Chapter 22

Chapter 22

As soon as we left the International Business Department, mother spoke up.

“When did you prepare all of that?”

“I did it bit by bit. I discussed it with sister-in-law while she was still here.”

Mother’s eyes trembled.

“We… you and Buyeon?”

“Yes. Actually, it was her idea. She was the one who suggested the menu and everything. This project is for her, too.”

Tears began to spill from mother’s eyes.

“I never knew she wanted to work so much… She always said she enjoyed being a homemaker…”

“Sister was always interested in business. She graduated top of her class with an MBA, after all. And she was always thinking about how to globalize Korean cuisine.”

I held my crying mother in my arms. Something hot rose in my chest, but I tried to stay calm.

“Don’t cry. If you cry, Sister will be sad. From now on, please stay with me.”

Mother nodded and said, “I will. I’ll make this my new goal and get back on my feet.”

“Yes. Please do.”

President Jang, who had been watching from the side, spoke up.

“Let’s make this project a success together with Director Namgung. It would be the best way to honor your daughter.”

Mother bowed her head in thanks.

“Thank you.”

Just then, there was a loud bang as the door flew open, and I turned to see my ex-husband stomping towards us, panting heavily. His was face twisted with rage. He immediately started picking a fight.

“Was this it? Is this what you were whispering about behind my back without including me?”

Even though Mother was there, he didn’t care. His eyes were wild, just like when he used to hit me. President Jang stepped forward.

“What kind of behavior is this, Executive Director Namgung?”

“Stay out of this! This is all because of that sly b!tch scheming behind my back!”

President Jang’s face hardened, and he seemed to become a different person. When he spoke, a cold wind seemed to blow.

“Executive Director Namgung. This project is being handled under special instructions from the Honorary Chairman. If you have any objections, take it up with him. And don’t you think it’s time you stopped using such informal language with your superiors? Or are you planning to cause an insubordination?”

His voice was low, his gaze unforgiving. It was clear that President Jang was warning him. My ex-husband flinched at his intimidating presence. Then, Mother stepped forward and spoke in a calm voice.

“Executive Director Namgung. I didn’t mention your rudeness at Buyeon’s funeral, but this behavior now looks like nothing more than disrespect towards me. Is that what you intend?”

I was shocked. When I was alive, she called him Namgung Seobang (son-in-law), but now she drew a clear line, calling him Executive Director Namgung. It was the first time I’d ever seen my mother speak so coldly to someone.

And those eyes… This wasn’t the mother I knew, and at the same time, my chest tightened. My ex-husband, rattled by her stance, averted his gaze. He must have felt bothered too.

“No, that’s not it… I would never…”

“I’ll be coming to work every day from now on, so I’m curious if you plan to continue like this.”

“No, I won’t.”

He bowed his head, then shot a menacing glare at President Jang and me before returning to his office. It felt good to see the two of them reprimanding him on my behalf without me having to intervene.

President Jang then turned to Mother and asked,

“Mother-in-law, shall we head to the President’s office to continue our discussion?”

“Aren’t you busy, President? I think I can discuss things with the Director here.”

He smiled warmly and replied, “I cleared my schedule for today, knowing you’d be coming. Please, don’t worry, and let’s go.”

I knew how busy he was, but hearing that he made time for Mother warmed my heart. He could have easily used his busy schedule as an excuse to leave, but he was truly making the effort for her.

After a detailed meeting, Mother was on her way home. To see her off, I accompanied her to the lobby on the first floor, carrying two bags in my hands—one with her medicine and the other with files I’d taken from my room.

“Today was really great, miss Yena… No, I guess I should call you Director now?”

“Please, call me whatever is comfortable for you.”

In my heart, I wish she could still call me “Buyeon-ah” like before, but that’s just a distant dream now.

I watched until Mother got into the car and drove away, and then I headed into the bank on the first floor. The bank at headquarters wasn’t small; it was the size of a full branch. When the staff saw me, they brought out the branch manager, who bowed in greeting.

“Welcome, Director.”

The branch manager, who was slightly balding, seemed to recognize the young lady.

“Hello, Branch Manager.”

“Please, come in.”

