A look of embarrassment rippled across the face of the one who had been asserting their rights so confidently.

“The contract period ended yesterday? I thought there were still a few days left…”

“Go home and check the contract.”

“…”

In fact, Hee Ran couldn’t remember the exact date.

Hyun Shim would occasionally remind her with things like “about 3 months left”, “about a month left”, “next week”, and she would just accept it without much thought.

She hadn’t paid close attention to the dates because she thought it wouldn’t be a big deal even if the contract period ended. She believed she held all the cards.

She had delayed renewing the contract to raise her price, but now she had fallen victim to her own scheme.

“Though we’re a bit disappointed that it turned out this way despite our repeated offers to renew, we’ll be cheering for your future activities.”

“…”

Hee Ran stared at Sung Hyuk with an incredulous expression as he politely blamed everything on her. She was seething inside, unable to refute that it wasn’t her responsibility.

“I hope you sign with a good company and resolve this situation well.”

“Even if the contract has ended, we’ve been together for 3 years. This is too much. There should be some loyalty…”

“If you think there should be such a thing, then you lack shame.”

“…”

“This is all your own doing, Ms. Baek Hee Ran. Let’s not be pathetic.”

Hee Ran clenched her fists tightly, acknowledging that her words would have no effect. Now all that remained was to find out why Jo Hyun Shim had done this.

Taking a deep breath, Hee Ran asked Hyun Shim, who had been calmly staring at her all this time.

“Are you saying this is all your own doing, unnie?”

“That’s right.”

“Why are you doing this to me? How could you do this to me?”

“Even a dog wags its tail at its owner. Are you wondering why I didn’t wag my tail but stabbed you in the back instead?”

“Why are you suddenly putting yourself down?”

“You’re the one who put me down.”

“What are you talking about? When did I?”

“In your eyes, I’m not a person, I’m a dog. Woof woof!”

Hyun Shim imitated a dog’s bark with an expressionless face.

“Ah, this is really unbelievable.”

After a brief sardonic laugh, Hee Ran burst out shouting.

“When did I ever call you a dog! Why are you making such a fuss over nothing!”

“You said if I act like a dog, I’m not pretending, but really am a dog.”

Hee Ran finally realized what had sparked all this.

“Was it Min Joo? Ji Hoon? Or Chae Young In?”

“Why? Are you going to hound them if you find out who it was?”

Rather than trying to find out who had tattled now, it seemed better to placate them and get them to do an interview clearing up the misunderstanding.

“I understand why you’re angry, unnie, but it’s a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?”

“I meant that you follow my words well and are trustworthy…”

“Shut up. Before I rip your mouth.”

“…”

Hee Ran flinched, startled by the violent words. She was quite taken aback to see Hyun Shim, whom she had always thought to be docile and compliant, acting so differently from usual.

“The day before yesterday, I was intrigued when I heard what you said to Team Leader Chae. I wondered what would happen if I revealed your name, face, and true nature for everyone to see…”

A smile spread across Hyun Shim’s face.

“No one is better suited for the job than me, right?”

“Have you been preparing all this time, planning to use it someday?”

“I didn’t prepare. I just didn’t delete the automatic voice recordings and messages.”

With so many people saying one thing and doing another, she always backed up voice recordings and messages even when changing phones. In fact, Hyun Shim herself didn’t know they would be used like this.

“I realized just how much you’ve abused your power over me in the past year and a half. You have no idea how hard it was to narrow down all the things that should be made public.”

“Unnie, why are you really doing this? I feel like I’m going to die from the stress.”

“Hee Ran.”

“Yes, unnie.”

Hee Ran nodded pitifully, sniffling.

“Don’t exaggerate.”

Hyun Shim threw back the words that had been the decisive trigger for this incident.

Hee Ran’s expression hardened as her attempt at evoking sympathy backfired spectacularly.

“You think only I’ll be ruined? Your career as a manager is over too, unnie. Who would trust you to be their manager now? They’ll never know when you might stab them in the back.”

Hyun Shim let out a small laugh, finding it ridiculous how Hee Ran had revealed her true colors, as if she had never been on the verge of tears.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m not going to be a manager anymore. I’ve decided to go back home and run a business with my mom. I came to tell the CEO that I’m quitting.”

“…”

“Hee Ran, I’ve been in this industry for 9 years, you know? There are exceptions to everything, but there’s one thing that has no exceptions.”

Her calm tone was rather affectionate.

“The fate of those who get cocky and act up, not realizing they’ve gained more popularity than their skills warrant.”

Hyun Shim’s gaze turned to Sung Hyuk.

“What do you think happened to them, CEO?”

“They all failed, I suppose.”

“That’s right.”

Hyun Shim turned back to Hee Ran.

“Baek Hee Ran, just like you.”

When Hee Ran was unknown, she didn’t act so high and mighty like this. Becoming a star overnight and having everyone around her cater to her every whim, she had lost sight of everything at some point.

“Don’t be ridiculous! I haven’t failed yet! I’m not dead!”

