CONTRACT MARRIAGE: SUSPICION Vol. 1
Prologue
"Love? You think I love her?"
To surprise her future wife, Jae-hee, who had carefully held on to the hem of her dress and walked stealthily, turned hard as ice. In five years of dating, a cold voice she had never heard before came from Yoo-jin.
"Mm, I feel sorry for Jae-hee…but I need her. Even if I don't love her, it's not like I can't live with her."
She doesn't...love me? Jae-hee stood blankly in a crowded cafe, as if she had been grabbed and slapped by a stranger. The one who had whispered love thousands of times, tens of thousands of times, says love is a lie.
"She's a nice girl, but that's all she is, being a life partner is more than enough, and also...to screw Dad over."
“This is my revenge. For Dad who made my life miserable. Bringing in a son-in-law whom you will hate. No–a daughter-in-law.”
"I don't care if you're having a press conference. Like how you married someone you don't want. Married someone you don't love and made your daughter's life unhappy too. This is my revenge."
Yoo-jin's familiar voice poured out unbelievable words. Jae-hee didn't even know her tears were flowing, and she stood there dumbfounded. All the moments she believed were love, were lies. My image of a once in a lifetime happiness of having a family with someone precious was shattered. Yoo-jin's words became daggers and pierced Jae-hee's heart. After a long conversation, Yoo-jin spoke as if driving a wedge.
"...Mm, I don't love her. This is a loveless marriage."
Unable to wipe away the silent tears, Jae-hee raised her left arm and wrapped it around her right arm. Her hands were trembling. After ending the call, Yoo-jin let out a sigh and turned around. Click clack, click clack. Just because Jae-hee said it was pretty, she wore the shoes that made a sound and went to Jae-hee. As soon as she turned the corner, she was greeted by her crying bride. Surprised, Yoo-jin stepped back and covered her mouth.
"…what do you mean by that?"
"..."
"Please, please…tell me that's not true, say that you're lying."
"Jae-hee…"
When Yoo-jin heard that, she realized that Jae-hee had heard everything she had just talked about over the phone. Jae-hee bit her lip at Yoo-jin's unresponsive look. She lost all her strength and collapsed then buried her face in the dress and said in a hoarse voice.
"Please, tell me that's not true. Yoo-jin, please…"
"Jae-hee, I’m sorry.”
"…Yoo-jin, please…"
"Sorry."
Yoo-jin spat out the cold word to Jae-hee, who was flopped down and looking up at her helplessly. She didn't realize that saying sorry can sound so cold. Jae-hee kept biting her lips to hold back her tears. Everything we did was a lie, now I don't have the courage to look at Yoo-jin who said that.
Wedding photoshoot, no one could have guessed that the end would be so devastating. Even Yoo-jin, who was deceiving Jae-hee.
"Then getting married…even the marriage proposal, you...!”
"I mean it when I asked you to get married."
"You, really, you…You're crazy. If you're not crazy, how can you…"
"Jae-hee, I…I really need you.”
To screw your father up? To make your life miserable? A stupid question came to mind, but Jae-hee did not spit it out. As soon as she says it, it would be as good as acknowledging everything. It seems our marriage will make Yoo-jin's life miserable. Yoo-jin, I don't want to acknowledge that you don't love me.
Yoo-jin slowly lowered her body to meet Jae-hee's gaze. It must be Jae-hee who wants to cry, but why am I the one so pitifully clinging to her? Yoo-jin looked at Jae-hee, who couldn't cry out loud.
"Why…of all people, was it me?”
Of all the people that would have passed through your life, why me? Yoo-jin, who realized the meaning contained in Jae-hee's question at once, smiled sadly.
"You…Because you love me the most.”
Yoo-jin didn't speak to her after that, but Jae-hee looked at her for a long time with her distorted face as if she knew what she was going to say.
'So, no matter how hard it is, you will never leave my side.'
Yoo-jin looked at Jae-hee's face. The most beautiful face of the day. The pure white bride, who was more beautiful than Yoo-jin herself, was stained with her tears. Still, my beautiful wife, my woman, my life...companion. A person who is more beautiful and kind than anyone else who will make my life miserable.
Yoo-jin reached out her hand to wipe away Jae-hee's tears, but Jae-hee brushed it off and stumbled to her feet. She looked in danger of collapsing again at any moment, but Jae-hee got up on her own. Yoo-jin looked up at her, just like how Jae-hee did earlier. But Jae-hee didn't even glance at Yoo-jin, and coldly turned away.
"…you're a real bitch, you know that?"
"…Mm, I know."
