CHAPTER 71…………………………..
However, Choi Hyun-ha spoke to Chairman Choi as if it were nothing at all. Watching him lift the food wrapped in a cloth, only Hyun-ha’s aunt and grandaunt quietly gasped in shock.
“Why are you getting involved in something so trivial? You could have just given it to the maid and been done with it.”
“I told you, Yeong-in did it herself. We can’t just leave it to someone else.”
Even just seeing it was enough to be overwhelming. Hyun-ha’s aunt clenched her hands. She was stunned by the audacity of someone who dared to talk back to the chairman so freely. Does Hyun-ha have no fear at all?
“Hello, Chairman.”
Yeong-in spoke sweetly to Chairman Choi. It was one shocking event after another. Hyun-ha’s grandaunt, about to shout that she shouldn’t dare speak first, was left speechless.
“I see.”
Chairman Choi responded directly to Yeong-in. Given his temperament, that was practically a warm welcome.
“This is the ultrasound I brought this time. It’s a boy. Hyun-ha said you were curious, so I brought it.”
“I see. Thank you.”
“Hyun-ha and I thought it would be nice if you, Chairman, could name him.”
Chairman Choi leaned in close to the ultrasound photo Yeong-in handed him, squinting with his aging eyes. He cleared his throat.
“Well, what’s the matter with you, Chairman?”
Now it was the turn of those watching from the sidelines to be truly astounded.
“Yes, Grandfather.”
Yeong-in replied in a charmingly coquettish manner. Was she really this charming? Hyun-ha’s grandaunt frowned.
The impression left at the wedding had been so strong that she had only remembered her that way. She was breathtakingly beautiful, yet even then, criticisms had been made.
Why does she look so cold? One would think she’s the chairman’s daughter herself. She looks like a princess attending her husband’s ceremony.
Those who knew Yeong-in’s background had expected her to be trembling in front of the guests. Yet she was so bold even at the reception that she almost seemed bored.
“Where’s Grandmother? I should greet her too.”
The conversation continued as the three of them left the dining room. Hyun-ha’s grandaunt and aunt, left speechless, exchanged astonished glances.
“She’s not ordinary.”
Hyun-ha’s aunt exhaled in disbelief, crossing her arms.
“I told you! I wondered how Choi Hyun-ha was so captivated. She’s even wilder than Joo-ran. What do we do with her?”
“What can we do? We’re the elders. She’s just a newlywed this year. Besides, haven’t I already had grandchildren?”
Her repeated words sounded almost like a mutter to herself. She had intended to intimidate her, but at least in first impressions, she had clearly lost.
“Didn’t you just see Dad? He likes her. We should have predicted this when we heard Hyun-ha contacting Dad so often lately. It was all because of her.”
“Dad’s too busy to fuss over every little thing. Let’s make her work hard and humble her.”
“What about Hyun-ha, though?”
When Hyun-ha’s grandaunt hesitated, her aunt raised one eyebrow and glared at her.
“You’d side with your own daughter, wouldn’t you? Honestly, she better behave. Hyun-ha’s scary.”
“Are you afraid of someone younger than your own child?”
“Aren’t you?”
She was left speechless by the immediate retort. As they say, once bitten, twice shy. Just ten minutes ago, the family, who used to wet themselves at the sight of Choi Su-hyuk, flinched in front of Hyun-ha.
“Hyun-ha is so perceptive. Would she give our side away with the whole family around?”
Hyun-ha’s aunt, Gye So-young, was born as the daughter of a construction company and had lived a privileged life. Even when she married, she entered the ceremony in a flower palanquin, envied by all. There was nothing in the world she feared except her children.
Hyun-ha was a somewhat unsettling child. Having been tormented by Choi Su-hyuk, seeing a face so similar to her father often sent chills down her spine. Yet he was still just a son.
Of course, if it wasn’t Hyun-ha herself but someone on the wife’s side, would she refuse them? These were all people who would gradually become Hyun-ha’s support; she would at least keep an eye on family sentiment.
“Anyway, I should be going. Are you coming, young lady?”
