The next morning, Shin Hye entered the breakfast room, hoping to see her new husband—the man who had changed everything in one glorious day and glorious night, the man who had made her realize that perhaps their marriage could be more. That perhaps their contrived love match could be less contrived and more . . . well . . . a love match.

She vaguely remembered last night. How he had kissed her before...well...before she fell asleep. But that doesn’t matter. What mattered is that he wanted her... as how a man wanted a lover.

She squealed in pleasure.

She entered the room and to her disappointment, he wasn’t there. Maybe he went out for a quick jog in the morning. She has woken up early anyhow.

She took her seat at the lovely long table in the breakfast room, wondering if he still enjoyed sausage at breakfast, as he had when he was very young.

She hoped that he would join her as she accepted a plate of egg and toast (no sausage in sight) from the cook who came out of the kitchen to greet her.

She hoped Minho oppa would join her as she lingered over her toast.

As she sipped her fast-cooling tea.

As she eyed the newspaper, perfectly folded and placed to the left of the empty seat at the far end of the soon-growing-too-long table.

And, after a full hour of waiting, she stopped hoping.

He was not coming.

She remained alone.

Suddenly, she was keenly aware of the maid in the corner of the room and Shin Hye felt a blush rise high on her cheeks.

For, surely, they were thinking terribly embarrassing things.

She slid a glance at them.

They quickly looked down.

They are laughing at me...

She looked back at the table. He wasn’t coming.

Pabo-ah Shin Hye! Of course he wasn’t coming.

What happened last night hasn’t been magical to him. They’d been necessary. Since I’m his wife. He took his advantage and now left me. Alone.

She had to leave this room.

She rose from the table with all the grace expected of the wife of Chaebol, desperate to ignore the embarrassment, headed for the door.

But the door opened before she could get to it, and Ji Hyo entered, leaving Shin Hye with no choice but to stop short.

The stunning young housekeeper paused on the threshold of the room, not revealing any emotion as she dipped a quick bow, and said, “Good morning, Ma’am.”

Shin Hye resisted the urge to do the same, instead saying, “Good morning to you, Ji Hyo-ssi.”

Pleasantries behind them, the two women stared at each other for a long moment before the housekeeper said, “Mr.Lee asked me to inform you that you will be having an interview with the Reporters tomorrow morning at this house.”

“Oh.” That he had passed such a simple message to her via a the housekeeper made her realize just how misguided she had been about last night. If he could not find the time to tell his wife about an appointment, he had little interest in her then.

She took a deep breath, willing disappointment away.

“He also asked me to remind you that this report is quite important for you as a husband and wife.”

There was no need to get rid of the disappointment she felt, as it was almost instantly replaced by irritation. Shin Hye’s attention snapped to the housekeeper. But one look at Ji Hyo’s downcast gaze made Shin Hye calm down as this embarassement she is facing is not Ji Hyo’s fault. Ani, the blame goes to my husband.

Without thinking, she raised a brow, met the housekeeper’s eyes, and said, “Thank you for the reminder. It is a shame Mr.Lee could not remind me himself, at breakfast. Is he at home?”

Ji Hyo hesitated before saying, “Ani, Ma’am. He has not been home since you came.”

It wasn’t true, of course. But what it told Shin Hye was t