#45.

The tranquility of morning flows through Kim Eun-ju’s house. In the kitchen, Kim Eun-ju was engrossed in preparing breakfast alone. But even though her hands were moving busily, her mind was elsewhere.

,That perfume I smelled on Lee-han-ssi… it was the scent from Hyun-woo-ssi. Why on earth…’

Kim Eun-ju’s head was filled with complicated thoughts. Her husband and Lee-han smelling of the same fragrance. Lee-han even said he didn’t wear perfume. That fact fueled her suspicion even more. Kim Eun-ju’s face, who had tossed and turned all night, was visibly fatigued.

Lee Hyun-woo’s voice was heard from the living room.

,Is breakfast ready yet?’

he asked, rolling around with his son. Kim Eun-ju didn’t smile even at her son’s laughter. She just answered coldly.

,Yeah, almost. Wait.’

Lee Hyun-woo was a little taken aback by Kim Eun-ju’s cold attitude. She seemed to have become particularly sharp lately.

,Why has she become so sharp lately…’

Lee Hyun-woo hid his confused feelings and sat at the table.

Breakfast began. In the awkward silence, Kim Eun-ju suddenly opened her mouth. Her voice had a sharp edge to it.

,You seem to be coming home late these days. Is something going on?’

Lee Hyun-woo looked momentarily flustered by the question. But soon, he replied with a calm face.

,It’s just because I have a lot of work. I’m trying my best to finish quickly and come home.’

,Really? You’re late because of work, right?’

Kim Eun-ju’s suspicious gaze turned to Lee Hyun-woo. Lee Hyun-woo hid his discomfort and replied in as calm a voice as possible.

,You know, there have been a lot of instructions coming down from above lately…’

His considerate tone only made Kim Eun-ju even more suspicious.

,Is he trying to hide an affair while pretending to be so considerate…’

Kim Eun-ju looked at her husband with an even sharper gaze.

,Okay, I see.’

An uncomfortable energy lingered in the house all day. In the evening, in the living room, Lee Hyun-woo took care of his son and spoke kindly to Kim Eun-ju.

,You must be having a hard time these days, right? I’ll help with childcare more.’

But Kim Eun-ju’s reaction was cold.

,I’ll take care of it myself. Don’t worry about it.’

,But we should help each other. It’s hard for you to do it all alone.’

Lee Hyun-woo looked at Kim Eun-ju with a worried expression. But his consideration only left deeper suspicion in Kim Eun-ju’s mind.

,You have no idea how hard it is for me!’

Kim Eun-ju shouted angrily.

,Why is he being so nice? I can’t trust him anymore…’

At night, in the bedroom. Lee Hyun-woo was fast asleep, but Kim Eun-ju was staring at him with her eyes wide open. His comfortable sleep seemed even more suspicious to her.

,The fact that he’s being so nice is even more suspicious. He’s definitely hiding something… Lee Hyun-woo, what on earth are you thinking…’

Kim Eun-ju couldn’t sleep, lost in complicated thoughts. Suspicion and distrust towards Lee Hyun-woo were eating away at her. With each passing day, the relationship between them was becoming increasingly strained. Leaving deep wounds in Kim Eun-ju’s heart, her relationship with Lee Hyun-woo was cracking.

–

The apartment complex garden in the afternoon sparkled in the bright sunlight. Kim Eun-ju was pushing a stroller with her child in it, walking slowly along the promenade. The quiet scenery of the garden seemed to bring her peace. At that moment, someone approached her. It was Lee-han, the employee of the management office.

,Eun-ju-ssi, hello.’

Lee-han greeted her with a bright smile. Kim Eun-ju turned her head to face him.

,Ah, Lee-han-ssi. Hello.’

Lee-han approached her and matched her pace. After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth.

,Oh, that’s right. I’ve been thinking about the perfume I mentioned last time, and I think I know why it smelled like that.’

Kim Eun-ju’s eyes sparkled for a moment. She asked with interest.

,Really? Why is that?’

Lee-han explained with a smile.

,I met a woman while patrolling at night. The perfume she was wearing was really strong. I think the scent got on my clothes.’

,A woman?’ Kim Eun-ju’s expression hardened at those words. She asked back in a surprised voice.

,A woman?’

,Yes, I washed my outerwear before the night patrol and wore it until the afternoon of the next day, so I guess the scent didn’t come out.’

Lee-han continued with a smile.

,The scent must be a bit strong.’

Kim Eun-ju nodded, hiding her complicated feelings.

,Ah, I see…’

In the depths of her eyes, the embers of suspicion began to burn.

,A woman… did Hyun-woo also meet that woman…’

Lee-han didn’t miss Kim Eun-ju’s change in expression. He asked in a worried voice.

,Are you worried about something? You don’t look well.’

,Ah, no. I’m just a little surprised,’

Kim Eun-ju replied with an awkward smile.

,I guess perfume can get on you like that.’

Lee-han nodded.

,Yes, that’s right. Sometimes things like this happen. Don’t worry too much.’

Despite his comfort, anxiety was slowly rising in Kim Eun-ju’s heart.

,Could Hyun-woo be involved with that woman…’

Kim Eun-ju was confused by the deepening suspicion. She forced a smile and thanked Lee-han.

,Yes, I understand. Thank you.’

The two continued to walk side by side and talk, but Kim Eun-ju’s heart was heavy. The suspicion caused by the perfume was fueling her anxiety even more. Although the garden was dazzling with sunlight, darkness was settling heavily on Kim Eun-ju. She pushed the stroller slowly, trying to calm her uneasy heart.

