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It had been a week since she started working at Inno Fashion. Sehee gently traced the glass nameplate engraved with “Joo Sehee” with her fingertips, then looked at Secretary Kim. Secretary Kim, who was once again the head of the secretarial team, had proudly taken on the title of Director at the age of 27. Before, her short tenure meant she couldn’t be given a proper rank, but now she was clearly a valuable talent, scouted back. Perhaps that’s why Director Kim’s shoulders were noticeably straighter since returning to work. Why is that so cute? Suppressing a smile, Sehee calmly asked,
“How’s the company atmosphere?”
“Employees are agitated because the CEO has changed and a large number of executives have been replaced.”
As soon as Sehee started work, she first filtered out Chairwoman Cho’s people. Thanks to Chairwoman Cho gathering them during the recent shareholders’ meeting, Sehee had identified a few people she hadn’t known about before. Like birds of a feather, they were all equally incompetent. When she took drastic measures like demotions or recommended resignations, most chose the latter. The biggest reason, however, was probably that they had witnessed Chairwoman Cho’s complete defeat with their own eyes. Afterward, with the board’s approval, she appointed Jinkyung as the Executive Director of Sales and Marketing and elected new executives. Now, the next step was to stabilize the disrupted company atmosphere, or more precisely, to discipline the employees.
“The former CEO Yoo Taeryeong, who maintained a mysterious image, had a good reputation among employees, which seems to be escalating the anxiety. The current CEO’s sudden appearance as the head of Dora Shopping Mall, and the fact that former CEO Yoo Taeryeong attributed her past achievements to the current CEO—rumors are even circulating that it was all manipulated by the board for a parachute appointment.”
Should I have acted like a mean boss when I was Yoo Taeryeong? Just as a faint sense of regret took hold, Director Kim, who had been watching Sehee’s expression, continued,
“It also seems to be affected by the recent controversy regarding the character of a young female executive who snagged the youngest executive director position at Yujin Chemical. She was also very pretty, but ultimately, the articles said she was replaced because she only lived up to her looks and not her character or ability. You saw those articles too, CEO?”
“I did.”
“Articles resurfaced saying she got her executive position through her parents’ influence because she couldn’t make it as an entertainer.”
Sehee almost laughed out loud at the imagination of people fabricating such absurd stories.
“So, they think I’m one of those cases?”
“At least, that’s the rumor among the employees.”
The conclusion was that the employees were suspicious of her ability, having appeared like a comet, defied the largest shareholder, seized control of the board, and become the new CEO. It was something that could be proven with ability, but the disrupted atmosphere couldn’t be fixed immediately. So, what would be a good approach? Sehee, lost in thought for a moment, gave calm instructions to Director Kim.
“Post the stock grant and incentive bonus announcement, which was scheduled for next month, today.”
Everyone works to earn money. There was no better panacea than bonuses to calm the agitated atmosphere and boost morale. Since they had given special dividends to shareholders, it was now time to give back to the employees who had worked hard alongside her. And it wouldn’t be a big deal to move the announcement up a bit.
“And also, set up dinner schedules for each department. Let the department members choose the menu for the dinners. And give them a heads-up that I’ll only be there for about 20 minutes, short and impactful, so I don’t sound like an old-timer.”
“You’ll attend in person, CEO?”
When she was Yoo Taeryeong, she avoided face-to-face interactions with employees as much as possible, except for executives. Knowing this, Director Kim looked at her with surprise, and Sehee smiled sweetly.
“There’s no reason to avoid the employees anymore, is there?”
If they’re so anxious, I’ll just meet them directly and prove it. As always, I’m strong in practice.
________________________________________
Kang-joon’s 24 hours revolved around Joo Sehee, starting and ending with her. When he woke up in the morning, he would rush to take her to work, and if there were no other appointments, they would have lunch together. After that, they would each go to their respective companies to work, and when quitting time came, he would go to pick up Joo Sehee again. Although he was still busy, letting go of his perfectionist work ethic, which required everything to go through his hands, gave him more free time. Today, the place Kang-joon took Sehee for lunch was a Pyongyang naengmyeon restaurant in a small alley. Whether it suited her taste or not, Sehee, who finished even the broth, looked at Kang-joon with a curious expression.
“Kang-joon, how do you know such good restaurants... how do you know what food suits my taste so well?”
