Chapter 62
The rain had finally stopped outside, and so did Harin’s tears. I still couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed. Harin was always composed and calm. To see her, an adult woman, cry like that because of me, made me feel guilty. When she seemed to have calmed down a little, I slowly pulled my hand back from hers gently.
“Are you okay now, Harin-ssi?” I asked carefully.
She drew in a quiet breath before giving a small nod. “Yes.” After a pause, she added softly, “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to show you this side of me.”
“It’s okay, Harin-ssi. You don’t need to apologize.”
Silence fell between us, stretching on for a while.
I hesitated before speaking again. “Harin…”
“Yes?”
“Since you’re here… does that mean Yuna knows I’m in this hospital too?”
Her answer was calm. “Yes.”
My body tensed, though I tried to stay composed. My heart began to race.
Harin noticed and gave a faint smile. “Don’t worry. Chairwoman doesn’t know that I’m here with you right now. Actually, she wanted to come immediately and take you home. But…” She leaned back slightly, her expression soft. “I managed to buy some time and delayed her until tomorrow.”
I let out a small, bitter laugh. “Tomorrow or tonight… is there really a difference? She’ll still see me in the end.”
A flicker of pity appeared in Harin’s eyes. “There is a difference, Mr. Kim.” Her voice lowered as she leaned closer, her gaze steady on mine. “Tell me… do you still want to return to her? Do you still love her?”
I lowered my eyes, unable to answer. “Maybe I…”
Harin continued before I could finish. “Do you want to get divorced?”
My eyes widened. The question struck like lightning. “I—I don’t know.” My throat tightened.
Harin smiled warmly, as if she had already expected that answer. “It’s okay if you can’t decide right now. Tomorrow morning, I’ll file for a separation order against Chairwoman. That way, both of you will be required to live apart for a while. You can use that time to figure out what you really feel.”
Her words shook me. “S–Separation order? Harin—won’t it be dangerous if Yuna finds out you’re behind it?”
Her smile didn’t falter. “I know how to handle it. I’ll do it quietly… of course.”
I swallowed hard, still uneasy. “But… will she even obey the order? She has the power to do whatever she wants.”
“She will,” Harin said firmly. “Leave that to me.”
I didn’t know whether to believe her or not, but the quiet confidence in her eyes left me silent. I gave a small, faint smile before turning my gaze back to the window.
The room was still for a while, until Harin broke the silence again.
“Mr. Kim…”
I looked back at her. “Yes?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
Her eyes softened. “Why did you name Ms. Hwang as your guardian? You knew, didn’t you, that Chairwoman wouldn’t take it well? Honestly…” Her voice wavered just a little. “I felt a little sad too, when you did that. At the very least, you could have trusted me.”
Guardian?
She continued her tone turning more serious, “It made Chairwoman furious when she found out. Things almost got out of hand earlier few hours ago”
My confusion deepened. “A few hours ago?”
“Yes,” Harin nodded, her tone grave. “Ms. Hwang and Chairwoman were practically at each other’s throats over the guardianship claim.”
“H—Huh? Guardianship claim? What do you mean by—”
Before I could finish, the door opened with a soft click.
I turned.
Sera stepped inside.
Sera’s expression was cold as she stepped into the room, her eyes settling first on Harin.
“I believe I’ve given you enough time to speak with him,” she said flatly. “Now it’s time for you to leave.”
The atmosphere immediately grew tense.
Harin’s lips twitched in irritation. Her gaze turned sharp, the warmth she had shown me moments ago replaced with ice. But she didn’t lash out. Instead, she slowly turned toward me, her expression softening again.
“I’ll send the lawyer tomorrow,” she said gently. “Before Chairwoman arrives. Everything will be arranged by then, so you’ll be protected, Mr. Kim.”
Then she stood up, brushing down her blouse calmly, preparing to leave.
My mind spun. I still hadn’t had the chance to ask her about the guardianship she mentioned earlier.
“Harin-ssi, wait—” I called out quickly.
She paused at the doorway and turned her head slightly, looking at me with curiosity.
