“There is an executive meeting in the afternoon, sir.”

Secretary Shin said respectfully. Cha Do Ha raised his eyebrows.

“Understood.”

As the CEO entered, she let out a sigh of relief. It was because of a mistake she made in the morning – when reporting today’s schedule, she accidentally made a typo in the middle name of a buyer. It was just one missing alphabet, but who was the CEO? The man she had served for 3 years did not tolerate even small mistakes.

– Is 3 years not enough?

That’s what she heard from the CEO right after seeing off the young foreign buyer, and there was no further explanation. In short, it meant find the mistake you made yourself. While working in the CEO’s office, she was always the object of envy from many female employees of ‘CH MICE’.

It was because of CEO Cha Do Ha, who had all the visuals, ability, charisma, and manners.

‘How would you know. My pain.’

Secretary Shin’s lips twitched. Still, the CEO who never once engaged in the common workplace abuse also gave the highest compensation. Moreover, he was someone who never even glanced at female employees. Secretary Shin recalled how the CEO at her previous workplace constantly stole glances at her body when she worked in the secretarial office, and remembered the mistake she made today.

“The CEO seems too scary these days.”

The youngest secretary made a sad face.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. We haven’t seen him smile at all lately.”

That was true. While he was never one to laugh frivolously with employees, it wasn’t to this extent before. What could be going on? As she was thinking, a woman entered.

“Is the old fart in?”

The woman who asked cheerfully was the CEO’s younger sister. Secretary Shin burst into laughter at the playful entrance of the woman with such outstanding looks that anyone could tell she was his family.

“Yes. He’s in.”

“Go eat quickly. Don’t worry about that guy.”

“Thank you.”

After Secretary Shin bowed her head, she quickly left the secretarial office.

Cha Do Hee knocked on the heavy door of the CEO’s office. When there was no answer even after knocking again, she muttered, “What are you doing?” and flung the door open. The first thing that filled Do Hee’s view was a sturdy back. Her brother, staring blankly out the huge window, seemed like a different person.

‘He’s not the type to space out like that.’

She had never seen Do Ha idle since he started his business. Although she called him “that guy” to the secretary, Do Hee really liked and respected her brother. Even though Chairman Yoon was furious when Do Ha started his own company instead of easily choosing their mother’s company, for some reason she didn’t stop him in the end.

“Second brother.”

Do Hee entered with a bright smile, but Do Ha’s response remained quiet.

“Brother?”

As she approached closer, Do Ha finally turned around. Do Hee’s heart sank at the face she saw.

“Brother…”

“Why did you come.”

When Do Ha cut off his sister’s words and asked bluntly, Do Hee frowned. Recently, with his smile gone, he looked like an angry person if you didn’t know what was going on inside. Feeling complicated, Do Hee deliberately put on a bright smile.

“Geez. You can’t even have a conversation. What does sister-in-law like about someone like this.”

Do Hee pouted her pretty lips.

“Just state your business.”

Do Ha spoke in a monotone voice as he moved to his seat.

“Are you going somewhere?”

When Do Ha didn’t answer, Do Hee’s eyes widened.

“Brother, are you smoking again? Are you crazy? I’m going to tell sister-in-law everything!”

As if to prove she was the youngest, Do Hee acted very childish when with family. Do Ha chuckled.

“You still haven’t fixed that habit.”

“That’s right. I haven’t fixed it.”

The ‘habit’ Do Ha mentioned meant tattling. Do Hee always told on him to Hae Yeon if he was really mean. They were like real sisters, not just sister-in-law and sister-in-law. The kindest sister Hae Yeon in the world.

How did she end up marrying into our family and suffering…

‘Let’s stop.’

Do Hee shook her head, feeling sorry for Hae Yeon even for thinking so lightly. She was family who had sincerely cared for her when she went through a very late rebellious phase in high school.

“Brother, buy me a meal.”

When she looked at him with moist eyes like a puppy seeking praise from its owner, Do Ha finally smiled faintly.

