Chapter 50: Noona is Pregnant!

Dojun feared nothing in the world. He was confident he would do anything to make Haejoo happy. However, he didn’t spread the rumor out of mere childish whims. It was an unavoidable choice to salvage an already occurred accident, and a sincere desire to allow Haejoo to live a normal life. Haejoo, who continued to swing between extremes even as an adult, couldn’t manage on her own. Moreover, Jinhan’s abnormal kindness, stemming from selfish motives, could ultimately lead her to the worst.

Dojun immediately decided to invest when Director Kwak mentioned considering Haejoo for the lead role. He was convinced that this was the optimal moment to inform her about their marriage. It was a necessary measure to minimize her pain. Contrary to his sincere intentions, only bone-chilling sobs could be heard from the other end of the phone. Dojun, feeling as if he was clinging to a cliff, tried to persuade her.

“Trust me and just wait a little longer.”

“I’m so exhausted.”

“I know. I’ll resolve this as quickly as possible.”

“I don’t think I can go home for a while. I don’t have the courage to face the reporters right now.”

Looking out the window again, he saw even more reporters. Dojun, who had turned off all the lights in the house, clutched his throbbing head.

“Go to the Rejin Hotel. I’ll meet you there.”

After ending the call with Haejoo, Dojun quickly changed clothes. The housekeeper was also flustered and pacing, so he looked around the kitchen.

“You should leave now, ma’am.”

“Alright.”

The housekeeper, who had prepared nutritious food for the frail Haejoo, moved busily. After the table was cleared, she followed Dojun to the garage. He sent the housekeeper away first, then braved the throng of reporters and rushed to the company.

“Secretary Song, I’m on my way to the company now, so please issue a rebuttal article first.”

After contacting Secretary Song, he pressed hard on the pedal. Arriving quickly at the company, he found the entire legal team devising countermeasures. Attorney Park reported the current situation to a very agitated Dojun.

“We contacted the police and demanded that reporter Choi Inho be investigated quickly.”

“What did they say?”

“They said they plan to issue a summons tomorrow.”

“And the article?”

“We’ve released a press statement, but the atmosphere isn’t favorable for them to publish it.”

“Phew.”

“It would be best if the CEO revealed it directly.”

Attorney Park was drafting a statement to refute Choi Inho’s article. The content described how Haejoo had suffered severe abuse from her family and had endured pain until recently. However, the problem was what came next. Attorney Park cautiously asked, needing to consult with Dojun.

“I think we need to explain the marriage process with Madam to some extent.”

Haejoo had to become the wife of a man given a terminal diagnosis. The only way Lee Jun, facing death, could save Haejoo was to free her from her hellish home. How could all of this be condensed onto a single piece of paper? The pain Haejoo had endured was far too great for that.

“Where should we start writing?”

Dojun’s worries deepened. Meanwhile, articles about the two of them became increasingly exaggerated, deviating from the truth.

________________________________________

The van arrived at the agency building. It was divided into two sections, with separate buildings for singers and actors. Haejoo moved into the current agency building when she filmed her first movie. Everyone envied her position. Both the company and Haejoo. However, such a successful company couldn’t completely protect Haejoo.

“Noona, we’re here.”

“Just let’s stay like this for a moment.”

“Okay.”

Could Jinhan have truly not foreseen the deluge of articles? It was unlikely that he, known for his dense information network and wide connections, was unaware. The Jinhan of before would have stopped it by any means necessary. This morning, even as Haejoo struggled to leave his office, he didn’t stop her. It was as if he expected her to return.

“The company hasn’t issued a rebuttal yet, right?”

“No. It looks like you’ll have to go, Noona.”

“Let’s go in, Hyunseong.”

When Haejoo entered Jinhan’s office, the interior was chaotic. Unfamiliar staff members were gathered, and she looked around cautiously.

“Director, Lee Haejoo is here.”

“Oh! You’ve arrived.”

A staff member called out to Jinhan, who had just hung up the phone. Jinhan came out of his seat, seeing Haejoo’s somewhat reserved demeanor.

“Haejoo, don’t be surprised. We’ve newly established and are operating a media response team.”

“Oh, really?”

“The matter is more serious than it looks. We have a lot to discuss.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s talk separately in the reception room.”

Jinhan grabbed his laptop and left the office, avoiding the staff. Haejoo gestured to Hyunseong to come along. Jinhan frowned as Hyunseong, who had intended to stay, followed them.

