Even Divorce Crossed His Mind
Kang In-hyuk found himself momentarily speechless at Tae Ju-ha’s sudden appearance.
Tae Ju-ha glanced between the two of them before speaking first.
“…What were you doing?”
In-hyuk stood there in nothing but a bathrobe, clearly fresh from the shower. Go Mi-ah sat on the sofa with her vivid red hair and youthful face. The scene looked suspicious no matter how one tried to spin it.
“Ah… well, you see—”
Tae Ju-ha wasn’t alone. Her secretary, Heo Yu-rim, had followed her in, dragging another suitcase, and witnessed the same awkward tableau.
“D-Don’t tell me you were—!”
In-hyuk cut in sharply.
“We weren’t! It’s absolutely not what you’re thinking, so please don’t jump to conclusions.”
Yet Tae Ju-ha’s expression remained colder than it had been even during their wedding photoshoot.
“Then what exactly is going on here?”
“We met for business.”
“…Business?”
The air grew heavier, as though the explanation had only deepened the misunderstanding.
“No, not that kind of business. It was genuinely work-related. Isn’t that right?”
Until moments ago, the two of them had been speaking casually. When In-hyuk suddenly switched to formal speech, Go Mi-ah’s lips curled into a long, knowing smile, as if something had clicked.
“Of course. I came to discuss work. We’d just finished, so I was about to head out.”
Go Mi-ah picked up the sunglasses and mask she had left on the table and walked toward the entrance. Turning back, she added,
“See you later, In-hyuk oppa.”
With that, she slipped out like someone making an escape.
“Ah—! Hey, you—!”
At the same time, Tae Ju-ha and Heo Yu-rim stared at In-hyuk as though he were an unsightly stain left on the street.
“I thought you at least had some sense of ethics… I didn’t realize you were this kind of person.”
“What on earth were you thinking?”
“I don’t even want to dignify that with an answer. Secretary Heo, please put my luggage in that room and then you may leave for the day.”
Heo Yu-rim did as instructed, carrying the suitcase into the room that still had a spare bed. Instead of heading straight for the door, however, she leaned in close to Tae Ju-ha.
“…Shouldn’t we call the police first?”
“There’s only circumstantial evidence right now. Reporting it wouldn’t do any good.”
“Then perhaps you should stay at a hotel for the time being. I’ll find you a proper place to live as quickly as possible.”
The concern in their exchange was genuine. In-hyuk felt a headache coming on and let out a long sigh.
“I’m telling you, it really wasn’t like that…”
“Then explain it properly. What kind of work required you to greet a girl that young while dressed like that?”
The word “young” was heavily emphasized.
“Haa—! She’s an informant for stock investments. She came because I needed an urgent report on a company we’re currently working on. And she’s not as young as you think. She’s a university student, not a minor—third-year, twenty-four years old.”
Both women still looked unconvinced. The fact that Go Mi-ah had called him “oppa” on her way out only made the situation seem more dubious.
“…”
“…”
“If you don’t want to believe me, then don’t. More importantly, it looks like you returned to Korea today. Are you planning to stay here?”
Right after the wedding, Tae Ju-ha had gone to live in the United States for a full year. In-hyuk had been certain she would find her own place upon returning.
“This is my house too. And it’s close to the office, so commuting is convenient.”
Her reasoning was sound, yet In-hyuk found it difficult to accept.
“Haa… Then I’ll move out and stay elsewhere.”
He had no intention of living with Tae Ju-ha. Even though Tae Seok-ho had given him a task, he figured the matter would naturally fade if she never moved in. Of course, even if they did end up cohabiting, he had never planned to follow through with Tae Seok-ho’s orders in the first place.
As he turned toward the bedroom to pack, she spoke.
“You know full well that the Chairman and my father wouldn’t want that.”
Her tone made it clear she hadn’t come here of her own volition either.
In-hyuk kept his expression neutral.
“Now that you’ve finally become the Representative Director of Tae Shin Asset Management—the position you wanted so badly—do you still need to worry about their opinions?”
Having regressed into the past, he had become the married Kang In-hyuk. That relationship wasn’t strictly necessary for what he intended to do going forward.
“…Did you find out about the deal I made with my father?”
Even at the wedding, Tae Ju-ha had said nothing about it. In-hyuk hadn’t found any such memory in the original Kang In-hyuk’s recollections either. Still, the fact that she had become Representative Director of Tae Shin Asset Management within a year allowed him to guess.
“Not everything.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner. And the deal isn’t finished yet.”
“What else is left?”
In-hyuk had already considered divorce if there were no further complications.
“Even though I’ve become Representative Director, it’s difficult to hold the position with the shares I currently own. So my father agreed to transfer the necessary shares to me once we’ve been married for two years.”
“A condition set with divorce in mind from the very beginning, then?”
At the question, Tae Ju-ha’s lips pressed together. If a marriage lasted three years or less, property division did not apply except in special circumstances. From every angle, In-hyuk was nothing more than a tool to suppress Tae Ju-ha’s power.
“…That’s right.”
“If the only issue is maintaining the marriage, wouldn’t it be fine for me to move out?”
“The Chairman wouldn’t look kindly on it.”
Chairman Tae Geon-seung of Tae Shin Group was ninety-two years old yet still remarkably vigorous. Because he refused to relinquish the chairmanship, even his sons, Tae Seok-hyun and Tae Seok-ho, struggled to assert themselves. His grandchildren had no choice but to tread carefully around him no matter the circumstances.
