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I was going crazy because of Eun-chae, who kept me on edge.
No, it wasn’t her fault. She had lived a peaceful life even in poverty until he interfered.
Looking regretfully at my lunchbox because I’d lost my appetite, I realized it was already empty.
After lunchtime ended, Secretary Won entered Seok-kyung’s office with a pale face.
“What is the matter?”
“Well, it’s…”
Secretary Won looked troubled and flustered, unsure how to start, even beginning to sweat.
“What is it?”
“There are strange rumors circulating around the company.”
“Strange rumors?”
“They’re… about Ms. Lee Eun-chae.”
About Eun-chae?
Seok-kyung pushed aside the report he was reading and gestured for Secretary Won to continue.
Encouraged by this, Secretary Won opened his mouth nervously.
“The rumor is that Ms. Lee Eun-chae, your ex-wife, was hired as a temporary employee but was quickly converted to full-time despite poor job performance.”
“Anyone who has worked with her would know that’s nonsense, wouldn’t they?”
“Yes, but the problem is…”
Secretary Won shrank back, suggesting there was more to the story.
“It’s being said she’s the industrial spy behind Project A. They’re saying we know who the culprit is but aren’t arresting her because we’re afraid of offending you.”
“What absurdity is this…!”
Seok-kyung shoved his chair back abruptly and stood up.
“That’s exactly what I thought! Complete nonsense! No matter that she’s your ex-wife, she’s not someone who would do such a thing.”
Secretary Won emphatically agreed, venting his frustration.
“If we leave this unchecked, employees might take matters into their own hands against Ms. Lee Eun-chae.”
“What do you mean ‘take matters into their own hands’?”
“Because of these rumors spreading through the company, people are looking at her with suspicion. Some are even talking about driving her out by any means necessary. If you won’t act, they say the employees will step in.”
“Is it the union?”
At Seok-kyung’s question, Secretary Won nodded.
“Hmph, acting foolish without even knowing who the real culprit is…”
“Do you know who the real culprit is?”
Secretary Won rolled his small eyes around and asked.
Until now, Seok-kyung had kept his distance from him, believing he was a mole planted by his mother. But seeing him worry about Eun-chae and bring news made him reconsider. Perhaps it was time to regard him as one of his own.
“Call the head of the auditing department up here immediately.”
“Yes, President.”
Secretary Won turned with slumped shoulders.
“When the head of the auditing team arrives, come in with him, Secretary Won.”
“Eh?”
“Didn’t you hear me?”
“Oh, no! I understand.”
Secretary Won exited with a slightly brighter expression, his movements lighter.
A short while later, the head of the auditing department and Secretary Won entered the office together.
“You called for me, President?”
“How’s the investigation proceeding?”
“Yes, I just received the results from our cooperation request with the police.”
The head of the auditing department handed Seok-kyung a report.
“No unusual financial activity was detected, but we obtained CCTV footage of a meeting between the spy linked to Project A and someone near a café. There’s also an email exchange via the company account.”
As expected.
Seok-kyung nodded. Just as he suspected, the culprit was indeed that person.
“Did you already know who the culprit was?”
“More or less.”
Seok-kyung reviewed the emails listed in the report.
[Didn’t you say everything was cleaned up? Why is there still trash left?]
[I cleaned up properly. Someone just didn’t know how to sort the trash. Anyway, I did as instructed, and you got what you wanted, didn’t you?]
To outsiders, it might look like cleaning talk, but Seok-kyung understood immediately.
“Cleaning” referred to erasing presentation materials, and “trash” meant why the data was restored. Sorting referred to backing up files.
He closed the report.
“However, this is circumstantial evidence. We don’t have concrete proof that this person is the spy. Without confirmed financial transactions, it’s unclear how to proceed…”
The head of the auditing department trailed off, looking troubled.
“I think I can find the evidence.”
“Huh?”
Both the head of the auditing department and Secretary Won stared at him in shock.
“How…?”
“Let’s meet with the person first. Once we talk, we’ll know everything.”
“Ah, yes.”
The three left the president’s office and headed toward where the culprit worked.
________________________________________
“Weren’t you the one who left early yesterday too?”
Deputy Yang kicked Eun-chae’s chair as she spoke, stopping mid-step on her way back to her desk.
“You’ve been leaving exactly on time every day lately. Doesn’t that embarrass you in front of others?”
“I got permission from the team leader before leaving.”
“Is getting permission from the team leader all it takes? The other team members are working hard—don’t you have any conscience?”
“In this day and age, isn’t it a bit much to criticize someone for leaving on time?”
