You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 110

You Have Been Defended (1)

[Reports have surfaced that Go Jin-ah, former Executive Director of Yangjin F&B, paid Jung Young-joon 44 billion KRW in property division and 3 billion KRW in alimony, sparking widespread discussion.]

[During the first trial, Cho Hyun-seok testified that Go Jin-ah committed the crime to protect her established image, causing controversy.]

[Go Jin-ah has vehemently denied these accusations.]

[Go Jin-ah’s marriage to Jung Young-joon, a non-celebrity and her university senior, in 2003, attracted considerable attention.

They consistently portrayed a harmonious image, defying the common perception that chaebols [large family-owned conglomerates] only marry for strategic alliances.

As Chairman Go Sang-kyung’s only daughter, Go Jin-ah faced constant scrutiny regarding her ability to lead the Yangjin Group. Her marriage to Jung Young-joon presented a friendly image to the public, garnering her widespread support. She was even voted the No. 1 female entrepreneur that female college students aspired to emulate in 2005.

During the first trial, Cho Hyun-seok testified that if Go Jin-ah had sought a divorce from Jung Young-joon, who had been faithful throughout their marriage, it would have inevitably led to a lawsuit. He claimed Go Jin-ah feared the collapse of her carefully constructed image.

Therefore, she allegedly planned the crime to shift the blame for the divorce onto Jung Young-joon and safeguard her reputation…]

Go Jin-ah’s lengthy first trial has concluded.

On the sentencing day, she received a prison sentence.

Naturally, Go Jin-ah expressed her intention to appeal, rejecting the verdict.

However, this was no longer our concern.

She had already paid Jung Young-joon the full 47 billion KRW over several months, and I had received my legal fees from Jung Young-joon.

In short, the case was closed for me.

Jung Young-joon stated his intention to move on as if the incident never occurred.

He expressed no interest in her future life.

To that end, he planned to immigrate overseas with his family.

He intended to start a small food business, similar to what he did before the marriage.

Surprisingly, he was taking Im Hyung-oh with him.

It seemed he was planning to recreate the days when they ran Viva Pasta together.

Kang Min-jae had arranged a meeting to resolve misunderstandings after the incident, but I didn’t anticipate such a strong reconciliation in such a short time.

The reason Im Hyung-oh couldn’t meet Jung Young-joon when he visited his company was that Go Jin-ah strongly disapproved of his old acquaintances visiting and had prohibited all such visits. Therefore, the quick resolution of their misunderstanding wasn’t surprising.

I believed Jung Young-joon had made a wise decision.

His life was being rebuilt quickly.

Scars would remain, but at least no one in his new community would know about his unjust past.

And…

“Oh, right, Attorney Cha. I wanted to tell you something.”

I received a call from Lee Ye-jin, who had some free time after the first trial.

“Hello.”

I had put Lee Ye-jin on speakerphone and was reading the newspaper because she had been talking for over an hour without hanging up.

So, I casually dismissed her statement that she had something to say.

“Would you like to meet a woman?”

I nearly spilled my coffee at her sudden question.

“Excuse me? What are you talking about?”

At thirty-five, it’s not unusual for people to ask about marriage or dating.

My parents certainly do.

But even Lee Ye-jin?

“My husband says he has a friend who would be perfect for you. She works in the legal field.”

“I’m not really interested.”

“Oh, why! I saw her picture, and she’s really pretty! And she’s great at her job. She’s a year younger than you. She missed her chance because she was too busy working.”

At that moment, a slightly older version of the same voice echoed in my mind.

[I saw her picture, and she’s really pretty. She’s also very good at her job. You should meet her. She’s a year younger than Attorney Cha, but she’s definitely past her prime, right? She missed her chance because she was working, like Attorney Cha.]

I glanced at the calendar.

September 20, 2009.

In my previous life, I married relatively late.

I had a wedding with a woman I had been dating for about a year in the winter of my thirty-sixth year.

She was a lawyer at the law firm Jang Young, and I met her through Lee Ye-jin.

“By any chance, what’s the woman’s name?”

“What, what? Are you interested?”

“I was wondering if I might know her.”

“I don’t think she knows you very well. You didn’t overlap at the Judicial Research and Training Institute [Korean institution for training judges, prosecutors, and lawyers] either. It’s Jo Ah-young.”

I smiled faintly.

It was my ex-wife.

Of course, our relationship ended badly.

Our marriage had deteriorated a year before the divorce, and we lived almost as strangers.

She was already seeing someone else.

She also disapproved of my work and didn’t understand my commitment to revenge.

Our divorce was quick and straightforward.

Both being lawyers, the process remained within reasonable bounds.

Of course, I had to pretend not to know about her affair.

“So, are you going to meet her or not? Huh?”

I snapped out of my thoughts at her voice.

I stepped onto the veranda, lit a cigarette, and answered.

“Set a time and date and let me know.”

“Oh, okay, okay! That’s the spirit! Alright. Then I’ll talk to my husband and arrange a meeting. Are there any dates you need to avoid?”

“No.”

“You’re so proactive! I like that attitude! You should get married too! When I saw your house last time, it was perfect for a woman to just move in!”

Lee Ye-jin, excited on her own, gave me a few hints about her that I already knew and hung up.

And a few days later.

“Attorney Cha, Tae-shik wants to have a drink tonight. How about it?”

