Chapter 27: Awkward Mornings and Family Secrets

When I opened my eyes, dazzling sunlight poured in. Do Yoon was gone. I was sprawled across his bed like it was mine. The clock read 7:30 a.m.

What the… I slept almost twelve hours?

By now, Do Yoon, who leaves at seven, would be at school. I tugged at my messy hair, feeling pathetic. Good thing he was gone—facing him now would’ve been embarrassing. With bedhead like a bird’s nest, I shuffled out of his room.

Opening the door, I ran into Seung Hee, holding coffee in casual clothes, heading upstairs. She gave me a weird look.

“Why’re you coming out of there?”

I swallowed hard, my mind racing with an explanation.

Yesterday, our esteemed father’s mistress sent a painting, Mother lost it and said harsh things to Do Yoon, I went to comfort him, and ended up passing out in his bed until now…

I just grinned.

“Got drunk.”

Seung Hee looked at me with disgust. Ignoring it, I asked.

“Why aren’t you at work?”

She clicked her tongue.

“It’s Saturday.”

Really?

Then where’s Do Yoon? Did my snoring scare him off? If so, I’d feel awful… My face grew serious.

Seung Hee stared at me, my hair a mess, making colorful expressions. Then she sighed deeply.

“When are you gonna… Never mind.”

Her tone carried the weight of unspoken words, making me flinch despite my distraction.

I felt a bit wronged, but I didn’t want to explain yesterday’s chaos and make things harder for Do Yoon. Besides, Seung Hee wouldn’t believe I was comforting him anyway.

“Come here.”

She beckoned sharply. I followed her to the sofa, where she set down her coffee, crossed her arms, and stared at me before dropping a bombshell.

“Were you serious about that favor you asked?”

“What?”

“Haewon E&M.”

My eyes lit up, forgetting everything else. I answered eagerly.

“Of course.”

She pulled a small black USB from her pocket.

“I did what I could. If you fail with this, you’re an idiot.”

“…!”

I was wide awake, like I’d been doused with ice water. I’d laid the groundwork, but I didn’t expect her to move this fast. She had the USB ready, meaning she planned to give it to me today, even if we hadn’t bumped into each other.

But catching me stumbling out of Do Yoon’s room, “drunk,” no wonder she was colder than usual. Her earlier icy stare made sense. She continued.

“Pass this, and you’re an intern this fall. Do well, and you’re full-time next spring. But if you fail the application, you’re done. You know that, right? Handle it.”

“Got it.”

With this cheat code, failing would be harder. Still, I was a bit disappointed.

I’d boasted to Grandfather about proving myself, but saying, “I got in, but just as an intern…” felt lame.

Still, an internship meant I’d accomplished something myself, and it’d give me an excuse to get out of this house, so it was fine. Thinking that far, I asked cautiously.

“How’d you get this? You didn’t go around E&M begging for my spot or spreading rumors, right?”

Seung Hee, calm until now, snapped irritably.

“You think I’m an idiot? I did it discreetly.”

Her assurance erased my worries. I blurted my habitual praise.

“Choi Seung Hee, the greatest of our time…”

She cut me off.

“Enough. If you’re serious, do it right.”

Her unexpected encouragement surprised me. Her voice held not just distrust but a mix of complex emotions. It didn’t feel like she was helping “Choi Seung Hyun” just to keep him in check.

She sipped her coffee, set it down, and said.

“Mom likes seeing you live like a person. She doesn’t like you drinking alone after something like yesterday.”

I smiled awkwardly.

“She heard, huh?”

“How could she not? I came home yesterday, and everyone was talking about it.”

Damn. If I knew she’d heard, I wouldn’t have used the drinking excuse. Then she added.

“And she’s not thrilled you barged into his room and made a mess.”

She nodded toward Do Yoon’s room.

That caught me off guard.

So Seung Hee thought my “drunk” excuse meant I’d stormed into Do Yoon’s room and caused trouble. She continued.

“Honestly, you wouldn’t do that, right? Mom’s staying quiet, so don’t think tearing things up is filial piety.”

Her sharp words pierced my ears. Her blunt tone suggested she’d wanted to say this for a while.

That’s unexpected.

So Seung Hee thought I bullied Do Yoon out of pity for Mother. But the real “Choi Seung Hyun” hated Do Yoon because he mirrored his own origin insecurities. Maybe he even thought his situation was worse.

I wondered what Shin Mi Sun thought of the original Seung Hyun’s actions. Did she see his bullying as for her sake? Was that why she was more attached to him than Seung Hee?

I’d planned to talk to Mother about yesterday, and since Seung Hee brought it up, it was perfect timing. I tested the waters.

“Is Mom… not going to divorce?”

“If she was going to, she would’ve when Father brought Choi Do Yoon home.”

Her blunt fact-bombing never got easier to hear. She snorted, looking at me.

“It’s not about money.”

Her bitter expression was telling. Thankfully, I had enough sense not to ask if it was maternal love. She stared at me directly.

“Anyway, if you get your act together, Mom would be twice less miserable.”

Not twice happier, but less miserable—that summed up this family perfectly. I realized Seung Hee might care about Mother the most here. I asked.

“Is she under your care?”

“She slept at the hotel last night. Said it’s annoying to be in the same house. Probably won’t come back for a while.”

We both knew who “it” was without saying. I nodded and stood from the sofa.

“Got it. Thanks for the USB.”

Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes at me.

“Just so you know, leaking what’s on there won’t hurt me. It’s worthless to sell. Don’t get any ideas.”

“…”

She always ruins the mood. I’m a Haewon too—why would I leak it? I had no intention of stirring up trouble. If Haewon collapses, my siphoned wealth shrinks.

I’d need to get a job fast to earn Seung Hee’s trust. I snapped back.

“Absolutely not. Hire me already.”

Leaving her behind, I went to my room to change, planning to see Mother. Beyond comforting her about yesterday, I wanted to understand why she clung to me.

Even if it’s high-risk, high-return, Choi Seung Hyun is a certified doomed stock in the novel. I need to leave this family eventually, and her fixation isn’t good for her either.

I thought of President Choi Young Gil. In the novel, he dies early, mentioned in a single line when Do Yoon introduces his family to the heroine.

“My father passed away a few years ago.”

That’s it. No how or why—just gone. Nobody cared. He was an even bigger extra than Seung Hyun.

At that point, the focus was on the heroine meeting a hysterical mother-in-law, an dismissive sister-in-law, and a criminal brother-in-law.