Instead of apologizing, Eun-chae countered Deputy Yang’s accusation.
Lately, Deputy Yang’s verbal abuse had escalated daily, and she was spreading strange rumors throughout the company.
“Oh my, listen to Eun-chae. So am I the bad guy here?”
“I’m not saying you’re wrong, Deputy Yang. I’m just saying I haven’t done anything wrong either.”
Deputy Yang’s face twisted, then flushed red.
“So you’re bold because you’ve got the president backing you? I feel sorry for not realizing sooner.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Well, why bother working in this humble place if you’re just going to make people uncomfortable? You should have stuck to playing piano.”
Is this what making people uncomfortable looks like?
Rather than answering, Eun-chae stared directly at Deputy Yang.
“Oh my, are lasers shooting out of your eyes? What part of what I said is wrong?”
“As you know, the president and I divorced long ago. We’re nothing to each other now.”
“But that’s how it always is, right? You shared a bed with him once.”
“If there had been any affection left, we wouldn’t have divorced.”
“Oh my, what? Saying it like that makes it sound like you divorced for some strange reason.”
Eun-chae closed her mouth.
Arguing further with someone determined to twist her words and see her in a negative light would be pointless.
“It seems you definitely didn’t divorce because your father’s company went bankrupt. But after splitting, how can you keep working in the same company and face him every day?”
“Deputy…”
Hyun-jung tried to stop Deputy Yang, but she wouldn’t listen.
“Come on, think about it. Isn’t it awkward for a couple who broke up badly to work in the same company—one as president, the other as an employee? If it were me, I would’ve quit already.”
“I’m not you. Everyone has their own circumstances. Let’s leave it at that.”
“Why? Starting to realize the limits of having the president protect you? I heard the union plans to make this an issue soon.”
Eun-chae had heard the same thing from Hyun-jung.
Regardless of who the spy was, the union planned to formally protest to Baekdo Group, citing issues with the president’s close aides disguising themselves as regular employees.
“That’s enough, Deputy Yang. This kind of behavior is workplace harassment.”
Hyun-woo, exhausted, slammed his pen down on the desk and addressed Deputy Yang.
“Oh my, Manager Kang, aren’t you upset? Are you really siding with Eun-chae even now?”
“It’s not about taking sides…”
“How pure-hearted of you! If you’re not involved with the president anymore, maybe accept Manager Kang’s feelings, Eun-chae. Watching this unrequited love is unbearable.”
“Deputy Yang!”
Hyun-woo shot up from his seat.
At the same moment, Eun-chae stood and glared directly at Deputy Yang.
Your words are too harsh! There’s a line you shouldn’t cross!
Just then, a group of people entered the planning department.
“What’s going on?”
Seeing the tense atmosphere and three flushed faces, Seok-kyung asked.
But no one stepped forward to explain what had just happened.
“Team Leader Park.”
“Yes, President.”
Park Team Leader stood up with a sorrowful expression.
“Can you explain what happened here?”
“Well, it’s…”
Park Team Leader scratched the back of his neck, looking troubled.
How could he explain the rumors swirling around the president’s ex-wife being a spy, and the subsequent whispers about the president protecting her?
“Nothing happened.”
Manager Kang answered with a completely stiff face.
“Really? Because someone over there looks like they’re about to cry.”
Seok-kyung pointed at Eun-chae.
Startled, Eun-chae turned her head away.
Her anger had brought tears to her eyes momentarily, but they only pooled there, not falling.
Seok-kyung noticed her reaction instantly, which both amazed and unsettled him.
“Ha, totally…”
Deputy Yang snorted derisively.
“Anything you’d like to add, Deputy Yang?”
“…No, nothing.”
“Then let me ask something.”
“M-Me?”
Deputy Yang pointed at herself, completely flustered.
“Yes. If you’re not busy.”
“What… what is it?”
“How do you know the team leader of Project A?”
“Huh?”
Deputy Yang responded blankly, as if struck.
The other team members, including Eun-chae, stared at Seok-kyung, equally confused.
“CCTV footage from a nearby café shows you meeting with the team leader of Project A. Can you explain?”
“That… that…”
Deputy Yang bit down hard on her lower lip, then composed herself.
“I guess you didn’t know—Project A’s competitor has been scouting recently. Their team leader approached me, but I declined.”
“Really?”
“O-Of course!”
“Then what about these emails?”
“Emails?”
Secretary Won handed Deputy Yang a sheet of paper listing her email exchanges with Project A.
Deputy Yang swallowed hard after reading it.
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