“I’ll stay over. I want to talk with Mom a bit.”
Nodding, So-young got up. Before leaving for the entrance, she needed to stop by the master bedroom where the chairman and his wife were. She subtly passed through the servants who naturally made way.
“Father, Mother, I’m leaving.”
She opened the master bedroom door and greeted them quietly, but Chairman Choi only nodded. Hyun-ha’s grandmother at least made a small gesture of seeing her off.
Hyun-ha and Yeong-in also accompanied So-young, but she barely noticed. The fatigue from just visiting this house clung to her.
Am I really going to be treated like this? So-young roughly adjusted her coat and climbed into the waiting car.
Perhaps in her youth, it wouldn’t have mattered, but now, even the privileged So-young had been brought to tears by this household. Thinking of Yeong-in being pampered so easily made her even more irritated.
That trivial little girl deserved to be put in her place a hundredfold.
So-young, sitting in the back seat, pulled out her phone. Her non-aristocratic husband was calling.
“Ah, Yeyul’s dad.”
She leaned back in the seat as she answered. Even without doing anything, why did she feel so drained? Visiting that house was exhausting.
“I saw that your mother was asleep. Jin-i is staying over. Oh, Hyun-ha’s family came today.”
Her voice sharpened automatically. Everyone in the family was sensitive to the name Choi Hyun-ha.
“Yes. She came right next to her wife. Honey, we can’t let them be. I’m just letting off steam here.”
Listening to the loud rant, So-young massaged her forehead. The driver in the front briefly raised his shoulders.
“You said Dad planned to hand over stocks to Hyun-ha. Is he crazy? And then letting it slide like that? How could he?”
Her husband’s shouting made So-young cover her forehead. Good grief.
“Why is everyone in their family so overbearing? They act like they’d die if Dad told them to. At times like this, Hyun-ha seems normal. Ah! Lower your voice! My ears are killing me!”
Raising her own voice until it hurt her ears, So-young finally quieted the other end.
“Anyway, Baek Yeong-in, she’s the key.”
Taking advantage of the lull, she spoke carefully.
“Today, I saw how skillfully she coaxed Father. She’s sly. Even if she came here penniless, she’s not naïve.”
Unlike Joo-ran, whom she expected to be obedient, So-young had completely changed her mind about Yeong-in. She was certainly no ordinary girl.
She could only be on par with Seok Joo-ran. Thinking of the difficulties Joo-ran faced early in her marriage, So-young scoffed. How could a rolling stone beat a set stone? No matter how clever Yeong-in was, she would inevitably lose.
We’ll see.
“This feels oddly unpleasant……”
Even after hanging up, she muttered to herself. The white scar on her hand, kept neatly while greeting people, seemed to throb.
How did my hand end up like this?
She knew something chaotic had happened. Joo-ran’s death had been suspicious. She understood that Hyun-ha had caused her father to take action, but as an insider, she couldn’t know the full details. Just like with Su-hyuk, matters related to Hyun-ha were kept strictly secret.
Tapping on her phone, So-young searched her contacts. Finding Hyun-ha’s eldest aunt, who was hiding abroad, her fingers moved quickly. Though Lim Kwon-ho had conveniently dealt with things, why were these two so quiet?
The call connected, contrary to her expectation.
“Miss, it’s been a while.”
So-young smiled brightly.
“I need to ask you something… Is Kwon-ho there?”
“Acting like she’s not even here,” Choi Hyun-ha said, leaning to the side.
Yeong-in, who had been tilting her head, slowly leaned back on the sofa.
“When did I ever?”
“You are now.”
“I’m talking and breathing, aren’t I?”
Hyun-ha chuckled at her nonchalant response and sat beside her. Their newlywed home was different from the mansion and the villa. The chairman and his wife personally arranged a well-located penthouse. Secretaries handled the legwork and paperwork, but to them, it was the same as doing it themselves.
“If you want to rest, go to the bedroom.”
Hyun-ha suggested, combing her hair with his fingers. Her hair had grown longer, shining as it fell down.
