- Episode 4
“Eun Seorin!”
Taeyoon’s voice, sharp and urgent, broke the silence. Seorin’s long eyelashes trembled at the sound.
She had already made up her mind.
Seorin bit her lip several times, then forced out a painful answer.
“Why should I contact you, oppa?”
“What are you saying? You have no reason to contact me?”
“What are you to me, oppa? What are we now?”
Her words came out slowly, each syllable filled with strain. Taeyoon stared at her like someone who had lost all words.
“Eun Seorin, what are you saying? We promised to get married. Did you forget? I told you when I came back—”
“That promise… it was made too long ago, oppa.”
Seorin bit the inside of her mouth, gripping the hem of her blouse tightly.
“A lot has changed since then. My family, my feelings—everything’s different now.”
“What do you mean? What changed?”
Seorin blinked back tears. Youngsook’s words echoed in her head: “You have to end it with Taeyoon.”
She was right. Taeyoon wouldn’t end things on his own. So Seorin had to do it herself.
Taking a deep breath, knowing the pain it would bring, she forced herself to say it.
“I don’t love you anymore, oppa.”
Taeyoon’s breath caught in shock.
“At first, I thought marrying you wasn’t a bad idea… but not anymore. It’s already been four years. I guess being apart made my feelings fade. That’s why I didn’t answer your calls.”
After a moment of stunned silence, Taeyoon let out a hollow, bitter laugh and ran a hand through his hair.
It made Seorin’s heart ache, but she stood her ground.
“It’s better this way. Right now, I’m in no position to even think about marriage. So from now on, please treat me only as someone hired by your household. That would be best for both of us.”
“Hired help?”
Taeyoon repeated with a sneer.
“You think that makes sense? That I can treat someone I’ve loved for over 20 years as just another housemaid?”
As Seorin tried to look away, Taeyoon grabbed her chin and turned her face toward him.
“Eun Seorin, how can you ask me to treat someone I love like that? So coldly, like we’re nothing?”
That word—love—made Seorin’s chest tighten.
Her hands began to tremble, so she gripped one hand with the other to hide it.
Why does he always shake the resolve I worked so hard to build?
She had spent countless hours preparing herself for this moment. Yet his eyes alone could tear her walls down.
But… it had to end.
If she couldn’t accept him, she had no reason to hesitate.
With a frown, she pushed away the hand Taeyoon had been holding.
“Let’s just keep things professional from now on. I’ll do the same.”
As she turned to leave, Taeyoon suddenly grabbed her wrist.
“Even if you don’t love me, I still do.”
He pulled her into a forceful kiss before she could react.
The kiss was deep, intense, overwhelming. Seorin’s eyes widened as his lips claimed hers.
It was suffocating—Taeyoon was invading her completely.
She tried pushing him away, slamming her hands into his chest, but he didn’t budge.
Desperate, Seorin bit down on his tongue.
Only when the taste of blood spread in his mouth did Taeyoon finally release her.
Seorin stepped back, covering her lips with her trembling hand. Her eyes were red with emotion.
“You want to treat me like an employee?”
Taeyoon wiped the blood from his lips with his thumb, smirking.
“Whenever I see you, I want to kiss you. What kind of employment relationship is that?”
His crude words shook Seorin even more.
She had expected resistance from him—but not this level of shamelessness.
“Even if you don’t love me, you’ll still be by my side.”
Taeyoon smiled, almost threateningly.
“You can’t escape from me, Eun Seorin.”
Seorin glared at him and stepped back, eventually turning and running away like she was being chased.
The fear that he might try to catch her wouldn’t leave her mind. She ran faster to escape that fear.
—
Next Morning
Although it was still early, Seorin was already sitting on her bed, unable to sleep.
Last night had been sleepless. She had even taken a cold shower, but it hadn’t helped.
Every time she closed her eyes, she could still feel Taeyoon’s kiss. That overwhelming sensation.
She squeezed her eyes shut at the memory.
Would Taeyoon really go this far?
How was she supposed to persuade him like Youngsook said?
Could she stay here until he gave up and married someone else?
She shook her head. No—she couldn’t give up on Dongyoung Foods.
To Seorin, Dongyoung Foods wasn’t just a food company.
It was a legacy built on good quality, ethical practices, and giving back to society. Hundreds of employees had worked there for over 30 years.
Some of them, now elderly, greeted her warmly like family.
There were over 1,500 employees—thousands if you included their families. If the company failed, they would all lose their livelihoods.
All she had to do was endure. If she alone could bear it, they could save the company.
She hugged her knees tightly, overwhelmed with emotion.
She wished someone would tell her: “It’ll be okay. You can do this.” But no one was there. The loneliness cut deep.
Just then, there was a knock at her door.
“Ah, yes?”
She answered quickly.
It was Suwon, a household employee.
“Seorin, are you up?”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Madam is looking for you. You should go.”
She looked at the clock—it was already past 8 a.m. She had barely dozed off, and her mind still felt foggy.
But time waited for no one. Life in the Hyunmo estate had already begun.
“Okay, I’ll get ready and come.”
She washed up, fixed her appearance, and stepped out.
Her face looked terrible from the sleepless night, but she didn’t have time to worry about that.
When she entered the main house, Youngsook was sitting with a coffee and newspaper.
“Did you sleep well?” she asked casually.
“Yes.”
Though it wasn’t true, Seorin nodded.
Youngsook gave her a quick glance, but didn’t seem to care about the lie.
Instead, she asked:
“So, did you talk to Taeyoon last night? He didn’t say anything unusual, did he?”
Seorin took a deep breath.
“No, nothing unusual.”
“Really?”
Youngsook’s lips curled slightly. She clearly didn’t believe her.
“You know Taeyoon—he’s always sensitive when it comes to you. Just keep him calm and I won’t make things difficult for you. I brought you here to work, yes, but we’re not total strangers, are we?”
Even as Youngsook spoke kindly, Seorin remained silent.
[To be continued]
