From Divorce to Dusk Chapter 1.6

“You took your time.”

At the sound of a honey-sweet, gentle voice he had never heard before, Jaekyung felt as if his heart had stopped. Was the man in front of him really Han Taesuk? Could it be someone else wearing his mask? If not that, was he still dreaming? He was still smiling as he glanced down at Jaekyyung. Then, he flicked his eyes toward the back, and Jaekyung immediately understood the gesture. Among the few passersby visible in the distance, he could see reporters. The moment he noticed the gaze of the camera lenses, Jaekyung felt a shock as if he had been struck on the back of the head.

I see. This… is a performance. He knew reporters would be around since they announced the wedding today, so he came in advance. Or maybe he was the one who called those reporters. Either way, it was a staged act. He looked into his eyes again. Even though his face was smiling, his eyes were still cold. They were the same eyes Jaekyung knew. As expected, he was a fool for having even the slightest bit of hope. That’s why he was so disappointed again.

Jaekyung smiled.

“Thank you. How did you get all the way here? You must be very busy.”

Jaekyung also joined in Taesuk’s performance with a gentle tone and smile that he had never shown or let anyone hear before. Jaekyung’s colleagues and subordinates all had surprised looks on their faces. Soon, word that Han Taesuk had arrived must have spread, as even his superiors showed up, increasing the number of onlookers.

Han Taesuk placed a hand on Jaekyung’s shoulder, then gently slid it down to stroke his back, pulling him closer into his embrace.

“Even if I’m busy, today is your last day of work, so I had to come.”

Han Taesuk greeted the people who had been with Jaekyung. Everyone there was caught off guard and returned Han Taesuk’s greeting. The atmosphere was pleasant. But Jaekyung felt so miserable he could go crazy. His hand on his back was so cold it sent shivers down his entire body.

After he finished his greetings, he patted Jaekyung’s back, and Jaekyung, too, quickly bid farewell to those who had been with them and got into his car. When he placed the box in the back seat and quickly came over to Jaekyung to fasten his seatbelt for him, everyone let out exclamations of envy, “Ooh!”

“Team Leader! Be happy!!”

“Team Leader! Thank you for everything!!”

Seeing the people bidding him farewell, Jaekyung fought back the urge to cry, said his thanks, and closed the car door. Once the car started moving and they were out of people’s sight, a frigid air filled the car. It felt suffocating, and he felt like he was going to gag.

“Please stop at the subway station.”

Unable to bear it, Jaekyung said a word. He didn’t mean for it to, but perhaps because of the stiff atmosphere, his words came out curtly without him realizing it.

“Be patient. We have something to talk about.”

The dream-like gentle voice from just a few minutes ago was gone, and the cold voice of reality stopped Jaekyung in his tracks. Had he felt this atmosphere as well? Well, if he himself felt this suffocated, this man must surely feel the same. But what was there to talk about?

“Something to talk about?”

“Let’s talk in the parking lot of N Department Store up ahead.”

Not a cafe, not a restaurant, but a parking lot… If it’s N Department Store, there’s no above-ground parking, so it must be underground. Perhaps it’s the perfect place for two people in a relationship like this to talk. No. I shouldn’t be so cynical. It’s not like I don’t understand why he came today. What’s wrong with acting? Born into a family like this, it’s not the first or second time we’ve had to act… It must be a struggle for survival for both this man and myself…. Jaekyung began to regret speaking to him so coldly out of his own twisted feelings. We’re getting married, so we should get closer. We should at least be able to talk to each other. They say the best time is when you think it’s too late. Jaekyung steeled his heart once more.

As the car entered N Department Store, they were guided to the VIP-only parking on the B1 floor. He parked naturally in one spot, as if he had a designated space. As Han Taesuk turned off the engine and released the side brake, Jaekyung brought up the words he had been practicing in his head.

“Thank you for coming today. I was just wondering how I was going to carry this box.”

As soon as Jaekyung finished speaking, he took out a business card and gave it to him.

“This is Driver Seo, who will be your driver from now on. He has been driving my mother until now, and starting tomorrow, he will be assigned exclusively to you. From tomorrow, you must use our family’s car, not a Jaewang Group car. A car has already been prepared, and Driver Seo will always be near you, so just call for him.”

“Pardon?”

“Never drive with your own hands. From now on, you must act in a manner befitting your status. You’re no longer some team leader at Jaewang Group.”

“Ah… I see….”

