30. The Necklace: An Innocent Husband's Naive Worries
지민은 그 순간, 자신이 저지른 죄의 무게에 무너져 내릴 것 같았지만, 간신히 버텨내며 희미하게 미소를 지었다. "응... 조금. 괜찮아 이제
On Friday morning, Seoyeon wakes up in an empty bed. Muscle aches throughout her body and a throbbing pain in her lower back vividly remind her of last night's events. She pulls the blanket over her head all the way.
The adulterous pleasure she felt in his arms, the guilt of betraying her husband, and the shame of this entire situation swirl together in her mind, threatening to make her head explode.
In the quiet morning hours, she cleans the house, desperately trying to erase last night's guilt. But the more she cleans, the more she realizes just how alien she has become to this peaceful space.
While sitting blankly on the sofa for a long time, her phone buzzes briefly. It's from Director Park.
At his sly message, Seoyeon flips the phone over without replying. But she can't stop her heart from pounding wildly on its own.
A little past 5 p.m., the front door opens earlier than expected. It's Cheolsu. In his hands are a shopping basket and a single rose beautifully wrapped.
"Honey, I came home early. I'll cook dinner tonight."
As if trying to cheer her up, he smiles and hands her the rose. The ordinary, lovable sight of her husband pierces Seoyeon's heart more sharply than usual today.
She forces a bright smile and plays along with his teasing. The two of them prepare dinner together in the kitchen, laughing and chatting—the moment that should feel the most peaceful.
Right then, the doorbell rings.
"Huh? Who's that? I'll get it!"
Cheolsu wipes his hands on a dish towel and heads to the door.
"This is for Ms. Yoo Seoyeon."
Cheolsu takes the small box with a puzzled expression. He walks into the living room, turning the box over in his hands.
"Honey, what is it? The packaging looks super fancy."
What he holds out is a small, elegant box stamped with a jewelry brand's logo. Seoyeon is just as baffled, her face showing confusion.
"I don't know? I didn't order anything..."
"Really? Then what is it? Open it! Who sent it?"
Cheolsu urges her on. With trembling heart, Seoyeon unties the ribbon right in front of her husband.
When she lifts the lid of the luxurious box, soft velvet cushioning appears. And the moment they see what's on it, Seoyeon and Cheolsu's faces freeze simultaneously.
Inside is no diamond necklace—no jewels at all. Instead, there's a crude, cheap black leather dog collar. With a tacky metal buckle, it's clearly not meant for a person.
"...What... is this?"
Cheolsu mutters in disbelief. In that instant, Seoyeon spots a small folded card inside the box and snatches it reflexively before he notices, crumpling it in her palm.
To my amche.
Serbangnim.
"Ah! This... uh... it's a choker, the trendy kind these days, I guess. Haha. I won an Instagram event, but the prize is kinda weird. Haha..."
Her heart pounds like it's about to burst, but Seoyeon desperately laughs it off as if nothing's wrong. She quickly shuts the box lid.
"Ugh, so weird. I'll toss it later. Come on, let's finish preparing dinner!"
She desperately changes the subject, pushing Cheolsu's back. Fortunately, he just tilts his head and says, "Trends these days are wild," without suspecting further.
That night, after confirming Cheolsu is asleep, Seoyeon pulls out the box she'd hidden deep in a drawer. Under the dim bedside lamp, she faces the leather collar once more.
At first, rage toward Director Park for sending this horrific thing and the close call in front of her husband make her heart sink. But soon, her emotions shift in a strange direction.
Without realizing it, she traces the crude leather with her fingers. The rough, cold texture. In that moment, an image flashes through her mind: Director Park fastening this around her neck, gripping the leash, treating her like a dog.
Just the thought sends chills over her entire body. But it's not fear. Beyond the embarrassment and confusion, a secret, intense excitement rises like mist.
Her heart starts pounding for a different reason, her face flushing hot. Unconsciously, she looks down at her chest. Through the thin nightgown, her nipples stand hard and prominent.
Her lower belly tingles, and she feels wetness gathering between her legs. This humiliating object is making her body excite itself.
