My Chick Husband (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12

Seo Yeon called her employees one by one.

Each person called received a chance to explain their alibi, with their computer and phone placed beside them.

Right then and there, with both a forensic IT specialist and a lawyer present, they immediately verified whether the employee’s statement was truthful.

The employees had no choice but to open their emails themselves and allow their phones to be inspected.

Whenever Seo Yeon spotted even the slightest suspicious detail, she ruthlessly wrote down that employee’s name.

This process continued relentlessly through Saturday evening.

Eventually, Seo Yeon had a strong suspicion of who the culprit was. Once all investigations concluded, she summoned the employees back into the conference room.

The atmosphere had grown significantly heavier.

Seo Yeon stared silently at her staff for five full minutes, desperate to maintain her composure without uttering a word.

Some sniffled, others contemplated resignation, and a few trembled uncontrollably under the overwhelming tension.

Yet Seo Yeon remained utterly unmoved. Finally, as if the moment had arrived, she slowly clenched her fists and opened her mouth.

“Step forward. You might deceive others, but you can’t deceive yourself.”

But no one moved.

“This is your very last chance.”

Seo Yeon’s icy gaze locked onto a specific spot. Immediately, one person—utterly unable to endure it—collapsed to their knees as if crumbling.

“I’m sorry. I’ve committed an unforgivable sin.”

As everyone’s eyes turned toward that person, Seo Yeon bit her lips hard.

“Please forgive me just this once. Huuh…”

Disappointment? No—disappointment wasn’t nearly strong enough. Seo Yeon’s heart was utterly devastated.

This had been an employee with whom she’d recently exchanged jokes and shared a close rapport.

All the time they’d worked hard together—yet betrayed over mere pocket change.

If you’d needed money so badly, why not just come to me and ask for help? I would’ve gladly supported you.

Seo Yeon wasn’t someone who’d ignore an employee’s hardship—she even had more than enough resources to help.

She’d even assisted struggling employees before…

So why?!

Why make such an absurd choice, planting suspicion in my heart and delivering despair?

Abandoning the design I cherished like my own child, delaying the new product launch—but more than that… why did you betray me?

“I intend to see this through to the very end.”

Hearing Seo Yeon’s words—her lips tightly clenched—the employee flattened themselves onto the floor.

“On Monday morning, I will file a lawsuit against the relevant online store. Furthermore, effective immediately, Assistant Manager An Hyeon Ji is dismissed. Leave right now.”

“President… I was scammed, and in my panic… it was truly a mistake. Huuh… I’m so sorry. Please, just give me one more chance.”

Seo Yeon raised both hands toward the employee, who was crawling toward her on their knees, as if she couldn’t bear to look anymore.

“If I was scammed, does that give me the right to deceive others? Then what difference would there be between that scammer and you, An Hyeon Ji?”

Seo Yeon’s stern voice echoed resoundingly through the conference room.

“From now on, every time a new product launches, I’ll suspect everyone of stealing it. Just that alone… makes me unbearably angry. So accept your punishment willingly.”

Seo Yeon’s words and actions were as sharp and decisive as a clean slice from a blade. She offered no leniency whatsoever to the employee’s desperate pleas for forgiveness.

She then apologized to the other staff, asking for their understanding if her actions had seemed excessive.

With a final instruction for everyone to go home, she swiftly left the conference room.

Alone, she walked down the dim hallway. Her vision blurred as tears welled up.

A deep sense of loss—like something precious had vanished—ravaged her heart uncontrollably.

Slumping back into her office with drooping shoulders, she collapsed onto her chair, and tears began to fall.

No matter how hard she wiped them away with her palms, more tears kept welling up against her will.

Her blurry vision made her dizzy, so she closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair. Immediately, as if waiting for this moment, hunger surged through her.

“Oh… I haven’t eaten since Friday afternoon,” she realized belatedly.

She’d been so overwhelmed that she couldn’t swallow even a single bite all day—not just because of the financial loss, but because she’d been betrayed by someone she trusted.

Haa…

A deep sigh escaped her uncontrollably, and her vision spun wildly as if she were on a roller coaster. Suddenly, she shot up from her seat.

“Yul!”

They’d arranged to meet at the park entrance at noon on Saturday.

But that Friday afternoon, everything went haywire—and she’d completely forgotten about their meeting.

How long must he have waited without any word from her? The thought made her heart ache, and she unconsciously bit her lip.

9:30 PM.

It was already far too late for any excuse. Seo Yeon blamed herself.

No matter how overwhelmed I was, I should’ve at least sent a text. Scolding herself for letting him down so badly, she reached for her phone.

5

10

She couldn’t bring herself to read the messages.

Avoiding those glaring numbers, she stared blankly at the name “Kwon Yul” marked in the missed calls.

“Haa… what do I do now?”

Seo Yeon let out a deep sigh, feeling utterly pathetic.

When did I become so shameless—standing him up without notice, yet desperately wanting to hear his comforting words asking, “Are you okay?”

While her conscience hesitated, her finger—reckless and unthinking—tapped the screen.

Instead of opening her call log, she began dialing the number from memory.

The screen displayed “Kwon Yul,” and the dial tone rang.

What if he’s so angry he refuses to answer my call?

If he shouts, “Never call me again!”… what excuse could I possibly give?

In that brief moment, Seo Yeon weighed countless thoughts.

[Hello.]

His voice—like an overcast sky—came through. Seo Yeon’s heart sank with a heavy thud.

