Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 6: The Marguerite Flowers

Chapter 6: The Marguerite Flowers

As Eunchae stopped her car at a red light, she let out a heavy sigh, her face reflecting her troubled thoughts. Her empty gaze fell on a young couple crossing the street.

The young woman, with long hair and a fresh, innocent look, held a bouquet of Margaret flowers, likely a gift from her boyfriend.

Eunchae smiled faintly as she remembered the first time she received a bouquet from Lee Joon.

Less than a week after their blind date, their marriage was decided.

When Eunchae first heard the news from her parents, she could hardly believe it. This was because of the way Lee Joon had behaved during their initial meeting.

‘Do you know that among all the potential matches, your family is the least well-off, Miss Yoon Eunchae?’

His bluntness was shockingly rude. Eunchae’s expression immediately stiffened in surprise and discomfort.

The first time Eunchae met Lee Joon was 10 years ago. Even then, he had been arrogant and cold, but not to this extent.

Seeing her wide-eyed reaction, Lee Joon added with a sarcastic smile,

“And do you know that my mother is also very upset about this?”

Is he trying to sabotage this meeting?

That’s how Eunchae interpreted Lee Joon’s deliberately rude behavior. The match was arranged based on a promise between their families, and the blind date was essentially just a formality leading to marriage.

Even though it was their marriage, the opinions of the people getting married weren’t considered at all. They were simply following the orders of their elders.

So, it made sense for him to feel some resentment, and Eunchae saw Lee Joon’s attitude in that light.

‘Can you handle my mother? The rumors you’ve heard about my Mother’s temperament don’t even scratch the surface. She’s far more demanding and exhausting than you can imagine,’ Lee Joon warned her as if preparing her for what was to come.

In response, Eunchae gave a faint smile and asked, “Is that so?”

‘If I can handle it, does that mean I can marry you, Lee Joon?’

Her bold statement caused a slight crack in Lee Joon’s otherwise emotionless expression. It was the first time she had seen any change in his demeanor since they met.

‘Do you want to marry me?’ he asked, showing a hint of surprise.

As Lee Joon repeated the question, a crooked smile appeared on his lips.

*You, marry me?*

His cold, piercing stare seemed to ask just that. It felt like a challenge, daring her to try if she thought she could handle it.

Eunchae’s eyes widened with surprise at Lee Joon’s reaction. They had only been talking for about 30 minutes, yet in that short time, he had revealed different sides of himself, like peeling layers off an onion.

When they first greeted each other, he was cold and formal. As they started talking, he became rude and blunt. And now, with his polite mask completely off, he appeared almost rebellious.

Oddly enough, this more unguarded side of Lee Joon intrigued Eunchae. It made him seem much more human than the cold, dignified impression he had first given.

Perhaps it was this change in Lee Joon that encouraged Eunchae. She gathered her courage and answered honestly.

‘Yes, I do want to.’

Lee Joon’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression shifting as he observed Eunchae’s bright smile. An uneasy silence fell between them.

Lee Joon looked at Eunchae, who was smiling gently, with calm eyes. He was the first to break the silence.

‘It seems we’ve concluded, so I’ll be leaving now.’

With that, he stood up without hesitation.

Confused by Lee Joon’s words, Eunchae looked up at him. He was so tall that she had to stretch her neck as far as it would go.

I’ll contact you later. For now, goodbye.

Lee Joon stood up and left the place.

‘Hey…!’

Confused, Eunchae stood up awkwardly and reached out, but it was no use. He was already walking away in the distance.

Given how they parted, Eunchae didn’t expect any positive outcome from the match-making.

Even if the elders pushed for the marriage, if someone as strong-willed and proud as he was refused, it would be the end of it.

Furthermore, knowing that his mother, Mrs. Kang, didn’t seem to like her much, Eunchae had almost given up hope.

In the midst of this, she received news that the marriage was indeed moving forward.

A few days after the marriage was decided, Eunchae went on her first date with Lee Joon. It wasn’t anything extravagant—just a meal to get to know each other better.

Eunchae appreciated even this simple meeting, but Lee Joon seemed to be there reluctantly. However, he behaved politely towards her, unlike on the day of the matchmaking.

That day, Eunchae asked Lee Joon to buy her some flowers as he dropped her off at her house.

“Flowers… did you say?”

Lee Joon frowned and glanced at the flower shop across the street. Despite his reaction, Eunchae nodded firmly.

‘Yes. It’s our first date, so please buy me some flowers. If possible, I’d like them to be marguerite daisies.’

Eunchae smiled as she made her request, but Lee Joon just stared at her with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on her with an emotionless intensity.

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable under his indifferent stare, Eunchae kept her smile and waited for his response.

In the end, Lee Joon gave in. With a sigh, he finally gave in and went into the flower shop.

Eunchae’s eyes widened in surprise and happiness, as she hadn’t expected him to agree. She quickly followed him into the flower shop.

A short while later, Lee Joon handed her a bouquet of marguerite flowers with a neutral expression on his face.

‘Here.’

‘Thank you.’

Even though Lee Joon handed over the bouquet in a rather rude manner, Eunchae accepted it with a bright smile.

‘I only asked for a single flower, so I didn’t expect a whole bouquet. Thank you so much. You’re very generous.’

‘What?’

Lee Joon laughed softly at Eunchae’s playful comment.

‘You’re quite bold, Miss Yoon Eunchae.’

