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Three years ago, Haejoo made a resolution as she left home.
She vowed never to make a bad choice again.
Even after leaving home, Haejoo drifted from one part-time job to another because she lacked any particular skills. Then, she caught the eye of Jinhan, the director of GN Entertainment, and her life changed completely.
She felt exhilaration through the profession of acting. This breathtaking experience brought Haejoo both fame and wealth.
She could never give up the path of acting.
Determined that it shouldn’t end like a fleeting dream, she steeled herself.
“I’ll go take a call.”
Haejoo briefly left Dojun’s office.
The secretary who saw her stood up from her seat and bowed.
“Are you leaving already?”
“I just need to make a quick call.”
“Please feel free to use the reception room.”
A name tag on the secretary’s desk read “Song Chang-woo, Chief of Staff.” Haejoo greeted him as he guided her to the reception room on the same floor.
“Thank you, Chief of Staff Song Chang-woo.”
“You can just call me Chief Song, Madam.”
“......!”
Haejoo, who was about to enter the reception room, paused.
She felt a sense of incongruity at the title Chief Song had used.
“What did you just say?”
“You’ll get used to the titles gradually.”
Everything felt like a well-rehearsed script. The movements and coordination felt so in sync that there was no need for a rehearsal before filming.
It was awkward, but there was no pretense on Chief Song’s face.
“Excuse me, could I get a glass of cold water?”
“Certainly.”
A glass of water was placed on the table, and Haejoo was left alone in the reception room.
She took out her phone, organized her thoughts, and then called Jinhan.
-How did it go?
“The conversation went well.”
-What did he say?
Haejoo recounted her conversation with Dojun without adding or subtracting anything.
Jinhan’s interjections and heavy breathing continued incessantly on the other end of the phone.
-I’m so sorry about all this.
“Why are you, Director?”
-I’ll try my best to make sure you don’t suffer any more damage.
Haejoo continued her story. He had been quietly listening, but he finally raised an objection.
-What does he mean by saying he doesn’t want to tell clumsy lies?
“I couldn’t press him on that part either.”
-Haejoo-ssi, just because you’re legally tied to him doesn’t mean you should think of him as your real husband.
Jinhan let out a series of frustrated sighs. Unable to push Haejoo any further, he closed his mouth and then brought up Dojun’s story.
-After looking into CEO Park Dojun, he’s strange.
“In what way?”
Mr. Park had jumped into the finance business after his wife passed away giving birth to twins.
He mainly ran his business by providing urgent funds to small business owners.
He didn’t make a huge fortune, as he sometimes had trouble collecting the money. Later, there were speculations that he couldn’t focus after his eldest son died of an illness.
“In my memory, Mr. Park was not a bad person.”
-Listen to me until the end.
What was strange was what happened after that.
Mr. Park was diagnosed with dementia, and Dojun took over the business.
For some reason, instead of his father’s business, he established an investment consulting firm.
While slowly growing, he acquired the current Gino Group. Investors who highly valued Dojun’s business acumen provided a large amount of investment funds. In response, Gino Group achieved tremendous growth.
He had started his business around the time others were just starting their social lives, and he was obsessed with money.
-I don’t trust someone like Park Dojun.
“In what way?”
-I’ve never seen a decent person who loves money that much. There’s been a lot of talk about the funds that flowed in when he acquired Gino Group.
“Really?”
-It got so bad that there were even rumors of gambling.
Recently, Gino Group was a hot topic among entrepreneurs.
In particular, the young CEO Dojun was famous for being ruthless for success.
In short, he was no ordinary person.
-Having built up a business at such a young age, what else would he need now?
“......!”
-His background is too poor to rise to the top tier in the business world.
“Hmm.”
-He probably thought Haejoo-ssi’s image would be useful in that regard.
Somehow, Haejoo felt uneasy. Jinhan wasn’t wrong, but...
“Director. It’s just one year. After a year, it’ll be over with him too.”
-That’s not the issue right now.
“Then what is?”
-Choi In-ho from Real Fact is digging into Haejoo-ssi’s past.
Real Fact was an online media outlet specializing in celebrities, and they didn’t hesitate to do stakeouts or paparazzi work. In particular, reporter Choi In-ho was notorious, earning the nickname “Piranha.”
The fact that he was digging into Haejoo was very unsettling.
-Move quietly tonight.
“I will.”
-I’ll go with you when you move your things. It’s better than going alone when it’s unfamiliar.
“Okay.”
-I feel bad that things have turned out this way.
The apartment Haejoo was currently living in was provided by the agency. Before the rumors spread, she had been excited about buying her first home, but this happened.
Her heart ached terribly.
“I’ll see you later.”
After the call ended, Haejoo drank the cold water to soothe her aching stomach. She came out of the reception room and handed the empty glass directly to Chief Song.
