Chapter 39

My lips trembled, the sharp sting of her grip making it hard to breathe. I finally let out a shaky sigh, my voice barely holding steady.

“I-It’s not… what you think. I’ll explain. Just… please, don’t—”

Her eyes narrowed, pressing harder into my skin.

I swallowed hard, forcing my trembling lips to move. “That night… it was Sera who accidentally hit me with her car. She was the one who took me to the hospital and made sure I was fine. That’s how it started.”

Her stare didn’t soften. If anything, the sharpness in her gaze only grew colder.

“I swear, Yuna—I didn’t even know who she was at that time. All I thought about was going home to you as fast as I could. I never—” My voice cracked under the weight of her silence.

I took a shaky breath and continued, afraid stopping midway would only anger her more. “After that… I ran into her again at the mall, purely by coincidence. She wanted to talk, so… we talked. That’s when I realized that she wasn’t just anyone—she’s probably from a powerful family. She even ran a background check on me.”

I lowered my gaze, guilt pressing down on my chest. “I didn’t tell her I was already married… because I didn’t want to put your reputation at risk. And I didn’t tell you that night because… I was scared. Scared that no matter how I explained it, you’d get angry. You never want to listen—you always just… blame me.”

Yuna’s expression turned icy, each word I spoke chipping away at whatever patience she still had.

I hesitated, but the silence pressing down on me forced me to go on. “Then… we met again. At Auntie’s restaurant. She asked me to show her around the city. I really said no, but Auntie insisted that I go… I didn’t want to make things suspicious by rejecting her too much, so…”

I bit my lip, leaving out the part about Sera’s confession and when she almost forced herself on me. “Nothing happened beyond that. I swear. That’s the truth.”

Silence.

A suffocating silence that made the air feel heavy, unbearable. My heart pounded painfully, my throat dry. I dared to glance up at her—only to see her face colder than ice, a dangerous stillness in her eyes.

“Yuna, I—“

SLAP!

Without warning, another slap landed across my face. My head snapped to the side, the sting sharp and immediate. 

Before I could react, her hand shot up and clamped around my throat, squeezing with merciless strength. My eyes widened in panic, my body flailing as air was ripped away from me. Her cold, unblinking eyes stared straight into mine, watching me struggle.

“Yu… na…” I rasped, clawing at her wrist.

Her grip tightened, and with one violent shove, she threw me down onto the floor. My back hit hard, my chest heaving desperately for air.

“Y-Yuna… calm down,” I coughed, clutching my throat.

Her heels clicked slowly against the floor as she walked toward me. Each step sounded like a death sentence. She stopped in front of me, her expression sharp and merciless.

“So,” she said coldly, her voice a low hiss, “you really did lie to me, huh?”

“N-No, I’m—”

THUD!

A brutal kick slammed into my stomach before I could finish. The air was knocked out of me in an instant, pain exploding in my gut as I curled up, clutching myself.

“Hey, Haemin.”

I forced my eyes open. She crouched down to meet my gaze, her hand suddenly gripping my chin again. Her nails dug into my skin, forcing me to look at her. Her face was terrifyingly calm, her lips curled in a mocking smile.

“You sure had fun behind your wife’s back, huh?” she whispered.

“Yu—Yuna, hear me ou—”

SLAP! 

My head jerked to the side.

“Stop it, it’s hur—”

SLAP!

“Yuna, please—”

SLAP! Even harder than before. My cheek burned, blood spilling from the corner of my lip.

“I don’t remember giving you permission to talk.” Her tone was as cold as steel, cutting deeper than her hand ever could.

I could feel my face swelling, every nerve screaming in pain. This was different—completely different from the other times she had raged at me. Right now, she was completely, utterly lost in it.

Her fingers tangled into my hair, yanking my head back painfully. I cried out, tears springing to my eyes.

“Oh, my beloved…” she whispered darkly, her lips twisting into a chilling smile. “What should I do with you?”

I tried to push her hand away, but she was far too strong. My arms shook helplessly against her grip. “Yuna, enough alrea—”

“SHUT UP!” she screamed, her voice thundering in my ears.

Her rage only deepened. Her hands clamped around my throat again, choking me, dragging me up to my feet. My vision darkened as I clawed weakly at her wrist, gasping for any air.

