RB - 46

46. They say there’s nothing better than sex for relieving stress.

Seo-yeon was on the verge of losing consciousness, and Jung-hyuk wasn’t far behind.

Jung-hyuk moved his hips slowly at first, as if being considerate, but it didn’t last long. Soon, he drove into Seo-yeon with the intensity of a hunter cornering his prey. Each thrust made her walls contract and relax, satisfying him completely.

When Jung-hyuk finally reached his climax, he spilled every trace of pleasure inside her. But his desire showed no signs of fading. He pulled Seo-yeon’s trembling body close, his hot breath grazing the nape of her neck.

“You were right, Han Seo-yeon. There’s nothing better than sex for relieving stress. I agree.”

Even in her exhausted state, Seo-yeon didn’t forget to provoke him. It was her way of getting back at him—a chaebol heir and building owner who was notoriously hard to reach.

“…Yeah, Shin Jung-hyuk. From now on, whenever I’m stressed, I’ll just sleep around with other men. Sex is amazing, especially when you consider the cost-performance ratio.”

Jung-hyuk’s brows twitched violently. Without hesitation, he plunged his hardened length back into her, thrusting mercilessly. He had planned to go easy on her, but Han Seo-yeon had brought this on herself.

After that, Jung-hyuk claimed her entrance several more times, and every time she was on the verge of passing out, he stimulated her clit, driving her to the edge. Two more climaxes followed.

“It’s fine to joke around, but don’t cross the line, Han Seo-yeon.”

With that icy warning, Jung-hyuk laid her exhausted body down on the bed. Seo-yeon fell asleep as if she had fainted.

A few hours later, Seo-yeon woke up quietly and left the hotel room, leaving Jung-hyuk behind. As the door clicked shut, Jung-hyuk’s eyelids fluttered open. He reached out to the pillow where a few strands of her hair still clung. It was still warm with her lingering heat.

“So she really came here just to relieve her stress. The great Han Seo-yeon used me as her dildo, huh?”

He let out a bitter laugh and checked the time. It was a little past 3 a.m.

---

The following day, an eerie silence filled the hallway of JB Company’s office. It was the calm before the storm.

“The announcement is up, on the bulletin board!”

At a male employee’s shout, people simultaneously clicked onto the company intranet. The personnel notice that had everyone on edge was finally confirmed.

Click, click—after the flurry of mouse clicks came a suffocating silence, followed by sighs and groans. Everyone was speechless at the shocking personnel announcement:

“Personnel Notice: Promotion - Han Seo-yeon (Assistant Manager → Manager).”

Is there any punishment more terrible than being in one’s personal hell while having to witness another’s happiness?

Kim Min-a, an assistant manager, was seething with anger over Seo-yeon’s promotion. Beside her, Manager Kim nearly collapsed from shock, his legs giving out beneath him. Moving closer to Manager Kim, Assistant Manager Kim vented her fury.

“Manager Kim, remember what you told me last time?”

“…What? What are you talking about?”

“You know, about Han Seo-yeon, the assistant manager... You said her private life was messy.”

“What? When did I ever say that?”

Manager Kim shook his head frantically in denial, but Kim Min-a wasn’t having it. Madness flickered in her eyes.

“It was when we had drinks together. You said she was all over the place, flirting shamelessly, and that you’d seen her cozying up to reporters over wine. And didn’t you also mention something about her having a questionable relationship with the CEO of Café Per Amore?”

Though their conversation was hushed, ears were everywhere. A few nosy employees gathered around, and soon small groups erupted into gossip.

“So, this… could it be a promotion with strings attached?”

No one dared say “sexual favors” outright, but the implication hung heavy in the air. Flustered, Manager Kim vehemently denied it: “I don’t remember saying any of that! Don’t go accusing people without proof!” He quickly fled the scene.

Suddenly, a female employee spoke up, her voice trembling with tears.

“I didn’t get promoted again. Why was only Assistant Manager Han chosen for this special promotion? It’s so unfair.”

“But the lease negotiations wrapped up successfully, didn’t they? All the tenants in Yeseong Building were grateful to her. Considering the cost savings for the company, this promotion makes sense.”

“That’s because almost all the work was done by Manager Jung from the New Business Strategy Team! She just piggybacked on his efforts. Did she really do all that on her own?”

“Oh, come on, let’s not twist things. That project was dumped on her because Manager Jung couldn’t handle it. She definitely deserves credit. Let’s stay objective here.”

One male employee who had been quietly listening sneered, subtly flipping someone off with his middle finger. He was a perennial section chief in his late 40s, perpetually stuck in his position despite years of service.

