MHD - 18

The meeting that had started in the morning showed no signs of ending anytime soon. 

“Vice Chairman, what would you like to drink?” 

A secretary approached Jae-hyuk as he flipped through a report. 

“Just an Americano, please.” 

There wasn’t even time to go out for lunch, so everyone in the meeting was making do with delivery sandwiches. Another meeting was scheduled for the afternoon based on the decisions made during this one. 

“...Then I’ll continue. Lastly, regarding the launch of next year’s premium brand, there has been ongoing discussion about changing the exclusive model.” 

Team Leader Cho from the planning department continued his presentation. Jae-hyuk, who had just taken a coffee cup from the takeaway carrier, turned his attention to the final agenda item. 

Among the summarized profiles of numerous actors—each including their names, recent works, public reputation, and personal life risks—one name inevitably caught Jae-hyuk’s eye: it was at the very bottom. 

Seo Hee-soo – Currently inactive 

With an air of indifference, Jae-hyuk’s eyes slowly scanned Hee-soo’s information. 

“Controversy arose due to her abrupt departure from a production, but she handled the aftermath well, and public opinion is not unfavorable. If she returns, she would be the best alternative to Jin Yuna. No known rumors about her personal life have surfaced.” 

Jae-hyuk’s gaze lingered on the phrase “no known rumors about her personal life.” Furrowing his brows deeply, he eventually raised his head, forcibly tearing his eyes away from Hee-soo’s name and refocusing on Team Leader Cho, who was still speaking. 

“...In conclusion, Vice President Jin Yuna is considered somewhat insufficient as the face of our premium brand.” 

After Team Leader Cho finished his presentation, the marketing manager for the home appliances division, the external cooperation manager, and other participants began asking questions and engaging in discussions. 

“In fact, if you look at the recent favorability surveys, Jin Yuna isn’t receiving much support from middle-aged women.” 

“There’s also the ongoing controversy about her acting skills, and the recent power-tripping scandal hasn’t helped either.” 

“I heard that Park Chan-sung, the first candidate, is currently in negotiations for an exclusive contract with a competing company.” 

Silently listening, Jae-hyuk asked Team Leader Cho, “Who do you think is the most suitable person?” 

Knowing how meticulous Team Leader Cho was, Jae-hyuk assumed he already had someone in mind when drafting the report. Without hesitation, Cho responded to Jae-hyuk’s question. 

“As you can see, we’ve already initiated contact with potential alternatives. However, I personally think we should consider Seo Hee-soo.” 

“Why is that?” 

“If Seo Hee-soo makes a comeback, I believe there couldn’t be a better alternative. In fact, Jin Yuna only rose to prominence after Seo Hee-soo stopped working.” 

“I understand there was quite a bit of controversy when she stopped working.” 

Despite Jae-hyuk’s slightly sharp tone, Team Leader Cho remained unfazed. 

“She handled the situation herself very well at the time, so I believe she could actually gain public support if she makes a proper comeback. She’s consistently mentioned in favorability surveys, and because she hasn’t done any public activities since her hiatus, public expectations are high.” 

“But that’s all speculation until she actually makes a comeback, isn’t it?” 

I thought I’d finally found someone I could rely on when I first met her too. That was before I got stabbed in the back. 

“I don’t really see why we should choose an actor who isn’t even active right now as our new face.” 

Jae-hyuk closed the report as if putting a period to the conversation, but Team Leader Cho didn’t give up. 

“There’s talk that she has a confirmed movie role, Vice Chairman.” 

“What movie?” 

Before Jae-hyuk could finish his skeptical thought, Cho spoke the familiar words he expected. 

“It’s called To You, Like That, produced by KY Entertainment under Gwangwoon Group.” 

“Are you sure?”

If Hee-soo had been confirmed for a role in a film produced by Dong-hwan, Jae-hyuk would have likely been the first to hear about it. After all, Baek Dong-hwan wouldn’t hesitate to share such news with him. 

Perhaps sensing something from Jae-hyuk’s question, Team Leader Cho cautiously elaborated. 

“I heard directly from KY Entertainment’s casting director, but I’ll confirm again. Should we reach out to Seo Hee-soo as well? What do you think?” 

In the few seconds before responding to Team Leader Cho, Jae-hyuk’s mind was flooded with conflicting thoughts. 

If he thought about Hee-soo attending drinking sessions just to secure roles, this couldn’t be a better opportunity for her. 

But then, recalling how she had coldly rejected and pushed him away every time they met, Jae-hyuk felt an uncontrollable surge of emotion. 

What if you came to me, crying and begging for help? Would that change my mind even a little? 

No, no. I want to live my life without you now. I won’t get tangled up in your messed-up life again. 

But… 

“If that’s what you think, Team Leader Cho, let’s prepare another detailed report on Seo Hee-soo. Make it thorough.” 

His words and thoughts were at odds. 

This is about separating personal feelings from professional judgment. No matter how much I dislike Seo Hee-soo, it’s only right to set aside personal grudges if it benefits the company. 

Jae-hyuk justified his actions to himself in various ways as he rose from his seat. 

This is all because of Team Leader Cho. 

He silently stared at Team Leader Cho for a moment as the latter bowed respectfully. 

“Team Leader Cho, you want to work here for a long time, right?” 

“Huh?” 

