Unexpected Ch 5 part 1

Clink. 

The ice in the glass began to melt. The soft lighting of the bar quietly illuminated the amber liquid in the glass.

“Why aren’t you drinking?”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

ChaYoung threw back her glass of liquor and gazed at him as she
asked. His eyes looked down at his glass. A strange gleam flashed
inside.

“Because I need to drive.”

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

“We can just call for a driver.”

“I don’t want to leave it in their hands.”

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

“You must have a strong attachment to your car.”

“I’m not talking about my car.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Then what?”

“Driving you. Back to your home.”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

Although his words weren’t perfectly clear, she couldn’t deny that he was thinking about her safety. So he could say pleasant things like this from time to time…

She tried to ignore it to the best of her abilities, but her hands
tightened around her glass. When she saw how calm he looked as he said
those words, she could feel her heartbeat pick up speed.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

She gave him a blank stare as she bit down on her lips. Sometimes,
his words and behavior made it difficult to think rationally. But now,
it caused her heart to race as well.

Maybe she had met a Benz guy when she was so immersed in heartbreak
and betrayal that she fooled herself into thinking she was the female
lead in a soap opera.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

However, the illusion of being in a soap opera could only go so far.
She knew better than anyone that an illusion could never become reality.

Therefore, this current situation was like finding an oasis in a sandy desert. She had gotten ahead of herself and forgotten.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Huu.”

She let out a light sigh and brought the glass of liquor to her lips.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

There was no need to be so pessimistic about this. If it weren’t for
Sunbae, she might have been drinking liquor on her own right now. Then
she might have drunkenly called SeungHoon and rained curses on him,
making things even more of a mess.

Maybe… She imagined him on his knees, begging her to forgive him just
this once. Telling her that his mental facilities had left him for a
brief moment as he clung to her. She would never take him back, but she
still wanted some kind of reward for the shock and betrayal she
experienced that night.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

She also knew that just because Sunbae spent time with her and took her home didn’t mean that their relationship would change.

However, she couldn’t help but feel grateful that he was staying with
her and taking care of her feelings. And she didn’t feel reluctant to
maintain a friendly relationship with him after this either.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

And she was also a bit curious as to why he was being so nice to her.

“If you don’t want me to feed you myself, then why don’t you eat some
snacks? If you drink on an empty stomach, you’ll get sick.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

He pushed a bowl of snacks towards her. She realized that they had
come here as soon as they met outside the office building. He also
hadn’t eaten dinner. However, he didn’t say a word and merely pushed the
bowl of snacks towards her. ChaYoung suddenly felt apologetic and
annoyed at the same time.

“Sunbae, you’re seriously…”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She suppressed the emotions that threatened to escape. He slightly
tilted his head and raised a brow. Because of this movement, some of his
perfectly styled hair grew disheveled.

“I think I can see how actors get so immersed in their work now.”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

He slowly blinked. His long eyelashes didn’t seem like they should
belong to a man. If it weren’t for his slow but lively movements,
ChaYoung would have thought he was a life-size statue. He was that
attractive.

“You’re acting like we’re really going to date.”

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

“It seems my efforts didn’t completely go to waste.”

He laughed as if he were relieved. He had the same expression on his
face as the one he had when he said, ‘I heard this is what everyone does
when they’re dating.’ She would have believed it if someone told her he
was an actor. He was smiling as if he were a man in love.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

There’s no way that was true. But for a moment, her heart was
confused. Unable to look him in the eyes any longer, she moved her gaze
to the wide, masculine shoulders of his suit.

“If you keep doing this…”

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

Her voice faded away. She recalled the envelope of money that was
inside her purse. She had looked up the price of the desserts and put
the money inside the envelope to give back to him.

Even though she didn’t know how much the exact cost was, she put
enough inside to pay him back. In a pathetic situation, he had given her
a reason to straighten up and rescue her pride in front of SooYeon. She
was grateful for this, but she also felt a bit pathetic and felt like
she was holding something that did not belong to her.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She didn’t want to continue feeling like she owed him, so she ran to
the bank as soon as she had time, but… The disappointment that would be
on his face when she pulled the envelope out… That was what made her
hesitate.

“I just can’t understand you.”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

She sighed as she murmured.

