AOA 80

“You!”

My biological father shouted, his face twisted as if he’d just been betrayed. But maybe because we were in front of Baek Jinseok, he couldn’t bring himself to say more.

“Chairman Jeong. Do I have to repeat myself? Sit down.”

Baek Jinseok didn’t give him any leeway. As the atmosphere turned cold, my father finally stood up from his seat.

He sat to Baek Jinseok’s left, while Baek Mugyeong and I sat on his right. I didn’t want to face my father directly, so I had Baek Mugyeong sit closer to Baek Jinseok.

“Chairman Jeong.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“This time, the young man is right. He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“That’s not true, Chairman. It’s shameful to admit, but my sons don’t get along. They fight often. That’s all this is.”

My father tried to drag me into it somehow. But Baek Jinseok didn’t nod in agreement. Instead, he furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue.

“How bad could things be between brothers for one to try something so vile on their own brother? My granddaughter-in-law, no less?”

“C, Chairman…”

I kept my mouth shut, watching the two men go back and forth, but I clicked my tongue inwardly. My father was so eager to cover for Jeong Guhyeon that he missed the point entirely.

In this world, it was common for siblings to fight dirty. A lawsuit was nothing. Being locked up in a psych ward or disguising a murder as an accident wasn’t just something from a drama or film.

I had only been a daughter-in-law of the Baek family for two years before my regression, but even during that short time, I had heard all sorts of stories. Honestly, even my biological father and mother’s marriage had always seemed suspicious.

Right now, Baek Jinseok didn’t care about the sibling rivalry. I was his granddaughter-in-law, the one who would carry and give birth to his Alpha great-grandchild. Laying a hand on me wasn’t just violence, it was an insult to his authority.

On top of that, the act of trying to ruin the value of a product he’d sold at a high price would only add to the offense.

“Tsk. That’s why the people you bring into the family matter. Daughter-in-law¹, what do you want to do? Are you going to cover for your family’s shame, like your father?”

Baek Jinseok suddenly turned the question to me. I was caught off guard.

In situations like this, Baek Jinseok’s word was absolute.

It felt like a trap. Or maybe a test.

True to his role as the chairman of a massive corporation, Baek Jinseok was not an ordinary man. He constantly weighed people, assessing their value.

It was strange that he was asking my opinion now, but since I had been singled out, I couldn’t stay silent.

Baek Jinseok, Baek Mugyeong, and my father were all watching me.

I straightened my posture deliberately and squared my shoulders. Then, looking Baek Jinseok straight in the eye, I spoke firmly.

“As you know, Chairman, people don’t change easily. This could happen again. So… I believe divorce is the best option.”

With everyone watching, I finally said the word: divorce.

It was a golden opportunity. I wouldn’t have to wait three more years. With just one word from Baek Jinseok, we could finalize the divorce by tomorrow.

Everyone reacted differently to the word “divorce.” My father yelled, demanding to know what I was saying, then quickly tried to recover, claiming I was just talking nonsense. Baek Mugyeong’s handsome face subtly twisted in displeasure.

And Baek Jinseok… smiled, a terrifying smile.

“Do you really believe divorce is the best option?”

“Yes.”

“You’re wise. Yes, that’s the simplest and fastest solution.”

As Baek Jinseok responded positively, I clenched my fist inwardly. He must have been thinking the same thing but hadn’t said it due to appearances. I had just voiced what he couldn’t. Now, everything would go smoothly.

“Then, Mugyeong. What do you think is the best course of action?”

Unfortunately, my expectations were betrayed. This time, Baek Jinseok addressed Baek Mugyeong.

I looked at him desperately. He knew how badly I wanted this divorce. Just recently, I had cried in front of him, saying I’d wait three years.

If he agreed now that divorce was the best path, it would all be over.

“We can’t divorce right now. It hasn’t even been half a year since the wedding. Aunt is currently looking for a match for Yeongseop-hyung, and this could cause trouble.”

But Baek Mugyeong said something completely unexpected.