“I gave you a lot of allowance last time.”

“That was spent a long time ago. Don’t look at me like that. You just thought I was unemployed, right? Hey, I’ll have you know I’m highly educated. I’m going to study abroad soon too.”

As Do Ha let out a deflating laugh, Do Hee clung to him, linking arms.

“Didn’t our pretty little sister-in-law tell you?”

“I heard.”

“Right? How desperate must I have been to consult sister-in-law about studying abroad? Last Tuesday when I came home, sister-in-law was totally ostracized, so I deliberately talked to her.”

“That’s kind of you.”

Do Ha patted the back of his sister’s head. Do Hee’s face brightened.

“Brother. Go on a date with sister-in-law.”

Is this too out of the blue? Do Ha furrowed his brow.

“Sister Hae Yeon is only in her 20s. She’s in her prime. At that age, others are still studying or just starting their first job. But she’s always at home. If that’s the case, at least let her work.”

“Eat by yourself.”

As Do Ha tried to take out a card from his wallet, Do Hee clicked her tongue.

“You’re so inflexible. You think I’d fall for just a card?”

Give it. When she held out her hand saying that, Do Ha chuckled.

“Oh right. Brother. Just one more thing.”

“Just one.”

“Alright. Really, go on a date with sister-in-law.”

“We’ll take care of it ourselves.”

“Really?”

Saying ‘Promise!’, Do Hee childishly linked fingers with her brother and even pressed a seal.

“I should go now.”

Do Hee said and suddenly burst into laughter. It seems even she thought she was being shameless.

“This makes it look like I just came to get your card.”

“It’s fine. Do whatever you want.”

“Okay. As expected, our second brother is the best. Give my regards to sister-in-law!”

As Do Hee left, Do Ha’s face, which had briefly smiled, hardened. Standing by the window where the afternoon light rippled long, he narrowed his dark brown eyes and gazed across the skyline full of skyscrapers.

How long had he been like that? Do Ha closed his eyes tightly, opened them, turned around and called his executive secretary through the intercom.

“You called, sir?”

Director Kim bowed his head.

“Cancel this week’s holiday schedule.”

The secretary’s face was stained with bewilderment at the sudden words.

“Sir. The holiday schedule is an absolutely non-cancelable schedule. If we cancel the meeting that was difficult to arrange from our side, it could interfere with the planned contract.”

“I’ll apologize personally, so first send a cancellation notice to their secretarial office.”

Faced with the CEO’s statement, which usually did not disturb the set flow of work, Secretary Kim could not hide his embarrassment and awkwardness, but soon answered politely.

“And one more thing.”

A moment later, after hearing Do Ha’s instructions, Director Kim left the CEO’s office. As soon as Director Kim left, Do Ha’s face, which was not usually very expressive, visibly crumpled before returning to its usual expression.

Do Ha picked up his phone from the table and touched the call log. When the familiar voice was heard after the dial tone, a small smile spread across his face.

[Honey? What’s the occasion? Calling at this hour.]

“I was afraid I might forget if I didn’t do it now.”

A warm smile bloomed on Do Ha’s face. Soon, a pleasant tone fell on his ears.

[Then call me often.]

At the lovely urging, Do Ha’s face, which had been cold, softened.

“Let’s go on a date this weekend.”

[A date?]

Silence fell for a moment. The sound of Hae Yeon taking a breath was clearly heard.

[Absolutely yes.]

“Thank you. I love you.”

[I love you too.]

Do Ha’s lips curved into a soft line as he hung up the phone. The sunken look in his eyes that had briefly appeared also cleared away completely.

“I love you too.”

Hae Yeon smiled faintly as she ended the call. It had been so long since they last went on a date due to his recent busyness that she couldn’t even remember when it was. Hae Yeon was happy about Do Ha’s date proposal after such a long time.

With a smile hanging on her face, Hae Yeon reorganized the thoughts she had been having before the call. To investigate the incident from a year ago, frequent outings were necessary, and to avoid Do Ha’s suspicion, there needed to be a pretext for going out.

