MBWI 02

Chapter : 02

Something was wrong.

Like Ga-eun, President Ju Seok-jin also looked troubled, as if he was trying to make sense of the twisted situation.

He let out a short breath, took out his phone, and called someone.

“Secretary Tak, the person we were supposed to meet today—isn’t it Yoon Hye-jin?”

• “I’m sorry, President. Yoon Hye-jin just left for Paris a little while ago.”

“Suddenly?”

• “I was informed just now… I truly apologize.”

Seok-jin looked at the woman who introduced herself as Oh Ga-eun.

He needed to see if she really could keep a secret, just as she claimed.

“Come here immediately. As fast as possible.”

After ending the call with Secretary Tak, Seok-jin, uncharacteristically, touched his forehead once and made eye contact with Ga-eun.

“Do you have a moment?”

“…Yes.”

Ga-eun stared at Seok-jin warily as he sat opposite her again.

She had never heard of an interview to save one’s wife.

The world of the wealthy was beyond imagination. To think one would have to interview to rescue a spouse.

“The thing I said earlier was a mistake. I’d appreciate it if you could pretend you never heard it.”

“…What are you talking about?”

Ga-eun knew what Seok-jin meant but pretended not to.

“All our previous conversation.”

“Ah, that’s understandable. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

No one would believe that President Ju Seok-jin of Ju Retail was holding a bride interview, nor would she have a place to tell anyone.

Not even fans of idols cared about a wealthy man’s marriage.

Maybe there were people who might.

Otherwise, there was no reason this extraordinary man would struggle in front of a mere job-seeker like her.

“I don’t trust verbal promises.”

Suddenly, Seok-jin pulled out a wallet and handed her a blank sheet of paper.

A check?

Ga-eun glanced to see how many circles were stamped on the paper.

But… it was just blank.

“Write your bank account number.”

Seok-jin pulled a fountain pen from his jacket pocket.

It was the same pen he had intended to buy for Han-kyung, but turned away because it was more expensive than the suit.

“Why should I write my account number?”

“Isn’t it for keeping secrets, as you requested?”

“No, I said I’d keep your secret. Why should there be any payment?”

Ga-eun stood up, waving her hands.

She didn’t want money. Accepting such a huge amount without earning it wasn’t right. If she did, something she couldn’t handle would surely happen.

“Oh Ga-hyun—”

“It’s Oh Ga-eun. Oh Ga-eun.”

“Wait a moment.”

Seok-jin anxiously watched the lounge entrance, worried Ga-eun might leave.

Usually quick and efficient, Secretary Tak was strangely late today.

“You can really trust me. I won’t blab anywhere, so don’t worry.”

“I want to make it certain. Here they come.”

Ga-eun turned toward the entrance as Seok-jin pointed. A man with horn-rimmed glasses ran quickly toward them.

“Haah… haah… President…”

“Why are you so late?”

“Sorry. But who is this person?”

“I mistook this woman for Yoon Hye-jin.”

Tak Ji-hoon, Seok-jin’s secretary for five years, was not meticulous, almost failing as a secretary.

But he had an exceptional talent—instinct—that couldn’t be earned by effort alone.

Even now, just from the atmosphere between his boss and this woman, he immediately understood the situation.

This woman was mistaken for Yoon Hye-jin, and the president had accidentally revealed the secret about a “contract wife.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Tak Ji-hoon from Ju Retail’s secretary office.”

Ga-eun reluctantly shook Ji-hoon’s hand.

“You can think what happened just now never happened. If you promise to keep this secret, a sufficient reward will be given.”

“Excuse me?”

“Yes?”

Even though she hadn’t asked for money and promised not to tell anyone, these people kept talking about payment. It scared her.

If she accepted it, they might attach someone to follow her 24/7 to ensure the promise was kept.

“I don’t care if you interview wives or husbands. Stop this!”

Ga-eun took her phone from her bag.

“I’ll call Dispatch and tell them President Ju Seok-jin is looking for a wife if you don’t stop.”

“Are you really not going to tell anyone?”

Ga-eun pretended to press the keys. She didn’t know Dispatch’s number, but she had to act tough to leave safely.

Otherwise, she didn’t know what these wealthy people could do to her.