[Seo… Yeon-ssi?]

She knew she had to say something. But no excuse came to mind. Kwon Yul waited silently until he heard her voice.

“…I’m sorry.”

Her trembling voice finally broke through.

From the other end of the line, she heard a sigh of relief, as if he’d been holding his breath.

[Are you okay?]

He didn’t scold her. He didn’t demand an explanation. He simply asked if she was alright.

Truthfully, Seo Yeon wanted to give a completely irrelevant answer to his question—like saying, “I miss you.”

Even though I shamelessly made him wait ten hours, couldn’t I just admit I desperately need his warm comfort?

But she swallowed those words and instead answered honestly.

“No.”

[Where are you right now?]

“At the office….”

Seo Yeon held her breath and closed her eyes, listening to Kwon Yul’s breathing as she waited for his decision.

[I want to come to you. To you, Seo Yeon-ssi.]

Her heart surged with emotion at his words. She was so happy he was coming.

“I’ll wait. Our address is….”

After giving him the office address, she hung up. Immediately, as if waiting for the call to end, the pounding in her head resumed.

Could I even drive properly like this?

If only he’d tell me, “Don’t worry, just get some rest,” when I told him how badly my head ached… Seo Yeon thought wistfully.

Desperate for his gentle words, she pressed her fingers hard against her temples. Her long fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

At that moment, Director Kim—who had just sent the staff home—came to see her.

“President, I’m so sorry. It’s entirely my fault for failing to properly supervise my subordinate.”

Director Kim looked at Seo Yeon’s reddened eyes with deep regret.

“How can anyone stop someone who’s deliberately set out to deceive?”

Director Kim bowed her head again and apologized once more.

“What’s done is done. Right now, we need to figure out what to do about the new product design.”

“The design team and I will come in on Sunday.”

“No. Tomorrow… take the day off. Everyone’s exhausted—and my head feels like it’s splitting open.”

Seo Yeon forced a smile, determined to start fresh on Monday. She couldn’t let one betrayal knock her down.

After Director Kim offered words of encouragement and left the office, Seo Yeon slowly began tidying her desk.

The headache and tinnitus—which had briefly subsided during her call—intensified again, making her sway unsteadily.

But since Kwon Yul was coming, she couldn’t let him see her disheveled. She fixed her makeup and straightened her clothes.

With the tension easing and the pain setting in, she found herself craving his presence even more.

Without even time to hide her reddened eyes, she simply wished he’d arrive soon.

Just then, the awaited call from Kwon Yul came through.

The moment she saw his name on the screen, Seo Yeon ached for him desperately.

[I’ve arrived at B1. What should I do?]

“I’ll come down right now.”

After hanging up, Seo Yeon let out a deep sigh. Then, she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin.

As she snatched her bag and reached quickly for the office light switch, her vision flickered black and white repeatedly.

“Why must you act up at such a crucial moment?”

Gritting her teeth against the dizziness, she slowly began walking.

This was strange.

Even though she was moving slowly, her heart pounded as fiercely as if she’d just sprinted 100 meters.

Why is this happening?

As she stepped into the elevator, her symptoms worsened.

With each descending floor, her heart seemed to plummet violently—suddenly, fear gripped her.

Could this be an arrhythmia triggered by extreme stress?

She pressed hard against her chest.

Then, gasping for air like someone suffocating, she shoved open the glass door leading to the parking lot.

There, standing in the distance, was a man—his eyes as clear as a calm night sea—slowly walking toward her.

Her already frantic heartbeat accelerated even further.

Before she could even say, “Are you crazy? What’s wrong with you?” her feet moved swiftly on their own.

And before she could even utter “Wait…,” traitorous tears had already dangled from her chin.

Today of all days, her unruly body charged toward him like a runaway force.

Deliberately ignoring his widening eyes, Seo Yeon pulled him into a tight embrace.

Her long hair, swaying like a dancer’s, settled safely against his chest, infused with the scent of wood. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

Ha… now I feel like I can breathe again.

His warmth was so comforting she forgot all her guilt.

Feeling she needed to say something, Seo Yeon struggled to speak.

“Just for a moment… just… for a little while, let me stay like this.”

Then she let her unruly mouth keep talking.

Starting with “I’m so exhausted,” every buried emotion spilled out at once.

She told him how her design had been stolen for the first time ever, how she’d been betrayed by someone she trusted—how her limbs had trembled so violently she could barely stand.

She confessed how furious she’d been, how tears had threatened to fall, but as president, she felt she couldn’t cry—and how agonizing it had been to hold them back.

Her fingers, gripping his shirt, trembled faintly.

“I’m not a generous person. I’ve just been pretending to be one. I want to quit this miserable role right now… but I can’t. Huuh…”

Seo Yeon sobbed like a child.

“That’s why, Yul-ssi…”

To feel even more of his warmth seeping through his thin shirt, she pressed her right cheek against his heartbeat.

Suddenly, the words “I missed you” caught in her throat. She paused, trying to rein in her rushing emotions.

Even in this overwhelming moment, was it right to say “I missed you”? She was exasperated with herself for even hesitating.

Right—I’ll say it when I’m calmer. It won’t be too late then.

Feeling his heartbeat thudding against her, Seo Yeon silently promised herself that much.

“…I thought about you a lot.”

At her words, Kwon Yul’s large hand slowly rose. Gently, he began stroking her hair.

And for the first time since they’d met, he finally spoke.