Winston remained focused on the documents before him as he absently asked, “About what?”
“About that.”
Madam Campbell snapped irritably. “You’ve heard how he’s lived all this time, haven’t you? Are you really planning to keep bringing that filth into this house? You need to do something immediately!”
Until then, Winston hadn’t reacted. But at that moment, he finally lifted his gaze. His expression remained unreadable, devoid of any discernible emotion. A shiver ran down Madam Campbell’s spine as she hesitated under his icy stare. Then, Winston spoke.
“His name is Yu-jin, not ‘that.'”
“What did you just say?”
Madam Campbell’s eyes widened in disbelief, her face contorting in outrage. But Winston continued speaking, utterly indifferent to her reaction.
“Regardless, I married him. And I’ve already declared to everyone that he is a part of the Campbell family. So, Mother, you need to respect that as well.”
Madam Campbell was so stunned that she was momentarily speechless. Her mouth gaped open as she stared at her son, at a complete loss for words. Winston calmly finished his thought.
“From now on, call him Yu-jin.”
“Winston—!”
“And for the record, the child’s name is Angela. Apparently, she goes by Angie.”
“Winston!”
At last, Madam Campbell could no longer contain her fury and shot up from her seat. Her face turned crimson with rage, but Winston remained utterly unmoved. Her emotions spilled over as she lashed out at him.
“What on earth are you thinking? Have you lost your mind? Are you letting yourself be swayed by that thing again?!”
“Of course not. Only an idiot would do something like that.”
Unlike her seething anger, Winston’s voice remained as calm as ever. Madam Campbell simply couldn’t understand her son. Enraged, she spat her next words like venom.
“Then why did you do something so foolish?! It’s just a marriage that won’t even last two years—there was no reason to throw a party and formally acknowledge it! All you needed was the child! You could have just summoned him to the estate when it was time to do your duty!”
At her furious outburst, Winston let out a short laugh. The corner of his mouth curled upward in a clear sneer as he narrowed his eyes.
“You mean like Father did?”
“Winston!”
Madam Campbell exploded. Her voice rang so loud that it nearly shook the entire office. Winston, however, only twitched his brow slightly.
“You should really mind your dignity, Mother.”
“How dare you…! How dare you say that to me?!”
The fury she had long suppressed erupted all at once. She raged like a madwoman, flinging her arms up and down, pacing in circles, and even pounding the sofa’s backrest with her fists. Winston merely observed her coldly, unmoved.
After all, he had long known—this was her true nature.
She only maintained that ice-cold composure because she cared about appearances. But Winston, through past experiences, had learned that the best approach in moments like these was to leave her be.
Ignoring her as if she weren’t there, he resumed reviewing his documents. Madam Campbell, after raging for quite some time, finally turned away. Realizing she wasn’t getting the reaction she wanted from her son, she let out a deep breath. Though her voice had somewhat calmed, her tone remained sharp as she spoke.
“So, explain to me why you did something so foolish. If you can’t convince me, I won’t sit back and do nothing.”
And what exactly did she intend to do?
Winston was vaguely curious but had no intention of wasting his time on this. He’d already wasted enough.
“For the family, of course.”
His voice was devoid of any inflection, as if he were reciting a generic phrase off a wall. Madam Campbell let out a short, incredulous scoff, but he continued indifferently.
“There’s no other reason. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to read too much into it, Mother. Overanalyzing things can be rather unpleasant.”
A glance at the clock showed that he was already ten minutes past his lunch break. Damn, his secretary was probably waiting. He had planned to have a quick sandwich while going over documents in his office. The catering had likely arrived early, and she was stuck waiting without even being able to eat.
Not wanting to waste any more time, he pressed a button on his phone. After instructing his secretary to bring in his lunch, a knock soon followed, and the middle-aged woman entered. She acknowledged Madam Campbell with a polite nod before placing a neatly packed lunchbox and coffee on the side of his desk, then quietly stepped back.
“Since we’re running late, can I extend my lunch break?”
“Go ahead.”
