Affectionate Obsession - Chapter 43

Junhyeok, unlike his usual self, focused solely on driving in silence.

He had dinner with Yeonhee as he had wanted, but there was no sense of satisfaction he had expected.

He had thought Yeonhee wouldn’t welcome an outing like this given the circumstances, but he hadn’t anticipated she would dislike it this much.

That made him feel quite bewildered, and yet deeply disappointed, leading him to act uncharacteristically emotional.

That continued to make him feel uneasy even after finishing their dinner.

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand Yeonhee’s feelings.

As she had said, now was not the time to comfortably go out for a meal.

However, next week they had to attend a charity auction event where Chairman Choi would be present, and that occasion would be more difficult and exhausting than any situation Yeonhee had faced before.

Given the situation that was as clear as day, he thought a simple meal as encouragement would be fine.

He knew a mere meal wouldn’t grant him the strength or a clever tactic to confront Chairman Choi, but he still wanted to do it.

He thought, regardless of the meaning, they could enjoy such small happiness for a brief moment.

Junhyeok suppressed a sigh that rose to his throat.

Putting aside the fact that he had ruined the occasion he had prepared with good intentions, the anxiety that seemed to have subsided began to creep back in.

Junhyeok glanced sideways at Yeonhee.

She had looked precarious the entire time.

He knew Yeonhee, who had collapsed to the point of desperation upon hearing she was Yoon Sera’s twin, was barely holding on through her desire for revenge.

Though not for a positive reason, he was immensely grateful that she was holding on, that she was by his side, even in that state.

Yet, that same Yeonhee was now staring straight ahead, her expression completely blank.

It was a perfect poker face, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.

There was nothing in the world that scared him, but in this moment, his hands felt like they might tremble with a fear he had never felt before.

Junhyeok pressed his lips together tightly.

His throat felt heavy, and his eyes stung. That much, an inexplicable, painful emotion, tormented him incessantly.

While the recent series of events must have been incredibly painful for Yeonhee, it had been the same for him.

Nevertheless, he was doing everything he could for Yeonhee, without regard for consequences.

He had gone that far solely because it was Yeonhee’s matter, and because he needed to buy time, even if only a little.

Junhyeok knew that although Yeonhee was by his side now, he couldn’t be sure her heart, which had decided to leave, had completely turned back.

Yeonhee would leave him, no matter when that might be.

While he couldn’t claim to know everything about Yeonhee, he knew very well that she was the type of person who would see through anything she decided to do, regardless of its importance.

Therefore, Yeonhee was always serious when making a decision, regardless of the weight of the matter.

This time, she must have agonized even more.

It couldn’t have been easy for Yeonhee to abandon him again.

He thought Yeonhee would feel compelled to leave his side because of her money-bound relationship with Yoon Sera, but that wasn’t the sole reason.

Suddenly, he recalled her words from the moment he had held her back.

‘Don’t do this. No matter what you do, the fact that Yoon Sera and Jeong Junhyeok got married won’t change. The news is out for everyone in the world to see, and no matter how much you and I deny it, the fact that Yoon Sera became Jeong Junhyeok’s wife won’t change. Sooner or later, you and I have to break up.’

The widely reported news of his wedding to Yoon Sera.

That was probably the decisive reason.

Jeong Junhyeok, known to have married Yoon Sera, was actually living with another woman, or perhaps dating another woman.

Either way, if it became known to the public, he wouldn’t be able to escape criticism.

And it wasn’t as if Yeonhee could live her entire life as Yoon Sera for his sake.

The conclusion was either to not let go of each other while enduring criticism, or to let go of each other to avoid criticism.

Yeonhee must have concluded that the future they would face would be one of these two options.

Junhyeok gripped the steering wheel tightly.

These were things he hadn’t been unaware of, things he had braced himself for when he suspected Yeonhee intended to leave him. Yet, he couldn’t bear the overwhelming anxiety.

Junhyeok’s gaze, which had been fixed forward, found Yeonhee again.

