Chapter 73
Yuna's POV
I watched as Haemin and his lawyer stepped out of the lounge to discuss privately, closing the door behind them. The quiet click of the door felt like a slap across my face. Out of nowhere, a lawyer suddenly appears by his side. My jaw tightened, and irritation surged through me.
I exhaled sharply and turned my gaze toward Harin, who stood silently behind me with her hands neatly clasped.
"Didn't I tell you yesterday to contact every firm in this city and warn them not to accept any commission from Haemin? Then why did this attorney suddenly come to help him?"
Harin immediately bowed her head, her voice low.
"I am truly sorry, Chairwoman. I already contacted every major firm as you instructed. But I have never seen or heard this lawyer's name before in any established firm within the city. And the firm he belongs to isn't based here either. It may be from outside the city, or country. There's also a possibility that he's an independent counsel."
I slowly turned my gaze to Attorney Song.
"Well, you're one of the top lawyers in the country. What's your opinion of him, Attorney Song?"
Attorney Song adjusted his posture and spoke with a thoughtful calm. "To be completely honest, Chairwoman, I have never heard his name nor the name of his firm either. But among some of my colleagues abroad, there's been talk about a Korean lawyer with the family name Park working in Geneva. They said he was an elite. A man known for representing high-level criminals and impossible cases. They claimed he's never lost. Surely, it can't be the same person. It's probably just a coincidence that they share the same surname. The chances of someone of that caliber showing up here are far too slim."
He let out a short laugh, although his eyes were serious. "But one thing is certain. Judging from his posture and tone, he is absolutely not a pushover."
A faint smirk formed on my lips. "It is quite rare for you to speak highly of someone."
Attorney Song chuckled softly. "Well, after so many years in this field, it's only natural for me to think that way. But regardless of how impressive his background might be, the outcome will be the same in the end. Just like every other lawyer who has stood against me."
I shifted my gaze back to Harin. "After this meeting ends, I want you to find out exactly where he came from. Don't be careless this time."
"Understood, Chairwoman." Harin responded politely with a firm nod.
I leaned back against the sofa, crossing my legs and folding my hands together as I stared at the closed door.
Well, It didn't matter who showed up to help him. Because in the end, he would go home with me.
I released a quiet sigh.
Haemin… is this really necessary? You already know I won't let you leave. Isn't this struggle pointless?
A few minutes passed before the door opened again. Haemin and his attorney walked back inside and took their seats across from us.
The discussion resumed immediately. It was clear how limited Haemin's options were. He couldn't do anything without my consent, and both he and his lawyer understood that completely. Attorney Song took control of the negotiation, pushing back firmly while Mr. Park countered calmly.
I watched Haemin's expression as he sat there, his gaze drifting anywhere but toward me, and the way he avoided my eyes hurt more than I wished it would.
By the way, I had to admit… this Attorney Park was quite impressive. Despite Mr. Song's aggressive pressure, he didn't flinch. He stood his ground confidently. That alone was unusual.
Attorney Song had been working with my family for many years. He had handled countless high-profile corporate cases, political conflicts, and legal battles with ease. He was sharp, relentless, and most respected attorneys in this country. So yes, there was a part of me that felt a little guilty toward Haemin for bringing Attorney Song here today.
But Mr. Song was the only person I trusted enough to keep the secret of our marriage. It's not as if I couldn't come here alone to meet Haemin. I simply wanted to add some pressure and to make sure he wouldn't even consider pulling something like this again in the future.
"So unless your client is ready to meet our conditions, I'm afraid there's nothing more to discuss today."
A small smirk formed at the corner of my lips. I already knew how this would end. It looked like this meeting was about to wrap up, and Haemin's struggle would end here.
But then—
"From this moment, this meeting is no longer a discussion about divorce. It will proceed as a lawsuit for domestic abuse."
My entire body froze.
…What did he just say?
"That's a heavy accusation you're making, Mr. Park. Are you sure you can back it up?" I asked calmly, though irritation scraped sharply underneath my voice. I refused to let even a thread of panic show on my face.
Attorney Song countered, "You're bluffing. There's no evidence for that. Empty words won't hold up in court."
"Evidence, you say?"
Then I watched as Attorney Park pulled out a stack of neatly clipped papers and handed them to Mr. Song.
The moment I saw the logo on the front page, my brow furrowed.
XXX Medical Centre?
Why is this document here? I clicked my tongue, my jaw tightening. I was certain I had already instructed my men to threaten the hospital and make them dispose of this report about Haemin. They told me the hospital staff had already done it. So why is this report here?
Then Mr. Park began explaining the contents of the document, the details about the bruises Haemin got from me. I listened as he read the report with complete composure. If I snapped now, it would only raise suspicion.
