AOA 37

“Did you… hear about my academic background too?”

I squeezed out the courage to ask. Since Baek Mugyeong had clearly caught on when Jeong Guhyeon mentioned the Carva Hotel, then surely he’d also heard about my education.

It was deeply embarrassing, but I had to confirm it. Honestly, if this could be grounds for divorce, I wouldn’t mind.

Baek Mugyeong, who had been setting his phone down on the table, looked at me. I’d always thought this, but his sharp gaze felt like it could see straight through a person, and my heart pounded with tension.

“I already knew.”

“…What?”

His unexpected words left me stunned. When I looked at him in surprise, he continued in an even tone.

“I know you didn’t study abroad. I also know you lived under the name Lee Eunho. My uncle and grandfather both know too.”

It felt like my mouth had been glued shut, I couldn’t say a word. Considering the information power of Daesong Group, digging into my past must’ve been nothing.

Did they really see me as nothing more than a breeder? Given the chairman’s values, it wouldn’t be surprising.

“But I lied about my education. Isn’t that a problem?”

“It’s not.”

His response was indifferent, like my academic history didn’t matter in the slightest. I had hoped that maybe the revelation would lead to divorce, so I felt slightly let down.

“I thought you’d be angry that I lied.”

“I’m not. Let’s get going. I’ll drive you home.”

“I’m fine. I drove myself here.”

I was startled by the unexpected offer and quickly declined. In response, Baek Mugyeong looked at me like I was a complete idiot.

“You didn’t drink?”

“This is non-alcoholic. That wine over there was all Mr. Choi’s.”

I quickly clarified, realizing he might have misunderstood. I had a low tolerance for alcohol, so I avoided it whenever I could.

“You…”

“I can get home on my own.”

Even though I was still embarrassed, awkward, and disappointed, I looked him in the eye and spoke clearly.

It had only been a little over a month since our marriage. Whether or not we’d reach a peaceful divorce a year from now was still uncertain. If things didn’t go as planned, I needed alternatives. Living like a show-window couple while keeping Baek Mugyeong alive was one of them.

And for any of that to work, I first needed to establish a basic level of trust with him. I couldn’t promise to stop seeing Choi Jaeha, but I had to at least make it clear that I wouldn’t get involved in anything illegal or reckless.

“Understood.”

Baek Mugyeong stood up with a vague expression, so I followed. The bill was already settled, so we walked straight out of the bar.

“Get home safely.”

Since Baek Mugyeong had used valet, and I had parked in the underground garage, we had to part ways in the lobby.

I bowed slightly, but Baek Mugyeong didn’t return the gesture.

“Mr. Jeong Minchae.”

“Yes?”

“Try to live more wisely, or more cunningly.”

“Sorry?”

I tilted my head at the unexpected comment. I wasn’t sure what he meant by more wise or cunning.

“This world doesn’t let you off just because you claim you didn’t know.”

“Oh… okay.”

I understood what he was warning me about. Like most places, weakness in this world only invited more people to trample you, or ignore your existence entirely.

I turned my gaze toward the man standing like a painting against the backdrop of the Christmas-decorated hotel lobby. Now I understood why Choi Jaeha had said Baek Mugyeong was kind. A truly cruel person wouldn’t have offered any advice at all.

Still, kind was a word that didn’t fit Baek Mugyeong.

“If something happens, contact me. Don’t try to handle everything on your own.”

It was something I had never heard in the life before the regression. I swallowed the retort that we’d agreed not to care what the other did. If I wanted his trust, this much was nothing.

“Understood. Then I’ll head back now.”

I bowed again to the man with the stone-cold face. Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked toward the elevator. I could feel Baek Mugyeong’s gaze on my back, but I didn’t look back.

***

The next day, I was a bit busy.

Baek Mugyeong said he’d handle the situation with Jeong Guhyeon, but I couldn’t just sit still. At the very least, I needed to tell my biological father what had happened. Until I got the promised money, I still had to act like the obedient son.

After breakfast, I waited until an appropriate hour, then sent Baek Mugyeong a message letting him know I planned to meet my father and explain what had happened last night.

