The next morning, Haeun woke up and got ready. Today, Bora hadn't knocked on her door, so she made her way toward the kitchen. But she froze mid-step.
There they were. Damn.
Yerin was perched on the counter, wearing Suho's shirt, her upper body nearly exposed. Suho, only in his pants, was leaning into her, kissing her with such intimacy that Hauen's stomach twisted at the sight. Every inch of them radiated romance. She had never imagined Suho could be this… affectionate. His touch, the way he cupped her, the softness in his movements, it made her chest ache.
Vegetables were scattered across the counter, remnants of what seemed like a breakfast Suho had been preparing for her. The sight only made Hauen's breath hitch, her heart thumping against her ribcage.
"Hey… you," Yerin called suddenly.
Suho looked back, his hands still holding Yerin securely.
Haeun spoke quickly, politely, trying not to seem intrusive. "I.. I'm sorry… I didn't mean to disturb you. I just came for breakfast."
Yerin quickly covered herself. Suho glanced at Hauen and said, "Five minutes, then you can use the kitchen."
Hauen nodded stiffly and retreated, the soft sound of their voices following her, their laughter, her complaints, his gentle reassurances.
Five minutes later, both emerged, Yerin smirking."Go finish your breakfast," she said, a teasing glint in her eyes.
Hauen forced a polite smile. "Thanks." She entered the kitchen, quietly preparing her own meal while they returned to the bedroom.
As Haeun was preparing breakfast for herself, Bora entered the kitchen.
"I'll do it for you, ma'am," she offered politely.
"No, thank you… it's almost done," Haeun replied with a smile.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. Actually, sir said he would be cooking today, so I stayed out of the kitchen," Bora explained apologetically.
Haeun smiled gently. "No problem, don't feel bad. I'm fine."
Bora returned the smile and began washing the dirty dishes left behind by Suho and Yerin.
That evening, Yerin left, and Suho drove her back to her place. When he returned to the penthouse, he glanced at Haeun and asked, "Is your period over?"
She nodded.
"Okay," he said coldly. "Tomorrow we have to go to the doctor for a check-up. This time, we should get some positive results."
Haeun nodded silently. He was about to leave when she spoke up, her voice calm but curious, "Why are you doing this with me… when you have a girlfriend?"
Suho froze in his tracks.
"Don't mind me," she continued, reasoning politely yet firmly. "You seem to love her so much, and she clearly cares about you, too. Even she dislikes me because of all this. Yet, when you have her, you could have married her, started a family… so why me?"
He turned to face her. "If it was that easy, why would I go for such a… critical option?" he asked coldly.
"May I know the reason?" she asked politely, keeping her tone calm.
"Why?" he countered, a faint edge in his voice.
"Look," she began carefully, "I don't want to interfere in your life. But since I'm associated with the contract, I want to be clear about certain things. If we don't clarify some points together, there's a chance for misunderstandings and miscommunications. So…" She paused, letting her words sink in.
He studied her for a moment, then exhaled with a sigh. "Okay… what do you want to know?"
She smiled faintly, a mixture of curiosity and resolve in her eyes. "Thanks… why did you opt for a contract marriage, when there's a woman you love so dearly?"
He looked at her for a moment and then sat on the couch, running a hand through his hair. "Yerin and I… we've been dating since college. She's my only love. But our families don't get along. Because of that, I couldn't marry her. And this contract marriage… well, you know how obsessed my family is with having an heir for the legacy. I've been under constant pressure for years, and they refused to accept Yerin. So… I had no choice but to take this option," he said calmly, his voice steady but tinged with underlying frustration.
Hauen's brows furrowed. "And after the baby comes… how will you convince them about our divorce and Yerin?"
He looked at her firmly. "You don't have to worry about that. That's my headache. And… please don't take it personally about Yerin being rude to you. You can understand how hard this is for her. She's already hurt, and I can't hurt her more. So, let's just focus on finishing this quickly… until we get positive results."
Hauen nodded, her curiosity still lingering. "One last question."
He was about to stand, sighing. "What is it now?"
She met his gaze steadily. "Since this is uncomfortable for all of us. Yet you chose this option. Why didn't you go for IVF? That would've been easier than… this… manual way."
He looked at her for a moment, then said softly, "That's the risky process. I can't do it secretly from my family. If they happen to find out… it would create even more problems. So, I had no choice but to go with this option."
Hauen nodded, processing his words. He gave her one last look. "Any more questions?"
"No, thanks," she said politely, offering a small, composed smile.
He nodded and turned, heading back to his room. Hauen's gaze lingered on him until he disappeared from sight.
She scoffed quietly to herself, shaking her head. What a double personality… all lovey-dovey with his girlfriend, icy cold with others. How does Yerin even manage to melt this ice into warmth? Yet… he loves her so much. Damn, he's so romantic with her,
She thought, shaking her head slightly at the contrast between his warmth with Yerin and his cold exterior with others. With a faint sigh, she turned back to her book, letting the words pull her attention away from the lingering thoughts of him.