“It’s because there’s a lot going on.”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

When she heard his unexpected response, she laughed.

“Aren’t you just a perfect prince male lead in a fairytale? The one in Snow White or Cinderella?”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The female leads were always the ones who had to go through all the
hardships before the male lead showed up at the very end to bring the
story to a close with a ‘happily ever after’. 

“I don’t really want to be called a landowning prince that only shows his face before the end of the story.”

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

His voice sounded a bit helpless as he murmured back. Feeling that she’d been too rash, she quickly spoke up.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

“I wasn’t looking for an apology. I just didn’t want the truth to be misconstrued.”

She placed her glass down. She felt that it was finally time to discuss their ambiguous relationship.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“No matter what you feel for me, I don’t want to invalidate your
thoughts, Sunbae. I’m grateful for all the help you gave me during a
difficult time. But…”

She chewed on her lips as his voice asking her to date him rang in her ears.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Dating him? No matter how she thought about it, it was impossible. But she was sure he was going to be stubborn about it.

This might end up as another repeat of the previous conversation they
had regarding this topic, but she was too swept away by the mood to
avoid it.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

Continuing an ambiguous relationship wouldn’t be good for either of
them. It would be better to make things clear and end whatever this was
between them.

“I’m not in the right place to be meeting someone new right now. And if I were to be honest…”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

Her voice faded away at the end of her sentence. He gestured to her with his eyes, urging her to continue.

“No matter how you look at it, it’s not normal to ask someone to date
you just because she made you ‘stand up’ for the first time. Of course,
everyone can see with one glance that you are a perfect man, but from
my point of view, it’s difficult for me to believe that this perfect man
has genuine feelings for me.”

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

She carefully chose her words so that she wouldn’t hurt his feelings as she explained her side.

“I’m sure there are people who don’t take dating and breaking up too
seriously, but there are people who do. I can’t just cut out my
feelings, reset everything to zero, and start a new relationship right
away.”

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

When she found out that her ex-boyfriend was going to break up with
her to be with another woman, she could have just said, ‘Fine. I can
just find another man too. Why not?’ If she had been a third party who
had heard this, she would have even supported the woman and said, ‘Just
date someone else!’

However, now that this had happened to her, she realized that it was
easier said than done. There was a saying that one forgets people with
other people, but she did not want to suppress her anger towards
SeungHoon by dating someone else.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

And not just anyone else. This man was the youngest son of Hanguk
Steel. She did not want to be called out to meet a Madame who said, ‘How
dare someone like you…’. She didn’t want to be put in a position where
she had to wonder how much money would be in the envelope that the
madame pulled out of her expensive purse.

Even though he might laugh at her and claim she was getting too far
ahead of herself, she couldn’t help but prepare for the worst. After
getting backstabbed out of the blue by SeungHoon, she felt like the
possibilities were endless. She didn’t want to be taken off guard while
defenseless again.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

But she could not bring herself to say the plot of this soap opera
out loud. They were just thoughts in her head, and if these words left
her mouth, it would only make her look ridiculous.

She expressed her thoughts in a slightly harsh tone.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

“I can’t even trust a man I’ve dated for two years right now. Do you
really think I’m in a state to just say, ‘Sounds good. Let’s date,
Sunbae.’?”

“I guess that would be hard to believe.”

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

He nodded as he murmured. At first glance, it looked like he was
obediently agreeing with her, but she felt that this was not how the
conversation was going.

“However…”

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Suddenly, his low voice cut through the silence. He drew in a deep breath and met her eyes.

“This isn’t something trivial to me.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘Something trivial’?

What did he mean?

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

He gave her a strange look and loosened his necktie with a long finger.

“My parents got married because they fell in love. Not only that, they got married after having a passionate workplace romance.”

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

His remark was so out of context that ChaYoung frowned in confusion.
She wanted to ask him if she had to focus on his parents’ dating life in
a situation like this. However, the mood was so earnest that she
couldn’t open her mouth.

“In the financial world, contract marriages are common. However, I
believe that my grandfather’s decision to readily agree to his only
son’s marriage was a big reason why it worked. A marriage is a major
life event, and one must enter it with much caution. From the
perspective of the head of a major company… gaining an ally with a major
government official through marriage would have been better for the
fate of the company. I’m sure he did consider this at some point.”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

Sunbae didn’t have to tell her this. It was common knowledge that
most businesses formed alliances with political families or other
businesses through marriages. Not only that, but due to these
connections, businesses were able to gain advantages or expedite certain
processes, which often caused a lot of problems.