She can no longer suppress the feeling. She glances at her blissfully sleeping husband beside her, then quietly slips out of bed and stands before the full-length mirror in the corner.
With trembling hands, she drapes the leather collar around her pale neck. The click of the cold metal buckle locking echoes loudly.
In the mirror stands a stranger—not the ordinary wife Yoo Seoyeon, nor the glamorous idol Ciel. A female dog marked by her owner.
Shame washes over her at the sight, yet she trembles with unstoppable excitement. Slowly, so slowly, she unbuttons her nightgown.
The fabric slides to the floor, leaving her completely nude except for the collar in the mirror. She cups her voluptuous breasts with one hand. The other slides down, toward her secret place already glistening with arousal.
She bites her lower lip to stay silent. The precarious tension of her husband possibly waking amplifies her pleasure.
Her fingers pinch her nipples and gently rub her clit. "Hngh..." She swallows a moan, shaking her hips more fiercely while staring at herself in the mirror—at the dog collar around her neck.
Finally, she arches her back like a bow and reaches a breathless climax. She clamps her hand over her mouth to stay quiet, her body shuddering silently but intensely.
In the afterglow, panting heavily, she quietly removes the collar and hides it back in the drawer. Then, as if nothing happened, she lies down beside her sleeping husband and tries to sleep.
At that moment, the phone on the bedside table vibrates briefly. It's Director Park.
On Saturday morning, Seoyeon lies awake all night. Those seven characters—"Tomorrow. Wear it and come out."—chain her mind relentlessly.
He's summoning me tomorrow...? On Saturday, when my husband's home all day. How am I supposed to wear that humiliating thing around my neck and spend the whole day with him?
Every time she tosses and turns, sleeping Cheolsu mumbles in his dreams beside her. The more she hears his peaceful breathing, the more her guilt snowballs.
Recalling how she pleasured herself last night beside him, thinking of that leather collar, makes her face burn.
Morning breaks. Cheolsu, in high spirits for the weekend, hums as he prepares brunch for Seoyeon. At the table, he shows her an envelope from work yesterday.
"Honey, let's have dinner at a hotel tonight. I got dinner vouchers."
He says Director Park gave him vouchers to the top hotel restaurant as a reward for the project's success—a perfect boss gift for an employee to enjoy with his wife.
But Seoyeon knows. This isn't a gift. It's a blatant summoning order.
He's telling her to come to the place he designates tomorrow, delivered in the most cunning, cruel way—through her husband.
"Oh... sure, sounds good. It's been ages since we ate out."
Seoyeon forces a happy smile.
As evening nears and she heads to the bedroom to get ready, she pulls the leather collar from deep in the drawer. She glares at it for a long moment, then resolves herself and fastens it around her neck.
The click of the buckle sounds like the gates of hell closing.
Over it, she slips on a black turtleneck dress that completely covers her neck. It looks elegant and prim from the outside, but the shackle hidden beneath binds her entirely.
The reserved restaurant is on the top floor of that hotel, famous for its stunning night view of Seoul. Cheolsu seems a bit tense in the upscale atmosphere but beams with happiness at sharing the moment with his wife.
"Seoyeon looks so pretty today... so elegant."
His pure compliment lashes her heart like a whip.
Near the end of the meal, as dessert arrives and they sip wine while chatting, Seoyeon's phone in her handbag buzzes sharply. It's Director Park.
Seoyeon's face drains of color. Her expression hardens.
"Honey? What's wrong? Your face is pale."
Cheolsu looks at her with worry. Her mind races frantically. Almost reflexively, she presses her forehead and groans.
"Ugh... honey... my head's suddenly so dizzy... I'll step out for some air. Just a sec."
"What? Dizzy? Are you okay? Want me to come?"
"No, no! It'll pass soon. Just... give me a minute alone, really."
She speaks urgently and grabs her handbag, bolting from the seat before he can respond.
She exits the restaurant, rides the elevator to the 45th floor, and hurries down the luxurious guest hallway to the staff service elevator at the far end. There, in the shadows, stands Director Park.
The moment she sees him, the leather collar around her neck feels alive, tightening against her skin. Her breath catches, hot energy flows from her nape down her spine.
