The Secretary's Power (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
“What is this?”
Though he had merely finished asking the question, Tae Beom’s heart sank heavily.
“It’s my resignation letter.”
Tae Beom’s gaze swiftly shot toward her. Hye Won’s expression was as calm and composed as the neatly folded resignation letter.
For days on end, she had practiced just to endure this very moment—while eating, while sleeping,
while walking down the street, or brushing her teeth, standing blankly still.
“A resignation letter?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what it is, Managing Director.”
Resignation letter.
To utter those words with conviction, Hye Won had rehearsed hundreds, even thousands of times.
Tae Beom’s eyes drifted toward the letter. Staring at it silently, he finally reached out and took it, unable to believe what he was seeing.
He pulled the paper out somewhat roughly and read its simple, straightforward contents.
Upon seeing “personal reasons” listed as the reason for resignation, he let out an involuntary, bitter laugh.
“Hey, Assistant Manager Yoon Hye Won.”
“Yes, Managing Director.”
Uncontrolled force crumpled the paper in his hand. Tae Beom exhaled a long breath and looked up at her again.
“Resignation? On whose authority?”
His voice carried utter disbelief, as if dense fog had enveloped them, making the distance between them feel impossibly far.
“On whose authority do you resign? Assistant Manager Yoon, do you really think I’ll accept this?”
Tae Beom’s brow furrowed tightly, as though confronted with an excruciatingly troublesome matter.
A throbbing headache crept in, stirring nausea. He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again and tapped his desk as if knocking on a door.
“Alright then, Assistant Manager Yoon Hye Won. At least tell me the reason. What is this extremely personal circumstance that necessitates your resignation letter?”
“…….”
“Don’t I deserve to know that much? I think I have that right.”
“It’s just a regular employee’s private matter. Please accept it.”
“So then, why exactly! Why suddenly, why now!”
For the first time, his voice rose sharply in front of her. Staring at her tightly closed lips—silent, refusing to say anything—he leaned back against his chair.
The warmth that had once filled his eyes with affection now carried a chilling coldness.
“Is this your answer, Ms. Yoon Hye Won?”
The sunlight streaming through the large windows was so gentle, it clashed starkly with the raw pain in his voice.
“Answer me. Is this your reply to my love?”
Her fingers, clenched tightly, felt icy cold, as if her very heart might freeze over. She felt drained of all blood, shivering from the chill, and forced out a strained breath.
If she loosened her grip on composure for even a moment, tears would well up—and she feared he’d see through her painfully forced act.
Just a little longer. Just a little more.
“Yes. This is my answer.”
The floor seemed to rise up and swirl around her. Her own words hurt so deeply that her throat burned with sorrow.
She had clenched her hands so tightly that her fingernails threatened to draw blood from her palms.
Time passed for what felt like ages, leaving only the two of them standing on the verge of parting.
“So. This is your answer, then.”
His voice sounded desolate—as though he couldn’t possibly believe it, as though it defied belief itself.
Repeating the same words like someone who’d lost their way, Tae Beom finally looked at her.
“Fine. If that’s your decision, Assistant Manager Yoon Hye Won, I’ll accept it.”
That was it.
Watching the turmoil in his eyes rise to the surface, Hye Won bowed deeply.
More than all the moments of her life combined, those three months by your side were far happier.
I cried so much because I didn’t want to leave.
What else could she possibly say beyond these words? What more could she add?
“I feel deeply apologetic for causing you trouble as I leave.”
In truth, these were the only words she truly wanted to say, yet what she had to say now was—
……Please forget me easily.
“Please take care of your health always. I’ll be going now.”
I’d appreciate it if you’d just erase me.
“Thank you for everything, Managing Director.”
Our love, which had nothing to discard, I’ll carry alone from now on.
Three months ago.
Yusun Airlines, Headquarters, Business Strategy Division.
Hye Won was organizing daily logs as usual after her morning arrival when an unexpected summons from the Vice President’s office sent a ripple of commotion through her surroundings.
“Are you absolutely sure they’re looking for me? Assistant Manager Yoon Hye Won from Business Strategy—really, they specifically asked for me?”
As she followed the junior secretary from the VP’s office, Hye Won asked again, utterly incredulous.
“Yes, that’s what I said.”
“But why? Why would the Vice President personally request someone as insignificant as a lowly assistant manager like me?”
“How would I know? What do people like us know? Just bring you when told to bring you.”
Exactly…… why would someone like me be called to meet such a high-ranking person……?
Completely unable to fathom the reason, Hye Won followed the secretary with a deeply uneasy expression.
A summons from a senior executive was never a welcome thing for an ordinary employee.
Once inside the elevator, the VP’s secretary glanced at Hye Won and asked,
“Assistant Manager Yoon, really nothing comes to mind at all?”
At the question, Hye Won hesitated briefly.
If she strained to find a connection with the Vice President, there was just the faintest thread: she’d received a scholarship from the foundation to complete middle school, high school, and university, and had joined the company through the foundation’s special recruitment program.
But strictly speaking, that link was with the foundation itself—not directly with the Vice President.
“I really don’t know.”
When Hye Won shook her head in reply, the secretary quickly outlined a few essential rules for dealing with the Vice President.
“He’s got a fiery temper and hates long-winded answers. When he asks a question, respond immediately.
To him, words like ‘can’t’ or ‘won’t’ simply don’t exist.”
“And don’t say ‘I don’t know’ either—you’ll find out the hard way what stepping on a landmine feels like.”
“Yes, I understand.”
When the elevator doors opened, Hye Won looked at the secretary, who simply jerked his chin toward the door as if to say, “You’re ready—go in.”
Hye Won made a pained face.
“I feel like I’ll never be ready to go in…….”
Please…… save me…….
“Assistant Manager Yoon Hye Won, you handle department heads so well. You’ve got this!”
Before Hye Won could even fully prepare herself, the secretary opened the door to the Vice President’s office.
“Your performance metrics are excellent—you’re doing quite well. You’ve grown up nicely. Your department head evaluation last year was outstanding, too.”
With nowhere else to look, Hye Won fixed her gaze solely on the nameplate engraved with “[Ha Ji Seok]” in English letters.
After thoroughly reviewing Hye Won’s personnel file, Ji Seok set the documents down.
“My cousin from the overseas branch has returned to Korea.”
“Yes, Vice President.”
Cousin. Ha Tae Beom. Head of the Integrated Control Headquarters, New York Overseas Branch. Age thirty-four.
Hye Won quickly recalled the royal family’s lineage chart.
“He’ll be joining headquarters as a Managing Director.”
“Yes, Vice President.”
“Well? Even hearing just that much must give you an idea of why my head’s aching a bit, right?”
Hye Won’s mind grew tangled as she tried to decipher the high-ranking executive’s intentions.
A major shareholders’ meeting was scheduled in three months. The company’s current CEO—a professional manager—was about to retire.
Ji Seok, who had been the natural frontrunner to succeed him, now faced an unexpected lightning strike: his cousin’s sudden return.
At this critical juncture, even the chairman—his grandfather and the company’s largest shareholder—was impossible to read.
“It seems our old man wants me and my cousin to compete, but the situation doesn’t look promising.”
“Yes, Vice President.”
“I need someone to follow Managing Director Ha Tae Beom and report every move he makes directly to me.”
……Ah.
“My cousin’s ability worries me from a superior’s standpoint. As the likely next CEO, I need to understand his capabilities thoroughly, wouldn’t you agree?”
Hye Won let out an unconscious sigh. It all made sense now—the puzzle pieces were falling into place.
Ji Seok stared intently at Hye Won’s face, then waved his hand dismissively.
“Oh, it’s nothing grand. Just submit a one-page report to me every evening—directly. Not too difficult, right?”
A report… every single day……!
And directly to the Vice President……!
Hye Won felt dizzy. The burden of submitting daily reports felt heavier than the task of monitoring someone’s routine.
“Assistant Manager Yoon, the foundation has invested so much in you—it’s time you started repaying that debt. Don’t you think? This seems like the perfect moment to me.”
Ji Seok’s request was as sharp as his voice—simple and direct.
Nothing in this world comes for free.
Repay what you’ve received.
“Do I need to explain further? Or shall I make a polite request to you personally?”
“No, no! I understand perfectly.”
Only after hearing her near-compelled agreement did Ji Seok nod, seemingly satisfied.
The outcome had already been decided—Hye Won simply had to make it work.
“You’re smart—you’ll handle it well. Don’t worry; I’ll reward the loyalty and devotion you’ve shown me, Assistant Manager Yoon.”
“Thank you, Vice President.”
“You may go. There’s a lot you’ll need to brief him on before he starts work. Good job.”
“Understood, Vice President.”
“Oh, wait.”
Just as Hye Won turned to leave, Ji Seok called her back briefly.
“Before you go, stop by Secretary Hwang’s office in the Executive Secretariat and sign a confidentiality agreement.”
“Yes, understood, Vice President.”
For Yoon Hye Won—whose life goal and dream had always been to navigate her corporate career “thinly but steadily”—a seismic shift had just begun.
Standing before a luxury residential complex, Hye Won’s face looked visibly worn after just one day.
This place, designated as the temporary residence for the Managing Director, belonged to the company, and thanks to Vice President Ji Seok’s connections, she had free access right up to his doorstep.
At the door, clutching a laptop and tablet bundled tightly in her arms, Hye Won could only heave a deep sigh.
“I’m going crazy. Seriously, I’m losing it.”
So this was the fabled ‘corporate mole’ everyone talked about? What exactly was she supposed to do?
Her mind went blank. The confidentiality agreement’s terms were brutally strict, stipulating massive financial penalties for any breach.
She hadn’t even had time to read it thoroughly—just signed where instructed and arrived at the villa as directed.
“Ugh… what even is this……?”
She raised her hand to knock several times but kept hesitating. Though she prided herself on being unfazed no matter how harsh her workplace treatment, for some reason she couldn’t seem to wipe the stiff expression off her face.
Her breath caught from nervous tension. Just imagining that her life would flip 180 degrees the moment this door opened made her want to collapse on the spot.
Who was Managing Director Ha Tae Beom, anyway? Rumor had it he was the most reckless troublemaker imaginable—the kind who’d fallen so far out of the chairman-grandfather’s favor that he’d been effectively exiled to an overseas branch.
Not only was she now stuck with this infamous lunatic as her direct superior, but she’d also been assigned the role of a double agent, tasked with reporting his daily activities to the Vice President.
Hye Won took a long, deep breath.
Right. This wretched corporate life—a gamble where it’s all or nothing.
The Managing Director is a rolling pebble, and I’m just an insignificant weed nobody notices when stepped on.
“Thinly but steadily. Thinly but steadily.”
Murmuring it like a mantra, Hye Won timidly knocked on the door, pasting on a mechanical smile.
Who am I? Just K—Assistant, paid to be tossed around left and right.
Has my life ever been smooth even once? No. Therefore, this trivial matter is nothing to me, Yoon Hye Won.
‘Don’t worry—I’ll reward the loyalty and devotion you’ve shown me, Assistant Manager Yoon.’
She’d just focus on that dazzling future reward awaiting her. After all, it was the Vice President’s own faction backing her!
Bolstered by this utterly baseless courage, Hye Won pressed the doorbell this time. Recalling a previous nightmare of a department head she’d once served, she thought to herself: Even if you’re crazy, you can’t possibly be worse than that department head. I’ve already been through enough to handle anything.
……The door opened.
Hye Won quickly bowed deeply.
“Good afternoon, Managing Director! This is my first time meeting you! I’m from the Business Strategy Division—”
Her voice trailed off as she squeezed her eyes shut and reopened them.
Wait, but… why are this guy’s legs so… bare?
Hye Won slowly lifted her gaze.
“Eep!”
The Managing Director stood before her in a robe, his hair still damp.
Horrified she’d seen something she shouldn’t have, Hye Won spun around immediately.
“What? The meeting wasn’t scheduled for three? You’re not the person I was expecting.”
“Ahh, I’m so sorry! I’m terribly sorry, from the Division—!”
‘The Managing Director asked you to come by two.’
Recalling the instructions she’d received, Hye Won let her sentence fade awkwardly.
Then she turned back around and grinned cheerfully, as if nothing had happened. A weed trampled underfoot wouldn’t be startled by a handsome pebble in a robe.
Why? Because it has no heart.
That’s something she leaves at home before coming to work—after all, her heart is precious.
“There seems to have been a misunderstanding. I was told two o’clock.”
“Oh. Did I say that? My memory’s a bit hazy.”
Right…… From now on, your hazy memory is also my fault…….
“I’m very sorry. I should’ve contacted you as soon as I arrived at the entrance—my oversight was thoughtless.”
“Seems your thinking was quite short-sighted indeed.”
Yes…… My thoughts were short-sighted…and yours… your robe seems a bit short too…….
The expanse of the Managing Director’s bare chest peeking through his robe felt painfully vivid; Hye Won darted her eyes around desperately.
She had no idea where to look.
Tae Beom glanced briefly at his own robe and added, as if to preempt any unnecessary misunderstandings,
“Oh. I just finished working out and was showering.”
Oh goodness, misunderstandings? What misunderstandings……
Don’t worry—this weed doesn’t even know how to misunderstand things…….
“Come inside and wait. I’ll change quickly.”
“No, I’ll wait out here, Managing Director.”
“As you wish.”
Hye Won stood politely in the hallway with a gentle smile, and the door closed coolly behind her.
An hour passed.
The handsome pebble opened the door precisely at three.
“Come in.”
“Yes, Managing Director. Excuse my intrusion.”
Hye Won activated her sweetest, most composed voice as she mentally engraved the character for ‘patience’ into her soul.
“Did you wait long?”
“No, of course not.”
“I’ve only got thirty minutes for the briefing—I have another appointment.”
Of course, of course. Naturally.
“Yes, I’ll keep it short and substantial, Managing Director.”
Would three ‘patience’ characters be enough? She’d probably need a hundred just to survive the next thirty minutes.
With a bright, cheerful smile plastered on her face, Hye Won stepped inside.
Her mind raced, calculating how to pack the most valuable information into the allotted thirty minutes.
Yet even three minutes suddenly felt overwhelming.
Her heart began pounding nervously. Only now did it truly hit her—like a clueless puppy, she’d wandered into far more than she could handle.
“Sit over there.”
“No! I’ll brief you standing up!”
“Suit yourself.”
This place was a tiger’s den.
When male lead is the homewrecker
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
I’ve read the novel below twice already. Girls, I’m highly recommending it to you!
The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.
Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.
The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.
I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.
There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.
For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.
I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.
Here’s the story synopsis:
One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Intro 1:
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.
Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.
In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.
Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…
Intro 2:
Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.
He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.
Watched her go public with her boyfriend.
Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.
Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.
The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.
Fan Xia, how can I have you!
【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】
1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy
2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
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