“No, you have failed. I killed you.”

Hyun Shim looked at the enraged Hee Ran with indifferent eyes before standing up.

[This is the timeline separator]

Young In received a call to come up to the CEO’s office and left her office. But she ran into Hyun Shim in the hallway.

As Young In was about to pass by with a silent bow, a quiet voice stopped her.

“Team Leader Chae.”

Young In stopped and turned to Hyun Shim.

“Yes, Team Leader Jo.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what…”

“Just for various things.”

Hyun Shim couldn’t bring herself to say she was sorry for causing Young In to be bullied by Baek Hee Ran because of her own complex.

“There’s one thing I’d like to ask you, Team Leader Jo.”

“Go ahead.”

“Why did you go this far?”

“Let’s say it’s an apology and consolation for my self-esteem that had hit rock bottom.”

“…”

“Does that answer your question?”

“Yes.”

Although she had only experienced Baek Hee Ran properly for one day, Young In felt she understood why Hyun Shim had done this. Even though it was someone who had shown her nothing but hostility, she felt sorry and sympathetic as one human being to another.

“Oh, right. I heard you’re marrying the CEO.”

“…Pardon?”

“Congratulations.”

“…”

Young In watched Hyun Shim pass by with a slight smile, then turned and headed for the elevator. She could guess whose mouth those words had come from.

[This is the timeline separator]

Young In entered the office and perched lightly on her usual seat.

“I called you because I have something to tell you.”

“Go ahead.”

She decided to postpone what she wanted to say for now.

“Team Leader Jo Hyun Shim will quit once she finishes handing over her work.”

“I thought as much.”

It was an action that would be difficult for someone who hadn’t decided to see things through to the end.

“Baek Hee Ran’s exclusive contract ended as of yesterday.”

“Ah, I thought there was no response from the company because Team Leader Jo was desperately blocking it…”

“Team Leader Jo did ignore calls from reporters, but I instructed the PR team leader to maintain a non-response stance.”

Sung Hyuk couldn’t punish her directly. Instead, he kept his word that he wouldn’t actively cause her downfall, but he would lend a hand if she started to fall.

“After all that deliberation, it ended up like this. It’ll be hard for her to find a company to take her now.”

Young In was curious.

Wouldn’t Baek Hee Ran, who entered this industry before her, know that rising and falling happens in an instant? Or did she know but think it didn’t apply to her?

She thought it was probably the latter.

“Is there a drug scandal too?”

“I don’t think so.”

Young In nodded and changed the subject.

“Are you done talking?”

“Oh, yes, I am.”

“Then it’s my turn now.”

“Go ahead.”

“I met Team Leader Jo on my way up. She congratulated me on marrying you. Shall we get married?”

“Ah, about that…”

Sensing he was about to get an earful from Young In, Sung Hyuk trailed off while watching her reaction.

“What on earth have you been saying to people?”

“In Jeju, when Baek Hee Ran said she wanted to get closer, I told her I had a woman I was going to marry.”

“…”

So that’s why Baek Hee Ran was so irritated.

She had vaguely thought Baek Hee Ran had been rejected, but never imagined he had gone as far as to say he had a woman he was going to marry.

“That day I only said I had a woman I was going to marry, but after hearing what happened at the commercial shoot the day before yesterday, I called Baek Hee Ran.”

“Did you tell her that woman was me?”

“Yeah, and I also warned her not to mess with you.”

“You’ve done quite a lot without my knowledge.”

Young In sighed in resignation, then suddenly tilted her head.

“But why did she suddenly start a dating rumor with Jin Gyo sunbae out of the blue?”

“I have a guess, but I still asked Team Leader Jo if she knew anything.”

“Did she know?”

“Yes.”

“What did she say was the reason?”

“To make you look bad to my parents.”

“Ah…”

Young In couldn’t help but be impressed.

“How does her mind work like that?”

It was a day when she truly realized how terrifying human malice could be.

[This is the timeline separator]

Mrs. Han called Sung Hyuk just as she was about to arrive at SL Entertainment.

“Son, I’m dropping by for a moment.”

She called in advance because last time Sung Hyuk had shown his displeasure quite clearly.

-What’s the matter?

“I have a script I really want you to see.”

-A script?

“It’s written by my friend’s daughter who’s a prodigy. She’s won several contests. Just give it a read.”

-Mother, please.

“I’ll just give it to you and leave right away. I’ll be there in 5 minutes, so tell security.”

Mrs. Han said her piece and hung up.

When she arrived at the company, the head of security who had been waiting escorted her to the elevator. While riding up to the 8th floor, she received a call from the private detective agency’s president.

Mrs. Han brightened and answered the phone.

“Did you confirm it?”

-Yes, madam.

It was then that the elevator stopped at the 5th floor and the doors opened.

“What’s the name? And the family background and occupation?”

A woman was standing in front of the elevator.

Just as Mrs. Han recognized the woman’s face, a dreadful name pierced her ears.

-The name is Chae Young In. She’s the Team Leader of Management Team 5 at SL Entertainment.