As her suspicion of Lee Hyun-woo deepened, Kim Eun-ju was engulfed in confusion and torment. As her trust in her husband wavered, dark clouds began to gather in her heart. Kim Eun-ju’s heart was heavy with the feeling that her once happy family was collapsing.

On the way home after her walk, Kim Eun-ju’s head was filled with complicated thoughts. The conflict between her suspicion of her husband and her love for him tormented her. Was all of this really a misunderstanding? Or was there really something going on? Kim Eun-ju sighed deeply.

–

The next day, late in the afternoon, Kim Eun-ju was taking a walk in the apartment complex garden. As she pushed the stroller slowly, her head was filled with complicated thoughts.

,That woman Lee-han-ssi mentioned… I’m really worried about her…’

At that moment, Lee-han, who was on patrol, approached her.

,Hello. You’re taking a walk every day.’

Lee-han greeted her in a friendly manner.

Kim Eun-ju replied with a smile.

,Hello. I guess so.’

Lee-han, who had been hesitating for a moment, carefully opened his mouth.

,Oh, I saw Hyun-woo-ssi on a night patrol recently.’

,My husband? When?’

Kim Eun-ju’s attention was focused.

,Was it a few nights ago? I saw Hyun-woo-ssi greeting a woman. I only saw them briefly as I passed by, but they seemed quite close.’

Kim Eun-ju’s expression changed greatly at Lee-han’s words.

,A woman? Can you tell who it was?’

,I don’t know who the woman was because I saw them from a distance. I just recognized Hyun-woo-ssi and passed by…’

Lee-han replied hesitantly. Kim Eun-ju couldn’t hide her flustered expression.

,Oh, really?’

,Yes, I was on patrol at the time, and I just saw them greeting each other and talking for a while. I don’t know what they were talking about, but it wasn’t long. But they seemed to be on friendly terms, so I thought they knew each other.’

The color drained from Kim Eun-ju’s face. As she listened to Lee-han’s words, her heart became increasingly uneasy.

,Hyun-woo with another woman… they must have just been greeting each other, right?’

But soon, an even greater suspicion seized her.

,They must not have any relationship, but why are they talking so much that the scent of perfume gets on him?’

,Okay… thank you. I guess they know each other.’

Kim Eun-ju greeted Lee-han with a hardened expression. Kim Eun-ju’s back as she pushed the stroller away looked heavy. Suspicion about her husband’s relationship with another woman weighed on her heart. Lee-han’s words brought even greater anxiety to Kim Eun-ju.

Amid the deepening suspicions, Kim Eun-ju was confused. She struggled between wanting to trust her husband and suspecting him. She didn’t know what the truth was or how to find out. The only thing that was certain was that this situation was making her more and more difficult.

–

Looking at Lee Hyun-woo’s tired face, Kim Eun-ju carefully brought up the subject.

,You seem to be very busy with work these days. You’re coming home late.’

Lee Hyun-woo replied with a tired expression.

,Yeah, I have a lot of work these days. I’m trying to finish as quickly as possible.’

Kim Eun-ju retorted coldly.

,Okay.’

The familiar scent of perfume lingered at the tip of her nose from her husband’s clothes.

,The same perfume scent is still there…’

In the living room, Lee Hyun-woo played with his son and said to Kim Eun-ju.

,Eun-ju-ya, take a rest early today. You look very tired these days.’

But Kim Eun-ju’s reply was cold.

,It’s okay. I’ll take care of it myself.’

Lee Hyun-woo was puzzled inside.

,Why has she become so sharp…’

He nodded with a worried expression.

In the bedroom, Kim Eun-ju looked at the sleeping Lee Hyun-woo and was lost in thought.

,Why is he talking to a woman in the evening so much that the scent of perfume gets on him?… Who is that woman Lee-han-ssi mentioned…’

As her suspicion deepened, Kim Eun-ju made a decision.

,I need to ask Lee-han-ssi for help. He will be able to help me. I need to find out if Hyun-woo is having an affair or not…’

—

The next morning, Kim Eun-ju decided to meet Lee-han while taking a walk with the stroller.

,I need to meet Lee-han-ssi. I should ask him for a little help…’

At that moment, Lee-han spotted Kim Eun-ju from afar and approached her.

,Eun-ju-ssi, hello.’

Kim Eun-ju greeted him with a determined expression.

,Hello, Lee-han-ssi. Can I talk to you for a moment?’

Lee-han looked at her with a puzzled expression.

,Of course. What’s wrong?’

Kim Eun-ju hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.

,Ah, I’m sorry, but… can you find out which woman Hyun-woo met?’

Lee-han’s expression became troubled.

,I can look it up, but looking at other people’s information without permission is a legal issue…’

Kim Eun-ju continued in a desperate tone.

,Is there any way you can find out somehow?’

Lee-han hesitated for a moment before answering.

,Hmm… I want to ask what’s going on, but I’ll skip that part. First of all, looking it up is illegal, so instead, I’ll keep an eye out at night to see if Hyun-woo-ssi is meeting anyone.’

A look of relief crossed Kim Eun-ju’s face.

,Thank you so much.’

Filled with anxiety and suspicion, she wanted to find peace through this. But it was unknown whether she would be able to uncover the truth with Lee-han’s help, or what kind of outcome awaited her at the end.