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“Dojun.”
Haejoo was surprised that Dojun, who had been too busy to even talk on the phone, had come to pick her up. Then she stopped, looking at the words written on the sign. Given its colorful decorations, it seemed unlikely he had made it himself. Dojun bravely held up the sign, putting aside his embarrassment.
“Noona, I’ll wait over there.”
Hyunseong bowed deeply to Dojun and moved away. Haejoo, unsure what to do, finally chuckled.
“You’re already married.”
“But we didn’t have a wedding.”
“Well, about that…”
“I wanted to propose to you 멋있게, but it’s a mess.”
Dojun’s face flushed with embarrassment. In the end, their eyes met, and they both burst into laughter.
“When things settle down, I was hoping we could have a small ceremony, even if it’s simple.”
“Without anyone knowing?”
“What if they do know?”
“…”
“If it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to.”
“I want to.”
“Huh?”
“I want to live with you, Dojun.”
“Alright. Let’s do it.”
Dojun took out a palm-sized case from his jacket. Inside was a diamond necklace, cut into a teardrop shape. He took the necklace out and placed it around Haejoo’s neck. Its clear, transparent light resembled her, radiating a luminous color.
“When did you prepare this?”
“I bought it when I was on a business trip to Singapore. I thought it would suit you.”
“Oh my… it’s so beautiful.”
Haejoo’s discomfort had vanished as soon as she saw Dojun, as if it had never been there. As they stood talking, Hyunseong received a call from Jinhan.
“Yes, Director.”
“Have you arrived?”
“I just arrived.”
“Don’t go anywhere else, come straight to the office.”
“Understood.”
Just then, another manager, who had come to pick up Haejoo and Hyunseong, waved from afar. Hyunseong nodded, indicating he understood the gesture to hurry.
“What should I do?”
Haejoo was still talking to Dojun. Although it wasn’t the right atmosphere to interrupt, she had no choice but to speak.
“Um… excuse me for interrupting.”
“Yes, Hyunseong.”
Haejoo forced a pleasant expression and answered.
“The car is waiting now.”
“I’ll take Haejoo…”
Just then, Dojun’s phone rang. It was Secretary Song calling, so he turned slightly to take the call.
“Secretary Song.”
“You need to hurry here.”
“I’ll be there soon.”
Dojun also had to leave urgently. It was a shame, but he had to go separately from Haejoo, so he put his disappointment aside.
“I also need to go to the office right away.”
“Go quickly.”
“See you at home later.”
Just as Dojun was about to turn away, he handed Haejoo the bouquet. At his bright smile, Haejoo also beamed.
“I’m going. …Hyunseong, please take good care of Haejoo.”
“Yes, drive safely!”
Haejoo watched him run off, then started walking herself. Even though she had received many bouquets since becoming an actress, today felt somehow more special.
“Hyunseong, you know what? This is the first time I’ve received flowers from a man.”
“I think I gave you some at an awards ceremony.”
“You’re not a man to me, though.”
“Of course not. I’m your strong servant.”
Haejoo burst into laughter at Hyunseong’s innocent joke. At that moment, it felt as if all the difficult memories had been washed away.
“Anyway, just thinking about meeting the Director makes me feel suffocated.”
“Nothing will happen.”
“Right?”
Haejoo got into the van and carefully rolled up the sign Dojun had given her, putting it into her bag. Then she looked forward to the surprising news she would tell him tonight.
________________________________________
Jinhan paced in front of his desk after hearing the news that Haejoo had arrived at Gimpo Airport. All sorts of thoughts ran rampant in his mind. He couldn’t focus on work and kept drinking cold water.
“I didn’t think so, but…”
Jinhan recalled what his friend, Yongwoo, had told him recently. Yongwoo had said he heard rumors of Haejoo’s marriage a long time ago. At first, he was half in doubt. He had experienced countless rumors and scandals during his time in the entertainment industry, and most were exaggerated or false. However, the truth of the rumor Yongwoo, a doctor, had heard was unexpectedly specific.
‘My friend I’m seeing recently is a nurse. I heard it from her.’
‘What did she say?’
‘She said her friend works at S Hospital, and they knew that Lee Haejoo secretly got married a long time ago.’
