Chapter 1
At the entrance of her husband’s apartment, Se-ah saw a pair of unfamiliar dark-colored stiletto heels.
She stood frozen, unable to step inside. Her expression wouldn’t stay calm.
“You’re here? Your husband’s in the shower.”
The owner of the shoes revealed herself quickly — she wasn’t even trying to hide. Maybe that’s why she had been the one to open the door.
“Yuri… why are you here?”
“Why do you think?”
Annoyingly, the woman speaking was Se-ah’s longtime friend, Heo Yuri. Se-ah stood speechless, staring blankly at her friend wearing only a bathrobe. Yuri smirked and walked closer.
“Did you bring Ji-man’s clothes?”
She snatched the shopping bag out of Se-ah’s hand and checked it casually — inside were comfortable clothes, a dress shirt for tomorrow, a suit, even underwear.
“Next time, bring two pairs of underwear. I’ll ask you often.”
She hummed a tune and went back inside as if nothing was wrong. It was so absurd that Se-ah wondered if she was misunderstanding the whole situation.
“Why are you acting so confident?”
Anger boiled up. She couldn’t believe that the two people she trusted most — her husband and her best friend — had betrayed her. Shock turned into trembling rage.
“My god, you really didn’t know? For eight whole years?”
Yuri looked genuinely amazed, as if Se-ah were the dumbest person in the world.
Se-ah had known her husband Ji-man wasn’t the same anymore.
It had been an arranged marriage, but they had tried to love each other. Maybe not passionately, but kindly and respectfully — at least until they discovered Se-ah couldn’t have children.
She had gone through countless treatments and hospital visits, but still no child came.
“You tried to cling to him even though you can’t have kids?”
“Are you even hearing yourself right now?”
“No wonder Ji-man got tired of you. We made it so obvious — how could you not notice for eight years? You should’ve picked up the hint.”
Her shock burned into fury. They didn’t even feel guilty — instead, they were smug and shameless. Yuri had always looked down on her, but this was beyond cruel.
Without thinking, Se-ah lunged forward, ready to grab Yuri’s perfect, glossy hair and throw her to the ground.
“What are you doing?”
Just as she grabbed Yuri’s hair, Ji-man appeared from nowhere, yanking Se-ah’s wrist down.
“You—! What are you doing?”
“Let’s get divorced.”
“…What?”
Her mind went blank. His eyes were cold and emotionless — not a trace of regret. Her eight years of sacrifice flashed before her eyes — giving up her dream of acting, supporting him, enduring everything.
“How could you…?”
She had always felt guilty toward his family for not giving them a grandchild. Ji-man was an only son, and his mother desperately wanted a grandson.
That mother-in-law had constantly insulted and mistreated Se-ah, treating her like a servant in her own home.
“Stop dragging this out. Go to your parents’ house and tell them you want a divorce.”
His voice was cold, his eyes unfeeling. He pushed her out of the apartment like she was nothing.
“I’ll make sure the alimony’s generous.”
“You think I’m angry about the money?”
She laughed bitterly. Alimony? She didn’t care about that. Love? Loyalty? All meaningless now.
Fine, maybe he wanted a child to carry on the family name. Maybe he even loved someone else more.
But shouldn’t he at least apologize? Shouldn’t he explain? Shouldn’t he give her even a shred of respect after everything?
“At least tell me one thing. Did you ever love me?”
She had tried to love him — truly — but he only smirked. “It’s not like we were madly in love, were we?”
“Eight years ago… that scandal.”
She frowned. Eight years ago, she had been forced to give up acting after a terrible scandal — “Do Gun-ha and Im Se-ah.” It had ruined her career overnight. Even though she denied the rumors, the public didn’t care. The entertainment world turned its back on her.
“Don’t tell me…”
“I did it,” Ji-man said. “With Heo Yuri’s father’s help.”
“Do you know how hard it was for Ji-man and my dad back then?” Yuri added with a dramatic sigh.