Attorney Park continued, "And the most interesting part is that someone inside the hospital tried to delete those records shortly after they were filed. Well, I won't question who gave that order." He said this while looking straight at me.
This guy.
My expression hardened.
"What nonsense are you trying to say? Are you accusing me of something, Mr. Park?" I asked coldly, letting my tone carry a warning.
Before anything escalated, Attorney Song raised a hand to stop me, stepping in to rebutted Attorney Park statement. The two of them went back and forth for quite a while about the authenticity of the report.
Yes, that's right. The report wasn't strong enough evidence to point directly at me. I looked at Haemin, he sat there uneasily, clearly distressed by the exchange. Somehow, irritation rose in me as I watched him. Why are you making that face when I'm the one being accused here?
This is your fault, Haemin.
If you hadn't started this.
If you hadn't provoked me.
If you hadn't questioned everything I did for us.
Just you wait, Haemin.
Wait until I get my hands on you.
I exhaled quietly, regaining my composure once more.
"… If you continue spreading false accusations against the Chairwoman Seo, we'll have no choice but to sue for defamation." Attorney Song declared firmly.
"Who said this is the only evidence?"
What?
I went still, unable to process his words for a moment.
What did he mean by that?
Then I saw Attorney Park nod slightly toward Haemin, and Haemin responded with a small nod of his own before reaching into his pocket and pulling out something.
A pen?
Even Mr. Song looked just as confused as I was, his brows knitting together.
"A pen?" he muttered under his breath.
"What are you trying to do, Haemin? Stop this nonsense already," I quietly warned, trying to control myself so I wouldn't show how furious I was with him. My patience was thinning rapidly.
Attorney Park simply smiled and picked up the pen from the table. "This is not a normal pen. It's a recording device. And inside it contains evidence of Ms. Seo's abuse toward Mr. Kim."
My expression changed instantly.
Recoding device? No, this can't be. He's bluffing, isn't he?
When would Haemin have gotten something like that? Where did he get it?
Panic slowly crept up my spine, tightening around my chest. It was getting harder to keep my composure now.
"You're lying!" Mr. Song raised his voice, attempting to regain control.
Attorney Park continued. "If you don't believe me, allow me to play the recording."
"Hey, wait—" I instinctively lunged forward, trying to snatch the pen from his hand. If what he claimed was real, then our marriage would truly be over. I can't let that happen.
"Ms. Seo, no—" Mr. Song grabbed my wrist, stopping me before I could reach it.
And—
it was already too late.
The recording had begun to play.
A familiar voice suddenly filled the room.
It was Haemin's voice.
["Yuna, what're you doing, you went too far!"]
My eyes widened.
Isn't that from the day I took him out of the hospital?
["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."]
My hands started trembling. My left leg lost all the strength, and I collapsed onto the sofa, unable to hold myself up.
["Are you trying to die here, Haemin?"]
[SLAP!]
A loud slapping sound echoed through the room, and everyone turned their eyes toward me.
The recording continued playing without pause.
My breathing turned uneven. My blood boiled with anger and humiliation.
Please, just stop this recording.
Why is this happening?
["I said take it back!"]
[BANG!]
Why? Why are outsiders meddling in our marriage?
Why does it matter to them what I do with my husband?
It's only between the two of us. Just… why?
I looked at Haemin, my chest tightening painfully.
How could you do this to me?
How could you secretly record something like that?
My heart ached as if someone was tearing it apart.
["Yuna, let go—"]
But the recording kept going.
Please, stop. I don't want to listen to this anymore.
Just let me take my husband and go home.
I just want to be with him.
Everyone should disappear.
Everyone should get out of our lives.
As the recording continued to play, longer and longer. I couldn't hold myself back anymore.
"Hey, stop it—"
["Haemin, do you even realize where you are right now?"]
This damn lawyer. He was ignoring me.
"Stop it—" I raised my voice a little, fighting desperately to hold onto the last pieces of my patience.
["…you'll be going home with me. And when we're alone—"]
"I said stop it—!" I snapped. I didn't care anymore. I leaned forward again, ready to tear this lawyer apart.
"Chairwoman, wait—"
[BEEP]
The abrupt cut of the recording pulled me back to my senses. Then I realized what I had just done. I had been stopped once again by Mr. Song and Harin. My fingers were inches away from grabbing the pen.
Everyone stared at me with worried eyes. I knew it. I had just proven the recording true by showing my temper. It was too late now.
The sound of my uneven breath fills the room.
"Chairwoman, please calm yourself," Harin whispered, pleading as she gently guided me back to the sofa, her hand slowly rubbing my back. I forced a breath out, lowering my head. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. I couldn't even hear the rest of the argument between Mr. Song and Attorney Park. Everything sounded distant and blurry.
Until—
"Ms. Seo can sign the divorce settlement right now and agree to a divorce. If she does, we can forget about the recording completely."
