Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 416

417. I’m Pregnant!

“……!”

Immediately, a torrent of trash rained down on Gu Dong-gon and Lee Ye-rim.

“Kyaaak!”

“What is this!”

Leftover coffee and drinks from the trash can streamed down their faces, mixed with dirty tissues and unidentifiable grime.

Neither of them had yet registered Kim Mal-ja’s presence.

“Honey, do something! Something disgusting spilled on me.”

Lee Ye-rim, coated in refuse, shrieked, and Gu Dong-gon also raised his voice, expressing his outrage.

“What is all this? Who are you……!”

It was as they shook the trash from their heads and faces and finally looked up, their voices booming.

“You’re worse than trash.”

Kim Mal-ja, her voice sharp as a blade, glared at them as if they were insects.

“…….”

“……!”

Facing her piercing gaze, they froze, mouths agape.

Silence descended, thick and heavy, even the air in the hospital room seemed to stagnate.

“Is this your playground now?”

“Y-y-you?”

Kim Mal-ja spoke icily, shattering the quiet, and Gu Dong-gon stammered, his words catching in his throat.

“How did you find me here……?”

“Tell me. Is this your playground? How could you do this again!”

“Honey. Th-that’s… I can explain everything.”

Gu Dong-gon was aghast, as if confronted by a ghost, utterly lost.

“I saw you with a young woman at the hospital. What is there to explain! Is this some kind of game to you?!!!”

“I was planning to visit the restaurant [referring to their business], but something came up, and I was going to tell you…….”

“Hello!”

Gu Dong-gon was babbling incoherently, when Lee Ye-rim, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, chirped a cheerful greeting.

“I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Lee Ye-rim. Since you’ve seen everything, I won’t bore you with details. I’m seeing this oppa [term of endearment used by younger women to address older men].”

“Ha!”

“It’s not just a fling; we’re serious about each other.”

“Hahaha!”

Kim Mal-ja couldn’t help but laugh at Lee Ye-rim, whose excessive cheerfulness bordered on the absurd, devoid of any remorse.

“You’re seriously seeing him?”

“Yes, we’re in love.”

“Love? Hey! How old are you?”

“Me? I’ve lived a little. Forty-five.”

“I see. At that age, you’re old enough to know better. A forty-five-year-old woman having an affair with a married man? Love? Even a dog would laugh. You’re nothing but an adulteress.”

“Wh-what did you say? Adulteress? Why am I an adulteress?”

“You’re having an affair with a married man; what else would you be?”

“That’s not true.”

There’s a common thread among those who cheat.

They lack empathy, are self-centered, attempt to justify their actions even in the most ridiculous circumstances, and struggle to communicate honestly.

Moreover, those who cheat in a marriage, not just a relationship, are even worse.

Marriage is a sacred promise between two people to build a life together, founded on love and commitment.

To break that promise and turn to someone else is an act no rational person would condone.

“Technically, I’m divorced, so I’m not an adulteress.”

Lee Ye-rim, displaying the typical traits of a cheater, began to spout nonsense.

“And since we’re on the subject, I really like oppa, no, I love him. I don’t care about the age difference, and I’m not afraid of what people think. I chose him for love. Besides, the adultery law has been abolished, so it’s not a crime to choose someone who’s married.”

“Did you pursue him for the restaurant? Do you think if I divorce him, you’ll become the mistress of that restaurant?”

“Well, it’s not impossible. I’m a really good cook.”

“Looking like that, I doubt you’d be any good.”

Kim Mal-ja said with a sardonic smile, glancing at Lee Ye-rim’s fingernails, which glittered blindingly with cubic zirconia.

“Since you’re so eager to be the mistress of the restaurant, you must have approached him for the money, but this man doesn’t own a single share. It’s my restaurant.”

That was the truth.

The restaurant they were running had been passed down to Kim Mal-ja by her in-laws.

Her mother-in-law had insisted it should go to her son, but Kim Mal-ja became the owner thanks to her father-in-law’s resolve.

The reason for passing it down to the daughter-in-law instead of the son, Gu Dong-gon, was her innate diligence, strong work ethic, and skillful management. It was clear the restaurant would fail if Gu Dong-gon took over.

‘Remember, Mal-ja. No matter how much Dong-gon’s children whine and throw tantrums, never make the restaurant a joint ownership.’

The father-in-law, who had retired and moved to the countryside, one day called Kim Mal-ja to his home and revealed his true feelings.

‘He’s my son, but if I hand over the restaurant to him, he might sell it off trying to expand it too quickly. And just in case… if Dong-gon ever makes your life miserable and you can’t take it anymore, get a divorce and live your own life.’

‘Father. Why are you saying that?’

‘Dong-gon has always struggled to focus. He doesn’t stick to anything and just likes to socialize. I’m worried you’ll suffer because of it. If that happens, leave without regrets.’

‘Overcoming hardships is part of marriage; I can’t abandon him just because it’s difficult.’

‘I feel bad for you. You’ve only suffered since you married him.’

The father-in-law cherished Kim Mal-ja more than his own children, and not just because she was a hard worker.

The mother-in-law had dementia, so severe that she was smearing feces on the walls for a year before she died.

Kim Mal-ja did all the difficult work that even paid caregivers refused.

‘Our mother had a good bowel movement today. You did a great job.’

