Yeo Reum sat on a bench near the bank, waiting for Mi Rae.

The weather was cold, but they had promised to relieve stress by eating spicy chicken feet together for the first time in a long while.

Just then, Yeo Reum saw Mi Rae running towards her, wearing an ivory coat.

“Hey, Mi Rae! Take it slow. You’ll fall over like that.”

Unlike Yeo Reum who was wearing sneakers, Mi Rae, now a proper office worker, had on neat black dress shoes.

“Yo! Yeo Reum! It’s fine. It’s fine.”

As if telling her not to worry, Mi Rae ran over gleefully.

“Did you wait long?”

“But it ended earlier than I thought?”

“Since my Yeo Reum was waiting, this unnie took care of work quickly.”

The two smiled at each other face to face.

“If we go to that back alley over there, there’s a place that makes really good spicy chicken feet.”

“Really?”

“Let’s have it with beer for old times’ sake. It’s on me.”

“Great!”

“First, let’s go. It’s a popular spot, so if we’re any later there won’t be seats.”

Yeo Reum started walking towards the restaurant with Mi Rae.

“But did you really get a part-time job at a café?”

“Yeah.”

“How shocked must that boss have been today? This is pretty much hijacking a part-time position, isn’t it? Hey, Jung Yeo Reum?”

“But you know I’m awesome at any job I do.”

“Well that’s true.”

Mi Rae laughed.

Just then, Yeo Reum’s phone rang.

Seeing it was from Butler Park, she answered it gladly.

“Young lady, where are you?”

“I’m going to eat chicken feet with a friend right now.”

“Ah, what should we do? I think you need to come home.”

“Why?”

“The chairwoman saw Ha Eun’s video. She found out you posted it online and right now… she’s furious.”

Yeo Reum’s happy expression quickly soured.

“What’s going on?”

“… It’s the video of young lady Ha Eun. The chairwoman saw it. She found out you posted it online… and she’s extremely angry.”

“I understand. I’ll be right there.”

“Yes.”

With that polite response, Butler Park ended the call.

Yeo Reum looked at Mi Rae whose face was stiff with worry and said,

“Looks like chicken feet aren’t in my fortune today.”

“Yeo Reum…”

“Don’t worry. That old hag wouldn’t dare kill me, would she?”

Yeo Reum said, letting out a short breath.

*

The Gi Taek family sitting on the living room sofa on the first floor had anxious expressions.

The executives and working-level staff called into the study were getting chewed out by Ju Hwa.

Of course, the heat would soon fall on them too.

“Mom. Should I go to the bathroom again?”

In Pyo said, looking pathetically at Ha Eun sitting across from him.

“If you knew auntie was scary, you should’ve been more careful from the start. What is this because of you?”

“Stop it.”

Gi Taek sat silently.

Having belatedly received the report, he was at a loss.

Just then, the sound of the study door opening could be heard, making everyone reflexively stand up.

Ju Hwa came out into the hallway and behind her the executives and working-level staff with bloodied noses came out one after another.

“She’s not here yet?”

Ju Hwa sat in the head seat of the sofa and asked Butler Park.

“She said she was nearby.”

The PR group executives stood firm behind Ju Hwa.

The Blue House employees who had been secretly observing the living room situation were just as anxious.

“What will happen to young lady Yeo Reum? The chairwoman was very angry.”

“I know. This is big trouble.”

Though there were dozens of people all over the living room, not even a small breath could be heard.

So the sound of the front door opening was extremely loud.

The person revealed along with the footsteps was indeed Yeo Reum.

“I heard you were looking for me?”

Yeo Reum approached the sofa and asked Ju Hwa who was sitting in the head seat.

“Yes.”

Yeo Reum tried to sit on the sofa but the Gi Taek family had already taken the seats, and they didn’t seem to have any intention of yielding their spots.

If she really wanted to sit, she could have.

But she didn’t want to.

Turning her head to the side, Yeo Reum walked over to one spot.

The eyes of everyone in the living room were fixed on Yeo Reum’s every move.

In an instant, they were all startled.

Yeo Reum grabbed an elegant chair placed by the window table and dragged it over to the sofa.

Then she placed it facing Ju Hwa and sat down.

