Suddenly, Divorce

 

Chapter 4

More than Father’s reaction, she was curious about Hyun-oh’s response. The voice of Jung Madame on the other end of the phone was heard mumbling something.

A smile spread across Father’s face.
“Oh, yeah, that’s good. I’ll handle it that way. Tomorrow, um, yeah.”

The short call ended. Before Father could say anything, Sua asked, “Is it about Ji Hyun-oh?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“I’ve arranged a meeting with a different family. There’s no response from Ji Hyun-oh’s side, and judging by Jung Madame’s reaction, it doesn’t seem favorable. That quick-witted kid seems to sense it won’t work.”

After uttering these harsh words, Father shook his head.

“A meeting with a different family?”
Sua tilted her head, puzzled.

“I don’t want that, Father. I… like Mr. Ji Hyun-oh.”

She disliked anyone other than Ji Hyun-oh.

“What did you say?”

Sua was always a quiet and shy child. There had never been a moment of defiance against Father. His orders were almost divine in the household, and no one dared to resist.

But now it was different.
At this moment, marriage was at stake. The problem was Ji Hyun-oh. Forget about fear; Sua stumbled to express herself.

“You haven’t rejected it yet, so please wait…”

Please.

수아’s words were not fully spoken when a star flashed before her eyes.

Jiak!
A loud cracking sound echoed, and Sua’s body fell to the ground powerless. Whatever had happened occurred in the blink of an eye, leaving no time for comprehension.

“…”
Father raised his hand, delivering a harsh slap to Sua’s cheek. Sua collapsed to the ground, her face hitting the floor. Feeling a numbing sensation and darkness overwhelming her vision, Sua lifted her head. After the momentary blackout, Father’s angry face came into view.

“Sa…sir.”

Even the secretary, who had been assisting Father for a very long time, was taken aback and hesitated as he approached Father. However, it seemed not enough for Father, who once again raised his hand high.

“Where do you think you can talk back!”

When Father’s hand struck Sua’s cheek, she fell to the ground. Sensing her face turning numb, her vision went momentarily black before brightening again, revealing Father’s furious face.

“Sir, Miss. Given the urgency of the situation, do you think it’s appropriate to hit someone right now?”

Trembling, the secretary intervened and spoke to Father. However, this didn’t seem to calm Father, who raised his hand again.

“Don’t you dare talk back!”

Seeing Sua shivering after Father struck her, the secretary held Father’s hand.
“Sir, please calm down. Miss needs to attend the meeting tomorrow, and if she gets a bruise on her face now…”

“Be quiet! If you speak back again…”
Father yelled, and despite the secretary’s protest, he once again brought down his hand.

“Miss, hurry and go to the ship tomorrow. Doing things haphazardly like today won’t do. It’s your only chance. Make sure to make the marriage happen tomorrow, no matter what.”

“…”

Still reeling from the shock of being hit by Father, Sua could not make a move or utter a word.

“If it fails again tomorrow, it won’t end like this.”

In response to Father’s words, Sua simply averted her gaze and trembled.

* * *

Sunlight poured into the 27th-floor office of PY Chemicals.

The broad shoulders of Ji Hyun-oh were bathed in sunlight. The man’s face, looking out the window, revealed an inscrutable expression.

It was an endlessly beautiful weekend. A gentle spring breeze blew, carrying with it a faint fragrance of flowers.

That’s why he felt even more disgusted.

The weather was so nice, but the image of the girl who seemed on the verge of tears a moment ago kept haunting him. The tears that had filled her large and clear eyes disturbed Hyun-oh’s heart.

“Good grief.”

To dispel the unpleasant feeling, Hyun-oh muttered rough words while going through documents. The reason for today’s meeting was for marriage.

Anyone would do. Anyone who could be considered the heiress of a conglomerate family that might be helpful when he inherited the control of PY Group.

Old or young, beautiful or plain, regardless of personality, it didn’t matter to him. Asking for more than the conditions he desired for a loveless marriage was a luxury for Hyun-oh.

Anyone would do, but the one in that position happened to be Han Sua.

Of all people, it had to be her.

Han Sua was the younger sister of Jiheon, Hyun-oh’s classmate. Hyun-oh had known Sua since she was so young that she might not remember.

Even when Jiheon used to torment her, Sua, with her eyes filled with tears but unable to cry and only nibbling on her lips, had caught Hyun-oh’s eye since she was a child.

Her lips were always swollen. Like a fool. She had always endured, even from a young age.

Today, too, those red lips were entirely stained from nibbling.

In many ways, she irritated him.

