Chapter 72
The moment I placed the pen on the table, all eyes turned to it.
The room seemed to freeze.
Harin looked at me with a soft, warm smile. She looked proud of me, even though her eyes were slightly trembling.
Mr. Song raised an eyebrow. "A pen?" he asked slowly, confused.
Yuna's voice cut through the air. "What are you trying to do, Haemin? Stop this nonsense already."
Attorney Park only smiled calmly as he picked up the pen from the table. "This, is not a normal pen." He said lightly, "it's a recording device. And inside it contains evidence of Ms. Seo's abuse toward Mr. Kim."
The moment the word abuse was spoken, both Yuna and Mr. Song's expressions changed sharply. Yuna's eyes widened for a split second. She was shocked, and then her face hardened with unmistakable anger.
"You're lying!" Mr. Song raised his voice slightly.
Attorney Park just smiled and continued, "Well, if you don't believe me, allow me to play the recording."
"Hey, wait—" Yuna leaned forward, trying to grab the pen before he could press the button.
"Ms. Seo, no—" Mr. Song managed to stop her.
It was too late. Attorney Park had already clicked the button and the recording began.
["Yuna, what're you doing, you went too far!"]
A voice echoed from the speaker. My voice.
Yuna's eyes widened. Her hand froze mid-air.
["I'll go home with you, alright?"]
["I'll follow you back, I won't run away anymore. Please, Yuna… just calm down your anger."]
The recording continued.
["Are you trying to die here, Haemin?"]
[*SLAP*]
The sound was loud enough to make everyone flinch.
The room turned heavy. The air grew too thick to breathe. Even Mr. Song shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his expression twisting.
[*THUD*]
["I said take it back!"]
[BANG!]
Yuna's face changed completely. Panic mixed with fury, coldness burning through her eyes. She stared right at me like she could kill me with just her gaze.
["Yuna, let go—"]
[*CHOKE*]
["You know I can't live without you."]
["Let's die together, okay, Haemin? That way… we can be together. Forever."]
Attorney Park slowly shook his head, disbelief on his face.
Harin looked down, her eyes filled with sadness.
["Chairwoman, please stop!"]
["Let me go, Harin,"]
"Hey, stop it—" Yuna's voice cracked slightly, trying to interrupt the recording.
["Haemin, do you even realize where you are right now?"]
Mr. Song glanced at Yuna, worried.
"Stop it—" Yuna said again, her voice low, shaking, trying to control herself.
["Just so you know, by the time today ends… you'll be going home with me. And when we're alone—]
"I said stop it—!" Yuna suddenly stood up again and reached out, trying to snatch the pen from Attorney Park's hand.
"Chairwoman Seo, wait—!" Mr. Song stood quickly to hold her back, and Harin rushed forward to try to stop her too.
At that moment—
[BLEEP]
The recording cut off.
Yuna froze.
Her hands tightened into fists and her breath shook as she exhaled slowly through her nose.
Attorney Park let out a quiet sigh and set the pen back down gently.
The room fell into complete silence. No one moved or spoke. Only the sound of Yuna's uneven breathing filled the space as she stared at me.
I slowly lowered my eyes to the table. I couldn't look her in the eye. It felt like I had just betrayed her.
My chest tightened, It felt like I was suffocating.
Even though I knew I had no choice, the guilt pressed down on me like heavy stones.
The silence stretched.
Finally, Attorney Park spoke, his tone sharp. "So what do we have here?" he asked, voice cold. "Abuse? Assault? Attempted murder? Intimidation?" He leaned back slightly. "Which one do you want to choose, Attorney Song? Or should we count all of them?"
Yuna didn't speak. She stared at the floor, completely still. Her hands were shaking slightly, but she didn't lift her head.
Mr. Song swallowed hard. His voice shook as he tried to respond.
"W-Wait, Attorney Park— let's discuss this first," he said quickly. "There must be something we can do about this, right? Let's calm down and talk properly—"
Attorney Park gave a short, humorless laugh. "Talk?" he said. "You mean the same way you tried to intimidate my client earlier?"
Mr. Song's face went stiff.
Attorney Park leaned forward, his tone mocking. "Yeah, let's talk like that, shall we? Let's see how the world reacts when they find out Ms. Seo, the supposedly respectable chaebol, has been secretly married and abusing her husband all this time. I wonder what will shock them more. The fact that she's married… or the part where she's abusing him? I'm sure you know the answer, Attorney Song."
Mr. Song flinched and lifted his hands slightly, trying to stop him. "Please — Mr. Park, let's not escalate this. We… we can negotiate. I'm sure we can find a way—"
Attorney Park ignored his panic and continued calmly "Or," he said, "we can settle everything here today."
