The Bathroom Trap
Tae-yeon felt her breath catch in her throat as if blocked by an invisible wall. If this secret had leaked out, her heart would have shriveled in terror. The mere sight of the unexpected door had already tightened her chest, but when the full story spilled out, she clenched her fists hard beneath the table. Still, she forced a faint smile, determined not to let her true feelings show.
“What are you talking about, Mother! There’s no way that could be true.”
“Your face right now… it’s completely weird.”
Tae-yeon bit her lip until it hurt. She had the worst luck with genes; Hyun-seo’s sharpness clearly came from his mother, Oh Jin-hee, not his father the chairman. In front of the speechless Tae-yeon, Oh Jin-hee spewed her venom like flames blazing blue.
“I’m not the abnormal one here. Who’s the real freak for leaving a perfectly normal home without a sound? Not even a squatter.”
The words were undeniably true, but Tae-yeon couldn’t answer. She couldn’t speak the truth at all—this was something only her superior’s approval could handle.
“Mother, just a moment. I’ll be right back after using the restroom.”
Tae-yeon hurried into the bathroom, locked the door, and leaned against it, her neck stiff from tension and her breathing uneven. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and saw a completely pale, unfamiliar woman staring back.
“What kind of life would lead someone to do this?”
She turned on the faucet and quickly typed a message.
Meanwhile, in the conference room, Hyun-seo was deep in discussion when a notification popped up on his phone. He glanced at it out of habit, but the name on the screen made him pause. Tae-yeon. The one person who almost never contacted him first.
His fingers moved on instinct.
“What the hell? Waiting for a woman who ran away like this?”
He figured she was probably about to bring up Yun-woo or send a video. Instead, the message was completely unexpected.
“Madam has arrived. She’s asking if we’re really living separately. She also mentioned the Jeju villa. I haven’t said anything yet. Tell me what to do.”
At times like this, Tae-yeon was the perfect subordinate—sending a clear message to her superior. A highly capable one, no less.
Oh Jin-hee knew about the house Yun-woo had moved into and had asked about the Jeju property. That was bad news.
Hyun-seo typed back quickly.
“Got it. I’ll handle it. Just use my excuse.”
The meeting had already gone on too long and still refused to reach any conclusion. In the midst of the shouting debate, Hyun-seo raised his hand.
“I see. So there’s disagreement about the price range for the land purchase. If we buy now, the speculators will cause trouble, and if we delay further, the land purchase itself might become impossible, right?”
“It’s not that simple.”
The faces of the department heads darkened. Staying up all night would accomplish nothing.
“Let’s think differently. Buy everything in one go. Find the right person and bring them in—how about that?”
“Vice President, that’s not easy either.”
“Exactly. That’s why we’re all gathered here on a busy day. We’ll conclude the meeting right here. Let’s make sure next time we reach a final decision. No long meetings. We’ll meet at the same time tomorrow.”
After Hyun-seo stood, the department heads tugged at their ties and began whispering among themselves. But he immediately dialed the secretary.
“Prepare the car. We need to move quickly.”
Once he was in the car and speeding away, Tae-yeon finally emerged from the bathroom. After lingering just to stall, Oh Jin-hee’s voice cut through the air like a blade.
“Why were you in the bathroom for so long?”
“I’ve been having stomach issues lately… I’ll be right out.”
Tae-yeon turned to head back in, but Oh Jin-hee called after her with venom.
“What? Stomach issues? Is that why you came here?”
Tae-yeon slammed the door shut and let out a frustrated sound inside.
“Mother, I’m sorry. Just a moment.”
She flushed the toilet, waited, then flushed again.
“I said I’d handle it on my own. Of course I would. As long as I hold out until he arrives…”
But why, of all places, had she chosen the toilet to wait?
Tae-yeon sat on the closed toilet lid still fully dressed, phone in hand.
[Where are you now?]
[Almost there. Where’s Miss Min?]
[The bathroom.]
Just the word “bathroom” and her strength suddenly drained. Hyun-seo read the message and smiled faintly.
