Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

213 – Extra Story: Chaeyeon

213

A villa on the outskirts of San Francisco, USA.

A black limousine entered the private estate, which was usually deserted.

The car stopped, and the driver got out, revealing a man with a muscular build as sturdy as his vehicle.

Ignoring the driver’s frantic gestures, the man opened the back door with an unexpectedly delicate hand.

“We’ve arrived, Chairman.”

“Mm.”

The middle-aged man finally got out, adjusting his sleeves.

The bright sunlight highlighted his sleek suit and shoes, but what made him look even more high-class was his dignified appearance and unique charm.

The wrinkles scattered on his face clearly showed that he was no longer young, but despite that, his natural charm was undeniable. Rather, the years had added a sense of maturity and dignity to him, making him even more attractive.

And that was why young women, who were at least 10 to 20 years younger, would fall head over heels for him. It wasn’t just because of his vast wealth.

However, no matter how charming one’s appearance and natural charm may be, they can become a curse depending on the person.

His natural charm and charisma had been a great help in getting him to where he was today, but it had ultimately become a shackle for him.

What was once an advantage had now become a curse.

“From here on, I’ll go alone. You get in the car.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

The driver, who was also his bodyguard, hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth again.

“No… Just go somewhere and eat something. Don’t worry about the price. It might take a while.”

With a gentle farewell, the driver drove away, and the man exerted strength into his unmoving legs.

A quiet villa in San Francisco, USA.

The man, Chae Hoo-young, walked towards the villa he had bought under his daughter’s name, his expression clouded with anxiety.

* * *

The in-flight announcement and the pilot’s voice came on.

“We’re approaching our destination, and we’ll be landing soon.”

Joo Ji-tae looked around.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m really okay. Why are you being so awkward and apologetic? It’s not like you.”

Jo Yeo-jin, who was holding her belly, smiled wryly.

Joo Ji-tae looked around. One of the advantages of a private jet was that they could leave at any time they wanted. And another advantage was that there were no people around.

“I’m sorry.”

So he could confess his true feelings honestly.

“It’s enough that you understand. Why do you have to make me tell lies too? I’ll say it again, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to. It’s okay. We can cancel it now if we want—”

But his wife’s finger interrupted him.

Her slender, smooth finger touched his face and then sealed his lips.

“I’m really okay. So don’t apologize, and just do better for me and our kid from now on. Okay, kiddo~”

Joo Ji-tae smiled wryly as he looked at his wife, who was whispering playfully towards her belly.

At some point, she had become so mature, and the childish wife he used to know had suddenly grown up. Whenever he saw her smiling like a mother, he would always feel the flow of time.

And then, sometimes—like now—he would think.

Maybe his wife was living a second life, and she was more mature than he was.

“It’s not like that.”

But Jo Yeo-jin, who had heard Joo Ji-tae’s honest feelings, just smiled.

“Really.”

Because this was the winner’s mercy towards the loser.

Chae Ye-rin had already known about the inappropriate relationship between her husband and Jo Yeo-jin. She couldn’t even imagine that she would get pregnant first.

So she felt angry, disappointed, and betrayed—but she could make this decision because…

“Unnie is a pitiful person.”

She knew Chae Ye-rin well enough.

And above all, she was confident that she was the winner. She and her child were the top priority, so she could afford to be merciful.

* * *

Chae Hoo-young stood in front of the door for a while.

The news anchor’s voice came from the other side of the door.

It was a while after Chae Hoo-young knocked on the door.

Tap, tap.

A moment of silence. Chae Hoo-young, who had never felt such pressure even during his high-stakes gambles, roughly untied his necktie.

“Yes, come in.”

As he heard his daughter’s voice, Chae Hoo-young finally felt relieved and took a deep breath before entering the room.

It was a room he had designed, bought, and decorated with his own money. But as he entered the room, which he had only seen in pictures, Chae Hoo-young saw a familiar yet unfamiliar daughter.

Her familiar face, still youthful, yet strange.

“Long time no see, Dad. Have you been well?”

Chae Hoo-young was startled by his daughter’s familiar yet unfamiliar voice.

“…I’ve been well. And you?”

“I’ve been well too. It’s comfortable, and the money is good.”

A normal conversation between a father and daughter.

But the two people were not in a normal father-daughter relationship. The father, who had ruined the family, felt guilty towards his daughter, and the daughter no longer loved her father.

“That’s good. How’s your body… and the kid?”

“I’m doing well, exercising regularly and eating healthy food, so it’s good. The doctor says I’m very healthy.”

“That’s great.”

Chae Hoo-young, who was proud of his eloquence, found it difficult to continue the conversation with his daughter.

Was it the weight of guilt, regret, or shame in his heart? Anyway, the short conversation ended, leaving only an uncomfortable silence.

Chae Hoo-young hesitated for a moment before asking his daughter, who was about to give birth, a question.

“Since the due date is approaching, where is the baby’s father?”

The baby’s father.

At first, he didn’t know. He thought his daughter had made a mistake, and that was enough to drive him crazy. But as time passed, he realized that the situation was more complicated.

It was when he found out who the biological father of his daughter’s child was.

At first, he scolded his daughter, but all he got in return was her cold ridicule.

She said that if she got married, she would become a suspicious wife who would doubt her husband, just like her mother, and would eventually hang herself. Her words still echoed in his ears like a nightmare.

That’s why Chae Hoo-young, a failed father, couldn’t bring himself to say anything as a father, even now.

“He’s doing well, I suppose.”

As Chae Hoo-young looked at his daughter with a mixture of emotions, his gaze turned away.

[Breaking news: World-renowned star and soccer king, Joo Ji-tae, has appeared at San Francisco International Airport with his pregnant wife. We will connect with our reporter on the scene.]

The familiar name, his daughter’s father’s name, came out of the TV.

The two people, who were like statues, stared at the breaking news on the screen.

[(Breaking NEWS) Joo Ji-tae appears at San Francisco International Airport]

Chae Hoo-young gazed at the face on the screen.

A face that was as confident as his own, no, more so… He knew this guy well.

Wasn’t he a national hero that every Korean citizen knew? No. He knew him even before that. Was it because he was a soccer fan and knew him since his rookie days? No. He knew him even before that… before Joo Ji-tae started playing soccer seriously.

Joo Ji-tae was one of the kids in the neighborhood who used to receive care from his cold-hearted daughter… and the root of all this trouble.

The biological father of the child in her womb.

That’s Joo Ji-tae.

[My goal is not to have a child with a foreigner. Whether it’s a son or a daughter, I’ll give birth in Korea and raise them as Koreans.]

As Cha Heo-young watched Joo Ji-tae’s calm interview, he couldn’t help but feel bitter.

How could you make your grandchild an orphan, even if it’s not your own child? Even if it means you’ll never see your daughter’s face again—

[The reason I came to the US is… to meet the person who’s pregnant with my child.]

That’s when it happened.

Joo Ji-tae dropped a bombshell.

[It’s not my wife, but another woman.]

The scandal of the century, a romantic affair with a childhood friend, was about to break out, but—

[This isn’t an affair. I just provided sperm. Of course, my wife agreed. You can find the details in the press release]

“Are you kidding me? You expect me to believe this now?”

It was unexpected.

“What? This is actually true?”

Even Joo Ji-tae himself was shocked.

“This is why my image is important, you know.”

『Joo Ji-tae’s wife is pregnant, but he got another woman pregnant?』

『Is artificial insemination an affair? The controversy ignites』

『The truth behind the Joo Ji-tae scandal, revealed』

『”My wife agreed to it.” The opinion that it’s not an affair gains traction』