Their gazes were precisely matched at eye level.

Seeing Ju Hwa’s furrowing brow, everyone reflexively tightened their grip on their pounding hearts, anticipating the situation.

As if oblivious to this, or perhaps knowing it, Yeo Reum calmly said,

“What did you call me for?”

At Ju Hwa’s glance, Manager Ahn approached and showed a tablet.

On the screen was the “Resort Wine Girl”.

Ju Hwa asked,

“This was your doing, right?”

“What doing?”

“Spreading Ha Eun’s video on the internet and filing a complaint, that was you, wasn’t it?”

Behind Ju Hwa, amidst the people gathered, the two lawyers from the legal team could be seen.

Seeing their troubled expressions, Yeo Reum said,

“That’s right. You already confirmed it all, so why ask again?”

“What?”

“It was me who posted Ha Eun’s video online, and it was also me who filed the complaint.”

“The fact that you threatened Ha Eun with this matter, and threatened the family, is that also true?”

“The word ‘threaten’ is a bit harsh. But from the receiving end, I suppose it could be seen that way. Yes. I did it. That threat.”

At that moment, Ju Hwa slammed her hand hard on the sofa armrest.

Everyone was startled and shrunk back even more.

“Do you know how much damage you’ve caused the group with your thoughtless actions! And to do such a thing in my house, while eating my food!”

“Sister-in-law, please calm down. And this is partly our Ha Eun’s fault too.”

As Ju Hwa flared up in anger, Gi Taek quickly tried to smooth things over.

“That’s right, sister-in-law. Our Ha Eun didn’t do well either. It’s my sin for not teaching my child properly.”

“I’m sorry. Auntie. It’s my fault.”

The Gi Taek family apologized to Ju Hwa as if they had planned it.

“Sister-in-law, Yeo Reum is still young so she probably did it without realizing how big of a deal this is. So please calm down.”

“That’s right, auntie.”

“No matter how young, how can she not know what kind of social repercussions this will cause and how negatively it will impact the group? Even if she’s lacking in education, how can she be this clueless!”

Ju Hwa slammed the sofa armrest again.

“Of course I wasn’t clueless. Because I learned too well.”

Jeong Mi glared at Yeo Reum and said,

“You stay out of this. How can you rudely butt in while the chairwoman is speaking?”

“You’re the one lacking discretion, grandma. That’s why your daughter lacks discretion too and sprays wine around at a resort while drunk.”

“Watch your words, Yeo Reum.”

It was Sophia.

“Watch my words?”

“Yes, do you have no idea how much trouble you’ve caused, Yeo Reum? And why is your tone so flippant? Hurry and apologize to auntie and my mother for your wrongdoing.”

“Apologize?”

Yeo Reum looked at Sophia and said,

“Auntie, you really get on people’s nerves with every word you say.”

“Excuse me?”

“I bet when you were in school, your friends said you put on airs a lot, right? No, wait. You’re pretty dense for that. Your idiocy is outstanding.”

“…Jung Yeo Reum! How can you say that? And idiocy? I’m someone with a doctoral degree!”

Sophia yelled, her pride hurt.

Yeo Reum snickered and said,

“So what if you have a doctoral degree? Your behavior is at an elementary school level.”

“Do you think you did well?”

It was Ju Hwa.

At that, the momentarily boiling atmosphere in the living room turned icy.

Yeo Reum looked straight at Ju Hwa and answered,

“Yes.”

“What?”

“From a social justice standpoint, I did extremely well.”

“You saw, right sister-in-law? That’s how she is. She’s turned our insides out so much.”

Sensing an opportunity, Jeong Mi chimed right in.

Ju Hwa said,

“I don’t want to say much, so delete that video right now. And post an apology stating it was all your misunderstanding.”

“No.”

“Who do you think you’re saying no to? Do you not know who I am?”

Ju Hwa’s voice rose sharply.

“I know very well. You’re Chairwoman Kang Ju Hwa of the PR Group.”

“Then!”

“I’m a bit disappointed. I didn’t know the chairwoman was this lacking in discretion.”

“What, lacking in discretion?”

No one gathered in the living room could even breathe properly.

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Yeo Reum didn’t cower before Kang Ju Hwa.

