Son-in-Law
Kyung-ja’s tense expression finally softened as she watched Hyun-seo and Tae-yeon together. It was a relief to know her daughter had given birth to the child of a man who loved her so fiercely. Everything else came second. Even if their lives were too different, it would only bring hardship, but as long as their love was real, she could rest easy.
“Well then. Tae-yeon, you stay right there and don’t move a muscle. I’ll go out with your husband for a bit.”
Kyung-ja said with a smile. After she and Hyun-seo left the room to see the newborn, Tae-yeon sat up and let out a long sigh. Her chest felt tight. Seeing the happy look on her mother’s face stirred up emotions she couldn’t quite name.
Her mother had worried about her daughter marrying into a chaebol family, yet she was relieved it was a son. Tae-yeon felt guilty for deceiving her.
Choi Hyun-seo was a truly clever man. He’d made sure to have the child first in case the family opposed the marriage. The way he said it sounded like a declaration that now that they had a baby, there would be no more objections.
He was going to march into Miwoo Group carrying a child that wasn’t even his own. Hyun-seo had promised to handle everything himself, but he couldn’t shield her from every little conflict that would arise.
That was why he’d told her to demand compensation if he ever hurt her. He would make it right. In other words, he would pay whatever price was necessary to protect her from whatever she might suffer at the hands of his family.
A little while later, Kyung-ja returned with Hyun-seo.
“Aigoo, you silly girl. Why didn’t you tell your mother? You must have gone through so much giving birth all by yourself. Don’t you have any cravings? Well, I suppose I’ve been in the hospital more than I’ve been home, so what could you have said?”
“No, Mom. I did have cravings. He took really good care of me.”
“I figured as much. That’s good. I’m so relieved.”
“Just a moment, Mother.”
With that, Hyun-seo stepped into the small kitchen attached to the VIP room and came back with a drink.
“Please have this.”
“Aigoo, what a thoughtful young man. Thank you. By the way, Tae-yeon, what did you crave while you were pregnant?”
When Tae-yeon didn’t know what to say, Hyun-seo spoke up from beside her.
“She liked strawberries.”
“Really? That’s right. I craved strawberries when I was pregnant with you too.”
Did Yun-woo’s mother like strawberries? That must be why he said it. The woman who was dying had suffered morning sickness and craved strawberries. So Hyun-seo had bought them for her.
One side of her chest kept crumbling inward. When tears began to fall without warning, Kyung-ja quickly handed her a tissue.
“You can’t cry after giving birth. No, why are you crying on such a happy day?”
“I just… seeing you made me tear up, Mom.”
“Right? When I had you, I thought of my own mother too.”
“Mom, isn’t it tiring for you to be out this long?”
“I’m fine. How could I be tired when I’ve just gained a grandson? You need to recover quickly so we can have the wedding. Don’t you think?”
At her mother’s words, Tae-yeon gave a small nod. From the side, Hyun-seo spoke.
“Yes, we should. I plan to hold a grand wedding. The family has high expectations. You don’t need to worry about anything, Mother. I’ll take care of it all.”
Kyung-ja’s mouth fell open at his words. A laugh escaped her. It was such a relief to have such a dependable son-in-law who promised to handle everything.
“Our Tae-yeon really knows how to surprise her mother. I truly don’t know what to do with you.”
It was understandable. Any mother would be flustered if her daughter suddenly introduced a man, announced she’d had his child, and said they were getting married now. Yet even in the midst of that shock, her mother was clearly overjoyed. At least her sick mother had been startled but was happy. That was a relief.
“But the baby looks exactly like his father.”
“It’s Choi Hyun-seo.”
“Right, Mr. Choi. I suppose I’ll call you that from now on. I’m still getting used to it, but you must be too.”
“Yes.”
The atmosphere felt strange. Despite her mother’s obvious joy, Tae-yeon was terrified and awkward, while the man in front of her remained impossibly calm, acting so convincingly that no one could read his true feelings. The more composed he appeared, the more anxious Tae-yeon became.
She couldn’t claim she had never told a lie in her life. But she had never told such a massive, deliberate lie before.
Had the woman who gave birth on the brink of death actually passed away? She might have been alive just moments ago, but perhaps she was gone now. Or maybe tomorrow. What if she came back to life? Her mind was a complete blank. Just then, a phone rang.
It was Hyun-seo’s cell phone. He stood up and asked Kyung-ja for permission.
“Mother, it’s an important call. I’ll step out to take it.”