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Team Leader Cho’s eyes darted around nervously, trying to recall if he’d made any mistakes. 

“You seem to be working hard. That’s good.” 

Jae-hyuk gave him a brief smile and added, “I’ll give you a corporate card. Have a team dinner—lunch or dinner, whatever. No limits.” 

And dig up everything. Everything about Seo Hee-soo. 

With a meaningful expression, Jae-hyuk gave a light nod and left the meeting room. 

* * *

Hee-soo waited on the couch in Chairman Cha Joo-won’s office until 10 a.m., when he was scheduled to arrive. 

What could this be about? 

Her legs trembled with anxiety. The words Attorney Woo Chan-sung had left behind kept replaying in her mind without pause. 

Breach of exclusive contract. Compensation claim. Damages. 

The fragmented phrases clawed through her thoughts. 

1 billion won. 

It was an astronomical sum for Hee-soo now. Back in her prime, it could have been resolved with just a few commercials, but those days were long gone. She was barely scraping by, and selling her apartment was the only way to cover her living expenses. 

Her restless gaze wandered around the chairman’s office. 

On the walls hung photo spreads of the entertainers Cha Joo-won had discovered over the years. In the most prominent spot, the one that immediately caught the eye upon entering, used to hang Hee-soo’s portrait. 

Seo Hee-soo had been Cha Joo-won’s brightest trophy and golden goose—it was only natural. 

But now, there was no trace of her face anywhere in the office. It seemed she had been removed since she stopped working. 

“What brings you here so early in the morning?” 

Just before 11 a.m., Cha Joo-won finally entered the office. Ignoring Hee-soo completely, he tossed his briefcase onto the desk. 

“Someone named Woo Chan-sung came by…”

“So what?” 

Cha Joo-won responded indifferently as he set down his takeout coffee cup and shrugged off his coat. 

“What do you mean, ‘so what’? Shouldn’t you be the one explaining this to me?” 

“Explain? What is there to explain?” 

With an apathetic expression, Cha Joo-won seemed to have already made up his mind. His tone was merciless as he leaned back in his chair after sitting down at the desk. 

“...Are you really going to do this?” 

“And are you really going to talk to me like that?” 

“For years, you’ve exploited me with ridiculous exclusive contracts and made a fortune off me. If you had any conscience left, you’d just let me go.” 

Unable to contain herself any longer, Hee-soo stood up and approached the desk, pressing him further. 

“And when I had to pull out of that production, I handled the press conference all by myself. I was at my breaking point then, but I managed to resolve everything on my own. So why now… why are you doing this now?” 

Hee-soo’s voice trembled with agitation as she spoke without pause, but Cha Joo-won simply stared at her silently. 

“Say something! How can you suddenly bring up compensation claims now? I don’t understand.” 

“Are you done talking?” 

After watching Hee-soo rant, Cha Joo-won finally opened his mouth slowly. 

“I still have the legal right to squeeze every penny out of you. So, what’ll it be? Either you get squeezed, or you work. Pick one.” 

“Is that your answer to what I just said? That makes no sense!” 

“It makes perfect sense. You’re not illiterate—you read and signed those documents yourself.” 

“Chairman!” 

“While we’re on the topic, what exactly did you do when you met Lee Jae-hyuk that day? If you were going to see Jae-hyuk instead of Baek Dong-hwan, you should’ve resolved something there. Because of you, I’m the one getting screwed over!” 

“What are you even talking about…?” 

Completely unaware of the context surrounding that day’s events, Hee-soo could only watch Cha Joo-won’s lips move in confusion. 

“Jae-hyuk’s being strange too. If he interrupted the meeting Dong-hwan and I had arranged, he should’ve cleaned up the mess afterward. Hey! What did you do over there?! Did you slap Jae-hyuk around? Thanks to you, look at the trouble I’m in!” 

It was only then that Hee-soo realized Jae-hyuk had disrupted the meeting between her and Dong-hwan that day. 

Because of that, Baek Dong-hwan was now furious—and the fallout wasn’t just affecting her but also jeopardizing the entire agency’s actors. 

“Dong-hwan’s pulling out his investments from all the projects featuring actors from our agency because of you. This is your fault, so you need to take responsibility. What are you going to do about it?” 

“This doesn’t make any sense…” 

Her teeth clenched, and her jaw trembled. Cutting off Cha Joo-won’s words, Hee-soo firmly stated, “I’m not attending any more meetings like that.” 

Cha Joo-won narrowed his eyes and sneered condescendingly. 

“Hee-soo, stop saying such nonsense. People might misunderstand you if they hear that. What do you mean, ‘meetings like that’?” 

“Don’t beat around the bush. I won’t do anything like that.” 

“You think you’re something special…” 

Annoyed, Cha Joo-won violently tossed his paper coffee cup into the trash bin. 

“I’m giving you time to think about this before I file the lawsuit—out of consideration for old times’ sake. Do you realize that because of you, everyone in this agency might end up on the streets? Do you get it?” 

Leaping to his feet, Cha Joo-won glared at Hee-soo and continued. 

“Go grovel and apologize, or do whatever you can. Even that won’t be enough, yet you still don’t know your place?” 

Shouting furiously, Cha Joo-won roughly shoved Hee-soo’s shoulder as he stormed past her, yanking the office door open with force. 

“Get out. Go fix this yourself—live or die, I don’t care anymore.”