I followed him into the manager’s office. As soon as I sat on the sofa, green tea was brought out, which made it clear that the young lady frequently used this bank—they knew her preference for not drinking coffee.

“How may I assist you today?”

“I’d like to use the safe deposit box.”

“Ah, would you like to open a new one, or are you referring to an existing box?”

An existing safe deposit box. At that moment, the key flashed in my mind. I decided to take a chance. If this wasn’t the right key, I’d be in big trouble.

“I’ll use an existing box.”

“In that case, please follow me.”

We left the manager’s office and stood in front of a large vault. After entering the code and turning the handle, the massive door swung open. Inside, there were two sections: one for storing cash and another for personal safe deposit boxes.

We entered the room with the personal boxes. Rectangular boxes filled the walls, and in the center was a table and chair. The manager unlocked box number 381 with his key. When he opened the door, there was another small safe inside.

I calmed my racing heart and thanked the manager.

“Take your time,” he said.

“There’s no chance that anyone will know I have a safe deposit box here, right?”

The manager quickly reassured me. “Absolutely not. This is a matter of our bank’s reputation.”

“I see.”

Once he left, I took out the small safe and placed it on the table. My heart was pounding. What could be inside that required a personal safe deposit box? I took out the key and inserted it into the lock.

Please let this be the one. As the key turned with a satisfying click, I felt a rush of relief, like solving a puzzle. It opened. This was it. Now, it was time to see what was inside.

I lifted the lid, only to find documents—no gold or jewels.

I opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. It was all in English. For a moment, I looked up to check if there were any cameras. I didn’t see any.

Focusing on the documents, I couldn’t immediately tell what they were. What is this? Given that it was stored in a safe deposit box, it had to be something important. Could it be connected to the photos saved on the young lady’s phone?

For now, I took photos of the documents with my phone. This wasn’t the place to go through them. I removed some papers from the file I brought, folded them, and placed them inside the safe, which I then locked and returned to its place.

As I left, the branch manager gave me a polite farewell, and I exited the bank. I headed straight to the restroom.

Inside, I made sure no one was around, then began flushing the pills down the toilet. Even with just one hand, it was a task to flush them in every stall. When someone came in, I pretended to wash my hands before resuming my task.

If these pills fell into the hands of my father-in-law or my ex-husband, miss Yena would never become the head of the family.

After disposing of all the pills, I stood in front of the sink. Just doing that had left my face flushed. Miss Yena’s stamina was truly lacking. I needed a cold drink to calm down.

I left the restroom and entered a café. I was deciding on a menu at the counter when a voice suddenly spoke beside me.

“Two strawberry smoothies, please.”

“Eek!”

Startled, I turned to see President Jang looking just as surprised.

“Yena, it’s me. Did I scare you?”

I placed a hand over my chest, trying to steady my breath.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came down for a cold drink and happened to see you. Are you feeling unwell? Your face is red. Do you have a fever?”

He placed his palm on my forehead. The sudden touch made me step back. Noticing my reaction, he quickly looked apologetic.

“Sorry about that. It’s just that your face is really red, like you have a fever.”

When I touched my cheek, it was warm.

“I’m fine. It’s not a cold. But why did you come down to buy drinks yourself, Mr. Jang?”

He shrugged.

“I find it easier to do things myself. Plus, I wanted to clear my head a bit. Strawberry smoothie, right?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Shall we drink here before heading back up?”

I looked around the café. There were many employees with their ID badges hanging around their necks. Luckily, there was an empty seat by the window.

“There’s a spot over there.”

“Oh, you’re right. Go grab it quickly.”

“Why don’t we go together?”

“If we do that, someone else might take it. Go on, hurry.”

At his urging, I went over and sat down. It might have been the beginning of winter, but the sunlight streaming through the window was warm. It felt nice.

How wonderful it was that I could be here in this café at this hour instead of back at home. If I hadn’t married ten years ago, I might have joined MK and been working here.

A moment’s choice had changed my life completely. I wanted to laugh at my foolishness for having chosen trash.

When I turned my head, I saw President Jang approaching with drinks on a square tray. Our eyes met, and he flashed me a smile. I forced an awkward smile back.

Not this time. I won’t be fooled again. All men are liars.