Young Wife and Bad Things

Episode 3

After a long pause, Seo I-jae seemed to make up her mind and spoke up.
“…I-I can do it.”

“What can you do?” Beom Do-geon asked coldly.

“I can be a good wife! I can do everything that comes with being a couple!”

I-jae shouted at the top of her lungs, her face burning red. That’s how desperate she was.

**“Just get married already. You owe it to me for raising you! Luckily, there are plenty of men interested in your pretty face.”**

After Seo I-jae lost her title as a promising ballet prodigy due to her injury, Professor Seo—her uncle—began looking for men to marry her off to as soon as possible.

Most of them were at least thirty years older than I-jae.

Some had a history of domestic violence, and others even wanted to take I-jae as a mistress.

“If you have any specific expectations for marriage, I’ll do my best to meet them. You can date other women if you want… or whatever else…”

I-jae tried to sell herself as a convenient option for marriage.

Beom Do-geon was thirty-two years old.

The age gap wasn’t small, but compared to the other suitors who were much older, this didn’t seem like such a big deal to her.

No matter how intimidating his background was, marrying Do-geon seemed much better than being forced into marriage with someone she didn’t want.

Silence stretched between them for a moment.

Just as I-jae opened her mouth to say something, Beom Do-geon abruptly stood up.

The heavy chair scraped against the floor with a harsh noise.

Do-geon slowly walked toward her, and I-jae instinctively gasped.

He grabbed her chin firmly and leaned in, speaking in a low voice.

“I gave you a chance to run away from someone like me.”

“…”

“So why didn’t you take it? Is it because you’re just a baby?”

—

His sharp gaze pierced through her, making her shoulders tremble slightly.

Noticing her faint shiver, Do-geon let her go.

“If you’re going to shake like that, just go home.”

I-jae, who had been standing frozen, finally stood up hesitantly and turned to leave.

Was this really the end?

Had she really just blown her last chance?

“Hey,” she called out quietly, turning back to face him.

The man, who was leaning against the table with his long legs stretched out, gave her a cold stare.

“Even if I still look like a kid… my body isn’t completely immature.”

She felt an irrational sense of defiance after he’d mocked her earlier about being a child.

And so, she blurted out something she didn’t need to say.

What was his reaction to that?

Did he sneer and call her foolish?

Afraid to see how he’d respond, I-jae quickly lowered her gaze and fled the restaurant.

“Vice President told me to make sure you get home safely.”

When she stepped out of the hotel, the chauffeur approached her.

I-jae glanced up at the hotel.

Even though she knew it was impossible, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Do-geon was watching her from one of the high windows.

“Alright. Thank you,” she said, climbing into the car.

For a moment, she considered going back to the restaurant to try convincing him again.

But instead, she got in the car and left, silently wishing that Do-geon would contact her—just once.

—

When I-jae returned to Professor Seo’s house, she was greeted by the housekeeper.

“Where have you been? Miss Hyo-won has been looking for you everywhere!”

The housekeeper hurried over, clearly worried.

“Is she very angry?” I-jae asked nervously.

“Should I get the first-aid kit ready? Maybe some painkillers?”

Hearing the concern in her voice, I-jae shook her head.

“It’s fine. I’m used to it now.”

“I-jae…”

“Don’t worry too much about me.”

Leaving the worried housekeeper behind, I-jae climbed the stairs and entered the storage room in the corner of the second floor.

It was a tiny space where no light entered unless the bulb was turned on.

The room smelled of mildew.

Filled with cleaning supplies, this storage room was also I-jae’s bedroom.

“I-Jae! Where are you?”

Hyo-won’s voice rang out as she stormed down the hallway, making loud stomping noises.

It seemed she had heard that I-jae had returned.

“You worthless little brat! Filthy trash!”

“Trash.”

That was what I-jae was called in this household.

After winning higher scores than Hyo-won in a ballet competition they had both entered together, Professor Seo and his wife had been furious with I-jae.

They’d told the servants not to feed her, as punishment for her “disrespect.”

When a starving I-jae was caught sneaking leftover food scraps from the kitchen, the nickname “trash” had been given to her.

“You sneaky fox! I’m going to kill you!”

Hyo-won burst into the storage room and immediately raised her hand.

*Slap!*

The sound of the slap echoed as I-jae’s head turned to the side.

“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“You went on the blind date with the Mu-jeong Group heir! You tricked me, didn’t you?”

“You’re the one who told me to go in your place.”

*Slap!*

Hyo-won slapped her again.

I-jae covered her stinging cheek with her hand.

No matter how many times it happened, it still hurt every time.

“I thought he’d be some fat gangster with gold chains!”

Hyo-won was trembling with rage.

Seo I-jae was met with a sharp glare, as if Hyo-won was ready to kill her on the spot.

Hyo-won was clutching her phone tightly, likely having just looked up the picture of Beom Do-geon, the heir to the Mu-jeong Group.

“So he’s super famous, huh? It’s not just his abilities, but his looks too! I’m the only one who didn’t know because I never watch the news.”

“…”

“All the rich women are desperate to marry this guy!”

Hyo-won couldn’t accept the fact that she’d been tricked by the “fox-like” I-jae.

“So, did you sell yourself to him or what?”

“What are you talking about? Don’t say such things.”

“What do you mean, no? You’re probably just like your mother. Didn’t she sell herself and run off to start a new life?”