“Your hobby is watching movies, I hear. We’ve had a large theater room built in the basement of the house where you will be living, so please bear with it for now. I won’t stop you from going to the bookstore. Reading a lot of books is a good thing and looks good to others. However, I will assign two bodyguards to you, so you must be accompanied by them when you go. From now on, you should avoid moving around alone as much as possible.”

It’s confusing. Jaekyung stared blankly at his face. He wasn’t even looking at Jaekyung as he spoke. He was just facing forward, reciting the words like a machine.

“The house I will be living in… are you perhaps talking about our newlywed home? The one I will live in with… Director Han?”

“…A newlywed home.”

He tapped the steering wheel a couple of times with his finger and then let out a dry laugh.

“I suppose it would be.”

It was ridiculous. It’s our newlywed home… the house we’ll live in together, so why does it sound like he’s saying it’s a house I’ll be living in alone?

“I’ve never seen that house.”

“All the preparations are already complete. After the wedding, you will live there, Park Jaekyung-ssi.”

The lawyer did say that each family would handle the wedding preparations on their own, but he never thought a house would already be arranged. Then again, he’s the heir to NI Company, so it wouldn’t be strange for him to have several houses. He’s just putting me in one of them.

“You’re… being quite disconcerting.”

Jaekyung said with a bitter smile, phrasing the words he had been holding back in a roundabout way. It was now difficult to even look at his side profile, so he lowered his head.

“There will be many more disconcerting things to come, Park Jaekyung-ssi.”

He instantly understood the meaning behind Jaekyung’s roundabout words and answered cruelly.

“You must endure it, Park Jaekyung-ssi. No one will help you. That is the kind of position the one by my side is.”

“…So I’m supposed to live quietly as if I’m dead, doing as Director Han or Director Ji tells me to.”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he took a document out of his bag and handed it to Jaekyung.

“In one week, we will hold an official press conference. This is the plan for it… let’s call it a cue sheet.”

Just as he said, inside was a detailed script of what interviews would be held and how to answer. It also listed what to wear, where to get a massage, and what preparations to make beforehand. It was truly a cue sheet, just as he had said.

“Memorize all the answers by that day. You need to speak naturally.”

There’s no getting through to this person. No, he doesn’t want to. He has no intention of talking to Jaekyung… no intention of getting on good terms with me.

Jaekyung felt like throwing up. It was so hard. He was out of breath and his head was spinning. When Jaekyung tried to open the car door to get out, it wouldn’t open.

“I’d, I’d like to get out.”

“I will take you.”

“I want… to get out. Please open the door.”

“There are many eyes watching here.”

To Jaekyung’s eyes, there was no one… there was really no one outside, so what did he mean by many watching eyes?

“There’s no one here.”

“Park Jaekyung-ssi, keep this in mind. Even the walls have eyes. Especially for people like us, there are many predators looking for a chance to tear us apart. It’s easy to become the subject of gossip. If even one person sees you getting out here and carrying that box, today’s wedding announcement will all be for nothing.”

In the end, Han Taesuk didn’t open the door and drove straight out of N Department Store with Jaekyung, all the way to Jaekyung’s family home.

“Mother asked me to tell you that you don’t have to come to the gallery today since it will be noisy.”

His words didn’t register. As soon as the car arrived and he heard the sound of the door unlocking, Jaekyung opened the door and ran out.

“Oh my, Jaekyung?”

He heard the voice of his mother, who was tending to the garden, but Jaekyung just wanted to get to his room quickly. He shut himself in his room, locked the door, and immediately collapsed on the floor and threw up. What he had for breakfast came up with stomach acid in a wretched mess, but his chest felt even more stifled because he couldn’t vomit out what he most wanted to, so he covered his face and leaned his back against the wall. Soon, there was a knock on the door.

“Jaekyung, Director Han was here. What’s wrong?”
Mother.

“Jaekyung, won’t you open the door? Did you fight with Director Han?”
Mother….

“…I’m changing my clothes.”

“Alright, I understand. Director Han dropped off a box with your things, saying it was yours. I’ll leave it in front of the door. He said he would call today. Make sure you answer the phone. Even if something angers you, you have to endure it, understood?”

Mother… I don’t want to get married. I don’t have the confidence… to live with that man.

“Ughk…. Uup…!”

As his mother’s footsteps faded away, Jaekyung swallowed the words he couldn’t vomit and looked at the document envelope the man had given him, which was clutched in his hand. I have to find out. Exactly what kind of deal was made. If I know that, couldn’t I somehow nullify this marriage? Couldn’t I avoid walking into that hell?