“How about just Haejoo coming?”

“I’m not feeling well, so it would be good to have Hyunseong with me.”

There was a reason Haejoo wanted to bring Hyunseong. It was to have another witness besides herself. The agency was strictly a contractual entity, not a source of trust. At least for Haejoo, Jinhan was nothing more than that.

“Alright.”

Jinhan opened the reception room door with a reluctant expression. He opened his laptop to display the article about Haejoo and began to speak.

“Haejoo, CEO Park Dojun hasn’t said anything about what he’ll do yet, right?”

“No.”

“Since he’ll likely be deliberating, let’s state your position first.”

“How?”

Jinhan lowered his eyes deeply. He thought for a moment, then continued.

“It would be best to explain your family background first.”

“...”

“It will be difficult, but you need to be brave.”

Haejoo could no longer avoid it. Now it was time to reveal Gyeong-ae and Yura’s misdeeds to the world.

“Next, let’s proceed while observing public opinion trends.”

“...Yes.”

“If you write the draft on this laptop, the response team will organize it and release it.”

Haejoo nodded.

“What about dinner?”

“I’ll manage.”

“Then I’ll be in my office.”

Only Haejoo and Hyunseong remained in the reception room. As the door closed, Haejoo sighed repeatedly.

“Noona, can you do it?”

“I have to try. You go out and get some dinner.”

“No, it’s fine. Let’s eat together here.”

While Hyunseong ordered porridge from a specialized restaurant, Haejoo opened a Korean document. Her hesitant hands carefully began typing.

[I was the unfavored child to my biological mother.]

Starting with this sentence, she unearthed the past buried in her heart. It was painful, like her insides were rotting, but she wrote with difficulty.

“Should I discuss the marriage registration part with Dojun?”

“I think it’s better to state your thoughts first, Noona.”

“True...”

It was uncertain whether the public would genuinely believe her, even with this. Nevertheless, she had to do her best.

[When I was a high school student, my mother recklessly opened a cafe, and when its operation became difficult, she borrowed money from President Park, who ran a small financial firm.]

Truly, it was a time she never wanted to recall. Gyeong-ae was the one who threatened Haejoo, and President Park was the one who protected her, making it difficult to explain this part. She risked pushing President Park and Dojun into an even stranger light. Although it was true that Dojun had intentionally spread the rumor about their marriage, he was also a victim of this incident. Yet, he had overcome large and small waves, looking only at Haejoo. It was President Park and Dojun who saved Haejoo from the devils in the guise of family. Even though she faced hardship as an actress due to the marriage scandal, Dojun’s sacrifice was significant in making Haejoo who she is today. Since Dojun was also human, wouldn’t this moment be difficult for him? Moreover, as the CEO leading a company, she hoped he wouldn’t suffer any harm. She cautiously, but truthfully, conveyed the reality.

[My mother couldn’t repay the debt, and finally, around the age of twenty, I was forced by my mother to go to President Park. But President Park, instead, worried about me. He said this marriage should not happen.]

Tears welled up for no reason. It had been years, but it was still a painful wound for Haejoo. She also added the detail that President Park had given her 50 million won after Jun died.

Just then, Jinhan entered the reception room. Haejoo took her hands off the laptop and leaned back against the sofa.

“Not yet?”

“I’m writing.”

“There’s no time.”

Jinhan read the first draft of the manuscript Haejoo had written. Then he twisted one corner of his mouth.

“The public won’t just believe this. They’ll obviously accuse you of fabrication.”

“There’s no other way.”

“For now, let’s just release the circumstances of you leaving home.”

Jinhan took the laptop and went to his office. Meanwhile, the porridge arrived, and Hyunseong set dinner before Haejoo.

“Noona, eat your porridge.”

“Okay.”

She forced herself to eat, but due to morning sickness, she couldn’t taste anything. Haejoo ate just enough to appease her hunger and then put down her spoon.

Soon after, GN Entertainment hastily released a rebuttal. It revealed the full text written by Haejoo, exposing the wounds she had hidden until then. It then announced that they would sue Real Fact for writing false articles. As expected, the public was divided.

-Couldn’t that loan shark have just refused the marriage in the first place?

-She’s not a child; she could have just run away from home.

-Lee Haejoo’s mental world is also strange. Both husband and wife seem crazy.

