The following web novel series is a work of fiction. It contains high levels of explicit content, which may be offensive to some readers. It also explores potentially controversial themes such as sexual assault, gray lines of consent, power imbalances, self-harm, etc. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Reader discretion is advised.

Please Divorce Me

Chapter 1

“I’ll be off,” Jinwook said, standing in front of the door and bowing his head to his family.

Hyesu, his mother, smiled gently at him. “When did you say you were coming back?” she asked.

“In a week,” he replied.

“So this business trip of yours is longer than the others. Be safe,” she said, smiling proudly at him.

Hyesu’s son had always made her proud, but when he left the home in such a nice suit, he looked even more like a man about town.

He nodded at his mother again and began to turn away.

“Jinwook,” called a voice.

It was Eunchae, standing quietly in front of the shoe closet near the front door. As usual, she was dressed neatly with her dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail.

“Your tie is crooked,” she said in a calm, flat tone.

Hyesu turned to look at Jinwook’s neck. Eunchae was right. The tie was slightly off to one side.

His mother giggled. “Oh! Haha. Jinwook, you’re so good at everything else, but ties always stump you, don’t they?”

Eunchae’s small, pale hands reached for the tie. Jinwook was quite tall, but he bent forward slightly so that she could have an easier time. Their faces were so close that their breath almost seemed to mingle. It was the closest the two would be for the rest of the day.

Eunchae wrapped the tie around his neck again and worked on the knot. She seemed very familiar with the procedure.

Her hand grazed his chest as she worked, and Jinwook gazed down at her face. His gaze almost seemed to burn her, and she felt embarrassed for some reason. Eunchae quickly pulled her hands away.

“All done,” she said.

Jinwook smiled at her. “Thank you.”

It was only a slight smile, but it softened the guarded look he usually wore quite a bit and made his face glow.

Eunchae’s cheeks blushed a light apricot. She had watched his smile for three years, but she still couldn’t get quite used to it.

Jinwook began to turn away, then stopped himself and walked back to Eunchae’s side. His intense gaze met hers. He turned his shapely chin to the side as he leaned toward her, and she caught a subtle whiff of cologne.

As Jinwook’s lips approached hers, Eunchae’s eyelids fluttered.

Wait, is he going to kiss me on the lips?

She gasped and held her breath, taken aback by the idea.

His lips, which seemed only a second away from touching hers, suddenly swerved, and she felt a gentle smack on one of her reddened cheeks.

Jinwook slowly straightened up. “I’ll see you later,” he said in his charming baritone.

His powerful eyes remained on Eunchae for a moment before he turned away, as if he had fulfilled his duty and was ready to leave. Eunchae watched him open the door and walk away.

Cha Jinwook was the CEO of Myeongseong Construction, which was often regarded as the greatest construction company in South Korea. Despite being seen as a nepotism hire at first, he had excellent analytical abilities, quick judgment, and a level-headedness that seemed unaffected by any crisis. His professional skills were top-notch.

He was young, but he had a charisma that overwhelmed any audience he faced. Everyone who knew him both respected and admired him. Thus, it was only a matter of time before he was assumed to be the next chairman of the company.

Jinwook was also Eunchae’s husband. She was the envy of many for having landed a man like him, which was only natural. He was a charming man, even beyond his wealth and talents.

He was just over six feet tall with a muscular physique. His face was handsome with large, chiseled features. There was an aloof dignity about him that was unmatched. He was so good-looking that people had already formed an in-house fan club for him.

Eunchae could feel eyes on her whenever she accompanied him to an official event. But there was something that people were not aware of. He was her husband, but not really her husband.

They had agreed to marry after meeting each other only twice. Their conversations and public displays of affection were meant for the eyes and ears of others, not their own. When their contract was over, they would be nothing more than strangers.

Their marriage was a contractual sham.

***

Eunchae hated Thursdays.

Every Thursday morning, she and her mother-in-law, Hyesu, visited Yurim Art Center together. It had been built by Yurim Group and consisted of an art gallery that spanned the first three floors. The fourth floor held offices and a VIP reception room. On Thursdays, that room hosted the wives, daughters, and daughters-in-law of wealthy families that owned large corporations.

The social gathering, now in its fifth year, had been created to discuss art and cultural refinement. Eunchae, however, had been attending for nearly three years, and she knew the truth—it simply existed for its members to compete with each other on whose designer clothes were more expensive and to nurture connections.

People would socialize for nearly two hours, but Eunchae never felt like she gained anything in that time. She usually sat there silently, like a scarecrow, listening to them talk and sometimes acknowledging statements with a nod.