[Me: I’m going to tell Father about what happened yesterday.]

The “1” next to the message disappeared quickly, but Baek Mugyeong didn’t reply. Still, he hadn’t told me not to do it, so I contacted my father.

He preferred face-to-face meetings, so I made an appointment and visited him in person. I met him at a café just before his lunch appointment and explained in detail what Jeong Guhyeon had done the night before.

When I told him that Baek Mugyeong had gotten furious upon learning someone had been following him, my father’s face turned red. He cursed at Jeong Guhyeon, but only for a moment. As expected, he soon turned his irritation toward me, asking what I had been doing during all that.

I brushed off his annoyance and then told him my fake academic history had been exposed. Surprisingly, he wasn’t fazed at all, he said Daesong Group was bound to know something like that already.

Instead, he focused on how Baek Mugyeong reacted. He lumped me and Jeong Guhyeon together, saying all his kids did was cause trouble.

In the end, he gave me a difficult mission: pacify Baek Mugyeong. He even said something ridiculous like, “If you’re married, resolving friction between your husband and your birth family is part of a good wife’s duty.”

I kept nodding dutifully like the good son I was pretending to be. I didn’t say anything about how I’d just sit back and watch what Baek Mugyeong did next.

Just as I parted ways with my father and was getting into the car, I got a call from Choi Jaeha. I hesitated for a moment but remembered Baek Mugyeong saying I could do as I wished, so I answered.

Jaeha apologized for last night and asked if I wanted to grab lunch together. It was just past noon, and I said sure without hesitation.

Before starting the car, I sent Baek Mugyeong a message.

[Me: I’m having lunch with Mr. Choi Jaeha.]

I didn’t know whether he would see it as a simple report or a one-sided notification. Since I hadn’t told him the location, chances were he’d take it as the latter. Still, this kind of communication was necessary to build trust and closeness.

I was smiling in satisfaction when my phone buzzed. The screen showed a number starting with 010-one I didn’t recognize.

Remembering the call I’d taken from Jeong Guhyeon the night before, I hesitated. I also recalled Baek Mugyeong telling me not to answer unknown numbers. But just in case, I picked up.

“Hello?”

—“Minchae? How have you been?”

To my surprise, the voice belonged to Lee Jeongwook. I had blocked his number after I stopped taking his classes. That had been over two weeks ago.

“Sir?”

—“Did you have a good Christmas?”

“Yes. But… what’s this about?”

Instead of exchanging pleasantries, I asked directly. Since I had blocked him, it was obvious he had reached out using a new number. That alone meant the matter must be serious.

—“I need to talk to you. Just for a bit. When would be good? It won’t take long, I promise. Okay?”

“No. Whatever it is, I have nothing to discuss with you. If it’s truly important, please speak to my father.”

—“Why so formal all of a sudden? After everything between us? Can’t we just have coffee and chat for a bit?”

“No.”

I responded firmly. If this were before the regression, I might’ve brushed it off and gone to meet him. But knowing what he’d done, keeping my distance was the smart move.

—“This is really too much. Do you have any idea how much trouble I’ve gotten into because of you? You’re the reason the chairman misunderstood everything! Just because you took a harmless joke the wrong way… Isn’t that unfair?”

Finally, I understood why he was acting this way. My father must’ve come down hard on him.

“I simply told my father exactly what happened. You may say it was a joke, but it was inappropriate. I’m ending this call now, and don’t contact me again about this.”

I said what I had to say and ended the call. Then I made sure to block the number.

“Wow…”

A few seconds later, my heart was pounding from nerves. The words what a psycho almost slipped out of my mouth.

Brushing off his actions as “just a joke” and blaming me for being overly sensitive was sickening. People who blamed others were never decent.

I hadn’t been in the adult world for long, but I’d seen enough people suffer because they got tangled with someone who dumped their responsibilities and blamed everyone else.

Avoiding people like that was always the smartest option.

Letting out a long sigh, I gripped the steering wheel.

Then I drove off, without waiting for Baek Mugyeong’s reply.