WEHP 03

Chapter 03

I must really be unwell. The nausea says as much.

Covering my nose with my sleeve, I stepped into the master bedroom and saw Doha unfastening his watch.

“Shouldn’t you eat dinner? You came home early for once.”

“I ate something before I came.”

My husband glanced at me and answered curtly. I nodded with a bitter smile.

“I figured you would. I just thought I’d ask, just in case.”

At that, Doha turned his gaze back to me.

Perhaps my unusually blunt tone caught his attention. It was different from before.

These days, he almost always ate outside. No—come to think of it, it had been that way for far longer. Probably since Seoha passed away.

I had asked him every day as his wife, but it had been a long time since I’d resolved not to expect anything anymore.

Today just happened to be an early day for him, so I’d wondered if maybe something had changed.

Of course, it was pointless hope.

I always realized that expecting nothing was easier—yet somehow I kept repeating the same disappointment. My own feelings felt ridiculous.

I resented him now. And I resented myself for loving him.

“Were you waiting for me all this time?”

Perhaps my words earlier surprised him. Doha asked, and instead of answering, I muttered,

“…You probably hate this house too, right? There isn’t a single place here without Seoha’s memories. I can understand that.”

But enduring this monstrous house was entirely my burden.

So many things happened here, things I never told him about. Even now, having to keep hiding them from him felt unbearably lonely.

He had always been a workaholic. After losing Seoha, he threw himself into work even more. It felt like his way of running away.

He’d lost the only ally he had in the world—his mother—and the only treasure he cherished—his child. Now he was truly alone.

“…Was it hard being with me?”

We had been sleeping in separate rooms for weeks. That must have been what he thought.

I had no choice but to distance myself from him, but I never wanted him to abandon me. Ironically, that was the truth.

In fact, during times like this—when being together was hardest—I might have wanted his love more than ever.

“It is hard. But…”

It was hard, yet I didn’t want to be alone. It was uncomfortable, but I never wanted to leave him.

That was why I had endured everything all along—just as I had since our newlywed days.

Before marriage, he had suggested we live separately, but I refused. I tried sincerely to love even his parents.

I even tried to embrace a mother-in-law who made my teeth grind with anger. That was why I hid the truth when he asked,

“Is my mother giving you a hard time?”

“No, she treats me well. Don’t worry.”

I did all of it because I loved him.

I wanted to give the perfectionist that he was a perfect family. I wanted to fill the emptiness in a man starved of affection.

But an irreversible tragedy was what came back in return.

I should never have loved him.

He tried to be a good husband, tried to treat his wife and child well—but still, I had always felt lonely.

Because that wasn’t love.

From the beginning, Cha Doha had never loved me.

I knew it was unreciprocated love, yet I jumped in anyway—because I loved him that much.

Only now did I realize how foolish that had been.

All I did was love him with my entire being. I did nothing wrong.

Yet the price of loving one man was unbearably cruel.

I lost the child who was born from that love, and all that remained was grief that felt like my heart had been carved out.

Doha looked at me with troubled eyes. After saying it was hard to be together, I offered nothing more.

“Anyway, this is still the house where your family lives. It’s hard for both of us, but… please take better care of it.”

I pushed my emotions aside and spoke calmly. I didn’t want to beg for love anymore.

“Alright. Since coming back to Korea, Chairman Chae has been piling more work on me. Still, I’ll try.”

“I see. Work really is important to you.”

Seeing my bitter expression, he spoke again.

“At least make sure you eat.”

“I’ll take care of myself.”

Leaving behind his gaze—whether annoyed or concerned, I couldn’t tell—I walked out of the room.

The heavy thud of the door echoed like lead in my chest as I moved forward.

Then suddenly, my head spun and my legs gave out. I barely caught myself on the stair railing.

As soon as I regained my balance, I clamped a hand over my mouth.

“Ugh…”

After steadying my breath, my eyes flew open.

My face drained of color.

“Ah… no way…”

Two clear lines.

Even staring at them, I couldn’t believe it.

Ten pregnancy test kits lay lined up. Twenty vivid red lines stared back at me.

Not a single one showed only one line.

I’d been so out of it that I’d forgotten my cycle.

Last night’s nausea made me suspicious, so as soon as Doha left for work, I went to the pharmacy.

And this…

How could this happen? From just that one night.

When Seoha was alive, we tried so hard for a second child, and nothing happened.

Now, of all times.

“Hah… what am I supposed to do? In a house like this. What if the past repeats itself?”

A deep sigh escaped me. I couldn’t feel happy or sad—only despair.

