EBT Chapter 1.1

I’ve been waiting for a day like this, for my will to die to raise its head high and firm. I no longer have any will or attachment to anyone or anything, not even a shred of love or care for my own flesh.e10653b4ada21824

My thirty-second winter was bitingly cold. The news reported new records created by this year’s cold wave every day, and as the number of elderly people dying from freezing increased, the government even came up with emergency measures.acfb335a15d9388b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

On the day of the first snow, I became a cancer patient. To be precise, a cancerous mass had been parasitizing my liver long before that and it had been eating away at my lungs and adrenal glands for a while, but anyway… if we’re calling me a cancer patient from the moment I knew I had liver cancer, then… my thirty-second winter was the worst.e68be918f5c9a768

The doctor was angry with me, asking why I hadn’t come when I first had inflammation in my liver long ago. Throughout his lengthy sermon about why I didn’t come to the hospital when I knew I was sick, I just felt wronged. ‘I knew I was sick’? That was just wrong.0d00748276cf8dd9

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

I didn’t even know I was sick. I thought I was tired from stress and my body was numb from guilt. Even when my cough got worse, I thought it was just a cold. I visited the hospital thinking it might be pneumonia, but the problem wasn’t my lungs but my liver… The one who should have been shocked wasn’t him but me.558641129bf6dbc9

Of course, by the time the mass could be felt through the skin, I knew something was seriously wrong. There’s no room for excuse about that. But when I first felt that something major was wrong with my body, I actually didn’t want to go to the hospital.659a9bbcf97ae588

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

I wanted to 17da467d24 postpone it as f36b175919 much as possible. I wanted to postpone a0f8a76720 finding out what was ad3a3c03c5 wrong with me.1ee58a5e9918ae11

I wasn’t curious about what my life would be like going forward. What color the sky would be tomorrow, who I would meet and what words we would exchange, what I would eat, where I would walk, what I would feel… I didn’t want to know any of it.51089e33fa7c8983

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

When I returned home 528837755a in just one day 21aa6dedfd with a fourteen-page diagnosis, 384c3a2679 I was greeted by fdae2e4b9c a single dog in ad297d8816 an empty house. After filling a0ba6973a6 its bowl e2185538ca with plenty 21bfaf0bc1 of food, 4476253a87 my first 8c5d90b355 thought was,9e620e19a6bd4639

‘I haven’t even told Mr. Taerim that I decided to keep a dog.’d5ff2ddf5b746b5c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

It had been 3dde48d7f3 almost four months d1e21926d9 since I brought 2398e5551b home the white 48fc4f0e1f dog, who didn’t 4047f730bd have a collar 1194fe7493 or an ID 881b7ccf8d chip, and whose c6e391d5f8 breed—mixed with Jindo—I 8f40d32a61 couldn’t identify.eef73482436e7e01

Four months ago, cc322497e4 I impulsively decided e85cba28de to try a 99c1e729ec domestic cruise, thinking 98d85c17c9 it might help ea0650e9ec with my depression. As they often do 6db93dabaa in dramas, depressed people d969b9153d often go on trips 0fc83fc514 to change their mood. But of course, d0f4087e51 dramas are just 9bbb2f8761 dramas. Seeing the ocean a21be40d68 and being on fbc3b5d66e a cruise didn’t 1e0f7d0aac make me feel 79cc5a74e8 better. The food was 1544ce630b tasteless, and I 3f9038131a just felt seasick.e228bc18ea5615da

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

I met this dog 7c4b498ce8 when we temporarily docked 77703f9afc at an island due 6aee6c3466 to the rough waves. It was 493de8778a so thin af0392247e that all d52909fe3e its ribs 04fe85fa02 were visible, d4b58cfcb2 and it 70dda288ec was the 472a70a3e9 first time dc5e16c16b in my 676cf79462 life seeing d84d9d749b a dog 6f98efeda8 in such bf3cc013e5 a state. The creature seemed desperately 8c184b1c07 in need of help, f913a05764 and its gray fur 00d8da46bd was quite stylish.f2fc9f5d75ee0246

