Bound by a Ruthless Contract - Chapter 3
The men who had gone out to smoke returned.
“Ga-eun.”
The first to enter was Si-heon, who had also been the first to leave.
“Your wrist.”
Si-heon wrapped his arm around her shoulder as he sat beside her.
Trying not to flinch at his cool touch, Ga-eun managed a faint smile.
“I’m fine.”
Usually, he would have just nodded indifferently in response.
With a look that said, ‘if you say so.’
But today was different.
For some reason, his gaze as he stared into her eyes was unusually intense.
“You’re fine?”
Ga-eun nodded with puzzled eyes.
“Yes. It’s nothing.”
“It’s nothing.”
Nothing at all.
Being treated like a decorative screen or a doll, that kind of blatant disrespect was nothing, she said it was fine.
When did it start?
When had her answers like this begun to irritate him?
At first, it was comfortable.
He thought it was the perfect remedy, couldn’t be better.
He had welcomed a woman who didn’t whine, didn’t demand anything, didn’t depend on him, didn’t want anything.
And yet…
Now these responses of hers drove him crazy with irritation.
His insides burned with an intensity he couldn’t have imagined until recently, when he’d rarely felt any change in emotion at all.
“You two seem very close.”
Park Ju-yeon, sitting across from them, said to Si-heon and Ga-eun with trembling lips curved into a smile.
“What are you two whispering about? It makes others curious and uncomfortable.”
“…”
“Even for a married couple, it’s not very proper to act like that in public.”
Park Ju-yeon’s gaze turned to Ga-eun.
“A wife needs to support her husband well. To prevent him from hearing such things.”
Si-heon’s gaze left Ga-eun and turned to Park Ju-yeon.
…Look at this.
“Ga-eun probably doesn’t understand. But I don’t blame her. We all come from different backgrounds. Still, after attending so many gatherings, she should have changed by now.”
Park Ju-yeon spoke shyly as she noticed Si-heon staring at her.
“It would be better for Si-heon oppa too.”
Why is he looking at me like that? Park Ju-yeon bit her lip. She could feel her cheeks flushing.
He had always strongly disliked women approaching him.
Perhaps ‘dislike’ was too mild – ‘loathing’ or ‘hatred’ might be more accurate.
Many women had wanted to get close to him, but none had succeeded.
That included Park Ju-yeon herself.
She had tried desperately to catch his eye, but in reality, she wasn’t even sure if he remembered her name.
Then suddenly, Si-heon announced his marriage, and within two months, they held the ceremony.
Park Ju-yeon cried for days over the swift progression that left her no chance to do anything.
But his marriage brought an unexpected benefit.
Si-heon began appearing at social gatherings occasionally.
Though it came with the condition of being accompanied by his wife, she thought at least she could see that handsome face of his.
But desire grew endlessly.
She wanted to be by Si-heon’s side.
She hated the woman who monopolized his glances, his touch, his warmth.
So she tormented her under the guise of being caring. Fortunately, since that woman knew her place well enough that none of what she did reached Si-heon’s ears, Park Ju-yeon had let her guard down.
‘He’s still looking at me. Living with that wooden doll of a woman, is he finally recognizing my worth?’
She wouldn’t mind if he were divorced.
If it was Kwon Si-heon.
“I heard you’ve been taking good care of our Ga-eun.”
“Oh, Si-heon oppa. Don’t be so formal. We see each other so often. Who speaks formally to a friend’s younger sister?”
Park Ju-yeon flashed her eyes at Si-heon with a bright smile.
“Please be comfortable with me, oppa.”
Si-heon stared at Park Ju-yeon’s blushing face.
“You said you’ve been taking good care of Ga-eun?”
“Yes, ask me anything.”
“Do you have arthritis?”
“What? What do you mean…”
“I don’t understand why you’re writhing like that. Making our Ga-eun dizzy.”
Don’t look at things like that.
Si-heon whispered loud enough for Park Ju-yeon to hear as he cupped Ga-eun’s cheek, turning her gaze toward him.
“…Why are you being like this, Si-heon?”
“Like what?”
“It’s rude.”
“The ant was rude first.”
“Ant…?”
Just then.