He opened his briefcase again and pulled out another stack of papers. He slid them across the table until they stopped right in front of Mr. Song.
"Ms. Seo can sign this divorce settlement right now," Attorney Park said, "and agree to divorce. If she does, we can just forget about the recording."
Yuna's head lifted. Her eyes widened, disbelief and shock filling her face. For the first time, she looked… lost.
Mr. Song rubbed his forehead tiredly and asked quietly, "…What are the terms?"
Attorney Park let out a soft sigh. "You see, my client here is truly a good man," he said, looking at me. "He doesn't want any compensation from Ms. Seo, even though he fully deserves it after everything she put him through. He came here hoping for a peaceful negotiation, wanting nothing more than for Ms. Seo to agree to the divorce without having to take things this far."
His eyes hardened suddenly.
"You should be ashamed of yourself, Attorney Song, for trying to cornering him like this."
Guilt flickered across Mr. Song's face as he lowered his head.
Attorney Park's voice turned cold, "And let me be clear," he said, his eyes locking on Yuna, sharp and unyielding. "If we do this my way, this negotiation wouldn't end with just Mr. Kim getting his divorce."
Yuna's met his gaze, her expression a tense mix of guilt and fury.
Mr. Song exhaled heavily. "…Okay. Let me discuss with my client first."
"Take your time," Attorney Park said as he stood, smoothing his suit.
He looked at me and gave a small reassuring smile.
I forced a tiny smile back, even though my hands were trembling.
We stepped out of the lounge, leaving them behind, and sank onto the bench outside. The moment I touched the seat, I let out a long breath, slowly releasing all the tension that had been crushing my chest inside that room. My hands were still shaking a little.
Attorney Park looked at me with a gentle smile. "You did well in there, Mr. Kim."
I lowered my head slightly. "I couldn't have done it without you, Attorney Park. Thank you… truly. For helping me."
He chuckled softly. "I only did the talking. And your recording device helped more than anything." He tapped my shoulder lightly. "But standing up to someone like your wife, now that took a real courage. You should be proud of yourself."
I nodded slowly and smiled back, just a little.
He paused, his expression turning concerned.
"But are you sure about this, Mr. Kim? We can push this further if you want. You don't have to settle for just this."
I shook my head gently.
"It's alright, Attorney Park. I don't want to complicate things. I just… want to separate peacefully. That's enough for me."
He sighed softly but smiled again.
"You're a good man, indeed."
I gave a faint laugh.
A quiet moment passed between us.
Then the lounge door opened.
Harin stepped out, her face calm.
"They're ready," she said softly, "you can come back inside now."
I stood up slowly, taking one more deep breath before heading back in.
Yuna was sitting on the sofa, her posture stiff, her expression completely shattered. Her eyes were red, filled with sadness and disbelief, like she couldn't accept what had just happened. It felt like all the strength had drained out of her.
I looked away quickly. I couldn't bear to face her.
As soon we sat down, Mr. Song cleared his throat, trying to sound calm.
"So… we've come to a decision."
He glanced at me for a second, hesitating before speaking again. "Chairwoman has agreed to sign and proceed with the divorce."
My heart stopped.
Is this real?
For a second, relief washed over me, like I could finally breathe again.
But then—
"…however," Mr. Song continued, "Mr. Kim cannot be allowed to resign from the company during the one-month cooling-off period. That is the Chairwoman's condition."
What?
My breath caught in my throat.
A cold weight settled back onto my chest.
Attorney Park sighed and furrowed his brows.
"Isn't this a bit unreasonable? An employee can't be forced to stay if they choose to leave. What kind of absurd condition is this?"
Mr. Song's tone sharpened as he leaned forward.
"As you know, Mr. Kim just started working as the Chairwoman's assistant. There are many who would jump at the chance to work closely with her. Wouldn't it be an insult to the Chairwoman if her assistant decided to quit after less than a month? And besides, Mr. Kim is essential to the ongoing collaboration. Daehan Group specifically requested him to act as mediator between the two companies. His role is not just an internal matter. It's critical to the success of this partnership."
Attorney Park narrowed his eyes. "Still, this isn't a reasonable condition to impose on Mr. Kim just to get Ms. Seo to sign the divorce agreement. And my client has every right to resign. Especially when working near Ms. Seo may put him in danger."
I sighed quietly.
I already knew it wouldn't be easy.
Mr. Song continued, his tone firm and unwavering. "This is the condition my client wants. You can keep arguing, or we can escalate and make things more complicated."
"So, you really wish to see this through to the end," Attorney Park muttered slowly. Then, he straightened. "Very well, if Ms. Seo wishes to make things complicated, then—"
"It's okay, Attorney Park." I cut him off gently.
