Affectionate Obsession - Chapter 44

Yeonhee stared intently at her reflection in the mirror. Her reflection in the mirror felt incredibly unfamiliar. It was the second time she felt this way, after her wedding.

It was the result of entrusting everything from head to toe to experts.

The designer clothes she was wearing were different from those she had bought to impersonate Yoon Sera until now.

While before they had a mix of elegance and sportiness, today’s outfit focused solely on elegance, befitting the title of HN Group’s daughter-in-law.

It fit her body perfectly, as if custom-made. Yet, from the moment she put on these clothes, Yeonhee couldn’t shake the feeling that she was wearing an ill-fitting facade.

Her already less-than-ideal condition sank completely. It felt as if heavy weights had been hung all over her body.

She didn’t want to budge from this spot. But this was not a day she could afford to do that.

“Hoo.”

Yeonhee let out a sigh that felt like a deep breath. She had to somehow lift her spirits.

Soon, she would be heading to the charity auction event with Junhyeok.

That meant she would soon come face to face with Choi Sookhee.

She had encountered her once while pretending to be Yoon Sera, but that was entirely different.

Today, Choi Sookhee would also be fully aware of her true identity.

She was both curious and fearful about how Choi Sookhee would react, knowing she wasn’t Yoon Sera.

She knew Choi Sookhee wouldn’t dare harm her in front of so many people who believed her to be Yoon Sera.

However, perhaps sensing that Choi Sookhee was not an easy opponent, she couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of tension.

Yeonhee picked up the clutch placed before her. Then, she forced herself to ignore the rising tension and stood up.

Just then, the closed room door opened. Through the mirror, she saw Junhyeok’s face.

“Are you ready?”

He asked. After a brief pause, Yeonhee nodded. As if he had been waiting, he strode forward and extended his hand towards Yeonhee.

“Let’s go.”

Yeonhee looked at the hand extended before her, her eyes flickering slightly.

Junhyeok’s hand felt like a signal flare for everything that was about to unfold.

It was clear this would be a difficult journey. The thought kept weakening Yeonhee’s resolve, but she managed to take Junhyeok’s hand.

Then, she walked side-by-side with him.

“My dear daughter-in-law, you’ve arrived.”

They had just entered the hotel ballroom in the heart of Seoul.

At the sudden voice, Junhyeok and Yeonhee’s gazes moved simultaneously to one spot.

At the end of their gaze was Chairman Jeong, whom she hadn’t seen in a while.

“…Have you been well, Father-in-law.”

Yeonhee’s voice, already tense, became even more rigid.

The tone didn’t quite suit Sera. Even though she knew it, she couldn’t easily correct it.

The ballroom was filled with more people than she had expected. Everyone was dressed impeccably and formally.

The aura emanating from each person was immense, just from their attire alone. With so many such individuals, Yeonhee found it impossible to control her tension.

Perhaps it showed on her face, as Chairman Jeong sent her a concerned look.

“My dear daughter-in-law, are you feeling unwell? Your complexion isn’t good.”

His tone was very affectionate. She knew he was genuinely concerned, but it didn’t feel pleasant. Instead, Chairman Jeong’s worry only amplified Yeonhee’s tension.

Yeonhee took a deep breath. Then, she repeated the mantra she had been reciting inwardly all the way here.

It’s okay. I can do this. Just do as you’ve been doing. You’ve done well so far. So, don’t worry. It’s okay, Shin Yeonhee.

She couldn’t completely shed the weight pressing down on her shoulders, but she felt a little more at ease.

Yeonhee recalled her past experiences and forced a smile. The smiles she had put on countless times while pretending to be Yoon Sera appeared on her lips.

“No, Father-in-law. It’s been a while since I’ve been to an event like this, so I suppose I got a little nervous.”

“Indeed, Chairman Yoon should have cherished you more. She never brought you to events like this to keep you out of the media’s eye, so it’s understandable from your perspective, my dear.”

“Still, I feel reassured because Junhyeok is here. I’m worried I might make a mistake, so today I plan to just stick close to Junhyeok.”

“Haha. It seems Junhyeok is that much of a reliable person to our dear daughter-in-law.”