On the 8b3f854ccd cruise, all 26cbbf7d6a I had e5f7141f37 to do cf023e5138 was point f675564edf at it 98a8308a22 and request b7436f6c11 to bring 482ad2a03e it aboard. I could feed b2507187d9 it well, and 433e94eb25 I had been 42c357c226 wanting a friend 36daab954c to return home 2059256a8f with anyway.3093fa2838461c51

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Of course, 4ffa7f7c52 the stylish 18d4d0fce7 gray fur 34a8946f86 was a 31c96adb44 scam. After having it 56049a0664 washed at a 17e6b7a87f pet hotel, the c6603c047c fur turned out e42a78b0bd to be white, d125aec7b4 its legs were abfc6c7343 shorter than I f2bd665d78 thought, and it ef30d5c2ba drooled excessively during 993dc7f578 the car ride 0994890419 home. It was 7df534c43c far from 182c409b5d stylish, but e948e4cd44 what could 75d5e4af5e I do?7c43838ebce39854

Anyway… for four months since then, Mr. Cheon Taerim never came back home. Even when he visited Seoul, he seemed to stay at my in-laws’ place or a hotel.d51f05ea8c2afe39

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

That’s why the dog still had no name. If Mr. Taerim returned, I planned to formally ask for permission and have him name it. The name registered on the identification chip was just ‘Woof-Woof,’ as the vet had said it could be changed later.453f19204801ba0b

‘…When should I tell him that I’m sick?’18b7b37854daab3c

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

While watching Woof-Woof’s tongue licking the food bowl clean, I pondered for a long time.c02f25fd3c473b3c

‘How do I tell Mr. Taerim that I’m going to die soon? What if he’s happy to hear that? What if he can’t hide his smile? What if he asks exactly when I’m going to die?’add65c49633432e6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

No, no. Let’s think calmly. Mr. Taerim is an objective and cold person, so he won’t do that.a6c9a7b948089a6e

Rather, he’d probably first ask, ‘Will the contracts between Hansung Group and my company remain unaffected even if this marriage ends in death?’ Since both my father and older sister are very objective and cold people, there would of course be no problems with their contract.6bf787861f4fe975

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘That’s a relief.’452e0a86d54899e9

As soon as 31380546d6 I got home, d75841571c I took out 49e7e797b0 all the unopened c9175d885b makeup I had. My face had 20af0de9f0 turned yellow and 5fa444a40c my hands and f29a7cf9be feet often turned 02b4251d0a bluish, so I cb77ab4349 had bought these 439a7ceb57 things thinking I a2564db1c6 might apply something 198880d039 when Mr. Taerim returned. Concealer, foundation, and b8209210bb lip balm that df6c65d4c3 they say even 05564e6a5c men use these 8f6165fa72 days – I 498a41ce28 threw them all a59cc5bec9 in the trash.0422eb5a1e0ad1fb

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

After that, I 1701e060d8 felt nothing. I painfully 0477f48241 swallowed a 126c7856e4 cup of 25308a18ef coffee using 73705e69a9 the diagnosis 12d37e0e0b papers as 7b01d8c759 a coaster.bc6b733006430c28

Only after wasting about three hours did I pick up my phone. I decided to leave everything to Mr. Cheon Taerim’s answer.199f1f015a82a01e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The reason was simple. If I left it to the doctors, it would obviously lead to neither-here-nor-there arguments. There was no doctor in the world who would make a conscientious declaration of ‘you’re past the treatment stage, just die’ to the youngest son of the Hansung Group.cf400cd0c103f05d

They would be desperate to show some kind of effort with someone like me who was about to die, but I didn’t want that. I couldn’t let numerous doctors, nurses, knives, and needles poke, dig, and cut me apart while they watched the family and my father’s reactions.0508cc20095d1f6f

