A black sedan entered a residential complex.
Passing various villas and several houses, at the end of the alley, a small cafe appeared. Since the door was almost always closed, most residents considered it a closed place. A well-dressed woman got out of the car’s back seat, and it was O Chae-won.
O Chae-won, who appeared with elaborate hair and makeup rivaling a film festival, looked as fresh as spring. She entered with an expression full of excitement.
“Chae-won, can I see you for a moment?”
Since receiving the man’s call yesterday, her chest was still pounding as if she would faint. What could it be? It was the first time he had contacted her first, and it was the first time he suggested they meet. Today was an excellent opportunity to capture the man’s heart.
Throughout the more than three-hour makeup session, she hadn’t felt bored for a single moment. She hoped she looked more beautiful to the man than any other woman in the world.
“I’ll send the address via message. Don’t worry. There won’t be anyone at the cafe.”
-Ddallang.
As the bell rang, the man sitting in the corner got up and approached O Chae-won. He was a handsome man, tall with distinct features, and he walked confidently.
However, O Chae-won’s expression gradually darkened.
The sound of the man’s footsteps stopped five steps in front of O Chae-won. The man who stood in front of her made a polite greeting.
“I’m Jung Min-ho.”
“…Yes.”
“I came here on behalf of Mr. Lee Jae-ho.”
Something was wrong.
Sitting across from each other with two cups of coffee, the atmosphere was awkward. O Chae-won felt strangely uncomfortable due to the fact that Lee Jae-ho didn’t show up and the sharp gaze of the man in front of her.
“Mr. Lee had an unexpected matter, so I came instead.”
The man handed a yellow envelope to O Chae-won.
“First, open it.”
O Chae-won hesitated for a moment, then reached for the envelope. Opening it and taking out the paper, O Chae-won murmured in surprise.
“What’s this?”
A look that said, “See for yourself,” returned.
‘What’s going on?’
O Chae-won’s gaze was fixed on the paper. She was so shocked that her hand trembled. Suddenly, she dropped the paper and covered her mouth.
How did this man…?
It was a secret that had been stored only on her second phone. Intimate photos and clandestine messages exchanged between two individuals entangled in hotels, swimming pools, and even in bed.
How did the data from the phone she had already deleted end up here!
“Ms. O Chae-won, you secretly dated actor Cha Hyeon-oh until last year. As everyone knows, Mr. Cha Hyeon-oh is a married man. Not just any married man but the husband of the nation’s actress Go Ji-young. Go Ji-young is widely known to have a peculiar relationship with Ms. O Chae-won.”
“….!”
“He’s not just any married man; he’s the husband of the nation’s actress Go Ji-young. Go Ji-young is widely known to have a peculiar relationship with Ms. O Chae-won.”
“How did you…!”
A sound close to despair burst out of O Chae-won’s mouth.
“It seems you had quite an intimate relationship with the man you called your brother-in-law, right?”
Director Jung criticized in a businesslike tone.
O Chae-won crumpled the paper. It was absolutely confidential data that should never see the light of day. Even if it meant exchanging it for her life, she had to prevent it. It was just a brief moment of thrill, and there was no emotional involvement. Moreover, she had already sorted it out long ago.
“What is it? Why are you doing this to me? Are you playing some kind of trick?”
Suddenly, O Chae-won tore the document to shreds. It was useless, but she couldn’t bear it. Feeling embarrassed and miserable in front of a man she had never seen before, a mixture of shame and misery overwhelmed her.
“Did Lee Jae-ho order this? To threaten me? Why? What the hell are you people doing?”
The papers were scattered everywhere.
The confetti-like scraps of paper, which had been fluttering around, finished their short dance and fell to the ground one by one. Director Jung, who had been watching them without expression, quietly spoke.
“He sent a novel to Yoon Da-jeong in Taean. Don’t deny it. There’s plenty of evidence.”
“How did he…!”
Dismay mixed with the angry gaze.
They were carefully selected, only those who boasted the highest skills. They were paid a huge advance, and they even took care of incentives. Yet, they were caught so easily like this?
What kind of experts were they? More like amateurs!
“You can choose. Sign an agreement stating that you won’t approach Yoon Da-jeong again, and apologize yourself, or appear in the headlines tomorrow alongside Cha Hyeon-oh.”
Director Jung finished speaking with a slight smile, as if he would understand no matter what she chose.
Outrageous.
Calling it a choice, how could this even be considered a problem of choice?
“Oh, and one more thing. You should not get involved with actor Lee Jae-ho anymore. If by any chance you get cast in the same work, avoid it yourself, and stay away from the same shops, gyms, clothing, and advertisements.”
“!”
When male lead is the homewrecker
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
I’ve read the novel below twice already. Girls, I’m highly recommending it to you!
The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.
Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.
The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.
I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.
There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.
For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.
I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.
Here’s the story synopsis:
One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Intro 1:
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.
Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.
In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.
Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…
Intro 2:
Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.
He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.
Watched her go public with her boyfriend.
Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.
Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.
The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.
Fan Xia, how can I have you!
【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】
1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy
2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition
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Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
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