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The world’s attention was focused on Hae-joo’s acceptance speech. In the United States, the trials Hae-joo had endured until the film festival became a hot topic.
“To the boys and girls who are suffering from abuse even at this moment, I want to tell you this:”
Hae-joo swallowed the emotions that rose to her throat with a deep breath. She was confident that she herself had grown as much as the time that had accumulated.
“This place will be yours in the future, so please survive.”
Hae-joo’s speech at the film festival moved and inspired many. Even after returning to Korea, the positive ripple effect continued. Dojun established a foundation in Hae-joo’s name, and the government sought solutions to the problem of child abuse. Opinions even arose about enacting new laws, which left Hae-joo stunned.
“Was my speech that good?”
“Honestly... I almost cried.”
“Really?”
“Because you called me God, all sorts of comments are pouring in.”
“I haven’t seen them. What do they say?”
“If you’re God, how good must you be?”
“Good at what?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know?”
“What is it?”
Just then, Hyun, who was in Dojun’s arms, fell asleep as if he had fainted. Seizing the opportunity, Dojun safely laid his son in the room. Avoiding noisy toys, he carefully came out and took off the T-shirt that smelled of his son. His robust physique was still the same. For a peaceful night, Dojun stood Hae-joo up from the sofa.
“Tonight, you touch me.”
Today, Dojun’s body felt particularly strong. He was so intimidatingly confident that Hae-joo unknowingly swallowed dryly. He bent down to her short height, exhaling as he felt her tickling touch.
“Good.”
On the internet, Hae-joo was given the nickname “the woman who commands God.” That great God would lose his reason like this only when he stood before Hae-joo.
“If Dojun is God, what am I?”
“Hyun’s mom.”
“That’s mean.”
“Park Dojun’s woman.”
“Is that all?”
Dojun lifted his head. He met Hae-joo’s eyes and gently brushed her lips.
“What else could it be but God’s creator?”
“It’s cheesy, but it sounds nice.”
Both of them chuckled simultaneously. Dojun picked Hae-joo up and carried her to the bedroom. If he could, he wished this moment would last forever, even if he had to seize the flow of time. Could life be this enchanting? The reality, more incredible than a dream, felt unbelievable, so they sought each other every night. However, the second child Dojun had so eagerly hoped for didn’t come easily. Hae-joo leisurely chose her next project and rested. As much as she had raced breathlessly to the film festival, she didn’t schedule anything else besides commercials and photo shoots. Meanwhile, Dojun was busy expanding his company without a break. Already, major overseas branches were established in famous cities around the world. Gino Group’s fund products, having foreseen future industries, attracted global investors. Thanks to that, Gino Group’s status was elevated.
“Hae-joo, there’s an important event next Friday evening. Let’s go together.”
“An important event?”
“Yes, you know Lee Cheff, right?”
“He’s a famous investment firm in the US, isn’t he?”
Lee Cheff was the most influential investment firm in the United States, and also the name of its founder and head. Renowned for his aggressive investments, he had been keeping an eye on Dojun for some time.
“Lee Cheff is making an unofficial visit this time.”
Lee Cheff recently stated in an interview that Korea would be an important investment destination in the future, expressing positive opinions about considering investments in Korean companies and industries. This visit was known to be for practical market research.
“I’ll have a meeting with him on Thursday, and we’ll have a party on Friday.”
“Really?”
“It seems that representatives from major American securities firms, economic experts, and influential journalists are also invited.”
Hae-joo, keenly feeling how significant Dojun’s influence was, immediately looked for her phone. Just in case, she checked her schedule for the upcoming week.
“Next Friday is fine.”
“Lee Cheff is a party animal. Let’s just go and blend in with the atmosphere appropriately.”
A few days later, Hyun unexpectedly came down with a fever and a cold. The two nannies who usually looked after Hyun during the week also caught the cold and fell ill. The following Thursday, Hyun had recovered, but the two nannies’ colds hadn’t improved, so they couldn’t come. Hae-joo, in a hurry, called the nanny who came on weekends.
“It’s me. I’m sorry, but can you come tomorrow?”
Hae-joo explained her urgent situation. The nanny listened sympathetically but her answer was disappointing.
-Oh dear, what should I do? My in-laws are visiting. They’ll probably go back on the weekend.
“Then there’s nothing we can do.”
-Just in case, if I can go later tomorrow, I’ll contact you.
Hae-joo’s shoulders slumped, taking it as a refusal. At times like these, not having a normal family home like other people was quite upsetting. That night, Hae-joo weakly greeted Dojun, who returned from work after midnight.
“I don’t think I can go to the party tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“The weekend nanny also has something to do, and I couldn’t find anyone to look after Hyun.”
“Can’t be helped. I’ll go alone tomorrow.”
The next morning, Dojun went to work as usual. After handling urgent tasks at the office, he took a short break in the afternoon to go home and change. Dojun also felt awkward attending the party alone. He stood facing Hae-joo before leaving the house.
“I might be late tonight.”
“Be careful with women wherever you go.”
“Only women?”
“Remember I’m always watching you.”
For some time now, Hae-joo had been subtly keeping tabs on Dojun. His previously gloomy face finally brightened, and he embraced Hae-joo as she saw him off.
“You worry too much.”
After Dojun left, Hae-joo and Hyun took a late afternoon nap. Around sunset, her phone rang, and she sat up. The screen showed the name of the nanny who watched Hyun on weekends.
“Yes!”
-I’m on my way to your residence now. I’ll arrive in 20 minutes.
“Really?”
-See you later.
Hae-joo quickly checked the time. The party was about to start, and even if she prepared now, she would be late. Just in case, she took her sleeping son’s temperature. The cold lingered sluggishly, but his fever had completely broken since yesterday.
