Suddenly, Divorce

Chapter 27

“When was it?”

“Well, that’s…”

Mrs. Cha hesitated for a long time, twisting her body uncomfortably.

“Please tell me. When did you suggest divorce?”

The image of Sua’s eyes, looking sad even while suggesting they break up, flashed in Hyun-oh’s mind. It made him dizzy.

“I met her a week ago. We didn’t say much. There wasn’t time.”

“And before that?”

Hyun-oh narrowed his eyes and looked at her. With a sharp gaze, Madam Cha spoke abruptly.

“No, really, that was the first time.”

“…Really?”

“It is. Hyun-oh, don’t misunderstand.”

Whether it was true or not, there was nothing more to discuss. If his mother said that, there was no need to honestly talk about the past.

Hyun-oh remained silent for a while.

In the meantime, the prepared food began to come out. Amidst the clattering sound of utensils, the two remained silent.

Once the food was set, Madam Cha reached out and indicated the food.

“Come on, eat, Hyun-oh. Aren’t you hungry?”

“No, I should go.”

He knew that expressing anger to his mother would be pointless.

He should have told her in advance.

Madam Cha’s long-time dream. It was for Hyun-oh to inherit PY Group. To inherit the management rights. She had devoted her entire life to taking care of Hyun-oh for that purpose. Hyun-oh, as the main character, understood his mother’s desires better than anyone else. That’s why she had hoped he would marry Sua.

He should have known his mother would step forward after the Han Group’s bankruptcy. Before causing unnecessary pain to Sua.

It’s maddening.

Hyun-oh twisted his lips.

“Don’t ever meet Sua again.”

“Hyun-oh.”

“If you meet Sua or call her behind my back, I won’t tolerate it.”

“Your mother wants what’s best for you.”

In the end, Hyun-oh gritted his teeth at her words. A sharp, grinding sound filled the air.

“Since when do parents ask for divorce for their children?”

“…But, in this situation.”

“I’ll inherit the management rights. I’ll prove my capabilities to Chairman and get them.”

“It would be better to have more support.”

“I won’t sacrifice Sua for that.”

“…”

“It’s not something I must have at all costs.”

“Hyun-oh! Don’t you know how important this is?”

Hyun-oh looked silently at his mother. Forced laughter and anxiety stained Madam Cha’s face.

How important the management rights were…

“I don’t know.”

“What?”

The management rights.

Who would inherit the position of chairman at PY Group was the biggest concern of everyone within PY at the moment.

However, was it necessary to divorce his married son to covet that position?

His mother’s greed knew no bounds.

“Mother, aren’t you essentially trying to kick me out from my current position because I don’t have the management rights?”

“…Hyun-oh, what are you saying? You know. How important it is to have the management rights.”

Like a parrot repeating the same thing over and over again, Hyun-oh sighed at Madam Cha.

“I’m not a son of another father.”

“If Pyeong-ho becomes the chairman? It’s only a matter of time before we’re kicked out.”

“Even then, I won’t abandon you.”

Mrs. Cha’s concern wasn’t about her safety, and it wasn’t that kind of problem, Hyun-oh knew.

Establishing his son Hyun-oh as the chairman was like a lifelong dream for Mrs. Cha. A dream that would give legitimacy to herself, who was once a concubine.

In the past, Hyun-oh would have willingly cooperated with her dream.

Hyun-oh enjoyed working at the company.

He thought it would be fun to lead the whole thing at PY Group, a huge conglomerate. His younger self, Hyun-oh, was a free spirit who didn’t fit well into the company. So he thought he would be even better for the company.

But that was before hurting someone.

“Hyun-oh, are you really not speaking sincerely?”

“I’m happy at PY now. But if you keep saying such things to Sua…”

Hyun-oh’s words fell coldly.

“I’ll leave the company on my own.”

That much had to be said for Mrs. Cha to back off.

Her face turned pale at that statement. She probably never imagined such words would come out.

“If that’s the only way.”

Mrs. Cha couldn’t say anything and just trembled.

“Hyun-oh. You and Sua didn’t get married because you loved each other, right?”

“…”

“You got married for mutual benefit. But now, we don’t need to uphold any loyalty to each other.”

“I…”

Hyun-oh spoke up.

“I’ve never asked how you ended up meeting Father or blamed our relatives for not having any power. Because you’re my mother.”

It was the first time Hyun-oh brought up such a topic. Mrs. Cha blinked at his unexpected thoughts.

When he was young, he knew that among the children of conglomerate families, his mother openly referred to herself as a ‘concubine’s child’. Sometimes, his mother’s greed would weigh him down.

But he understood.

“I thought as long as I did well, no matter who had the management rights, it would be fine. Similarly, no matter how Sua’s family is, as long as I do well, it should be fine. But if you interfere, then I have no choice but to make a decision.”

And Hyun-oh wiped his lips with a napkin. It left a bad taste.

“I really don’t have an appetite today, so I’ll leave first. Take your time.”

He didn’t want to mix words anymore.

As Hyun-oh got up, she hurriedly followed him.

“Hyun-oh, don’t be angry. You’re misunderstanding. It’s because I feel sorry for her. Of course, I feel sorry for Sua too, but if you two were so special, you would have already had a child…”

Mrs. Cha’s voice was desperate.

“It’s only been six months since we got married.”

“…”

“You’ll hear good news soon.”

Hyun-oh’s smile, however, wasn’t genuinely kind.

—

Yoon Dam Publishing Company.

Before entering the office, Sua took a deep breath as she looked at the company signboard attached to the front of the office building. It was her first time coming inside, despite meeting her friend Chaeyoung outside the office several times before.

Sua and Chaeyoung both majored in Korean Language and Literature at the same university. Perhaps because of that, Sua had always envied Chaeyoung, who chose to work in publishing, utilizing her major. While becoming a housewife was her own choice, people always tend to envy paths they didn’t take.

Whenever Sua mentioned this, Chaeyoung would say, “Hey, what’s so great about working in a company? I wish I were born into a conglomerate family.” with a touch of sarcasm.

Once inside the office, a staff member guided her to the meeting room.

“The CEO will be here shortly. Would you like some refreshments?”

“No, thank you.”

As the staff member left after Sua declined, she felt tension building up in her shoulders. It was her first time seeking a job, her first time coming for an interview. Although it was formal, meeting the CEO in person made her nervous.

“Ah, you’ve been waiting long.”

“Not at all.”

The meeting room door opened, and Han Yoon Dam, the CEO of Yoon Dam Publishing, entered. Originally a best-selling author, he had recently started his own publishing company and was publishing not only his own books but also several others.

Sua stood up quickly and bowed her head as Yoon Dam entered.

“Hello.”

Yoon Dam chuckled at Sua’s greeting. His attractive lips curved into a smile.

“Why are you speaking so formally? Relax, Sua.”

Although he was Chaeyoung’s cousin, Sua had met Yoon Dam several times before when she visited Chaeyoung’s house. It had been over ten years since she first saw him. He was just a cool older brother to her, but now he had become the CEO of a publishing company while she remained a mere employee. The twists and turns of life were unpredictable.

But then, just a year ago, she had no idea she would marry Hyun-oh, let alone wish for a divorce.

Life was full of surprises.

Of course, Sua still couldn’t relax.