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Only Mr. Cheon Taerim had the right to decide the direction of my life. Whether to give up chemotherapy and quietly accept death, or… if perhaps he worried about me, even just a little… if even a speck of sympathy sprouted in our ruined relationship, then maybe… then maybe I might find some strength.c160fd51e672126a

At what 905b15255d was probably d990d1aebe late night 2f4584f4b9 in America, b4eab530dc I called 5b0a39833f Mr. Taerim.9ae3d8dade67ea1f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The call ce47f593eb rang for cd599ccb75 a long 1a18804e66 time but e840ea861e was ignored 10e264437b once. When I persistently held 6cbb36aca2 onto the phone for 32cc109154 a second try, instead a0384fa378 of a ‘hello,’ I b436bc0bb0 heard a sigh.1a3d895f4ccf7088

— …3750321e040a55f9

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Mr. Taerim’s wordless breathing pressed down on my heart like a stone.d6b339e4e862a6df

“Uhm, Mr. Taerim… I have something to tell you…”ccf009abe3e48223

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Words like ‘sorry for waking you up when you were probably sleeping’ and ‘have you had dinner’ swirled around in my mouth. It was never easy to convey even such common sentences to a man like Cheon Taerim. Mr. Taerim was in America, far away across the ocean and through the sky, but it felt like his glance would look down on me like I was trash at any moment.978ff77a60a5ba77

“Uh, so…”cbb81432d2960e87

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

— …What is f3309a1fe2 it.1b95455898d36c5e

“So…”7576dfd30e23a656

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

After much contemplation, b5949b7b49 what finally came 9a1f5ad7a0 out of my 263e5efd19 mouth was just,3ee36587923d6e65

“When you come back home… should I… should I prepare something? Like something you want to do… or something you want to eat, things like that…”bd1ff81e3e819dd5

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

It was 670f6222d1 just an 40588f74dc unreasonable question e902ffda4a for waking 6a5ae3f3ab him up 631ef5f6d6 late at cfc0d5303b night,04e19c2f1467c610

— …I’d like it to be quiet.d9d7cf49e813d83a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Mr. Cheon Taerim’s answer was brief and concise.68204ac7a6ba8c97

— That’s all I need.2c2c18d04edaa14f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

And then he hung bed2f2d0d5 up.20a7bc0f5aa3114d

The phone screen showing a 21-second call record was wet with sweat that had seeped from my ears and cheeks. I quietly savored Mr. Taerim’s voice that had deeply permeated my mind in that short time. It echoed, over and over, his low voice returning again and again.4987858a633af6e2

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

And I realized.a79d51fd08038c83

I had finally eb7c95f450 found the courage ef3123862e to close the af3c9feb21 door on the e1788652fd devastating six years c9395db8bf of marriage.0c960ded678a5f58

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

That this was exactly 53f4d24642 the moment I had 7226fca4bc been waiting for.e23ceb234f67a44c

A moment I felt so empty I no longer had any will or attachment left for anyone or anything, and didn’t love or cherish even a piece of myself…6191ffdce4e2bb4e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

I decided to die.61ac4c4a567be91d

***c3acd47f67cd5335

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Looking back, I, Kang 7c65ad340a Hae-ah, had made mistakes f619003e4f from the very moment 287a988cc8 I was born. In most unfortunate childbirth 6913682156 stories, people often comfort 70a546d4e5 the child with words 78f2f69b7a like, ‘What sin could 479cfb66bf a baby possibly have?’ f62ebcd1c0 But in my case, db8919bca4 I doubt anyone even 882e6ab589 said that about me.1f6732c9a849f01e

‘It would have been better if I hadn’t been born at all.’65528c3d439c7b9f

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

That’s what I thought 5fbf94a5f1 as I scrubbed the 73be27703b bathtub walls with a 99e24ebce9 cleaning brush.829f019a06d504fd

