Chapter Ten: Family Bonds Are

Family means that no matter how fierce the quarrel, you never want to hurt each other.

—

Hyun-joo still loved Won, but her love was too timid to express, and there was far too little Won could do for her. They truly seemed like people from two different worlds. She was always the one hidden behind him, unable to stand in the light. All their years together, she had never been introduced to anyone. She understood Won’s concerns, but gradually, she found herself unable to accept it.

At that very moment, Chairman Kim kept making trouble. Hyun-joo knew that Nam-yoon must have known about them for quite some time; it wasn’t easy to hide anything from the ruler of a conglomerate. She was painfully aware of the complexity of that family and the ruthless survival of the fittest in the chaebol world. She could give Won nothing except her dependence.

She was too strong-willed for that, and clever enough to choose the life most advantageous to herself. She accepted the sponsorship from Empire Group and began to walk her own path.

She understood all too well that Won could not sacrifice much for her, and the burdens he carried. If one were to speak of feelings, perhaps Won’s affection for her exceeded hers for him.

That was why they broke up. She was the one who brought it up, and Won didn’t even try to stop her. This man weighed every action by its pros and cons.

Hyun-joo originally thought Won would throw himself into work for a while, but then suddenly Rachel Yoo appeared, and the whole affair felt…ridiculous.

Yes, ridiculous.

If Won truly cared so much about advantages and disadvantages, he would never be involved with Rachel—the consequences were simply too dire.

“I saw your photos in Beijing,” Hyun-joo said with a smile. “You looked stunning. I never knew you could smile so easily.”

Surely being with her had been exhausting.

Won had always tried to shield their relationship from the outside world, but what Hyun-joo longed for was to stand at his side, to weather hardships together.

Won gave a faint smile. “Yes, Beijing was relaxing. I heard you have a new job—is it tutoring?”

He changed the subject. Hyun-joo smiled, understanding he didn’t want to talk about it. Their lives would likely have little overlap from now on. She felt a touch of loss. “Did you…go to Beijing with that girl?”

Even a woman with intelligence and emotional acuity couldn’t help but ask.

Won paused, finally grasping her purpose in coming.

“No, we met in Beijing.”

He suddenly recalled their meeting, Rachel’s disheveled state, and chuckled softly, picking up his phone. “Please wait a moment.”

Hyun-joo watched him leave with the phone, unable to speak for the pain in her heart. She gripped her cup tightly, head bowed. Yes, they were at a dead end now. The fragile bond between them had been broken by her own hand. She hurt, and so did Won.

Won stepped outside, steadied himself, and called Rachel.

Two missed calls—he knew it must be something important.

—

Rachel was still half asleep. “Hello? Oppa?”

Won felt lighter hearing her groggy voice. “What’s wrong? Is it urgent?”

Rachel remembered why she had called him. She was not someone who relied on others, but these days in Beijing, she had grown accustomed to depending on Won. It was only natural for her to think of calling him first.

She climbed out of bed, her voice nasal. “I don’t know if you have time to listen to me ramble right now?”

Won replied, “If you make it quick.”

Rachel laughed, unaware he was meeting Hyun-joo, thinking he was joking.

She quickly recounted her argument with her mother, including her mother's suspicions about their relationship.

Won was silent for a moment. He had only met Rachel in Beijing and taken care of her for a few days, yet now so many people misunderstood.

Most likely, it was that SNS status that sparked it.

Won chuckled—he wasn’t particularly bothered.

“While your mother’s still there, you should apologize.”

Rachel was taken aback. Sitting at her vanity, her eyes swollen from crying, she knew her mother was hurting too. She remembered meeting Won at the hotel when she had gone to America to see Tan, and how he took her to visit his late mother.

A wave of melancholy swept over her.

“I understand, oppa. I will.” For the first time, Rachel softened in front of someone—perhaps because Won was like an elder brother, someone she could rely on.

“Alright then, I have things to do. If anything comes up, call me.”

Rachel heard Won’s gentle laugh and quickly said, “Alright, you go ahead!”

The call ended. She sat at the vanity a while longer before tiptoeing downstairs. Esther sat on the sofa, her eyes vacant. She looked exhausted, traces of blackened eye shadow left behind from crying, almost comical in appearance, yet Rachel’s heart softened.

No matter what, this woman was her mother.

But apologizing—she had never done it before and had no idea how. She stood there for nearly ten minutes before Esther spoke.

“What are you doing over there? You haven’t had lunch, have you? There’s food in the kitchen.”

She had cried herself to sleep; lunchtime had passed, and now hunger made her dizzy.

Rachel went to the kitchen for food. Esther hadn’t eaten either; the rice was cold. She reheated it in the microwave. Esther’s cooking wasn’t exactly delicious, but for some reason, Rachel found her throat tight, unable to speak as she ate.

—

“…You eat, too.” She knew Esther hadn’t eaten.

The two sat facing each other in silence, both looking a mess.

After dinner, Esther got up to tidy things, and Rachel followed her into the kitchen.

Yet the words of apology would not come.

“When I went to California, I found a girl living in Tan’s room.”

Rachel decided to be honest. “Tan defended her at every turn, barely acknowledged me. Mom, even if I like Tan, I can’t bear this humiliation.”

She recalled seeing Eun-sang in Tan’s room that day—it made her furious. Regardless of whether Eun-sang was kind, smart, or talented, her looks, figure, and bearing were no match for Rachel, so losing felt bitterly unfair. Besides, she liked Tan so much, so very much!

Esther was also shocked by the thought of Tan with another woman. The reason she arranged Rachel’s engagement to Tan wasn’t just his status, but because Rachel liked him—a rare thing in their world.

To prevent Rachel from following her own unhappy path, Esther decided on the engagement, not out of indifference to her daughter’s feelings.

“Mom, I’ve decided…”

Rachel seemed to be making an impossibly difficult choice, unable to hold back her desire to call off the engagement, but Esther said, “Not yet.”

She could see her daughter’s feelings. They were only seventeen, with a long road ahead.

“Let’s see how things develop.”

Even if the engagement was broken, it couldn’t leave her daughter with a reputation that others could criticize.

Rachel nodded. Esther said from behind, “Loving someone is always tiring, but persistence isn’t a bad thing.”

Rachel nodded again and went upstairs.

Though neither of them spoke about the previous argument, it was already a huge step forward. Esther watched her daughter ascend, finally allowing a smile to touch her lips.

Meanwhile, Won had barely exchanged a few words with Hyun-joo when Ji-eun Han entered the hotel, dragging a large suitcase and looking utterly downtrodden.

So when Rachel was summoned by Won’s call, she was immediately tackled onto the sofa by Ji-eun Han.