As usual, she sat in the corner wearing clothes that Hyesu had recommended to her. Part of the outfit was a blouse that pinched her neck and cinched her waist. It was stifling—not that Eunchae showed it.

The women began to praise Migyung, who had decked herself out with something fierce. Migyung was the wife of the Yurim Group’s chairman and also, as it happened, the CEO of Yurim Art Center.

“Oh my, I haven’t seen that necklace before,” someone said.

Migyung ran her fingers along the jewelry glinting at her neck. “My daughter-in-law’s mother sent this a few days ago as my birthday present,” she said with a pretentious laugh.

“It looks so great on you. I don’t think I’ve seen that design before...” said another one of the women.

Migyung’s daughter-in-law, Sora, was sitting next to her. She was covered in high-end accessories from head to toe.

“Of course. It was custom-designed by the one and only Wiebke Meurer,” she interjected.

“Wiebke Meurer... You mean the most famous jewelry designer in Germany?”

“That’s right. Nothing but the best when it comes to a gift for my mother-in-law,” Sora said confidently.

The Yurim Group had countless subsidiaries in many fields such as electronics, chemicals, and communication. Things had gotten even better for the Yurim Group after a marriage had established a connection to the SJ Group two years ago.

The women in the reception room gave Migyung admiring looks.

“It must be so nice to have a son married to someone from the SJ Group.”

“Haha! Of course. We get along very well, too,” Migyung replied with a gracious smile.

Sora’s chest swelled. “We have a resort opening in Hong Kong, and our entire family is going there soon.”

Eunchae always felt even more uncomfortable when those two women started bragging.

She turned her eyes away slightly and studied Hyesu’s face. Her mother-in-law looked calm, sitting up straight and sipping her tea. Despite her dignified appearance, Eunchae could see that she was not entirely enjoying the event, either.

“The resort is opening its doors in three weeks. You should all come and visit if you have the time,” Sora said.

“My, my! We would be so grateful if you invited us!” another woman chimed in.

“Eunchae, you and your husband should come, too,” Sora added.

Sora always looked confident, and she liked to stare people down. She had the “I-am-better-than-thou” look of someone with everything a person could want. But Eunchae had never been intimidated by her. When Sora spoke down to her, Eunchae would always respond in a calm tone.

“Thank you for your invitation, but Jinwook has been rather busy lately. I will try to make time at some point,” Eunchae replied.

“Well, I suppose Jinwook is busy all the time. He doesn’t even have time for couples gatherings.”

Eunchae silently raised her teacup to her lips.

“If he’s too busy, you could come with your parents—” Sora began, but she caught herself, appearing shocked by what she had almost said. “My goodness! I’m so sorry. I nearly forgot.”

The air in the room suddenly seemed to cool. Everyone stole glances at Eunchae, silently waiting for her reaction.

Eunchae didn’t allow herself to be ruffled. She calmly put down her cup and said, “No. It’s fine.”

“I’m sorry. That must be so painful for you... It wasn’t intentional, really. Forgive me,” Sora said, her eyes drooping into the saddest face she was capable of.

It had clearly been intentional. Other chaebol* children who were about Eunchae’s age glanced at each other, exchanging secretive smiles.

(*a family-run South Korean conglomerate)

Eunchae knew that they didn’t like her because she was an orphan who had somehow managed to marry Jinwook and become the daughter-in-law of the Myeongseong Construction family. They threw subtle insults in her direction whenever there was an event. That was why Eunchae hated Thursdays even more.

She gazed down at her herbal tea. If she could do whatever she wanted, she would’ve thrown the tea in Sora’s face and maybe shouted at the attendees to cut it out already. But she repressed the urges and maintained a measured, tranquil manner, like she always did.

“As you said, it was a mistake. I’m fine. Don’t worry about it,” she assured Sora.

Another sip of tea.

The peppermint tea Eunchae drank at every one of the gatherings supposedly had a soothing effect on the mind. The cool mint flavor wafted into her nostrils, and the hot tea loosened her muscles. She felt the knot of emotion in her heart subsiding a little.

Everything would be over after a year, anyway. She would no longer have to bear such insufferable pretenders with their hypocritical airs, or sit lifelessly among the heiresses who disdained her, or continue a marriage that was nothing but a web of lies.

Just a year. It won’t be long, she told herself once again, carrying out the role required by her contract.

***

Eunchae walked out of the art center and promptly encountered Mr. Kim, the chauffeur.

“Is Mrs. Cha not coming with you?” he asked.

“No. She wishes to stay a little longer,” Eunchae replied.

“Let me get the door for you, and I’ll take you home,” Mr. Kim offered.

Mr. Kim had been a chauffeur in their household for twenty years. He was the only person in the family who showed any warmth whatsoever toward Eunchae.

