Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 64: The Ex-Husband's Proposal

Chapter 64: The Ex-Husband’s Proposal

That alone was enough to surprise Eunchae, but she was even more surprised when she found out that Lee Joon had taken up baking on the side.

‘I missed the taste of the chestnut bread you used to make.

Upon learning the reason behind his new hobby, Eunchae’s heart ached. Despite Lee Joon insisting that she should rest and go back to sleep, she ended up making a cake and chestnut bread with him.

But that wasn’t the end of it. Lee Joon also cooked seaweed soup himself and prepared a simple breakfast for her.

‘I can’t promise I’ll make it for you every day because of work or business trips, but I’ll always do my best.’

As Eunchae lowered her gaze to her wrist, she thought about Lee Joon’s earnest expression when he made his promise. Her eyes curved into a crescent shape as she looked at the rose gold bracelet he had gifted her that morning.

“I picked it out myself, after days of thinking about it.”

Understanding the significance of his words, Eunchae let out a tearful laugh. Lee Joon remembered the wish she had shared on her first birthday after they got married.

Watching her genuine joy, Lee Joon smiled warmly and gently put on the bracelet on her wrist.

“Please, once again, I’m asking you—this must never get out. If it does, it’ll be a real disaster.”

“Don’t worry. We can keep it a secret.”

“Yeah, trust us.”

At Eunchae’s insistence, Seong-ah and Yoo-rim sealed their lips with a playful gesture, assuring her there was no chance they would spill anything.

With that, Eunchae felt a weight lift from her heart.

“Eunchae, stop worrying and just eat something. Even with morning sickness, it’s your birthday, you have to eat something! At least try the cake your husband made with all his heart.”

“Alright, I will.”

With the support and encouragement of her friends, Eunchae was able to enjoy her birthday party. She felt that some of her worries had been lifted.

***

After chatting and eating for quite a while, Seong-ah and Yoo-rim finally left Eunchae’s two-room apartment at 8 PM.

Even though they told her to stay inside, Eunchae decided to see them off, thinking it would help her digest. As they drove away from the two-room apartment in their cars, a familiar voice called out to her.

“Eunchae!”

“Huh? Lee Joon!”

Eunchae walked over to Lee Joon as he stepped out of the car, the door closing behind him.

“Why are you out here? What about Seong-ah and Yoo-rim?”

“They just left. I was seeing them off, I’m on my way back in.”

“Oh? Did you eat something?”

“Yes, the food was great today. Even Hope seems to have fallen for Mrs. Han’s cooking.”

Eunchae said with a clear smile, gently rubbing her belly.

“Our little Hope has already given you the perfect birthday gift.”

Lee Joon added, his innocent smile matching hers as he softly patted her belly. It was still a wonder to him, the thought that inside her flat stomach was their child—a mix of both Eunchae and himself.

“What’s that?”

Eunchae asked, pointing at the bouquet in his hand. It was a bunch of Marguerite daisies, her favorite flowers. In his other hand, he held a small paper bag.

“What else? It’s a birthday gift.”

With a bright smile, Lee Joon handed the bouquet to Eunchae.

“I bought these because you look so beautiful today. I wanted to celebrate your birthday.”

“Thank you,”

Eunchae said, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers. She looked so lovely and graceful that Lee Joon couldn’t resist kissing her cheek.

“Lee Joon, someone might see!”

“Let them watch. It’s not like we were kissing wildly—kept it as innocent as possible, so what’s the problem?”

Lee Joon said with a smile, gently stroking Eunchae’s cheek as she looked flustered. His carefree attitude left Eunchae momentarily speechless, her mouth falling open in surprise.

“Since we’re out, how about we take a walk?”

“Sounds good.”

Eunchae agreed readily, and the two of them strolled hand in hand toward the nearby park.

“The days have been getting warmer, and the sun’s staying out longer too.”

“I should clean the air conditioner soon. Director Kim said that you might feel the heat more now that you’re pregnant.”

“I read that too in one of the books.”

They talked about small topics they had never discussed before, and perhaps because of that, they finally felt like a true couple.

“There are so many poplar trees in this park.”

Lee Joon looked at the tree-lined street filled with poplars and commented on their beauty. Eunchae suddenly recalled something.

“Did you know that Monet often painted poplar trees?”

“Really?”

“Yes. Before he created his series of water lilies, he painted a lot of poplar trees. He experimented with different styles, almost like he was practicing for a masterpiece.”

“I see.”

Lee Joon listened intently to Eunchae’s thoughts, his expression thoughtful.

“But I don’t think it can just be seen as practice. There must have been a reason for each moment he spent painting the poplar trees. For an artist, every piece is precious. It’s a process of growth.”

“Thinking about it, you might be right.”

“Perhaps… our love is similar. It’s not quite the same as practice, but it’s gone through so many twists and turns before reaching its fruition, with our true feelings finally reaching each other”.

“That process may have been necessary. It was painful and difficult, but it made us stronger in the end.”

“Not yet.”

Lee Joon disagreed gently, pulling something from a small bag.

“This is a gift for Hope.”

“Lee Joon.”

As she accepted the gift, Eunchae’s eyes filled with surprise, joy, and a rush of emotion. It was a pair of adorable, tiny baby shoes.

