TPYH 08

Chapter 8

 The Husband’s Woman

“Grandmother, did you sleep well last night?”

A woman crossed the threshold as if it were her own home, a smile wet with warmth on her lips.

Choi Mal-ja, who had already come out to greet her at the front door, couldn’t hide her delight when she saw the fruit basket in the guest’s hands, grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh, you even brought something like this? I told you to come empty-handed.”

“How could I do that? There’s a celebration in the household, after all.”

Choi Mal-ja flinched slightly at the unexpectedly sharp tone hidden in the seemingly polite words.

Hidden beneath what sounded like a congratulatory greeting was a subtle barb.

The guest who had come to the Baekya household early in the morning was none other than Gong Sera, the young lady from a noble family who had originally been engaged to Jooheon.

Gong Sera.

Her grandfather had served as Minister of Justice, and her father was a current three-term member of the National Assembly—a promising political family. She was their only daughter. Her mother was the youngest daughter of a chaebol family, enjoying wealth across generations.

She was, in every sense, from a completely different world than Ha-ryeong.

If the Baekya family controlled the business world in South Korea, Gong Sera’s family could easily be said to control politics.

For that very reason, Choi Mal-ja had spent years trying to pair Gong Sera with Jooheon.

By some stroke of fortune, Gong Sera had immediately taken a liking to Jooheon, and he had not objected either. Choi Mal-ja had imagined that once these two handsome, talented individuals married, there would be nothing in the world she couldn’t overcome.

That is, until suddenly, out of nowhere, a girl named Seo Ha-ryeong appeared.

“…Celebration, what celebration?”

Choi Mal-ja forced her expression into a disapproving frown. She felt a surge of irritation just thinking about how things had gone so wrong.

At that moment, a polite yet soft voice came from behind.

“A guest has arrived, Grandmother.”

Ha-ryeong, having just arrived, saw Gong Sera, far younger and more beautiful than she remembered.

Gong Sera, two years younger than her, had just turned twenty-five.

And from the age of twenty-five, for five long years, she had carried on an affair with Ha-ryeong’s husband, Baek Jooheon.

“Oh, who…? Grandmother, did you call a helper?”

Gong Sera’s malicious gaze, hidden behind a smile, shot directly at Ha-ryeong. Though there was no hissing sound, every word from Gong Sera was like a venomous sting. She was deliberately provoking Ha-ryeong, fully aware of her presence.

Choi Mal-ja, realizing Ha-ryeong was standing behind her, quickly turned. Her glare was fierce.

“You weren’t called—why are you here?”

“The guest arrived, so it’s only natural to greet her,” Ha-ryeong replied softly, gliding past Choi Mal-ja with effortless grace.

Then, standing before Gong Sera, Ha-ryeong took the fruit basket from her hands.

“Thank you. I believe we briefly met at the wedding yesterday, but I guess you’ve forgotten. I am the woman who is going to be Jooheon’s wife. Seo Ha-ryeong.”

“….”

A fine wrinkle appeared between Gong Sera’s otherwise perfect brows.

Ha-ryeong had naturally used the term “Jooheon’s wife”—a title that should have originally belonged to Gong Sera.

“Don’t just stand there—have a seat. I’ll bring some tea.”

Ha-ryeong didn’t care what Gong Sera was thinking. She merely found it amusing. Even though she had returned to the past and witnessed this strange, otherworldly situation, Gong Sera’s expression—storming in boldly on the very next day of the wedding—was exactly the same as before.

There was no shame, no remorse. Only the fierce desire to chase Ha-ryeong out of the house.

Gong Sera and Choi Mal-ja sat on the sofa, openly displeased. Seeing them like that brought back old memories vividly.

Five years ago.

On the very first day of her marriage, Ha-ryeong was visited by what could only be called her husband’s woman.

Gong Sera’s lips, seductively curled and red, told Ha-ryeong that she and Jooheon were lovers. Though he had married out of necessity, his side of the bed still belonged to her.

