Chapter 49 – If I Get Divorced, I Think I’ll Feel Refreshed

After finishing his daily routine, Geum Nae-yeong arrived home late.

His parents, who had closed their shop early, were waiting for him to eat dinner together.

[The government plans to reform the tax system within this month…]

His father was trimming ingredients to be used at the shop tomorrow while listening to the TV news.

The sound of cutting continued at a steady pace.

Beep-beep-beep– click–

“Is that you, Nae-yeong?”

“Yes, I’m home.”

His mother, who was washing dishes, wiped her hands on her apron and came out to the living room.

“You worked hard. You are late today too.”

“It’s fine. Have you had dinner?”

“No, we haven’t. You texted that you were coming soon. So I said we three should eat together with your father.”

“Next time, don’t wait and please eat first. I can eat separately.”

Hearing those words, his father stopped trimming the green onions and raised his head.

“Aomuch as you are busy, a family should gather and eat together.”

It was a short, firm remark.

Geum Nae-yeong set down his bag and sat at the table.

On the family’s dining table, familiar side dishes were laid out.

“Nae-yeong. I grilled the Spam you like. This comes in the most during holidays, after all.”

His mother gently pushed the heap of grilled Spam and rolled omelets in front of Geum Nae-yeong.

His father asked, as if suddenly remembering.

“Oh… that lawyer who gave you the gaming console… did you buy him a new one?”

“Yes. Seeing that music plays from his office every day, he seems to like my gift.”

“Really? That’s a relief. That is how we should live, sharing with each other.”

“…Having experienced it, I think Dad is right. He glares intently at me every time we cross paths lately. It feels like rapport building is complete.”

“Huh? I… is that so? Well, if so, that’s a relief, but…”

Hearing Geum Nae-yeong’s words, his father felt a somewhat strange sensation but nodded his head. He added as he picked up and ate a rolled omelet.

“Nae-yeong, isn’t it hard going on that morning program continuously lately? You have a lot of work too.”

“I am managing my schedule well. Don’t worry.”

“Right, still, don’t overexert yourself. Since we’ve paid off all the debt now… you just need to save a lot of money and get married. Take good care of your health while you work. Haha.”

At his father’s words, his mother glared at him immediately.

“Stop saying useless things. Nae-yeong will handle himself well.”

Geum Nae-yeong silently topped his rice with Spam and put a large spoonful into his mouth.

The sound of chopsticks clashing hovered over the quiet dining table.

[Assemblyman Ka Do-min of the Songju-gu constituency has been arrested on bribery charges. The prosecution…]

As the news captions scrolled past, his father clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, tsk… look at what those National Assemblymen are doing. Always thinking of pocketing something… tsk.

Whenever election season comes, they go to the market and eat fishcakes they wouldn’t normally eat. Those bastards who get caught accepting bribes at high-end room salons have the appetite of commoners only at times like that.”

His mother also chimed in.

“That’s all just a show for display. It’s not something new.”

After a moment, his mother looked toward Geum Nae-yeong.

“Nae-yeong. You must never do anything like politics. No matter how extraordinary their backgrounds as former judges or prosecutors are, the moment they are elected as politicians, it’s as if their brains change. They suddenly get greedy for money, change their words, and ultimately become bastards who pocket everything.

Our Nae-yeong, just succeed as a lawyer, okay?”

Instead of answering, Geum Nae-yeong scooped another spoonful of rice, nodded, and asked.

“What is a successful lawyer? In the way Mom and Dad think.”

“Hmm… a successful lawyer.”

His father fell into thought for a moment.

“Well, Dad wasn’t very good at studying and doesn’t know much about how the world works, but… in my opinion, you being good at studying isn’t just a simple talent.

You know how there are people whom the heavens send to the world, thinking they are absolutely necessary.

Dad thinks our Nae-yeong is that kind of person.”

“Oh, that’s not it. Our Nae-yeong is just smart.”

When his mother interrupted, his father continued as if he hadn’t heard her.

“Become a successful lawyer and get more famous than Kim & Chang,

and with that power, do some free representation for weak people like your dad. How much would people love that?

