CS Chapter 28

“That damn bastard!” Daniel cursed as soon as he escaped the VVIP room.

 

“50 billion, my ass. They’re acting like thugs, as expected.”

 

The price had doubled compared to before. Even if the distribution head had talked about service, it was obvious that it would be a losing business.

 

Daniel gritted his teeth and fell into contemplation. 50 billion won was a huge amount that couldn’t be covered by the followers’ meager donations. He needed another solution, and fast.

 

“Should I change the drug now? Ha… No, no.”

 

He continued to mutter to himself and shook his head vigorously.

 

Changing the supplier now was too late. Titan’s efficacy was too significant. For example, there was nothing like a perfect perfect drug to temporarily cure idiots like Ji Junseo and pretend it was a spiritual ability.

 

The followers witnessed the miracles unfolding before their eyes and fell deeper into Sky Salvation Church. Addicted to the “life water,” they didn’t even realize they were addicted, offering their entire fortunes as donations and squandering them away.

The Sky Salvation Church didn’t save anything. Rather, it was nothing more than absolute evil leading to self-destruction, but as long as Elder Daniel was alive, this fact would remain forever concealed.

Where could he squeeze 50 billion won from by the end of next month? While he was racking his brains when he received a call from Pastor Lee Yeokyung.

 

“Damn it. This bitch, when I’m so busy.”

 

Daniel’s brows furrowed irritably. He didn’t have time to waste on useless things.

 

“Pastor Lee is busy right now, so later… What…? Who? Cha Minjun of Daehan Group?”

 

Unlike his initial intention to hang up immediately, the call went on for quite a while.

 

***

 

Inside the car heading home, was only filled with silence.

 

The Cheonsin Bosal, who had been behaving strangely, eventually fainted on the spot. Minjun was about to call 119 immediately, but Taerim stopped him. The shrine was strictly off-limits to anyone who hadn’t been granted prior permission.

 

As soon as Taerim told him to go home, Minjun grabbed Seowoo’s wrist and left the shrine.

 

He continued driving without a word, but his profile looked unusually uneasy.

 

‘What on earth was that…?’

 

Seowoo was just as surprised. The Cheonsin Bosal was definitely shedding tears of blood. Was it even possible for human eyes to bleed tears without any reason? Questions piled up in her mind.

 

It was a cult’s method to plausibly reproduce things that couldn’t be scientifically explained and deceive people, but after experiencing it firsthand, she felt chills all over her body.

 

“Trying to save that man’s life, you’ll die in his place. Such a young and beautiful woman, destined to be a scapegoat, what a tragic life… Oh dear, oh dear!”

 

The Cheonsil Bosal wails, directed at her, kept echoing in her head. Of course, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t afraid. However, this marriage was nothing more than a conditional contract from the beginning.

 

“I’ll divorce you when my grandfather passes away. I’ll give you whatever you want, be it alimony or anything else. So, all you have to do is hold onto your lifeline until then.”

 

Cha Minjun hadn’t told a single lie. It was her own decision to take the man’s hand, knowing she would be a scapegoat.

 

So, it didn’t matter. Seowoo was convinced that she might have already fallen into ruin if she hadn’t met Cha Minjun.

 

“Mr. Cha Minjun told me not to worry about what the shaman said. I’m not worried at all.”

 

Seowoo spoke bravely. The man glanced at her for a moment.

 

Just then, the traffic light changed, and Minjun gently stepped on the brakes. His face was now filled with disillusionment.

 

“I was so goddamn sick and tired of that shaman and Grandfather’s beliefs.”

 

Seowoo held her breath, listening intently to the man’s words. Looking back, this was undeniably the first time Cha Minjun had ever spoken about himself.

 

“When my mother was pregnant with me, she hit a cat with her car and killed it. Because of that karmic debt, my parents died in an accident on the same day. And even then, as if God’s anger wasn’t appeased, he made sure their child’s lifespan was short as well.” 

 

As he spoke, Minjun kept wincing, as if in pain.

 

Perhaps it was because the man, who had always been so impeccably composed, was showing such vulnerability. Seowoo felt a sudden urge to hug him.

 

“Every time he saw me, Grandfather would go on and on about my mother’s sin, my mother’s sin. It was horrible. And not to mention the shaman. But,”

 

Minjun paused to catch his breath.

 

“But after seeing the shaman like that just now, I understand. Ah, so that’s why Grandfather blindly believed everything she said.”

 

He had lived his whole life despising his grandfather for believing such nonsense from a shaman, but now, finding himself shaken by the shaman’s words, the disillusionment was indescribable.

 

“Um… I don’t know if this is the right thing to say right now…”

 

Breaking the brief silence, Seowoo cautiously began to speak. She was being extremely careful, lest her intended meaning be misinterpreted.

 

“It was just… an unavoidable accident. The kind of accident that’s beyond human control.”

 

“…”

 

“I saw a cat catching a bird in the forest earlier. At first, I felt so sorry for the bleeding bird that I wanted to save it… but then I realized it was just the natural order of things. I couldn’t bring myself to blame the cat.” 

 

Seowoo calmly, yet resolutely, conveyed her feelings.

 

“So, I hope you can think of it that way too, Mr. Cha Minjun. Your mother isn’t at fault.”

 

The moment he heard her words, the man let out a long, shuddering breath.

 

It was his mother’s sin that no one had forgiven, a sin that even his own family had turned their backs on. He could never have imagined that this tiny woman would absolve his mother in their place.

 

Minjun felt his heart grow warm. It pounded fiercely, as if he’d just run a marathon, forcing him to discreetly press a hand against his chest.

 

***

 

On the weekend morning, the news of Daehan Group heir Cha Minjun’s marriage made headlines. It captured the attention of not only domestic media but also international outlets.

 

Daehan Group had only released a brief statement that the bride was a commoner, but reporters, like hyenas, quickly uncovered Ji Seowoo’s identity.

 

Her personal information spread rapidly, and soon the world learned that the woman who would become the wife of Daehan Group was, in fact, a twenty-three-year-old who hadn’t even properly graduated from high school.

 

A marriage that was clearly lopsided, no matter who looked at it. It was truly a 21st-century Cinderella, and the very definition of a hypergamous marriage.”

 

As a result, the public began to weigh in on their marriage. Most reactions toward Seowoo were negative, with rumors spreading that she was a gold digger or that they were forced to get married because of a premarital pregnancy.

 

However, even amidst the baseless rumors, there was a kernel of truth. Some rumors, noting Chairman Cha Jinwoong’s strong belief in fortune-telling, speculated that there must be a reason behind the marriage.

 

Seowoo obediently followed Minjun’s advice to stay off the internet until the wedding and remained mostly indoors, avoiding going out.

 

And right around that time, Seowoo received news about her GED exam results.