[What are you doing?]
[… Leave it to your imagination.]
“You really have stomach issues?”
Knock knock. Oh Jin-hee’s voice came from the door. Tae-yeon answered.
“Yes, Mother. I’ll be out soon.”
[VP, hurry up.]
[I’m coming right in.]
Tae-yeon stood when she heard Hyun-seo was almost there, washed her hands, and stepped out of the bathroom. She quickly recovered her composure upon seeing Oh Jin-hee’s ugly, bloodshot eyes.
“Mother, you haven’t even taken a sip of water. Shall I bring you some drink?”
“It’s fine. Why aren’t you telling me the truth? Are you and Hyun-seo really living separately? I asked you that.”
“I already answered. I said we’re not.”
But Oh Jin-hee smirked and lifted her chin.
“What? Not? Then why is this happening?”
She yanked open the cabinet in the dressing room. Everything inside was Tae-yeon’s clothes—nothing of Hyun-seo’s.
“Look at this. Where are Hyun-seo’s clothes? What’s going on?”
“That’s… Mother…”
The phone rang. It was Oh Jin-hee’s. She muttered to herself.
“The tiger says the tiger cub comes when you call its name, doesn’t it, Hyun-seo?”
Hyun-seo answered in a lazy, relaxed voice.
“How have you been, Aunt Oh?”
“How am I supposed to be? How about you two? Are you really living separately?”
Before she could finish, Hyun-seo cut in.
“What separate life? We just made a private hideout together. Why would that count as living separately?”
“What? What do you mean by suddenly?”
“I’m at Yun-woo’s house right now. We bought the house and moved him there. Living separately isn’t really living separately, is it? Why are none of your clothes here?”
“Wait. I’ll be there soon.”
“What? Why are you at the house at this hour? What are you trying to say? You didn’t have to come all the way here. Just answer me.”
Oh Jin-hee’s eyes had turned bloodshot. She had bought an enormous plot and villa in Jeju under Tae-yeon’s name, and now she was hearing the two were living separately. That was unacceptable. But to Hyun-seo’s slow, lazy reply, she raised her voice.
“What? You’re saying it’s not separate after all this?”
“What did Tae-yeon say? She said you’re living separately?”
“No, she said it’s nonsense.”
“See? The people involved say they’re not living separately. Why are you calling it that, Mother?”
It wasn’t even a joke. Every one of Hyun-seo’s answers only poked at the wound.
“Hey, Hyun-seo. If you’re not living together, it’s living separately, right? You have no clothes here and you bought an apartment instead of a normal house?”
“That’s our secret hideout. Tae-yeon wanted to try living in an apartment once, so I bought it. We haven’t moved yet. I just come and go. There are even a few of my clothes there—nothing fancy, just some simple ones I keep for when I rest.”
It was slowly exhausting the words. And then the sound of the front door unlocking echoed. Hyun-seo’s arrival. Oh Jin-hee’s face twisted.
“Why aren’t you at work? Why are you here?”
“Because my beloved wife was being bullied. I came to protect her.”
Such an easy, natural excuse made her back tingle. Oh Jin-hee glared.
“You really are an awful mother-in-law?”
“Yes. Did you forget?”
The son is the enemy. Why, of all people, was the one who could never win so clearly Hyun-seo’s son?
A few steps away, Tae-yeon stood as still and slowly as possible. Then the frustration that Hyun-seo couldn’t possibly feel landed entirely on her.
“I don’t understand this at all. No matter how I look at it, I can’t figure you out. You have nothing, no family background, nothing. Are you that capable? Are you a judge? A lawyer? A doctor? Why are you so arrogant and bold? Sometimes you act like a sycophantic employee, and other times you’re the snake in the grass. What exactly are you?”
Hyun-seo stepped in, slipping an arm around her shoulders.
“That’s all because of me. I’m the weak one. I can’t move a finger with Tae-yeon.”
Oh Jin-hee grabbed her back and screamed.
“Hey!”