hesitation, they followed Mrs Kang upstairs to the second-floor bedroom.

To their shock, Mrs Kang was going through her son and daughter-in-law’s bedroom like a madwoman. She was throwing Eunchae’s things around and stomping on them.

The sheer intensity of her anger made everyone too afraid to intervene. Knowing her temperament, Manager Kwon and the staff felt they couldn’t even ask what was going on.

As luck would have it, it was Tae Moo-jin’s working day and there was no one at home to stop Mrs Kang.

Having vented her frustration by destroying Eunchae’s things, Mrs Kang walked over to the bed. When she saw the pillows side by side, her already heightened emotions boiled over.

“How dare that filthy woman…!”

Mrs. Kang grabbed a pillow and threw it on the floor before making her way to the bedside table. As she pulled open the drawers to tip them over, her eyes caught something: a box of condoms.

“Ah…! How dare you deceive me, you little bitch!”

As she trembled while picking up the box, a sharp voice called out from behind her.

“What are you doing?!”

Turning around, she found Lee Joon standing there, his face set in a fierce scowl.

Lee Joon looked at his mother in disbelief, his eyes showing his frustration.

He could hardly bear to look at his mother in such a disheveled state. Her elegantly styled hair was half undone, her face glistened with sweat and her clothes were a mess.

“I said, what are you doing, Mother?”

His voice was icy cold as he repeated the question. Even though she was his biological mother, every time he saw her in such a state, it went beyond disappointment; it bordered on disgust. He wanted to deny their blood relationship.

“What about you? What the hell are you doing with that woman?!”

Mrs Kang screamed and threw the box of condoms at Lee Joon, the veins in her neck bulging with anger.

“You crazy fool! What are you doing at a time like this? What if Eunchae gets pregnant? You can’t even control yourself!”

“Honestly, that’s what I’ve been hoping for, but unfortunately, it hasn’t happened yet, Mother.”

“What… what do you mean by that?”

Mrs Kang’s chest heaved with irregular breaths as she absorbed her son’s disturbing reaction.

Not surprisingly, her disheveled appearance caused Lee Joon to furrow his brow. Finally, he decided to spill the beans.

“I want to officially reunite with Eunchae and live together.”

“What… what did you just say? You… you crazy—!”

“Yes, that’s right. I’ve lost my mind, especially when it comes to Eunchae.”

Lee Joon’s grin only added to Mrs Kang’s shock. She couldn’t believe her son had lost his mind. How else could he make such ridiculous statements?

“Lee Joon, why are you acting like this? Did that woman, Eunchae, manipulate you? Did she use her body to seduce you?”

“Watch your words, Mother. If you insult Eunchae like that one more time, I won’t forgive you, even if you’re my mother.”

He delivered the warning sternly before adding the truth.

“The one who manipulates things is not Eunchae, it’s me. I’m the one begging and pleading to be accepted. It was my plan from the beginning. The one who trapped Eunchae with ridiculous conditions is none other than your son.”

“…What are you saying? Are you saying that you genuinely… like Eunchae?”

“Yes, I do. I love Eunchae… deeply. I’ve loved her from the very beginning. Not for a single moment have I ever stopped loving her.”

With that bold statement, Lee Joon let out a hollow, bitter laugh.

He felt frustrated. He hadn’t even made a proper confession to Eunchae, yet here he was telling everything to his mother, who was the reason for his divorce. It felt incredibly unfair.

“If you love her so much… why did you get divorced in the first place? This isn’t a game! Why did you lie about cheating and go through with the divorce?”

“It was because of you! Do you have any idea how much Eunchae and I suffered because of your infidelity? If it hadn’t been for the mess you created, I could have loved Eunchae freely!”

As he spoke, his anger rose and his voice grew louder. His face contorted with rage. The overwhelming rage felt like it was about to ignite from somewhere deep inside him, ready to explode.

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have treated Eunchae so harshly, nor would I have lied to her and stabbed her heart with the betrayal that led to the divorce!”

As Lee Joon poured out his resentment, clutching his chest in anguish, there was a thud as something fell to the ground.

Fear gripped him as he turned, his body going rigid. His eyes widened in shock at what he saw. Eunchae stood at the bedroom door, her face as pale as a plaster statue.