A Marriage with A Reason - Chapter 65

Clack—the sound of the door opening was followed by Jaehoon’s voice.

“I’m home.”

Hearing this, Dayun stopped what she was doing and quickly ran to the entrance.

“Senior, you’re back?”

“Yeah, I’ll change and take a shower first.”

“Okay. I’ll finish preparing dinner in the meantime.”

Jaehoon headed to his room, saying he would wash up before eating dinner. Dayun, seeing this, returned to the kitchen where she had been. As she resumed chopping ingredients with a rhythmic tok-tok-tok sound, a sudden thought crossed her mind.

“Was work hard today? Why does he look even more exhausted than usual?”

It was no surprise—Jaehoon’s face was unusually filled with worry and distress today. Dayun wondered if something bad had happened at his company, but since he didn’t say anything, she decided it probably wasn’t a big deal. She refocused on preparing dinner.

Meanwhile, Jaehoon entered the bathroom and sank into the bathtub filled with water. Just as Dayun had noticed, his face was clouded with concern and conflict. His thoughts were tangled—just like the water that overflowed as he submerged himself, he wished his worries could also spill out and disappear. But instead, they only piled up, tormenting him further. Frustrated, he submerged his face into the water.

“Pfft—”

How long had he been holding his breath? The stinging sensation forced him to surface. As he took in a refreshing breath, Hyeyun’s words from earlier in the day suddenly echoed in his mind.

“Don’t trust your mother too much. What you see isn’t everything. You should be careful.”

Those words carried a deep meaning, as if she knew something.

Jaehoon had asked, “What do you mean?”

“She’s not normal, your mother. Everything I’ve done so far… it all came from her.”

Hyeyun’s response was shocking. Of course, he had always known that his mother wasn’t fond of Dayun. He was also aware that her kindness toward Dayun was merely part of her revenge. After all, Miyoung, his mother, wanted Dayun—his father’s first love’s daughter—to suffer just as much as she had been hurt in the past.

That was why Jaehoon had been trying to untangle the mess, believing that, with time, the twisted threads could be unraveled. But after hearing Hyeyun’s words, it felt like the fragile thread of hope he had been holding onto had snapped.

“Sigh… How… How is this even possible?”

He couldn’t believe it. His mother’s obsession, her attempts to drive a wedge between him and Dayun—all of it had originated from Miyoung’s mind. The realization was both shocking and a betrayal. And yet, at the same time, he found himself wondering—was her pain and suffering deeper than he had ever imagined?

In the end, Jaehoon’s mind was the only thing that became even more entangled. His thoughts twisted chaotically, just like an impossibly knotted thread. He knew how much his mother had suffered in the past. He also knew how good of a person Dayun was. Most of all, both Dayun and his mother were important to him, making everything even more complicated.

Even after finishing his shower, Jaehoon’s worried expression remained unchanged. Even the hum of the hairdryer did nothing to ease his troubled mind. But then—

“Senior, you must be hungry. Come quickly and eat dinner.”

Hearing Dayun call him with her usual bright voice, something inside him suddenly unraveled. Looking at her innocent face—free of malice, smiling purely at him—it hit him.

‘Right… What crime has she committed? My mother’s issues and Dayun are two separate things.’

A thought struck him—why should Dayun have to suffer for this?

To be honest, just because her mother was his father’s first love didn’t mean she should be the target of his mother’s revenge. His mother’s pain was heartbreaking, but that was a problem between his father and his biological mother, Mi-Jung. It had nothing to do with Dayun or her mother. Her mother may have been his father’s first love, but she hadn’t even known about it. Besides, she had moved on, married the man she loved, and built a family. They were completely separate matters.

Dayun and her mother had done nothing wrong. It was only his mother, Miyoung, who had misdirected her wounded anger. This realization consumed his thoughts.

The next morning—

“Good morning, Team Leader.”

After arriving at work, Jaehoon picked up his phone and called Miyoung.

“Mother, it’s me. I have something to say. If you’re available, could we meet for lunch today?”

As soon as he ended the call, a text arrived from Miyoung with the time and place for their meeting.

“I really hope we can resolve this today.”

Jaehoon wished for it to be over. He was tired of the unease. He hated the heavy guilt weighing on his heart. More than anything, he wished that Miyoung, for the sake of her son, would take a step back. If she could just let go, then they could all finally have a peaceful and happy life.

Time passed, and soon, it was almost time for their meeting. Jaehoon wrapped up his work and stood up to leave.

“Oh? Team Leader, are you heading out for lunch?”

His coworkers greeted him warmly, including Hyeyun. The difference from before was that her expression had softened. She now looked at him the way she used to—like a close junior and senior.

“Yes, I have an appointment.”

“Oh, I see. Enjoy your lunch.”

“Thanks, you all have a nice meal too.”

Feeling a little lighter, Jaehoon left the office. Behind him, cheerful conversation filled the workspace.

“Team Leader must be going somewhere nice to eat.”

“Should we eat out for a change too? Hyeyun, what do you think?”

“Oh, that sounds great! The cafeteria food is good, but we could use a change.”

“Yeah! Let’s eat out and have dessert too. It’ll be a nice break.”

“Oh, I’m in~”

For some reason, the office felt more peaceful than usual.

At a high-end Japanese restaurant, Jaehoon stepped inside.

“Welcome. Do you have a reservation?”

“Yes, under the name Shin Miyoung.”

“Right this way.”

Following the staff, Jaehoon soon arrived at a private room where Miyoung was already seated.

“You’re here.”

“Yes. You arrived earlier than expected.”

“It’s lunch with my beloved son. Of course, I came early. To be honest, I was looking forward to it.”

Jaehoon took a seat across from her as Miyoung turned to the staff.

“Please bring the dishes I ordered earlier.”

“Understood.”

After bowing politely, the staff left the room, closing the door behind them. Now, only Jaehoon and Miyoung remained.

“I remembered how much you loved sashimi as a kid, so I chose this place. You don’t mind having it for lunch, do you?”

“No, I don’t mind. But… Mother.”

“Yes?”

Jaehoon hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

“I have something to say.”

“Oh? You mentioned that on the phone too. Alright, go ahead. I’m curious.”

“Well….”

“What is it? You’re making me even more curious.”

Seeing the expectant look on her face, he hesitated, wondering if he was making the right choice. But he knew he couldn’t stay silent.

“Mother… Let’s stop this here.”

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