Having a lot of money, and also knowing how to spend that money well.

Well… though honestly, Dad would like a rich son even more. Hahaha.”

“What are you talking about? How incoherent.”

Although his mother spoke scoldingly while scooping another ladle of rice into Geum Nae-yeong’s bowl, his father just laughed.

Hearing his father’s words, Geum Nae-yeong was lost in thought for a moment, then soon nodded his head.

***

The next afternoon.

A man entered Geum Nae-yeong’s office when it became his turn for consultation.

“Hello, Lawyer.

Um… do you happen to remember Yoon Sang-gyun? He is a younger brother I know from my hiking club.

I heard that you helped that younger brother receive his 1.8 billion won building without losing a single cent to his wife here before… so I came after being referred. I intended to come right after Chuseok, but I was a bit delayed.”

“Yes, I remember.”

Geum Nae-yeong had handled and resolved a divorce case previously brought by Lawyer Seo In-ja’s client, and the man seemed to be referring to that.

“Listening to Sang-gyun’s story, I heard you resolved it very satisfyingly.

I have no idea how much better that friend’s face has looked since deciding on a quick divorce. Everyone around him is very envious.”

“Yes.”

“Although I am at a late age… honestly… I cannot live like this anymore. If I just divorce quickly, I think I will feel refreshed, and…

well, also… I came to get a consultation to see if I could get a bit more money.

I really thought I was going to call an ambulance this Chuseok. She harassed and badgered me so much. I have high blood pressure, you see? But my blood pressure shot way up and wouldn’t come down.”

The man had prepared a heap of documents as if he had made up his mind, and held them out. Geum Nae-yeong scanned and looked through the papers rapidly.

Flutter-flutter-

“Hmm… your wife’s occupation is a teacher, and you, the husband, are currently retired.”

“Yes, I am resting after retirement, and my wife has worked as a math teacher at a private school for a little less than 20 years, though I’m not exact.

Since she entered school employment late, took many leaves of absence in the middle of marriage, and gave birth, her career length is a bit shorter than others.”

The man poured out various stories, as if he had a lot bottled up.

While listening to the man’s story, Geum Nae-yeong marked something with a red pen.

The man was waiting for Geum Nae-yeong’s mouth to open, as if waiting for a judgment’s answer.

“From your perspective, Lawyer… how is my situation?”

At the man’s question, Geum Nae-yeong raised his head, looked at him, and asked.

“What is the part you consider most important in the divorce lawsuit?”

“Something important… well, to be honest, it is money, really. I want to get even a single cent more.”

“Even a single cent more…”

“Yes, I lived with my wife for over twenty years, but to just leave empty-handed, that is unfair, isn’t it?

And if I had known her major was mathematics, I would not have married her in the first place.

Do you know how cheap my wife is?

Every day, she splits even one hundred or two hundred won and calculates the share of living expenses. Because of how deeply resentful I became, I don’t even do stocks like everyone else.

Every day, she prints out graphs and brings them over, sitting there saying things like, ‘This month we spent 16% more on living expenses than last month, and useless spending increased by 3%.’

She even compares it with the same month last year.

Try enduring that for 20 years. Just looking at a similar graph makes my face pop up, and I shudder. Seriously… I’m sick of it.”

Geum Nae-yeong nodded, and as if the client’s request had been received, he rapidly scribbled numbers on the consultation sheet.

Then, he drew a circle over a certain section with a tap.

“Live with your wife a bit longer.”

“Pardon? Live longer? Why?”

The man, as if having heard a major sentencing, had his face stiffen and distort instantly.

“Th- that… I heard Sang-gyun was told to divorce quickly and got 300 million won more in division of property, so why do you tell me to live longer? If I stay even one more day with my wife, I will go absolutely crazy.”

The husband looked at Geum Nae-yeong, appearing extremely aggrieved.

“Do you not want to receive even a single cent more?”

“Exactly. Why must I live with her longer? We’ve already lived together for too long. Way too long…”

The man let out a sigh as if he were sick to death of it.

