Chapter 14
Deep wrinkles formed on Hyun-oh’s forehead as the dazzling sunlight settled on him.
“We… let’s get a divorce.”
A gentle ripple crossed Hyun-oh’s face, which had been peaceful until Sua spoke. For a moment, the man seemed to pause, as if he didn’t quite understand Sua’s words, then he finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly.
“Why suddenly talk about divorce?”
His voice shook with uncertainty. Sua felt a slight sense of relief. Her gaze shifted to his furrowed forehead.
Hyun-oh… was my first love, my long-standing love.
But to Hyun-oh, she was just a wife for business purposes. Yet, seeing him so bewildered was somewhat satisfying.
Why suddenly talk about divorce when it’s just a business relationship? He seemed somewhat angry at the idea of divorce. Just seeing that made her glad. Fortunately, he didn’t immediately agree to the divorce. It was amusing. It was touching how moved she felt by each word he spoke.
Sua removed her apron and lowered her gaze.
“There’s no reason to keep the marriage anymore.”
“So, you want a divorce.”
They were just a show-window couple.
This wasn’t a real marriage. It was a strategic marriage to merge two companies. There was no reason to keep it going when it wasn’t a real marriage. He didn’t love her. The company was in ruins, and she had nothing left except her love for him.
Her love for him was worth less than trash.
She had to divorce him for his sake.
“I want to leave this house.”
At Sua’s firm words, Hyun-oh finally realized that she was sincere and set down his chopsticks.
With trembling lips, Sua continued speaking. She had practiced these words for days but didn’t feel confident in delivering them gracefully.
“I just want to go back to being Sua. Not Han Sua of Han Dong Group, not Mrs. Ji Hyun-oh, CEO of PY Chemicals, just… Sua.”
If there had ever been such a thing.
Since she was born, Sua had grown up under her father’s expectations. Good grades, exceptional looks, and a submissive personality under her authoritarian father’s guidance.
That’s how she grew up.
Even after marrying Ji Hyun-oh, it was the same. She had played the role of the lead actress in this tedious drama quite well.
But not anymore. At twenty-five this year, couldn’t she start a new life now?
Forget about the company and forget about you, just be Han Sua.
Sua spoke up.
“I don’t need anything else. Just… just give me the divorce. I won’t ask for alimony or anything like that.”
As she delivered the shocking news, the man’s lips remained tightly closed.
“I’ll leave the timing of the divorce up to you, Hyun-oh. So please, just…”
“Please just divorce me.”
Trying to say those words, tears welled up, and she couldn’t speak. Demanding a divorce while loving him. What an ironic situation.
Hyun-oh still remained silent. Was he pondering how to respond? With a stern face, he stared at Sua for a long time.
How much time had passed? His words finally broke the heavy silence between them.
“Just live as Han Sua. Just stay married to me. What is it that you want to do so badly?”
His unexpected question made Sua blink.
When she suggested divorce, she thought he would simply agree. That they’d say, “Well, it was just a strategic marriage, so this is it. Thanks for your hard work.”
She thought he was a good person, so she expected him to offer generous terms. Then she’d just refuse them all. She thought that receiving a brief memory from their marriage would be enough.
She hadn’t thought that far ahead. Sua bit her lip. Then, he looked at her with intense eyes.
“Tell me. Why do you want a divorce so badly?”
He ground his teeth, making a sound. Sua bit her lip and listed the things that had come to her mind.
Her lips were busy.
“Just like other women in their twenties and thirties, I want to get a job, travel, and even date.”
She hadn’t intended to mention the word “date.” It just slipped out.
‘Dating.’ It sounded like a resentment towards herself for neglecting it for a while. Sure enough, Hyun-oh’s lips twitched at that. Ah, was it a trivial matter?
Hurriedly, Sua got up from her seat. To hide her expression. She didn’t want to show her true feelings to him.
Afraid that admitting divorce would burden him, he might pity her, just like he pitied her when she was scolded by her father.
Back then, she could offer him the gift of being a Han Group’s daughter, but now she had nothing. She didn’t want to hold onto him out of pity. While she used to express her love for him openly, now she didn’t want to show it anymore.
Pretending to go get water, Sua murmured as she headed towards the refrigerator.
“Just little things. I haven’t thought deeply about it yet. But I want to live a different life now. That’s why I want to separate.”
Her lips kept trembling with empty words she hadn’t intended to say.
As she left, Hyun-oh’s movement to rise from his seat could be heard. Holding onto the refrigerator handle, Sua took a deep breath. In the air filling her lungs, his scent was palpable, sending a shiver down her spine. That subtle scent that always made her tremble. His fragrance, which made her legs weak just by standing next to him, grew stronger.
Still looking towards the refrigerator, Sua felt him approaching step by step. He gently turned her shoulders towards him. Though his touch was gentle, his fingers brushing against her throat made Sua flinch.
When she looked up at him, sharp eyes pierced her face. With twisted lips, he muttered,
“No, we can’t divorce.”
Sua was speechless. Her eyes widened more than usual at his unexpected words. Even though her red lips parted in surprise, Hyun-oh didn’t stop.
“Is it a lie?”
“It’s the truth.”
“Why? Why would he say something like that?”
He used to be a man who refused even temptations after their honeymoon. Why would he now try to stop Sua, who had become useless after the Han Group went bankrupt?
His voice was too firm to be just out of pity.
“I don’t want to divorce you.”
Hyun-oh was a caring husband. Throughout their time together, he had always been considerate towards the young Sua he married. He never raised his voice.
But today, his voice was firm and stern.
“Why?”
Suadidn’t back down either. Normally, she would agree with whatever he said. But not today.
“I can’t understand why you oppose the divorce.”
“We’re not a normal couple.”
Even the naive Sua could tell that this wasn’t normal love. Normal couples dated, got married, fought, and made up. That’s what normal couples did.
But in this marriage, there was neither true love nor hatred.
Her clumsy excuses were cut off by him.
“Sua, do what you want. Want to get a job? Where do you want to work?”
“…”
Their household had become difficult, so she had thought about getting a job after the divorce, but she hadn’t thought about it specifically. Hyun-oh continued,
“Was your major in Korean literature? Then joining the editorial team might be good. It doesn’t matter where, Sua. I’ll accommodate whatever you want.”
His rapid words were strangely mixed with anger. His gaze was sharp, and shadows covered his deep brown eyes, making it impossible to see inside. His deeply chiseled features were filled with anger as if he would shout at any moment.
“Travel? Where do you want to go? The last movie you saw was set in the Uyuni Salt Flats in South America, right? Want to go to South America? Let’s go together. If you want to go alone, go alone.”
“Hyun-oh…”
Sua didn’t know why he suddenly got angry, and her eyelashes trembled. She thought he would be relieved if she asked for a divorce. But Hyun-oh didn’t stop there.
“…And date me.”
“…”
“Just be with me. We’ll have a normal married life too. So…”
He muttered with a twisted mouth.
“We can’t divorce. Not until I die.”
“…”
“You can’t run away from me, Han Sua.”