But what did his parents’ marriage have anything to do with her? She pondered this, but she couldn’t find the answer.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

But there must be a reason. That’s why he’s telling me this. She gave
up trying to figure it out and decided to let him continue.

“He puffed up his chest and pretended it didn’t bother him, but I’m sure it did.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

He quietly continued his story. This was probably a story about his mother.

Of course his grandfather felt this way. It would have been difficult for him to withstand all the looks people gave him.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

“I heard that my mother wanted to manage the household so well that
we would have nothing to be ashamed of. She was an extravert. Whenever
my grandfather or my father began to focus on work, she did her best so
that they would not be bothered. People said she was just being a
supportive wife, but my mother called it stubbornness.”

He must have been parched because he threw back a full glass of water. Gulp. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“And then one day, Pandora’s box was opened.”

She suddenly felt like she was listening to a dangerous secret. Her
mouth ran dry. She wet her dry lips with her tongue as he continued.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“For the most part, my father never brought work home. However, one
day, he shut himself in his study and did not come out. My mother
prepared a late night meal and was bringing it to him when she found out
that there was a sudden increase in demand for steel used in shipping
vessels, but there was a problem with the availability of raw
materials.”

He stared at the glass in his hand as he slowly swirled it.The liquid sloshed as it whirled around.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

“In that moment, my mother said she felt like she returned to being
the foreign branch representative who was in charge of contract
closings, contract executions, trade, scheduling, strategies, and
transport. Apparently, she was such a good employee that my grandfather
was sad to see her leave her job to become a housewife for the family.
Therefore, even if she didn’t show it, I’m sure she missed the work.”

ChaYoung felt that she understood how his mother felt and nodded her
head. Although it was common for women to quit their careers after
marriage, not all were satisfied with childcare and housekeeping.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

“She said that she began to feel like she wasn’t much of a help.
Although she was no longer working in that field, she had learned many
things by personally traveling to those countries and bumping into all
kinds of people for her job.”

“It looks like she had some kind of awakening. She went back to feeling like a competent employee and a foreign representative.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“That’s exactly it.”

Her eyes narrowed when she heard his reply. If this was the case,
wasn’t it a good thing? If she was such an extraordinary employee that
the group’s leader even poured compliments on her?

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“Starting with the acquisition of the raw materials from Brazil down
to its transport by boat, it was estimated to take two months. However,
she managed to finish it in a week. She even managed to procure the
processed slabs of steel from Japan. Although we were the major
providers of H-shaped steel, this strategic alliance was a win-win for
both parties, and it only made our company more competitive in the
market.”

“……”

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“At the time, my mother… She said that she felt as if her heart began
to beat again. The thought of doing the work she really wanted to do,
the work that she was really good at, began to flow through her veins
and spread throughout her body.”

“Don’t tell me… You’d rather have had her stay at home the whole time?”

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

She slightly furrowed her brow as she asked. When he saw this, he chuckled.

“This all happened before I was born.”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“Ah…”

She awkwardly bit her lips. She felt that she was usually very intuitive, but she felt a bit off these days.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“After that incident, it was decided. My oldest brother was six years
old, and my second brother was four. They were still a bit young, but
not too much that they would hinder my mother from returning to work. My
oldest brother was about to enter school as well.”

ChaYoung tilted her head.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Then what was the problem?”

Unlike her initial assumption that there was a big secret, the story
that came out of his lips didn’t seem that extraordinary. His gentle
gaze remained on her apathetic face as he answered her.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Me.”

“Pardon?”

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I was the problem. Just when she was over the moon about returning to work, my parents found out that she was pregnant.”

Her lips opened as she let out an ‘ah’. Even today, the difficulty of
a pregnant career woman reentering the workplace was all over the news.
It was a well-known problem in society.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Women who returned to work after taking some time off for childcare
often found themselves neglected and ignored at work. Even if the woman
was a successful career woman in her youth, when she returned, she’d
often be met with strange looks and remarks like ‘You should have just
stayed home and focused on raising your kid.’ She’d ultimately be
treated like a no-good, middle-aged woman.