…What?
My head snapped up, staring at Attorney Park in disbelief. No. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
Did he actually think I would sign that paper and let Haemin go?
"…Okay. Let me discuss with my client first."
_____
After Haemin and Attorney Park stepped out of the room once again to wait for our decision, my expression hardened.
I stood abruptly and began pacing slowly, trying to collect my scrambled thoughts while burning anger surged inside me.
"What is the meaning of this, Attorney Song? I thought you said you could handle this properly." I asked coldly.
He swallowed nervously. "I'm very sorry, Chairwoman… but they have strong evidence against us."
"Then twist it," I snapped. "What is so difficult about that?"
Mr. Song lowered his head, his hands tense on his knees. "Chairwoman… with the medical report and the recording combined, it is nearly impossible to turn the case around without risking a criminal charge. If we push further, Chairwoman, you may face more severe consequences."
"So what?" I stepped closer, raising my voice.
"We can just suppress the evidence, can't we? We can bribe the judge and replace him if needed. We can talk to the prosecution office as well. Chief Prosecutor Ahn still owes me from the development project case last year. Senator Nam's son was appointed to a high government post because of my recommendation. He wouldn't dare to refuse a request from me. And the Legal Committee Chairman's campaigns are funded by Nara Group. You're telling me there's no way?
My voice trembled with fury. I refused to believe this situation was beyond my control.
Mr. Song exhaled heavily, and for the first time, he looked directly at me. "Chairwoman… in any other situation, that method would work. But this case is already too sensitive. Domestic abuse cases involving public figures are automatically monitored by a special oversight committee. The judge will be rotated randomly from outside the province, someone we don't have influence over, and any interference attempt will be tracked. If we try to tamper with the process, it won't just be a scandal, it will be a national headline. It's no longer something we can bury with power or money."
He paused, wiping sweat from his brow. "And the recording, Chairwoman… once it's submitted, the court must review it by law. Even if we silence the judge, the evidence itself could leak. If the media takes that story, everything will collapse."
I let out a short, bitter laugh.
"Still," I said slowly, "I won't sign that paper."
Harin stepped forward carefully. "Chairwoman… please, think rationally for a moment. Think about your company. Think about everything your grandfather built with his own hands. If this goes public, it won't just be personal damage. The entire company will be dragged down with you."
Her voice trembled slightly, but she kept her composure. "Please, Chairwoman. I know how much Mr. Kim means to you. But you have to protect Nara Group too."
Mr. Song sighed heavily. "Chairwoman, I know this is unacceptable for you. But right now… the situation is not in our favor. If this becomes public, the damage will be irreversible. You may lose more than just your position."
I stood there in silence for what felt like an eternity. My mind spun painfully. Slowly, I sank back onto the sofa. I rubbed my forehead, hoping to calm the tension throbbing in my temples, trying desperately to steady myself.
Is there really no other way?
Do I really have to let Haemin go?
My chest ached, twisting painfully with the thought.
He is my world. He is the only one who truly understands me, and the only one who looks at me with warmth. I love him so much.
Does he not love me anymore?
If he does, then why won't he stop this? Why didn't he fight for me? Can't he see that what he's doing right now is hurting me?
Tears prickled behind my eyes, and I swallowed them back desperately, refusing to let them fall. But what choice do I have now? Things have spun far too out of control.
What can I do to stop this? There has to be another way.
Shit. I can't think straight.
My vision blurred, and I felt the tears threatening to spill again.
"Fine," I said quietly.
"I'll sign it."
Mr. Song and Harin both exhaled in relief, the tension melting from their faces.
"But it will be under my conditions."
_____
Keeping him bound to my company during the cooling-off period is all I can do for now. I can't think of any other option, because that lawyer holds all the leverage right now.
Fortunately, Haemin also agreed to the term. I knew he would, because he understands it is the best possible outcome he can get at this moment.
After that, all of us signed the agreement. Watching Haemin sign the document, I felt deeply sad and upset. Even then, there was still a flicker of hope inside me, hoping he would stop all of this.
When the document was passed to me, I stared at it for a moment to settle my thoughts. I think this is enough already. There is no point in continuing this discussion. I refused to let Haemin see how devastated I am. I let out a quiet sigh, pulled myself together, and signed the document.
And just like that, the meeting concluded and we prepared to leave the lounge. I saw Mr. Song speaking briefly with Attorney Park.
I continued walking out. But seeing Haemin's face made my heart ache even more. Then I saw Attorney Park sit beside Haemin calmly after shaking hands with Mr. Song. He looked at me with that same calm expression. I stared back coldly. He really did it today. I want to see that look on his face when I destroy him after this, let's see if he can keep that calm expression again.
I shifted my gaze toward Haemin one last time before walking past him.
And without looking back again, I walked out of the lounge.