“That can’t be.”

Though she casually dropped the doubt-inducing comment, Ju Ri felt competitive when Yong Hee denied it.

“It’s personal, but I’ve always seduced and then dumped my boyfriends.”

“Song Da Eun?”

“Yes.”

Yong Hee burst out laughing.

Ju Ri, who had been staring blankly at her face, belatedly realized she had made a mistake. Blinded by jealousy towards Da Eun, she had misspoken.

“I can clearly see you two aren’t on good terms.”

“I apologize. I’ve rambled on too much about myself.”

“No, it was interesting.”

Despite Ju Ri’s slip-up, Yong Hee unexpectedly offered a positive response. It felt like going between heaven and hell. Like riding a roller coaster. It was a moment that made her more curious about the life of a chaebol who could make others nervous just by existing.

“Will you allow Song Da Eun?”

“As if I have the authority.”

Yong Hee paused and took a sip of tea.

“Our chairman is desperate to marry off his grandson, Yu Kwon.”

“……”

“And I would like my nephew’s wife to be my person.”

If she were Yong Hee, she wouldn’t let Yu Kwon marry a woman from a family that would empower him.

Then Song Da Eun would be perfect, but why did it feel like she disapproved?

Ju Ri focused on the phrase ‘my person’ that Yong Hee had used.

Perhaps she’s thinking of putting me in that position.

The hypothetical assumption excited Ju Ri.

Ju Ri tried to gauge her usefulness. Could she really be of help to Yong Hee? Even if she couldn’t be helpful, she wanted to appeal somehow and become Yong Hee’s person.

“Yu Kwon had a girlfriend he dated seriously while studying abroad.”

Ju Ri’s eyes widened at Yong Hee’s softly continued words. Yong Hee looked at Ju Ri calmly and continued speaking.

“When I sent someone to inquire, I found out she had been sick and undergoing treatment, and she’s now in the final stages. She’ll likely return next year.”

Cha Yu Kwon had a girlfriend? Could Song Da Eun possibly know about this too?

As if pitying Ju Ri’s solo flight of imagination, Yong Hee spoke again.

“With Secretary Song, it’s probably a contract marriage.”

“…I see.”

“Yu Kwon is an opportunist. There must be a reason he chose the flawed Song Da Eun. Someone he could use thoroughly and discard without consequences… Like a disposable card, so to speak?”

A card to use and discard easily.

Why hadn’t she thought of that? A smile spread across Ju Ri’s face.

Ju Ri had tried to seduce Yu Kwon in college but failed. Yet Yu Kwon had shown interest in and watched only Da Eun.

Perhaps that’s why her judgment was clouded. Even if he was far removed from the succession line, Yu Kwon was still Myung Il’s grandson. And Da Eun was a bottom-dweller who couldn’t even be considered ordinary.

Thinking about it this way, it was a simple matter.

Somehow, she felt like laughing.

“I need an actor. None of my people are good at acting.”

“An actor?”

“Someone who can lie shamelessly and convincingly. Like Yang Ju Ri.”

“What do you mean by that……”

Yong Hee let out a chuckle and gestured. Secretary Oh, who had been standing at a distance, approached. She glanced at Yong Hee and Ju Ri’s expressions before placing the tablet she was holding on the table.

The tablet screen was filled with photos of Ju Ri and Young Hoon.

Unable to grasp the situation immediately, Ju Ri just blinked blankly.

“Swipe through them.”

At Yong Hee’s command, Ju Ri swiped the screen with trembling hands. There were photos of her and Young Hoon making love on the rooftop. The date stamped at the bottom was long before Da Eun’s wedding. They were evidence exposing the lie in what she had just said.

‘It was definitely a blind spot with no CCTV…’

Ju Ri, who had been biting her lower lip with a serious expression, composed herself.

“It’s a misunderstanding. I can explain.”

She lied calmly without batting an eye. A smile spread across Yong Hee’s face as she observed Ju Ri’s change in expression. She looked satisfied.

“Go ahead, explain. I hope it’s more interesting than the dirty rumors I heard at the company.”

She said she needed an actor, right?

Ju Ri blinked calmly. Something she could do well. The reason why Ju Ri, just a company employee, was called to Hyangrimjae.

It was to test the possibility. If so, she should comply.

“Executive Director…”

Ju Ri, who had been staring at Yong Hee’s well-manicured nails, looked up at her.

“You want to break up Cha Yu Kwon and Song Da Eun’s marriage, don’t you?”

Yong Hee didn’t answer.

“Because you want to bring in your own person as Cha Yu Kwon’s match.”

“Well, something like that.”

“That’s right. I seduced Go Young Hoon, Song Da Eun’s fiancé, and broke off their marriage. I lied about being pregnant.”

Ju Ri’s face was quite brazen. It seemed like she was saying something obvious. Yong Hee, who had been closely observing her expression, nodded. Gaining confidence from that response, Ju Ri continued with the rest of her words.

“I can break up Cha Yu Kwon and Song Da Eun’s marriage too.”

At Ju Ri’s words, Yong Hee made an expression that was hard to tell if she was smiling or frowning.

