Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 74: Happily Ever After

Chapter 74: Happily Ever After

The room erupted in commotion as people examined the evidence. Tae Seong-min, Tae Young-jun, their families, and associates all turned pale.

“This is not the end. The greed for the company could have led not only to Geumyoung Construction but also to the entire Geumyoung Group being handed over to Seoryeong. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the process has already begun.”

To support his claims, Lee Joon brought up more documents on the screen.

“What is that?”

“They really set up a governance structure that would allow Seoryeong to swallow everything whole.”

“Do they even have a plan? Or is it just reckless?”

“It looks like they’re planning to take the company first.”

The voices of condemnation erupted from the shareholders as they processed everything. The executives were equally shocked, unable to conceal their disbelief.

“Damn it…”

With a stiff face, Tae Seong-min chewed on his lips, realising that everything they had done had been exposed.

“Father…”

Young-jun called to his father with an almost tearful expression on his face, but he received no answer.

“What is going on? How could you let things get this far?”

Lee Jin-cheol, visibly pale, scolded So-hyun sharply. His daughter had confidently persuaded him to ally with Tae Seong-min, and now the result was nothing short of a disaster.

“I think we have enough grounds to put this agenda forward now.”

Lee Joon said, smiling broadly as he looked around at the devastated shareholders’ meeting. Amid the chaos, he remained remarkably calm.

“Oh, but before we proceed, there’s something to address. Please come in.”

As soon as he called out, the doors to the meeting room swung open and a group of people dressed in black suits entered. Their sheer number caused the attendees to widen their eyes in curiosity and concern.

“We have quite a few guests today.”

“Yes, we will escort them as politely as possible.”

 The man standing in the crowd smiled slightly as he spoke to Lee Joon. Shortly after, he instructed the people waiting behind him.

“Find your respective guests and move.”

“Yes!”

The men replied loudly and quickly dispersed to carry out their duties.

“What’s going on?”

“Who are these people? What on earth is going on?”

The crowd erupted in confusion, murmuring to each other. Their curiosity was quickly answered.

“Tae Seong-min, I am Prosecutor Cha Jin-soo of the Special Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.”

“…What? What is this?”

When the men’s identities were revealed, Tae Seong-min’s eyes widened in shock.

“We are here to arrest you, Tae Seong-min, for tax evasion, embezzlement and lobbying.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

The color drained from Tae Seong-min’s face as he replied, just as the prosecutor’s voice cut through the air.

“And Tae Young-jun, you are also under arrest for tax evasion, embezzlement, lobbying, and prostitution.”

“What? Prostitution?!”

“Darling? What is this all about?”

Young-jun buried his head in shame at the shameful accusation, while Kim So-young glared at him with fierce eyes.

“Well…”

Young-jun struggled to explain, stammering. The truth was that he had indeed hired high-class escorts to his hotel or holiday homes for business meetings.

“Darling!”

“What are you two doing? Do you not know who I am?!”

Soo-young’s outburst was drowned out by the sharp voice of her mother, Mrs. Hong Min-ja, the lady of Seoryeong.

“Do you not know what kind of man my late father was?”

“I am well aware. That is why I am asking for your cooperation to ensure a respectful escort.” the prosecutor replied with a polite smile.

“Wh-What?!”

Mrs Hong’s face turned bright red in response to the prosecutor’s calm response, and she seethed with anger.

“What’s going on here…? Are we going to be arrested too?”

Lee Jin-cheol watched in stunned silence as they were taken away by the prosecutors. Even Mrs Hong, who wielded considerable influence in the political realm, was led away without resistance, leaving him in a state of near panic.

“Perhaps it might be better to be arrested, Father”.

“What… what do you mean? Hm?”

Jin-cheol asked, his voice filled with anxiety, but So-hyun could only bite her trembling lips in silence. She had realized what Lee Joon intended to do—handle her separately.

As expected, Lee Joon approached her.

“Executive Director Lee So-hyun?”

When she heard him call out, So-hyun looked up. When she saw him standing there, as intimidating as the Grim Reaper, her chest tightened with fear.

“If you’ve caused this mess, you have to clean it up, right?”

“……”

“Since you’re a person of considerable wealth, I suggest you hire expensive lawyers to prepare well. You’ll have to deal with more than you can imagine”.

“Lee Joon…”

So-hyun called out to him, her voice tinged with despair at the death sentence-like message. As tears welled up in her eyes, Lee Joon glared at her coldly.

“What you did to me doesn’t matter and I don’t care. But you will not lay a finger on my wife. How dare you… slander and accuse Eunchae?”

“Lee Joon, please…”

Even when So-hyun begged for his forgiveness, it was in vain. His expression became even more rigid.

“You’ve done a great job raising your daughter, Chairman.”

Lee Joon joked, causing Lee Jin-cheol’s face to crumple in anger. Unable to respond, Lee Jin-cheol glared at him as Lee Joon casually nodded before returning to his seat.

“Now that we’ve had a little excitement, let’s continue with the emergency shareholders’ meeting.”

As the moderator worked to calm the disorder in the room, he brought the agenda back to the forefront: the proposed dismissal of Tae Seong-min and Tae Young-jun.

***

As the doors to the meeting room opened, the waiting reporters rushed forward. Expecting to see people leaving the meeting, they were instead confronted with an incredible sight.

A group of people emerged from the meeting room, including Tae Seong-min, Tae Young-jun, and several other prominent figures, all of whom were being escorted away.

“There were prosecutors, but are they taking all those people?”

“Isn’t that Mrs. Hong Min-ja? The daughter of former President Hong Chi-wol.”

“Right! Why is she being taken away?”

“And she’s not alone; her sister is with her too!”