‘Isn’t S Hospital a large hospital in Seoul?’
‘Besides that, they opened a large-scale high-end silver care facility near Seoul.’
Jinhan heard it but didn’t understand. He asked again, completely baffled.
‘What does that hospital have to do with Haejoo…’
During the conversation, a memory struck Jinhan hard. Previously, Haejoo visiting Dojun’s father, President Park, in the hospital had become a topic of conversation.
‘At first, I didn’t believe it either, but later I found out it was true.’
‘Tell me everything you heard.’
‘Something about Lee Haejoo having registered her marriage, but living like strangers?’
‘Phew.’
‘Honestly, at the time, I heard it but didn’t believe it.’
‘And you don’t know who spread that rumor?’
‘I don’t know that.’
After meeting Yongwoo, he persistently contacted the detective in charge, whose investigation had been sluggish. Then, a few days ago, he finally received the investigation results.
‘We found the original spreader of the rumor regarding Lee Haejoo’s marriage scandal.’
‘Really?’
Holding the receiver, Jinhan tried very hard to remain calm. Contrary to his will, his hands were sweating.
‘There’s a reason I couldn’t contact you sooner.’
‘What’s the reason?’
‘The rumor spread so vaguely that it was difficult to confirm its truth.’
‘So it didn’t start online?’
‘People online were just repeating the rumor; the source was different.’
The more Jinhan listened to Detective Kim, the more he felt lost in a labyrinth. Unable to bear the frustration, he pressed on.
‘So who spread it?’
‘The rumor started at the S Hospital Dementia Center.’
‘…!’
‘It’s complicated to explain the entire investigation process, so I’ll just tell you the results.’
The rumor Yongwoo had heard wasn’t wrong. He wished it wasn’t true, but the shock was considerable.
‘You know S Hospital Dementia Center also has a nursing home, right?’
‘Ah, yes.’
‘Park Jeong-cheol, CEO Park Dojun’s father, is hospitalized there.’
‘…!’
‘Mr. Park Jeong-cheol is unable to receive visitors, so we had to question those around him.’
‘I see.’
‘I heard that Mr. Park Jeong-cheol’s dementia is quite advanced.’
‘…’
‘I was told that it would be difficult for him to intentionally create such rumors because his mind is not clear.’
As the call progressed, Jinhan felt nauseous. He pulled down his tie and rubbed his throat.
‘CEO Park Dojun, his son, visits frequently.’
‘Yes.’
‘Actually… I haven’t met CEO Park Dojun yet.’
‘Really?’
‘If we summon CEO Park Dojun, further investigation is possible, and that would make things bigger, so I’m asking you beforehand.’
Could Dojun have really spread the rumor? Detective Kim was cautious but also confident.
‘Isn’t there any evidence that CEO Park Dojun spread the rumor?’
‘I can’t reveal who it is, but we have secured a reliable witness.’
Jinhan’s heart pounded fiercely. An unspeakable conflict arose, and his heart tightened.
‘How about… filing an additional complaint?’
This part had to be discussed with Haejoo. They needed to move before the media caught wind of it, but reality was complicated. They couldn’t just gloss over the movie Haejoo was filming. This problem could only be solved by a head-on approach. Therefore, they established a new media response team, quickly brought in a team leader, and made thorough preparations.
“This will be hard to pass over quietly.”
Judging by Detective Kim’s attitude, it seemed he had already leaked it to the media. If they couldn’t trust the police, going independently was the best option. In a corner of his mind, a sense of betrayal towards Dojun surged. If all of this was a scheme to possess Haejoo, he couldn’t forgive it.
“And after all that, what did he say to me?”
While Haejoo was oblivious, Dojun had been preparing meticulously. All to make her his own. He couldn’t just let this go. This particular issue required him to be more composed than ever. Just as Jinhan’s hot heart cooled and hardened, Haejoo knocked on his office door.
________________________________________
Choi Inho headed back to the detention center. He needed to meet Yura, who was awaiting trial, one more time to extract anything he could. Of course, the truth being embellished and distorted was unavoidable. That’s how people would see it.
“Seongyu, isn’t this astonishing?”
“What is?”
“The rumor about Lee Haejoo’s marriage. They say Park Dojun might have spread it.”
