TO 15

Chapter 15

“N-Not here, please,” Seo-ah pleaded desperately.

But her words fell on deaf ears.

“What difference does it make? All you need is my seed anyway. Is there really any reason to go all the way to the bedroom? Besides…”

Taehyuk yanked her underwear down.

“You were the one who treated me like an animal first.”

“Ah!”

Before Seo-ah could even prepare herself, Taehyuk breached her body.

“A-Ah…”

The sudden wave of pain made her knees tremble, but she forced herself to endure it. Just as Taehyuk had said, perhaps the place didn’t matter. Seo-ah was reminded of Seunghi’s visit earlier that day. Her presence was like a whip lashing at her back—a warning urging her to escape from this place as quickly as possible.

Even as he watched her slender back tremble violently, Taehyuk didn’t stop. Instead, he drove himself even deeper into her. As his heavy frame pinned her down like a trap, Seo-ah buried her face into the dining table.

Taehyuk’s body had been rock-hard all day, filled with nothing but thoughts of her. Receiving him like this, without any preparation, was far too overwhelming for Seo-ah to bear.

“Ah… ah…”

Taehyuk gripped her collapsing hips tight. Under his rough movements, a burning heat surged all the way to the base of her throat. Though she had thought it would be too much, Seo-ah’s body remembered every inch of him perfectly, and the passion from the previous night began to flare back to life.

“Hah… ah…”

Every time he pressed deep into her, soft groans spilled uncontrollably from Seo-ah’s lips.

She reached back and gripped the fingers Taehyuk had wrapped around her waist. Taehyuk paused his movements. Seo-ah turned her head, her eyes pleading.

“Please… just a little slower…”

However, that only produced the exact opposite effect. Her flushed cheeks, her hazy gaze, and the fragile way her small hand wrapped around his fingers only drove Taehyuk even wilder.

“I’m going to finish this quickly, so don’t push me any further.”

Taehyuk’s low voice was razor-sharp.

“Ah! Ah, ah, ah…”

His pace grew even faster, pushing Seo-ah right to the edge of unraveling. The pain faded away, replaced by a blinding ecstasy filling her mind. Taehyuk’s burning body melted away her agony. Her lower abdomen throbbed, and before long, her body began moving naturally in rhythm with his rough thrusts.

“Kuh.”

With a short groan from Taehyuk, a scorching wave filled and expanded deep inside her.

“Ah!”

At the exact same moment, Seo-ah’s head threw back. Red blossoms seemed to burst endlessly inside her mind like fireworks. A moment later, she felt Taehyuk pull away from her. The second he walked straight into the bathroom, Seo-ah collapsed onto the floor in a heap. A sharp, throbbing ache lingered between her legs, as if he were still lingering inside her.

“Haah…”

Burial her face in her knees, Seo-ah let out a quiet sob. That small sound reached Taehyuk’s ears just as he was about to step into the bathroom.

“You absolute bastard.”

Taehyuk cursed under his breath, his expression stone-cold as he slammed the bathroom door shut behind him.

“You are pregnant. Congratulations.”

Hearing the OB-GYN’s words, Seo-ah’s face remained completely expressionless.

She had already seen the two lines on the home pregnancy test, but in truth, she had been certain of this pregnancy ever since the night they slept together a month ago. No, she had to be pregnant. Enduring Taehyuk’s body without any love was too painful for her. But what tormented Seo-ah even more was the fact that she was gradually becoming conditioned to him.

The intoxicating pleasure she had tasted once bloomed instantly the moment Taehyuk laid a hand on her.

Their encounters—devoid of any real affection or gentle foreplay—were no different from the beginning. Yet, after tasting the ultimate peak of pleasure, both Taehyuk’s body and her own grew slick and aroused without any preparation at all.

The kisses and bouquets of flowers they had shared before had vanished completely once this arrangement started.

Taehyuk no longer kissed her, and Seo-ah no longer asked for flowers. Though he had thrown himself into her like an animal in heat, the moment her ovulation period passed, he didn’t touch her again. Sometimes she could read the raw desire in the silent glances he sent her way, but Seo-ah deliberately turned her eyes away—terrified he might discover that she wanted him too.

And now, it was finally over. That thrilling pleasure was something she would never taste again.

“I’d like to get a certificate of pregnancy, please,” Seo-ah said in a purely businesslike tone.

“Ah, yes, of course. But since this is your first pregnancy, let me first explain a few precautions…”

“It’s fine. I already know.”

Barely listening to the doctor’s instructions, Seo-ah walked out of the hospital holding her pregnancy certificate and a prenatal handbook.

Right then, her phone rang. It was Taehyuk.

He already knew she was visiting the clinic today.

“Hello.”

• How was the hospital?

“I just stepped out.”

