TO 23

Chapter 23

Taehyuk vividly remembered the last phone call he had received from Seo-ah.

At the time, he was right in the middle of an executive board meeting. Truthfully, it was a call he never should have picked up. Receiving personal calls during a meeting was the one thing Taehyuk loathed most; in fact, turning off one’s phone before stepping into a meeting with him was basic corporate etiquette.

Yet, Taehyuk had broken his own rule that day. But even then, his mind was so consumed with wrapping up his work as quickly as possible so he could head to his parents’ house that he hadn’t truly listened to what Seo-ah was saying.

Aware of the many eyes on him in the room, Taehyuk had quickly switched off his phone. The long, drawn-out meeting dragged on.

It was only when his secretary burst urgently into the room mid-meeting that a strange, icy chill washed over Taehyuk’s chest.

The quiet voice of his secretary delivering the news cut through him like a razor blade: Seo-ah had fallen down the stairs, and she had lost the baby.

Like a man who had completely lost his mind, Taehyuk rose from his seat and rushed straight to the hospital where Seo-ah was admitted.

He had only learned about the pregnancy a few short hours ago. To think she had lost the child… While the grief of losing his unborn baby weighed heavily on him, what he needed to confirm above all else was Seo-ah’s safety. He had to see with his own eyes that she was alright.

Just as Taehyuk was about to rush out of the hospital room, he froze. Junghyun was standing right in front of the door.

“A-Father.”

“You pathetic fool.”

“I’ll take whatever scolding you have for me later. Right now…”

Taehyuk looked like a wild beast that had just broken free from its cage. He seemed ready to tear the throat out of anyone who dared stand in his path. Short of seeing Seo-ah with his own eyes, it felt as though no one on earth could possibly stop him.

Except for one person: Junghyun.

Like a seasoned handler, Junghyun met Taehyuk’s furious gaze without flinching.

“Stop looking for Seo-ah.”

Taehyuk’s brow furrowed deep at his father’s words. “What are you talking about…”

“You cannot torment that girl any longer. Neither you nor I.”

“What on earth do you mean by that?!” Taehyuk exploded in anger.

“In the brief time she lived in our home after marrying you, that child was utterly broken,” Junghyun said firmly. “So stop inflicting any more cruelty upon her.”

“Cruelty?! Leaving her like this is what’s truly cruel! Seo-ah is in pain right now, both in body and mind!”

“Do you really think this was just a matter of a day or two?”

Junghyun’s low, heavy voice struck Taehyuk straight in the chest like a physical blow.

“I just spoke with her attending physician. He told me she was suffering from mild depression on top of OCD.”

“What…?”

Taehyuk stared at his father in complete bewilderment. It was the first time he was hearing any of this.

“I confirmed that during her time with us, she visited the hospital for counseling and was prescribed antidepressants.”

In that exact moment, a sharp realization hit Taehyuk like a sledgehammer to the head: the birth control pills Seo-ah had been taking.

Since she was taking antidepressants, she obviously couldn’t risk getting pregnant. That was why Seo-ah had been taking contraceptives on her own all this time.

Taehyuk clenched his hands into tight fists, consumed by a wave of intense self-loathing.

He had simply assumed she had become less expressive. When he caught her staring blankly out the window from time to time, he had brushed it off without a second thought, assuming she was just tired. He could barely recall the last time they had sat across from each other, shared a meal, and actually talked. Since he usually came home late after eating alone, he had blindly assumed Seo-ah had eaten on her own as well. As long as she was moving around alive right in front of him, he thought everything was fine.

You bastard… You absolute bastard.

It felt as though a voice was endlessly whispering those words right into his ear.

“Fortunately, it seems she managed to overcome it even without the help of medication recently,” Junghyun added.

“How could you possibly know that?! She just lost a baby… She’s going to fall apart! Seo-ah is fragile, so…”

“If you knew how fragile she was, why on earth did you neglect her like that?”

Junghyun’s scolding fell heavily between them. Taehyuk couldn’t squeeze out a single word in defense. He honestly wished Junghyun would just slap him across the face instead. But the words leaving his father’s mouth were inflicting far deeper wounds than any physical blow ever could.

“So let her go.”

What Junghyun held out to him was a set of mutual divorce papers—already signed by Seo-ah.

“Father… you can’t do this. How could you…”

“Are you saying you insist on watching her wither away and die by your side?” Junghyun’s brow furrowed tightly. “Do the last decent thing you can do for her as a husband. This is the very last favor Seo-ah is asking of you.”

“Father.”

“I am not telling you this simply as your father. I am speaking to you man to man. If you truly care for that woman, you need to know when to let her go.”

“Do you… really have any right to say that to me?” Taehyuk retorted in a low, bitter voice.

Junghyun knew all too well what Taehyuk meant. They were the exact same words Taehyuk used to plead with him whenever Seunghi struggled through long, agonizing years under her own in-laws’ strict thumb: ‘Please comfort Mother a little.’