Winston easily granted permission, and the secretary left. Watching her light-footed retreat, Madam Campbell clicked her tongue and remarked curtly,
“You’re too soft on your subordinates. Is that really necessary?”
“There’s no reason to be cruel to them either.”
Winston’s response was just as indifferent. His attitude remained consistently detached. Madam Campbell finally accepted, albeit reluctantly, that further conversation was pointless.
“Fine. You seem busy, so I’ll leave.”
But just as she turned to go, she added one last remark.
“I’m relieved to see that you don’t have any lingering attachment to that thing. If you were to fall for it again, you’d be the biggest fool alive.”
She deliberately let out a short laugh before leaving.
Once the door closed and he was finally alone, Winston put down his documents and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.
That fool is standing right here, Mother.
The anger boiling inside him was undeniable. He had no choice but to admit it.
When Gordon had first told him, he had been utterly shaken. Prostitution? Theft? Just what kind of life had he been leading?
So I was right all along.
He had always been filth. Winston had suffered enough already—he wouldn’t be fooled again.
Even Yu-jin had admitted it himself. It was all true.
Despite everything, why did he still feel so uneasy?
A part of him remained uncertain. He didn’t like the thought, but… what if Yu-jin really had been framed? Yu-jin may have been promiscuous, but he wasn’t a thief.
At Delight, he could have had anything he wanted. There was no need for him to steal.
But that cynical reasoning was immediately challenged by another thought. Had he really been that extravagant? The annex where Yu-jin had been left to rot was practically barren, with only the most essential belongings. Even his clothes had been outdated and tacky, so old that it was impossible to tell when he had last received anything new. Most of them didn’t even fit properly.
And yet, he had worn them without a second thought.
Winston suddenly felt dazed as memories of their first date flooded his mind. Yu-jin, mesmerized by the endless cityscape, his laughter ringing high into the night air, his flushed cheeks as he looked at Winston.
You can live like that when you don’t know any better. But once you do, you can’t go back.
Recalling all the gifts and praise he had showered on Yu-jin left a bitter taste in his mouth. That must have been when Yu-jin’s eyes were opened. That must have been when his greed for wealth and luxury was born.
But still… he didn’t steal.
Back then, neither Winston nor his father had been around—what other choice did Yu-jin have but to steal?
No… even so…
As the same thoughts kept looping in his mind, Winston’s expression darkened. Then, as if coming to a decision, he picked up his phone and dialed his secretary. The rushed way she answered told him she had been caught off guard.
“Sorry to interrupt your break, but I have something for you to do.”
“Yes, sir. Please go ahead.”
This had never happened before. Winston strictly adhered to break and off-duty hours, so his sudden request left her bewildered. But what followed was even more surprising.
“…You want an investigation on Mr. Yu-jin Campbell?”
“Yes.”
His response was brief and to the point.
“Look into his criminal record. Find out who handled his case and when it happened.”
This is just to confirm that I wasn’t wrong.
Once I see just how low he sank, I won’t be shaken anymore.
“…Understood.”
The secretary masked her shock and ended the call.
A criminal record? For his own husband? What the hell is going on?
She had heard all sorts of gossip about Yu-jin Campbell, of course. But she had always ignored tabloid rumors as a matter of principle. However, this… this was too big to brush aside.
Just what was happening?
Still in a daze, she blinked as a waiter set down her meal. She barely mumbled a thanks before grabbing her phone and saving the details of the conversation.
What does it matter? My job is just to do as I’m told.
She had three children and was already well into middle age, yet she had managed to keep working while receiving the best treatment all these years. It was because she kept her mouth shut and never questioned her boss’s orders.
She had no intention of making that mistake. Running her mouth carelessly and losing such a good job was the last thing she wanted.
Besides, there was a confidentiality clause.
Hmm.
Letting out a deep breath, the secretary pressed down on her double-patty burger and took a big bite. As expected of a place famous enough to be featured in magazines—it was delicious. Satisfied, she quickly devoured the entire thing and ordered another.
And just two days later, she delivered her report on the investigation.