“YOU KNOW HOW HURT I FEEL RIGHT NOW?!” she spat, her face inches from mine.

“Yu—na—!” My words came out strangled, my voice breaking as she lifted me off balance.

Her fist suddenly slammed into my stomach, the blow so hard I collapsed back onto the floor again, leaving me coughing and gasping for breath.

But she didn’t let go. Her hand tangled back in my hair, dragging me across the floor. My fingernails scraped helplessly against the surface as she pulled me toward the kitchen. My heart pounded in terror, every nerve screaming at me to resist—but my body was too weak.

Then, she stopped. My chest heaved as I coughed violently, desperate for oxygen.

I froze when I heard it.

CLINK.

The sound of metal against wood.

My eyes widened as I looked up. Yuna’s hand had reached the counter. Slowly, with terrifying calm, she wrapped her fingers around the handle of a knife.

The glint of the blade reflected in her cold eyes.

“Yu… Yuna… what are you doing with those—” My voice cracked, panic flooding through me. I tried to move, tried to run, but my body wouldn’t obey. My stomach ached, my face stung, and my head spun from the slaps

Her heels clicked against the floor as she closed the distance, the knife catching the light with every step.  Each sound made my heart pound harder.

“So tell me, Haemin.” Her voice was calm, disturbingly calm, as she grabbed my collar and yanked me upright. Before I could steady myself, she slammed me against the wall. My knees nearly buckled under the impact, but she held me there, forcing me to stand.

She leaned down, lowering her body until her face was inches from mine, her breath brushing against my skin.

“You like Sera, don’t you?” Yuna’s voice was ice-cold as she lifted the knife closer to my throat.

My eyes widened. “N-No, Yuna, I’m not—” My words stumbled out, desperate. I shook my head furiously. “I swear, I’m not—”

The edge of steel pressed against my throat. My breath caught. I could feel the sting, a shallow slice that sent shivers of terror through me.

“LIAR!” Yuna screamed, her voice breaking into raw fury. My heart nearly stopped.

DING!!

The sharp chime of the doorbell echoed through the apartment.

Yuna froze. The knife hovered against my skin as her head turned sharply toward the door.

“Excuse me!” A voice called faintly from outside.

In an instant, Yuna covered my mouth with her hand, my shaky breaths trapped against her palm while the cold edge of the knife remained pressed close to my throat.

“…Harin?” Yuna’s muttered, her tone shifted instantly, cold but steady, like a mask slipping back into place.

DING!!

“Tch.” She clicked her tongue, clearly irritated by the interruption. With a final glare, she shoved me back, letting me collapse to the floor. My knees hit the ground, my chest heaving, finally able to gulp for air.

Yuna turned away, sliding the knife onto the counter as if nothing had happened. She strode toward the door with her usual poise and pulled it open.

Standing there was Harin, bowing politely.

“Harin? Is something wrong?” Yuna asked, her voice calm and composed—so different from the raging storm seconds ago.

Harin straightened, her tone careful. “Chairwoman, I apologize for disturbing your weekend. I know you wished to remain undisturbed, but… something urgent has come up at the office. It requires your immediate attention.”

As she spoke, Harin’s eyes flickered past Yuna into the apartment. For a split second, her composure wavered. She saw me—crumpled on the floor, bruised, trembling, my lips stained with blood. Shock and pity flashed in her gaze before she quickly looked away, as if she hadn’t seen anything at all.

But Yuna didn’t flinch. She made no move to block Harin’s view, as if daring her to say something. Instead, she walked calmly to the sofa, lifted her coat, and slipped it elegantly over her shoulders. Her voice was steady, almost bored. “Let’s go, then.”

Before leaving, Yuna glanced back at me one last time. Her eyes were cold, detached, as if silently reminding me this wasn’t over. Then she turned and walked out.

Harin kept the door open, hesitating for a moment as her gaze lingered on me. She bowed politely, but her face clearly showed the sympathy she felt. Then, gently, she closed the door.

The silence that followed was heavy. I stayed on the floor, my back against the cold wall, my palms pressed hard into my knees just to hold myself together. Every breath felt sharp in my chest, shallow and uneven. My body ached, my head weighed down, but I was still breathing.

At least… for now.