Affectionate Obsession - Chapter 5

－Do you like my husband?

Yeonhee was on the verge of breaking out in a cold sweat.

She couldn’t fathom Sera’s intentions at all, nor what she was thinking when she asked such a question.

If it were the Sera she had briefly but directly experienced, it was clear she would have asked the question without a second thought, just to tease her.

However, even as she thought that, a sense of unease washed over her, wondering if there was a hidden barb.

－You’re flustered? I was just kidding.

Sera’s laughter, full of mischief, burrowed into her ears. Nevertheless, Yeonhee couldn’t easily relax her tension.

Sera was someone skilled at changing her expression instantly, even while playing such mischievous pranks.

－Have you learned anything about my husband?

Yeonhee held her breath at Sera’s repeated question. Her mind raced. It wasn’t easy to choose the right answer.

If it was about Jung Junhyeok, she could confidently say she knew more than Sera.

Of course, considering how much time they had spent together.

“Just, his name, I guess…”

But Yeonhee pretended to know nothing, barely parting her lips after a long pause.

Her heart pounded like a thief caught in the act.

Every minute, every second was a continuous strain, for fear of arousing even the slightest suspicion in the sharp-witted Sera.

An eternity seemed to pass, and just as she couldn’t bear the tension any longer and swallowed hard, she heard a light laugh from the other end of the phone.

－Well, a day is a very short time to get to know someone, isn’t it? Actually, when you asked me what kind of person your future husband would be before, I deliberately answered rudely.

“…….”

－It’s not just a little bit off, and honestly, I’m telling you now, but from your perspective, it would be quite burdensome, wouldn’t it? Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

Yeonhee blinked, her face blank.

While it was a relief that Sera didn’t suspect anything, she somehow didn’t feel good.

The words “quite burdensome” made her feel small. But it was only for a moment.

The words that followed immediately forced Yeonhee to pull herself together.

－His name is Jung Junhyeok, and he’s thirty-three. He’s the third son of the HN Group.

Yeonhee’s jaw dropped.

The son of the HN Group.

She prided herself on knowing quite a lot about Jung Junhyeok, but she had never known he was the son of the HN Group until now.

Suddenly, she remembered something from ten years ago.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t heard anything about Junhyeok’s family from the lawyer who had approached her.

The lawyer’s attitude had been consistently condescending, as if to say, ‘What business is it of yours to know such things?’ and his gaze treated her like some insignificant creature.

Disgusted by his attitude and gaze, she hadn’t dared to ask any more questions.

But it was the HN Group. He was truly the child of a very prominent family.

Yeonhee’s eyes, trembling slightly, cast a glance beyond the transparent glass window.

Junhyeok was bustling around the island counter, and she wondered what he was doing.

－He’s currently the representative of HN Department Store. Hmm, what else do I need to explain?

As she stared blankly at Junhyeok, words she could hardly believe pierced her eardrums again.

HN Department Store? That was where she had worked until just before meeting Sera.

After escaping from Junhyeok, she hadn’t even considered Seoul, but she hesitated because it was a position at a luxury brand in a department store known for its high salaries.

Coincidentally, Yeonjeong’s condition was worsening daily, and she had been advised it would be best to transfer her to a university hospital in Seoul.

At a time when she desperately needed money, a job rumored to pay well was, to put it mildly, a godsend.

So, even though she wasn’t keen on moving her residence to Seoul, she had no choice but to commit to the move.

But Junhyeok was the president of HN Department Store?

“Hold on a moment, Yoon Sera. Did you just say HN Department Store? As far as I know, the president of our department store is…”

Yeonhee rummaged through her mind, searching for a name she had seen once.

Even right before she was hired, she had checked the department store’s website, just in case.

It had been the same ever since she ran away from Junhyeok.

The lawyer’s words, “He will ruin everyone you hold dear,” were etched in her mind, so she always checked the CEO’s name first when changing jobs.

Then, if the CEO’s surname was ‘Jung,’ she would find a new job without a second thought.

She was perhaps even more obsessed because she had no way of knowing what kind of family possessed such power, capable of ruining those around her if they didn’t just take the money and disappear.

It was an action born out of fear that her loved ones might get hurt, but in truth, it was also revenge for having her own heart shattered.

The day she left Junhyeok, she had made a fierce resolution. She would never appear before him again, and if they ever met by chance, she would have nothing to do with him.

She had to think that way.

In her life, the only thing she had achieved was getting into Korea University, and she had to abandon that one accomplishment and walk a different path.

－Ah, he’s not officially inaugurated yet. The previous representative was completely incompetent, so he was fired, and they couldn’t leave the position vacant, so Jung Junhyeok has been hastily learning the ropes and handling the work. They say there will be an official inauguration soon, so it will probably be reported in the media soon, right?

