Director Son Young-seok sought solace in Ha-young whenever his stress peaked; it was a habitual reflex. But today, Ha-young pushed him away at once.
“Why are you doing this? Let’s talk first.”
Director Son didn’t even pretend to listen. “Since when were we a couple that talked?”
He lunged for her again. A moment later, the room grew heavy and suffocating with their shared fervor. Only after they finally pulled apart did Ha-young look at him, her voice cool.
“What happens now?”
“Have you heard already?”
Director Son sighed, looking at her. It infuriated him that everyone at the company knew of his demotion—not just the staff, but their business partners as well.
“It’s pathetic. My corporate card has been confiscated.”
Ha-young’s mouth fell open in disbelief. “Then… shopping, restaurants, travel—that’s all going to be difficult, isn’t it?”
“Why are you stating the obvious?”
It was a blunt admission that he could no longer support her lifestyle. He added, his voice bitter, “It looks like I’ll have to return everything I’ve taken over the years, too.”
Ha-young’s face turned deathly pale. “Honey, you must be upset. So… who do you think will be the next director?”
Her focus was entirely on the vacancy. With Son no longer in a position to back her, her interest had vanished. Son spoke with audible annoyance.
“Who else? That rigid CP Kim In-Kwon will take the position, surely.”
“What? Kim is becoming director?”
CP Kim In-Kwon was a man of such integrity that he refused to compromise. His relationship with Director Son Young-seok had always been toxic. Son had often taunted him, saying, [You lack flexibility.]
It was impossible to pull favors from a man like that. Moreover, Kim despised Ha-young. She still remembered the time he had forced her to film a program despite her demands to reschedule for personal reasons. [As an entertainer, managing your image is important, but the broadcast schedule comes first. Taking responsibility for your assigned duties to the end is the baseline.]
He hadn’t blinked an eye then, and he wouldn’t now. With him at the helm, there would be no more underhanded sponsorships or illicit favors. Worse, Kim maintained a tight relationship with the internal audit department; he would likely demand immediate reports for any suspicious production costs.
Knowing his principles, Ha-young felt her standing in the industry begin to crumble. She looked at Director Son with growing disdain.
“I won’t be able to come here often from now on. I’ve been sent to Wonju.”
“Wonju? Does the station even have a branch there?” she sneered.
Director Son narrowed his eyes, his temper spiking. “Are you kidding me?”
Ha-young suppressed her irritation. “You’re clearly upset. Get ready to go. I’ll try to survive, and besides, I have a friend coming over today.”
It was a dismissal.
“You’re telling me to leave? You’ve never said that before.”
“I had already promised. What do you expect me to do?”
Director Son erupted. “You’re throwing me out!”
Ha-young glared at him, her eyes cold. “Can’t you see I’m struggling because you were pushed out? I told you someone is coming. Just leave.”
Son stared at her, stunned by the sudden frost in her demeanor. Then, a cynical smile twisted his lips. He laughed softly, his voice low and jagged.
“Ha. I see it all clearly now. Give me back that ruby ring I bought you.”
Ha-young sneered, as if the request were beneath her. The ruby glowed brilliantly on her finger—a relic of the days when his money felt endless. “Are you joking? Who asks for a gift back?”
She clenched her hand, as if afraid he might tear it from her skin. The ring was the last shred of her reliance on him.
Director Son shouted, “Are you trying to break up with me?”
“You were the first one to suggest it,” she replied coldly.
He looked flustered, but suppressed his rage with a bitter smile. “I never said that.”
Ha-young shrugged. “You didn’t say it in words, but isn’t that what the end of our relationship is?”
Even now, her mind was racing, calculating what she could keep and what she had to sacrifice to cut ties cleanly.
Director Son’s eyes burned with ferocity. “I’ve done more for you than I can count. I don’t want anything else. Take off the ring.”
Ha-young’s face hardened. His cold, firm demand ignited a visceral disgust in her. She ripped the ring from her finger and threw it onto the bed with a glare that could kill. As the stone hit the sheets, their bond shattered.
“Take it, you pathetic bastard.”
“Are you really going that far?”
“Isn’t it pathetic to ask for a gift back? I’m going through enough trouble as it is!”
“Do you have any idea how much that cost?”
Director Son picked up the ring, tucked it into his inner pocket, and spat out, “Whatever. Who are you going to seduce next to climb the ladder?”
“Are you actually saying that?”
“Forget it. I have nothing more to say to you.”
He dressed and left without a backward glance.
“So annoying!” she muttered once the door slammed.
Park Misuk emerged from the shadows as the air cleared. Ha-young turned to her, fuming. “Mom! Can you believe how pathetic he is? He got demoted and then tried to claw back a ruby ring!”
“Oh, you fool. You should have bitten your tongue off before giving it back.”
Ha-young scoffed. “Let him have it. Do you really think there’s no one else who will buy me such a thing?”
“Oh my. That ring cost hundreds of millions. How many people do you think are lining up to buy you that?”
“It was all company money anyway,” she dismissed.
Park Misuk clicked her tongue. “We’re in trouble.”
Ha-young shrugged, her gaze unfocused. “There’s no trouble. I just need to date the owner. I will be the mistress of this company.”
She smiled, dreaming of a future position of power. Park Misuk huffed, looking at her with a mix of pity and frustration. “The mistress? Oh, stop with the delusions.”
Ha-young glared at her. “Didn’t you tell me to have big dreams?”
Park Misuk crossed her arms. “Dreams depend on the person. You’re not getting any younger, you know.”
“What’s wrong with my age? I’m only in my thirties.”
“There are plenty of twenty-year-olds,” Misuk snapped. “And meeting the right person isn’t that simple.”
Ha-young ignored her, her eyes sharpening with a new, calculated resolve. She pictured Han Na-Eun, laughing as she held balloons with Choi Kang-Woo. Her mind began to stitch a new plan together.
“Mom. I think Na-Eun can help me.”
“Na-Eun? Why bring her into this?”
Ha-young spoke with chilling certainty. “I need to meet her. I don’t know about anything else, but I can get to the representative through her. Contact her, Mom.”