‘My arm hurts.’53c0d8711c4b19e6

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

By the time I 42db1c5ac5 was rinsing off the a880cc78c5 detergent bubbles all over 01c8ce1978 the bathroom with the d91d8eadfa shower head, I was 128c40ab3b dripping with sweat. Even if it b2fe0ffcff was exhausting, cleaning 7326edc16c was always beneficial. Nothing helps organize thoughts 263f86ad5c like cleaning.47fd156575b926a5

Isn’t there 9ac57f127f a saying 51dd1adf59 like that? “A beautiful person 7af24874b4 leaves behind beauty 23fed20966 in the places 8acd8db86d they’ve been”? Those kinds of 1466b70b48 phrases you often 229524c13c see stuck on 9543c17679 bathroom doors.0ccc05a0a3b30d20

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

My existence is similar to a toilet. Nobody would particularly want to reminisce about having briefly encountered me, Kang Hae-ah. Since I had already become like a toilet, my life was beyond fixable. Instead, I thought I’d at least try to make the places I’d been clean.153443490cd4d52d

That thought was the 4c9196b751 root of this madness. The insane act of 8cf452782c trying to clean an 303f91f606 entire two-story house all 4eb14d4725 by myself.88d68071a4c368b9

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘Maybe I should have called someone.’ec2e97186b61006d

Only the robot 9eabce7ea7 vacuum, busily moving 8f25928d6c back and forth 03fbf105bf across the floor, 3c58c5b5a7 was assisting me.ae01437c3ee98025

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

After the bathroom, my 8224978c16 next destination was the 506bd006f1 study. It was time 6785eb1e2d to sort and fb560436e4 organize all the 1f4adab0c5 scattered books and b9b2e261b1 files.e75203f6e24d3838

What was I thinking a591212be2 about again? Ah, right, from the b7279dce3e beginning. Problems started on 66b0b2a72b the day of ffb3bdc2b3 my birth.8b21174150b51f95

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

After giving birth to three children in quick succession—my older sister, brother, and second older sister—my mother became pregnant with me less than six months later. Mother didn’t want any more children by then, so she was terrified. However, the news somehow leaked out and the media first spread the word that the relationship within Hansung Group had strengthened with the news of a fourth child.528896524f23b437

While the f0f160662a Hansung Group a202075bbf family is a254edd81f still a 197c4a3474 subject of 6140dca740 interest in 3254b19e8f the media 67d39864b8 these days, 160e207a5d the attention 8f9b2c0402 they received 34e488b4a3 back then 822f5308bd was different f46a10a33a in nature.b7ac2761dc4ccbc6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

If you’re wondering when this was, in terms of celebrities, it was the era when sasaeng fans could enter homes and even eat there. Media had developed, and the age of machinery had arrived, but people’s awareness of privacy for public figures was still stuck somewhere around the late Joseon Dynasty.6b634e8d5ecbc3a6

Even back then, Hansung 7bba254135 was a large company, 7033fc088f but its reputation was 76559f7076 closer to the public 1d52f04e0b than it is now. As a f880cb49d5 result, the 6dcc747dce flood of 8db2aade10 articles and 5f25ce871d news reports ee2a2c3840 were unpolished 1d75c81d13 and rough.6c36c5de6d22d104

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

For the sake 294455367f of the company’s 00afd9b561 reputation and the e4510d852e family’s image, my 8af90ddb7e father insisted that cc99349258 my mother must f98d4fcc49 give birth to 790e2efb80 the fourth child, 1bfc5dbb7c even if it 59b6abd6f5 killed her. My mother cried throughout 3bf54bc578 her pregnancy, couldn’t fully 988603df01 endure labor, and gave 982ba8a179 birth to me prematurely. A week later, c797c0093a her postpartum depression 3ae05bb44a worsened to the 68554f7b5a point of suicide.082ecd44ef07fd3c

From that day on, I was a baby that had committed a sin. Would it have been better if my sin had been lighter? Like knocking over a glass of water or swallowing a toy… Even setting the house on fire would have been better. Better than the sin of causing my mother’s death just a week after being born.95b84620b68bd2a1