“Miss Oh Ga-eun, first, I sincerely apologize for my mistake. If my words or actions hurt you, I apologize from my heart.”

Seok-jin bowed respectfully.

Ga-eun’s tension eased slightly at his polite demeanor.

“…Then can I get up now?”

She wanted to leave, but seeing the embarrassed secretary standing there made her hesitate.

If this caused him to lose his job, she felt a weight in her heart.

“Do you have 100,000 won?”

“…Probably.”

Seok-jin checked his wallet, but only large bills were there.

“No 100,000 won?”

“Secretary Tak, do you have any money?”

Tak Ji-hoon opened his wallet. No 100,000 won there either.

“I only have 5,000 won…”

“Then give me that.”

Tak Ji-hoon handed her 5,000 won obediently.

“Here, I received the secret-keeping fee. 5,000 won.”

“If you give me your account number, I’ll transfer it immediately.”

“5,000 won is enough. It’s not that valuable a secret.”

“Still…”

“I have a favor too. Don’t tell anyone about meeting me. If it gets back to your president, 5,000 won won’t cover it.”

Ga-eun looked around nervously.

If a photo was taken, her face could spread everywhere as part of a Cinderella story.

The person who most needed this meeting to remain secret was herself.

“If you change your mind later, you can contact me at the number on this card.”

“Let’s both, or all three of us, try never to contact each other again.”

Even after leaving the hotel lounge, Ga-eun kept glancing back to see if anyone was following her.

President Ju, worried about his image, might hire an assassin.

If one attacked, she thought, she could just stamp them with her high heels.

Ga-eun headed home, ready to use her heels as a weapon if needed.

After the absurd interview, Ga-eun searched every corner of the portal site and all kinds of communities for President Ju Seok-jin’s name.

A week passed with no rumors about her being his secret woman.

“Then it’s time to return to normal life.”

Ga-eun grabbed her wallet and ID photo and went to the district office.

She wanted to apply for the “Youth Employment Program.”

Despite her generation’s overwhelming achievements, her resume looked weak.

A non-famous private university, various part-time jobs to pay tuition, no study abroad or contests to list.

“First, get any job and gain experience.”

She stopped as she remembered something: the awful Jeong Han-kyung worked at this district office.

“I need to move fast!”

She didn’t want her ex to see her as a struggling job-seeker.

Her lips bit themselves thinking about how he would secretly laugh.

“Ah, I might cry, but who’s calling…”

It was her friend Dain.

“Hey, Dain.”

• “What are you doing?”

“Just hanging out.”

Dain, her high school friend, went to a famous university and joined Ju Retail before graduation.

• “By the way…”

Dain spoke cautiously. Ga-eun’s head spun.

“What is it? Just say it. Is this about your company?”

• “No. It’s about Han-kyung.”

“We broke up.”

She didn’t want to hear about him. They were strangers now.

• “Really? Did you end it? You did, right?”

“Yes, I did.”

• “When did you break up?”

“Some time ago.”

It was awkward to say exactly one month ago, so she said vaguely.

• “I can’t believe it. Our youngest in the department said the guy you were dating was Jeong Han-kyung.”

“Is that so…?”

After breaking up with her, he went to date a successful woman from a big company.

Looking at Han-kyung sitting at the civil service counter while on the call with Dain, she scoffed.

Civil servant, new girlfriend, life going smoothly… Han-kyung, your life will be easy, huh.

• “It’s been a while since the breakup, right? They say six months…”

“Six months?”

• “Yes.”

She laughed at how ridiculous it was.

He had been juggling two women since she passed the written test and prepared for the interview.

“You jerk! Trying to make me immoral when I’m trying to live right? You’re dead today!”

She blew her bangs aside and glared directly at Jeong Han-kyung, heading into the district office.

Block Quotes (Most Important Lines):

“The thing I said earlier was a mistake. I’d appreciate it if you could pretend you never heard it.”

“I don’t trust verbal promises.”

“I’ll call Dispatch and tell them President Ju Seok-jin is looking for a wife if you don’t stop.”

“We broke up.”

“You jerk! Trying to make me immoral when I’m trying to live right? You’re dead today!”