-The initial marriage partner was a sick son, so why is the husband now CEO Park Dojun?

A torrent of sequential criticism poured in. Judging that the explanation was insufficient, Haejoo continued to write the untold story. Just then, Choi Inho released another exclusive article.

[Exclusive: How far will CEO Park Dojun and Lee Haejoo’s show go?]

Choi Inho exposed Dojun and Haejoo as a show-window couple. He claimed Dojun was obsessively fixated on Haejoo, and published Yura’s interview as evidence. He vehemently criticized Dojun, dredging up anecdotes of his past violence, supposedly for Haejoo’s sake. He claimed Dojun used his twin brother to marry Haejoo, then sat on the secret for three years. Then, he intentionally spread the rumor to draw Haejoo back.

The aftermath of the article was unimaginable. The agency’s bulletin board crashed, and Haejoo’s SNS, used for promotion, was inundated with hateful comments.

“Hyunseong, what do we do now?”

It was going from bad to worse. Haejoo’s hands, writing the additional explanation, were visibly trembling.

“Noona, calm down. If you tell me what to write, I’ll type it.”

“I’m scared. I can’t do anything.”

“You can’t give up. If you run away like this, it’s really over.”

Jinhan was equally flustered. The unexpected intensity of the backlash made him fearful of doing anything. In particular, public opinion was mounting, suggesting that a criminal complaint should be filed against Dojun. If things continued like this, Dojun’s future would also be uncertain.

“Noona, hurry!”

Hyunseong typed the manuscript as Haejoo dictated. She explained why Lee Jun had registered their marriage under his brother Dojun’s name. Next, she was about to write an anecdote about how Dojun had saved her in the past. Jinhan entered and closed the laptop.

“Director!”

“This won’t work. It’s better to hold a press conference.”

The public reaction was excessive. Even though it wasn’t a matter that should have warranted such attention, countless articles poured out. Jinhan was also under pressure. If things continued like this, regardless of the truth, Haejoo could be completely buried.

“You should have gotten a divorce when I told you to!”

He shouted and left the reception room. Haejoo, in a state of panic, couldn’t hold it in and rushed to the restroom. She threw up all the porridge she had for dinner and then gasped for breath, holding onto the sink. It was difficult to endure the near-terrorist level of criticism. With a situation worse than hell unfolding, Haejoo felt like collapsing.

“Noona, here’s some water!”

“Hyunseong, can you go to Director and see what’s happening?”

“I will.”

Hyunseong ran to Jinhan’s office. Haejoo watched him go, then staggered downstairs to the first floor. Her lifeless eyes were devoid of even tears. She couldn’t think straight. All she wanted was to find somewhere to hide. Haejoo exited through the back door of the building and hailed a passing taxi.

“Please take me to the Rejin Hotel.”

________________________________________

It was the place Dojun had promised. Haejoo had to meet him, her husband. There was no other reason. She simply wanted to see Dojun.

________________________________________

At that moment, Dojun finished writing his statement. The content, personally penned across five pages, was filled with sincerity.

[I know whatever I say will cause confusion. As a man who loves a woman, I cannot stand by and watch, so I pick up my pen.]

Now, the only remaining task was to protect Haejoo. Dojun, having distributed his current workload to his team, took a leave of absence.

“Secretary Song, I’m leaving the rest to you.”

“Don’t worry, sir.”

Dojun began writing from the incident where Haejoo, unable to endure Gyeong-ae’s abuse, had climbed onto the rooftop. He also wrote about his past, when he had to become a mad scoundrel to protect Haejoo.

[Despite her painful past, my wife Haejoo is walking the path of an actress.]

Perhaps Dojun was like a pill caught in Haejoo’s throat. It was clearly a destiny that would slowly and painfully dissolve over a long time. Even if he himself dissolved away, Haejoo absolutely had to be happy. That was Dojun’s way of loving.

“Phew.”

Only after getting into the car did he pick up his phone, which had been buzzing with calls and messages at a terrorist level. He was about to delete them all when he saw a message from Hyunseong and tapped it.

“Hospital?”

He belatedly called Hyunseong. As soon as the dial tone rang, Hyunseong answered.

“CEO, Haejoo Noona is gone!”

“What?”

“Noona is pregnant! We need to find her quickly.”

It was the moment Dojun’s fate was newly unveiled.