“Ha…”

Hyun-oh let out a deep sigh, rubbing his eyes. Then the intercom buzzed.

– Mr. President, is it a good time for you now?

It was Jaihoon, Hyun-oh’s secretary.

“Come in.”

– Yes.

As the conversation reached its climax, the door opened with a sharp knock. Jaihoon, who was nearly the same age as Hyun-oh and had been handling his affairs since joining the company, appeared with a file in hand.

“The information you mentioned earlier, I’ve gathered it.”

“So quickly?”

Hyun-oh was well aware of Jaihoon’s competence, but he hadn’t expected it to be this fast.

“Yes. I’ve prepared at least a rough outline for now.”

Hyun-oh extended his hand, and as Jaihoon handed over the file, he opened it. The moment he opened the file, the words ‘Han Group’ caught his eye.

Han Sua’s family.

The Han Group was known for its patriarchal culture to the extent that it had been covered in the news multiple times. The family was strict, even among conglomerates. Women weren’t allowed to interfere with business matters and were required to take care of their husband’s needs. Moreover, the current president of the Han Group, Han Jung-gi, was a strict man, considering the family atmosphere.

That Han Jung-gi had offered his daughter, Han Sua, for an arranged marriage.

Family matters were sometimes used as a business tool among conglomerates. Despite the rigid family atmosphere, Hyun-oh assumed that Han Jung-gi would arrange a marriage for Han Sua with someone suitable, considering his position.

However, there was something Hyun-oh couldn’t understand.

“Why would he arrange a marriage with someone like me?”

The man who had everything, Hyun-oh, was, nevertheless, a mere secretary. Even considering the conservative family atmosphere, Han Jung-gi was a strict man.

Despite the rigid family atmosphere, Han Jung-gi had offered his daughter, Han Sua, for an arranged marriage.

Family matters were sometimes used as a business tool among conglomerates. Despite the rigid family atmosphere, Hyun-oh assumed that Han Jung-gi would arrange a marriage for Han Sua with someone suitable, considering his position.

However, there was something Hyun-oh couldn’t understand.

“Why would he arrange a marriage with someone like me?”

The man who had everything, Hyun-oh, was, nevertheless, a mere secretary. Even considering the conservative family atmosphere, Han Jung-gi was a strict man.

Hyun-oh couldn’t comprehend why Han Jung-gi, the president of Han Group, wanted to marry off Han Sua to a man who fell short of his standards. Hyun-oh couldn’t understand the urgency of it all.

“Well done. It was arranged by your mother, after all.”

Hyun-oh quickly skimmed through the documents.

“It seems like your mother didn’t know the situation at Han Group.”

There was no need for Hyun-oh to meticulously read through the documents Jaihoon had prepared. Even a brief glance revealed that the situation at Han Group was dire. It was happening today or tomorrow, and the recent stock fluctuations added to the turmoil. People were avoiding marriage proposals precisely because they were aware of the company’s condition.

Han Group was on the brink of bankruptcy.

A wry smile appeared on the corner of Hyun-oh’s lips. He recalled Su-a’s words as she clung to his suit.

“Marry me, Mr. Ji Hyun-oh.”

Even someone as usually composed as Hyun-oh was momentarily swayed by Su-a’s words. The delicate body, tear-filled sparkling eyes, and the small hand holding onto his arm as if it were the only lifeline – those plump, red lips expressed her affection.

“I’ve liked you for a very long time.”

Even Hyun-oh, known for his composure, was shaken for a moment. But he didn’t think it was genuine.

Han Group was about to go bankrupt. Han Jung-gi had to send his daughter to another conglomerate. Su-a couldn’t rebel against Han Jung-gi, and she was more desperate than anyone.

It was an excellent performance.

Even thinking of her as a younger sister, when Su-a clung to him, Hyun-oh felt a shiver through his body.

“And, during my investigation, I heard something interesting. It seems that tomorrow, Miss Han Su-a will meet Director Choi Dong-ryul from Lats Company. While you and Miss Su-a have known each other for a long time, the fact that she’s proceeding with another marriage proposal suggests…”

Perhaps due to Hyun-oh’s lack of response, Jaihoon’s words dragged on. Choi Dong-ryul of Lats Company. To put it bluntly, he was human trash. The son of Lats Company’s founder, Dong-ryul had been notorious for bullying students since around middle school, and even as an adult, he was famous for assaulting company employees when he got bored.

“It’s related to the marriage proposal.”

Hyun-oh remained silent, and Jaihoon’s words grew longer.

“Sorry for saying this, but considering the situation, it might be better for you to reject this marriage proposal. The situation is not favorable.”

Hyun-oh’s expression became stern.