9 PM. The anniversary after-party for Taesan Home Shopping’s 18th anniversary was being held at the Dear Hotel banquet hall.

“This is Kim Jin-kyung, the CEO of Dora Shopping Mall. And this is Yu Taeryeong, the CEO of Ino Fashion.”

At the introduction by Executive Director Kim of Taesan Home Shopping, the two women briefly bowed to each other.

“CEO Yu is interested in acquiring an athleisure company, so I’m introducing you. Please have a good conversation.”

After Executive Director Kim, who had played the role of a stepping stone, left, a subtle atmosphere lingered between the two women for a moment. Taeryeong was the first to speak.

“Would it be alright if we moved to a quieter place to talk?”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

The left side of the party hall was less crowded. Standing shoulder to shoulder and gazing out the large window, the two women were barely holding back their laughter.

“Crazy Jju, how have you been? I was so worried about you.”

Jin-kyung greeted her in a small, excited voice.

“Why worry? I’m the type to survive even if I’m abandoned in the desert.”

Crazy Jju. It was a nickname she hadn’t heard in a long time. Taeryeong’s eyes also welled up as she looked at her friend, whom she was seeing for the first time in three years. At the exact moment she had wished for, in the necessary place, with their meticulous plans aligning, the two had met again. As business partners, so as not to arouse anyone’s suspicion.

“You said you’ve been doing well, but why have you lost so much weight? Is the old witch tormenting you terribly?”

“She’s not kind, but she doesn’t torment me either.”

Not wanting to worry her, Taeryeong lied nonchalantly.

“Well, our Jju is usually tough, isn’t she? She secretly managed Dora and even revived a failed company. I’ve become a Judith mania myself. You’re my friend, but I think you’re pretty amazing.”

When Jin-kyung playfully gave her a thumbs-up, Taeryeong recalled the past with a composed expression. The gamble she had taken to revive Ino Fashion, which had been on the verge of being sold. Instead of launching a new brand, she had put forward Judith, a Swiss licensed brand with two years remaining on its contract with Ino. With a brand rejuvenation strategy, Judith, newly presented with bold colors and practical wearability, had received an explosive response. Sales had grown by over 500%, and they had even extended the license agreement with Judith. The newly launched Judith Kids line was scheduled to make its debut at Taesan, the number one home shopping company. She had accomplished all of this on her own.

“I can see it without even looking. Crazy Jju, who wouldn’t sleep or eat properly.”

Taeryeong shrugged at Jin-kyung, who looked at her with a mixture of playfulness and worry.

“Did you see Grandma?”

“How could I see Grandma when even you can’t?”

Still, seeing Jin-kyung made Taeryeong feel a bit relieved.

“But are you really going to acquire Dora with Ino?”

“Yeah. I’ll contact you soon, so just act like you’re playing hard to get.”

It was Taeryeong’s final goal. To swallow Ino whole, which had absorbed Dora, and become the CEO in her own name.

“Oh, right, Jinwoo oppa said he thought he saw you, and he keeps nagging me.”

“Oppa?”

“Our oppa is a really successful model. Seriously, didn’t you know?”

“I saw the advertisement.”

“He said he thought he saw you at some party, and he was surprisingly good at recognizing you, considering he’s a clumsy retriever.”

Recalling Jinwoo, who always had a smiling face, naturally brought to mind a large golden retriever. Jin-kyung’s older brother, a bright and affectionate friend who would jokingly confess his love every time they met.

“You know our oppa is a simpleton who acts before he thinks, right? The moment he sees you, he’ll probably call your name and follow you around, so avoid him if you happen to see him.”

“I will.”

Contrary to her reply, Taeryeong wanted to see Jinwoo. Unlike her husband, who made her tense just by thinking about him, Jinwoo made people feel comfortable. And his soft smile, which made her feel good just by looking at it. Comparing two men with such different atmospheres made her want to laugh strangely. It felt like Jinwoo was a big, clumsy puppy, while her husband was a tiger. Perhaps it was because she felt tense just thinking about her husband, but she suddenly became aware of the gazes around her.

“Jin-kyung-ah, let’s...”

Taeryeong, who had turned to leave, froze. Seo Kangjoon was entering the party hall with a beautiful woman. Hoping it was a hallucination, she blinked slowly, but instead of disappearing, he became clearer and clearer. Jin-kyung, noticing Taeryeong’s unusual behavior, followed her gaze and smiled sweetly.