“Watch your mouth! Don’t insult my mom!”

Unable to hold back anymore, I-jae raised her voice.

“And what’s with your family, huh? All useless trash, right? Why don’t you just let your grandma die already? What’s the point of keeping her alive with that oxygen mask? She’s just wasting money.”

Three years ago, after I-jae’s father passed away and her grandmother collapsed from illness, she had no choice but to move into the house of Professor Seo, her uncle.

Her mother had abandoned her long ago when her father’s business went bankrupt, leaving I-jae behind and running off.

Even though I-jae was now being forced into an unwanted marriage, she couldn’t escape for one reason:

Professor Seo was covering all of her grandmother’s hospital expenses.

When I-jae started saving up money from her part-time jobs to free herself and pay for her grandmother’s care, Professor Seo moved her grandmother to an unknown hospital to ensure she couldn’t be found.

He was holding her grandmother hostage.

“Well, look at this.”

Hyo-won grabbed a picture frame off the dresser and smirked maliciously.

“Give that back! That’s my grandmother’s picture! It’s the only one I have!”

*Crash!*

Hyo-won threw the frame against the wall, shattering the glass.

Shards flew across the room.

I-jae glared at Hyo-won, her throat tightening as she stared at the broken glass and the crumpled photo.

“What’s with that look? Who told you to look at me like that?”

I-jae knelt on the floor, reaching for the photo among the shards of glass.

But before she could pick it up, Hyo-won kicked her hard in the stomach.

*Thud! Thud!*

“Give me that picture! I’ll tear it to pieces!”

Hyo-won tried to grab the photo I-jae was clutching tightly to her chest.

When she couldn’t get it, she began stomping on I-jae’s injured left ankle.

“What’s all this commotion?”

Professor Seo’s voice rang out as he came down the stairs.

Hyo-won quickly stopped her assault and forced a smile.

“Oh, Dad, I was just hitting her a little because I was bored. Didn’t you say I could use her as my punching bag?”

Professor Seo looked down at I-jae, who was curled up on the floor, with disdain.

Then he spoke affectionately to his daughter.

“Was my princess bored? How did the blind date with the Mu-jeong Group Vice President go?”

“Ah, well… about that…”

Hyo-won glanced nervously at I-jae and lied without hesitation.

“The Vice President really liked me! He said there’s a good chance we could get married. Tell them to set up another meeting soon!”

“Really? That’s wonderful. As expected of my princess. The Mu-jeong Group Vice President is the best groom in the country right now! If we can form ties with the Mu-jeong Group, it’ll be a huge help for our family.”

Professor Seo laughed greedily, clearly pleased.

Not long after, Professor Seo left the house, and Hyo-won grabbed I-jae by the hair, forcing her to look up.

“You acted like me at the blind date, right? Don’t even think about telling Dad that you went in my place!”

“…”

“If another meeting is set up, I’ll just make something up when the time comes. Do you really think someone like Beom Do-geon would marry trash like you? Someone who grew up loved and pampered, like me, is obviously what he’d want.”

“…”

“I hate girls like you the most—the ones who never cry, even when they’re beaten.”

Hyo-won spat on I-jae’s face before storming out of the room.

Left alone, I-jae stayed curled up in the corner of the room for a long time.

Her chest, stomach, and thighs throbbed with pain from the beating.

But what hurt the most was her left ankle, which had little sensation left but still ached sharply.

After some time, I-jae slowly stood up, limping, and wiped the spit from her cheek with a tissue.

*”I hate girls like you—the ones who never cry, even when they’re beaten.”*

“Grandma… I’m hurting…”

I-jae stared at her grandmother’s photo, tears finally spilling from her eyes.

The tears she had held back in front of Hyo-won wouldn’t stop now.

“Are you okay, Grandma? I miss you so much. I’ll come get you soon, I promise.”

In the photo, her grandmother and a young I-jae were smiling happily.

It was the last picture they had taken together before her grandmother was hospitalized.

I-jae gently ran her fingers over her grandmother’s image.

*”Just get married. You were supposed to be a promising ballet prodigy, but now you’re useless because of your injury. You owe us for raising you, and only then will we keep helping your grandmother.”*

She missed her grandmother deeply.

“I know you’re hurting too. I’ll find you, Grandma. I’ll get you treated no matter what. Just wait a little longer.”

A teardrop fell onto the photo.

I-jae carefully wiped the photo clean and placed it back into her drawer.

She then took out a music box from the same drawer.

When she opened the lid, a ballerina figurine began to spin as a beautiful melody played.

*”Baby, here’s your Christmas present.”*

On sad days like this, the music box always gave her comfort.

She had treasured it for the past three years, afraid it would break.

She only opened it when she felt truly lonely or overwhelmed.

The Beom Do-geon of back then had been someone who felt like he could shield her from any hardship.

To her, he was the only adult she could rely on.

Even now, after leaving such a cold impression at the blind date, he was still the same man who had cared enough to lend her a sedan when he noticed her limping.

He had always been like that.

Cold and distant on the surface, yet always quietly supporting her from behind.

I-jae lay down on her cheap mattress and closed her eyes.

The soft melody of the music box filled the room, soothing her weary heart.

*Bzzz.*

The vibration of her phone startled her.

She looked down at the screen, and when she saw the name displayed, her eyes widened in shock.