As it was almost 6 o’clock, Kang Min-jae, who had been fiddling with his phone, asked.

“I’m busy today.”

“You don’t have any appointments, do you? Let’s have a drink together. Director Kuk is coming too.”

Kang Min-jae pretended to pour a shot of soju [Korean distilled rice liquor].

It’s true that I rarely make personal appointments.

But to openly assume I wouldn’t have any appointments when I said I was busy…

Did I seem that friendless?

“I’m really busy today.”

“What kind of appointment do you have?”

When I shook my head, Kang Min-jae came to my desk and asked.

Then he picked up the calendar on my desk.

“Oh, there’s a circle on today? Are you meeting a woman?”

When I didn’t answer, Kang Min-jae widened his eyes and shouted.

“Are you really meeting a woman? Wow, a blind date?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Why isn’t it my business? You’re going on a blind date! If it goes well, you have to introduce me too. Got it?”

After that, he spent an hour rambling about how it didn’t make sense that I didn’t have a girlfriend at my age.

He said I’d get offers if I went on TV and that I was a top groom candidate because I had a lot of money.

Most of it was nonsense.

I was so skilled at ignoring his nonsense that I did my work with his voice as background music.

“Fighting! Your outfit looks good today, and your hairstyle is great!”

On the way home, Kang Min-jae passed by and gave me a thumbs up as I was about to get into my car.

“Just go.”

“Don’t be stiff in front of the woman. Be flexible. Be humorous. Okay?”

“Go.”

I ignored him and closed the car door.

The meeting place wasn’t far from here.

Since Jang Young was a law firm located in Seocho-dong, like our office, the meeting place was naturally in this area.

The restaurant I had booked was quite crowded, even though it was only 6:30 PM.

Nevertheless, the atmosphere wasn’t noisy, making it suitable for a blind date.

Lee Ye-jin had booked this place, saying many legal professional couples had been formed here.

Did I meet her here in the past?

I don’t remember well.

I sat at the table I was directed to.

With ten minutes until the appointment, I took out a book to pass the time.

I had given my name to the reception, so she would be guided to me when she arrived.

I was reading a chapter when…

“Excuse me, hello.”

A familiar voice came from above me.

I put down the book and stood up.

“……”

She was wearing a necklace with a moon-shaped pendant, just like when I first met her.

“Hello. Please sit down.”

“Am I a little late? I tried to hurry.”

“No. I came early.”

After ordering the meal, I looked at her.

She was definitely younger than I remembered.

She had worn a bob cut since after the marriage, but now her hair was long, past her shoulders.

“I saw you on the news, Attorney Cha. I heard it was your first time on TV, but you looked really natural.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes. Haha… You look much better in person.”

She blushed and said softly.

“…Thank you.”

The ensuing conversation wasn’t awkward.

Knowing her preferences, I chose topics that would make her laugh.

Of course, there were missteps.

For example, our opinions on the death penalty.

I remembered her being against it, but surprisingly, she was in favor.

Besides that, there were many other discrepancies.

I was extremely negligent in my family life in my previous life, but was it this bad?

I suddenly understood why she said living with me wasn’t enjoyable.

“I really enjoyed today, Joo-han.”

She said as we left the wine bar, our second stop.

It was almost 11 o’clock.

“I’m glad. I was worried I was keeping you too long, Ah-young, since you must be very busy.”

“No. Really, no.”

She glanced at the line of deluxe taxis on the side of the road.

“Shall we wait together until your driver arrives?”

“No. Please go in first. I’ll watch you leave.”

She wiggled her fingers as if disappointed.

I walked with her to the taxi closest to the front.

“Then I’ll go in first.”

She bowed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Just as she reached for the taxi handle, I spoke.

“Ah-young.”

“Yes?”

“I hope you will be happy.”

“……”

She turned to me, about to open the door.

She paused, rolling her eyes as if trying to understand my words.

“Um, does that mean you’re not interested in an after-date?”

She could have kept the thought to herself, but she asked directly.

“You will be unhappy if you meet me.”

“……. What?”

She tilted her head as if she didn’t understand.

[Why did you even get married if you were going to be like this? Wedding anniversary? My birthday? I don’t need any of that. I’m not saying this because you didn’t celebrate those things. You don’t have the basics. I’m really… so unhappy. Meeting you was the biggest mistake of my life. If I could go back eight years, I would never meet you.]

Her voice, poured out to me in frustration, briefly echoed in my ears.

[Are you the only lawyer? Are you the only one protecting justice? Stop being so dramatic, please. You’re not the only one who’s right. Look at the world more broadly. You’re an egg. And Wooshin is a rock. Please stop doing stupid things. Please, I beg you.]

I smiled bitterly.

We were too different.

My sense of purpose had become even stronger than in my previous life, but she remained the same.

That’s why I didn’t want to repeat the same mistake.

I didn’t know it then, but I couldn’t deny it.

My ex-wife was a burden to me, an obstacle.

And she was too good to be defined as someone’s burden or obstacle.

We weren’t right for each other, and our relationship couldn’t bring out the best in either of us.

The reason I came here today might have been a petty desire for revenge.

Even if I was partly to blame, I was the one who was ultimately abandoned.

It could have been a competitive urge to end things on my own terms this time.

“I don’t know why you think so, but I understand what you mean.”