Unhealthy - Chapter 31
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 31. Moment of Despair
In one corner of the Chairman’s Office, at the spacious indoor putting line, Gi Chairman was absorbed in practice.
Even as two people entered behind him, he didn’t spare them a glance, focusing solely on the sensation of his wrist gripping the golf club.
“Sit down.”
It was a quiet but undeniable command.
Gi Chairman belatedly used a wrist snap to push the ball forward, but the ball that ultimately went off course rolled past the hole weakly.
Gi Chairman shook his head briefly in disappointment, then walked over to the sofa with the golf club gripped upside down and sat down.
The seasoned Gi Chairman’s gaze slowly swept over Taejun and Hae-yeong sitting side by side on the sofa.
“I got a call from Chairman Seo of Sehwa Group today.”
It was Taejun who had taken the time to come and was about to bring up his business, but unexpectedly, it was Gi Chairman who struck first.
Gi Chairman, holding a teacup with steam rising from it, rotated the cup very slowly as if savoring the tea’s aroma.
Eventually, Gi Chairman raised his head and cast a cold gaze toward Taejun.
“He said Miss Lee Jung was quite displeased after seeing you two together at the hotel. I can hardly believe it. My son, who never caused me a moment’s worry his entire life, having an affair with the girl I raised and even frequenting hotels with her. Does this even make sense?”
Gi Chairman’s tone was excessively calm.
But the cynicism contained within treated Hae-yeong as completely unnecessary baggage.
At the reality that poured down like cold ice water in an instant, Hae-yeong gripped the hem of her skirt tightly.
“It’s true.”
At Taejun’s answer, Gi Chairman let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.
“Ha, really. What a thing to witness in my old age. Both my sons are desperately fighting to marry one woman.”
Gi Chairman, showing a troubled expression, pressed the golf club he was holding vertically against the floor.
Soon, he leaned his body diagonally, putting his weight on the club’s end, and began examining Taejun’s expression as if trying to tear it apart.
He cast a persistent and shrewd gaze as if he could see right through Taejun’s inner thoughts at any moment.
“But you know, Miss Lee Jung seems to like you quite a bit, saying she’ll force the marriage through. Even bringing up the Sehwa Group succession.”
“As I mentioned, it’s already a settled matter.”
“Chairman Seo told me to educate and send over our Managing Director Gi properly. Then he’d give him a decent position and make him the successor to Sehwa, which has no son. It worked out well. Our Jiwon will also receive perfect benefits from your wise decision.”
Gi Chairman continued speaking to Taejun in a lecturing tone, treating Hae-yeong sitting beside him like old furniture placed in a corner of the living room.
“I won’t have that marriage.”
Even at Taejun’s firm declaration, Gi Chairman didn’t stop talking.
“Well, you were quite kind from childhood, Taejun. Just like your mother. That hypocritical nature of giving everything away without knowing there was a straw stuck in your back. A woman who even lent money to someone who ran off with the community fund, feeling sorry for her. Well, it’s pointless to talk about it.”
It was an act of mocking his son’s moral conscience while defiling even the character of the deceased.
Gi Chairman shook his head and picked up the teacup he had set down.
“I’ll hold a wedding ceremony with Hae-yeong. As soon as possible.”
Taejun clenched his fists tightly while keeping his voice low and steady without wavering.
“You’re doing this because that girl Hae-yeong catches your eye, just like your mother’s blood, aren’t you?”
“Father.”
“Tell me that’s what it is!”
Breaking the momentary silence, Gi Chairman threw the teacup he was holding toward Taejun, unable to contain his rising madness.
The cup that coolly grazed Taejun’s cheek struck the marble wall heavily, making a loud shattering sound.
It was such fierce killing intent that the shattered fragments scattered all the way to Hae-yeong’s feet.
Hae-yeong, frightened by the loud noise that seemed to tear her eardrums and the excessive violence, hunched her shoulders and gasped, but Taejun showed no sign of surprise at all.
“Whether Father permits it or not, I’ll do it my way. As you said, I’ve lived exemplarily my entire life without going against Father’s will, so please give in to me just this once.”
It was not a simple sentence, but closer to a declaration expressing his unwillingness to submit.
“Don’t you know your marriage is worth more than a merger worth hundreds of billions!”
“Since when have you been obsessed with insubstantial prestige? Haven’t you always been someone who placed cash flow above power? Didn’t I promise to multiply that value more reliably than anyone?”
Smack—!
A heavy impact sound cut through the office air and struck Taejun’s face.
Along with Taejun’s head turning diagonally, bright red blood seeped between his lips.
Gi Chairman, overcome with rage, stood up from his seat, breathing heavily in his fury.
“Are you crazy over that bitch, or have your eyes rolled back from the money that bitch can’t get her hands on?”
Gi Chairman’s thick finger pointing at Hae-yeong was revealing the ugly reality born of greed without filter.
Taejun’s eyes grew coldly calm as he watched the inhuman pointing.
“Watch your words.”
“When you were bragging, telling me to trust only you and just protect that girl’s body, when was that? After raising you completely, you planned to steal her from the beginning!”
Gi Chairman now seemed to have lost his mind, and after confirming Hae-yeong’s confused face caught in the whirlwind of chaos, he laughed bizarrely.
“Hey, girl. Don’t you know how clever that bastard is?”
When Gi Chairman barked “Won’t you answer?”, Hae-yeong lowered her eyes that looked ready to cry and muttered in response.
“…I, I don’t really understand what you’re saying.”
“An Dae-cheon and An Dae-jin’s massive fortune, accumulated with blood on their hands their entire lives, became tied up because you’re a minor, so let’s manipulate it well and steal it as our fortune—that was his idea.”
Taejun’s cheek swelled purple, but he maintained terrible silence as if enduring punishment.
That cold silence, neither affirming nor denying, struck Hae-yeong as a more horrific certainty than hell.
“After being fooled by that bastard’s sweet talk and raising you preciously, what? Marriage? Becoming a spouse to devour all that massive inheritance alone?”
Gi Chairman kicked the golf club that had fallen to the floor and savored Hae-yeong’s despair with eyes drunk on victory.
However, Taejun only looked calm, as if he had anticipated this entire situation.
“Then, it seems the calculation between Father and me is finished with this.”
Taejun stood up without even wiping away the blood.
It was Taejun who forcefully pulled up Hae-yeong, who couldn’t move as if her limbs were paralyzed by the sudden rush of despair.
“Let’s go.”
Everything was catastrophic.
No, it was like a cruel execution carried out on the guillotine of truth.
At least for Hae-yeong, it was also a moment of despair when even Taejun, who had been her only sanctuary, transformed into the face of the most greedy predator.
***
After being dragged to Taejun’s office, it was hard to gauge how much time had passed.
Deep darkness had already fallen outside the window, but no matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn’t accept this terrible reality, making it hard to breathe.
Taejun also didn’t move at all, nor did he do anything else, just quietly staring into space.
Once her mind had sorted through all the situations of the past years, Hae-yeong truly wanted to run away.
No, she felt like she needed to run away from here to survive.
Breaking the long silence, Taejun quietly approached Hae-yeong.
“Get up. We need to go home.”
“I won’t go.”
The worst person, worse than any villain.
She’d rather bite her tongue and die than take the hand Taejun extended.
“If you won’t go.”
“I don’t want to.”
Tears that Hae-yeong had swallowed again and again finally rolled down from the corners of her eyes.
“Don’t hold onto me. Don’t even think about seeing my face again.”
Hae-yeong shook off Taejun and ran out, bursting through the door.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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