"That went better than I expected," Song Seungwoo said as they drove home that night. "Not only is Ji-Eun very pretty, she's also well-mannered."
Su-Won nodded approvingly. "As expected of President Chung's daughter."
Hyun-Shik focused on the road, paying little attention to his parents' conversation. Hearing them praise Chung Ji-Eun was a clear sign that they liked her and that they were ready to welcome her into their family anytime.
There's one thing though that Hyun-Shik had been curious about all throughout dinner, but didn't get a chance to ask. Or rather, he avoided asking Ji-Eun altogether. Glancing at his mother from the rearview mirror, he called out to her.
"Mother," he said, his eyes returning to the road. "There's something I wanted to ask Ji-Eun earlier, but she seemed like she didn't want to talk about it. Maybe it's better if I ask you?"
"What about?" Su-Won looked at her son intently.
"While we were chatting earlier, she mentioned something about her Mother in passing," he said. "I was curious... If Madam Chung had been around, how did you end up nursing for the Chung family? You had quit their company before Ji-Eun was born, right? How did you end up taking care of her when you were no longer connected to the Chung Group?"
"Ah, that," Song Su-Won's eyes clouded over. She sighed heavily and was quiet for a few minutes, unsure of what to say. She felt her husband's hand on her arm and she saw him nodding at her.
"It's good for Hyun-Shik to know," Song Seungwoo said. "That way, he would know to treat his soon-to-be-wife better in the future."
Hyun-Shik could only look at his parents questioningly.
"Madam Chung," his mother said. "Left their household when Ji-Eun was only a few days old. From what I remember, only four days after she gave birth. The President, distraught over his wife's actions, asked for help in taking care of his daughter while he went out to search for his wife."
Hyun-Shik listened carefully as his mother spoke, wanting to know more.
"He did find her," she continued. "But the Madam... didn't want to go back with her husband. Even saying that maybe her daughter, Ji-Eun, would be enough for him to leave her alone then."
"That's a bit harsh," Hyun-Shik was troubled. "What did she say her reason was?"
"Well, from what the President told your Father and I, their marriage had been arranged too," she continued. "And that she didn't want to stay with them anymore after she gave the Chung family an heir."
From what Hyun-Shik was hearing, it seemed that Ji-Eun's mother was a frivolous woman.
"Could it be that she was sick? Or was hiding something?" He could still not believe it and he began to question the story. "It's just that... I can't believe she just walked out on her family just because she didn't feel like staying..."
Su-Won smiled at his son. "Watching too many daytime dramas, Son? I wish I could tell you that what happened to them was something along the lines of a drama. But, no..."
Su-Won stared out of the window of their moving car while saying, "Sometimes, people are just wicked for no apparent reason."
At that, Hyun-Shik did not ask anymore. He just drove in silence, all the while, trying to remember Ji-Eun's expression while they were talking earlier. She was all warm and welcoming when she talked about her home, her work, her Father, her Secretary, and even their old butler, Chen.
'She's not here. We haven't really seen her in years since she left.'
Her words turned cold and unfeeling, he remembered. And her eyes... there was a hint of steel in them when she spoke those words. It had been a brief moment, but her seemingly shining appearance then took an about-face when she briefly spoke about her mother. He couldn't imagine what or how she felt growing up without a mother because he grew up with both his parents by his side. It must have been hard for the both of them, he thought as he pictured the President and his daughter living alone in that mansion.
Taking in his father's words earlier, he suddenly had an understanding of why he said that.
'It's good for Hyun-Shik to know. That way, he would know to treat his soon-to-be-wife better in the future.'
That was a simple suggestion for him to treat his soon-to-be-wife better than he treated his past girlfriends, so she wouldn't want to run away from him.
But really, who was he to stop her from doing what she wanted when it was Chung Ji-Eun who was in control of everything?