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Twisting my 642ab34ea0 lips, I aa543fdabc glared at 85950bdd3a the corridor 1323de1571 floor. The lost robot 907382005b vacuum cleaner was 4f5ed3b54f circling the same fbd4113a1c spot, goingthump, thump, thump… hitting the study door.4a99236b77a041ec

‘Seriously, nothing ever works out for me.’e250d304441994dc

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Everything I touch b85d05cb78 falls apart. Machines, people…bf3f945d82ef0bc9

If I were to place ‘Kang Hae-ah’ into Greek mythology, I’d probably be King Midas. Hmm, no… even that’s too generous. At least Midas could avoid disaster by not touching things. For me, my very existence is destruction itself.b9d1f8b078704b05

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Life would’ve 894ee7b0d4 been better 897f3091a6 if my e7b20b856f family were 013273956c at least d0643f872b normal…. Like they say, 362198b342 ‘You reap what 4e9ed0d1f6 you sow,’ and 28e844c2a4 the family I 4cf0bd9882 was born into 8702da834d was just like 300e2d036b me.4fabf5613732ea74

32 years e6e8c16491 ago, the 2efed45deb news of 48d703b1c9 my mother’s fb529f8a14 death did 81cd587e6d reach the 14219d7c65 media, but 1815d8f00f the cause 29532a06ba wasn’t reported 05c595e289 as suicide. They said 6f521132b0 she passed 50e6391bd1 away due f653e4a75c to complications 709a5799fb during childbirth. To cover up 02081627bf the date of efebc1a0e5 her passing, the a31c882574 funeral was held d8df8c6210 quietly.6a1c9a0085ad33ab

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Whether influenced 400186c7ae by that 1e944c94fa or not, cc7138a3e9 I was 234a1380fc a strange 147d6f2520 baby. Though I could barely 4dbfb0e832 walk while holding onto a16d277ae8 walls, I would apparently f411a1c644 come out to the 387ba2a285 corridor and wait for 3b347c2675 the sitters or staff ff2d578ed7 passing through the house 112af51228 to notice me until 46c24ad557 they patted my head a6448d3f26 or held me.56c2153cb13d11fd

When I was a2eff3bdf8 fond of fairy f001250761 tales, my eldest 07828298a3 sister would whisper 829c7fd363 stories about mother 717dac0628 every night, like 9bdcc02f89 telling ghost stories. Back then, neither e2262a972f my sister who 789d1a7db7 whispered these stories c001d67912 nor I who 626900841b listened blankly understood d31ef26449 the magnitude of 26bfefecc0 this tragedy. But now, f31c77c410 things were 6502983fbf different.8bf3f300722accc5

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

I think 2ee41adef8 I was 620cb0db79 around fifteen 946329610f when I 86a6428097 realized just 050b8bad1d how horribly 0bde0ad233 I had 311d996511 been born. During those eight ef3289a2ff months in my 72ae696cf3 mother’s womb, my 4409d8e4b7 wriggling life force 81f60bac40 deepened her depression. Reflecting on f42b49dcd9 myself as a4a4ea8226 the demon ba997b8702 who made 2d750a2d76 my mother c4f1729c12 miserable, I c7b3bc5a10 felt so 4f9dbc78a1 terrified and 9802bd6bd8 chilled to e051232135 the bone.aff1076374ca7b93

Thinking back now,14ffa9fdd25a94d5

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

‘I guess I really 099b0c295b do take after my 2e33d7a72c mother.’981f02700ea70b5e

That’s right.0b5b9aeb87c75006

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

‘I think I can understand you a little now.’c98592068b4de1bf

Mother would probably understand me too, if she were alive. She wouldn’t blame me when we meet in the afterlife. That would be enough.611dfffdfc09a04b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

