Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 83:

Side Story (09)

Christmas Eve.

The art world had its eyes on the special exhibition at Geumyoung Gallery. Titled ‘Henri Sarr’s Second World Exhibition’, it was no surprise that it attracted a lot of attention.

Crowds flocked to the exhibition from the very first day, and the spotlight naturally fell on Eunchae, who had overseen the entire project. She rarely had a moment to rest, constantly giving interviews and managing a hectic schedule.

“This is the last interview for today, ma’am. Please take a break. If the CEO finds out you’ve been overdoing it, I’m done for.”

Secretary Moon said anxiously, keeping a close eye on Eunchae’s condition. Despite her big pregnant belly, which made everything more difficult, Eunchae greeted people with a warm smile and gave interviews without complaining.

Lee Joon’s absence was both a relief and a source of stress. He had been delayed by urgent business at headquarters and hadn’t arrived at the gallery yet. Not that it mattered – he received hourly updates on Eunchae’s condition, including the fact that she hadn’t taken a break all day. Secretary Moon’s heart shrank with each update, dreading Lee Joon’s reaction.

“I understand, Secretary Moon. I know you’re working hard because of me.”

Eunchae replied with an apologetic smile, feeling a bit guilty for the trouble her overly protective husband was causing.

“No, it’s nothing, ma’am. I fully understand why the CEO is so worried. Should I bring you something to drink?”

“Yes, thank you. And please let the director know that I’ll be coming in a little later.”

Eunchae replied, grateful for the support.

After sending word to the new director and settling into the still-unoccupied deputy director’s office, Eunchae finally took a moment to rest.

“Phew… this is exhausting,” she sighed, rubbing her swollen belly. Even though she’d conducted the interviews while seated, the fatigue had still caught up to her.

“Hope, let’s just get through today,” she murmured with a tender smile, gently caressing her belly.

She couldn’t wait to meet her baby, who was due to be born in the spring. Moments later, Secretary Moon returned with a drink and some snacks.

As Eunchae enjoyed the sweet cake and refreshing drink, Alice and Margarita appeared to bring some excitement.

“Rachel!”

“Oh my, you’re here!”

“This is amazing! If my father could see this exhibition today, he would be so touched”.

Margarita exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement and satisfaction after finishing yet another interview. Seeing her joy made all of Eunchae’s hard work feel worth it.

“I was so impressed as well. Eunchae, you’ve done an incredible job.”

Alice chimed in with heartfelt praise, her tone filled with enthusiasm. The sincere compliments from both women made Eunchae’s heart swell with pride.

“How are you feeling? You looked really busy today.”

Alice asked, her expression softening with concern.

“Yes, my belly is a bit tight, but I think I’ll be fine after resting. I’ll be able to relax from tomorrow, so I just need to push through today.”

As they sipped tea and chatted for a while, Eunchae soon had to wrap up their conversation and head back to the exhibition hall to finish the remaining tasks for the day.

***

“The exhibition is so moving.”

“Thank you.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Thank you very much.”

Eunchae responded politely, greeting and acknowledging the compliments of the attendees.

Just then, a familiar voice called out to her.

“Yoon Eunchae.”

“Oh? Hyunmok!”

Eunchae turned to see an old classmate, Hyunmok, beaming at her. The youngest son of Samwoo Distribution, Hyunmok was a cheerful, easygoing guy, and a familiar face she hadn’t seen in a while.

“It’s been a while, Eunchae. How have you been?”

“I’ve been well. How about you? I heard you were working at the China branch.”

Eunchae asked, shaking his hand as they caught up.

“I came back last month. The family’s been pressuring me to get married, going on blind dates and all that.” he said with a half-smile, clearly exasperated.

“Oh, I see.”

Eunchae replied, sympathizing with his situation.

“So, are you seeing anyone?”

“Not right now. I don’t think marriage suits me, but the family keeps pushing. It’s suffocating.”

Hyunmok sighed heavily, his usual lighthearted self buried beneath the weight of his complaints. His familiar demeanor brought a smile to Eunchae’s face.

