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“And why is that?” Her sharp gaze bore into me, demanding an answer.

“Because maybe… he’s not good for me.”

“Explain.”

“Because I’m not happy with him!” The words burst out before I could stop them, my voice shaking as I fought to keep my emotions in check.

For a moment, I was tempted to tell her the truth—that Min-seok cheated on me. Surely, she wouldn’t let her daughter stay with a man who slept with an escort. No matter how impeccable his family background was or how successful his career as an international lawyer.

But the words wouldn’t come out.

Somehow, I was embarrassed. Embarrassed by the failure of my relationship.

I heard a persistent, tiny voice in my head:What if the cheating was because of me? Because I was plain? Boring? Not enough?

My mother sighed, her expression softening as she stepped closer. Instinctively, I took a step back.

“No relationship is perfect, Seo-yeon. Even the strongest ones have rough patches,” she said, her voice lowering as if imparting some great wisdom.

“But while you were in Paris, I spoke to him. We talked about everything. He told me how things really went and…” She paused, watching me carefully.

“He even said he’s been thinking about marriage.”

I blinked. “He… what?”

“Yes, he told me he’s been looking at engagement rings. He even showed me one! It’s beautiful, Seo-yeon. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, so you should go talk to him. I’m sure you two can work things out.”

Oh, I’m sure that WON’T be the case.

Judging by how my mom was practically glowing at the thought of a wedding, it was obvious Min-seok had conveniently left out the part about his raunchy night with leopard-print-cape girl.

The audacity of this man!

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay quiet. If I said anything now, it would only turn into another argument—one I had no energy for.

Instead, I sat on my bed, arms crossed, fuming as I waited for her to leave.

“Are you done now, Mom? I’m still exhausted from the trip, so if you could give me some space, that’d be great,” I said, keeping my tone as neutral as possible.

My mom opened her mouth, then closed it again. She looked like she still wanted to interrogate me about work but decided she’d done enough for today.

“Okay, fine. But promise me you’ll speak to him and fix things,” she said as she walked toward the door.

I just stared at her coldly as she left my room.

Once she left, I paced back and forth in my room, unknowingly biting my nails. Should I go to his place, confront him, and tell him to stop all this nonsense because we were over?

Or maybe he didn’t even deserve my presence.

This could be done over the phone, I decided.

I dialed his number, and on the first ring, he picked up, sounding both surprised and excited.

“Seo-yeon! How… how are you? Are you back in Seoul?”

I let him blabber like an idiot for a few moments before settling in.

“Listen,” I said, my voice calm but cold. “Maybe it’s not clear enough for you, but we’re over. I don’t want to be with you anymore. I’ll be telling my family soon, so don’t talk to anyone in my family again or spread any more nonsense.”