“Credit? Pfft. Maybe she scored in other ways, huh? You know, the kind of ‘scoring’ beauties excel at.”

“…That’s sexual harassment. Your comment is way out of line.”

“Sexual harassment? What did I do? I was just using a metaphor. Don’t you know about metaphors and similes? Didn’t you learn that in literature class?”

Still flipping his middle finger, the section chief smirked. Some female employees nearby cringed, though a few others giggled awkwardly along with him.

The murmurs continued for a while. Some looked dejected, others viciously criticized Seo-yeon, and a small minority defended her, arguing that her promotion was justified given her abilities.

The argument was interrupted by a young intern’s innocent question.

“By the way, is it okay for us to talk like this? Isn’t Assistant Manager Han represented by Attorney Jeong Seung-min from Gahan Law Firm?”

Those who had been hurling accusations and lewd comments at Seo-yeon suddenly fell silent, stammering like mute bees. Breaking the awkward tension was HR Director Ko Myeong-soo’s thunderous shout.

“Are you all slacking off? What are you doing? This is a workplace, damn it!”

Employees reluctantly returned to their seats, clicking away at their mice with sour expressions.

HR Director Ko scanned the room with a red face, trying to restore order, but the panic in his eyes was unmistakable. Despite being the head of HR, he had been completely excluded from this round of personnel decisions. It was infuriating.

He had barely received the announcement that morning. When he asked the youngest member of the audit team who had pushed through Seo-yeon’s promotion, the response was humiliating.

“Surely you know? You’re the HR director, aren’t you?”

“Well… I’ve been busy, heh heh.”

“Really, even so… From what I understand, it went straight to the CEO.”

The young auditor stared at Ko with pity as the HR director turned beet red, almost on the verge of tears. Seeing a man of his seniority reduced to this state stirred an unexpected pang of sympathy in the junior employee. Forgetting his role in the audit team, he leaned in close to Ko and whispered confidentially.

“There’s a rumor going around. Daniel God, the building owner, strongly supported Assistant Manager Han’s promotion…”

It was only a matter of time before HR Director Ko’s face twisted in anger. With swift fingers, he dialed a number. On the other end was Kim Soo-gwang, a reporter from Daily Scoop.

---

Park Yeo-wan personally carried dishes of spicy stir-fried eggplant and braised mackerel to the dining table.

“Auntie, let me do that. I’ll take care of it.”

The housekeepers shifted uncomfortably, clearly flustered. Normally, Park would avoid the kitchen entirely, claiming the smoke from cooking was bad for her skin.

But today, Park hummed a cheerful tune, brimming with excitement. The dining table was laden with luxurious dishes resembling a full-course Korean banquet.

“Auntie, our Chairman Shin loves well-simmered scorched rice, right? Please prepare some in advance.”

A housekeeper trailing behind her nodded and opened the pot lid.

Park carefully arranged the chopsticks and spoon at Chairman Shin’s place setting. Over the past few years, she had endured emotional hardship due to her husband’s habit of eating separately, treating her like a stranger. Tonight’s dinner held special significance.

“Darling, welcome home. This is your favorite spicy stir-fried eggplant. I made it myself.”

Desperation lingered beneath Park’s radiant smile. Chairman Shin gave a lukewarm compliment—”You’ve worked hard”—and took his seat.

The grand marble table was filled with opulent dishes, yet only two pairs of chopsticks moved. Chairman Shin Tae-myung let out a long sigh.

“Hmm, how unfortunate.”

The atmosphere in the dining room instantly chilled. Even the steaming hotpot couldn’t warm the icy mood.

Park nervously gauged her husband’s expression. Her eyes pleaded for attention, but Chairman Shin ignored her completely. Unable to bear the silence, Park spoke in a soft, pitiful voice.

“Dear, are you feeling unwell? Does the food not suit your taste?”

Her voice quivered slightly. At the same time, a surge of emotion welled up in Chairman Shin’s chest. He felt a fleeting pang of sorrow and picked up his chopsticks, reaching for the eggplant dish.

“It’s delicious. No one can make spicy stir-fried eggplant like you can.”

Tears of gratitude immediately welled up in Park’s eyes.

“Jung-hyuk and Jin-hyuk loved this dish when they were younger, didn’t they?”

Park reminisced about happy memories with her stepsons. She deliberately avoided mentioning the household taboo—Shin Joon-hyuk. In truth, it was Joon-hyuk, the eldest son, who had loved the dish the most.