“Thank you for the drink.”
“You didn’t have to bring the glass.”
“It’s nothing. By the way... is he inside?”
“The CEO is in a meeting with a client.”
“Ah, I see.”
Stepping back, the door to his office looked like a massive fortress. It felt like it resembled the owner of the space.
Especially dealing with Dojun required a significant amount of energy. It had started with agreeing to live in the same house, going beyond just acting as a married couple.
The daunting reality was now before her eyes. The immediate crisis had been averted, but the aftermath had become Haejoo’s responsibility.
Living with a man she had met for the first time yesterday. She could only let out a hollow laugh.
When fatigue belatedly washed over Haejoo, Chief Song handed her a car key.
“Please take this.”
“What is it?”
“The CEO asked me to give it to you.”
Haejoo accepted the car key in a daze.
“When did you prepare all this?”
“We didn’t prepare anything separately. These were things we already had.”
Like a perfectly crafted synopsis, Dojun seemed to have prepared a lot.
If things were going to be like this, she could just do as he said without having to worry.
Although the burden had lessened, Haejoo still felt bewildered.
“Is this Mr. Dojun’s car?”
“It’s Madam’s.”
She hesitated, wondering if it was right to go into Dojun’s house like this. The thought that it might be a trap made her reluctant to reach out.
Haejoo’s heart was troubled as she looked at the car key. She felt like she should call Jinhan again, so she made an excuse.
“This car doesn’t suit me.”
“It seems like there are reporters following you, so it would be best to leave the car you came in with to us.”
“How did you know that?”
“There are even rumors that you and the CEO are separated because your relationship isn’t good. The CEO also doesn’t want his private life to become the talk of the town.”
Haejoo hadn’t even considered this part. At Chief Song’s words, the wariness she had built up seemed to subside somewhat. As she relaxed the tension in her neck, she could clearly picture him on the other side of the door.
“I suppose so.”
Dojun was a successful businessman. Perhaps he was also enduring discomfort due to these rumors.
At this point, Haejoo chose to concede a step.
“Here you go.”
She handed the car key she had brought to Chief Song.
Before leaving the secretary’s office, she didn’t forget her last request.
“Our agency director wants to meet Mr. Dojun.”
“I will convey that to him.”
“I’ll be going now.”
“The car you’ll be taking is on the first basement level.”
Haejoo went to the underground parking lot. In the area marked “Executives Only,” there were rows of cars worth hundreds of millions of won.
When she pressed the smart key, the lights of a dark khaki sedan turned on.
Seeing the car that had recently become popular among the wealthy right in front of her, she was dumbfounded.
“I don’t know what’s what...”
Haejoo drove out in the expensive car, trying to hide her awkwardness.
Soon, she arrived at the GN Entertainment building.
Jinhan, who had been in a meeting with the staff, rushed out at her appearance.
“How did you get to the office?”
“Mr. Dojun’s side knows everything.”
“Know what?”
“About the reporters following me and the rumors that Mr. Dojun and I are separated.”
Anxious, Jinhan swallowed hard. He printed out the official statement he had just written and handed it to Haejoo.
“Let’s try to smooth things over with this for now.”
The statement contained a drama that couldn’t be heard without tears, about Dojun and Haejoo. It said that Dojun, her first love, had sacrificed himself for Haejoo’s dreams.
Jinhan stared intently at her as she read the statement. It was devastating that the actress he had painstakingly nurtured had become a married woman overnight.
Jinhan maintained a stern expression and licked his dry lips.
“Okay.”
GN Entertainment quickly released the statement and sent out press releases. As if waiting for this, Dojun also announced his feelings through his official account.
[My wife, Lee Haejoo, is a beautiful person. I still support Haejoo’s dreams and will continue to stand by her as her husband.]
It was perfect timing.
People who hadn’t been able to shake off their doubts even after Haejoo’s statement completely changed their tune when Dojun stepped in.
At this rate, she wondered if a divorce would even be possible after a year.
“Director, will this be okay?”
There was no reply from Jinhan.
He read Dojun’s post with a shadowed face and then slammed his hand roughly on the desk.
His temperature rose in an instant, and he finally raised his voice.
“What on earth is his intention!”
Haejoo had asked Dojun for a devoted romance.
She wondered if this was the reason he had asked her back if it was even possible.
Her marriage with Dojun fit perfectly, as if mocking the gap in her career.
The reason Jinhan was so upset wasn’t just that.
At this rate, Haejoo would have to be Dojun’s wife forever.
From the perspective of the agency, for whom the actress was an asset, it was a loss, and Jinhan’s unspoken feelings didn’t want it.
“When is that guy coming home?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll have Hyun-sung bring your things, so you stay here, Haejoo-ssi.”