“Could I still make it if I go now?”
Hae-joo quickly washed up and went to the dressing room. When she tried to find something to wear to the party, she realized she had nothing suitable. After a long search, she found a large box at the very bottom of a cabinet. Inside were elegantly folded clothes with a classic, retro vibe. One dress, in particular, revealed her figure appropriately without being too revealing, and was exquisitely elegant. The sophisticated patterns filling the fabric were enough to enrich the simple design.
“Whose women’s clothes are these?”
These weren’t modern clothes. The designs were at least 30 years old, yet they weren’t outdated at all. Hae-joo felt like she had discovered a treasure chest. As if under a spell, she carefully took out the dresses from the box and unfolded them. Even if they weren’t the latest designs, each one was captivating.
“Wow...”
For Hae-joo, these were dresses that provided inspiration as an actress. While engrossed in admiring the clothes in the box, she discovered a small, old album. Sitting on the floor, Hae-joo slowly opened the album.
“Could it be Dojun’s mother?”
In the photos, a woman wearing the dresses from the box smiled brightly. Her appearance strongly resembled Dojun and Yijun, leading Hae-joo to guess she was Dojun’s mother. The album also contained several photos of a young Park, the chairman. Although his face was youthful, he was consistently steadfast.
“These are Dojun’s mother’s belongings.”
Just as Hae-joo was lost in melancholic thoughts, the doorbell rang. Thankfully, the nanny had indeed arrived.
“Sorry I’m late. You said Hyun was sick, is he okay now?”
Hae-joo hastily informed the nanny of Hyun’s condition and asked her to take care of the evening duties. Just then, Hyun also woke up from his deep sleep and happily hugged the nanny. Relieved, Hae-joo hurried to the dressing room. She took out the dress from the box, sprayed it with deodorant, and put it in the electronic clothes steamer.
“I have to hurry.”
Hae-joo went to the mirror and touched up her makeup and hair. Although not a professional, she tried her best to match the outfit. Finally, Hae-joo put on the dress. When she also put on her sleek high heels, she looked like a modern-day live-action version of the movie ‘In the Mood for Love’. She needed a taxi to go home with Dojun later, so she called one. Draping a thin coat over her shoulders, she got into the back seat of the taxi.
“Should I call Dojun?”
By now, the party would be in full swing. She calmed her anxious heart, thinking that she would meet him when she got there anyway. A short while later, the taxi passed the main entrance of a famous hotel in Seoul. She got out in front of the banquet hall where the party was being held and approached the security guard standing at the entrance.
________________________________________
Recognizing Hae-joo, they bowed even before she could state her purpose.
“Welcome.”
“I’m Lee Hae-joo. Something came up, so I’m late. My husband received an invitation, his name is...”
“Gino Group CEO Park Dojun, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Normally, they would meticulously check invitations and IDs before allowing entry, but Hae-joo was different. Thanks to her fame as Korea’s top actress, she was able to enter the party without difficulty. The interior of the party venue was far more splendid and larger than she had expected. It was also surprising that more than half of the invited guests were foreigners. Even Koreans skillfully conversed in English, making her feel as if she had come to a different world.
“It doesn’t feel like Korea. It’s amazing.”
A waiter offered champagne, which Hae-joo declined, and she continued walking. Then, she noticed a group of people who were clearly extraordinary, even at a glance. Most of them were Americans, and she was about to pass by when she stopped dead in her tracks. Unexpectedly, a man who looked utterly drained was sitting there. His reluctant responses to trivial conversations were almost pitiable.
“Dojun?”
She had told Dojun to be careful with women, but his surroundings were entirely occupied by middle-aged women of his mother’s age. Hae-joo unconsciously chuckled and pulled out her phone. She pondered if there was anything more fun she could do for Dojun. Then her eyes caught something beneath the tablecloth of an empty table where people had moved away from.
________________________________________
Inside the party venue, opera singers performed. As a party where top-tier individuals from both Korea and the United States were invited, it was luxurious. Dojun’s presence here was exceptional. This was thanks to his recent rise as a superstar, having shaken the global stock market. The interest in Dojun continued at the party. Women captivated by him flocked around, and men feigned familiarity with him one after another.
“Hello. I’m Nick.”
“I’m Park Dojun. You can call me Jun casually.”
“Alright. By the way, is the beautiful lady next to you your girlfriend?”
“Pardon?”
“CEO Park’s wife is famous as an actress, so this lady is...”
Nick drew a lewd smile on his lips and raised his pinky finger. Dojun’s face instantly changed color, and he showed his displeasure.
“No. This is Lina, one of our staff.”
Lina was a key employee at the US branch. As a Korean immigrant in charge of local sales, she always accompanied Dojun on his business trips to the US. She was 172cm tall and always wore heavy makeup. She had a voluptuous figure that attracted men’s attention wherever she went. Before being scouted by Gino Group, she was a promising talent at Lee Cheff and was invited to the party today. Lina was full of vitality despite having arrived in Korea just last night. However, there was one significant problem. Lately, Lina had shown an interest in Dojun that bordered on personal affection. Dojun had shown his discomfort several times, but she didn’t seem to mind. Since Hae-joo wasn’t at the party today, Lina acted as if she were Dojun’s partner, leading everyone to misunderstand.
“CEO, it seems they want you over there too. Shall we go?”
“Lina.”
“Yes, please tell me.”
“Get away from me right now.”
“I was just trying to help you, CEO...”
A cold breeze emanated from Dojun as he turned away icily. His nerves were already on edge, and his mood had just been scratched.
“I don’t need help, so you may leave.”
Lina’s face turned pale. As Dojun walked away, she turned, unable to hide her dismay.
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