“Oh, and I forgot to congratulate you! You’re pregnant! When’s the due date?”

“This spring.”

“I see. Even in China, I heard news about you. It must’ve been tough with the divorce, remarriage, and all the in-law issues. Are things better now?”

Hyunmok asked his tone a mix of concern and curiosity.

“Yes, most of it is behind us now, but… it still weighs on me.”

Eunchae admitted, a bittersweet smile tugging at her lips. Despite the number of times she’d been asked about it, the subject of her past still stirred complicated emotions. Both she and Lee Joon had carried the heavy burden of it.

“Time will heal.”

Hyunmok responded quietly.

“I believe that too.”

Eunchae responded with a nod, appreciative of his simple yet comforting words.

As they continued chatting, Eunchae noticed something odd. Hyunmok, in the middle of laughing and talking, began to rub the back of his head repeatedly, his brows knitting together.

“Why? Is your head hurting, Hyunmok?”

“No, it’s not that… My scalp just feels prickly, like something’s… off. What’s going on?” he muttered, glancing around as if to locate the source of his discomfort.

“Really? You didn’t bump your head or anything, did you?”

Eunchae asked, concerned as she moved closer to check the back of Hyunmok’s head.

Just then, Secretary Moon, who had been quietly standing by, cautiously interjected into their conversation.

“I think I know why that might be happening, ma’am.”

“Why?”

Eunchae asked, piqued to know what happened.

“Well….”

Secretary Moon hesitated, but when Eunchae urged her to continue, she smiled awkwardly and pointed to a certain area.

Eunchae and Hyunmok both turned to follow her gesture, their eyes landing on the area she was pointing to.

“Oh…”

Eunchae let out a soft gasp as she saw a familiar figure, her husband, Tae Lee Joon, approaching her with an intense, fiery gaze.

“Eunchae”

“Lee Joon”

Feeling a shiver run down her spine, Eunchae shot Lee Joon an awkward smile. Secretary Moon quickly backed away, knowing from experience that a jealous Tae Lee Joon was either terrifying or… embarrassingly petty.

“Who is this?”

Lee Joon asked, his arm wrapped protectively around Eunchae’s shoulder, his intense gaze locked onto Hyunmok.

Hyunmok flinched slightly under the weight of Lee Joon’s direct stare, but he introduced himself confidently.

“Hello, CEO Tae Lee Joon. I’m Kim Hyunmok, Eunchae’s college friend.”

“Oh, I see. Nice to meet you.”

Lee Joon replied, though his eyes remained sharp as they sized Hyunmok up.

“He’s the youngest son of Samwoo Distribution.”

Eunchae added, casually revealing Hyunmok’s family background.

Lee Joon’s expression shifted slightly, his brows lifting in recognition. Samwoo Distribution was a well-known company, and now that he knew the connection, his posture relaxed a little.

“I’ve met your father, Chairman Kim, a few times in informal settings.”

Lee Joon remarked, his tone more neutral now.

“Is that so?”

Hyunmok’s innocent grin, full of enthusiasm, was met with a faintly curious expression from Lee Joon. Still uncomfortable, he turned to Eunchae, his question laced with a hint of curiosity.

“You two must have been very close.”

Lee Joon remarked, his voice controlled.

“Yes, from our freshman year until Hyunmok left for his studies abroad. We hung out a lot back then.” Eunchae replied, casually.

“Eunchae, do you remember that time we went on that M.T. trip and got lost?” Hyunmok chimed in, recalling an old memory.

“Of course! It was such a mess when the two of us got separated from the group.” Eunchae laughed, her voice bright as she relived the moment.

Lee Joon, however, didn’t find the story quite as amusing. ‘What could be so funny? Getting lost in the mountains isn’t exactly something I’d laugh about. Isn’t that an experience you’d rather forget?’ His thoughts raced, and the longer Eunchae and Hyunmok reminisced, the more uncomfortable he became.