Hyun-sung was a rookie manager. Jinhan was acting as Haejoo’s road manager, so Hyun-sung took care of miscellaneous tasks.
Late in the afternoon, Hyun-sung came with stylist Min-hee and Haejoo’s luggage.
“I’ll take it myself, so just load it into the trunk.”
“Noona, call me if you need anything.”
The address of Dojun’s house that Chief Song had sent via text message was in a suburban housing complex beyond Seoul.
After confirming the address, Haejoo drove out of the office in the car loaded with her luggage. Jinhan followed behind.
Another day before summer was ending like this.
Just as the sunset was being obscured, a modern building designed to block the view from the outside came into sight.
“This must be it.”
The sophisticated design of the embossed roof was impressive. Haejoo looked up at the house that was clearly built by a talented architect.
Just then, the front door clicked open, and Chief Song came out.
“Have you arrived?”
“Ah, yes. Our agency director came with me.”
“Please come in.”
Jinhan passed by Chief Song with a sharp look in his eyes.
After passing through the entrance with its clean marble flooring, a cozy garden that couldn’t be seen from the outside unfolded.
It was a strangely harmonious structure where the interior and exterior blended.
Dojun appeared as Haejoo was looking around the house in a daze.
“We have a guest.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Yoo Jinhan, director of GN Entertainment.”
“Park Dojun.”
Jinhan and Dojun exchanged business cards.
An awkward silence soon flowed between the three people sitting opposite each other on the sofa.
The first to break the silence was Dojun.
“I heard you wanted to meet me?”
“Well, it’s true that I’m worried about Haejoo-ssi.”
In the meantime, Jinhan had acted as Haejoo’s de facto guardian. Having heard some of the circumstances of her cutting ties with her family, he had even provided her with accommodation.
Jinhan’s contribution was significant to Haejoo’s current success. Haejoo also trusted and followed him, so this outcome was devastating.
“It sounds like I’ve become some kind of bad wolf.”
“Please don’t misunderstand. Haejoo-ssi is our agency’s main actress, so I’m just uneasy.”
“Shouldn’t agencies just focus on business?”
Dojun was different from ordinary people.
Having met him in person, he was a leader closer to a predator, the type who became stronger against stronger opponents.
Jinhan, unable to hide his bewilderment at his formidable nature, still defended Haejoo.
“Haejoo-ssi is different from other actors.”
“In what way?”
“She’s a talent I personally discovered. She will be a major figure in Korean cinema...”
“You’re saying you raised her?”
To Dojun, Jinhan was just another ordinary guy. He cut off his words as if he couldn’t stand his sentimental attitude.
This was the same person who had accepted Haejoo’s demands in an instant. Judging by his attitude towards Jinhan, it was unbelievable. He wondered what his ulterior motive was.
Just as Jinhan, his temper fraying, was about to retort, Haejoo quickly interjected.
“The director is in charge of me. So it’s natural for him to care. And Director?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“It’s true that Mr. Dojun has conceded a lot in this matter.”
“......I understand what you mean.”
Haejoo’s eyes, asking for restraint, turned to Jinhan.
Her gaze then reached Dojun, with whom she would have to live as a married couple starting today.
‘Please.’
Dojun stroked his shaved chin and slowly blinked. His languid demeanor was so nonchalant that it was hard to believe he had been sharp just moments ago.
“I’ll be satisfied with just seeing your face today. Let’s have dinner outside next time.”
Raising his voice at Dojun would only make things difficult for Haejoo.
Jinhan refrained from saying any more for Haejoo’s sake.
He had even prepared a contract stating that he would divorce Haejoo after a year, but he didn’t take it out.
Judging that the atmosphere wasn’t right, he stood up from his seat.
“Haejoo-ssi, see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, Director.”
Jinhan left.
In the meantime, the luggage Haejoo had brought was placed in the living room.
Haejoo’s peaceful daily life was filled with unfamiliar things.
A new house, a successful husband, and even the public opinion that had changed in an instant. Even this shocking situation had become a perfect movie.
It felt like everything had been arranged in a snap at the words of a near-divine director.
All of this had happened to Haejoo in two days.
“Do you know why Mr. Dojun gives me the creeps?”
“I wonder.”
“It’s because he acts like he knew this would happen. What exactly are you?”
The man she met at home had unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his strong neck even more. His prominent Adam’s apple moved like a wave.
The collarbone visible through his shirt led to his broad shoulders and then to his forearms, where he had rolled up his sleeves. The small scars on his arms felt contrary to Jinhan’s words that he was obsessed with money.
Haejoo expected that his true self would be raw and untamed.
“I clearly said it during the day, didn’t I? I’m serious.”
His eyes lit up as he walked towards Haejoo.
He lowered his face to match her smaller stature and murmured,
“Look closely. Don’t you still remember me?”
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