Chapter 20
**CHAPTER TITLE: How Many Times Does a Urine Sample Go?**
The phone rang.
[Ms. Oh Jin-hee]
Director Choi’s mother. In the eyes of the world, she was his mother-in-law. But she could never be placed in the category of family. Min Tae-yeon found it impossible to call her “Mother.” Calling her “Madam” felt far more comfortable, yet she had to follow her role. She had no idea how difficult it was to live with a lie that had already lasted far beyond a day or two.
As time passed, Min Tae-yeon had come to understand it clearly.
This is exhausting. Being a daughter-in-law is delicate, and if you get hurt, you demand compensation. You must steel your heart…
Tae-yeon muttered the words to herself, took a deep breath, and answered the call.
“Yes, Mother.”
“Why are you answering so late?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
“You have no words except that one? Not even an AI would do that on purpose. Does that make me a bad mother-in-law?”
“I’m sorry… No, I’ll correct myself.”
“You’re the one who needs to correct yourself. By the way, have you been eating the pig’s trotters lately?”
Tae-yeon had been eating the trotters for three full months. The smell alone made her want to vomit, and even though her milk wasn’t coming in, she kept forcing herself to eat it. If she left it untouched, Icheon-daek would always scold her.
“Eomma, even if you don’t feel like it, you should eat a little. Our young master still needs breast milk. The big madam is so strict. She asks if you’re eating the pig’s trotters properly.”
After lying that her milk was coming in, Yun-woo had begun feeding at the breast. When she pumped milk for him, Icheon-daek would hide nearby and let him suckle from the bottle. There had even been times when the strange emptiness made her cry. She felt guilty toward the child.
Yun-woo had a powerful suck. When he was hungry, he insisted on the breast first. The moment he latched on, he would suck with such force that the nipple felt like it might tear off. She still couldn’t describe the sensation.
His black eyes would fix on her as he greedily sucked the nonexistent milk. When nothing came, he would wail. Only then would Icheon-daek scoop him up and say,
“Poor little thing. Your mom’s milk isn’t coming in, so he’s so fussy. Come here, sweetheart.”
She would offer the bottle. Yun-woo would drink eagerly and the level in the bottle would drop visibly. Looking at the baby, it felt like she was lying to him too. But the thought of a three-month-old household that still forced trotters on a child who needed real milk made her stomach twist.
“Why aren’t you answering? You’re working so hard to feed us the best pig’s trotters—can’t you even pretend to like them?”
“No, Mother. I’m eating them diligently.”
“Good. What else can you do? As long as you feed the baby well, you’re keeping our family line strong. And you’re not to sleep with the child.”
“I’m trying.”
“Good. Don’t coddle him just because you’re his mother. Does Hyun-seo even realize how busy he is? Running a group like this isn’t simple. He’s not just a vice president of Miwoo F&C. Construction, hotels—everything is under his watch. You know that, right?”
“Yes. I do.”
“But you should stop acting like a subordinate when you talk to Hyun-seo. You sound like a daughter-in-law and a subordinate at the same time. No matter how much Miwoo F&C staff you are, you’re still just a deputy, aren’t you?”
Any further words would only provoke her mother-in-law’s displeasure.
“I’ll correct myself.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. This is your job, is it? Do you treat Hyun-seo so coldly? How did you even manage to have a child?”
From now on, she had to listen quietly. The more she vented, the stronger the fury rising inside Tae-yeon became.
“If I see you, I’ll burn up inside. How did the chair of the Miwoo Group end up in your hands? I poured everything into raising Hyun-seo. How many chances did I miss? I could have picked anyone else, and they’d have been better than you.”
She had to swallow the insults until Oh Jin-hee was finally satisfied. But no matter how tightly she closed her heart, the words still pierced her ears.
Oh Jin-hee had once modeled. The appearance in the Miwoo Group catalog had led to a years-long affair with Chairman Choi Pil-seung. She gave birth to Hyun-seo and claimed her place in the family. Yet the real chairman’s seat was already occupied. Chairman Choi already had a legitimate wife.
