Even after a day of absence, Yeonwoo’s daily routine remained unchanged.
Waking up, going to the company, feeling diminished under the warm gazes of people, keeping her mouth shut, only focusing on work, and leaving after work.
She tried to avoid contact with Kim Seungho as much as possible, but the baseless rumors had already spread, and there was no way to remedy it with just a few days of effort.
Grabbing colleagues and explaining, “I’m not the type to seduce Kim Seungho or any other man,” seemed ridiculous.
More precisely, her eagerness to actively step forward and explain had been crushed.
“Still, that’s true. We’ve been getting along well without any trouble for almost 10 years…”
She had thought that the connections she made through social life were precious, so she communicated sincerely and built affection. However, it seemed to be her own misunderstanding.
People who used to laugh and talk with her every day suddenly avoided Yeonwoo in an instant, and the reality of receiving awkward glances was unbelievable.
Why didn’t a single person say, “Yeonwoo is not that kind of person”?
At least, it would have been good if someone had asked Yeonwoo, “Is that rumor true?”
It was so sad and embarrassing to think that she had sincerely treated people from Roan Yul in her own way.
How could this happen?
How can everyone treat me like this…!
Even if she tried not to care, the sense of injustice and anger that suddenly arose couldn’t be stopped.
As she worked, venting her anger little by little, it was already lunchtime. Yeonwoo, who had become too lazy even to choose the menu, headed to the company cafeteria.
The company cafeteria was mainly used by people who quickly ate and returned to work.
Yeonwoo, who naturally blended in with them, accepted a meal with steam rising from the plate.
Is there a suitable seat? While wandering around, she found an empty seat across the aisle.
“Oh! What’s this!”
Suddenly standing up, the person collided with Yeonwoo’s plate. The hot soup and side dishes were scattered messily on the person.
“I’m sorry! Are you okay?”
“What if you spill this like this? Pay attention and walk properly!”
Of all people, she ended up offending Im Nayoon’s secretary, Manager Kang.
“Is there anywhere you’re hurt?”
“Really, so annoying in various ways.”
“······.”
Various annoying things included Yeonwoo, who was absent from work due to illness, doing Situation Room tasks in her place.
“Why did you leave the company without saying a word when Yeonwoo had a hard time that day?” Manager Kang shouted with a complaining tone. And since that day, Manager Kang openly showed her dislike for Yeonwoo.
As Yeonwoo wiped Manager Kang’s blouse with a napkin silently, the attention of everyone gathered around her. Yeonwoo’s embarrassed neck turned crimson.
“Clean up a bit! Are you wiping it off like that?”
Manager Kang, who pushed away Yeonwoo’s hand roughly, examined her clothes and expressed irritation. People began to gather around Yeonwoo, who had become quite small.
“Honey, are you okay?”
“Oh, my, what about this outfit? It’s completely ruined.”
They, siding with Manager Kang, each made a remark, criticizing Yeonwoo.
“Assistant Manager Kim Yeonwoo, did you do this on purpose to me?”
To the hysterical question, Yeonwoo was taken aback. No matter how much she disliked the other person, she had never imagined doing such a thing.
“No, no, I didn’t.”
“You seem dissatisfied with me lately. You always belittle me, nitpick everything I say, and dive into hiding.”
“That day, I was sick.”
“Is it just because you want to give me a hard time?”
Manager Kang’s forced anger subsided. There was no energy to respond.
“Assistant Manager Yeonwoo, are you okay?”
Moreover, Kim Seungho came over to take care of Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo became even more embarrassed.
Another groundless rumor is going to spread!
“There’s a stain on your outfit, Assistant Manager.”
“Oh, I’m fine, Attorney Kim.”
“Here, wipe it with this.”
Ignoring the tissue offered by Kim Seungho, Yeonwoo tried to brush it off with her hand. But Kim Seungho stood steadfastly by her side, carefully taking care of her.
“It seems like that’s also part of the plan.”
A quietly uttered phrase from someone pricked Yeonwoo’s ears.
From that moment, the murmurs of people criticizing became clearer.
Sympathy, huh? Pathetic, how pathetic.
It seems like there’s a rumor going around that she’s approaching Kim Seungho!
“······.”
What on earth is happening?
It was a childish act. A false rumor spread, and people believed it, ostracizing one person.
Even though she knew in her head that she should ignore it and go her own way, why couldn’t she put it into practice, making it so pitiful and difficult?
“I’ll cover the laundry cost, and if it can’t be solved by cleaning.”
“Do you know how much this is going to cost?”
“······I’m sorry.”
She tried to make herself look pathetic. But even that wasn’t easily resolved.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
