TO 11

Chapter 11

“Answer me.”

Taehyuk’s voice dropped low. It meant he was angry. The angrier Taehyuk got, the lower his voice sank.

“D-Dear, it’s not like that…”

Seo-ah stepped in hurriedly.

“I asked Mrs. Kim,” Taehyuk dismissed her with clear displeasure.

“I’m sorry,” Mrs. Kim hung her head low.

“What is going on here?”

Just then, Seung-hee entered the kitchen and asked. Taehyuk snapped around toward Seung-hee.

“Did you order this, Mother?”

“Order what?”

“Why is she washing dishes while the people who work in this house are resting comfortably in their rooms?”

At that, Seung-hee lowered her eyes and spoke dismissively, as if it were a trivial matter.

“You’re making all this fuss just because your wife did a few dishes when visiting her in-laws? Honestly, you too—what’s the big deal? It happens. Why? Did Seo-ah tattle on me to you?”

At those words, Seo-ah flinched as if stabbed with a knife. As if this entire situation were her fault, Seo-ah stood in the corner of the kitchen like a sinner. No, her standing there in the kitchen looked far too natural.

The blouse that had been without a single wrinkle when she met him just a short while ago now had water stains on it, and her elegant skirt was hidden behind a red apron, completely out of sight.

But what bothered Taehyuk most of all was Seo-ah standing there like a criminal. He recalled that there were easily three or four domestic helpers employed in this house.

“Isn’t there a dishwasher?”

“It broke down.”

“On the very day we happen to visit?” Taehyuk asked back. Avoiding Taehyuk’s gaze, Seung-hee grimaced.

“Why are you suddenly acting like this? Does Seo-ah not even do the dishes at home? Do you do them yourself at home?”

Seung-hee’s fire sparked in an absurd direction.

“That’s not what I mean. Mother, we were invited here today.”

“Fine, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for making the daughter-in-law I invited do the dishes. I suppose it’s only natural that I’ve been preparing food until now just to feed my daughter-in-law, and I didn’t realize it was such a big deal for her to wash a few dishes.”

Seung-hee hadn’t prepared any food—she had merely given orders—yet no one opened their mouth to speak up. Seung-hee strode over to Seo-ah. As Seung-hee drew near, Seo-ah’s body shrank back, folding almost in half.

“M-Mother…”

“Take it off, child. Give that to me. It seems my son’s anger won’t cool down unless I do the dishes myself.”

“No, Mother. I’ll finish up. I’m sorry.”

Seo-ah hurriedly bowed her head.

“Lee Seo-ah, was it like this every single time?”

Taehyuk’s raw voice made no attempt to conceal his rage.

“N-No. O-Only today…”

Taehyuk’s eyes flashed sharply.

“Tell me the truth.”

Seo-ah hurriedly looked at Seung-hee. Seung-hee signaled her with a flustered glance.

“Mother, why don’t you tell me? Did you make her wash dishes every time she came here?”

“My goodness, how can you say such a thing…”

Taehyuk glared at Seo-ah. She looked like someone who had lost all will to fight, completely stripped of any spirit to resist.

Even Seung-hee, who had endured a harsh life under her own mother-in-law, had never done the dishes herself. That had always been the job of the domestic helpers.

What on earth had been happening all this time?

Yet Taehyuk’s mind was a complete blank. How Seo-ah had spent her time whenever she came to the main house—he had never paid attention even once. But he had never imagined she would be washing dishes. He had simply assumed she had spent a slightly uncomfortable dinner hour.

There were more than enough workers at the main house, and in front of Taehyuk, they had treated her with polite deference, addressing her as ‘Young Madam.’

Taehyuk stepped closer and grabbed Seo-ah’s wrist.

“Dear, what is wrong with you, really?”

Seo-ah looked at Taehyuk with eyes that seemed ready to burst into tears at any second.

However, Taehyuk was unrelenting. He yanked the rubber gloves off her hands as if pulling them out by force, and ripped the wet apron off her body as though tearing it away.

“We’re leaving. And don’t invite us for the time being. Until that damn…”

Taehyuk glared fiercely at the perfectly fine dishwasher.

“…machine is completely fixed.”

“Wh… What? Jang Taehyuk. You…”

Before Seung-hee could even say another word, Taehyuk dragged Seo-ah out of the kitchen.

“Dear… Dear…”

Seo-ah hurriedly called out to Taehyuk, but there was no stopping him. Dragging Seo-ah all the way to the parking lot in an instant, Taehyuk finally let go of her wrist as if flinging it away.

“Are you a fool?”

Taehyuk put his hands on his hips. As if his anger still hadn’t cooled down, his broad chest heaved up and down.

“What is wrong with you? I asked you a favor!”