“What the hell?”

“What is happening here?”

The reporters were thrown into chaos, staggering around in confusion. They were so taken aback by the scene that they couldn’t even think of asking questions. Only the cameramen managed to maintain their professionalism by clicking their shutters.

In the middle of all this, Lee Joon walked out of the meeting room. Only then did the reporters snap back to reality and bombard him with questions.

“What was the outcome of the shareholders’ meeting?”

“Has CEO Tae Lee Joon been dismissed?”

“Is it true that you are not the biological child?”

“Did the meeting result in the prosecutors arresting Tae Seong-min and the others?”

“Just one word, please!”

“There will be a formal press conference held by the company soon. You can ask all your questions then. I have to be somewhere urgent.” Lee Joon replied, smiling as he hurried away.

“Where to?”

One reporter thrust a microphone toward him, and Lee Joon answered with a grin.

“I’m going to my wife. We’re going on a date.”

***

After parking in a public car park near Cheonggyecheon, Lee Joon quickly set off to find Eunchae. The sweltering midsummer heat was unrelenting, and beads of sweat soon formed on his forehead.

But Lee Joon didn’t slow down. He hurried on, thinking of Eunchae waiting for him.

When he finally reached the bridge where they had agreed to meet, he saw Eunchae admiring the lake and the surrounding scenery.

“Eunchae!”

“Lee Joon!”

Her face lit up as she rushed toward him and embraced him tightly.

“Ah…”

Lee Joon breathed a sigh of relief as he hugged her. That moment, holding her in his arms, filled him with immense joy and gratitude.

“Did everything go well?”

“Yeah, it went smoothly.”

Lee Joon smiled broadly. He stepped back slightly to face Eunchae.

“Did you wait long?”

“No.”

She shook her head with a bright smile and rested her face against Lee Joon’s arm. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer.

They walked slowly across the bridge, the lake beginning to shimmer with golden hues, casting a peaceful, serene atmosphere over the scene. The tranquil view only deepened the calm and intimacy of their moment together.

“If it gets too hot or if you’re having trouble walking, just let me know, okay?”

“Okay.”

As they admired the scenery from the bridge, Lee Joon began to speak in a soft voice.

“I have something I’m curious about.”

“What is it?”

Eunchae tilted her head in question as Lee Joon brushed a stray hair from her face.

“Why didn’t you sell the romance? The value must have increased significantly by now.”

“Ah… that.”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Eunchae hesitated for a moment.

She had completely forgotten about the romance, which was kept in a personal safe at the bank. Even during the company’s difficult times, she hadn’t considered selling it to raise funds.

When Eunchae confessed the truth, Lee Joon seemed equally surprised.

“Maybe subconsciously I didn’t want to let go of the last tie that held memories of you. But why the sudden curiosity about the romance?”

“I was curious. I wanted to buy it if it ever came up for auction, but there’s been no news about it.”

“You were watching it?”

Eunchae’s surprised question made Lee Joon nod.

“Yes. It’s a precious painting, filled with our memories. How could I let someone else have it? I even checked to see if it had been sold to a private collector, but I couldn’t find any information about the transaction.”

“So you… knew everything about the painting?”

“No. I didn’t know anything just by hearing the name of the work. I only found out when I saw the painting”.

When he received the painting from Mrs. Kang, Lee Joon felt a wave of confusion wash over him. It was only when he saw the painting that he understood why Eunchae wanted the romance so badly.

The Romance was a piece they had won together at an auction during their honeymoon in New York.

Since it was the first mission Mrs. Kang had assigned her daughter-in-law, Eunchae was determined to win the *Romance* painting at all costs. Watching her, Lee Joon felt a tightness of anxiety in his chest.

For the somewhat inexperienced Eunchae, participating in an auction was a daunting challenge. It felt almost like a malicious test from Mrs. Kang, who wasn’t fully satisfied with her as a daughter-in-law. Lee Joon contemplated whether or not he should step in to ensure things went smoothly.

However, Eunchae surprised him by devising a clever plan and successfully winning the painting. At that moment, Lee Joon realized she had far more courage and resourcefulness than he had given her credit for.

‘She can hold her own quite well. With that kind of determination…’

Later, Lee Joon came to understand why he felt such a sense of relief in that moment. By then, Eunchae had already carved out a deep place in his heart. He felt reassured, knowing she could endure the hardships of being a daughter-in-law and his sometimes cold demeanor.

That evening, after the successful auction, the two had an early dinner at a restaurant and crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. The view of Manhattan at sunset felt more realistic than romantic. The scene was filled with joggers, European tourists, mothers pushing prams, and a stream of cyclists. Despite the chaos around them, Eunchae was overjoyed, unable to contain her happiness.

Because of these treasured memories, *Romance* had become a precious and meaningful work of art for her.

“I can’t tell you how beautiful you looked, lit by the sunset, smiling so brightly.”

Lee Joon recalled the memories from long ago, a deep smile forming on his lips.

“Is that why you suddenly kissed me? Like the couple in the painting?”

Eunchae raised an eyebrow and Lee Joon replied with a grin.

“Yes. You looked so beautiful that I couldn’t resist. Just like now.”

As the sun set, a golden light slowly enveloped Eunchae. Lee Joon admired her captivating figure, reminiscent of their time on the Brooklyn Bridge, and gently kissed her forehead.

In response, Eunchae wrapped her arms around him with a radiant smile.

“Now you’re finally smiling in a way that warms my heart.”

Lee Joon held her tightly, feeling an overwhelming sense of contentment. Their embrace and gentle kisses felt far more beautiful and tender than the couple depicted in the *Romance* painting.

– **The End** –