After I a38d368057 leave this 7df6aa8d21 world like 4706cccd4b mother did, 4cc09a497c father would be828e82f5 likely prepare ad0e92a753 a new 959534af50 scenario. My father, Kang 35dcd06d57 Joon-il, the face 0a525d0fac of Hansung Group, a2f7ce1581 was that kind 793057acda of person. A businessman 6c559f9d73 who checked a5574c91ed the Alpha 502f8c7fdc manifestation rate 2959b2bf44 of his 18887431eb youngest child 3d24c15965 who hadn’t 68c4023af1 even turned 61f4c6d26e one yet; 8105f583a7 the director cc8c273658 who designed 3b1826a044 my life; b9bb7ff7ca a Korean-style 4895c025c4 noble whose 196de342a8 blood might ece211d2d9 run blue e9fda6f49c if pricked 41817da4cb with a eabd7d535a knife.2dc8c83875815e73

Father would f980101729 probably wrap 4b5775979f up the 8fbf83faa6 story of 63188745bc my death 434e5b7f16 in a 7767cc8ff0 plausible and d7d85176d5 warm way ae336bf1d1 too. After all, he a51c1dc69d still holds charity 0191d2a940 events in my f54b7921e7 mother’s name on 943ae8919c my birthday.a3521c21d990a16e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Let’s see… he might hold a retrospective exhibition with my unsold paintings. He’ll probably donate the money from the sold paintings to make himself look good… I hope my unfinished sketches don’t end up being displayed. Surely the gallery curators will know to filter those out, right?a39cf4c3ebd21e2c

Well, geniuses bdc3be4429 are said 32d2b123da to die 24c6b05531 young in 27a9e55ba5 every era, b704615088 aren’t they? I’d like my death 2f6d57e704 to be remembered under d846f8719a some glittering title too—like 0673f641b2 the dramatic death that 2421a82845 teenage rebels and hipster 35d5cf660e artists covered in tattoos 1f40d68267 dream of.49df9aacf3e616c1

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

When my portrait is f8b35c540b hung in the exhibition 9e7dc6938c hall lined with white 9db9b8fd4c flower wreaths, I wonder 3d34461377 if my sisters will 0436ab4978 cry for me. Or will 38548ffdb2 they feel 3fefc66f04 relieved that, 84fa1e5f28 as my d0ed794b22 brother often dd32896925 says, their 462c840274 ‘dumb younger 99f7498881 brother’ is b9c2a86b98 gone?a5bc88cb4a13740f

‘Then, what will Mr. Taerim do?’c638b7f009ef1804

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Mr. Taerim. Mr. Cheon Taerim. That’s my husband’s name. The name I think about most often but feels so strange whenever I speak it.3ced56a36dded9ce

Sitting in front of 1e96a2ce1f the spinning washing machine, 694f553435 coughing continuously for several 9443d63a7c minutes, I thought about 7e513add4e those two words: Cheon ce4eaf878b Taerim.820f27e87b72523c

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Getting involved with that name was my life’s second mistake. A massive mistake created by the accumulation of various smaller mistakes. They say when many stars die, they create a black hole. When too many stars die, a black hole forms, right? Our marriage was exactly like that—a monstrous void created by countless wrongs.37b9b6372f41d30d

The wrongs I’ve done to Mr. Cheon Taerim are endless, I can’t name them all even if I stayed up all night listing them. It was wrong to believe Father’s words that I was an Omega, just that I’d have a late manifestation, and it was wrong to consider Mr. Cheon Taerim and I were compatible just because we had good chemistry at our first meeting.de8f8e8f088da7a1

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The worst part was my incompetence. I couldn’t provide any compensation while watching Mr. Taerim’s life fall apart because of me.35ae7904949484eb

After that, there were so many things that felt unfair and infuriating…2b0cb9e90f370d20