“Of course. A busy man like you must have so much on his plate, especially with company matters.”
Kyung-ja had heard once or twice. Choi Hyun-seo was the sole heir to Miwoo Group.
How on earth had her daughter ended up having a child with a man like that?
As soon as Hyun-seo left to take the call, Kyung-ja grabbed Tae-yeon’s hand.
“Are you really okay, body and all?”
“Yes, I’m fine. See? The swelling isn’t even that bad, right?”
“That’s true. You just gave birth and you’re hardly swollen at all. You must take after your father, not me. I used to swell up so easily when I was young. It’s a good thing you resemble him. Though I hope you didn’t inherit his short lifespan.”
Because it had always been her greatest fear, those words slipped out of Kyung-ja’s mouth first.
“Mom. Don’t worry. I’m going to live a long, long time. I’m healthy. I get checkups every year. How many people my age do that?”
That was all because of Kyung-ja. After her husband died young, she had made sure her only daughter got regular health screenings even when she was little, terrified of what might happen to her. Because her own kidneys were bad, she worried her daughter might suffer the same fate.
“That’s true. The baby is so handsome. How can he look so much like his father?”
Those words made her chest ache with a bitterness she couldn’t describe. That man’s child. Choi Hyun-seo’s child. The woman with the frail body and swollen belly. The baby who had come from that belly.
Yun-woo. She had to accept him as her own child now. Nothing made sense anymore. She had spent months preparing, thinking, reading parenting books and pregnancy books, but all of that had vanished.
Her mind was completely blank, filled only with the thought of how she was supposed to endure this situation.
“By the way, does No-eul know about this? Or did you at least tell Cho-hee?”
Cho-hee had been her classmate since high school. She was No-eul’s younger sister. The son and daughter of their landlord. Tae-yeon had known that No-eul liked her and treated her well. Still, she had never been able to open her heart to him, partly because of Cho-hee and partly because they lived so close that it made her extra cautious.
No, more than anything, she had been so busy harboring a one-sided love for Choi Hyun-seo that she hadn’t even noticed No-eul’s kindness.
“No. I didn’t tell her.”
“Aigoo, you stubborn girl. How could you not even tell Cho-hee? You two were inseparable since high school. Though after you started working, you probably didn’t have time to hang out with her, right? Still, you saw each other every morning and evening.”
“Mom. How could I say something like that? Cho-hee doesn’t even have a boyfriend yet.”
“That’s true. Still, No-eul is going to be so disappointed.”
Kyung-ja’s heart felt heavy as she thought of No-eul. She had never openly said anything because she thought he was already too good for her daughter, but she had hoped they would end up together so she wouldn’t have to worry.
She had thought that if the two of them, both with steady jobs and a house between them, worked hard, they would live well. But all of that was in the past now. With Yun-woo’s birth, none of it mattered anymore.
A mother’s heart always follows her child. And since her daughter had willingly given birth to this baby, there was no point bringing up No-eul.
Kyung-ja leaned one arm on the bed as if tired. The moment Tae-yeon saw it, she asked worriedly.
“Mom, aren’t you overdoing it? You should be lying down.”
“No, how could I miss a day as wonderful as today? My daughter has given birth to a child with such a reliable and handsome man. I’m a little hurt you didn’t tell me in advance, but what your husband said makes sense. He wanted to have the baby first so the family couldn’t object. How can someone be so deep and calculating?”
Deep and calculating? He was a terrifying man. Meticulous, strategic, and cold. She had liked him even more because of it. But now, that very trait frightened her.
It felt like she had taken the hand of someone she could never stand up to. Tae-yeon lowered her head in front of her mother.
A short while later, Hyun-seo came back in and said,
“Mother must be tired too. I’ll take you home. I need to head back to the company as well.”
“Of course. Someone with such important responsibilities can’t stay here forever. Tae-yeon, should Mom stay a little longer?”
“It’s okay, Mom. There are plenty of people here.”
“Right. Your in-laws will probably come too.”
Her mother’s voice trembled.
“Tae-yeon. I’ll take Mother home and then come back after work.”
The moment he called her Tae-yeon, her heart skipped a beat. It was so tender and natural. Had she ever felt this nervous and excited just from hearing her own name?
It was utterly foolish. Tae-yeon quietly lifted her eyes and nodded. Toward him, no title other than Director would come out of her mouth.
Calling him Director in front of her mother would have been far too strange, so she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Instead, she bit her lip tightly and nodded.