“…”

It stung, but I couldn’t say it didn’t make sense. Baek Yeongseop had lost his wife in an accident. If, on top of that, Baek Mugyeong also divorced shortly after his marriage, rumors would spread fast.

Having two third-generation heirs from one of the top three conglomerate families in Korea both fail in their first marriages wasn’t good for the family’s reputation.

Still, the most important thing was Baek Jinseok’s will. I held onto a sliver of hope and looked to him.

“You’re right. That needs to be considered too.”

He replied briefly, then fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.

*

My biological father was a calculating and selfish man. The reason he’d spent all those years looking for the son he lost wasn’t because of love, it was because I had enormous value to be exploited.

I was leashed by my younger brother’s medical expenses, unable to resist. After realizing that one wrong word could literally get my brother killed, I had no choice but to obey. His nagging, scolding, insults, and contempt poured out nonstop.

Our relationship could never be described as father and son. If anything, it was more like that of a master and slave.

Until now, I had always been in the weaker position. If he told me to marry, I married. If he told me to bark, I barked.

But today was different. The numbers in my stock trading app gave me strength.

“Why on earth did you bring up divorce just now? You should have been begging for forgiveness!”

We were walking out after meeting with Baek Jinseok. My father had asked Baek Mugyeong for a moment, then pulled me aside.

Baek Jinseok’s mansion had a massive garden, something rare in Seoul. My father dragged me to one side of it and scolded me in a low, harsh voice.

He was clearly furious that I dared to bring up divorce instead of kneeling and begging. He accused me of being ungrateful, of blocking my brother’s future, of being insane.

Baek Jinseok hadn’t immediately called for a divorce. Instead, he’d offered to assign Jeong Guhyeon a position at Daesong Electronics’ American branch. A form of exile.

He had told us to keep Guhyeon in the U.S. until I gave birth.

My father had begged again, but Baek Jinseok didn’t even pretend to listen. Instead, he scolded him for not taking responsibility.

To my father, this outcome was humiliating. And he turned all that rage on me.

“So, what the hell were you thinking? What if the Chairman really had told you to get divorced? Huh? Cat got your tongue? Say something!”

I looked at him, blowing up in anger, and opened my mouth.

“Don’t you think you were being too naïve, Father?”

“What?”

“The Chairman wanted a solution. Not someone begging for forgiveness, promising to rein in their son, or claiming it wouldn’t happen again. You kept asking for forgiveness without offering anything concrete, that’s what made him angry.”

“You little…”

My father’s face flushed red. But I went on calmly.

“Imagine if you were in the Chairman’s position. Would you have just let it go because it was only an attempted crime? Wouldn’t you have wanted an immediate divorce? Cutting the problem off at the root is the basics, right? That’s why I said the one thing the Chairman most wanted to hear. Not asking for forgiveness, but offering a solution. That’s how I got through to him.”

It was a lie. I genuinely wanted the divorce. But I had a feeling that my words about divorce being the best option had struck a chord with Baek Jinseok. Well, that and the whole situation with Baek Yeongseop’s upcoming marriage.

“So, what, you think you did the right thing? Guhyeon’s being sent to the U.S.!”

“Isn’t that better than a divorce?”

“Are you talking back to me?”

“You know better than anyone, Father. My brother could do something like this again. This time it was only an attempt, but what about next time? What if something actually happens? What if I’m pregnant then? What if I get pregnant because of it? What if the video spreads? Don’t think this is harsh just because nothing serious happened this time. We could have all been ruined. Not just Guhyeon, not just me, you and your company too. The Chairman is more than capable of letting that happen. You should be grateful it ended here. And now, you need to make sure he never lays a hand on me again.”

What I really wanted to say was: how can you even try to defend someone who did something like that?

But I held back. I knew better than anyone that would only make him angrier.

Blood is thicker than water. Even before my regression, Guhyeon caused trouble constantly, but my stepmother and my biological father, always protected him as the eldest son. This time was no different. Just another attempt to sweep it under the rug.

So I laid it out, point by point, why that was wrong.

1. “새아가” (sae-aga) is a gendered term in Korean. It literally means “new daughter-in-law” or “new bride”  ↩︎