“I guess so.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know.”
“He has money, and he’s handsome enough that ordinary women would line up for him.”
“Indeed. If it were me, I’d file for divorce, not marriage.”
“My point exactly. They didn’t even date, so why…”
The pieces of the puzzle weren’t fitting together neatly enough yet to publish Haejoo’s article. Moreover, not everything Yura said could be trusted. Yet, there was a reason he kept visiting. Even if controversy arose, he could simply shift the blame onto Yura.
“We’re here.”
Choi Inho, who had requested a visit with Yura, picked up his notebook. After an anxious wait, she came out.
“Please stop coming here.”
“Since you’ve helped me this much, I’ll help you live a normal life after you serve your sentence.”
“Really?”
“I’ll help with a jeonse deposit for an officetel, at least.”
Yura naively believed the empty promise Choi Inho made.
“You mustn’t break your promise.”
“Of course.”
“What else are you curious about?”
“Park Dojun and Lee Haejoo weren’t dating before they got married, right?”
“No.”
“They lived apart like strangers for years, and now they’re cosplaying as a married couple. What’s the reason?”
Yura snorted, recalling past events. She thought Dojun, who had acted as if he would give his life for Haejoo, was probably happiest now.
“Do you know what Park Dojun’s nickname was?”
“A nickname?”
“A crazy scoundrel.”
“What?”
“That man would go wild if anyone said anything about Haejoo. He even threatened me!”
“Since when?”
“It’s been a long time. It was to the point where I wondered if that’s how a person becomes when they like someone.”
Choi Inho’s jaw dropped.
“So Park Dojun had an almost obsessive liking for Lee Haejoo even before the marriage registration?”
“Don’t even ask. You wouldn’t believe how much he beat people up if anyone said anything negative about Haejoo.”
“My goodness! Now it’s all starting to make sense.”
Dojun had waited a full three years after losing contact with Haejoo. It was clear how desperate he must have been if he loved her that much, and Choi Inho shook his head in disbelief.
“You should find out if Haejoo likes Park Dojun too, you know?”
“That’s not important.”
“Why?”
“Because people enjoy sensational shows more than boring sincerity.”
“…!”
“Anyway, I’ve gained enough plausibility with Lee Yura, Lee Haejoo’s sister, so that’s enough.”
A cruel, blood-tinged smile spread across Choi Inho’s lips. For a moment, Yura felt a shiver, as if she had been thrown into a typhoon. Something was going wrong.
“What does that mean?”
“I heard that you, Ms. Yura, also tormented Lee Haejoo terribly?”
“Hey, are you telling me you used me?”
“I’ll write about Ms. Yura’s story appropriately. Even if you get criticized, there’s nothing you can do.”
“You evil bastard!”
“Thanks for the meal, Miss Yura.”
________________________________________
Choi Inho slapped his thickly noted notebook shut and hung up the receiver first. Although there was still visitation time left, he left the visiting room without a care. Yura screamed in despair. She punched the glass barrier, and correctional officers grabbed her from both sides and dragged her out.
________________________________________
Dojun hurriedly returned to the office. He was anxious, hoping to leave early today to see Haejoo.
“I wonder if I can make it on time.”
Haejoo had lost more weight than before, so he planned to take her to the hospital first. He wanted to stay by her side and take care of her as much as possible, but there were urgent matters at hand. He entered his office. Secretary Song and Attorney Park rose to greet him simultaneously.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s a big problem, CEO. Things are likely to escalate.”
“Why?”
“It seems the police have been secretly investigating at the hospital where the elderly gentleman is staying.”
“Suddenly?”
Then Secretary Song sent a message somewhere. Soon, a nursing assistant, held by a secretary, entered, sobbing. Secretary Song reported to Dojun, who was unaware of what was happening.
“The nursing assistant reportedly told the police about the marriage scandal concerning the Madam and you, CEO.”
“...!”
“It seems a detective named Kim persistently sought her out and threatened her.”
“Hmph!”
“The doctor also seems to have succumbed to pressure. He even ordered them not to tell us anything.”
A blue vein throbbed on Dojun’s neck. He walked towards the nursing assistant, who had her eyes closed in fear, and stopped abruptly.
“Did they say… I spread the rumor?”
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