The Substitute Wife

CHAPTER 7

Rosè Jang's minivan and Park Jimin's car maintained the same distance, as the road was too congested to move forward.

Park Jimin seemed to sense Rose Jang's prolonged stare. He took a glance towards her side of the road as he lit up a cigarette.

His eyes didn't reveal too much detail, so she was unsure if he had seen her or was pretending not to have noticed her. To summarize, he merely swept a glance over her, drew the lit cigarette to his lips, lifted his arm, and touched a button on the car door. The car window gradually closed.

The privacy protector he had on his car shielded his refined look behind a black-gray screen, shutting down the stare from Rosè Jang.

Soon after they passed the airport toll gate, the traffic was clear and unobstructed. Park Jimin seemed to be afraid that she would tailgate him, as he picked up his speed, made a few turns, overtaking lanes before he finally merged into the traffic flow and disappeared far ahead.

No matter who she was, the girl whom he had forgotten two years ago, or the girl who was staying with him under another person's identity two years later, nothing was different. Park Jimin and Rosè Jang were like two worlds apart.

Rosè Jang resumed her staring at the window before she blinked her eyes as if she had never seen Park Jimin. She rolled up the car window, resting on the synthetic leather chair with her eyes closed.

As the car approached the city, Yoon Jane's manager, Wang Momo, picked up the phone and said, "Yes, okay." She hung up and told the driver, "Head to the Majestic Clubhouse."

Rosè Jang opened her eyes, full of questions, and looked up at Wang Momo.

Wang Momo knew what her question was even before she asked, explaining, "Invitation from Jeon Jungkook."

She paused for a moment. Realizing that Yoon Jane wasn't the real Yoon Jane, she added on, "One of Yoon Jane's affluent friends."

Rosè Jang understood that she has been paid to work and therefore, even if it was a function that she was reluctant to attend, she adhered to Wang Momo's request without any objections.

The lunch function at the Majestic Clubhouse was about to begin when Wang Momo received the call. Thus, the party in the club room was in full swing when they got there.

In a close to 150 square-foot room, the room was so packed with people that there were no spare chairs around the two two-yard round tables.

The host, Jeon Jungkook, quickly instructed a waiter to bring along two more chairs.

Given that a table would be too crowded with another two chairs, the waiter placed one chair at each table instead.

Wang Momo went for the empty seat closest to her, while Rosè Jang went for the other one.

After she sat down, she realized something was amiss. She looked to her right side and realized Park Jimin was sitting close to her, holding a cigarette, listening attentively to the person talking beside him.

The private room was so noisy that although Rose Jang was sitting next to Park Jimin, she couldn't clearly hear their conversation.

And as for Park Jimin, all his attention was on the person he was talking to, so he did not at all notice the extra chair that had appeared beside him.

It wasn't until someone recognized Rose Jang as Yoon Jane and ran over to clink glasses with her, shouting out Yoon Jane's name, that Park Jimin suddenly paused in the act of stubbing out his cigarette in an ashtray.

After a few seconds, he slowly turned his head and started looking over Rose Jang quietly.

Aware of Park Jimin 's eyes on her, Rosè Jang, who had just gotten ready to stand up and clink glasses with others, suddenly became a little stiff.