“Haemin.”
But before I could say more, Sera’s cold voice cut sharply through the room as she walked slowly toward me.
She stopped at my bedside, her presence solid and commanding. Turning her gaze back to Harin, she said, “What are you waiting for? You can leave now. He needs rest.”
“Why should I?”
Her answer stunned me. Before I could even react, her smile disappeared. “What is it, Haemin? Did you want to see her?” Her tone turned cold.
My lips parted, but no sound came out. Deep down, I knew the truth—I didn’t have the courage to face Yuna yet.
Seeing my silence, Sera leaned back slightly and smirked. “See? You can’t even answer me.”
Her words pierced me, but I stayed quiet. Instead, another question pushed its way out of me.
“And Harin said… that I named you as my guardian. Is that true?”
“Yes,” she replied calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“W-What?” I froze. “But… I don’t recall saying anything like that. I never signed any paper…”
“I did.” Sera said while crossed her legs neatly. “I hired someone to forge your signature.”
My eyes widened in disbelief. “Y-You can’t be serious… You’re joking, right?”
But she didn’t laugh. She just sat there, watching me with that calm, steady gaze that told me she wasn’t lying.
I stared at her in shock, my heart pounding. “You… really forged my signature?”
“Yes.”
The calm way she admitted it made me even more unsettled. Anger mixed with fear inside me, and my voice shook when I spoke. “Why? Why would you do that without even telling me first? Do you even realize how serious that is? Isn’t it illegal to forge someone else’s signature?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation, her tone colder this time. Then she leaned forward just slightly, her eyes locking onto mine. “So what will you do now that you know?”
My breath caught. I wanted to answer, but no words came out. I was completely lost.
Her lips curved into a soft, calm smile, like she had already expected my silence. “As I thought… just let me handle everything.”
Her words stung. Something about the way she said it made my chest tighten. It wasn’t like how she spoke to me before, when her voice carried warmth and patience. This felt different.
I pressed my lips together before blurting out, “Why are you talking to me like this, Sera? You weren’t like this before.”
She tilted her head slightly, her calm eyes fixed on me. “Like this?” she repeated softly, almost amused. “I haven’t changed, Haemin. I’m only being strict because you seem to want to question my actions. If you truly trusted me, you wouldn’t feel this way.”
Her tone wasn’t angry, but it pressed down on me all the same, leaving me unsure how to respond. I opened my mouth, trying to find the right words, but before I could speak, the door to my ward creaked open.
One of Sera’s assistants stepped inside, bowing politely. “Vice Chairwoman, all preparations are complete. We’re ready to go.”
Sera nodded calmly, her eyes not leaving mine. “Good. Wait outside. We’ll come out in a minute.”
“Yes, Vice Chairwoman.” The assistant bowed again and quietly closed the door.
“You’re… leaving already?” I asked carefully.
She rose gracefully from her chair, smoothing the front of her suit before turning to me with that calm smile again.
“Haemin,” she said softly. “Change your clothes. We’re checking out of the hospital right now.”
My eyes widened. “H—Huh? Me?”
“Yes,” she replied without hesitation. “You’ll be leaving here with me. From now on, you’ll stay at my residence.”
My chest tightened, my throat dry. “N-No,” I said firmly, shaking my head. “I don’t want to go, Sera. Please… don’t drag me around like this.”
Her expression shifted, the calmness slipping from her face. “Hey, Haemin. Stop resisting, will you? Yuna will be coming here any time now. I don’t mind facing her here, but it would be a hassle. Do you want your face to be on the front page tomorrow?”
I clenched the bedsheet in my hands, my voice shaking. “No! Even if Yuna didn’t come, I still couldn’t follow you. It would be inappropriate. I’ve already suffered enough from her jealousy. I don’t want to provoke her any further.”
Sera’s patience seemed to fray. “So you would rather crawl back to her? Back to the woman who raised her hand against you?”
I swallowed hard, unable to respond.
Her voice sharpened. “Why, Haemin? Why would you protect her after everything she has done?”
