After the Divorce, a Treasure Map Made Me a 1,000-Trillionaire Chapter 3
It was an old bracelet, so dusty and worn you couldn’t tell when it was even made.
But something about it… it faintly glowed.
“Wait… is this thing real gold?”
It felt heavy in my hand.
It had to be at least five don.
‘What’s the price of gold these days?’
Panicked, I pulled out my phone and searched for the current gold rates.
- Based on 1 don (3.75g): [24K] / [₩512,000] [18K] / [₩376,400] [14K] / [₩291,900]
“Whoa, when did gold get this expensive?”
The price had skyrocketed—almost double what it was a few years ago when I bought a small ring for my baby's first birthday.
‘So if it’s five don and pure gold...’
“That’s... 2.5 million won…”
Even if it was just 14K, the bracelet would still fetch at least 1.5 million won.
It clearly wasn’t mine.
Until just recently, I’d been struggling to cover credit card bills and loan interest. I couldn’t even afford ice cream, something I used to love.
No way I could’ve bought something like this.
I closed my eyes for a moment, thinking it over.
Then, I opened them and made up my mind.
“Let’s not be greedy.”
It wasn’t mine. If I got greedy, it might come back to bite me.
‘It was in the drawer at the goshiwon. I’ll just give it to the manager.’
I tucked the bracelet into my pocket and headed toward the manager’s room.
When I got there, she was still glued to her phone, her hair as messy as yesterday.
She finally looked up at me.
“Oh, hello. What’s going on?”
That was… different. Her tone had changed since yesterday.
Yesterday, her first word to me was a curt “Huh?” Now she was all polite.
‘Was it the Haagen-Dazs I gave her?’
Well, I’d be living here for a while, so better to keep things pleasant. If 5,900 won was enough to change her attitude, then great.
“Um, about the drawer you gave me yesterday…”
Before I could finish, she cut in and apologized.
“Oh, I’m sorry! The drawer’s probably stuck, right? That thing wasn’t ours. Someone who lived here a long time ago left it behind. Would you like me to swap it for another one?”
“Huh? It’s not property of the goshiwon?”
“No, about half of the stuff in there belonged to a resident who left… maybe five years ago?”
That changed everything.
It wasn’t the goshiwon’s, and the original owner had left ages ago.
Seeing me hesitate, she asked again, “Should I switch it out for you?”
“Oh—no, it’s fine. The drawer… works, actually. It’s old, but surprisingly sturdy. Thanks.”
“Oh, really? That’s good, then.”
“Well, uh, have a good day.”
I made a vague excuse and returned to my room.
A little later, I took the bracelet out again and stared at it.
Finding someone who left five years ago would be impossible. And even if I did, how could I be sure it was theirs?
‘It’s not like there’s a name engraved on it or anything.’
It might not even be gold. But if it was… this thing could be worth over 1.5 million won.
‘I’ve been through hell lately. Let’s just say this is a gift from the heavens.’
I comforted myself with that thought.
– Beep beep. Beep beep beep. Beep beep beep.
An alarm went off on my phone.
I glanced at the screen. It was already time to head out.
‘Alright. First things first—go to work.’
“Good evening, viewers. This is Yoon Song-yi with SBC News. Our top story: Colombia has begun excavation of the long-lost Spanish treasure ship, the San José, which sank over 300 years ago. The vessel is believed to contain an estimated 27 trillion won worth of treasure…”
While I was eating lunch in the company cafeteria, the story about the treasure ship came on TV. My manager, Kim Yoon-tae, muttered as he stirred his soup.
“27 trillion won? That’s insane. Doesn’t our entire company’s annual revenue fall short of 1 trillion?”
My colleague, Deputy Manager Jung Mi-na, chimed in with a smile, “Seriously. I can’t even wrap my head around that number.”
Then Kim looked at me hesitantly.
“So, uh… Kang… what do you think?”
They were both tiptoeing around me—probably because of the divorce and the award debacle.
‘I appreciate the concern, but… it just makes things more awkward.’
I set my spoon down and smiled.
“It’s alright, you two. I’m okay now. No need to worry so much.”
Only then did Kim speak a bit more casually.
“R-right… I mean, you’re a catch, Kang. You’ll definitely meet someone way better. Don’t stress over it!”
Mi-na nodded rapidly. “Exactly! You’re good-looking, smart, and let’s not forget—you’re gonna be rich in no time!”
She got especially honest when money came up.
‘Fair enough. I haven’t exactly been generous.’
Even as a team lead, I’d barely ever treated them to coffee.
But now… I was divorced. My debts were cleared.
And my salary? It was finally mine.
‘Yeah. Time to start enjoying life a little.’
I stood up with a grin.
“Come on, you two. Let’s go grab some coffee. My treat.”
I took out my card and waved it at them.
“What?! You’re buying? Are you sick or something?”
“Kang, are you sure? You’ve been living on 100,000 won a month…”
I just smiled and said, “I’m single now. My paycheck is all mine. Don’t worry!”
I led them to the cafe in front of the company building.
While we ordered, Kim looked at me and smiled.
“Thanks, Kang. I really appreciate it.”
Then Mi-na cautiously asked, “Um… would it be okay if I got a strawberry smoothie instead of coffee…?”
I looked at her and she immediately backtracked.
“Oh! Sorry. I’ll just get an iced Americano—”
But I cut her off with a big smile.
“Mi-na, get the strawberry smoothie—and a waffle too!”
Her face lit up like a child’s.
Honestly, there wasn’t much I needed to spend on anymore.
A little indulgence like this? Why not.
