Prey - Chapter 33
Of course, even during their married life, Do Jeonghan was not particularly kind to Seol Hee-nam.
However, he had never treated her with such clear hostility as he did today.
At least, not when they were together.
Seol Hee-nam, too, turned pale with confusion when he appeared, and literally ran away without looking back.
“I won’t come back again, never again. Is that good? Are we good? I didn’t… I didn’t do anything, right, Suhyeon?”
It felt strange when he remembered Seol Hee-nam’s words, spoken in a frantic panic, full of fear.
The words felt as if it wasn’t because she had been caught cursing at him, but as if coming to see him was a grave mistake in itself.
Did she make some sort of promise with Do Jeonghan?
That she wouldn’t come to see him?
Why? …Ah.
Suhyeon’s eyes widened for a moment as fragments of memory flashed through his mind.
It was one day during his marriage to Do Jeonghan.
That day, Seol Hee-nam suddenly came to the house, without any notice.
Even though he didn’t want to open the door, she insisted that she had an appointment with Do Jeonghan, ringing the doorbell persistently, so he let her in.
Judging by Do Jeonghan’s expression and their conversation when he arrived, it was clearly a lie…
Seol Hee-nam had come to Do Jeonghan without any prior arrangement, hoping for money.
After Seol Hee-nam left, he said,
“Don’t let anyone into my house without my permission.”
“But that’s…”
“Don’t meet with anyone either. Not without my permission. No one.”
“Why should I do that? Isn’t it enough for me to just fulfill my role as a wife? You don’t have the right to take all my freedoms.”
“Duties as a wife? You mean sleeping with me?”
“…!”
“Does your body have enough value to save both your mother’s and Seol Hee-nam’s businesses?”
“…”
“Do you really think your body is that valuable, Seol Suhyeon?”
That’s right. Back then…
Though she had been uncomfortable because of Seol Hee-nam, her heart was hurt by the cruel words Jeonghan had said to her.
Was it because of Seol Hee-nam that Do Jeonghan spoke so coldly that day?
-25th floor.
“!”
The sound of the elevator stopping brought Suhyeon out of her thoughts.
Startled, Suhyeon looked up and met Do Jeonghan’s gaze fixed on her.
“Ah.”
Flustered, she quickly looked away and stepped out of the open elevator, trying to hide her confusion.
Because of the earlier image of Jeonghan standing protectively in front of her against Seol Hee-nam, and the thoughts that had just come to her mind, Suhyeon felt an odd sense of anxiety.
It was like seeing a completely different truth from what she thought she knew…
Thud!
Distracted by her confusion, Suhyeon dropped her keycard while hurriedly walking toward the door.
When she looked back, Jeonghan was already bending down to pick up the card.
While Suhyeon stood frozen for a moment, Jeonghan straightened up and handed her the keycard.
“…Thank you.”
Swallowing her unease, Suhyeon kept her conflicted feelings off her face as she accepted the card from Jeonghan. She was about to turn away when his voice came down to her.
“I’ll say it again: if Seol Hee-nam shows up, tell me.”
His low voice made Suhyeon stop in her tracks.
“What?”
When she looked up, she saw Jeonghan’s serious expression.
“Seol Hee-nam will definitely come back. Until she finds out I live here, do as I say.”
“……”
Jeonghan, who had been staring straight into Suhyeon’s wavering eyes, was the first to turn away.
He entered his house without another word.
Click.
Even after the door closed, Suhyeon remained standing there, holding the keycard in her hand, unable to move for a while.
What did that mean?
The part where he said Seol Hee-nam would keep coming until she found out Jeonghan lived here.
Those words sounded like…
Like he knew Seol Hee-nam would come after the divorce to try and get alimony, and that he was living next door to protect her.
“No way. That’s ridiculous.”
Suhyeon quickly shook her head.
What kind of person was Do Jeonghan? For five years, he had never once protected her.
Instead of protecting her, he treated her coldly, as if making an effort for a bride bought with money was unnecessary.
Even when the elite of the conglomerate families openly ignored her while she stood next to him at social gatherings, he never helped her.
He simply ignored it.
Even standing there like a doll in that cold atmosphere, she was always hurt. She had not gotten used to being treated like a woman bought with money by strangers.
It was the same when she played the role of a loving wife. In front of reporters, he acted like a caring husband, but his gaze was always cold, and his demeanor was frigid.
“Why did that man suddenly change?”