‘The weather is nice today, let’s take a longer walk than yesterday.’

‘You pulled out more hair than yesterday? You still have a lot of energy.’

‘Today’s lullaby is a song by Nam Jin oppa [a famous singer], which mother likes.’

She cared for her mother-in-law’s bowel movements, endured her hair being pulled while washing, dressing, feeding, and putting her to sleep, all while exhausted from working at the restaurant.

Because she was a daughter-in-law who cared for his wife more devotedly than his own children, the father-in-law was eternally grateful.

So, he left everything to his daughter-in-law.

“I didn’t do it for the money. It’s okay if I have money or not. Love is more important to me.”

Lee Ye-rim, who had been listening, hesitated for a moment, then confidently reiterated her love.

“If I divorce this man, he’ll be broke, and you’ll be broke too. Do you want a divorce? Then I’ll give it to you.”

“Yo, honey, I…….”

“Shut up. Are you curious why I came to the hospital? I came to hear the results of Ji-yeon’s breast tissue biopsy and accidentally saw you and searched the entire hospital room. Ji-yeon has been anxious all week, wondering if she has cancer, and her face has become gaunt, but you, the father!”

Kim Mal-ja raised her voice.

“The father is having an affair? Huh! You did this to me too; how can you do this to your child again? Are you even human?”

Her clenched fist struck Gu Dong-gon mercilessly, and a voice filled with resentment echoed in the hospital room.

“Are you human? Are you human!”

“Oh my, oh my! Oppa, are you okay?”

Lee Ye-rim, who seemed to have lost all sense, shielded Gu Dong-gon and blocked Kim Mal-ja’s path.

“Why are you hitting people, ajumma [term used to address middle-aged women]? Talk it out. People are naturally drawn to pretty things. If you didn’t want your husband to stray, you should have taken care of yourself. Why are you blaming oppa for turning to me because you couldn’t keep him interested?”

“Do you want a divorce?”

“Yes, please divorce m- Kyaak!”

As Lee Ye-rim tried to answer for Gu Dong-gon, who was hanging his head, Gu Dong-gon pushed her away and knelt before his wife.

“Divorce? What are you talking about? Honey, I was wrong. I…… I must have been out of my mind.”

Gu Dong-gon, who had been toying with Lee Ye-rim but never intended to divorce, felt the gravity of the situation and begged Kim Mal-ja.

“Honey, I really don’t want a divorce. There’s that client of ours, you know. I got close to her while talking to her a few times at the slaughterhouse……. I was wrong. I’m begging you. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? If you do wrong and say sorry, am I supposed to accept it? If you kill someone and say sorry, is that the end of it? You shouldn’t have done something to apologize for in the first place. I have no feelings for you anymore.”

“Don’t say that. Honey. I! I’m a son of a bitch. I must have been crazy for a moment. Just one more chance!”

Gu Dong-gon, desperate, grabbed his wife’s legs and begged.

“Oppa? What are you doing?”

Lee Ye-rim, shocked and stunned by Gu Dong-gon’s actions, got up, dumbfounded, and raised her voice.

“You said you liked me?”

Lee Ye-rim couldn’t comprehend the situation.

Even with the wife finding out, she couldn’t believe this was happening.

The person who had been showering her with attention and affection had suddenly become someone else.

She felt lost and abandoned.

“You said you couldn’t live without me?”

“Hey! When did I say that?”

“You told me to live a long and healthy life, so you told me to get a health checkup.”

“You, are you making things up? Honey, Ji-hoon’s mom? It’s all a lie. I didn’t do that.”

“Oppa, why are you doing this?”

Lee Ye-rim, unable to understand the situation, pointed at Kim Mal-ja with a brazen expression.

“What do I lack compared to that woman?”

Lee Ye-rim, fluttering her long, fake eyelashes, was confident. She looked down on Kim Mal-ja.

“It’s obvious I’m much better.”

No matter how she looked at it, the woman in front of her was inferior.

She was older, with frizzy permed hair, wrinkled hands, and a shapeless figure.

She was an old woman who no longer deserved to be called a woman, and Lee Ye-rim was far superior.

But she hated seeing Gu Dong-gon groveling to that woman.

“I’m better than this old woman. I’m prettier!”

“Hey! Stop talking nonsense and shut your mouth.”

“Why should I? Shut my mouth? Why!!! Ajumma, I can never break up with oppa. Never.”

“Lee Ye-rim, stop saying weird things. I have no intention of seeing you again!”

Gu Dong-gon and Lee Ye-rim were acting wildly, leaving Kim Mal-ja utterly bewildered.

“What do I lack compared to that old woman?”

“Just be quiet. Honey, don’t listen to her.”

“Ajumma, I can’t give up oppa.”

“You, how can you be so confident after having an affair? Shouldn’t you at least apologize? Do you have any conscience?”

“Why should I? It’s not wrong to like and love someone.”

“You, really! I told you to shut your mouth, didn’t I? Honey, don’t listen to this woman, listen to me. I’ll explain everything.”

“Oppa!! Are you really going to do this to me? You can’t do this to me.”

“I told you to shut your mouth.”

“I’m pregnant!”

As Gu Dong-gon continued to beg on his knees, Lee Ye-rim, driven to desperation, dropped an irreversible bombshell.