Chapter : 05
“While I was away on a business trip, you really changed, huh, Jung Eun-woo.”
Jo Tae-seo was at a loss at the woman’s bold words that drew attention.
“Seems like you remember my name.”
He heard something that didn’t even sound like a proper question. Tae-seo stared quietly at the Jung Eun-woo in front of him, who was gradually irritating him with her words.
To Jo Tae-seo, Jung Eun-woo was like one of those perfectly made dolls. A woman who quietly kept her mouth shut and endured the insults of others.
At first, she was a girl sold into a thug family through adoption. She tried to fit in with people but remained an outsider. In this rotten world, he had thought of her as a simple, naive person who couldn’t hide her true feelings.
This was a small, tight world. Everyone was connected by family ties, and her past was openly known.
A backstory like that could inspire sympathy or human compassion if you were close. But that only applied to those truly near her.
Of course, this was something that only worked among ordinary people.
In this world, most people smiled in front of you while hiding a knife behind their back. Everyone was looking for the tiniest weakness to exploit, and Eun-woo’s backstory was more of a poison than a blessing.
She was perfect prey for people who loved gossip. No one wanted to get involved with a former thug’s adopted daughter in a family-obsessed world that constantly ranked people by status.
Even Tae-seo wasn’t much different. To be honest, he hadn’t cared about Jung Eun-woo at all.
It wasn’t her family or adoption. Tae-seo simply didn’t care about anyone but himself.
Even the people in his own circle were already exhausting enough. That’s why he had chosen a different path from his family.
He had struggled to rise by his own strength, ignoring the family stigma. He thought he was walking a slightly different path, but…
“You should help her. You’re her fiancé, after all.”
If his aging father hadn’t brought up the engagement with Jung Eun-woo, this meeting probably wouldn’t have happened. Of course, he had no intention of marrying her.
He planned to nod along just enough and leave when the time was right. That’s why he had returned from a three-month business trip.
Jo Tae-seo had no intention of being a shadow for his older brother, Assemblyman Jo Yi-seo. Life was personal, and he had to handle it himself. Family ties weren’t a reason to hold him back.
Appearance as a wealthy child didn’t matter. Being adopted didn’t mean being treated as someone with no roots.
In Tae-seo’s life plan, there was no place for marriage, let alone Jung Eun-woo. Women were just annoying obstacles.
She was merely a hindrance in his path. He had no intention of being trapped in a “family” prison by marriage. So even though he knew it was rude, he ignored her.
He assumed she would eventually walk away. If she had a mind of her own, she would say no. But in all their meetings so far, Jung Eun-woo had quietly endured all insults like a doll.
He had thought today would be no different. If they had to meet this month, he just wanted to get it over with. That’s why he came right after returning from the trip.
“I’m not the type to remember names of women I’m not interested in.”
But after three months, Jung Eun-woo was no longer the breathing doll he knew.
“I thought you were just a doll, but you speak well.”
He was curious about how she could say something like that. He had assumed her personality would never let a man touch her, let alone embrace her.
Most of all, her suddenly different eyes felt unfamiliar. No matter how hard people tried to hide, some things couldn’t be concealed.
Clothes could change, manners could change, but the eyes couldn’t. Especially eyes that had repeatedly shown anxious feelings while gauging others.
Jo Tae-seo thought that something must have changed in Eun-woo over three months. Otherwise, she couldn’t have shown such hostility even without affection.
She had a lot to say but hadn’t spoken. Her thoughts weren’t yet fully formed.
“Not going in today.”
He told his secretary to cancel tomorrow’s schedule. He wanted to see how she planned to handle the situation.
Normally, Jung Eun-woo would have been flustered, but she remained calm. The stares around her felt even stronger. People were curious to see what else she would say.
“Did you ask if it’s possible to embrace a woman you don’t care for?”
After canceling the schedule, Tae-seo focused solely on the woman in front of him, ignoring everyone else.
“Well, that’s not wrong.”
Eun-yu couldn’t tell whether it was a denial or agreement. She had no idea what Tae-seo, who considered her his fiancée, would say next.
He remained calm despite her rude words. The eyes of others were still on them, and even the serving staff watched quietly, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.
“Men are like that. They can embrace a woman they don’t care for. But that’s not all.”
Eun-yu couldn’t predict what he meant. She thought words about efficiency and getting things done were enough. Why would there be more to it?
“If you don’t understand, let me explain.”
Tae-seo noticed she didn’t get it and continued, almost generously.
“Men can embrace any woman, but they don’t embrace women who don’t excite them.”
In other words, he meant that although she had provoked him, she hadn’t stirred desire enough to go further.
No one, even the least perceptive, could miss his meaning. A sharp person like Eun-yu surely understood.
“Of course. A man who can’t stand up properly below can’t embrace a woman either.”
The mocking looks around quickly turned to shock and amazement.
Eun-yu no longer cared about pride or humiliation. Her only focus was to bring down Hyeonjin Construction.
Even if they tried to humiliate each other, it was like spitting on their own faces. But for Eun-yu, a life already stained and battered, this was nothing.
“Whether desire arises or not is your own business. We’re not close enough to care about that, are we?”
Eun-yu’s bold words twisted Tae-seo’s insides.
Of course, she didn’t know. She had never seen his true feelings, so how could she know a man’s heart? If it didn’t work…
“Then I guess I need to find someone else.”
If Tae-seo couldn’t be used, she would find another way. She didn’t care about him—her mind was too busy planning.
She had no experience seducing men, didn’t know what to say to win hearts, and even the crude methods her father suggested would do if it meant she could marry quickly.
So, it didn’t matter if the man wasn’t Tae-seo. Someone from a family like his would satisfy her father’s approval.
Then Tae-seo stood up. Eun-yu’s eyes naturally rose to meet him.
He looked at her with completely different expression and eyes than before.
A gaze and expression that treated people like insects. Yet to Eun-yu, it felt familiar.
“Come on, get up.”
Instead of humiliation, there was a familiar sense of stability emanating from him.
To be continued ▶
