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Seok-kyung looked over the report submitted by the planning department and smiled bitterly.
Although the planning department members had been temporarily shaken by Assistant Manager Yang’s police investigation for industrial espionage and Eun-chae’s resignation, they soon returned to their previous state.
The government support project they had applied for, the international co-production of broadcast video content, had not been successful, but they had found another area to apply for and had naturally passed the first screening, with the second presentation coming up.
If only Assistant Manager Yang’s incident hadn’t happened.
With a feeling of regret, Seok-kyung closed the report and let out a short sigh.
Just then, someone knocked on the CEO’s office door.
“Come in.”
Secretary Won entered and bowed his head.
“The matter you mentioned has been taken care of.”
“And that person has resigned?”
“Yes. He seemed happy when we paid him double the severance pay he was entitled to.”
“And the cleanup was handled cleanly?”
“We made it clear that if he ever brings up this matter again, he will be reported for sexual harassment and attempted assault against Lee Eun-chae-ssi.”
Seok-kyung nodded.
He had sometimes followed Eun-chae in his car from the time she left work until she arrived home. He just couldn’t help wanting to see her, even if it was just that.
He hadn’t been able to do even that for a while because he was busy with work, but yesterday, after several days, he watched her leave work, only to see her heading to a restaurant with some men.
Was it a company dinner? Was she going to drink? Would everything be alright?
As he was thinking this, Eun-chae suddenly staggered out of the restaurant and went into the alley.
He thought she had gone to the restroom, but when she took a long time, he suddenly had a bad feeling and got out of the car to go there, where he witnessed the scene.
How could he not have been furious when someone dared to lay a hand on Eun-chae?
If she hadn’t stopped him, news of Seok-kyung’s assault might have made the front page.
“What did the CEO say?”
“He found it strange, of course, since we gave him so much investment money.”
“So?”
“He was happy that we gave him so much investment money and didn’t pry any further.”
It pained Seok-kyung that Eun-chae was working in a place full of fools, both the CEO and the employees.
“He asked if we wanted anything regarding the company’s management. What should we do?”
“Secretary Won, you’re the one who invested. Why are you asking me? Do whatever you want with it.”
“Yes? But the investment money...”
Secretary Won, who was about to say something, closed his mouth tightly under Seok-kyung’s gaze.
He had given Secretary Won only a small portion of the money he could access to invest in the company Eun-chae worked for, but Seok-kyung had no intention of getting further involved.
Not long after Secretary Won left, Joo-eun contacted him.
[Let’s meet for a bit. Even if we’re breaking off the engagement, there are things we’ve started that need to be sorted out.]
Seok-kyung hesitated for a moment before replying to Joo-eun.
[Time, place.]
He wanted to tell her to handle it through his secretary, but since he was responsible for the broken engagement, he decided not to be too harsh.
It was a matter of human decency.
[Today during lunch. xx Chinese restaurant.]
[Alright.]
Last time, she had been too emotional to make rational judgments, so perhaps today she would be more reasonable. If so, Seok-kyung intended to apologize.
For the broken engagement, and for the troublesome situations she would inevitably face.
However.
When Seok-kyung arrived at the restaurant Joo-eun had told him about, she was already dining and talking with someone else.
“You’re here?”
Joo-eun smiled brightly and raised her hand when she saw the bewildered Seok-kyung. And the man who had been dining across from her turned to look at him.
A round face with a broad forehead, resembling his grandmother unlike his father, it was his uncle.
“Seok-kyung’s here?”
“Uncle?”
Seok-kyung was surprised, but he sat down at the round table.
“I will prepare your meal.”
The waiter who had led Seok-kyung to the private room brought out the first course of the meal and left.
“How did you two...?”
“Joo-eun contacted me, asking to have a meal together. She said you worked hard for your father’s funeral.”
“Ah...”
Seok-kyung glanced at Joo-eun. She blushed as if embarrassed and looked away.
“As expected, a daughter-in-law of our family should have this kind of meticulousness. Taking good care of the elders. Don’t you think so?”
Seok-kyung remained silent at his uncle’s question.
“Are the wedding preparations going well?”
“Of course, Uncle. Seok-kyung-ssi is very considerate of me, so I’m preparing comfortably.”
“Yes, that’s how it should be.”
Seok-kyung was speechless as he watched the conversation between Joo-eun and his uncle.
What on earth were they trying to do?
He could roughly guess her intentions. It was an implication that if this marriage didn’t proceed, she would side with his uncle, Seok-kyung’s competitor.
But he couldn’t help feeling unpleasant.
“Do you know that Seok-kyung’s ex-wife had an affair and that’s why they divorced?”
“Uncle.”
Seok-kyung was startled by his uncle’s words and tried to stop him, but the damage was already done.
“An affair?”
Joo-eun raised her voice in surprise.