"…fine, do as you please. You've been playing with me all this time, fine…as you please."
"…Jae-hee."
"Let’s get married, let’s do it. Because you said you proposed because you knew I wouldn't leave you anyway."
"Seon Jae-hee."
"..."
Jae-hee was silent as she struggled to say one word after another in a sobbing voice. After a brief moment of silence, Jae-hee uttered the words she didn't want to say, the words she didn't want to admit.
"I will make your life miserable. As you want."
The cold voice was filled with tears. A pure white bride who never turns away. My bride who doesn't show her face. Yoo-jin looked at Jae-hee's back as if she was bewitched, thinking, my bride, who covered her face and only showed her back, is very beautiful.
"You know me better than I do."
'You know me, and you know I'll do anything you want.'
Yoo-jin immediately understood the meaning of Jae-hee's words and looked at her back as she continued to walk away. After seeing her back, Yoo-jin realized, that her own crude love play had come to an end.
* * *
This place is full of gorgeously dressed people. Men in neat and tidy suits and women in fancy dresses were the majority of the main figures in news articles, ‘politics’ and ‘economy’. Two women stood out among influential politicians and chaebol families*, and shine exceptionally. The woman with long hair hanging to one side and neatly dressed in a two-piece suit was Jae-hee. She was the youngest professor at one of Korea's most prestigious universities, S University. She maintained the cynical demeanor of a scholar, but smiled affectionately at the woman standing next to her.
*family-ran business conglomerates that largely dominate the South Korean economy ie. Samsung.
Yoo-jin, who was standing next to her in a neat dress and talking to people, smiled kindly at Jae-hee, who flashed an affectionate smile. Yoo-jin had become the CEO of Howon Department Store earlier this year and became a staunch supporter of her father, Mayor Ha Cheon-woo. She smiled with satisfaction as she looked at Jae-hee, who was standing tall and proud beside her at the center of the party.
They both wore identical rings on their left ring fingers. They looked at each other, laughed, and cared about each other, just as male and female partners would, at a typical business party.
The smiling duo turned stern as soon as they entered the parking lot. Jae-hee, the more intellectual of the two, sneered sarcastically at Yoo-jin.
"Great acting. Pretending to be in love. I mean, you've been faking it for five years, so that's a piece of cake now, right?"
"…"
"Everyone says we look good together…I guess everyone is blind, right? They say we are a match made in heaven.”
Jae-hee was self-deprecating and sarcastic, a tone she had never used to Yoo-jin before. Yoo-jin, who had been silently listening to those words that made her uncomfortable to hear, said,
"Keep it down."
"Isn’t it funny? I mean, the person who promised to marry was also the one who cheated. People were sincerely congratulating, it's laughable."
"I said keep it down."
"Why, what if I don't?"
Yoo-jin pressed her lips together at Jae-hee's last words, and as she walked through the parking lot, she stopped abruptly. A parking lot lined with supercars and luxury sedans. Jae-hee was stunned and also stopped following her. With her high-heels, Yoo-jin slowly turned around and walked towards Jae-hee.
Click clack, click clack.
Yoo-jin, showing off her slender legs, moved in front of Jae-hee. Jae-hee swallowed her saliva as she watched Yoo-jin's steps, reminiscent of a top model's runway at her famous fashion show. Contrary to her sarcastic tone, Yoo-jin looked at Jae-hee with her tense eyes. Surprised, Jae-hee stepped back from her.
“Why, what are you going to do?”
“…”
Seeing Yoo-jin's gaze, Jae-hee bit her lip. But Yoo-jin didn't say anything, she turned around and got into her car and shut the door. Jae-hee, who was looking at Yoo-jin like that, also approached the car to get in, but Yoo-jin started her car without hesitation. Flustered, Jae-hee shouted at Yoojin.
"Ha Yoo-jin–! Hey!"
The two are a same-sex couple who tied the knot after a mega-scandal that rocked South Korea.
And,
“Just stop nagging.”
"I don't want to."
"..."
With her car window down, Yoo-jin made a cold face at Jae-hee's sarcastic tone, then took out her sunglasses and put them on, and she relentlessly started her car again. The well-groomed sedan glides past Jae-hee.
“Hey, Ha Yoo-jin!”
Jae-hee screamed again and reached for the car, but failed. As she watched the car drive away, Jae-hee brushed her hair and smiled dejectedly.
"You're really mad?"
Leaving your wife behind.
According to what is known to the public, the marriage between the two Juliets, who said they would die and could not live without each other, is a ‘contract marriage’.
They were a show-window couple.