01

Morning at Seung-Ho's House

Ji-Eun stared at herself in the mirror, her face looking weary despite just waking up. The makeup she had worn the night before had faded, adding a pale tone to her complexion. This morning, her heart felt even more shattered than before. Her husband, Seung-Ho, had already left for work, as usual, without a word of comfort or attention. She knew what she had to do: go on with her day, hiding tears, wearing a forced smile in front of others.

But one thing she couldn’t deny—the marriage was a trap. It became all too clear when she returned to the dining room, where Seung-Ho was sitting, eyes glued to his phone, not even looking at her.

“Are you ready?” Seung-Ho asked flatly, his voice emotionless. “I have to go to the office.”

Ji-Eun nodded, though her heart felt suffocated. “Yes, I’ll go.”

Seung-Ho merely scoffed, as though he couldn’t care less. “Don’t bother. There’s nothing for you to do there.”

His words pierced through her like a knife. Every day, every word from Seung-Ho was another layer of insult. She tried to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. “Alright,” she replied, her voice trembling.

Seung-Ho stood up from his seat, glancing at Ji-Eun briefly. “You’ll only be a bother, Ji-Eun. Stay home.”

Ji-Eun held her breath, trying to calm herself. She wanted to scream, to say how much she was hurting, but no words could express the depth of the pain.

---

Afternoon at Home

Several hours later, Seung-Ho came back home looking tired, but not from work. Ji-Eun watched him enter the house, followed by a woman she knew all too well. Hye-Jin, Seung-Ho’s long-time lover, walked in confidently, wearing a sleek black dress that hugged her body perfectly.

“Hye-Jin,” Seung-Ho said with a smile full of passion as he wrapped his arm around Hye-Jin’s. “This is Ji-Eun, my wife.”

Ji-Eun could only stare at them, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Your… your mistress?” she whispered softly, barely able to believe the words.

Seung-Ho laughed quietly, his smile mocking. “Yes, her. Hye-Jin and I have been together for a long time, Ji-Eun. I married you only because our families insisted. You know that.”

Hye-Jin threw Ji-Eun a victorious smile, as if challenging her to speak up. Ji-Eun felt her heart shatter. Seung-Ho never cared about her, not even from the start. She was just a pawn in a marriage for status.

“Seung-Ho,” Ji-Eun tried to speak, her voice hoarse with emotion. “Why... why are you treating me like this?”

Seung-Ho looked at her with an empty gaze. “Why? Because you’re nothing more than a burden. You come from a family that’s beneath mine. I married you because I had to. Don’t expect more.”

Hye-Jin smiled smugly and leaned closer to Seung-Ho, kissing his shoulder with a possessive look. “You should know your place, Ji-Eun,” she said, her voice dripping with condescension. “Seung-Ho never loved you. He’s only being kind because our families want him to.”

Ji-Eun went silent, her heart aching. “I just want to be valued... I just want to feel loved,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Seung-Ho rolled his eyes. “Valued? Loved? Do you really think I’ll give you that? You’re nothing more than an overlooked wife.”

Hye-Jin wrapped her arm around Seung-Ho’s, pulling him closer, as if to further taunt Ji-Eun. “You’re deluded if you think there’s more to this, Ji-Eun. You’re only here to maintain our image. Don’t try to be more than that.”

Ji-Eun felt the weight of their words, suffocating her. She had never felt more invisible, more worthless. “I just want to feel loved,” she repeated, her voice trembling.

---

A Night of Agony

That night, after Seung-Ho and Hye-Jin retreated to another room in the house, Ji-Eun lay in their bed, alone. What was supposed to be their first night together as husband and wife had turned into a night of torment. She could hear their laughter, their teasing, even their passionate kisses echoing through the house.

Ji-Eun clenched the blanket, trying to steady her breath, but every sound from their room felt like a fresh wound. She couldn’t escape the cruel reality of her situation.

Seung-Ho eventually returned to the bedroom, but he didn’t lie next to her. “I’m not sleeping in the same bed as you,” he said, walking past Ji-Eun without a glance.

Ji-Eun bit her lip, struggling to keep her anger at bay. “I just want to be valued,” she said, her voice breaking. “Why can’t you care for me, Seung-Ho?”

Seung-Ho paused, looking at her with a blank expression. “Care for you? You’re not worth caring for. You’re just an obstacle. So stop hoping. You’ll never be anything more to me.”

His words were like daggers, and Ji-Eun could feel her heart being shredded with each one. She looked down, unable to stop the tears from falling. “I... I just want to be loved,” she whispered, barely audible.

Seung-Ho didn’t respond. He just turned and walked out of the room, leaving Ji-Eun alone in the silence, consumed by the hurt he had inflicted.

---

End of Episode 1

Ji-Eun lay in the cold darkness of the night, broken and alone. Every day felt like a fresh wound, and every word from Seung-Ho felt like a betrayal. But deep down, there was something stirring—a pain so intense it almost felt like a burning need to survive. But how could she escape from this endless torment?

What will happen to Ji-Eun? Will she remain trapped in this painful marriage, or will she find the strength to fight back and discover her own happiness?

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