WRL 5

Chapter: 5

Son-in-Law

When Kyungja saw Hyunseo and Taeyeon together, the tension finally left her face. It was a relief that her daughter had given birth to the child of a man who loved her so dearly. Everything else came second. Even if their backgrounds were vastly different and that could make life difficult, as long as their love was certain, she felt reassured.

“Well then. Taeyeon, don’t move and just lie down. I’ll step out with your husband for a moment.”

Kyungja said this with a smile. After Hyunseo and Kyungja went out to see the newborn, Taeyeon sat up and let out a long sigh. Her chest felt tight. Seeing how happy her mother looked gave her an indescribably strange feeling.

Even though her mother had worried about her daughter marrying the son of a conglomerate family, she was relieved and happy that the baby was a boy. Taeyeon felt sorry for deceiving her.

Choi Hyunseo was truly a clever man. He said they had the baby first in case his family opposed the marriage. It sounded as if he were declaring firmly that now that there was a child, there would be no more opposition.

It wasn’t even her son, yet she felt as if she would be marching into the Miu Group holding this baby. Hyunseo had said he would handle everything himself, but he wouldn’t be able to block every minor clash.

That was why he had told her to demand compensation if he were ever hurt. He said he would compensate her appropriately. In other words, he would use money to shield her from anything she might suffer at her in-laws’ house in the future.

A little later, Kyungja returned with Hyunseo.

“Oh my goodness. You should’ve at least told your mother. You must’ve suffered giving birth all alone. Wasn’t there anything you wanted to eat? Well… I suppose I was in the hospital more often than not, so how could you have told me?”

“No, Mom. I did have things I wanted. He took good care of me.”

“Well, that sounds about right. Good. That’s a relief.”

“Please wait a moment, Mother.”

Hyunseo then went into the small kitchen attached to the VIP room and came back with drinks.

“Please have this.”

“Oh my, how thoughtful you are. Thank you. By the way, Taeyeon, what did you crave during your pregnancy?”

As Taeyeon hesitated, unsure of what to say, Hyunseo answered beside her.

“She liked strawberries.”

“Really? I did too when I was pregnant with you.”

Did Yoonwoo’s mother—that woman—like strawberries? That must be why he said that. So even while dying, she had morning sickness and craved strawberries. And Hyunseo must have bought them for her.

A part of Taeyeon’s heart kept collapsing inward. Tears slipped down before she realized it. Kyungja quickly handed her a tissue.

“You shouldn’t cry after giving birth. Why are you crying when this is such a happy day?”

“I… I just started crying when I saw you, Mom.”

“Right? I thought of my own mother after I gave birth to you.”

“Mom, aren’t you tired from being out so long?”

“I’m fine. I have a grandson now—what more is there to say? You just need to recover quickly and have the wedding, right?”

At her mother’s words, Taeyeon nodded faintly. Beside her, Hyunseo spoke.

“Yes, of course. We’re planning to hold a grand wedding. There are expectations from my family as well. You don’t need to worry, Mother. I’ll take care of everything.”

Kyungja’s mouth fell open slightly, and a smile escaped her. What a relief that such a dependable son-in-law said he would handle everything.

“Our Taeyeon really knows how to surprise her mother. I truly don’t know what to do.”

It was understandable. Any mother would be flustered when her daughter suddenly introduced a man, had already given birth, and announced that the wedding would follow. Yet even amid her shock, her mother showed her joy. Though she had been startled despite being unwell, she was happy—that much was a relief.

“But the baby looks exactly like his father.”

“My name is Choi Hyunseo.”

“Yes, Mr. Choi. I suppose I’ll call you that now. It’s not easy for me to adjust, and I imagine it’s the same for you.”

“Yes.”

The atmosphere was strange. While her mother was overjoyed, Taeyeon felt fearful and awkward. And in front of her stood Choi Hyunseo, impossibly calm and composed, acting almost too naturally. The more relaxed he appeared, the more anxious Taeyeon became.

She couldn’t say she had never lied in her life. But she had never told such a huge, deliberate lie before.

Had that woman—who gave birth facing death—died? She might have been alive until recently, but perhaps she was dead now. Or tomorrow. And if she somehow came back to life, what then? Taeyeon’s mind was in chaos. Just then, a phone rang.

