The New Groom Chapter 31

“Was it when Seungchan was still seventeen… That was when he first came to our house. Father brought him. He said it was pitiful to see such a young child barely scraping by with physically taxing part-time jobs. At that time, Seungchan’s mother was very ill. Seungchan quit school to earn money for her medical bills and worked day and night, but even then, he couldn’t earn much.”

Lee Jeongrok found the unexpected, unfortunate family history absurd rather than pitiful. How did the admirable boy who ran around struggling to earn his mother’s medical bills grow up to be a psychopath? The crude nature and rootless background played a part, but meeting Hwang Bosik could be called the decisive fatal error. To be honest, he didn’t feel even a speck of pity. It felt more like puzzle pieces coming together, realizing that the reason he grew up that way was because of an incomplete upbringing.

“Isn’t it impressive? I feel proud seeing how that little kid grew up to be this big, but at the same time, I feel so reassured. He’s now grown much taller than me and is even properly helping with the household chores… No, wait, was he already taller than me back then? Haha. It’s not just his height. Thinking about it, he was mature from a young age. He never complained, never tried to slack off, and always worked silently.”

“Not at all, Ms. Hwang. I was just doing what I had to do.”

Joo Seungchan was a man who never showed a serious side to anything. Seeing him act all stiff and polite, calling Hwang Imin “Ms. Hwang” at every turn, felt so strange that he seemed like a different person. Hwang Imin looked at such a Joo Seungchan with a pleased expression.

However, Hwang Imin knew nothing! He could not even imagine Joo Seungchan’s true nature. Far from working silently like an ox, the boy who had grown up to be “reliable” had turned into a scoundrel who was always looking for opportunities to fuck around. Only the two men secretly shared a truth that Hwang Imin could not know, and should not know. Lee Jeongrok felt like he was choking because of the truth stuck in his throat.

“Seungchan is like a younger brother to me; he is family.”

“…”

“That’s why I can’t just let this go. Tell me, why did you tell such a lie?”

The longest and most terrible silence in Lee Jeongrok’s thirty years of life flowed.

No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn’t come up with a plausible answer. Looking at Hwang Imin’s face, it seemed that half-hearted excuses would not work. Yet, he lacked the knack to make up a new lie on the spot. As for revealing the truth clearly… he would rather jump out the window than ever tell the truth.

“If that’s the way it is, fine.”

Hwang Imin, who had waited a long time for an answer, finally opened his mouth.

“If you don’t want to say it, then don’t. I will send Seungchan elsewhere, too. Instead, from now on, we will be sleeping in separate rooms. I think I need to rethink our relationship in many ways.”

“Rethink… Rethink, what do you mean by that? And separate rooms…”

“You broke the trust with your own hands just now. What is the point of sharing a room when we can’t trust each other and only tell lies?”

“Wait a minute, Ms. Hwang.”

Lee Jeongrok, who was shocked by the unprecedented situation of separate rooms, and furthermore, the talk of “rethinking” things, was on the verge of fainting.

Joo Seungchan suddenly interrupted. Lee Jeongrok was terrified at the prospect of even the quiet Joo Seungchan running his mouth. He felt like he was going to have a heart attack.

“The General Manager is simply embarrassed.”

“…Embarrassed?”

“Yes. I heard Secretary Yoon and Inho talking behind your back.”

Unexpectedly, Joo Seungchan took Lee Jeongrok’s side. And with a very plausible hypothesis, at that.

According to Joo Seungchan’s reasoning, the reason Lee Jeongrok had been avoiding him all week and even framed him as the ringleader was because he was deeply embarrassed. Lee Jeongrok was a man with strong pride. Since he had witnessed his subordinates talking behind his back and ended up needing Joo Seungchan’s help to resolve the situation, he was simply too ashamed to look him in the face. Lee Jeongrok just listened with his mouth agape as Joo Seungchan smoothly spun the story.

“He just wanted to act as if that day’s incident never happened. I, well, I can’t say I don’t understand. Isn’t that just how men’s pride is?”