Taehyuk went silent. Realizing he was waiting for an answer, Seo-ah said calmly:

“I am pregnant. It’s confirmed.”

• I see.

“Yes.”

It was a conversation completely stripped of congratulations or joy.

• Let’s postpone going to my parents’ house today. It would be better for you to rest…

“No, I’m fine for now.”

• Fine then. Do as you like. I’ll be a bit late today. I’ll try to get there as fast as I can, but…

“You can take your time. It’s not like I’m going somewhere unfamiliar.”

• Then I’ll break the news about the pregnancy once I arrive.

“About that… could we hold off on telling them just a little longer?”

• I thought you’d want to announce it as soon as possible.

Taehyuk was well aware of Seunghi’s constant nagging. He had figured that letting Seunghi know about the pregnancy a day earlier would make things much easier for Seo-ah.

“It’s still very early. I think it would be better to tell her after I reach a stable stage. Or at least after we hear the baby’s heartbeat.”

Seo-ah’s voice trembled faintly. Fearing he might catch the quiver in her tone, she quickly added:

“I’ll see you later then.”

She hung up the phone abruptly.

Click. Confirming the call had ended, Taehyuk ran his thumb and index finger over his eyebrows.

“Haah.”

He didn’t feel a single trace of joy at the news of the pregnancy. Or rather, it felt more accurate to say it didn’t feel real at all.

A child.

It wasn’t just because of Seunghi’s relentless nagging that Taehyuk had wanted a baby. Deep down, he had harbored a vague hope that a child might patch up the cracks between him and Seo-ah. He had hoped that her distant, hollow eyes—always avoiding him—would fill with life because of the baby, and that a gentle warmth would finally connect them, stopping her from flinching away every time he drew near.

The hope of becoming a real family.

Right then, a text message chimed. It was from Seo-ah.

[My due date is in October. Please prepare everything so I can leave right after I give birth.]

“Lee Seo-ah, you really push me to the very end…”

Taehyuk gripped his phone so hard it looked as if it might shatter in his palm. But then, as if something suddenly crossed his mind, he dialed a number.

“Yes, Mother.”

• Oh, Taehyuk! What’s up? I thought I’d see you for dinner tonight…

Seunghi greeted him warmly.

“Ah, well, I think I’m going to be a bit late.”

• Sigh. Late again? Your father said he’d be late tonight too. How are you two so alike? Can’t you two manage to sit down for a monthly family dinner just once?

“If Father is going to be late too, why don’t we postpone today’s gathering?”

• Why? Did Seo-ah say she wanted to do that?

Her tone carried a sharp edge.

“No, she didn’t. I’m just suggesting it because both Father and I will be late.”

• It’s not like you two being workaholics is anything new. Don’t worry about it. The dishwasher is running just fine, by the way.

After hanging up, Taehyuk pinched the bridge of his nose tightly.

Seo-ah was going to leave. Once she left, she wouldn’t have to stress over things like this anymore.

For some reason, that thought gave him a tiny sliver of comfort.

“Mother, I’m here.”

Seo-ah stepped into Seunghi’s house.

“You’ve arrived.”

For some reason, Seunghi was standing right at the entryway to greet her. Since this had never happened even once since her marriage, Seo-ah flushed with confusion.

Did Taehyuk already tell her about the pregnancy?

“Since you’re here, head to the kitchen and help prepare the food. Both the Chairman and your husband are going to be late today, so it’s just going to be the two of us eating.”

“Ah. Yes, Mother.”

So he hadn’t told her after all. Then again… he wasn’t the type of person to intentionally go against her request.

Seo-ah headed toward the kitchen.

Mrs. Kim offered a lukewarm greeting when she saw Seo-ah walk in.

“Ah, young ma’am, you’ve arrived.”

The reluctant look on her face clearly showed that the incident from last time was still fresh in her mind.

“Ah, Mrs. Kim…”

Seo-ah’s face flashed with surprise, having heard from Taehyuk that Mrs. Kim had been fired. Noticing her reaction, Mrs. Kim smirked crookedly.

“The Madam called me back personally. She said it’s impossible to find someone as reliable as me. I’ve been working here for twenty years now. I know the ins and outs of this household far better than you do, young ma’am.”

Mrs. Kim lifted her chin haughtily, acting as if she were a senior relative in the house.

“I think there was a misunderstanding last time,” Seo-ah said calmly. There was no point in creating bad blood with Mrs. Kim. However, Mrs. Kim’s response remained cold.

“Then I hope we can get along without any more ‘misunderstandings’ from now on. If you have something to say, please say it directly to me instead of involving a third party. And just so you know, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention my return to the young master. You have no idea how heartbroken the Madam was after her argument with him. I’m simply asking you not to cause any unnecessary trouble.”

She thinks I went out of my way to tattle on her to Taehyuk…

Seo-ah bit down softly on her lower lip.