It was Hyunseo’s cellphone. He stood up and asked Kyungja for permission.

“Mother, it’s an important call. I’ll step out to take it.”

“Of course. You’re a busy man. It must be difficult managing company affairs.”

Kyungja had heard before that Choi Hyunseo was the only heir of the Miu Group.

How did my daughter end up having a child with a man like this?

As soon as Hyunseo stepped out, Kyungja grabbed Taeyeon’s hand.

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Look, I’m barely even swollen.”

“You just gave birth and you’re not even swollen. You must not take after your mother. I swelled easily even when I was young. You must take after your father. That’s a relief at least. But I hope you didn’t inherit his short lifespan.”

It was something she had always feared, so the words came out immediately.

“Mom, don’t worry. I’ll live a long, long time. I’m healthy. I get health checkups every year. Who my age does that?”

That was because of Kyungja. After her husband died young, she had worried endlessly about her only daughter and made sure she had regular checkups, even from a young age. Her own kidneys weren’t healthy, and she had always been afraid her daughter might suffer too.

“Yes, that’s true. The baby is so handsome. How does he look exactly like his father?”

Hearing that made Taeyeon’s chest ache unbearably. That man’s child. Choi Hyunseo’s child. The woman with the thin body and swollen belly. This baby had come from her.

Yoonwoo. She had to accept him as her own child now.

For months she had prepared—reading books about childcare, pregnancy, everything. But now all of it had vanished. Her mind was blank. All she could think about was how to endure this situation.

“Does Noel know about this? Or did you at least tell Chohee?”

Chohee had been her classmate since high school. She was Noel’s younger sister—the landlord’s son and daughter. Taeyeon knew Noel had feelings for her and treated her kindly. But she could never quite open her heart. Partly because of Chohee, partly because they lived so close—it made her cautious.

More than anything, she had been in unrequited love with Choi Hyunseo. Noel’s kindness had never even registered.

“No. I didn’t tell them.”

“Oh, you stubborn girl. How could you not even tell Chohee? You’ve been inseparable since high school. Well, I suppose once you started working, you didn’t have time to hang out. Still, you saw each other every morning and evening.”

“Mom, how could I say something like this? Chohee doesn’t even have a boyfriend yet.”

“That’s true… Still, Noel must be very disappointed.”

Kyungja felt uneasy thinking of Noel. Even he had seemed like someone slightly out of reach for them, though she never showed it. She had once thought that if things worked out between Taeyeon and Noel, she would have no worries.

They could have lived well as a dual-income couple with at least one house to their name. But all of that was in the past now. Yoonwoo had been born—what was the point of talking about anything else?

A mother always follows her child’s path. And since her daughter had willingly given birth, what was the use of bringing up Noel?

Kyungja leaned one arm against the bed, looking tired. Taeyeon immediately asked in concern.

“Mom, aren’t you overdoing it? You should be lying down.”

“No. Where could there be a better day than today? My daughter gave birth to a child with such a dependable and wonderful man. I’m disappointed you couldn’t tell me sooner, but what Mr. Choi said makes sense too. He wanted to have the baby first so his family wouldn’t oppose it. How thoughtful he is.”

Thoughtful? He was terrifying. Meticulous, calculating, cold. That was why she had liked him even more. But now it frightened her.

She felt as though she had taken the hand of someone she could never truly face. Taeyeon lowered her head in front of her mother.

Soon Hyunseo returned.

“Mother, since you’re not feeling well, I’ll take you home. I have some matters to attend to at the office.”

“Of course. A man who handles big things can’t stay here all day. Taeyeon, should I stay longer?”

“No, Mom. There are plenty of staff here.”

“I see. The in-laws will be coming too.”

Her mother’s voice trembled slightly.

“Taeyeon, I’ll take Mother home and then head to work.”

The moment he called her Taeyeon, her heart lurched. It sounded so gentle and natural. Had she ever felt this tense and fluttering just from hearing her name?

She was foolish beyond words.

Taeyeon quietly lifted her eyes and nodded. She couldn’t bring herself to call him anything other than “Director.” But calling him that in front of her mother would have sounded far too strange.

So she bit her lip tightly and simply nodded.