“I bought this as my first gift as a father. I imagined our little Hope wearing these and taking her first wobbly steps.”

The thought of that joyful scene brought a sting to Eunchae’s nose.

It was a moment she had once longed for dearly: their child giggling and taking wobbly steps, while they both watched closely, making sure she didn’t fall.

“But then…it wouldn’t make sense if I’m still your ex-husband.”

Lee Joon said with a faint smile, emphasizing that it couldn’t be that way. Suddenly, he knelt.

“Lee Joon! What are you doing? Get up!”

Eunchae flustered and unsure how to react, urged Lee Joon to get up quickly. But instead of standing, he pulled out a small velvet box and held it out in front of her.

“Lee Joon…”

Her voice trailed off as she finally realized what was happening. Her eyes were fixed on the open velvet box, where a simple diamond ring sparkled under the streetlight.

“Yoon Eunchae.”

His serious tone made her lips tremble as she bit down on them, tears quickly welling in her eyes.

“Marry me again. I don’t want to be just your ex-husband—I want to be Yoon Eunchae’s present husband. I want to be with you for the rest of my life.”

“Sniff….”

Eunchae began to cry, overwhelmed by the sincerity and love in his proposal. As she cried, Lee Joon laughed softly and asked her for an answer.

“Can you say yes first and then cry? I’m dying to hold you in my arms and kiss away your tears.”

“Ah…! Seriously…”

A mixture of laughter and tears spilled over as she struggled to form her response.

Eunchae shook her head at his signature playful tone, unable to find the words to scold him. Yet, a radiant smile graced her face.

“Yes, I will. I will marry you again, Lee Joon.”

At last, with her permission, Lee Joon slips the ring onto her finger. Before Eunchae could fully admire it, he wrapped her in a tight embrace, leaning down to gently kiss away her tears.

“I love you, Lee Joon. I love you so much.”

“Eunchae…”

Hearing her confession filled him with overwhelming emotion, causing tears to well up in his eyes.

“I love you, Eunchae.”

Turning his head, Lee Joon eagerly captured Eunchae’s lips and kissed her with desperate longing. Luckily, they were in a secluded place where they could lose themselves in the moment without a care in the world.

Tears flowed from both Eunchae and Lee Joon’s eyes as they shared the kiss—tears of joy, filled with happiness.

***

“So, it’s not me after all. Am I going to lose you again like this?”

From a distance, Woo-sung clenched his fists tightly as he watched Eunchae and Lee Joon together. He had only come by to drop off a birthday gift for Eunchae at her two-room apartment, but instead, he stumbled upon the two of them, clearly wrapped up in each other.

He already knew they had confirmed their feelings for one another and, through Yoo-rim, had learned that Eunchae was carrying Lee Joon’s child.

But still, he couldn’t let go of Eunchae. The jealousy consumed him, driving him to the brink of madness.

‘It’s not just a cold, Eunchae is pregnant. It’s Tae Lee Joon’s child. So, I think it’s best to hold off on visiting her for now. The situation’s a bit complicated. Maybe later, when she’s more stable, you can reach out to her.’

The memory of his conversation with Yoo-rim flooded back to Woo-sung, causing his eyes to burn with intensity. By the time he regained his composure, he had already followed Eunchae and Lee Joon into the park.

Feeling a mixture of confusion and frustration, he almost turned to leave. But then he saw Lee Joon propose, and that moment anchored him in place.

Watching the woman he loved accept another man’s proposal, tears of joy streaming down her face, felt like torture.

He had loved Eunchae first. They had shared countless moments and memories, yet here he was, powerless to change the outcome.

Why had Eunchae chosen Tae Lee Joon? What could be the reason?

Woo-sung’s face twisted with a fierce mix of insecurity and jealousy as he questioned himself. Despite the night, he could clearly see the two of them locked in a passionate kiss.

His eyes burned, the scene clawing at his senses and shaking his composure. Gritting his teeth, Woo-sung turned away, his gaze dangerously wild as he made his way back toward the parking lot in front of Eunchae’s apartment. The intensity in his eyes hinted at the inner turmoil boiling inside him.

***

Late into the night, So-hyun was poring over various documents when her phone vibrated, interrupting her concentration. Checking the screen, she saw that a photo had been sent to her.

“Hah…! They’re really pushing it.”

So-hyun’s expression turned fierce as she looked at the photo. It showed Eunchae and Lee Joon strolling happily together, with another shot capturing the moment Lee Joon proposed.

“While you’re frolicking in a flower garden and making others cry with jealousy.”

So-hyun looked at Eunchae in the photo, her teeth clenched in frustration.

“Enjoy that happiness while you can. Soon, you’ll be the one shedding tears of blood. If I can’t have Tae Lee Joon and Geumyoung… then you, Yoon Eunchae, won’t have them either.”

With a menacing gaze, So-hyun muttered what was nothing short of a curse as she reviewed the last photo.

“This person must have shed quite a few tears of blood, huh?”

Staring at the photo for a moment, she added with a sly smile.

“If I use him well… it could come in handy in more ways than one. You are Kim Woo-sung, right?”

A bitter smile spread across So-hyun’s lips as she remembered the name. Her expression was sinister, like that of a schemer—cruel and despicable.