Yeonhee still wasn’t looking at him.

Did she know that this was pushing him further into a maddening anxiety?

Junhyeok had to do his best not to let out the sigh that rose within him.

He couldn’t add his own worries to her already difficult situation.

With that thought alone, he pressed the accelerator, enduring the painful emotions.

“Haa.”

Sera let out a sigh, as if it were a habit.

She had lost count of how many days she had been confined to her room.

She didn’t mind being cooped up in her room.

What troubled her more was her current state of helplessness, despite receiving reports about Shin Yeonhee’s actions through her secretary.

What on earth was she thinking? When she heard that Shin Yeonhee was impersonating her, her teeth clenched.

－What’s wrong with you lately? Why are you doing things you never do, drawing unnecessary gossip? The kids these days are whispering that you’ve gone crazy. Do you know that?

The first time Sera learned that Yeonhee was impersonating her was through Jiyeong, a friend she was close with.

‘What are you talking about? What do you mean I’m doing things I never do? I’ve been staying home lately.’

－Staying home? You went to the department store last week, didn’t you? They say you caused all sorts of scenes there, and the rumors are already widespread.

Sera still couldn’t forget the shame she felt when she heard that.

When it came to anything happening outside her home, Sera was always meticulous.

She never did anything that would become fodder for gossip, and even when it meant taking a loss, she would smile and show magnanimity.

That was what she had learned growing up in the RM family, and the image she had cultivated while enduring Sookhee’s suffocating education.

It would be a lie to say the process wasn’t difficult.

But before she knew it, acting in front of others had become her life, and when she realized her reflection in the eyes of others had reached flawless perfection, she even felt a thrill.

It had taken her a lifetime to get there.

Yet, Shin Yeonhee was making that image, built over a lifetime, crumble in just a few days.

Causing a scene.

It was something that could never exist in Yoon Sera’s life.

But Jiyeong’s subsequent words instantly ignited Sera’s already burning heart.

－It’s not like you don’t shop every day, so why did you ask for a refund on a used bag? Do you know how shocked I was when I heard that? I asked several times if it was really Yoon Sera who did that.

She couldn’t help but be aghast upon hearing that.

Asking for a refund on a used bag, of all things, was an act that defied common sense.

Yet, Shin Yeonhee had dared to commit such an absurd act, pretending to be her.

According to the secretary’s report, the department store wasn’t the only place Shin Yeonhee had visited.

That fact made Sera’s insides burn even more.

“What on earth are you thinking, Shin Yeonhee?”

Sera, biting her nails, muttered in an anxious voice.

Then, unable to bear the rising irritation, she squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed her hair with both hands as if to tear it out.

She felt like she was going to go mad from the burning frustration.

Despite the searing thirst, no amount of water could quench it.

Each time, the anxiety led to extreme unease, and she felt she couldn’t endure it unless she let out a scream.

She felt exactly like a patient suffering from neurasthenia.

Sera was furious even about that.

She couldn’t comprehend why she had to feel this way because of someone like Shin Yeonhee.

However, there was no way to avoid feeling this way, nor anything she could do to shake off the feeling.

‘From now on, Grandma will handle everything, so Sera, you don’t have to do anything.’

‘…….’

‘I won’t let things go as Jeong Junhyeok and the child who entered the wedding in your place intended. So, you don’t need to be anxious, Sera.’

‘…….’

‘From now on, Grandma will handle everything, but you too must refrain from going out and remain in seclusion for a while.’

That was all Sookhee had said after learning the full truth.

It was unexpected, as she hadn’t anticipated such a reaction, but the punishment for her actions, done without consultation, was inevitable.

Now that Sookhee knew everything, she no longer had to worry about losing her position.

However, the anxiety and unease she had to willingly bear remained unchanged, and in fact, had intensified.

Sera slowly closed her eyelids.

She had to endure the current emotions, even if it meant forcing herself.

That was the only thing permitted to her now.

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