“You didn’t know? This is a secret only our family knows, but since you’ll be family now, it doesn’t matter, right?”
Seok-kyung clenched his fist tightly.
The reason for his divorce from Eun-chae, as his uncle said, was something only the family knew. Letting it out would have been bad not only for her but also for Seok-kyung.
But now Seok-kyung knew that the reason itself was a lie.
The problem was that he was the only one who knew, but it wasn’t something he could easily talk about with someone who wasn’t even family yet, or rather, someone who would never be family.
“Apparently, Seok-kyung had another man while he was abroad. That’s why they divorced. Can you imagine how much heartache she must have gone through?”
“What a terrible woman.”
Joo-eun’s voice trembled. She stared intently at Seok-kyung and continued, “She’s a really bad woman. Forget about her, Seok-kyung-ssi. I’ll make you happy.”
“Yes, yes. You’re so dependable, very.”
His uncle beamed at Joo-eun’s words.
Seok-kyung wasn’t sure how much longer he could endure this situation.
His uncle, who firmly believed that as the second son, he would take over as the head of Baedo Group now that his father was dead and didn’t see Seok-kyung as a competitor at all, was unpleasant. Joo-eun, who ignored Seok-kyung even though she clearly understood him, was also unpleasant.
“I will bring the next course.”
Fortunately, the waiter re-entered the room, interrupting the three of them and bringing the next dish.
________________________________________
“Drive carefully.”
“Yes. See you at the wedding then.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
Joo-eun bowed to his uncle.
His uncle’s lips curved slightly upward as he glanced at Seok-kyung.
You’re going to live the same life as your father.
Somehow, Seok-kyung could read that thought in his uncle’s eyes, but he simply lowered his head without saying anything.
As his uncle drove away, Seok-kyung immediately turned around.
“Wait.”
Joo-eun grabbed Seok-kyung.
Seok-kyung, who had turned back, looked at her with a blank expression.
“Aren’t you angry?”
“Angry?”
“Yes. I called my uncle without your permission. And I didn’t tell him we broke off the engagement.”
“You’ll hear about it soon anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”
Seok-kyung turned away again, but Joo-eun grabbed his arm once more.
He was tired.
Now that his intention to apologize to Joo-eun had completely vanished, Seok-kyung found this situation utterly exhausting.
“Our wedding is postponed, not canceled. Understand?”
“Don’t be foolish. You must have clearly said you wanted to break off the engagement.”
“Do you think I would accept such a notification?”
Joo-eun raised her voice with a venomous expression.
“A man who can’t forget his cheating ex-wife. The shareholders will love that. If you need Lee Eun-chae’s body, go ahead and hold her as much as you want. I’ll concede that much. But I can’t give up this marriage.”
“Ha Joo-eun.”
“Even a business marriage with a show window couple wasn’t my preference, but if this is what you want, then there’s nothing I can do. Let’s do that, a show window couple.”
Joo-eun spoke with a determined face and voice, as if she had made a great resolution.
Seok-kyung closed his eyes and rubbed his bare face with his hand.
With a deep sigh, he shook off Joo-eun’s hand that was still holding his arm.
Everything about her touching him gave him the creeps.
“I refuse.”
Seok-kyung said in a clear and firm voice.
“I have no intention of marrying you, whether it’s a show window marriage or not.”
“Are you really going to do this?”
Joo-eun asked back.
“Are you really confident you won’t regret this?”
“Don’t ruin yourself with a petty possessiveness. My feelings for Eun-chae are deeper than you think.”
“Hmph.”
Joo-eun, who had been quietly listening to Seok-kyung’s words, snorted. Only one corner of her lips tilted upward.
“So, you love her?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know why I didn’t care that this marriage was a business arrangement?”
Seok-kyung didn’t answer, as he naturally didn’t know.
“Feelings like love disappear someday. And after those feelings disappear, you become worse than strangers. So, there’s no reason to deliberately create a loved one to marry. It’s better to become family tied by mutual interests; that can be stronger and last longer.”
The more Seok-kyung listened to Joo-eun’s story, the colder he felt down his spine.
He had vaguely thought she was similar to his mother, but perhaps they were truly soulmates.
“If you abandon me, I will make Baedo Group abandon you too. Then how long do you think Lee Eun-chae will love you, having lost everything?”
“You don’t need me.”
“...What?”
Joo-eun frowned as if asking what he meant.
Seok-kyung took out the watch she had given him before, saying it was his.
“This isn’t my watch.”
“W-What are you talking about? Not your watch?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t have looked into you?”
Joo-eun’s face lost all color at his question.
“What are you saying, exactly?”
“It wasn’t just one or two. How many men did you set up to take my place?”
“...Alright, fine.”
Joo-eun smiled wryly, as if there was nothing she could do now that everything had been exposed.
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