Even I don’t know my own taste well right now, Sehee mumbled quietly, to which Kang-joon shrugged instead of answering. He thought she would probably be disgusted again if he said it was the magic of love. But it really was the magic of love. When looking at the list of good restaurants compiled by the secretarial team, there were times when he just had a hunch that “Joo Sehee would probably like this.” And indeed, when he took her there, Sehee would eat at least one dish well, if not all.
“Pré sent telepathy to Dad. Asking if it might be a good idea to take Mom there, since she’d probably eat well.”
Whether Kang-joon’s playful answer was amusing or astounding, Sehee blinked her long eyelashes a few times and finally burst into laughter. How beautiful she looked, her eyes softening into crescent moons as she smiled. Kang-joon narrowed his eyes, fixating on Joo Sehee in front of him as if mesmerized. Is this what it feels like to fall deeper and deeper without an exit as time passes? Far from feeling bewildered, he felt proud of himself for doing all sorts of things just to see that one smile. Loving one woman with his entire soul and heart was nothing to be ashamed of. Now that he realized Joo Sehee’s smile was his happiness, Kang-joon wanted to make her smile for the rest of her life, even for his own sake.
“And I’m truly grateful and happy that Joo Sehee eats well.”
The smile vanished from Sehee’s face, but Kang-joon wasn’t anxious. Her clear eyes, gazing steadily at him, were still warm and gentle. Just like the emotion Joo Sehee was exuding towards him now. Sehee, who had been staring at Kang-joon as he struggled to keep his lips from curving upwards, cautiously asked,
“Friday, 5 PM, you haven’t forgotten, have you?”
Tomorrow was the day they were going to the hospital together. What should he do with this cute woman who was subtly testing him, just in case he had forgotten?
“How could I possibly forget? I’ve adjusted my schedule, told Director Yoon to remind me, and even set an alarm. Shall I show you?”
“Are you sure you’re okay, being so busy? It’s fine if I go alone.”
Director Yoon had given Kang-joon a strong piece of advice: never trust a pregnant wife who says she’s “okay.” So Kang-joon had no intention of trusting it.
“At first, I ignorantly let you go to the hospital alone, Sehee, but not anymore. And I want to see Pré too.”
His answer must have been satisfactory. Only then did Sehee, with a faint smile, hesitate, then ask Kang-joon,
“My close friend is having a birthday party this weekend, would you like to come with me? That is, if... you have time, Mr. Kang-joon.”
Kang-joon’s expression turned serious, knowing the meaning of that invitation.
“I’d love to go, but are you really okay with me coming?”
To Sehee, who nodded slightly, Kang-joon gently asked again,
“Are you trusting me again now?”
After a moment of hesitation, Sehee, with a determined look, rested her arms on the round table and leaned forward, as if to whisper a secret.
“I’ve never not trusted you, Mr. Kang-joon. Just as you remain unchanged, my situation also remains unchanged. I couldn’t find a solution in that situation. That’s why I left.”
That was a fact Kang-joon also knew. She left not because she didn’t trust him or love him, but because of the circumstances. Also, after learning Joo Sehee’s secret, he thought her choice was correct. Even if the process was wrong, the things that needed to be done were the same: Joo Sehee had to find her identity, and Kang-joon had to get a divorce. However, there was a feeling of sadness that she hadn’t confided her secret and shared the burden of resolving it together.
“But not now. I am Joo Sehee now, not Yoo Taeryeong. So I’m going to try to change the situation.”
When Kang-joon didn’t answer, Sehee smiled gently and continued,
“Of course, I can’t guarantee the outcome, so don’t have high expectations. So what I want to say is... I hope you can also feel at ease until Pré is born. Just as you’re doing your best for our situation, I’ll do my best too. As Joo Sehee.”
Just as Kang-joon had changed because of Joo Sehee, Joo Sehee was also undergoing a storm of change because of him. What should he do with this lovable woman? He was still disappointed that she hadn’t asked him for help, but he no longer intended to just watch. Unless he secretly pulled strings behind Joo Sehee’s back. Kang-joon deliberately smiled and tried to change the mood playfully.
“Is that ‘best’ a transformation into an ill-behaved and selfish villainess?”
“Yes.”
Sehee answered his playful remark with such a serious expression that Kang-joon finally burst into loud laughter. I’m going crazy, really. Because of Joo Sehee, who had been and would continue to be the only one to make him laugh.