Ha-ryeong stared, unable to blink, at Gong Sera boldly declaring war in such a brazen manner.

She had no way of knowing beforehand. Of course, even if she had, she knew her father’s decision would not have been reversed.

But what cut Ha-ryeong’s heart most sharply were Choi Mal-ja’s following words:

“I told her to come. What’s the harm? Sera has always come and gone in my house as she pleases.”

Ha-ryeong could never forget the sneering expression on Gong Sera’s face at that time. Every time Jooheon was out, that lip curl, so boldly red, flashed in her mind. It became an unhealing scar throughout her married life.

That day, Gong Sera did not leave until Jooheon came home from work. She acted as if he hadn’t married at all.

Ha-ryeong was treated as if she didn’t exist—essentially like a maid.

Sitting on the sofa, chatting about things Ha-ryeong didn’t know, Gong Sera naturally ordered her around. Choi Mal-ja didn’t even pretend to intervene.

“Bring me the tea I often drink. Oh, you probably don’t know which one. It’s on the second shelf to the right—make sure the water temperature and time are exact. If it cools, it’s no good.”

“…Yes.”

“And could you tell the driver waiting outside to hold on a little longer? Chatting with Grandmother, I lost track of time. Is it okay if I stay a bit longer, Grandmother?”

“Oh, of course.”

“….”

It was humiliating, but Ha-ryeong could not respond. Though she was not a stranger to the household, the posture she had cultivated since childhood was hard to break—especially in front of people who took advantage of obvious superiority.

If they treated her as insignificant, then she had to accept being insignificant.

The humiliation Gong Sera handed her didn’t end there.

After sipping tea and chatting, Gong Sera yawned theatrically and made a cheeky request to Choi Mal-ja:

“Grandmother, may I see Jooheon’s room?”

“Jooheon’s room?”

“Yes. I wanted to see if anything had been changed without my knowledge.”

“….”

Even Choi Mal-ja cautiously glanced at Ha-ryeong. Gong Sera was blatantly expressing her intent to inspect the newlywed’s room, speaking as if she knew every corner of Jooheon’s room—right in front of his legally wedded wife.

Even Ha-ryeong, as stone-faced as ever, had to bite her lips to hold back tears.

“Sure. Don’t worry, nothing’s changed.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried something might clash with my taste. Hehe.”

Laughing lightly, Gong Sera went upstairs with Choi Mal-ja—and didn’t come down for a long time. Not until Jooheon returned from work.

Ha-ryeong even had to watch Gong Sera take her husband’s suit. The triumphant expression on her face was unforgettable, a proclamation to Ha-ryeong:

‘See? I am the true owner here. I am this man’s woman.’

“Alright. Good, you heard me. Go brew the tea quickly and serve it.”

Before Choi Mal-ja could even command, Ha-ryeong had already accepted the task and headed to the kitchen. She didn’t want to hear Gong Sera’s comments on her preferred tea again.

Recalling the humiliation, she felt the anger as vividly as if it had happened yesterday. Her small knuckles turned white as she clenched her hands, then slowly opened her palm.

It’s fine. Don’t be tense. I won’t let them hurt me anymore.

Patting her shredded heart, Ha-ryeong slowly prepared the tea. The soothing scent of citrus filled the kitchen, softening the air.

“Here, I’ve brewed the tea. It’s hot, so be careful.”

“Hmm? Tangerine?”

Gong Sera frowned at the fresh, fruity aroma. Ha-ryeong had deliberately brought tea opposite to Gong Sera’s preference, which leaned slightly bitter.

Without a word, Ha-ryeong set down the beautifully crafted teacup in front of her. Gong Sera stared at it, her eyes strangely blazing.

For a moment, as she reached for the handle, her hand slipped awkwardly, and the hot tea began to spill from the cup, tipping toward Ha-ryeong’s still-unretracted hand.