She noticed the way his hair was sprinkled with gray. When she was a newlywed, she had noticed that he looked quite young, but Mr. Kim was now showing his age. The slight wrinkles around his eyes and his diminutive shoulders made her feel bad for him.

“I think I’ll walk. It’s a great day for walking,” she told him. “And Mother might be out any minute.”

“It’s a bit far to walk. I can drive you,” he urged.

“No need. It’s been a while since I’ve taken a long walk,” she said, giving him a faint smile.

***

Eunchae was walking toward the house when she spotted a cafe. She could see a small chalkboard sign at the entrance, and she read the words slowly.

<Life’s greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved -Victor Hugo>

Eunchae’s eyes drooped slightly. If those words were true, perhaps she would never experience life’s greatest happiness. Nobody had ever truly loved her.

Her biological mother had left her at an orphanage when she was two, and the orphanage director had only been kind during publicity photos. As a teenager, men had taken an occasional interest in her, but never with any sincerity that she could detect in their eyes. And the man that she had ended up marrying, as it happened, was more of a stranger to her than anybody else.

She withdrew her bitter gaze from the sign as her phone vibrated.

[Asshole]

Eunchae scowled when she saw the sender’s name. It was Sora, who had just insulted her openly over tea. Eunchae scrolled down to see the content of the message.

[Asshole: No way! An article about Cha Jinwook and Shin Mina just dropped!]

Eunchae could feel Sora’s clear excitement. There was also a photo attached, and her eyes twitched when she saw it.

Jinwook was dining with a young, beautiful woman who Eunchae recognized. Shin Mina

was the second daughter of the family behind the RM Group, known for their international automobile company. She was a slim model with a refined beauty about her.

The tabloids had already implied a relationship between the two multiple times. In the articles, Mina had been an unnamed “model and granddaughter of a conglomerate-owning family” having an affair with a chaebol’s son, who also happened to be married. However, there had never been any articles with alleged photo evidence to back up the claims.

Sora sent another text as Eunchae was studying the photo.

[Asshole: Oh my. So sorry. I didn’t mean to send it to you.]

An obvious lie.

Eunchae smiled bitterly and studied the photo. Jinwook looked comfortable sitting opposite Mina. He never looked comfortable with Eunchae. Even though his lips were closed, she thought she could see him smiling faintly.

She couldn’t remember the last time they had eaten alone together. He spent more time at work than at home, and with people other than Eunchae. But she had no right to demand an explanation from him or even to be jealous.

In a year, she would be free of everything Jinwook represented with no ties to him whatsoever. As such, there was no reason for her to be bothered or annoyed by the article. The company would handle it to make sure that the situation didn’t get out of hand.

So why… why this ache in my chest?

She put her hand on the left side of her chest as the pain began to spread throughout her body.

Then, all of a sudden, somebody snatched her purse from her other hand. She was so shocked that she couldn’t even speak at first. A man had appeared out of nowhere, grabbed her purse, and broken into a run. He was wearing a black hat and racing down the street at full speed just in case she decided to give chase.

Jinwook had given her the purse for her birthday. It had been custom-made for her by a designer from a famous brand.

“N-no!” Eunchae cried, throwing off her heels and running after the thief.

He had already gotten quite far, but she kept running, determined to catch him. She hadn’t had any reason to run in recent years, but she was quite fit. Her gym teacher in school had even recommended that she go out for track-and-field.

“Stop right there!” she shouted.

She thought he was within reach until he sped up again. Eunchae gritted her teeth and kept running.

She was closing in on him again when he swerved into an alleyway, and she did the same. There was a screech of tires, and something big and heavy struck Eunchae’s body. A car had been driving out of the alleyway without braking. She was thrown into the air before crumpling onto the road, pain filling her body.

She heard the muffled sounds of a crowd.

“Oh my god! She’s been hit!”

“Her head is bleeding! Is she already dead?”

“Somebody call 9-1-1!”

She would have liked to call 9-1-1 herself, but her hands refused to move. She wanted to shout for help, but she couldn’t speak. Irregular breaths escaped her torn lips, and her hands, lying limply on the asphalt, were trembling.

The noises died down as her vision faded to black. She wondered if it was the end of the line for her.

Ironically enough, there was only one face filling her mind—the face of a man who might, even now, be with another woman. He was the only family she had, at least on paper, and he probably wouldn’t bat an eye if she died.

She was thinking of Cha Jinwook, her husband in name only.

Localization Credits

Translator Josh Shin

Primary Editor AMS

Series Coordinator Sumaiyah Hossain

Narrative Arts Lead Jin Bae

Localization Manager Sun Ah Park