“It’s my choice.”

Ju Hwa was dumbfounded by Yeo Reum’s answer.

“No. Stop it.”

“I already passed the interview and worked today.”

“Jung Yeo Reum, did you forget the terms of the contract?”

“I didn’t forget the contract. And there’s no need to get so upset. Chairman, get a proper grasp of the situation.”

Murmurs spread among the employees.

Everyone here already knew Yeo Reum’s situation.

And yet, she dared to tell the mighty Kang Ju Hwa to properly grasp the situation!

The more they looked at this young woman, the more fearless she seemed.

“What did you just say?”

As expected, fierce sparks flared in Ju Hwa’s eyes.

Yeo Reum smiled and said,

“I didn’t say I would seal the evidence I have yet.”

The sound of employees swallowing was particularly loud.

Ju Hwa crossed her long legs and asked,

“Are you threatening me now?”

“Yes.”

The employees’ throats bobbed even more.

The country bumpkin Cinderella heiress instantly shattered the executives’ imaginations.

Beyond shock, it was astounding, so everyone stared as if entranced.

“You have a very bad habit, don’t you?”

“That’s right. It’s because I learned it all from watching you, Chairman.”

Ju Hwa’s brow furrowed.

“You were just waiting for an opportunity to torment the daughter-in-law you hate to death, right? And that opportunity finally came, so you snatched it up. With money, you threatened the daughter-in-law and granddaughter to separate parents and child, and you freely manipulate your granddaughter’s life. But now the opportunity has come to me. So I’m just snatching it up the same way you do. I’m smart and good at learning, you see.”

It felt like a cold northern wind was whirling through the living room.

People once again clutched their pounding hearts.

This didn’t seem at all like a conversation between a grandmother and granddaughter.

It was like a sword dance aimed at an enemy commander.

Their bodies instinctively shrank back, fearing they might accidentally be cut by the blade.

“The part-time job is until 3pm on weekdays. And if you respect my part-time work, I’ll bury this matter. I’ll seal it. What will you do?”

Ju Hwa looked irritated but eventually answered.

“Fine.”

Short breaths burst out here and there in the living room.

They each brushed their chests, as if they had barely crossed an icy surface.

Once the situation ended, Yeo Reum’s gaze turned to Jeong Mi and Ha Eun.

“What are you doing?”

The two women blankly stared at Yeo Reum.

“Aren’t you going to apologize?”

Their faces instantly twisted.

Yeo Reum said,

“If you hate it that much, you don’t have to. But then I won’t seal the information about my half-aunt-in-law and half-cousin either. You don’t mind if I open it all to the world, right?”

As Yeo Reum tried to get up from her chair, Jeong Mi hastily shouted.

“Ah, fine! Fine! I’ll apologize, okay!”

Yeo Reum reluctantly sat back down.

Jeong Mi and Ha Eun looked furious and at a loss, but given the situation, they stepped up in front of Yeo Reum.

“…Sorry.”

“Yeah, sorry.”

Following Ha Eun, Jeong Mi spoke in a small voice.

“Your apology lacks sincerity.”

“What?”

“Chairman. It’s fine if I seal this matter half-heartedly and carelessly too, right?”

Ju Hwa glared at Yeo Reum’s smiling face and said in a cold voice,

“Do it properly.”

The two women’s faces twisted.

But they had no choice but to kneel down.

Murmurs spread among the employees again.

“…I’m sorry. We were really wrong.”

The two women clenched their fists tightly, furious at being forced to bow their heads.

“That’s right, you were very wrong. Do better from now on.”

The two women tried their hardest to calm their trembling bodies.

Then Yeo Reum said loudly,

“Team Leader Yang. Attorney Jo.”

“…Ah, yes!”

The two startled lawyers rushed over to Yeo Reum.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to take a photo for proof?”

“Ah, of course we should!”

The two lawyers started snapping photos with their phone cameras of Ha Eun and Jeong Mi kneeling on the floor.

The women’s faces turned beet red with humiliation.