“Chairwoman. Even a large dam collapses from a small crack.”

“What?”

“I don’t know much about running a company. But I can pinpoint exactly where the PR Group’s collapse will begin. It’s them. And if this matter isn’t handled properly, it will include you too, Chairwoman.”

“What are you saying right now?”

Finally, annoyed, In Pyo raised his voice.

Yeo Reum snickered and said,

“Even your logic has any basis?”

“Kang Ha Eun caused a scene at Woahreum Resort. Then who was victimized by Kang Ha Eun’s rampage?”

Yeo Reum looked straight at Ju Hwa.

“It was the employees of the PR Group.”

“Th- those are not employees! They’re just contract workers!”

Ha Eun shouted, as if making excuses.

“Right. To be exact, they’re employees of a contracting company. But those people have worked there for over ten years. They may not have official positions but they know the ins and outs of the resort better than anyone. Also, those people are closely connected to the regular employees. Rumors about you have already spread not only to all the contracting companies but also among the employees. That ‘a crazy X from the owner’s family got drunk, sprayed wine in the pool reserved for a VIP customer, broke bottles, and caused a scene.'”

“Hey, what do the words of lowly people like that matter!”

Jeong Mi stepped up to defend Ha Eun.

“You may think that way. Then what about this?”

At Yeo Reum’s words, everyone’s ears perked up.

“Because of Kang Ha Eun’s horrible behavior, the VIP customer ended up not being able to use the pool and left early. But what if that person had been secretly observing the company’s situation as a PR investor? Would Kang Ha Eun’s actions have been a small matter then?”

“Hey, don’t exaggerate so much!”

“I know a very famous saying that fits this situation. ‘A butterfly flapping its wings can cause a hurricane.'”

Everyone gulped nervously.

“Well, that could be the case.”

After a brief silence, Ju Hwa crossed her long legs the other way.

“But that’s just your speculation, and I’ve always preferred the objective over the abstract and incomplete. In that sense, Jung Yeo Reum, you directly caused damage to me by posting that video. Visible and verifiable massive damage.”

At her point, Yeo Reum’s brow furrowed.

“Manager Ahn.”

“Yes. Chairwoman.”

“Lock that child Jung Yeo Reum in the storage room. Don’t give her a single drop of water for a week.”

“…Chairwoman?”

“What are you doing? I said put her in the storage room right now.”

Everyone in the living room froze.

At her harsh order, the secretaries had no choice but to approach Yeo Reum.

The Blue House employees were restless.

In contrast, the Jeong Mi family had to try their hardest to hold back their laughter.

Yeo Reum spoke to the secretaries trying to grab her arm.

“Don’t touch me. Do you want to become criminals?”

“…Excuse me?”

“You’ll regret it later, you know?”

Yeo Reum grinned at the stiff-faced secretaries.

“Confinement is a crime. Then later, forget promotions, you could even go to jail. You want to sell your conscience and become criminals just to earn a measly monthly salary?”

Though she was smiling, it sounded like a threat.

The secretaries glanced around, at a loss.

“Why aren’t you dragging her away?”

As the secretaries hesitated, Ju Hwa raised her voice.

“Chairwoman, don’t harass the secretaries.”

“What?”

“There are plenty of lawyers over there. Ask them. Is confining a person illegal or not? And if you really want to lock me up in the storage that badly, do it yourself, Chairwoman.”

“What did you say?”

“Just get the employees to do their jobs, their jobs. If it’s a crime, do it with your own hands. But I won’t go down without a fight either.”

Yeo Reum took off her padding jacket and hung it on the chair.

The employees’ jaws dropped at Yeo Reum’s unexpected response.

“And Chairwoman. I’ll show you from now on how the abstract and incomplete can sometimes be far more destructive than the objective.”

With an irritated expression, Ju Hwa said,

“Do whatever you want, it won’t change my mind.”

“We’ll see. Don’t regret it later.”

Ju Hwa stared piercingly at Yeo Reum.

Yeo Reum didn’t avoid her gaze.

Sparks flew from the eyes of the two women, burning hot enough to kill.

The air felt lacking.

After a moment’s gap, Ju Hwa spoke.

“Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got.”