Chapter 18
“What?”
“So, your husband got punished, right?”
“This is coming out of your mouth! It’s all your fault!”
“Before your husband collapsed, he said, ‘Why didn’t you give it to me, Yuseong?’”
“What… what?”
Kyung-hee’s face turned pale with shock.
Of course, it was shocking—her uncle, Oh Dae-ho, had acted like a devoted lover toward her.
“He was looking at me—the niece—in such a filthy way. Did you know that?”
“…”
“Why did you marry such a terrible man? In a way, you’ve already been punished.”
After finishing her words, Yuseong turned around, leaving Kyung-hee stunned and speechless.
As she walked away, she added a final comment.
“And if he was such a precious husband, you should have stayed and protected him. It was you who ran away, wasn’t it? And now you’re throwing a tantrum. Huh?”
Click, click. Her resolute footsteps echoed through the alley.
“Yaaaaah—!”
Kyung-hee’s desperate scream from behind made Yuseong pause.
“Hah.”
Does she think I can’t scream too?
Yuseong spun around and shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Ah, why!!!!!!!!!!”
Kyung-hee was so startled that she fell backward.
Snorting, Yuseong left the alley and hailed a passing taxi.
“Why start a fight when you won’t even get your money back, huh?”
The fully-charged poison of her anger made her unstoppable.
“I’m a little late… Huff!”
Yuseong, arriving late at the Shin Yang Industries conference hall, was shocked.
All the directors seated inside looked completely battered.
Any one of them could have collapsed at any moment.
She assumed some force had been used, but she hadn’t expected it to be this violent.
“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital first? Your face…”
As she got closer, she realized their whole bodies were a mess, not just their faces.
Jung Kyung-min, who seemed to be the worst off, forced a smile despite everything.
“No, we can’t delay the appointment of the acting CEO any longer. Huff… we’ll endure somehow.”
“Director…”
Worried about Kyung-min, Yuseong quickly looked for Soo-hyuk.
As Yuseong approached him, Soo-hyuk clenched his right fist, which was bleeding.
“Are you okay? You’re not hurt, right?”
“I’m fine.”
“Miss! We’re fine too!”
“We’re perfectly fine!”
From a distance, Yuseong’s security team smiled widely and gave a thumbs-up.
“Ha… at least that’s a relief.”
Sighing as if a weight had lifted, she looked at Soo-hyuk and the security team.
“Then let’s proceed quickly. After the meeting, the directors can go to the hospital.”
Soo-hyuk nodded and stepped up to lead the meeting efficiently.
“In that case, I will conduct this board meeting.”
As the proper board meeting finally began, the directors swallowed nervously.
“Let’s get straight to the point. Please raise your hand if you agree to appoint Director Shin Yuseong as acting CEO of Shin Yang Industries.”
At that moment—
Bang!
“I’m opposed!”
The door swung open, and Oh Yuna made a dramatic entrance.
Her hair tangled, eyes darkly smudged with makeup, and oily skin.
Anyone could tell she looked like she had spent the entire night at a club.
Yuna had spent the night in a hotel after a one-night encounter with a man from the club. She had only just woken up to a call from her mother, Shin Kyung-hee.
“Yuna! Where on earth are you? Your mother told you repeatedly that you must attend today’s board meeting! Where are you right now?”
“Ugh, damn… why are you mad as soon as I answer the phone! I was about to go! I just wanted to refresh my mind for a bit first…”
“It’s already started! You better hurry! Your mother can’t go, so you must attend!”
Hearing this, Yuna ran straight to the company without even washing up.
Not used to attending board meetings, she initially thought it wouldn’t be a big deal, but the scene she saw shocked her.
Director An Chi-hong lying outside in a mess, and Yuseong being appointed as acting CEO?
Yuna’s eyes gleamed with fury.
“Hah. Who do these brats think they are?! Beating up our directors like dogs and running the meeting however they want—”
Yuna’s anger faltered when she noticed a man standing at the podium.
“C-Can… this be…”
‘Who… who is this handsome guy?’
Her mood had already been bad from following Ji-ho to a club that smelled awful.
“…Who is he?”
Discovering such a rare catch in an unexpected place, Yuna quickly fixed her hair and sat gracefully.
“You can’t just proceed without me. I’m opposed.”
Yuna extended her head arrogantly toward Soo-hyuk.
“By the way… have we met somewhere before?”
Finally, his gaze landed on Yuna.
But—
“…!”
The intense glare, filled with a hatred that seemed to strangle her, froze Yuna in place.
“Memory lapse? Did drinking all night mess up your brain?”
“What… what is this?”
That intense gaze—it was familiar. Memories started to surface hazily in her alcohol-soaked brain.
The man with those piercing eyes…
Now she realized—it was the gangster who had recently destroyed her house!
Furious, Yuna jumped up, pointing at Soo-hyuk.
“You! Why are you here! You crazy gangster!”
“Where’s the gangster? I already dragged them all out earlier.”
Dragged them all out…? Dilated pupils, Yuna glanced at the empty seats around her.
“Could it be… this guy did it all?!”
She looked at the others, who all nodded and avoided her gaze. Yuna’s anger boiled further.
“Ms. Oh Yuna, please sit. The meeting is ongoing.”
“Then who the hell are you standing there?! By what authority?!”
At that, Soo-cheol, sitting at the far end, stood gravely and spoke.
“I am a major shareholder and director of Shin Yang Industries. Show some respect.”
Hah! Unbelievable. Yuna let out a nervous laugh, but her mind was reeling.
‘That… person is also a director? And a major shareholder?’
She had thought he was just a handsome thug—but clearly, he had power.
Hmm… Yuna pondered for a moment, then flopped down arrogantly.
“I’ll do it. Acting CEO.”
“What?”
Yuseong frowned at the absurd claim, but Soo-hyuk shrugged and continued the board meeting.
“Alright. Let’s vote. Raise your hand if you want to appoint Director Oh Yuna.”
Silence.
Only Yuna raised her hand.
The oppressive silence lasted a long moment.
“Pfft—!”
Chang-min couldn’t hold back his laughter.
“Then, Director Shin Yuseong—”
Before he could finish, the directors’ hands went up one by one.
Flushed with anger, Yuna slammed the table.
“What is this! Are you serious?”
“…Director Oh, we follow Chairman Shin Byung-oh. It’s only natural to vote for his only daughter, Director Shin Yuseong.”
Director Kyung-min explained patiently to the flustered Yuna.
“Ah~”
Yuna suddenly grew smug, crossing her arms and snickering.
“You voted because she’s the chairman’s daughter?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Hah. So you weren’t voted for your ability, just because you’re the chairman’s daughter?”
Click, click. Yuna walked in front of Yuseong, looking down and speaking annoyingly.
“Even if you get appointed, you’ll just be a puppet. Sitting there doing nothing. That’s your job, right? Acting CEO.”
“What?”
“Your biggest achievement in life is getting adopted because you caught your uncle’s eye, right? Strip away that shell and you’ve got nothing left.”
Yuna smirked, tapping Yuseong’s shoulder.
Other than being Shin Byung-oh’s daughter, Shin Yuseong had nothing remarkable.
Lower academic level than her, no connections, and clearly no ability.
And even smaller chest than Yuna.
“What’s so great about you compared to me?”
…That’s what she said.
After manipulating grades to get into a prestigious university, thinking Instagram friends were connections, and having recently had breast surgery, Yuna sneered at her.