"Mr. Kim?" He looked at me, surprised.
I nodded slowly. "Let's just agree to the condition."
He stared at me, confused. "Are you serious, Mr. Kim?"
"Yeah… it's fine." I said quietly.
"But—"
"Really… it's fine," I added, forcing a smile.
I turned to Mr. Song. "Is it really only for one month?"
Mr. Song nodded. "Yes, just one month, until the cooling-off period ends. After that, you can decide what you want, Mr. Kim," Mr. Song replied.
Yuna leaned back slightly, legs crossed, biting the corner of her mouth as if trying to hold back her emotions. She just looked at me, silently waiting for my response. She had been quiet all this while.
I guess I'll have to settle for this for now. I already know she won't let go of me that easily.
I looked at Attorney Park again and nodded once.
He let out a slow sigh. "Alright. We agree. But there will be restrictions."
His tone turned sharp and cold. "Ms. Seo is not allowed to contact, meet, or engage in any personal interactions with Mr. Kim outside of working hours. And let me be absolutely clear, during this cooling period, if I notice even the faintest bruise or mark on him, I will not hesitate to pursue immediate legal action to the fullest extent."
Mr. Song nodded slowly. "Then it's settled."
From there, the process moved forward smoothly, even though the air remained heavy with tension.
Attorney Park opened the final document and placed it on the table. Both lawyers signed first, and then the paper was passed to me.
I stared at the blank signature line for a long moment, still unable to believe this was really happening.
After a quiet breath, I signed my name.
The folder then slid across the table to Yuna.
She stared at the paper without touching it at first. For a long moment, she didn't say anything.
Then she closed her eyes, inhaled slowly, and when she opened them again, her composure was back.
She lifted the pen and signed her name with a steady motion.
Just like that, the meeting was concluded.
Both lawyers stood up.
Mr. Song spoke first, his tone polite again. "See you in court later, Attorney Park."
Attorney Park returned a professional smile.
"I will see you there shortly."
Despite everything that had been said between them, they still maintained the formal courtesy expected from people of their status.
Yuna walked ahead toward the exit. Even though she had regained her calm, her eyes… still lingered on me. I hesitated, unable to meet her gaze for more than a second.
She continued walking past me toward the door without looking back, followed closely by Mr. Song.
Harin paused for a moment as she passed me. She gave me a gentle smile, leaning slightly toward me as she spoke quietly,
"See you tomorrow, Haemin-ssi."
And then she followed the others out of the room, leaving only Attorney Park and me behind.
Attorney Park looked at me with a warm smile.
"That's everything, Mr. Kim."
I let out a long breath I had been holding and shook my head slowly, still unable to believe what just happened.
"Is this really the end?"
"Yes, Mr. Kim. You are a free man now," he replied calmly. "Although I have to admit, I still don't understand why you agreed to their terms so easily."
I gave him a faint smile. "Well, I just started working there, and it hasn't even been a full month. It would look ridiculous if I quit immediately."
Attorney Park chuckled under his breath.
"By the way, Attorney Park… don't I need to go to court as well?"
"There's no need for that," he explained kindly. "Because your marriage was kept secret, and because it involves a chaebol family, this situation is handled as a special case. Only the lawyers need to attend to confirm the mutual agreement."
"That's surprisingly convenient," I muttered.
Attorney Park simply smiled without adding anything more.
I lowered my gaze, staring at the floor, allowing the silence to settle between us.
"So this is really the end…"
Attorney Park placed a reassuring hand on my back and spoke softly. "Yes, Mr. Kim. From now on, please find your own happiness. After everything you've been through, you truly deserve it."
I smiled weakly, unsure of what I was supposed to feel.
"I don't know how I could ever repay your help, Attorney Park."
He laughed lightly. "There is no need to repay anything. But if possible, I would appreciate it if you could say a few good words about me to Ms. Hwang."
"O-okay… I don't know if that counts as repaying a favor, though," I said shyly.
"It is more than enough."
I nodded quietly.
"So… Mr. Kim, shall we go now?"
"Yeah, you can go first, Attorney Park. I'll leave a little later."
He nodded in understanding, and we both stood.
"It was truly a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Kim."
"The pleasure is mine, Attorney Park."
He bowed politely, and I bowed back just as sincerely. Then he stepped out of the room.
The room fell into silent.
I slowly sank back onto the sofa, clasping my hands together to steady myself. My gaze fell to the floor once more.
"It's really over," I whispered to myself.
For a moment, I wondered if this was all just a dream.
I brought a hand to my forehead and closed my eyes, letting the memories wash over me.
I let out a dry chuckle without meaning to.
"It's really the end, huh?"
*sniff*