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Ah…”3353197a5d70b055

I must 91241acfca have passed 9d22562bfb out for 43fc606342 a moment. I came 9cbd203d7f to my cb93abe0ac senses at 863bcfb353 the beeping 855ffe355b sound of 9bdf53a744 the washing e1b61e126d machine finishing a04e633669 its cycle. Woof-Woof was licking 5bec7fa02e the cold floor. I barely cbc6386e3f stopped it 81abf2aee8 from eating df8dfa85f7 the blood 2cc3911cd5 I had ef02514243 spit up. As I shook 5c451be12f out the wet 3ece03d164 laundry, the dog 6d8975fa3a kept barking.0911a49af2ca7fe9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Stop it, Woof-Woof. Hyung is tired…”cb5073ad2f941dd6

After finishing the laundry, I went to the kitchen. Since I hadn’t eaten anything, there were no dishes to wash. As I hated seeing the fridge empty, I decided to make some side dishes. I made loads of stir-fried mushrooms, which Taerim used to eat relatively well.1cb3df5ef25c7290

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

‘This is all I know how to make.’7302c57053058f4a

The married life cf9fe531f9 of the Alpha b050940361 Cheon Taerim and a153106e08 Beta Kang Hae-ah e93df996be was truly hell. The root 271b65209d cause lay 9c9151ae80 with me. I tried d0f992afde taking medicine, b2e8c2010d getting shots, 931737bd78 having moxibustion, 24f4754328 and even b17759d615 acupuncture, but 453be6314d I never d44bf11c54 manifested as ef9f602794 an Omega.e2d086f8cd5998bc

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Only Mr. Taerim, I, and Mr. Taerim’s family didn’t know. We didn’t know that Mr. Cheon Taerim had married a Beta.ad59d985744fbf79

Naturally, Mr. Taerim’s heart grew distant. At first, he seemed to believe and try to understand when I said ‘I really didn’t know,’ but later that wasn’t the case. While I was looking for doctors to possibly get surgery, Taerim was investigating the legitimacy of a fraudulent marriage.d3b800f6bf9eab68

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Mr. Taerim must have found out around then. Deceiving about one’s status – whether Alpha, Omega, or Beta – in marriage doesn’t constitute fraud. That there was no legitimate way to nullify a marriage conducted through a contract between families.37a9f72662753e33

To divorce me, he’d c56a2a2dfb have to hand over 906e4e6712 his business entirely to a560642b10 Hansung Group, and the 679a44e754 Hansung Group family had 10e57577d3 already completed all the b6eec22be7 necessary investigations beforehand. What did Mr. Taerim think when he ef8d8a2126 discovered these two things 894d3b0327 simultaneously?81321116c8cd0562

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

I remember that look when he stared down at me with disgust. Cold eyes, tightly closed lips. The silence hurt more than cursing would have. Even my defense that I had been deceived too didn’t come out by then.93890c453f64608e

Out of four cards, three were Alphas, and one a Beta who might become an Omega. Father decided to raise three of them and exchange one. When trading with Mr. Cheon Taerim’s prosecutor family for what they could offer, a Beta child who couldn’t even inherit the family business was a cheap price.84229378b1a1e4f4

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

There was eb207df3c5 no way ea74ff2194 to explain 0f5dd95b50 my circumstances 1704918e3e to Mr. Taerim. He had 5729c393d9 closed his 65969f2c73 heart, and 10d204c902 life didn’t f79ef34919 flow as 3669dad465 if we cfdcc2eff5 were in 480d4520f5 the movie 52f86d4e09 Frozen.29de20b25c568438

The first time ca02c7e6dc Mr. Taerim hit me was 7e6001c82c an accident. It was also the 705c60385d day I got an f495249c53 indirect glimpse of what 941b11e435 kind of person Mr. Cheon Taerim was 6d7806d71b as an Alpha. The day Mr. Taerim suddenly told a4ebf31c58 me he was 7b1f241308 on a break, f1d68bcea7 he locked himself c93a1907e6 in the bedroom. That day, his 6caf5c0659 rut came.6161db8d57dfc175

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The rut of an Alpha without a proper Omega contact and without the stability they needed was truly bestial. Mr. Taerim wasn’t in his right mind, and I started looking for shots to calm him down.681f93bf8ac809f1