“Too grandiose. What I want from Yang Ju Ri is one thing. To create a bit of a disturbance at our chairman’s feast this weekend.”

“A disturbance?”

“The chairman won’t approve of Song Da Eun as Yu Kwon’s match anyway. But just in case there’s even a slim possibility, I want to make sure.”

So she means to bring down Song Da Eun. Ju Ri smiled brightly as if it wouldn’t be difficult at all.

“Leave it to me.”

“Good, at our next meeting, we’ll hear in detail about Yang Ju Ri’s grand plan.”

As Yong Hee promised a next time, Ju Ri’s face lit up with joy.

“Thank you.”

“But next time we meet, let’s pay a bit more attention.”

Yong Hee approached Ju Ri and tapped the logo on her clothes, saying. Ju Ri’s face flushed bright red.

She had been caught wearing a fake. She had trusted it was Grade A when she bought it.

Yong Hee called the driver and ordered him to take Ju Ri home safely.

Ju Ri bowed politely before get
ting into the car.

Yong Hee was good at handling people. Especially people with great desires, like Ju Ri.

She didn’t miss the greedy glint in their eyes behind expressions feigning innocence.

“Those kinds of kids are the easiest to handle. Unlike Song Da Eun, whose thoughts are hard to read.”

Fan the flames of that desire, but keep them in check a bit. When they’re about to forget, motivate them again.

That was Yong Hee’s method of handling people.

Yong Hee didn’t dislike Da Eun so much as find her irritating. At first, she tried to win Da Eun over like Jung Woo. Da Eun was flexible yet unyielding. She managed to flatter Yong Hee appropriately but ultimately didn’t waver.

In a way, she envied Yu Kwon. If it was someone who couldn’t be bought with money, they probably wouldn’t stab him in the back either.

If she were on my side, she’d be reliable, but knowing she won’t be on my side makes Da Eun irritating. Things that are irritating should be removed quickly to avoid trouble later.

When the car completely disappeared from view, she put a cigarette in her mouth.

“She probably won’t be able to sleep tonight, from excitement.”

Secretary Oh took out a lighter and lit it.

Yong Hee’s laughter dispersed along with the smoke.

As Yong Hee had said, Ju Ri didn’t sleep a wink that night.

She was bothered by her assertion that she could break up Da Eun and Yu Kwon’s marriage, but she had been invited to Hyangrimjae again anyway. This was no ordinary matter.

It was a chance to turn her life around. It was an important moment when all her efforts might finally bear fruit.

Ju Ri opened the door and went out to the living room. Her mother, Ji Hwa, was applying nail polish to her toenails.

This wasn’t Ju Ri’s house, but Ji Hwa’s. She was staying at her parents’ home in case Young Hoon came looking for her at her place.

“Mom, do you have any money?”

“What’s with the money talk first thing after waking up?”

Ji Hwa retorted with a frown. Ju Ri didn’t want to ask her mother for money, but she had no choice.

She couldn’t meet Yong Hee wearing fake clothes again this time.

“I’m asking if you have any or not.”

“Where did you spend all the money you’ve earned working until now?”

Ju Ri, who had been asking confidently, flinched. She had spent all the money she earned on maintaining her beauty. Thanks to that, she was able to have this firm skin and slim body. Instead, she had to wear fake clothes due to lack of money.

“With all the treatments and procedures…”

“Treatments? Hey, Song Da Eun glows without doing any of that.”

Ji Hwa finally touched a nerve with Ju Ri.

Ju Ri reacted immediately. She crumpled her expression angrily and shouted.

“Why bring up Song Da Eun? It’s so annoying! And if you were going to compare me to her all the time, you should have given birth to me prettier than her, or passed down better genes!”

“Oh my, you startled me. Why are you shouting?”

Ju Ri glared at Ji Hwa with sharp eyes. Ji Hwa always compared Da Eun and Ju Ri like this.

“That man you met before, the land rich one. What happened to him?”

“I was deceived. I’m going to end it.”

“Acting all smart by yourself.”

She didn’t mention that she had stolen Song Da Eun’s man. It was obvious her mother would criticize her for being awful, despite having married after stealing her friend’s husband herself.

“So do you have money or not?”

“How much do you need?”

“About 20 million won.”

Ju Ri replied nonchalantly, rolling her eyes. Ji Hwa raised her head.

“What are you going to use that 20 million won for?”

“You don’t have it?”

“As if I would.”

Ji Hwa snorted dismissively.

Ju Ri’s family used to be well-off. If only her father, Jun Il’s business hadn’t suddenly declined. Despite getting a fake divorce because of debt, Ju Ri and Ji Hwa continued to live luxuriously like before.

Meanwhile, Jun Il worked as a day laborer during the day and as a designated driver at night for his family, but the mother and daughter’s spending didn’t decrease. Eventually, when Jun Il collapsed, the mother and daughter pawned him off to his younger sister.

Dissatisfied with not being able to live as lavishly as before, Ju Ri met Young Hoon.

It was only natural that she fell for Young Hoon, who boasted about being land-rich. Although he acted like he would do anything for her if they got married, it turned out he had almost no savings, and neither did his parents.

She had to find another way.