Sensing Lee Joon’s growing irritation, Secretary Moon discreetly caught Eunchae’s eye, giving her a subtle signal. It was time to wrap up the conversation with Hyunmok and attend to her husband before his mood took a noticeable turn for the worse.

Eunchae must not have caught the signal from Secretary Moon because she continued chatting with Hyunmok for quite some time. It was only after the conversation ended that she and Lee Joon finally left.

“Yoon Eunchae, your mouth didn’t cramp up, did it?”

“No, why would it?”

“I was worried since you were smiling so much. Glad to hear you’re fine.”

Lee Joon continued, his smile turning into a sarcastic smile.

“What?”

Eunchae finally understood. Her eyes widened in realization.

“Why are you acting like this? So childish. He’s just a classmate.”

“Just a classmate, huh? You were smiling way too beautifully for just a classmate. I don’t like seeing you laughing like that with another guy.”

“And what was I supposed to do? Frown while talking to an old friend I haven’t seen in years?”

Eunchae shot back, finding his jealousy increasingly ridiculous.

“A polite smile would have been enough. A gentle, subtle smile – nothing too much.”

Lee Joon, trying to make a point, demonstrated his version of a polite, subtle smile. Eunchae’s lips twitched in frustration.

“I don’t like giving fake, soulless smiles when I talk to people. It’s insincere.”

“Do you really need to be that genuine all the time?”

Lee Joon countered, still sticking to his point.

“This man, seriously! Enough already, Tae Lee Joon. I’m worried Hope might inherit your personality.”

Eunchae snapped, her irritation flaring as she shot back. Without waiting for his reply, she stormed off towards Alice and Margarita, who were chatting nearby.

“Eunchae!”

Lee Joon called after her, realizing too late that he had pushed things too far. But Eunchae didn’t look back and continued to ignore him for the rest of the evening, even as they made their way home.

***

When they finally arrived at home and went into the bedroom, Eunchae’s anger hadn’t subsided. Lee Joon had apologized multiple times, but each time she responded with silence or a dismissive snort.

“Yoon Eunchae.”

“My name’s going to wear out from how much you’ve been calling it today.”

Eunchae replied, her tone still sharp as she removed her earrings, keeping her back to Lee Joon. He knew he needed to take it up a notch to earn her forgiveness.

Without a word, Lee Joon quickly turned off the bedroom lights, leaving only the soft glow of the Christmas tree’s lights twinkling in the corner. He moved to the turntable by the window, and soon the soft melody of Frank Sinatra’s “Where Are You?” filled the room.

“What are you doing?”

Eunchae asked. Her lips quirked slightly as she watched Lee Joon approach and hold her. Despite what she said, a small smile had already begun to appear.

“It’s Christmas Eve, Yoon Eunchae. No matter how angry you are, we need to have at least one dance.”

“Pshh… Since when have we ever done things like this?”

She replied, feigning disinterest, but the warmth in her voice betrayed her as she finally placed her hand in his.

“Let’s start this year and keep doing it for the rest of our lives.”

He wrapped his arms around Eunchae’s waist, pulling her close but careful to leave just enough room for her growing belly. He gently rubbed his nose against hers, a playful gesture that made Eunchae giggle as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“You worked really hard today, Eunchae.”

“It’s thanks to you helping me so much.”

Eunchae’s response was a warm smile, an expression of gratitude. She leaned forward and the two shared a tender kiss.

“And I’m sorry because you’re so beautiful.”

Lee Joon whispered in his deep, soothing voice. Their lips were almost touching, causing his words to come out slightly muffled.

“Jealousy is fine, but keep it in moderation.”

Eunchae teased, her smile gentle but firm. Lee Joon nodded, promising to try to control it better.

“Now, let’s just dance. Hope wants to dance too.”Eunchae added with a laugh, feeling the baby’s tiny movements. The playful kicks added to the joy of the moment.

Lee Joon laughed silently, resting his chin on her head as they swayed slowly together. It was the first time they had spent such a peaceful and happy Christmas together, and they cherished every second of it.