The chance came when the first wife died of uterine cancer. Oh Jin-hee had never wanted her husband’s wife gone, but she had taken her place anyway. She had gathered the company shares in her name, endured every hardship, and placed her son at the very top—until now.
A mere deputy, a poor middle-class employee, was supposed to be the one who could never measure up in her eyes.
Tae-yeon listened calmly to the insults and contempt pouring from the phone for a long time. But insults have a way of sinking in. She told herself she was filtering them out, listening with one ear and letting the other pass through. Even so, her heart still ached.
The final blow came when Oh Jin-hee sneered that the daughter-in-law who had disgraced her own family, tormented her ill mother, and given birth to a child had no right to be human.
The entire conversation lasted more than twenty minutes before Oh Jin-hee finally got to the point.
“I’m at your house right now. I brought medicine. The doctor I recently met said there’s a very effective milk-boosting herb.”
“Really? You’re coming now?”
“In about fifteen minutes.”
“Yes. I’ll be ready, Mother.”
Tae-yeon looked at herself in the mirror. She hadn’t been able to tie her hair in the morning. After Hyun-seo held her through the night, she would wake up groggy or not even leave the bed. Now she had dressed in casual loungewear, stood up, and fixed her hair and face as best she could.
She washed her face quickly, tied her hair neatly, changed into a dress, and went downstairs. Icheon-daek was pacing the living room, holding Yun-woo.
“The big madam is coming today.”
“The big madam? I hope she enjoys the meal.”
Tae-yeon opened the refrigerator and sighed.
“Fortunately, there’s still some chilled soup. She loves chilled soup.”
“Yun-woo seems asleep.”
“He’s pretending. The moment you put him down, he opens his eyes wide and asks to be picked up. He loves being carried so much. Our young master takes after the men of the Choi family. They all adore being held.”
“I see.”
“He took after his father so much because he wanted to be loved by his mother. The little madam doesn’t take after anyone at all.”
It stung. The saying that the thief’s foot itches was painfully accurate. The words “doesn’t take after anyone” cut like a knife.
“I’ll carry him,” Tae-yeon said quickly.
“Wait just a little longer. He really will fall asleep.”
When the fifteen minutes were up, she told the helper who had come to assist with the cooking,
“Make some chilled soup. Use the plum essence.”
“Yes.”
The moment she laid Yun-woo on the bed, the doorbell rang. Oh Jin-hee stood there in a blue dress, carrying a designer handbag that screamed expensive. Her presence filled the room.
“Where’s our Yun-woo?”
“He’s sleeping.”
“Really? I should go see him after washing my hands.”
Oh Jin-hee washed her hands and entered Yun-woo’s room. She stroked his soft hair while he slept soundly and smiled at his lips. No doubt about it—he was so much like Hyun-seo.
“The child is healthy. But his mother’s milk is terrible.”
“Still, it’s coming out a little these days.”
“Really? Let me check. Let me squeeze it and see how much there is.”
“Excuse me?”
She was speaking rudely and embarrassingly, like she was a cow. Tae-yeon stayed silent.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s not coming out now. He sucked it all out earlier.”
Lying again and again—doesn’t that wear on the soul?
Still, she had to hide the discomfort. It was her job.
Oh Jin-hee seemed pleased that Yun-woo had finished.
“Really? My own bloodline. The Choi family line doesn’t go through you, does it? Look at this nose—it’s perfect. And the herbal medicine Mr. Kim brought. Take it three times a day, morning, noon, and night.”
“You’re still eating the pig’s trotters diligently, aren’t you?”
“Do you think trotters are enough? Even when the baby is teething, you should give him breast milk. I fed mine every day until he could walk. That’s why he’s so strong and healthy. Don’t you know breast milk builds immunity and strength? If our Yun-woo is unhealthy, it’s all your fault. By the way, your own family’s health isn’t great, is it? Your grandfather’s kidneys are weak. What about you—do you have kidney issues too?”
“I’m fine.”
Oh Jin-hee gave a cold laugh and turned to Icheon-daek.
“How many times does she urinate in a day?”
Icheon-daek looked flustered and stammered,
“Excuse me? I’m not sure…”
“Check it. Make sure she’s not going too often.”
Even a job couldn’t protect her from words she couldn’t stomach.