Heo Yuri’s father — Heo, the CEO of Se-ah’s former agency — had been behind it all. No wonder the truth never came out.
“They just wanted you to be a good wife and mother, not some working actress.”
Then isn’t Yuri a “working woman” too? Se-ah wanted to laugh at the hypocrisy, but she kept quiet. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing her beg.
“That’s all it ever was. Not love. Now go, you’re in the way.”
He shut the door in her face.
“Ha…”
She stood there for a long time. Learning that they’d been behind the scandal — behind the ruin of her life — made her dizzy.
She’d lived for others, never for herself. She was tired. Every day had been heavy with guilt and pain.
She wanted to run away — had wanted to for years. But now, even her anger couldn’t outweigh the exhaustion.
“…”
Walking out of the building, she stopped at a crosswalk.
The sound of cicadas filled the air — creatures that spent seven years underground only to sing for one summer before dying. Even cicadas lived with more passion than she had.
A dry laugh escaped her lips. “Maybe I really have gone insane.”
“Would be easier if I were crazy.”
She stared at the rushing cars. Just the thought of facing her mother-in-law again made her shudder. That house had never felt like home.
The summer sky was hazy, the air thick after a passing typhoon.
She sighed. Ji-man probably hadn’t even told his mother about the divorce yet — meaning she would have to face the yelling first.
Her eyes wandered until she spotted a large billboard — Heo Yuri, smiling beautifully, advertising a luxury handbag.
The same woman who had just betrayed her.
The sight made her laugh emptily again.
The crosswalk turned green, people began crossing, but Se-ah just stood there, numb.
Her husband and her friend — both so proud even while cheating.
“Go tell your family you want a divorce,” he had said. Passing the blame, like always.
Should she wait for him to tell his mother first? Or just leave on her own?
She had no power, no leverage, no “cards” to turn the tables.
“I want revenge,” she whispered.
Eight years ago, when her father’s business was in trouble, she’d thought marrying Ji-man was fate — a way to help her family. How stupid she’d been.
“What do I do now?”
Her mind went blank. The signal turned red again, cars sped by.
Eight years of lies. Eight years of betrayal. How could people be that cruel?
She closed her eyes tightly as another green light blinked on.
She thought of her old self, before the arranged marriage — full of dreams and passion. If only she’d focused more on acting, fought harder. She’d had talent; even her mother — a famous actress — had believed in her.
But her mother was gone now. Her father had always disapproved of acting, so few people knew who her mother was.
“Ha…”
A weary sigh escaped her lips.
Ever since meeting Ji-man, everything had gone wrong — the scandal, the forced retirement, the miserable marriage. All of it part of his scheme.
If she’d known back then… how different would her life have been?
The pedestrian light flashed green again. She stepped forward — just as it turned red.
A truck shot past. The wind slapped her face, and she stumbled back in shock.
Screech—
The sky darkened, wind roaring as the typhoon’s tail whipped through the city.
“Watch out!”
“Ahhh!”
People screamed and ran. A terrible metallic screech split the air.
She turned — and froze.
A huge green road sign was falling toward her.
There was no time to move.
In that brief moment, her last thought wasn’t of anger or revenge — but regret.
I should have lived how I wanted. I should have kept acting, no matter what. I should have fought back.
What a waste, she thought.
“A waste, indeed.”
A faint voice echoed — like a bird’s song.
“Still, you’re lucky. The fickle gods have noticed you.”
Before she could understand the words—
BOOM!
A deafening crash. Chaos filled the street.
“This time, live the life you want.”
Emergency crews arrived, clearing the wreckage and rushing the injured to hospitals.
Soon after, breaking news appeared on the billboard above:
One dead.
Identified as Im Se-ah, wife of An.B Group Vice President Park Ji-man.
Days later, at her funeral, headlines flared again — actor Do Gun-ha, who had once been caught in a scandal with her eight years ago, appeared to pay his respects.
