“What should we do, oppa? Because of me…”

Ji Soo bowed her head and fiddled with her fingers. It had already been twelve hours since Hae Sun disappeared. No one had found her yet.

“Have you contacted the police yet?”

“Not yet. Let’s report her missing in a few days.”

Seung Oh shook his head and slumped onto the sofa. The reports he received every hour only informed him that they hadn’t found her yet.

“I’m sorry. I really just ran to the restroom because it was urgent and when I came back, she was gone.”

Seung Oh stroked Ji Soo’s grumbling head as if she were a puppy.

“It’s okay, honey. It’s actually for the best.”

“What…?”

Seung Oh didn’t even go to the hospital after hearing the news of Hae Sun’s disappearance. He just sat at home and listened to the reports and gave formal instructions. His mood was even quite good.

“I wouldn’t mind if she doesn’t come back. If she does, we can blame the hospital’s negligence and discharge her. After that…”

Seung Oh’s eyes gleamed ominously.

“Well, just saying. Should we go to bed now?”

Seung Oh bent down and suddenly lifted Ji Soo, who was sitting on the sofa.

“Kyaa!”

“My dear wife, why are you so light?”

“Stop it. Put me down.”

“I’ll put you down when we get to the bed.”

Laughing, Ji Soo snuggled into Seung Oh’s arms as he carried her to the bedroom. Her body was gently enveloped by the cloudlike bed, and her husband was affectionate.

I must have seen it wrong earlier. Oppa just felt sorry for Jo Seo Ha because she looked so miserable. Oppa loves me so much.

“Do you love me?”

“Of course. You’re my princess, aren’t you?”

Ji Soo wrapped both her arms around Seung Oh’s neck.

“Then, please let Jo Seo Ha go.”

“How many times have I told you, honey? It’s for work.”

Seung Oh asked in his usual gentle tone. Ji Soo quickly added another sentence, afraid that he might leave if she said something wrong again.

“No, no. I mean, you told me to send her to the evaluation event, right?”

“And?”

“If Jo Seo Ha’s design is really good, it will score well at the evaluation event. If not, it won’t be selected and will be buried. Isn’t that right?”

Seung Oh seemed to ponder as he touched his lips.

“Right now, the other designers are upset. They say you hired a high school graduate intern with no experience as a new designer. For the sake of the team’s atmosphere, let’s just cut her if she doesn’t get selected at the evaluation event. Okay?”

It was a calculated move, as he had always shielded Jo Seo Ha by talking about her skills, so she would appeal with her skills. Eventually, after much thought, Seung Oh reluctantly nodded.

“Fine. If she doesn’t get a single design selected at the evaluation event, I’ll let her go. Deal?”

“Deal!”

At the evaluation event, store managers, sales staff, company executives, and MDs participated. They decided whether to officially launch a sample in the next season.

Naturally, the more designs that were selected, the higher the designer’s status would rise, and the fewer selections, the lower their status.

How dare she? This weak, insolent girl.

Ji Soo gritted her teeth as she thought of Jo Seo Ha, who had insulted her so easily.

“Attention, everyone!”

Ji Soo clapped her hands as she confirmed that everyone had arrived for work. The designers, who had been concentrating on their tasks, all looked up at once.

“The evaluation event season is coming up soon, right? Let’s all do our best to prepare, and this time.”

Ji Soo’s gaze went straight to Seo Ha.

“Our youngest designer has decided to submit her work as well. Everyone, clap!”

No one clapped, and the atmosphere became awkward.

In this industry, rookie designers who had not yet been in the field for a year usually did not participate in evaluation events.

It was a time to hone their ability to assess the market, and they were so busy with the many preparations and running errands for their seniors that they hardly had time to catch their breath.

Yet, they were sending Jo Seo Ha, who had barely joined the company as an intern without any major or experience, to the evaluation event.

“I have a question.”

Jeong Se Hee raised her hand.

“Hwang Ju Hee and Jeong So Yeon also joined as new designers. So, are all three new designers participating in the evaluation event?”

“Since Jeong So Yeon has experience even as a new designer, she can participate. Hwang Ju Hee will learn this time and prepare for next season’s design. It’s the higherups’ order, so I can’t do anything about it.”

In reality, if they were to send Jo Seo Ha, they could also send Hwang Ju Hee. It wasn’t even a legally defined rule, just a convention in this design department, so there was no reason why the team leader couldn’t send her.

However, Ji Soo did not do that. She just made an apologetic expression toward Ju Hee, wishing that her office life would be just a bit more bitter.

How shallow, so shallow.

Seo Ha bowed her head at the obviously transparent scheme.

“Phew, that’s a relief.”