“Ooh, our Jju still has an eye for good-looking men. But what to do? Aside from the fact that he’s taken, that man is on a whole different level.”

“Do you know that man?”

“No, but his aura is different. And if he came down from up there, it’s a done deal.”

“Where is ‘up there’?”

“How can you know less than me after being in this world for three years? It’s amazing you managed to survive without getting caught.”

Jin-kyung pointed upwards with a dumbfounded expression.

“CEO Yu, that hidden space up there is where only the VVIP list is invited. This world also has a strict hierarchy, so they play among themselves.”

Only then did Taeryeong see it too. A private space set up on one side of the second floor, overlooking the banquet hall. Just then, her husband turned his head, and Taeryeong’s eyes met his. They looked at each other for a moment, their gazes intertwined. Taeryeong was the first to look away, after impassively watching her husband offer his arm to the woman. *** She ran into Jin-kyung several more times, but they didn’t exchange words. Still, just being in the same space as Jin-kyung was a comfort to Taeryeong. She deliberately turned her back on her subtly irritating husband, keeping him out of her sight. And at 11 PM, it was time to go home. Taeryeong, heading towards the entrance, asked a staff member to bring her coat and briefcase.

“I’ll wait at the entrance of the third-floor parking lot.”

Turning her gaze towards the low voice that brushed past her ear, she saw her husband standing beside her, pretending to be a stranger. His casually lowered gaze, broad shoulders, strong arms, and long, straight legs.

“I’ll head in first, so stay longer if you want.”

Taeryeong also spoke softly, her gaze fixed ahead.

“They say humans are creatures of forgetfulness.”

So, what do you want me to do about it?

“I might forget and stay out overnight, so wife, please take me with you.”

Taeryeong’s eyelashes fluttered as she abruptly turned her head at his nonchalant reply. Not only had he run his hand down the length of her palm, but her husband had secretly hooked his little finger around hers. She tried to pull her entangled finger away somehow. But as much as Taeryeong exerted force, her husband applied just as much, easily defending his hold. Fortunately, the jacket held in her husband’s large hand cleverly concealed their joined hands.

Just then, a staff member appeared, and with perfect timing, Kangjoon let go of her hand.

“Thank you.”

Taeryeong, whose hands were clammy with sweat, took the coat and briefcase offered by the staff member and flinched. Her husband swiftly grabbed and released her hand again. Reluctantly raising her eyes, this time her husband’s gaze intertwined with hers as he quietly mouthed the words. Third-floor parking lot. *** As soon as her husband appeared in the parking lot, Taeryeong asked abruptly. Today, they had been like strangers, not even acquaintances.

“What on earth is wrong with you?”

What? Taeryeong repeated to her husband, who nonchalantly asked back with his eyes.

“I understand you wanting to go in together. But why did you hold my hand?”

“In case you ran away again.”

Taeryeong’s lips slightly parted at his absurd reply.

“That’s Taeryeong-ssi’s specialty, isn’t it?”

His dark eyes, descending like a hawk, fixed on Taeryeong.

“Why would I? I haven’t done anything wrong.”

What did he take her for?

“Really nothing?”

But her husband asked again, with terrifyingly calm dark eyes, looking as if he could see right through her mind.

“......!”

Seeing Taeryeong freeze, Kangjoon slowly opened and closed his eyes. Like turning a switch on and off, the pupils half-hidden by his thin eyelids were as indifferent as if nothing had happened.

“If not, then never mind.”

When he received the call from Kyungjin, Kangjoon had a meeting at the Dear Hotel restaurant. It was a meeting he could leave midway, so he came up to the second-floor room of the banquet hall to watch his wife. His wife, with her consistently composed demeanor and appropriately wary of the men, gave him nothing to criticize. So, he suddenly became curious. Whether she would maintain that composed face even when she saw him.

“Taeryeong-ssi keeps her promises very well.”

He had brought down Kyungjin’s cousin, but his wife hadn’t wavered. Indifferent eyes, composed face. And a thorough disregard.

“Of course, I do too.”

It was Kangjoon who grabbed his wife as she tried to disappear silently and quietly like that. With so many eyes watching, she was probably using that as an excuse to disappear comfortably. That was also the reason he had placed his finger on the tip of his wife’s hand. To prevent her from running away, like handcuffs on each other’s wrists.