In Pyo and Sophia glared at Yeo Reum as if they wanted to kill her.

“The photos came out well.”

A little later, looking at the photos of the two women that arrived on her phone, Yeo Reum lightly muttered.

“Well then, now that everything seems to be settled, I’ll head upstairs.”

Yeo Reum stood up from the chair as if she had finished her business.

“You think you’ve won, don’t you?”

It was Ju Hwa’s voice.

Yeo Reum turned back around.

“Don’t be mistaken.”

“Mistaken?”

“Yes. Remember that I went easy on you today. If I really put my mind to it, I could get rid of someone like you without anyone knowing.”

“I’m sure you could.”

“If you know that, then behave yourself from now on. Don’t act up.”

Yeo Reum smiled and said,

“That goes for you too, Chairman.”

“What?”

“Remember this. Whatever you can do, Jung Yeo Reum can always do too.”

Yeo Reum smiled even more brightly at Ju Hwa’s furrowing brow.

“But unlike you, I won’t resort to such despicable acts. Why? Because I’m only twenty-five, and I don’t want to become a murderer at my age. And no matter how much of a conglomerate chairman you are, you’ll die decades before me anyway, right? In the face of this objective fact, why would I even bother making such an effort? When the time comes, the one up there will take care of fetching you.”

People anxiously glanced around.

“You…are truly impudent. But remember. Your father’s life is in my hands.”

“Of course I remember. That’s why let’s stop here.”

“What?”

“My father needs treatment, so I’m holding back. If it weren’t for that, you’d have a hard time dealing with the consequences. When I really get angry, I don’t hold back. Whether it’s a chaebol’s niece or a chairman, I don’t care about such things. Well then, get a grip on your unpleasant nerves and good night. Take care on your way back, everyone.”

Calmly bidding farewell, Yeo Reum climbed the stairs to the 2nd floor.

*

“What humiliation is this!”

As soon as they entered the 3rd living room, Jeong Mi shouted and Ha Eun burst into tears.

Gi Taek had followed Ju Hwa to ask for forgiveness.

“What are you crying for? Shut up!”

In Pyo yelled at Ha Eun in annoyance.

“I can’t even cry with my own mouth!”

“That’s why I told you to drink less! Now you’ve humiliated us in front of all the executives! What are you going to do about this!”

“Mom and I knelt down and begged that wench! And now we have to go apologize one by one to those trashy people and get our photos taken! Do you have any idea how we feel right now? Oppa, are you only thinking about your own dignity?”

“This wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t cause trouble in the first place! You’re so stupid!”

“…Are you done talking?”

“I’m not done! You stupid thing!”

“Hey!”

“Everyone, stop it!”

At that moment, Gi Taek entered the living room.

He raised his voice, looking around at his agitated family.

“What have you done well to raise your voices like this? I can’t even hold my head up because of you all! Why are you all acting this way!”

Gi Taek never shouted.

But now he was yelling at his family, his face red.

Everyone’s mouths snapped shut at that.

“But honey, why are you back so soon? Didn’t I tell you to beg elder brother to cancel Ha Eun and I going to apologize to those people?”

“Elder sister said she wants to rest.”

“…Elder sister did?”

“My head feels like it’s going to explode, so how must elder sister feel?”

“Then we really have to go to Busan and kneel down to apologize to those people? Oh, I can’t do that!”

“Me neither!”

Ha Eun chimed in.

“Don’t say anything else and just do it.”

“…Honey!”

“Dad!”

“There’s even a boycott movement against PR Group now. There’s no other way.”

“Even so!”

“Just do as I say!”

Gi Taek shouted.

Jeong Mi and Ha Eun shrank back at his fierce look.

“You should have told me from the start! Why did you let it get this bad?”

“We were trying our best to resolve it…”

“Is this what you call resolving it? What you did to Yeo Reum, is that resolving it? That’s a crime. It’s clearly elder abuse, confinement, and attempted murder!”

Jeong Mi and Ha Eun lowered their heads.