What should I do?

I don’t want to leave even a shred of attachment to this house anymore. Not now.

“Seoha, what should Mom do? You wanted a little sibling so badly.”

Is this your gift to me? Did you send this to give me hope?

Ah… what do I do now?

My emotions were spiraling, threatening to drive me mad.

And yet, somewhere inside, my heart fluttered. Even in my dried-up heart, feelings were stirring.

Is this a blessing?

But thinking of Seoha, it felt bitter to be carrying another child of this family’s blood.

I gently placed my hand over my still-flat stomach. Something warm seemed to rise from within.

“Baby, I’m sorry. I can’t fully rejoice yet.”

Still, this child was mine.

I decided to accept this baby as a precious gift.

“But don’t worry. Mom will protect you. No matter what.”

Knock, knock.

“Madam, how should I prepare dinner?”

Mrs. Seosan opened the door slightly to ask. Just thinking about food made my nausea spike.

“Auntie, I’m not feeling well today. Please take care of it yourself.”

I answered without even looking toward the door.

“Yes, ma’am.”

I really felt awful. I hadn’t eaten or even had a sip of water all day.

From downstairs, my mother-in-law Youngsuk’s shouting echoed up—complaining that I was lying around instead of preparing dinner.

Before I married in, she used to eat out all the time.

Since starting to eat my cooking, even when she went out, she rarely ate meals elsewhere.

“I’m not family here. I matter less than the hired help.”

No one even noticed that I hadn’t had a drop of water today. It had always been like that—but today, it felt especially cold.

Only after losing everyone who loved me did regret come crashing in, burning my chest.

Why had I lived like this?

“Why did I endure everything like an idiot?”

I thought if I just endured, someday they’d recognize me.

I never imagined this outcome.

…

I sat in the dark room, staring blankly out the window.

I skipped dinner again, and bedtime had come.

Just like the dark room, my heart was pitch-black.

Click—

“What are you doing? Already asleep?”

My husband stepped into the room.

It was my first time facing him since the pregnancy test.

I didn’t know how to face him in this situation, in this state of mind.

The child he wanted had come—but I couldn’t tell him.

How did things end up like this?

He had once been my entire world.

I loved him so much. More than my own life.

“Hyunseo.”

He approached me slowly as I stood by the window.

From behind me, his low voice followed.

“Are you… angry at me?”

“No. It’s not that.”

His arms wrapped around me gently. I flinched, feeling his breath close.

“Then why do you feel so distant lately?”

“……”

I couldn’t say he was wrong.

“You…”

He lowered his head, burying his face in my neck, murmuring softly.

“…I think I need you.”

I blinked.

“My… body?”

“No… not exactly. It’s not something I can explain like that…”

But I didn’t want to believe him.

In his life, a wife didn’t seem essential—yet at night, he always came close.

For a time, I’d even believed I was attractive to him as a woman.

I’d dared to hope his feelings might be love.

But seeing how he left me alone when it mattered most, I realized how foolish that illusion was.

“That’s just wanting my body.”

I slapped his hand away and turned around.

He fell silent, clearly taken aback. I had never rejected him like this before.

I’d always given him both my heart and body freely.

“No, it’s not like that. But…”

I flinched as his hand grabbed my shoulder.

His grip was strong, his body warm as always.

I could tell how much he wanted me.

But I was finally pregnant again. I couldn’t risk this early on.

“Don’t touch me. I just don’t want to.”

For the first time, I raised my voice at him.

I forcefully removed his hand.

“I’m very tired today.”

Confusion flickered in his eyes.

A heavy silence settled over the room.

After a moment, he nodded slowly, as if forcing himself to accept it.

“Okay… I’m sorry.”

Then he quietly turned and left.

As the door closed, my eyes burned.

I held my breath so he wouldn’t hear me cry.

From early morning, my mother-in-law’s voice echoed loudly from downstairs.

My father-in-law must have left early today. When he was home, she stayed quiet—but the moment he left, she ruled the house like a fox in a tiger’s absence.

Before, I could endure it.

Now, just hearing her voice drained me.

I wasn’t a war hero—what made me think I could endure people like this?

“Your husband leaves for work and you don’t even see him off. Lying around like you’re dying of some illness!”

She screamed for someone to drag me downstairs.

I forced my heavy body to move.

At least I should eat something—for my baby.

Thinking of the child inside me, I gathered my strength.

But as I reached the kitchen, the smell of food made me gag.

I hurried back toward the stairs—

When the front door suddenly burst open.

I turned around.