‘From now on… I’m going to enjoy myself.’
Back at the office, it was already 2 PM.
“Alright, everyone—back to work,” the department head called out.
We all got back to our tasks.
‘Time to get started.’
I stretched, ready to dive in.
But then the department head came up behind me.
I turned from my computer.
“It’s nothing major, but… Director Hong wants to see you.”
“Director Hong… as in Hong Jung-hoon?”
“Yeah. He asked you to come up.”
“Me? Uh… okay. I’ll head up now.”
Hong Jung-hoon—director of Daesan Electric, and the fourth son of the Daesan Group. A chaebol.
We had some minor history, but not enough for him to be calling me directly.
I stood in front of Hong Jung-hoon’s office and knocked.
“This is Kang Chan from General Affairs. I heard you wanted to see me.”
When I entered, he stopped what he was doing and looked at me.
“Long time no see, Kang.”
“It has, Director Hong. May I ask why you called for me?”
He chuckled and gestured toward a seat.
“No need to be so formal. We were college mates, weren’t we? Call me ‘Sunbae’ like you used to.”
“Ah, but we’re in the office…”
“It’s fine. Come on. Try it.”
He and I had gone to the same university. He was a few years ahead of me. We weren’t close, but we at least knew each other.
I sat across from him.
Then he tossed an envelope onto the table.
I did. Inside were ten 1-million-won checks.
Nervously, I asked, “Director… Sunbae… what is this?”
His tone shifted, now colder.
“I won’t beat around the bush. Please resign from the company.”
“I’m asking you to leave.”
Gone was his friendly tone.
“W-Why?! I’ve been performing well. At least give me a reason…”
Without a word, he handed me another paper.
I slowly unfolded it.
[Wedding Invitation] Groom: Hong Jung-hoon Bride: Lee Hye-rin
He looked me in the eye.
“Now you understand. Your presence here makes things… complicated. For me. For Hye-rin. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave.”
The ink on our divorce papers hadn’t even dried.
And now… she was remarrying?
From the looks of it, they’d probably been seeing each other before the divorce.
I wasn’t even angry. It was… laughable.
‘Wow, Hye-rin. You really scored. A chaebol son, huh?’
They’d gone to the same university, too. They’d known each other. But I never imagined this.
A few moments passed… then rage bubbled up.
‘What… the hell is this?’
They could date, marry, do whatever they wanted. I didn’t care.
I had no love left for her.
But kicking me out of my job just because it made things “uncomfortable”?
That was crossing a line.
Fury surged through me.
And Hong Jung-hoon, as if unaware of my rage, continued.
“I’ll make sure you get a proper severance. No need to resist—it won’t do you any good. I’m being generous here.”
‘Generous? Bullsh*t.’
“You f*cking bastards. You two are nothing but animals in heat.”
“What?! Animals in heat?! Kang! You’re making a huge mistake!”
“Mistake? What do I have to lose now? Honestly, I’d love to punch you in the face—but I’m holding back.”
“You bastard! If I want, I can blacklist you from this entire industry!”
I threw the envelope full of checks at him.
“Do what you want. Trash like you… you deserve each other.”
Back at home, I let out a long sigh.
It had felt good to say it all… but now, I was at a loss.
Unemployment checks would help for a few months, and my severance would keep me afloat.
But that wouldn’t last forever.
‘Should I have just taken the money…?’
Regret crept in far too quickly.
“Maybe I should go back and apologize…”
His last words echoed in my mind:
“If I want, I can keep you out of this entire industry.”
If I ever wanted to work for a big company again… should I beg?
“Ugh. This is killing me…”
My head throbbed. I needed sugar.
I dug around in my pocket for my wallet—when something caught my fingers.
“Ah… right. I still had this.”
It felt like discovering an oasis in the desert.
‘Thank God I didn’t return it yesterday…’
I needed money. Desperately.
Without hesitation, I grabbed the bracelet and headed to the nearest gold shop.
The owner, a man in his 40s, greeted me kindly.
“Selling gold today?”
Even before I said anything, he knew.
“Yes. Is gold popular these days?”
He nodded as he set up a scale.
“Of course. Times are tough. Gold prices are high, so people are selling old jewelry just to get by.”
Once his scale was ready, he looked at me.
“What are you selling?”
I handed him the bracelet.
“Ooh, that’s got some weight to it. Is it pure gold?”
I admitted I wasn’t sure.
“You don’t know? Can I ask… where you got it?”
He looked at me suspiciously.
If I didn’t even know what I was selling, of course he’d be suspicious.
I quickly made something up.
“My grandfather passed recently. It was part of his estate. I really don’t know much about it.”
“Ah, I see. Sorry. Lately we’ve had people trying to sell stolen goods. Had to ask.”
He pulled out a small black stone and gently scratched the bracelet.
“This is a touchstone. Helps determine purity.”
He tested it with some solution, then smiled.
“Your grandfather gave you something real nice. It’s 24K.”
“Yep. Let’s weigh it.”
He placed it on the scale.
“…26… no, 27 grams. That’s 7 don. Hold on, let me check the rate.”
More than I expected.
He tapped at his calculator, paused, then turned it around to show me.
“₩3.5 million. What do you say? Want to sell?”
That was more than my monthly salary.
It was a bit lower than the online rate, but I didn’t feel like shopping around.
He brought over a form.
“Just fill this out.”
I wrote my info and handed it back.
“It’s been transferred. Check your account.”
[Seoul Gold Exchange / ₩3,500,000 / Deposit]
It felt like winning the lottery.
My chest filled with warmth, like the world had given me one last hug.