‘Should I get a job?’

Suddenly, the thought occurred that it might be better to have a workplace. On top of that, it wouldn’t be bad to try working purely for the future. If there had been a child between the two of them, such thoughts wouldn’t have been so easy. At that thought, Hae Yeon’s expression became heavy.

“Why aren’t we having a child?”

They hadn’t used contraception, but pregnancy didn’t happen. Both husband and wife went to the ob-gyn, but they were both healthy and there was nothing wrong. Still, the in-laws blamed Hae Yeon. Was it because of that thought that she became depressed? Hae Yeon suddenly felt a pain digging into her chest.

Gently rubbing the painful area, Hae Yeon furrowed her brow. As the area around her heart throbbed, she massaged it little by little and the tightening pain gradually subsided.

“It must be because of stress.”

She went to the kitchen, poured some warm water, and slowly took a sip. As the warm liquid entered, the pit of her stomach that had been throbbing for a moment gradually loosened.

* * *

When Thursday came, as Do Ha had mentioned last week, Hae Yeon went to the event with him. An unprecedented large-scale group of Chinese tourists came to Incheon for an incentive tour. Six thousand Chinese tourists, including the chairman and executives of the Chinese health food company Haorang Group, entered through Incheon International Airport.

“Hae Yeon. No need to feel pressured.”

Do Ha held Hae Yeon’s hand.

“I know. But I’m okay now since I’ve followed you to these events several times.”

Hae Yeon smiled brightly. Do Ha’s business, which manages corporate meetings and incentive tours for multinational companies, international association conferences, and large-scale exhibitions, was doing so well recently that there were rumors in the industry calling it a “goose that lays golden eggs”.

When Do Ha introduced Hae Yeon to the chairman of Haorang Group, the chairman praised her as a beauty. Hae Yeon blushed.

As the day grew late, the party also gradually heated up.

“Hae Yeon, just a moment. I’ll introduce the chairman and be right back.”

“Okay, sure.”

As Hae Yeon, left alone, looked around while drinking wine, someone approached. A middle-aged woman with a gentle impression, whose husband seemed to be greeting someone else, smiled and came towards her. Hae Yeon just bowed her head as a courtesy to the guests. However, the woman seemed to be familiar with her.

“Hae Yeon! We meet here.”

Hae Yeon furrowed her brow. She usually focused when meeting people so as not to bring shame to Do Ha’s business, so she remembered well even people she had met once. However, making that effort meaningless, it was a face she was seeing for the first time.

“Hello.”

“Nice to see you, Hae Yeon. It’s the first time since last year.”

Last year?

Hae Yeon’s ears perked up. The woman was someone she wasn’t familiar with. Even though she tried to remember, nothing particular came to mind, but because of what Lee Su Rin said, the word ‘last year’ stuck in her mind.

“Is Chairman Yoon Myung Gil in good health too?”

“Pardon? Ah…”

Hae Yeon couldn’t just let it pass when the woman asked with a bright expression, knowing even her mother-in-law.

“Um…”

“Yes, Hae Yeon.”

The middle-aged woman smiled kindly. Having lived for 4 years as Cha Do Ha’s wife and Gilmyung Group’s second daughter-in-law, Hae Yeon was accustomed to such parties and put on a social smile.

“Did we meet last year? I don’t remember well…”

At Hae Yeon’s words, the woman brightened and clapped her hands.

“We met at the Hanwoomeul gathering, didn’t we!”

Hanwoomeul gathering?

Hae Yeon wondered what she meant by the unfamiliar content the stranger mentioned, but she smiled slightly and tactfully prompted the woman’s next words.

“Ah. That’s right. I’m sorry. Did you get home safely then?”

“Oh my, is it me who’s the problem? How about you, Hae Yeon? That day, one of our members made a mistake and stepped on your foot. You were wearing heels so you were in a lot of pain, and I felt even more sorry.”

The woman chatted excitedly. At that moment, Hae Yeon couldn’t manage her expression.