Her legs weaken, and unbidden, wetness gathers between her thighs. Beyond shame and guilt, it's the instinctive arousal of a tamed bitch.
Director Park approaches slowly, savoring her reaction. Without a word, he straightens her disheveled hair as if fixing it.
Then, over the turtleneck dress, he gently strokes her neck. His fingertips sense the firm texture of the hidden leather collar beneath the fabric.
The instant his touch lands, Seoyeon's body jolts. Not in fear, but in ecstatic shiver at her master's hand.
She feels her nipples hardening. He whispers low in her ear, for her alone:
"Good girl, my puppy. You obeyed serbangnim well."
With that, he steps back as if nothing happened.
"That's it. Go back now."
"...Pardon?"
"Business done. Return to your husband. He'll get suspicious if you're late."
Seoyeon feels her thoughts freeze. All this anxiety, fear, desperate acting, and lies—for just this 30-second check?
He doesn't want her body. He wants confirmation that he controls her entire life, every moment.
She stares at him blankly. Director Park grins, clearly delighted.
"What? Want to stay longer with serbangnim?"
Speechless, Seoyeon turns and flees the space. What excuse to give her husband now? I'm fine now, smile innocently again, she supposes. Her steps feel impossibly heavy.
When she returns to the table, Cheolsu greets her with a worried face.
"You okay? Still pale. Should we go to the hospital?"
"No, I'm fine. Just a sudden dizzy spell, I guess. Sorry, I worried you."
Seoyeon smiles with the perfect wife's face. But she can no longer taste the sweetness of the finest dessert.
Beneath the choking turtleneck, only the alien texture of the leather collar dominates her every nerve.
His touch on her neck moments ago, his whisper of "my puppy," echoes in her ears.
The car ride home sinks into heavy silence. Cheolsu glances at his wife while driving. She's different from usual. Her profile gazing out the window looks sad, somehow empty.
"Honey."
Cheolsu speaks cautiously.
"Did something happen today...? You've been off since earlier. Are you mad at me or something?"
His question, filled with pure concern, floods her with waves of guilt. She must break this awkward silence, reassure her husband.
Suddenly, with uncharacteristic cheer, she clings to his arm.
"No way! What are you talking about? Mad at who?"
She rests her head on his shoulder, voice laced with coquetry.
"Just... it's been so long since we came to a nice place like this with you... I guess I'm just that happy. My heart's still racing."
At her sudden affection, Cheolsu flusters but soon smiles in relief. He drops all suspicion at his wife's playfulness, gripping the wheel happily again.
Back home, Seoyeon is nearly exhausted. Her sole goal: remove this horrific thing from her neck before he's onto her.
"Honey, I'll shower first. Kinda tired today."
She heads to the bedroom as naturally as possible. But before she reaches the bathroom door, Cheolsu hugs her from behind.
"Tired? Let's shower together. I'll scrub your back—been ages."
His kind offer sounds like a death sentence. Her heart plummets.
How to refuse in this situation?
"Ah... I'm not feeling great today... I'll shower quick alone. Sorry, honey."
Seoyeon reuses the "dizzy" excuse from the restaurant. Cheolsu looks disappointed but doesn't push since she's unwell.
"Still dizzy? Okay, rest well then."
Only after he leaves the room does she lock the bathroom door. Leaning against it, she pants raggedly for a long time.
Then, with hollow laughter, she finally rips off the turtleneck dress and the collar choking her neck.
A vivid red line marks her neck from half a day's wear. Under the shower, she stands under scalding water forever.
No matter how hard she scrubs, the red trace on her neck and the brand of humiliation in her heart won't fade.
After showering, she collapses into bed, weary. Thinking it's all over, her phone vibrates briefly. Director Park again.
Seoyeon holds her breath. His message is a brutally realistic, arrogant command.
Even her most private space—the underwear drawer—is now his storage for possessions.
Quietly, she gets out of bed, picks up the collar bearing humiliation's trace, opens her underwear drawer, and tucks it carefully in the deepest spot.
Now, this house forever holds the master's trace—something her husband will never know.