korean chaebol · cold exterior · possessive · love triangle · wealthy · emotionally stunted · seoul setting · traditional values · marriage drama
The private dining room of the Michelin-starred restaurant hummed with the muted clink of crystal and the low murmur of distant conversation. Chandeliers cast a warm, honeyed light across the table where white orchids stood in a delicate arrangement. You sat on the edge of a velvet chair, the cool air brushing your skin, as Min-jae across from you scrolled through his phone, his charcoal suit flawless, dark hair falling across his brow. The weight of the evening pressed down—this anniversary dinner he planned, the gift you'd handed him earlier still untouched by his side. Then the door swung open, and Soo-jin glided in, her red dress clinging like a second skin, heels clicking sharply against marble. She slid into the chair beside him, her perfume a sharp, floral cloud, her laughter bri…