________________________________________
Chairwoman Cho sat in the CEO’s office at Inno Fashion, grinding her teeth. She had called Joo Sehee, demanding to see her immediately, but Sehee said her schedule was too tight and told her to come to the company. Trembling with rage, she somehow managed to come to Inno Fashion, only to have the secretary deliver a message that the CEO was having lunch outside and she would have to wait.
“That arrogant girl, not only does she dare to summon me, but she makes me wait?”
Had it been about 30 minutes? The office door opened, and Joo Sehee entered. Her usually tied hair was softly down, and she wore a sophisticated suit, looking both similar to the old Yoo Taeryeong and yet completely different. Given their relationship, no superficial greetings were exchanged. In the desolate and tense atmosphere, as soon as Sehee sat across from her, Chairwoman Cho coldly retorted,
“Let’s hear it then. What cards do you hold?”
After being dealt a severe blow at the shareholders’ meeting, Chairwoman Cho had been racking her brain for a whole week. What other schemes was that cunning girl planning? But nothing came to mind, so she had no choice but to hear it directly. It would be foolish to refuse what she was offering to reveal first. And Joo Sehee, without playing word games, went straight to the point in response to Chairwoman Cho’s question.
“It seems you have an account in Switzerland. Of course, you haven’t declared your overseas financial accounts, have you? Oh, and it looks like you’ve been doing some money laundering with virtual currency too.”
Her heart sank for a moment, but Chairwoman Cho maintained a poker face and calmly replied,
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Gayang Hospital also has a lot of talk these days.”
When Gayang Hospital came out of Sehee’s mouth, Chairwoman Cho’s eyes turned venomous.
“You’ve been covering up a string of medical accidents with money. And if people don’t listen to you, there’s personnel retaliation and power abuse controversies. It’s endless when you dig into it. I’ve secured some videos of your power abuse towards hospital staff, housekeepers, and store employees as evidence.”
She spoke fluently, detailing things she wasn’t even asked about, with an innocent look and expression so similar to her mother’s that it made her sick.
“Oh, and externally, I’ve also secured photographic evidence that you, the virtuous wife of the Inno Group Vice Chairman, were secretly enjoying yourself behind the scenes with Director Jung. Wouldn’t this be enough to completely bury you, Aunt?”
Chairwoman Cho was momentarily gripped by self-loathing. Why hadn’t she realized earlier that this cunning girl’s true goal wasn’t to acquire Inno Fashion, but revenge against her?
“I have two conditions. First, you must step down from your position as Chairman of Gayang Hospital. Second, you must sell all your shares in Inno Fashion. If you accept these conditions, I will live as if I don’t know you, just like you lived with me, going forward.”
Chairwoman Cho’s hand, clutching her handbag, clenched tightly.
“So, if I sell, you’ll buy them back and become the largest shareholder of Inno Fashion in my place?”
Looking at her again, she was truly cunning. Not only had she risen to the position of CEO, but she intended to become the largest shareholder and truly make Inno Fashion her own.
“It’s a company I revived, and I have more than enough money to buy it. Is that not allowed?”
Chairwoman Cho looked at Sehee’s innocently sweet smile with a look of horror. If she only lost power and maintained her wealth, she would still have to grovel to that girl and live the rest of her life constantly watching her. But if she refused, she would not only lose everything but also be completely ostracized socially. The conclusion was that this cunning girl’s proposal was one where she had absolutely nothing to lose. It was the moment she realized, I raised a tiger cub. She had no idea because she just passively accepted everything and was taken advantage of. She never knew that within her, a tenacious desire for success and a deep desire for revenge against her would grow.
“Of course, I’m not giving you all the evidence, so it’s natural you’d find it hard to trust me. I understand. So I’ll tell you my fatal weakness as well, Aunt.”
Weakness? Of course, Chairwoman Cho didn’t believe Sehee’s words.
“What’s your game now?”
“It’s not a game; I’m just thinking of getting married.”
Chairwoman Cho, gripped by an inexplicable unease, wondered if it was possible. Unless she’s gone crazy, she wouldn’t dare think of marrying Seo Kang-joon, would she?
“Since I acquired Inno Fashion with my own ability, don’t you think I’m qualified enough to become a small madam of the Hanshin family now? Of course...”
Sehee slowly stood up, approached, leaned down, and sweetly whispered into Chairwoman Cho’s ear,
“As Joo Sehee.”
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