“So you’re saying we should live together here for the remaining year?”
“It’ll be inconvenient, but we don’t have much choice. Besides, you chose to marry me because you had your own reasons, didn’t you?”
There was no way to know the original Kang In-hyuk’s true intentions. Still, the H&T Fund documents he had found in the company drawer made it clear the marriage hadn’t been purely for Tae Ju-ha’s sake.
“My thoughts have changed since then.”
“Then I’m asking you. Please maintain this arrangement for just one more year. In return, I’ll help you achieve what you want, within my power.”
The Representative Director position at Tae Shin Asset Management clearly meant a great deal to her.
What exactly does she plan to do once she’s secured the position? What work led to her death?
The most immediate clue was the H&T Fund material she had supposedly possessed. The accident could have been coincidental, but there was also a chance she had provoked Tae Seok-ho and paid the price.
“If you’re willing to go that far, then I do have one condition.”
“What is it?”
“I’d like you not to interfere with however my team chooses to invest.”
“You mean Stock Operations Team 3? That falls under the executives and each division head. Even as Representative Director, there are limits to how much I can get involved.”
In-hyuk was well aware of that.
“There won’t be any losses. And if problems arise, I’ll take full responsibility and resign. Even if that happens, I’ll continue the marriage as agreed.”
It wasn’t a bad offer. Tae Ju-ha considered it briefly before answering.
“…Are you talking about high-risk investments?”
“Every investment carries some risk.”
Tae Ju-ha didn’t deliberate long.
“…Understood. I’ll speak with Director Choo In-woo.”
She was referring to the head of the Stock Operations Division at Tae Shin Asset Management.
“So you already have an ally among the executives.”
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have answered so decisively.
“I’m only a half-baked Representative Director right now. I needed someone who could support me until I fully secured the position.”
“Is there someone among the executives as well?”
“…”
Tae Ju-ha’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly. He didn’t need to hear the answer to know.
“I understand what you mean. In any case, since we’ll be living together, I look forward to working with you.”
“Rather than pleasantries… it’s a bit late, but would you mind putting on some clothes first?”
Tae Ju-ha and Heo Yu-rim both looked pointedly at the wall and ceiling.
Only then did In-hyuk realize he was still in nothing but a bathrobe—and that the front had come loose after he had nearly attacked Tae Ju-ha earlier.
“…My apologies. I have somewhere to be, so I’ll just get dressed and head out.”
In-hyuk pulled his robe closed and hurried into the bedroom.
Tae Ju-ha, feeling a sudden warmth in her cheeks, fanned her face with one hand.
“Well, the most awkward problem has been resolved.”
“Y-Yes, it has. Ah, Representative Director! Would you like help unpacking?”
“It’s fine. You can head home now. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Understood. I’ll see you on Monday, then.”
Heo Yu-rim left as well, her own face faintly flushed.
Alone in the living room, Tae Ju-ha let out a soft sigh and turned toward the bedroom. She paused when she noticed a round mark on the wall near the entrance.
It was the trace of something In-hyuk had swung earlier. Scattered across the floor were fragments of a ballpoint pen.
“Was he always like this?”
Before the wedding, he had been so taciturn that they barely exchanged a word unless necessary. They had never even had a proper conversation before the ceremony. Yet the In-hyuk she had just seen felt strangely different—colder, more combative, with a fighting spirit that showed in every word.
In-hyuk stepped outside wearing casual clothes and a padded jacket. He had originally intended to move against Baek Si-hwan, but his destination was the café behind the officetel building.
“Oh, you’re here~?”
Go Mi-ah was already seated inside, sipping a blueberry smoothie despite the cold weather.
“What? Oppa? Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused me?”
“Why? Did your wife get jealous? I heard you two were famous for being a show-window couple… or was that not the case?”
“Not really.”
After ordering coffee and returning, Go Mi-ah got straight to the point.
“We still have to finish what we were talking about earlier. How exactly are you going to make me ten billion dollars?”
Unable to contain her curiosity, she had even sent him a message while he was speaking with Tae Ju-ha, summoning him again.
“You know where I work, right?”
“Tae Shin Asset Management. You’re the parachute team leader of Stock Operations Team 3.”
“Parachute… Not entirely wrong.”
“So what does making money have to do with your company? Don’t tell me you want me to become your client?”
In-hyuk smiled at her and accepted the iced americano he had ordered.
“No. You’re going to start a company and invest using the information I give you. I’ll even introduce you to the capital provider.”
“You want me to run that company myself?”
In-hyuk typed something on his phone and sent it to her.
“That’s right. And what I just sent you is a name and account number to use under a nominee. Use it to set up a company in the Cayman Islands. You can choose the name yourself.”
“You think companies just pop into existence? How much will it cost?”
Another message arrived on her phone.
“There’s a broker named Jacob Greer. Contact him at that number. I’ll send you the cash you need next week.”
Go Mi-ah stared at him, dumbfounded.
“…Who the hell are you?”
“Can’t you tell? Just an ordinary salaryman.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Whether you believe it or not, you have to. Otherwise, you won’t make that ten billion dollars. Anyway, let me know once you’re ready.”
In-hyuk finished the rest of his coffee and stood up.