“The reason is due to pension receipt.”

“Pension receipt?”

“Yes. I need to know the exact period, but if private school employment is less than 20 years, one can choose whether to receive it as a pension or as a lump sum.

However, when talk of divorce comes up, from the wife’s perspective, if she chooses the pension, she may have to share at least 30%, and up to 50% at most, of her pension amount with her husband. However…”

“However?”

Geum Nae-yeong continued.

“If she receives it as a lump sum, she might not share it with you, the husband.”

“But… isn’t receiving it as a lump sum a loss? Would she receive a lump sum while taking a loss? If she receives it as a pension, the money is larger though?”

“No.

Calculating by total amount, from the wife’s perspective, she may judge that receiving it as a lump sum is better than dividing half the pension.

Furthermore, if the marital relationship is already poor and the wife is sensitive to money issues, there is also the possibility that she might move the funds elsewhere or hide them as soon as she receives the lump sum.”

“Surely not. Would my wife act that quickly on her feet?”

At the man’s words, Geum Nae-yeong answered firmly.

“If your wife had sought me out instead of you, Mr. Jeong Dong-tak, I would have checked the employment period first and recommended receiving a lump sum.

That is because, from the wife’s perspective, she wouldn’t have to share a portion of the pension every month. Next, I would have told her to move that money under someone else’s name.

If it is processed that way, it is difficult to retrieve the money. You might even have to file an additional lawsuit.”

Hearing Geum Nae-yeong’s words, the man wore a disappointed expression.

“Ah… I didn’t think of that.”

“Of course.”

Geum Nae-yeong continued.

“Once talk of divorce actually arises, the wife is bound to seek out a lawyer too.

And the wife’s lawyer in charge will advise her on how to avoid having her money taken as much as possible. That is because the client’s interest is the lawyer’s interest.”

“Ah… this is also extremely strategic.”

“Yes.”

Geum Nae-yeong nodded.

“Therefore, the best strategy in the current situation is to treat your wife well until she chooses the pension instead of the lump sum.

Because if the husband raises the topic of a lawsuit first, the wife might seize that chance and receive the lump sum first.”

Geum Nae-yeong spoke, narrowing his eyes as if about to say something important.

“And… once your wife has chosen the pension, we can think about the divorce lawsuit then.”

When Geum Nae-yeong finished speaking, the man nodded his head deeply.

“Then starting today, I should treat my wife extremely well, and when she chooses the pension receipt… I can just come back for a consultation then? Hahaha.

You indeed speak very honestly.”

He laughed while rising from his seat.

“Ahahaha, I should buy some snacks for my wife on my way. You mean I should do my absolute best to treat her well so she doesn’t file for divorce first. Then half the pension… Hahahahaha.”

A look of satisfaction spread across the smiling man’s face.

While Geum Nae-yeong was diligently continuing his consultations in that manner, in the office, Kim Mi-young was holding the receiver and tilting her head continuously.

Beep-beep-beep-beep.

“How strange… Why aren’t they answering the phone? They aren’t picking up no matter how many times I call. Even if they are free since the accounting closing is over, they surely couldn’t have gone on a group trip overseas…?”

Office Director Kim Mi-young tilted her head as the accounting office remained unreachable for the second day.

She spoke to the new employee, Kim Su-seon, who was learning accounting duties next to her.

“Su-seon. When you go to drop off the mail later, could you stop by the accounting office for a moment?

It is because the phone won’t connect. I had something to ask regarding bookkeeping last time.”

She handed over a thick envelope.

“Deliver this document along with it too.”

“Yes, I understand. I just need to tell them that the phone isn’t connecting, right?”

“Yes. Also, buy a cool coffee and drink it on your way back. Working hard is good, but don’t rush too much.

Since it takes some time to get used to accounting work. For me, did about three years pass? Only then did I develop an eye for reading documents.”

“Yes, I understand. Thank you.”

Even after Kim Su-seon left, Kim Mi-young shook her head while thinking of the accounting office that did not answer the phone for a while.