“Regarding staying out overnight, it means I won’t have anything to say even if you bring my tie.”

Continuing calmly, Kangjoon held up his left hand. Specifically, his ring finger with the wedding band.

“I’m too lazy to say it all out loud.”

I’m making this much effort, so you should too. His wife looked at her own left hand, which didn’t have a ring, and awkwardly fidgeted.

“So, Taeryeong-ssi, please manage my overnight stays.”

The emotion that spread through his wife’s eyes as she cautiously looked up at Kangjoon was confusion. She probably wanted to ask how she should manage it.

“Get in.”

But Kangjoon replaced his answer by opening the car door for her. He couldn’t tell her even that. So, she should figure out how to manage it on her own. *** There was no conversation on the way home. Kangjoon focused on driving, and Taeryeong kept her gaze fixed outside the window. The signal changed, and his wife came into his slanted view. Her intense makeup no longer seemed like a disguise; the face he had seen at dawn overlapped with it. Just as the crazy thought of wanting to see that face again crossed his mind, the signal changed.

“Could you wait a moment?”

As soon as they arrived home, his wife went to the dressing room and came out with pajamas. Kangjoon stared blankly at the pajamas placed on her small hand. She wouldn’t fall for it twice, so don’t come up to the second floor using pajamas as an excuse. It gave him a strange feeling, as if he was receiving such a warning.

“Then good night, Kangjoon-ssi.”

As soon as he took the pajamas, Kangjoon didn’t bother to stop his wife, who went upstairs as if she had been waiting for it. He wanted his wife to enjoy her remaining two days of freedom to the fullest. *** The next morning. Taeryeong, ready for work, ran into Kangjoon in the elevator. Since Taeryeong was the one who left the house as usual, it must have been her husband who changed his commuting time. Why again this time?

“It’s nice to see Taeryeong-ssi’s face from the morning.”

Taeryeong quietly swallowed the sigh that escaped her lips. He was right, he had been waiting for her. When they arrived at the parking lot, Secretary Yoon and Secretary Kim were waiting for them in front of their respective cars. Taeryeong bowed her head, and Kangjoon also bowed. It had become their established way of saying goodbye.

“Yu Taeryeong-ssi.”

But he called Taeryeong back.

“What time will you be home today?”

It was a question a husband could naturally ask. But strangely, it felt like sand in her ears.

“Should I come home early today?”

When Taeryeong, who had given up on trying to figure out his intentions, cautiously asked back, he said,

“How about around 9?”

Idly stroking his chin with his long fingers.

“The terrace had a nice atmosphere.”

Meeting her eyes persistently yet calmly.

“I thought it would be nice for a married couple to have a drink together.”

He smiled softly and briefly at the end. To outsiders, it would look like they were a truly affectionate couple.

“I’ll be home on time.”

Only after finally getting an answer did Kangjoon head to his car. Watching his large frame disappear into the car, Taeryeong turned around and met Secretary Kim’s eyes. Since when had Secretary Kim been coming to greet them at commuting time? *** The CEO’s office at Ino Fashion headquarters. After Secretary Kim’s schedule briefing, Taeryeong spoke, her gaze fixed on the documents.

“Check if the 8 PM appointment can be canceled. Secretary Kim knows the reason.”

“Don’t worry. You’re planning to spend quality time with your husband, so I’ll put my abilities to 200% and reschedule everything!”

Taeryeong quietly watched Secretary Kim, who replied with a bright smile. She was 27 years old, a high school graduate, an ordinary woman without any notable qualifications whom she had personally hired. Her fiercely lived, harsh life, the sharp determination in her eyes, reminded her of her own childhood self. Fortunately, Secretary Kim had lived up to her expectations and become an excellent secretary.

“Secretary Kim, did my husband and I look like we have a good relationship?”

Taeryeong said, idly touching the stacks of approval documents on her desk.

“You not only look like you have a good relationship, but you’re both so good-looking. It’s a pleasure for anyone who sees you standing together.”

“So...”

Stopping her words, Taeryeong stopped her hand and slowly raised her eyes.

“What will you report to Mother this time?”

“......?”

“Will you report that my husband and I looked good together again today and even made plans to drink at home?”

She asked calmly with unwavering, serene eyes and a soft voice.

“I’m just asking out of curiosity.”

The smile disappeared from Secretary Kim’s face, and this time, Taeryeong smiled.