Gi Taek exhaled roughly and said,

“Now that the executives all know, this is the only way to handle it. So quietly go apologize. And In Pyo, you will face disciplinary action.”

“Disciplinary action?”

“You don’t know why? You’re the one who hid the Yeo Reum issue from elder sister, aren’t you?”

“Well that’s…”

Gi Taek sighed heavily and said,

“If disciplinary action is decided, just accept it.”

“Father!”

“And I’m warning you clearly, don’t mess with Yeo Reum anymore.”

Gi Taek warned his disgruntled family as he looked around at them.

“If anything else happens to Yeo Reum, who do you think people will suspect first? It’s us. Us. Got it?”

Annoyed sighs came out at those words.

“Don’t resent Yeo Reum. Be grateful to her instead.”

“Who are you telling to be grateful to? This is all because of that b*tch!”

It was Jeong Mi.

“I told you to stop it.”

“No. Isn’t this whole mess because that b*tch Jung Yeo Reum crawled into Blue House! And I’m really disappointed. Whose side are you on!”

“Don’t be delusional! Blue House belongs to Yeo Reum. PR Group too!”

“…Honey!”

“And if Yeo Reum hadn’t covered it up, all of you here would be in jail now too. Why don’t you still get that!”

Gi Taek left, looking like his blood pressure was rising.

“Sigh, that timid man. No wonder he only chases after his sister his whole life. Honestly, PR is ours! Elder sister is an outsider and he’s the son! Am I wrong?”

“No, Mother. You are absolutely right.”

Sophia actively defended her.

“See? Ugh, that wimp. And he calls himself a husband.”

Jeong Mi gnashed her teeth in a low voice.

In Pyo’s face was also twisted in annoyance.

*

Yeo Reum sat quietly on the sofa for a while after going up to her room.

Her heart was still pounding frighteningly.

She had tried so hard to appear calm and strong in front of her grandmother.

As her mind gradually settled, she thought of Mi Rae.

Mi Rae must be so anxious right now after Yeo Reum had firmly promised to eat chicken feet together.

Yeo Reum picked up her phone.

-Yeo Reum-ah, are you alright?

Mi Rae’s dialect that popped out whenever she got excited was sweet.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

-Are you sure you’re really okay?

Yeo Reum briefly explained the situation that had just happened in the living room.

-Oh my, how can you live there any longer? Just hearing it makes my heart pound.

“Anyway, I’m doing well so don’t worry and go to sleep.”

-You get some rest too without worrying. And pick a day so unni can buy you some really tasty chicken feet.

“Okay.”

Honestly, Yeo Reum felt drained after putting down the phone.

And she felt very lonely.

‘At times like this, I used to call Dad…’

He would listen to her so kindly.

But the meticulous Chairman Kang had even suspended her parents’ phone numbers.

Yeo Reum fiddled with her phone blankly.

‘I want to hear San Ha’s voice.’

She felt like his leisurely voice would be comforting.

After staring at San Ha’s number for a while, Yeo Reum typed a message.

She didn’t care if she had no pride.

She would be happy just to receive a message from him.

「 Are you sleeping? 」

This time, a short tone rang and a reply came quickly.

「 No. 」

This man made her happy with just a text.

「 Where are you right now? 」

「 Hospital. 」

Yeo Reum’s startled hand moved faster.

「 Why are you at the hospital? Are you hurt? 」

「 Visiting a sick friend. 」

Yeo Reum finally breathed a sigh of relief and typed a message.

「 Is your friend okay? 」

「 No. Gives me a hard time. 」

「 Why? 」

「 A terrible sleepyhead. Sleeping every time I come. 」

Yeo Reum smirked and replied.

「 I think it’s because your friend is comfortable with you. 」

「 You think so? 」

「 Then have a good time with your friend. 」

「 Okay. 」

With his short reply, Yeo Reum put down her phone.

“He’s not affectionate at all. See, I told you he’s a nice guy.”

Yeo Reum chuckled.