“That is precisely why I am saying this,” Junghyun confessed, his forehead creasing deeply. “I was stubborn too, holding onto your mother… and look what happened in the end.”

He had never imagined she would turn into such a monster. Swallowing the words he couldn’t bring himself to say aloud, Junghyun looked at Taehyuk.

“You may think I have no right, but that is the exact reason I am giving you this advice. Because I have seen how it ends. I know all too well what happens to the other person when you insist on feeding your own selfish greed.”

“I am different from you, Father! So…”

“So, let her go. Do not look for Seo-ah. If you feel even an ounce of remorse toward her, you should refrain from searching all the more. That is the one and only thing you can do for her now. Live as if she has passed away. Think of her as someone who no longer exists. Because staying by your side will only bring her more misery.”

Seo-ah stepped into a cozy little apartment located on the outskirts of Seoul. She looked around every corner of the space, her eyes welling up with tears.

Thanks to Junghyun’s thoughtful care, she had been discharged only after getting plenty of rest at the hospital. Hospital life had been tedious, but more than that, she had been on edge the entire time—terrified that Taehyuk or Seunghi might burst through the door at any moment. But Junghyun had stood as a solid shield, protecting her from the outside world. He hadn’t even contacted her himself, careful not to cause her any distress.

She had been provided with a top-tier private room and a dedicated medical team. At the hospital, Seo-ah received all the necessary treatments to stabilize both her body and mind. It was only after her baby’s heart beat steadily, little arms and legs formed, the tiny body took on a human shape, and the gender was finally revealed that Seo-ah was discharged.

Junghyun’s care didn’t stop there. The apartment he had arranged for her was situated comfortably close to a university hospital, thoughtfully chosen with a mother who would have to give birth alone in mind.

The interior came fully furnished with appliances and furniture. The nursery room was already fully stocked with everything a newborn could possibly need.

“Father-in-law…”

Seo-ah picked up a handwritten note resting on the dining table.

[I don’t even know where this note will be placed when you read it. I simply instructed my secretary to ensure you have everything you need to live comfortably in a safe, secure neighborhood, so please rest easy. I will never drop by unexpectedly. By the time you see this, you will likely have been discharged. I truly hope you are in good health when you look at this note and your new home. If you ever need anything else, please call the number I gave you anytime. If calling is difficult, a text message is perfectly fine as well.]

The clean, decisive handwriting looked just like Junghyun.

Seo-ah felt deeply grateful for his meticulous care. She had always thought of Junghyun as a stern, distant man, and she felt a wave of guilt for realizing so late that he wasn’t like that at all.

If only I had realized sooner, maybe we could have grown a little closer while I was still his daughter-in-law.

Seo-ah gently folded the note and held it close to her chest, intending to cherish it forever.

Walking over to the couch, she sat down softly.

This is our home now…

Seo-ah scanned her surroundings. For a brief second, her mother popped into her head.

But she quickly shook the thought away. After everything that had happened, she had completely severed all ties with Young-ran. Young-ran, seemingly overwhelmed by Seo-ah’s firm stance, hadn’t tried to reach out since either. Seo-ah had even changed her phone number during the divorce, hoping to remain cut off from her mother for good.

Getting up from the couch, Seo-ah opened the balcony door. Below, a wide-open view stretched out before her, featuring a park lush with greenery. It looked like a wonderful place to take walks once the baby was born.

It was a perfect neighborhood to raise a child. Once again, Seo-ah felt a surge of gratitude toward Junghyun.

I wonder… if he’s doing well.

At the sudden thought of Taehyuk, Seo-ah’s face darkened. She had heard news about him while she was still in the hospital, passed along by Junghyun through his secretary.

Taehyuk had apparently relocated to K Asset Management’s European branch to oversee their business expansion. He was expected to stay there for at least ten years before returning. Along with that news came a reassuring message from Junghyun, telling her she could rest easy—a gentle update sent as if he knew how anxious she had been feeling.

There was no news regarding Seunghi or Go-eun. Seo-ah knew that, too, was Junghyun’s quiet consideration—sparing her from unnecessary stress.

Since Junghyun had kept his promise, Seo-ah had to keep hers as well. Waiving any punishment for Seunghi and Go-eun was the price she had paid to save her baby’s life. That was enough for her. In fact, it was more than enough.

Yes, it’s time to forget the past. From now on, I’ll only look forward.

“Right, Peanut?”

Seo-ah gently rubbed her softly rounded belly and smiled.

(7 Years Later)

“You’re back.”

Seunghi, who had rushed all the way out to the main gate to greet him, was practically beside herself with joy. But Taehyuk, stepping through the gate, merely offered her a cold, polite greeting.

“Yes.”

Ignoring Seunghi’s desperate, longing gaze, Taehyuk walked straight past her and into Junghyun’s study. Seunghi couldn’t bring herself to follow him. Standing before the son she hadn’t seen in seven years, just as she did before Junghyun, Seunghi was nothing more than a sinner.