Yeonhee’s pupils trembled violently.

Even after hesitating for a long time and deciding to go to Seoul, she had harbored a nagging anxiety until the very end, thinking, ‘No way.’

‘No way, Seoul is so vast, would I really run into Jung Junhyeok?’

That’s why she was even more shocked when she saw Junhyeok at the wedding ceremony.

She had met the man she thought was impossible to meet, by such an absurd twist of fate.

Being asked to marry someone in her stead out of the blue was already unbelievable, but could she have ever imagined that the man she would marry would be Jung Junhyeok?

But even if this absurd marriage hadn’t happened, she might have run into Junhyeok someday.

At this point, wasn’t it a fated misfortune?

A wry laugh escaped her lips at the sudden thought.

－He’s a man shrouded in mystery, much like myself, so you won’t find much if you search the internet. You’ll need to know this much to live together, so remember it.

Though she felt half-dazed by the sudden influx of information, Yeonhee managed to force out a voice.

“……I will.”

A pleasant laugh came from the other end of the phone at her short reply.

She wanted to hang up now. She needed time to sort through the thoughts swirling in her head.

But Sera didn’t seem inclined to end the call.

－Just a word of caution, don’t fall too hard for that man.

Yeonhee’s brow furrowed.

What kind of warning was this supposed to be?

－Isn’t that man incredibly charming? He was a man coveted by all the prominent families in this industry. It’s amazing he held out without marrying until now?

“…….”

－It’s truly baffling why such a man decided to marry me.

Sera’s last remark was deeply etched in the center of Yeonhee’s mind.

Yeonhee looked at Junhyeok again through the glass window.

He had been busy, but then, as if he had finished what he was doing, he was looking at her.

Normally, she would have been startled to meet his gaze unintentionally, but now, Yeonhee was calmer than ever.

－My theory is that excessively charming men can be excessively dangerous.

“…….”

－Well, consider this advice for an ally who’s joined hands with me.

Sera trailed off uncharacteristically. At the same time, Junhyeok, who had been standing rooted in front of the island counter, slowly began to move. Then, he slowly approached her.

－Let’s end this. Whether it’s Switzerland or not, it’s the first day of your honeymoon, and Jung Junhyeok will get suspicious.

It was perfect timing.

Yeonhee’s lips moved, her gaze never leaving Junhyeok.

“Yes. I’ll be going in now.”

The call ended there. And the moment Sera’s voice was no longer heard.

“The call’s taking longer than I thought?”

Junhyeok placed two mugs on the table on the terrace.

“Miss, here is the information I gathered regarding the matter you mentioned last time.”

Sera lowered the phone she had held to her ear and looked up.

She saw Secretary Lee handing her an envelope.

Sera gladly accepted the envelope and smiled brightly.

“You worked hard.”

After offering such praise, she opened the envelope.

Inside were a few sheets of paper.

Sera calmly began to read the contents on the first page.

“Name: Shin Yeonhee, Age: Thirty-three. Hmm, it says she’s an orphan?”

Sera looked up at her secretary.

It was unexpected. An orphan?

‘Please, just let me make one phone call. If not, even a text message. Just tell my mother I have something to attend to and won’t be back for a while.’

She recalled Yeonhee’s earnest plea from the suite they had stayed in before.

She had clearly said ‘mother’ then.

Could it have been a lie?

Sera’s brow furrowed instantly.

Secretary Lee, sensing her emotional shift, quickly added an explanation.

“It seems she was abandoned at an orphanage shortly after birth. The person she mentioned as her mother at the hotel appears to be the director of the orphanage where Shin Yeonhee grew up.”

“Ah, the orphanage director.”

“Her name is Yoo Yeonjeong. She was the director of Hana Orphanage, which has since been closed, until three years ago. I investigated further because the sudden closure was suspicious, but there was nothing unusual among the publicly stated reasons, and she is currently undergoing chemotherapy at a university hospital in Korea…”

“Oh, that’s enough. That’s a tragic family history that brings tears to one’s eyes.”

Sera wrinkled the bridge of her nose and turned the paper in her hand to the next page.

“Oh, what’s this now? Dropped out of Korea University?”

Sera’s eyes widened again. Korea University was one of the top prestigious universities. But to drop out after enrolling in such a prestigious institution?

It was hard to comprehend. If she had just graduated from that school, Shin Yeonhee wouldn’t be stuck working as a contract employee in a department store’s luxury section right now.

Sera quickly scanned the second page and moved to the next.

At that moment, her pupils began to waver with a look of bewilderment.

“What is this now?”

The voice that escaped her lips sounded somewhat hollow. Then, Secretary Lee, who had been standing silently, spoke again.

“I was also puzzled as I looked into it.”

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