Chapter 15
The next day.
Inside a coffee shop in Yeongdeungpo.
The place was quiet in the early evening.
Behind an old curtain near the window, I sat beside Uncle Dong-su.
Across from us sat Kim So-jeong, the former stalker, and the investigation agency owner.
Both wore serious expressions.
Kim So-jeong looked much calmer than usual.
The agency owner played with his phone while glancing at us.
After holding her hot coffee cup for a moment, Kim So-jeong spoke clearly.
“That man has a mistress.”
Her voice remained clear and feminine.
But there was hostility in her eyes.
Her fingertips gently wrapped around the cup.
The more she spoke, the stiffer her expression became.
“He pretends his business completely failed, but that’s not true at all.”
She took a breath.
“After investigating, I found that most of his assets were transferred into his ex-wife’s name and are being managed there.”
She looked at us and continued.
“He tells people the divorce is legally finished, but reality is different.”
Her voice grew firmer.
“Cars, savings, real estate, jewelry, living expenses, even child support. He’s still taking care of everything.”
I picked up the file following her gaze.
“He also stays in regular contact with his wife.”
The agency owner paused briefly.
Then continued.
“And the situation with the mistress is unusual too.”
His voice dropped lower.
“It seems he told the mistress that things with his wife were completely over and that he was single.”
I looked at him.
“Why do you think that?”
I paused.
“Did the mistress tell you directly?”
“No.”
He shook his head.
Kim So-jeong interrupted.
“What woman would willingly live as a concubine in this day and age?”
There was personal certainty in her voice.
“No matter how much she liked money.”
The agency owner continued.
“The mistress knows the ex-wife exists, but she seems to believe everything between them was completely settled legally.”
I nodded.
He added,
“The man also moved some of the assets he hid into the mistress’s name. Small properties, cash, business funds, things like that.”
Then he stopped.
He studied my expression.
I only nodded without showing anything.
But inside, I was impressed by how thoroughly the man had prepared.
I pulled the photo envelope closer with my fingertips.
He dug two escape holes.
He had considered that his wife might someday betray him.
So he moved money to the mistress as insurance too.
One of the photographs slipped from the papers and fell to the floor.
Uncle quietly picked it up and handed it to me.
I nodded in thanks.
The agency owner then took out another photograph.
“This was taken after he had dinner with the mistress at a hotel and entered a room with her two nights in a row.”
He placed another photo on the table.
Then looked between Kim So-jeong and me.
A strange confidence appeared in his eyes.
“On another day, we photographed him entering a motel with her.”
There was certainty in his voice.
After a breath, he continued.
“The time, route, and vehicle number are all recorded accurately.”
He added firmly,
“This should be solid evidence.”
The more he explained, the more evidence photographs appeared across the table.
Kim So-jeong never looked away.
She carefully examined every photo.
Her expression became increasingly stiff.
Maybe it reminded her of her own past.
I slowly flipped through the pictures.
A hotel restaurant.
A hotel room entrance.
The front of a motel.
The man and woman were clearly photographed walking together.
A strange thought crossed my mind.
At his age, two nights in a row...
At least his stamina was impressive.
But I showed nothing on my face.
I controlled my expression and took a sip of coffee.
Then continued staring at the photos.
The atmosphere became quieter.
All three of them remained silent.
The ticking of the clock sounded unusually loud.
After a while, Kim So-jeong spoke first.
Her tone was calm and gentle.
“Actually, I’ve been betrayed before too.”
She quietly put down her cup.
She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them.
The corners of her eyes trembled.
“So something like this doesn’t feel like someone else’s problem.”
Her voice was still calm.
But a small tremble was hidden inside it.
She lightly clenched one hand, trying to calm herself.
“Even if everything looks fine on the outside...”
She took a small breath.
Her voice lowered.
