The Judge's Daughter and the Criminal
Of course, the moment her father laid a hand on him, he could simply send the man to prison. If that happened, a former judge would have to be tried by his own juniors for assault—a situation so humiliating that it would be better to die than to have the entire legal profession tarnished by such a spectacle. Suhyun held back his tongue.
“I don't recall saying such things, but if I did, I truly apologize. Son-in-law.”
“Who is your son-in-law?”
“Well, you were once my son-in-law, so I...”
“Why do you insist on showing up uninvited, only to spout nonsense about traffic jams and accidents? Father-in-law, I’m curious—would you be alright if I told my own father about all of this?”
Finally, her father’s eyes widened, and his body began to tremble. It was the most intense reaction he had shown yet, and Suhyun even let out a dry laugh. His own father had always told him:
“If you show arrogance just because you’re a chaebol, I won’t even treat you as my child.”
“Always act with humility, and manage your wealth so that it exists but remains unseen. Never go anywhere thinking money is everything. When a major crisis arises, don't use your father as a shield to wield power as if it were your own. If you do, you’d better give up on being treated like a son.”
But right now, the situation was such that he could pull out dual lightsabers and stab away unilaterally, and it would still be acceptable.
“Father-in-law, by that same logic, I wonder if you would have been pleased if my father had requested Jia to attend ancestral rites.”
“...”
“And if my father had told her to quit her job, saying a wife should just focus on supporting her husband, I wonder if you would have sat there quietly and listened.”
“Father-in-law, it’s simple if you put yourself in my shoes. My father has always refrained from causing trouble for others and worked hard to avoid creating uncomfortable situations. Thanks to that, Jia never once complained about her in-laws throughout our marriage. How about me?”
“...I am sorry. I truly think about it with regret, and I will never say such things again. I was just worried about sending my daughter to a house with so much money...”
“A house with a lot of money, yes. I have about 11 trillion won now, but back then, I was treated like trash for having a mere 70 billion, and my father cursed at me for being a wicked son who lived by borrowing money from his wife. You found out about that because of the ‘Restriction on Third-Party Notification of Debt’ I mentioned earlier.”
“Father-in-law, since I suffered all sorts of humiliation for that 70 billion, if you send your daughter back to our house, and if the marriage continues, shouldn't your daughter also feel the pain equivalent to 11 trillion won? Jia will be spending that money anyway if we reunite.”
“...”
“Ah, for the record, I borrowed and repaid, but if we reunite, she will be consuming it. I think the humiliation will be even greater.”
Having struck her father with a barrage of blows, he laid out his own position.
“Father-in-law, let me tell you what I think.”
“...”
“I still, to this day, cannot understand why I had to be treated that way by my in-laws.”
“...I really...”
“They say a son-in-law is a ‘hundred-year guest’ in his in-laws' home. A guest who is always difficult to treat. Father-in-law, I lived without even knowing I was a guest. Difficult... You and Mother-in-law were the most difficult people in the world to me.”
“I just thought that because it was the family that gave birth to and raised the wife I love, and because they were her parents, everything they said was right, so I followed and acted exactly as you told me.”
“Father-in-law, a son-in-law is called a ‘son-in-law’ in English. It means a legal son, but I don’t know if I was treated as much as a legal son. A son... I think I was treated more like a house servant.”
Eunbyul watched him from a distance, nodding along as she listened to his words. She repeatedly wore an expression of sheer shock, wondering if it was really okay to say such things, before returning to her professional composure.
“No, you weren’t a servant, I just...”
“What can you do? The daughter of someone who has lived as a high-ranking official all his life came to ask for permission to marry the son of a ‘low-class’ family. It’s understandable that I didn’t meet your standards. Yes. In that sense, I apologize on behalf of my father for running a ‘low-class’ family.”
He pushed her father even further by bringing up his own father, who was a burden to mention. Every time he spoke like this, her mother, sitting beside them, couldn't say a word, squeezing her eyes shut and shuffling her feet as if she wanted to run away because she couldn't bear to watch anymore, but she couldn't bring herself to move.
“No, I never thought of you as low-class. Doowon is such an amazing company. The way it grows every day, and how much it contributes to the country...”
“If the father who runs such a helpful company didn't educate his son enough that he had to come to his in-laws' house to receive a crash course, it’s just embarrassing to my father.”
The more he spoke, the more her father felt like he was pushing himself into a bottomless pit, so he kept his mouth shut.
“Hmm. Well, I suppose your father wouldn't have the time to educate you. Since you left a strong ‘warning’ to my in-laws that business people keep doing strange things and getting sued, he must be working day and night to ensure that doesn't happen.”
He returned the favor once more. And now, seemingly thinking he had done enough—though he still hadn't vented all his frustration—he slowly steadied his voice and pushed his stance through.
“Your daughter has been staying at my house after trespassing. I believe the crime of residential intrusion under the Criminal Act might apply. How does the Judge think about this?”
“I will provide full support for the costs and everything else needed for my daughter to stay...”
That’s not the problem, this old man still thinks I’m a beggar...
“If I take five friends to your house, play games, watch movies, and blast music, I will pay for the costs incurred by staying there. Are you willing to permit that?”
“....”
“Well, I don't actually have any complaints about her staying. Though at first, it was very unpleasant, disgusting, annoying, and I didn't want to go home. Now, it seems a bit better.”
Immediately after he said that, her father felt a sense of relief, as if he could finally breathe, and squeezed his eyes shut. Yes, she’s still my daughter. If she created this situation, she must have a plan to handle it. That was what her father thought. However,
“However...”
His breath hitched again.
“That does not necessarily mean a reconciliation. Father-in-law, I only looked at Jia my whole life, so I had no experience with other women. Perhaps if I had had enough experience, Jia and I wouldn't have ended up in this relationship.”
What was he saying?
“So, I’ve decided to meet other women as well. I intend to live by comparing Jia with other women. To see who suits me better.”
“...I can’t understand what that means,”
“Father-in-law. Your daughter is a person who deserves respect, but I think respecting myself is better than respecting others. Since we are no longer a married couple, we are complete strangers, aren't we? Then it’s fine to meet other people, and I think it’s right to compare women and take the most suitable person as my wife.”
It wasn't something to say to a man nearing 60, but he was well aware that he was the one in power, and everyone present knew he was no longer the ‘underdog’.
“If you don't like it, I will send your daughter back home as soon as today’s schedule is over. The choice is yours. Unlike some people, I don't force choices by hinting at coercion.”
He said this, leaned back completely in his chair, and looked out the window. Was it too harsh? Considering he had barely held back so much he wanted to say to Jia’s mother, this didn't even count as harsh.
“....So, you’re saying you’ll bring another woman into the house, not my daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Who is that person? Is there no one yet, and in the future...”
“Ah. There is. She already exists, and Jia has met her too.”
Her father, asking if he could ask who it was; Jia, who was shedding tears for some unknown reason; and Eunbyul, who had fallen into a wasteland of desolation in an instant after this carpet bombing—she waved her hands, trying to say ‘don't do that,’ but,
“My secretary over there is that other woman.”
“....”
Eventually, as soon as he pointed her out, Eunbyul slowly approached his side and stood there. Her father looked at her with eyes full of rage but said nothing.
“....A secretary, with my daughter. ...”
“Yes. That is correct. I will repeat myself: if you are troubled or dissatisfied, please tell me immediately. I will send your daughter back home.”