My heart pounded as I forced myself to meet her gaze. “Because… because she’s my wife,” I said quietly, my chest tight. “I’m sorry, Sera. I don’t really understand why you’re doing this. If it’s about what you told me in Busan, then… I’m afraid I can’t give you the answer you want. I’m married, and no matter what, I can’t step out of that. I don’t want to end up disappointing you.”
Her eyes flickered, a flash of pain breaking through her composure before her expression hardened once more.
“It’s okay, Sera,” I said quietly, my hands still trembling. “I’ll handle Yuna myself. Thank you for taking care of me until now… but this is my problem.”
The air between us shifted instantly. The warmth in Sera’s eyes drained, leaving behind something colder. She took a slow step closer, her heels clicking against the floor, her presence suddenly overwhelming.
Her voice was low, almost a whisper, but sharp enough to cut through me. “Haemin, I’ll ask you one last time. Will you change your clothes… or do you want me to rip them off and drag you out of here myself?”
I froze, my breath caught in my throat.
Just as Sera’s cold words hung in the air, a sharp noise from outside broke the tension. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor, growing closer and closer.
Sera’s eyes narrowed. She tilted her head slightly toward the door, her sharp ears picking up the same thing I did. Before either of us could react, the door swung open.
Her assistant stood there, breathless, her expression grim. “Vice Chairwoman, we have an emergency—”
But she stopped abruptly, her eyes flicking toward the hall as if something had cut her words short.
And then it came.
A cold, commanding voice that sliced through the air like a blade.
“Move out of the way.”
Sera assistant stiffened instantly, her body shifting aside before she could even think.
And into the room, she came.
Yuna.
Her presence swallowed the air whole. Flanked by two of her legal aides, she walked in with her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor.
My chest tightened. My breath caught. The uneasy knot in my stomach pulled tighter and tighter.
Sera, however, only clicked her tongue in irritation, her eyes burning as she stepped forward and blocked Yuna’s path. “Where do you think you’re going?” she asked, her voice calm but edged with steel.
Yuna’s eyes, cold and sharp as ice, flicked toward Sera. Her reply came low and cutting.
“Move.”
The room fell into silence for a split second, the tension so sharp it was hard to breathe. But Sera didn’t move an inch. Her chin lifted proudly, her arms folding, her calm composure daring Yuna to push through her.
That was when one of Yuna’s lawyers stepped forward. His voice firm but respectful. “Ms. Hwang, we understand that you stepped in as Mr. Kim’s guardian. However, this matter has already been reviewed under emergency jurisdiction. According to corporate governance law, when a patient’s well-being is directly tied to company responsibility, guardianship can be reassigned to the highest-ranking executive in charge of those affairs. In this case, that authority rests with Chairwoman Seo of Nara Group.”
I froze, my head spinning.
He pulled out a slim document, tapping it lightly as he spoke. “This is the official order issued just an hour ago. In simple terms, Ms. Seo has the full right to take responsibility for him and ensure his proper care. Your claim as guardian is no longer valid. We ask you, respectfully, to step aside.”
Sera’s lips curved into the faintest smirk, though I caught the flash of irritation in her eyes. Her calm mask didn’t falter, but her silence said everything.
Yuna, however, didn’t wait for a reply.
She moved.
Her shoulder brushed sharply against Sera’s as she walked past, a deliberate shove that sent a ripple of hostility through the air. Sera didn’t step back, but her eyes burned into Yuna’s with wordless fury.
My breath caught when Yuna stopped in front of me. Her perfume wrapped around me before her voice came, low and cold, at my ear.
“We’ll discuss this later at home.”
Her hand closed around my wrist before I could even respond. The grip was firm, unyielding, her nails pressing lightly into my skin.
“W-Wait—”
But she didn’t let me speak.
With a hard tug, she pulled me forward. My legs stumbled, and before I knew it, I was being dragged out of the ward. Her lawyers flanked us, shielding the corridor from prying eyes, while Sera’s furious gaze seared into my back.
My heart pounded painfully against my ribs as Yuna’s grip tightened.