Chapter 3
Suddenly, Se-a’s voice echoed in Hyesoo’s ears.
“If you weren’t here, I’d die.”
Trying to forget that she was just Se-a’s shadow, Hyesoo lowered her head even more.
“I’m sorry, CEO. I’m really sorry,” she said, repeating the words like someone in a trance.
Danwoo sighed and turned his head after hearing her apologize again and again.
“Get up.”
At his firm words, Hyesoo awkwardly lifted her head—but she still stayed kneeling, looking up at him.
“I’m sorry, sir.”
Danwoo frowned deeply, seeing how stubborn she was about taking responsibility for Se-a’s actions.
He stared at her for a moment.
“Ji Hyesoo.”
“Yes, sir.”
When he called her name, she quickly responded. Danwoo let out a bitter laugh.
“You answer right away when I call you ‘Ji Hyesoo.’”
Hyesoo looked confused.
‘Of course. That’s my name.’
Why was he pointing that out?
Then Danwoo asked, “So why are you doing everything for Lee Se-a instead of yourself?”
Hyesoo blinked.
She didn’t know how to answer.
‘That’s true… why am I doing all this for her?’
Even Hyesoo herself couldn’t understand it.
Danwoo stared at her for a moment longer before walking to his desk.
“Leave now.”
He didn’t even look back as he continued.
“We’ll talk about this again later.”
His clear decision made Hyesoo’s heart sink.
‘In the end…’
This wasn’t a problem she could fix on her own. Danwoo clearly wanted to bring everything out into the open, and Hyesoo had nothing more to say.
She stood up with a small sigh.
‘How am I going to explain this to Se-a…?’
She hoped she could calm Se-a down somehow.
If possible, she didn’t want Se-a to get angry—or worse, cause trouble for her husband, Jaeho.
While Hyesoo’s mind was busy with worry—
“Just how much do you trust your husband?”
Danwoo spoke as Hyesoo was about to leave. His question made her blink in surprise.
“…What?”
He turned his head and looked at her.
“You’re married to Lee Se-a’s brother, Lee Jaeho, right?”
“Uh… yes.”
Hyesoo nodded, still confused.
“I don’t know how much you trust him… but maybe it’s time to have some doubts.”
Then he turned away again.
Hyesoo felt upset.
‘Why would he say that?’
It made her angry, but she didn’t show it. She left the office quickly.
Inside the elevator, she let out a big sigh.
‘What should I do…?’
Danwoo’s warning faded from her mind.
All she could think about was Se-a.
Now, Hyesoo stood there blankly, remembering the conversation with Danwoo.
‘So that’s why he asked…’
“How much do you trust your husband?”
Was Danwoo trying to warn her?
“Maybe you should doubt him a little.”
She had been annoyed by his words at the time…
“Haha…”
Now she laughed bitterly at how naïve and clueless she had been.
‘Is that why I never knew anything about Se-a’s love life?’
But it was too late now. Everything had already happened.
She couldn’t think anymore. Her mind was numb.
Just then, a soft sound rang out—two people’s lips parted.
“Ha…”
She saw the look in Jaeho’s eyes, like he wanted more after kissing Se-a.
She laughed in disbelief.
‘You crazy bastard.’
She suddenly remembered her past nights with Jaeho.
He had always been gentle—except in bed.
He never looked her in the eyes, always had a blank face.
She had thought he was just shy… but that wasn’t it.
He didn’t care about her feelings at all.
He just used her for his own desires.
Every time they were together, she was in pain.
But she loved him. So she endured it.
And yet…
‘Those eyes…’
The way he looked at Se-a—hungry and desperate—made all those nights feel like hell.
Then she realized:
‘He imagined Se-a instead of me.’
Jaeho had used her body while thinking about her sister-in-law.
It made sense now why he never looked her in the eyes.
“Haha…”
Jaeho leaned in to kiss Se-a again.
As he got close, Se-a stopped him firmly.
“Don’t lose Hyesoo.”
She said it clearly.
‘Why… why does she care so much about keeping me?’
Just because of her songs?
Then Se-a said something that froze Hyesoo’s heart.
“Don’t forget how we even killed Hyesoo’s mom to keep her.”
Jaeho shook his head quickly.
“That old lady died because of her own blood pressure. That’s not our fault.”
“But you did put herbs in the medicine that are dangerous for people with high blood pressure.”
Se-a calmly reminded him.
Hyesoo felt dizzy.
“Don’t ever let Hyesoo find out.”
Se-a’s voice was cold.
“I need her songs. You know that, right?”
“Of course,” Jaeho replied.
“She’ll always stay behind me in the shadows. That’s her place.”
He gently touched Se-a’s cheek.
“Don’t worry, Se-a.”
He smiled.
“Hyesoo is dumb.”
Dumb.
That’s what the husband she trusted for five years just said about her.
“She believes anything I say, without question.”
Hyesoo felt like her world was collapsing.
She could barely breathe from all the shocking truths.
Then—
“I can’t kill someone like Hong Woochan again, right?”
Se-a looked at Jaeho with a soft, sad expression.
‘Hong Woochan?’
Who was that?
Were there more people they had killed besides her mom?
Hyesoo began to fear them.
“Every time I think of that day, it still breaks my heart…”
Se-a looked like a victim—crying as if she had done nothing wrong.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“It’s not your fault,” Jaeho said, wiping her tear.
“It’s mine. I did it.”
The most shocking part was what Jaeho said next:
“You didn’t do anything. If anything happens again, I’ll take all the blame.”
So comforting, as if he was the perfect protector.
But Hyesoo couldn’t stand to watch anymore.
“You just be happy,” he added.
Right then, Se-a threw her arms around him.
“Oppa…”
Her sweet voice stabbed into Hyesoo’s ears.
“I want to be in your arms.”
