Chapter 3.1

Chapter 3.1

My heart sank. I couldn’t understand why I was there, why I had Miss Yena’s face. It felt like it was an incredulous prank with a camera hidden somewhere.

Grandfather, who had been standing next to Father, approached and grasped my trembling hand.

“You’ve awakened… You’ve awakened….”

It was the first time I saw Grandfather cry, but I had to ask.

“Grandfather, what is this… photo?”

Grandfather looked at the altar and spoke in a somber voice.

“Your sister-in-law… has died….”

My body shook as I tried to speak. I barely managed to open my mouth, and a thin, exhausted voice came out.

“Sister-in-law…? Lee Buyeon…?”

Grandfather nodded heavily, his expression grave.

“Yes… Lee Buyeon… your sister-in-law… It’s my fault….”

At that moment, I saw my mother, slumped against the wall as if she had fainted and my father with head bowed, weeping. Only my parents and Grandfather, who had no other children but me, stood by my altar. My so-called husband was not present.

Strength left my body. I looked at my portrait.

Am I truly dead? And now I was in Miss Yena’s body?

Then was the soul of the young woman inhabiting my dead body?

How could this happen? Why? What on earth had happened?

Then I saw a mourner passing by. I was shocked when I recognized them. There were three people: Cha Insook, Kim Hyunwook, and Jo Jungsik from my information team. I almost called out to them. The three, with very somber expressions, bowed their heads at my altar and stood before my father.

Only then did I see my father’s face as he looked up to greet the guests, and a hot surge rose in my chest. I had seen him just last week, healthy.

Father… Mother… Tears blurred my vision. Sitting in a wheelchair, I wept. I couldn’t help it. I cried aloud, drawing the attention of those around me. My mother, awakened by my crying, staggered toward me and held my hand, weeping.

“Thank you… Thank you….”

I wanted to call her “Mother.” But I couldn’t. Lee Buyeon, her daughter, was dead now, was gone. I clung to her and sobbed loudly. Grandfather urged me to go up to the hospital room, seeing that I, too, was not well.

“Go up.”

“I’ll stay here….”

“You’re not well either. I’ll take care of the funeral, so you should go up.”

I was stubborn. I had to be there. When I refused to relent, Grandfather gave up. I stayed in the funeral hall for a long time. Recognizable faces appeared, perhaps because of MK’s name.

But among them, neither my husband nor his family was present. Where on earth was my so-called husband? I asked Housekeeper Ahn to bring my wheelchair.

“Housekeeper Ahn, I want to go out for a moment.”

As I went outside, people whispered when they saw me. They seemed to think it was a miracle that I had survived, but I didn’t hear any talk about Lee Buyeon. To them, Lee Buyeon was someone who didn’t even warrant condolences. They were there because of Grandfather and MK group’s name.

“Where are my… I mean, where are my mother-in-law and elder brother-in-law?”

“They should be in the family room.”

“Please take me there.”

When we reached the family room, the door was slightly open, and I could hear murmurs. I stopped Housekeeper Ahn from opening the door and eavesdropped on their conversation.

“Stop laughing. Is it appropriate to laugh at your wife’s funeral?”

“Why? Can’t I even laugh?”

“Laugh when no one is around! What if Grandfather finds out?”

“Okay, I won’t laugh outside. But Mother, when is Jinyoung coming in?”

I flinched at the mention of Jinyoung.

“Do you really want to bring Jinyoung here now? Grandfather would love that.”

That meant my mother-in-law knew about that woman. My hands clenched, and my body trembled with rage. My blood boiled.

“Jinyoung keeps pestering me. She’s pregnant, so she’s asking how long this will take.”

“Stop complaining. And go out and secure your place.”

“For what?”

“Don’t you care about appearances? What will people think if the husband is missing at his wife’s funeral?”

“Alright. But what about the stocks Buyeon was supposed to receive? They’re still not in her name.”

“I’ll take care of that, so hurry up and go. What if Grandfather gets mad at you?”

At that moment, Housekeeper Ahn bowed her head and spoke.

“Um… Miss!”

I raised my hand to stop her from speaking and gestured for her to follow me. It was humiliating that she had heard that conversation, especially at my funeral.

We headed back to the funeral hall, but I didn’t go inside. I just watched my parents from a distance. They were sobbing—it deeply pained me to see my poor parents like this.

I couldn’t even tell them I was alive.