Eunchae felt pleased by Lee Joon’s surprised reaction. For the first time, she saw a spark of life in his expression as he shook his head and gave a wry smile.

Because of this, Eunchae gained a fair amount of confidence about the marriage. She knew they might not have a passionate love, but she expected they would manage to get along and live a stable life together.

“What kind of confidence was that? I was recklessly brave.”

Eunchae’s face grew dim as she reflected on this. Yet, she didn’t regret it.

Although it was hard to endure their one-sided love, Eunchae still waited. She hoped that one day Lee Joon would look at her and realize how much she loved him.

As she steadied her resolve to wait a bit longer, the traffic light changed. Eunchae shifted gears and began steering her car.

Just as she was about to turn into her parents’ neighborhood, a black sedan sped past her car.

Suddenly feeling a sense of déjà vu, Eunchae glanced at the rearview mirror. But the car had already disappeared from view as it turned out of the lane.  

“Did I see that wrong?”

Eunchae shrugged and focused on driving. After parking in front of her parents’ house, she hurried to the front gate.

A few seconds after she rang the doorbell, the surprised voice of Mrs. Yeo, the housekeeper, rang out loudly.

“Oh my! Miss Eunchae!”

“Hello! How have you been? I’ve come by, Auntie.”

“Oh my, what a surprise! What brings you here without any notice, Mrs.?”

The aunt’s busy voice was followed by the electronic sound of the door opening. The aunt calling for her mother and moving around in a hurry was a familiar sight.

“You’re still the same.”

Eunchae smiled gently as she stepped inside.

***

As Eunchae entered through the front door, passing by the neatly tended garden, her mother greeted her with a look of surprise.

In her mid-fifties, Mrs. Hwang had an elegant appearance. After graduating from art school, she married her husband, Yoon Jeong-ik, and lived a life focused on painting without much trouble.

Because of this, she was either seen as having a youthful, pure personality or, negatively, as being too kind and naive.

“Sweetheart, what brings you here so suddenly?”

“Can’t a daughter visit her family without warning? Why are you so surprised?”

Eunchae replied with a small smile.

“It’s just… when a married daughter shows up unexpectedly, it can be a bit unsettling, you know.”

Eunchae just smiled silently at her mother’s complaints about always worrying about her daughter. It was hard for her to ignore it because her situation felt so precarious.

Their marriage was very different, and Eunchae’s parents were constantly worried because they had no grandchildren and their only child was struggling.

“I was in the area for some errands and decided to drop by for a bit.”

Eunchae, sitting on the sofa and trying to cover up with a harmless lie, fixed her eyes on the coffee table. Two intricately crafted teacups were placed side by side.

“Did a guest come by?”

“Huh? Oh… um…”

At Eunchae’s question, her mother, Hwang Yuna, mumbled a vague response while discreetly checking Eunchae’s reaction. When their eyes met, she quickly looked away and told the housekeeper to clear the teacups.

While the housekeeper was clearing the teacups, Eunchae observed her mother closely. Although she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was off, there was something unnatural about her mother’s behavior.

“How is everyone at the in-laws’ house?”

When her mother asked about the well-being of the in-laws, Eunchae responded with a cheerful expression.

“Yes, everything’s fine.”

“Is that so? That’s a relief.”

“And what about you, Mom and Dad? Are you both doing well?”

Eunchae made a routine inquiry while trying to sense her mother’s reaction.

“Well, aside from your father’s blood pressure going up, everything is fine. We’re just concerned about you.”

Her mother’s response was filled with motherly concern, and Eunchae could only smile faintly in return.

Every time, she felt deeply sorry for her parents. They had raised her with love and care, but living in her in-laws’ home and feeling so small and unhappy made her feel inadequate and sad. It was even worse knowing that her parents were fully aware of her situation.

“Oh, by the way, I made some oi-sobagi (stuffed cucumbers) and kimchi with mustard greens yesterday. I remember that your in-laws like the kimchi, and your husband’s parents prefer the mustard greens.”

“You didn’t have to go through the trouble. They usually take care of it themselves when it’s time.”

Eunchae scolded her gently for going out of her way, but her mother waved it off, saying it was no trouble at all.

“That’s just how it is. I did it because I wanted to. Your dad likes kimchi with mustard greens, too. I made a lot of various kinds while I was at it.”

“Thank you, Mom. I’ll make sure to enjoy it.”

“You’re welcome. You don’t need to feel upset. No one forced me to do it; I did it because I wanted to.”

With a gentle touch, her mother patted Eunchae’s hand and comforted her.

“Eunchae, try to relax. That will help with having a baby. Lee Joon is very busy, so that might be a part of it. Don’t worry too much. Many couples have children even after 10 years of marriage.”

“Yes… I’ll keep trying.”

Eunchae’s voice trembled slightly as she answered. Receiving her mother’s comfort, the tightly held emotions she had been keeping in suddenly eased.

Feeling like she might burst into tears in front of her mother, Eunchae quickly composed herself. Mrs. Hwang also embraced her daughter quietly.

After a while, both mother and daughter managed to pull themselves together and continued to have ordinary conversations over tea.

In the end, Eunchae left her parents’ house with only a bundle of wrapped side dishes and no significant resolution.

“Should I ask Lee Joon about it? To see if there are any problems at Dad’s company.”

As she muttered to herself while walking to her car, she heard a familiar voice calling her from behind.

“Eunchae! Eunchae Yoon!”

Turning around reflexively, Eunchae’s eyes widened as she saw a tall man standing a few steps away.