AMB 02

It hadn’t been long since Nayoon found out about this.

That day, like any other, she finished working late and headed home.

But the closer she got, the slower her steps became. She felt suffocated.

Ironically, the only thing that made it possible for her to breathe in this household was working at the company.

Still unable to sort through the storm of emotions, she stepped into the house and walked through the quiet interior.

As she quietly climbed the stairs to the second floor, faint light and voices leaked from the master bedroom on the first floor.

“Oh my, can you believe this? It worked? The matchmaking was successful…!”

At Juran’s excited voice, Nayoon froze mid-step.

Successful matchmaking?

Could it really be with Gu Jaeha, the man they had so desperately hoped for?

If the marriage worked out, would she finally be able to leave this house?

Her mind was spinning with questions when Daeun’s voice followed.

She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop…

“That monk was right. Nayoon really is a talisman. Adopting her was the right choice.”

Nayoon’s face stiffened, and the next words made her fingertips go numb and a chill run down her spine.

“See? What did I tell you? That monk is incredibly gifted. Remember what he said back at the orphanage? That the girl was full of luck. I always believed she’d bring something big.”

Juran’s overjoyed voice made Nayoon feel like her legs might give out at any moment.

Her adoptive parents’ attitudes inside and outside the house were completely different. No one had ever shown her any real interest, and she’d always done everything on her own.

And yet, because she didn’t want to be abandoned, she had held on for dear life.

But this… this was too much.

How could they treat her like some sort of talisman? How could that be the reason they adopted her?

Her lips trembled with surging emotion, and she bit down hard to stop herself.

Still, her adoptive parents kept talking, completely unaware that she was just outside.

“She’s pretty, that’s for sure. The monk said she’d bring a lot of fortune, and that fortune’s clearly flowing to us. You’ve done well, playing the mother role.”

“What are you saying? We’re not done yet. That luck needs to flow to Soo-hyuk. Once she marries into the Songseong Group…”

Juran trailed off with a dreamy smile, clearly delighted at the thought.

Nayoon had once believed they adopted her because they thought she was pretty. That maybe, just maybe, there had been some affection there. But that had been a lie.

They didn’t love her, didn’t even care about her. She had simply been used. As a human talisman.

She had never truly been part of their family.

Now all she could do was laugh bitterly.

If she stayed any longer, she might storm in there and scream at them. Just as she was about to turn away—

“Oh, and what happened to her birth parents?”

Juran’s voice rang out, and Nayoon froze again.

“What do you mean? They’re dead.”

It felt like lightning had struck inside her head.

These were the same people who had promised to find her birth parents.

“We’ll find the parents who brought our Nayoon into this world so beautifully. Don’t worry. I’ll find them for you. Isn’t it nice, Nayoon? You’ll have two moms.”

Those words were still so vivid in her memory.

Now, it felt like bolt after bolt of lightning was ripping through her mind. Her vision blurred.

“We cleaned it up nice and neat, right?”

“Of course. Do you know how hard it was to shake off her birth parents? They kept saying they were coming to get her, making all kinds of fuss. If they’d just taken the money and left… why make us the bad guys?”

“You should’ve let her see them once.”

“See them? What if she wanted to go with them after that? She was sickly too, poor thing.”

“True. That would’ve ruined everything. We need to hold onto our precious talisman.”

Their giggling made her skin crawl.

Nayoon felt her blood boil. Her hands and feet trembled violently. The betrayal was unbearable.

They had stolen her childhood, cut her off from her real family.

A storm of emotions raged inside her—grief, rage, disgust. It all tangled together.

Barely able to move her legs, she somehow managed to get back to her room.

Time passed. Eventually, the sounds outside reached her ears again.

“Hey, Jin Nayoon.”

It was the sickening voice of her adoptive brother, Soohyuk, calling her softly.

She could tell from his voice that he was drunk.

The doorknob rattled. Her body tensed instinctively.

That bastard. Her sharp gaze fixed on the door.

“You asleep, sis? Just let me see you for a second before bed.”

The knob rattled a few more times, then stopped. His footsteps moved away.

Her tension eased. Her mind went cold.

Should I just die now? The thought crossed her mind.

But then again, if she just died, would they let her go peacefully?

Could she even find peace in death?

The thought made her resolve harden.

She stayed up all night and stared out at the dawn sky.

Live. Get married.

Then, when they’re drunk on their supposed victory—tear them down.

If they ruined her life, destroying them would be the same as reclaiming her own.

Nayoon wanted revenge for everything they had done to her.

Not more. Not less. Just exactly what she’d endured.

The events of just a few days ago played vividly in her mind. Her blank eyes now flickered with life.

Jaeha had left long ago. Still seated, Nayoon finally pushed back her chair and stood.

As she stepped out, she contacted her secretary.

“Yes, Executive Director.”

“When is the Songseong Group event?”

“In three days.”

“Thank you.”

Nayoon could not afford to miss this opportunity.

After quickly finishing the meeting, Jaeha got into his car and was flipping through some documents his secretary had handed him when he suddenly remembered those vacant eyes.

“How would you feel about marrying me?”

Normally, he would’ve brushed her off without a second thought.

But something about those empty eyes lingered in his mind.

Raising an eyebrow, he spoke.

“That woman from today’s meeting—Jin Nayoon.”

“Yes, sir?”

His secretary glanced at him in the rearview mirror.

“Find out more about her. Not just the usual stuff—dig deeper. Like where she grew up as a child. That sort of thing.”

“Understood.”

His sharp eyes turned from the documents to the window.

The air carried the pungent scent of rain, and thick drops began to fall, drenching everything in an instant. It was perfect weather to hide tears.

It had been that girl who’d held an umbrella over his head when he was a young boy, crying over the loss of his mother.

“It’s better to cry in a closet.”

“Who are you?”

Even though he had looked at her with suspicion, she just kept talking.

“If you get rained on, all you get is a cold. Just hurts your body. It’s a waste.”

“Why do you care?”

“I’ve been there. That’s why I’m telling you.”

She sat down beside him, still holding the umbrella. Even though the rain soaked her shoes, she didn’t seem to care.

“You can’t just cry. You have to do something.”

“How old are you? You’re younger than me.”

“Does that matter? Who’s the one crying like a baby here?”

“At least you still have your mom. I… I don’t…”

Tears welled up in young Jaeha’s eyes again.

Then she said,

“I’ve been there too. So stop whining.”

Just that one sentence had shut him up completely.

She sat silently, watching the rain with him. Then suddenly stood up.

Afraid she’d leave, he quickly asked,

“What’s your name?”

“Nayoon.”

And then she walked away.

That name lingered on his lips—Nayoon.

That night, after getting soaked in the rain, Jaeha came down with a terrible fever.

It was the only time in his life he remembered being that sick.

She had been right. Getting caught in the rain only hurt himself.

The scenery outside the car window blurred as a memory passed through like a mirage.

Just sharing the same name wouldn’t have been enough to bring her this far.

But there was something—something eerily familiar—about this Nayoon.