Chapter 9
The word “proposal” carried a weight that “request” never would.
“What kind of proposal?”
“Before you arrived, Ms. Oh, I discussed the current situation in detail with Secretary Tak and considered the best course of action moving forward.”
“And the solution is?”
“Even if we deny it, no one will believe us. Our scandal is the kind of Cinderella story people love the most.”
“So you mean to tell the truth even though it isn’t true? Then why bother worrying about what others think?”
“Because our circumstances leave us no choice but to consider others’ eyes. If it’s acceptable to you, Ms. Oh, how would you feel about becoming my fiancée?”
What kind of nonsense was that?
Startled, Oh Ga-eun covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head vehemently, signaling that this was absolutely impossible.
“I—I’m going to pretend I heard nothing. And right now! Immediately! Publish that Mr. Joo Seok-jin and I are not involved in any way.”
Exasperated, Ga-eun slammed the door deliberately and returned to her room.
How could anyone think she would agree to marriage just to cover up a trivial scandal? She was beyond disbelief; she was angry.
Checking her phone, left on silent, she sighed at the flood of messages and calls.
Her finger hovered over a call from her mother before she withdrew it.
Right now, it was more urgent to see what was circulating online than to pick up the phone.
Although Secretary Tak had provided some materials, Ga-eun needed to see the situation for herself to judge accurately.
Scanning the real-time trending topics, she clutched her head in despair.
Joo Seok-jin. Joo-shin Retail. Joo Seok-jin fiancée. T Hotel. Bangkok trip. Joo-shin Hotel…
Every trending term was connected to Seok-jin and herself.
And of course, the scandal had erupted during an unusually quiet period in the country.
Articles were pouring in, almost declaring their marriage as if it were a done deal.
“What? Premarital pregnancy? Are they serious?”
Anger flared at a headline suggesting she would have a baby first and then marry. She gulped down the coffee she had bought, trying to calm herself, but it wasn’t enough—she began noisily chewing the remaining ice cubes in her cup.
“At this rate, everyone will know my face. I won’t even be able to stay in Korea. This is insane.”
—Hey! Oh Ga-eun!
A voice from the phone startled her, and her hands shook.
She had accidentally answered a call from Jeong Han-kyung. Of all people, he had to be the one calling.
“Why?”
Ga-eun exhaled through gritted teeth.
—How could you do this to me? Marriage?
“What are you talking about?”
—This is a joke, right? How could you possibly become the daughter-in-law of Joo-shin Group? Are you just trying to piss me off? Because if it’s a joke, it’s way too extreme.
“Ha… you really know how to talk nonsense at length. Hello, Jeong Han-kyung?”
—Even if you’re mad at me, how could you actually go on a trip with someone else? What kind of woman has no loyalty?
Han-kyung’s baseless words pushed Ga-eun’s irritation past the breaking point.
She couldn’t believe he had the audacity to spout such nonsense, forgetting entirely that he had left her for someone else. She felt as if she might just run away.
“Loyalty, huh? You have less loyalty than anchovy droppings! If it were you, who would you marry, with Joo Seok-jin and that Han-kyung guy in the picture? There’s no way the levels even match—this game can’t even start.”
—Are you done talking?
“What?”
—Levels? I didn’t think you were such a snob. Pretending to be innocent while dating me, and now you’re cozying up to Seok-jin, sleeping with him, and spreading your legs in delight?
“You bastard. Spreading your legs? When I get back to Korea, I’ll sew that filthy mouth of yours shut with a needle! How dare you say something so vile to me?”
After seven years of knowing him closest, hearing such vulgar words left Ga-eun in shock and deep disappointment.
He had once been her most cherished confidant, yet now he had plunged a knife into her heart.
The anger boiled over as she shouted, her carefully held composure collapsing entirely.
“Listen closely. My life was saved from a pathetic existence with that worthless man because my father sent me someone like Seok-jin. He would never want me involved with someone who didn’t even show up at his funeral.”
—Hey, that’s…
“I’m now the daughter-in-law of Joo-shin Group. I’m not at your level, so keep your mouth shut, understood?”
—You… you… you!
“Try contacting me again, and I swear I’ll drag your life into the gutter. Don’t forget that!”
Ga-eun hung up and collapsed onto the bed, crying uncontrollably.