Even if she was from the company owner’s family, that special
background could not change the fact that she was the mother of two
children who had just given birth to a newborn.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

It must have been a difficult decision for her. The unexpected
pregnancy must have come as quite a shock. However, a suspicious
question suddenly popped into ChaYoung’s head.

Was he abused?

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

The moment her brows furrowed, she heard his voice.

“Although she chose her words carefully, I can understand how she
felt. I’m sure she felt resentful. I’m sure she felt like I grabbed her
by the ankle.”

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

He spoke calmly as if he were talking about someone else’s family
instead of his own. The story he was telling her and the haughty look on
his face seemed so different.

“My mother’s entire focus was on returning to work as soon as she
gave birth. My father was worried she’d get depressed, so he promised
her that she could return to work once I was born.’

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

“……”

“I’m sure my mother was waiting for the day to come. Time went on,
and I was born. Exactly five months later, she went back to work, and I
was left in the care of the housekeeper.”

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

He had been speaking so smoothly until this point, but he suddenly
stopped. Although there was no change in his expression, ChaYoung
recognized the shadow that was cast over his face.

If he was five months old, he would have still needed his mother.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She recalled her own childhood. Back then, she thought that her
parents’ absence was normal. Because of her loving grandmother, she
never showed it, but that didn’t mean she was not bothered by it.

She often wished her mother would be waiting for her with open arms
when she returned from elementary school. She wanted to go to the
amusement park while holding her mother and father’s hands.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

She wanted to brag to them that she could finally go on the rides
that she hadn’t been able to go on when she was too short. She wanted to
show her friends a family picture they’d have taken at a family
restaurant, and she wanted to tell them about all the food they ate
together.

How many more nights would she have to sleep to stop hearing the
words ‘later’? When would she stop hearing ‘Sorry’ and ‘Can’t you just
understand?’

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

She would grab onto her grandmother and make a fuss, but all she
received was her grandmother’s deep sigh. Possibly because of her
grandmother’s sighs, she learned how to give up at an early age. And
even to this day, this routine resignation remained a part of her.

“You must have been lonely.”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

She murmured as she remembered her grandmother. If she hadn’t had her
grandmother, she would have turned out to become a twisted and
antisocial person. She was certain of this.

Was there someone… Someone who could have filled that empty place for him? She was suddenly curious about his childhood.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Not at all.”

He answered in an indifferent tone. His unexpected answer caused her
to give him a strange look. He slightly raised his chin and continued.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“Even if I was left alone, I would have grown up just fine.”

He sounded like a sulky child. At that age, it would have been a
relief if he could roll his body, so why was he being so defensive?

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Even though he said something ridiculous, she imagined him as a baby, moodily crossing his legs and sucking on a bottle.

She suppressed the laughter that threatened to burst out and chewed
on her lips. She felt like this problem wasn’t such a bad one and slowly
relaxed. Meanwhile, he continued to tell the story.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

“By the time I was able to form full sentences, I decided to tell my family something that I’d been wrestling with.”

When a child learned to speak, they were usually at an age where they
were still waddling around. By the time they could use simple
sentences, they’d usually say something about wanting to eat or wanting
to be picked up. However, she felt that this was not the case here.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

Even though he would be at an age where he still needed much guidance
and assistance, he’d be able to form and think in sentences. He would
have been about four or five years old, perfectly old enough to say
‘Mother’ and speak about his grievances. 

“You were quite an impressive little boy.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“I was an immature, unfilial kid.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“I was the cause of my family’s unhappiness.”

She felt frustrated as if she were in the middle of a traffic jam
with no end in sight. She felt that he was going to tell her something
that was difficult for him to say out loud.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“During a rare dinner where my whole family had gathered, I said the
words that I had carefully prepared in my head. ‘My wiener is precious,
so I’ll be the only one to look at it from now on.’”

ChaYoung had been fiddling with her drink in which all the ice had
now melted. Her head suddenly turned up when she heard what he’d said.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“Are you saying that someone else saw Sunbae’s wie—… your thing?”

Now that she said it out loud, it sounded strange. Because she had
imagined a child in her head, but when she looked at the person in front
of her, he was a grown adult man.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish