“Maybe it’s because of the rumors the director mentioned at the company?”

“It seems that the reporters caught wind of it too.”

“Oh.”

“If that reporter is Choi In Ho, it’s a big problem.”

That would be the worst-case scenario.

They tried to avoid controversy during the film shooting, but the bomb had already dropped.

Regrettably, Hae Joo was in the middle of this war.

Her heart ached, knowing she couldn’t escape.

“It’s going to get noisy.”

“I’ll help you as much as I can.”

“Thank you.”

“Just decide who you can truly trust and rely on.”

“……Hmm?”

“Then it might be a little less hard.”

Hae Joo nodded at the profound advice.

Her turbulent heart finally calmed, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Hyun Seong stepped out of the room, picking up his phone.

He hesitated but eventually called Do Jun.

“No answer. Well, they must be busy too.”

He squinted his eyes, organizing his thoughts.

Then he wrote a message to Do Jun.
[Hello, President. I am Hae Joo’s manager, Hyun Seong. She is currently in the hospital, so please call when you have time.]

Hyun Seong chose Do Jun over Jin Han for Hae Joo’s sake.

Given the circumstances, Do Jun seemed more trustworthy from a man’s perspective.

“No! The director didn’t even verify the facts with the parties involved before causing such a fuss.”

That’s not to say Do Jun did well.

It would have been better for Hae Joo to approach things step by step, even if it took more time.

Of course, there was no guarantee that Hae Joo would have accepted it.

The fact that they could get this close to Do Jun was only possible because of their accidental marriage registration.

Otherwise, Hae Joo might have delayed her activities indefinitely due to a divorce lawsuit.

“I just hope this all blows over quietly.”

As the sun set, Hae Joo woke up. She filled her empty stomach with the meal provided by the hospital and prepared to leave.

“Hyun Seong, use this for the bill.”

After settling the bill, they informed only Hyun Woo and left the hospital.

Hae Joo, now with some color back in her cheeks, clenched her fist.

“Shall we go home?”

“Yeah.”

Oddly, there was no contact from Jin Han.

Taking this as a good sign, Hyun Seong headed towards Hae Joo’s home.

When they reached her neighborhood, they saw cars and people crowded around her house from a distance.

“What’s that?”

Clearly, they were not ordinary people.

Judging by the cameras, laptops, and some even carrying lighting equipment, they were likely journalists.

Hae Joo too noticed the reporters lingering in front of her house and stopped.

She suddenly felt dizzy and turned her gaze to the night sky.

“Sister, what should we do?”

“Can we park the car somewhere out of sight?”

“Okay.”

Hyun Seong parked the car under a row of trees and turned off the lights.

He checked the internet on his phone, just in case.

The entertainment section was filled with articles about Hae Joo.

“……When did this happen?”

During the day, the pages were filled with news about Jino Group suing Choi In Ho.

But now, articles started by Real Fact about Choi In Ho had taken over.

[Exclusive, Actress Lee Hae Joo and President Park Do Jun’s National Fraud]

The title was sensational.

Clicking on the exclusively reported article revealed the feared truth.

The article began by exposing the truth about Do Jun.

It claimed that his father, a loan shark, had coerced Park Kyung Ae, a single mother, and had arranged for his elder son to marry Hae Joo to Park Do Jun.

Furthermore, it reported that Hae Joo betrayed her family for success and staged a show with Do Jun.

In short, the story was nonsensical.

Shocked, Hyun Seong quickly looked at Hae Joo.

Sure enough, Hae Joo had also read the article and was stunned.

“Sigh…….”

The article ended with a claim that there were more unreleased facts about Hae Joo and Do Jun.

Choi In Ho, posing as a crusader of justice, seemed pitifully shallow.

Netizens who read the article were in an uproar.

From feelings of betrayal towards Hae Joo to fierce criticism towards Do Jun, the comments poured in.

Entering the house was impossible at the moment.

Just as Hae Joo was on the verge of a panic attack, a call came from Jin Han.

[Dash] Hae Joo!

“Yes, Director.”

[Dash] You saw the article, right?

“Yes.”
[Dash] I had to leave for a meeting… Anyway, it’s an emergency. Where are you?

“I’m in front of the house but can’t get in.”

[Dash] Are the reporters already there?

“Yes.”

[Dash] Come to the office right away. We need to come up with a plan.

Jin Han’s urgent voice was audible to Hyun Seong as well.

Glancing around cautiously, he asked gently.

“Sister, what do we do?”

“Let’s go to the office first.”

“Understood.”

“Don’t tell the director about the hospital visit today.”

With no other option, Hyun Seong turned the car around.

Just then, Hae Joo’s phone rang.

It was Do Jun.

Do Jun came home earlier than usual from work. His phone was still flooded with messages from reporters requesting interviews.

“It should be about time for Hae Joo to have left the office.”

In the kitchen, the housekeeper was preparing dinner.

Just as he was filled with the anticipation of Hae Joo finally coming home, there was a commotion outside.

“President, people are gathering outside.”

Looking through the window slit, he saw what appeared to be reporters surrounding the house.

Confused, he searched online for any news but found nothing.

30 minutes later, a call came from Director Song.

His voice, now grave, informed Do Jun about an exclusive article released by Choi In Ho.

[Dash] President, Choi In Ho has published an exclusive article.

Looking again, a provocative headline had appeared.

It seemed Choi In Ho had been leaking the contents of the article to various media outlets even before the release.

“This is absurd.”

[Dash] He’s twisted all the facts.

The article made it seem like President Park and Do Jun masterminded a fraudulent marriage.

The depiction of Kyung Ae as a good person in the article was almost comical.

“Publish a counter-article. Reveal everything Park Kyung Ae and Yoo Ra have done.”

[Dash] Shouldn’t we get the lady’s consent first?

Hae Joo must have been the most shocked in this situation.

Do Jun, though nearly losing his mind, managed to keep his composure.

“I’ll talk to Hae Joo and prepare the article. If necessary, we might even have to hold a press conference.”

Do Jun called Hae Joo.

As the ringing prolonged, he felt his life draining away.

In frustration, he pounded the table with his fist.

Just before the call went to voicemail, Hae Joo answered, barely in time.

“Hae Joo, where are you?”

[Dash] I came home but couldn’t get in, so I’m heading to the office.

“Why didn’t you contact me?”

[Dash] It’s not the situation to go home right now.

Hae Joo’s voice was weak.

Do Jun, feeling a searing pain in his throat, tried to lower his emotions.

As he was about to call her name, she spoke first.

Her voice was low and calm, but sorrow was evident.

[Dash] Did you really spread the rumors, Do Jun?

“Hae Joo, listen to me.”

[Dash] So, it’s true. …I was the only fool who believed.

“It’s not like that!”

[Dash] Why did you do that to me? Why….

Hae Joo’s sobbing wrenched Do Jun’s heart.

A headache surged, nearly shattering his mind, and he staggered unknowingly.

[Dash] You shouldn’t have lied. If only you had held on a little longer.

Do Jun’s eyes reddened as veins bulged, the heat rising to his face.
“I did it because I love you. I love you, Hae Joo.”

It was the most sincere explanation Do Jun could offer to Hae Joo.