Joo Seungchan looked back at Lee Jeongrok and smiled. It was a face of staggering shamelessness and villainy. However, Lee Jeongrok could not come up with a better excuse in this situation.

He quickly glanced at his wife. Hwang Imin still had a stiff expression, but it seemed slightly—only very slightly—more lenient than a moment ago.

“Then Seungchan, what do you want to do?”

“I should do as the General Manager wishes.”

Their gazes turned to Lee Jeongrok simultaneously. Lee Jeongrok looked at the two of them blankly. Hwang Imin, with his lips pressed together, and Joo Seungchan, who was nonchalantly lifting his chin.

There was only one answer Lee Jeongrok could give.

Lee Jeongrok had never encountered complete and absolute frustration. There had always been a way out for him. When his father’s business went bankrupt? He maintained the same luxurious life as before with vast assets that could have kept three generations living in decadence. Even though he lost all the assets for three generations due to a business he started in haste, he managed to escape the crisis again by succeeding in finding a wealthy bride.

There were no dead ends in his life. If he turned corners again and again, even if he was breathless, he always found a way out. Whether that path was a pathetic “son-in-law living with the in-laws,” there had always been a rope to escape before falling into the quagmire. Always, without fail.

It was his first time. A trap from which he couldn’t budge an inch.

It was his first time in a deep, deep trap where he could only climb out by letting go of what he held in his hands.

“…With Manager Joo.”

His throat tightened, and Lee Jeongrok swallowed hard. He finished his sentence as if he were putting the noose around his own neck.

“I will… work things out with Manager Joo.”

“…Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Then you two should get closer. Seungchan is practically family, after all. For the future, you need to clear up any misunderstandings without leaving anything behind.”

The next moment, Hwang Imin kicked Lee Jeongrok—who already had the noose around his neck—off into thin air.

“Seungchan, you take over Secretary Yoon and Inho’s work for a while. It might be a bit overwhelming, but if you two stick together all day, you’ll get close soon. The secretary’s office will help, too.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

Lee Jeongrok blurted out before he could stop himself. Hwang Imin and Joo Seungchan looked at him at the same time. Flustered, Lee Jeongrok smoothed his face repeatedly and waved his hands.

“No, what I mean is. Like, um… It’s uncomfortable and I feel bad putting such heavy work on one person. And you know, it goes against labor laws… So, why not just Secretary Yoon, since there is work that Secretary Yoon was handling in the meantime…”

“No. I cannot entrust your work to someone who committed such a deed.”

“I am fine, too. Thank you for your concern, General Manager.”

Joo Seungchan, bowing his head, looked like a perfectly reliable loyal subject alongside his imposing physique. To Lee Jeongrok’s eyes, he still looked like nothing but a psychopathic, degenerate rapist, but at least to Hwang Imin, he seemed otherwise. Lee Jeongrok became a rat trapped in a jar.

“Seungchan has helped Father a lot and spent a considerable amount of time learning over his shoulder, so he will do well with whatever you make him do. Don’t worry and use him to your heart’s content. He’s the kind of kid who would even follow you into the restroom if you told him to stick by you 24 hours a day. He is a trustworthy friend.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

She must have said it to mean he was that loyal, but from Lee Jeongrok’s perspective, it felt like watching the trailer for a horror movie. No, it felt like he had become the protagonist of a horror movie. All the color drained from his body, and cold sweat flowed, making it feel like his teeth would chatter if he let his guard down even for a moment. He was truly in a position of lying in a grave he dug himself, watching the dirt pour down.

“Then Seungchan, I’m counting on you starting tomorrow. I’m sorry to call you out when you’re off on Sunday.”

“Not at all, Ms. Hwang. Please call me anytime.”

Joo Seungchan stood up abruptly and bowed at 90 degrees. He looked exactly like a gangster, nothing more, nothing less.

“I look forward to working with you, Ms. Hwang. General Manager. See you tomorrow.”