Two years ago, when her father died suddenly, Han-kyung hadn’t come to the funeral.
At her moment of greatest need, he had insisted their relationship wasn’t yet at the point of family obligations. Ga-eun had said nothing, though she had understood his reasoning.
Yet the resentment had lingered, still wounding her now.
After a long cry, her mind cleared enough to remember what she had blurted out to him:
“Our Seok-jin, daughter-in-law of Joo-shin Group.”
Why had she said such things so thoughtlessly?
“This is insane,” she muttered.
If only Han-kyung hadn’t scratched at her pride, she might not have acted so fiercely.
She pondered carefully. Whatever the circumstances, Seok-jin needed to marry a woman urgently.
If he was seeking a bride even through interviews, the situation was critical.
Conversely, she now held the power.
Wait. She remembered her earlier demand that the scandal be immediately denied.
Ga-eun went straight to Seok-jin’s door and knocked.
When he appeared, she panted, urgency clear in her voice.
“…About what you mentioned earlier.”
“Please, come inside first.”
She entered his room. Secretary Tak was nowhere to be seen.
Could it be…?
“President Joo Seok-jin.”
“Yes, Ms. Oh Ga-eun.”
“I’ll be the woman who marries you.”
Ga-eun expected him to hesitate or react, but Seok-jin remained expressionless.
“May I ask why you changed your mind?”
“….”
She couldn’t simply blame her ex-boyfriend for scraping her nerves. She thought practically.
Employment.
After all, she needed a job, and however much Seok-jin offered, he could afford to provide a generous allowance to the ‘bride’ he required.
“I’m doing it for the job. As you can see, I urgently need employment.”
“Employment?”
“You’ll pay a monthly salary, right? You’re not expecting me to volunteer as your wife, are you?”
“Of course not. Please, have a seat.”
Once seated, Seok-jin retrieved an ice pack from the freezer.
“Did you cry?”
“Eh?”
“Your eyes are red and puffy…”
Ga-eun hadn’t had time to check the mirror. She applied the ice pack to her eyes, grateful.
“Secretary Tak, don’t issue a correction yet. Contact the airport so we can leave for Korea immediately.”
Fortunately, the correction article hadn’t been published.
After hanging up, Seok-jin extended his hand.
“We’ll discuss the details on the plane. Pack your things and come immediately.”
“Right now?”
“Since you agreed to my proposal, Ms. Oh, we must resolve this quickly. Hurry.”
Ga-eun quickly packed her belongings into her suitcase.
Should she inform her mother? She shook her head. Better to explain in person once they arrived in Korea.
Following Secretary Tak’s lead, they headed straight for the airport.
The expedited procedures suggested Seok-jin was using his influence to get her on the plane quickly.
“A private jet?” Ga-eun asked, surprised at the luxurious interior.
“It’s urgent. There was no other way,” Seok-jin replied.
She wished she had bought a lottery ticket instead of going on this “trip”—a foreboding sense that she’d exhausted her luck by getting involved with this man.
“First, thank you for agreeing, Ms. Oh, even if you only did so for the job.”
“Oh, no need to be so thankful.”
Eighty percent of her choice had been made out of necessity, not desire.
“As promised, you will be paid generously. Your salary will be deposited into your account on the 25th of every month. Also…”
“Yes, go on.”
“My father is unusual and hard to deal with. This is the main reason I agreed to this marriage.”
“As long as he’s not violent, I’m fine.”
Ga-eun, having survived a variety of hardships, believed she could handle most difficult personalities—except physical violence.
“Violent…?”
“Don’t worry, not physically. Only my sons. But he may hurt you with words or make unusual demands often.”
“In that case, hazard pay is required.”
Since she had agreed to marry Seok-jin, she intended to claim as much as possible, planning to take a pillar of Joo-shin Group with her if they ever parted.
“Yes, I’ll accept.”
“Anything else?”
“Secretary Tak will provide the detailed instructions later.”
“Then I have a few things to mention too.”
“If it’s about payment…”
“Oh, I trust someone of your means will pay reasonably. And if your family gives me trouble, I can defend myself, right?”
Seok-jin’s family had mostly arranged strategic marriages; they might see her as an intruder in their established world.
“If they cause trouble…”
She met Seok-jin’s gaze.
“I won’t stay silent.”