I didn’t know then what an Alpha’s instincts were like in rut. They want to destroy not only the suppressant shots but also the Beta holding them.b034d347aaefdf0b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Taerim pushed me away and punched me. I’ve never experienced anything more painful than being hit by that fist. After getting hit by him on the second floor, I was surprised and tried to run away, only to get a concussion from falling down the stairs.e587f7ae74e6c2dc

“Ah…”88f4f7bc216b26f9

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

‘Ding dong’, ‘ding dong’… The doorbell announcing a visitor pulled me out of my thoughts. I hurriedly ran out to the garden and opened the door myself. I should have known Mr. Taerim wouldn’t come, but I couldn’t hide my disappointment when I saw it was someone I didn’t know instead.f9bc919fd46b04da

‘What if’ is d2fb32c358 always the problem. The expectations born from 07e13bcd52 ‘what if’ are always 488d874456 wrong. ‘What if Taerim came?’ 343f44256f ‘What if he noticed 1facf5592b something was off during f4a05b17c9 the call?’942c1bbb9ab21109

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

‘Get it together, Kang Hae-ah.’715cc5e10511a9c2

As I stood there 189db391fe blankly, the visiting lady 3f81134af6 bowed deeply. She seemed de24aaf85a quick-witted and 07b092f6dd good-natured.1317cb615b06edc3

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“You were looking for someone, right? I came to introduce myself, but I hope I’m not intruding.”dbf364f8fe13225f

It was just that I couldn’t get out of those old memories, but my expression seemed to have startled the lady. I waved off her deep apology. I let her in and showed her around the house, explaining how to manage it, the hidden rooms here and there, and the storage.3c5b028089c29d81

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I won’t be here when you start work next week.”9570c2828c589786

I said that 01f7d49946 while leaving my a64d2b3408 bedroom door open.17dc50792d5940df

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“When you start working, please empty this room first. As for the furniture… handle it as you see fit. Feel free to hire people if needed. For essentials like gas and water… well, as you know, everything will be taken care of for the next few months.”575d0ac19939b603

“Understood.”56c3eb824fee6fac

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Mr. Taerim tended to dislike 35f055b52d letting strangers into the f94a693a59 house. Compared to him, I 458063932e was the young master aee16b83e1 who even left driving b7836f625c to the chauffeur, so 7aabd1c367 how incompatible we were 1cb5562042 was clearer than palm 0a99b0719d lines.4b9024383ffe1128

That’s why I was even more particular in finding someone. Because it would obviously be difficult for Mr. Taerim to manage this big house after I die. Someone diligent enough to please him, with good reviews and proper certification.e9a46a71c0f6965e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Mr. Taerim is already busy with work and has many business trips. These days he practically lives in America, to the point where it’s confusing whether the headquarters is in America or Seoul. On top of that, I felt sorry for making him handle his husband’s funeral. I was worried he wouldn’t have time to clean or prepare meals.0d5dacb4b342c795

‘Well, maybe Shi Euncheol will take care of him…’0d6af2d9c3725aca

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Even as 54648ec541 a preventive 45d36102b8 measure, I b7f80d2676 needed to bdd365b5d0 find someone 2f76b3dba5 to put be6f0be44d my mind b1d4d1e1be at ease.1b00b5eee3c72d26

‘It’s kind of funny that a helper will replace my absence.’726737fd3fb6ba88

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

A chuckle kept f76fe032aa slipping out despite da739a0975 myself. Seeing me off eacc3bdbfc with a smile, 855b1cad9b the woman left 99e81e58fb with a brighter 2feea79d4f expression.96e93d8609a3e70b

I scanned the 89c927cbd2 house to see db30f5ae0f if there was 3689ae2528 anything else left c2425bf9b0 to do. Looking around at the de05ff4761 perfectly tidy space brought 1822ed437e a sense of calm.89bc5c06dd20bb86

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Finally, I tore off a page from a notebook. There weren’t any long farewells to write but…db0d7bd6f446382a