“Was that why?”

Taehyuk narrowed his eyes.

“This wasn’t the first time this happened?”

Seo-ah did not answer. She avoided Taehyuk’s gaze.

“Look at me.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Lee Seo-ah.”

Taehyuk caught Seo-ah’s chin to force her face toward him. Seo-ah slapped Taehyuk’s hand away. Taehyuk’s gaze deepened darkly. Turning her head away again, the corners of Seo-ah’s eyes were red. Taehyuk ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“You’re going to get a divorce anyway… so why bother washing dishes, and why bother taking Mother’s side?”

At Taehyuk’s words, Seo-ah bit her lip tightly and glared at him.

“Or was it because of my request? Asking you not to make it obvious in front of Mother that we’re getting a divorce?”

“That’s…”

Seo-ah’s voice trailed off.

“Dammit.”

Taehyuk sharply swept his hair back. Placing his hands on his hips once more, Taehyuk lowered his voice.

“Is that why? Is that the reason you asked for a divorce?”

“Pardon?”

“This wasn’t your first time washing dishes. Am I right? Is that why you asked for it?”

“I-It’s not because of the dishes…”

“Who said it’s just about the dishes?!”

Seeing one detail was enough to understand the whole picture. Having now confirmed the cold treatment from Seung-hee and the household that had exploited his absence, Taehyuk burned with rage.

Taehyuk grabbed Seo-ah’s shoulders tightly. Seo-ah’s gaze trembled violently.

“Is it because you received this kind of treatment from Mother? Is that it?”

Seo-ah did not answer.

Releasing Seo-ah, Taehyuk turned sharply back toward the main house.

“If you won’t tell me, I’ll hear it directly from Mother.”

Taehyuk was already well aware that Seung-hee didn’t like Seo-ah. Yet he had trusted Seung-hee’s character. In front of Taehyuk, Seung-hee had been a wise mother who kept business and personal matters separate. He had believed Seung-hee would be the same in front of Seo-ah. Though she was a daughter-in-law who didn’t meet her standards, he had assumed Seung-hee would at least treat her with the respect due to his wife.

Seo-ah hurriedly grabbed Taehyuk’s arm.

“Nothing will change. Even if it were because of the dishes.”

Taehyuk looked down at Seo-ah.

“What?”

“I said nothing will change. Because I’m going to divorce you.”

“What on earth is the reason? Stop making a fool out of me and tell me straight!”

Taehyuk’s voice rose high. Seo-ah bit her lip hard. Instead of answering, she turned her gaze toward the front gate. Looking at the stone steps connected to the gate, her pupils shook wildly. But because of the darkness, it was a fury that Taehyuk could not see.

“I don’t want to live with someone who doesn’t love me anymore.”

“Love?”

Twisting his jaw at the word ‘love,’ Taehyuk sneered.

“That wasn’t what we started this for in the first place, was it?”

“That’s…”

Seo-ah bit her lip.

“Fine. If it’s because you want to be in love, I’ll let you go as soon as possible. Since those things have nothing to do with me anyway. You don’t need to drag this out either.”

Seo-ah’s gaze trembled as if digging straight into Taehyuk’s eyes.

“We can have a child without all that nonsense like kisses or flowers. Besides…”

Taehyuk grabbed Seo-ah’s wrist.

“Isn’t it disgusting to kiss someone you don’t even love?”

A vivid flash of disgust flickered in Taehyuk’s eyes.

“Th-That… d-does that mean you feel that way?”

Seo-ah’s face turned pale.

“What does it matter? You just need to bear my child. That was the only thing I ever wanted from you in the first place anyway. So drop the excuses about love or whatever.”

Taehyuk tore off his tie roughly.

“P-Please don’t do this.”

Seo-ah stepped backward. But Taehyuk was no longer listening to her words. All throughout the drive back home, Taehyuk hadn’t opened his mouth once. He simply pushed the car forward on the path back. His high-performance vehicle surged down the open road in the blink of an eye.

The moment they arrived home, Taehyuk pulled Seo-ah by her wrist and headed straight for the bedroom.

“What do you mean ‘don’t do this’? I’m giving you what you want. I’m cooperating with you.”

Taehyuk spoke coldly.

“And the date happens to be exact, too. Doesn’t it?”

Unbuckling his watch from his wrist, Taehyuk let out a dry laugh.

“Dammit. How did I become a man who has his wife’s ovulation date memorized?”

Ah, already?

With startled eyes, Seo-ah looked at the calendar resting on the table. She hadn’t even realized it herself.

“No need to be so touched. It’s just that the end of every month—the busiest time for me—happens to fall on your damn ovulation date, so I had trouble clearing my schedule and ended up memorizing it.”