Chairman Jeong’s hearty laughter erupted from his lips, which curved upwards with delight. Yeonhee smiled along with Chairman Jeong without any further response.

She wished Junhyeok would discreetly lead her away from here at this point.

As that thought filled her mind, Junhyeok turned his head towards the inner part of the ballroom.

Despite the subtle movement, Yeonhee, who had keenly noticed it, followed Junhyeok’s gaze with her eyes.

Then, she saw Chairman Choi standing not far away.

Chairman Choi was surrounded by people she didn’t know, wearing a mechanical smile.

Were others not seeing what was visible to her? Even as she saw Sookhee’s uncomfortable expression, people showed no signs of leaving her side.

She had heard she was revered as a legend in the business world, and it seemed that wasn’t an exaggeration.

“Father, it seems Chairman Choi has arrived, so I think we should go and greet her.”

Junhyeok’s voice suddenly cut through the air.

Yeonhee instinctively turned her head back to her original position.

There, she saw Chairman Jeong nodding with a pleased expression.

“That’s right. You should. Go and greet her quickly. It’s been a while since you’ve seen your grandmother since getting married, my dear daughter-in-law, so convey my regards.”

“Yes, Father-in-law. I’ll see you again in a bit.”

Yeonhee nodded, her voice adopting a slightly higher pitch than usual, her tone carefully modulated.

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned with Junhyeok and began to walk.

Just putting distance between herself and Chairman Jeong felt like a breath of fresh air.

Though the thought that Choi Sookhee was at the end of that path made her heart heavy once more.

“In any case, Chairman Choi will have no choice but to treat you as Yoon Sera in front of people. She might even act more friendly than you expect, so don’t be too nervous.”

As she took a deep breath to try and alleviate some of the overwhelming tension, Junhyeok’s voice suddenly spoke.

Yeonhee turned her head halfway and looked up at Junhyeok. Even though he must have felt her gaze, he stubbornly kept his eyes fixed straight ahead.

It was evident that he was doing so to guard against unseen eyes.

Yeonhee straightened her already upright posture, putting more strength into it.

This was her business, after all. Junhyeok was helping her so diligently; she couldn’t afford to lose her composure just because of nerves.

With each step towards Chairman Choi, she erased the jumbled thoughts in her mind one by one.

In the space cleared by these discarded thoughts, the baseless worries born from fear also began to slowly subside.

When they were about three steps away from Chairman Choi, Yeonhee stood beside Junhyeok, a perfect Yoon Sera who wouldn’t arouse suspicion from anyone.

Yeonhee smiled broadly at Sookhee with a more brazen face than she had shown Chairman Jeong.

“Grandmother.”

She uttered the title, which sent shivers down her spine just to say, with bright innocence and without a hint of hesitation.

The chatter of the people who had been constantly by Chairman Choi’s side stopped, and all eyes turned towards them.

Yeonhee found it quite burdensome, but she didn’t show it at all, stepping forward towards Sookhee with a friendly gait.

“I didn’t expect you to come. Thank you for coming, really.”

These words were never prepared, not when Junhyeok first told her Chairman Choi would be attending the event, nor while she was wearing this ill-fitting facade to be here.

Rather, she had been agonizing over what to say when she met Choi Sookhee. But her lips moved on their own, making her worries seem pointless.

“Yes, Sera.”

The reply was brief. Yet, those few words carried countless meanings.

Yeonhee didn’t bother trying to decipher the meaning behind Sookhee’s response.

After all, she had plenty of time. Choi Sookhee, who never attended such events under any circumstances, had specifically come to this one, and if she had a clear purpose directed at Yeonhee, she would soon find out without needing to make any extra effort.

“I was waiting, and finally, our Sera has arrived.”

Beyond attending this tiring event, what could be the reason she had been waiting for her all along?

Yeonhee was intensely curious, but she perfectly concealed her true feelings behind her bright smile.

Then, she spoke words that only Jeong Junhyeok and Choi Sookhee would understand, without hesitation.

“Yes, Grandmother. I missed you, truly.”

That she had wanted to see you, just once.

Support