ILHM Chapter 2

People stepped back from the dirty water soaking the floor and kept repeating, “What should I do?”

No one offered a helping hand to Shin Lee Joo, who had become a spectacle for everyone’s entertainment. Eyes filled with pity looked at her, but they only glinted darkly, as if mocking her misfortune.

“Ha.”

It was so absurd that I couldn’t help but laugh. Just a few days ago, the people from the 4th financial loan company had trashed her house and disappeared. But looking at the villagers, the people from the loan company seemed more dignified.

“Look at this Bitch laughing. Laughing, huh?”

Real estate agent Kim seemed to laugh along, then rolled his eyes dramatically.

“You are just like your dad. A natural at pissing people off.”

Mr.Kim was her father’s best friend from elementary school to high school. Whenever he came home late at night with his drunk father, he would give Shin Lee Joo ten thousand won. Now that same person insulted her father and threw a knifes at Shin Lee Joo instead of money.

“Who’s the boss here? We should let him know that a thief’s daughter is working at a big company.”

“Stop it and get out.”

Shin Lee Joo, who had bitten her lips hard enough to draw blood, grabbed Mr.Kim’s arm and pulled him. However, Mr.Kim maintained his stillness and pushed her back with all his might. No matter how much older Mr.Kim was, she couldn’t handle the man’s strength.

To make matters worse, her feet slipped on the water soaking through the floor, causing her body to stumble and fall backward. She thought her head would slam straight onto the marble floor, but something solid like a wall behind her supported her.

She thought she had hit a pillar in the lobby, but it was Nam Do-hyun, who had returned from a field trip, standing there. Nam Do-hyun, who was 190cm tall, drew people’s attention just by standing there.

His skin, which was free of blemishes, looked beautiful and clean compared to a woman. The deep eyes under his thick eyebrows made him look intimidating unless he smiled- which he never did.

“CEO.”

Shin Lee Joo straightened herself up and stepped aside. The lobby, which had been chaotic, became so quiet that not a single sound could be heard. Even with just glance, it was clear that Nam Do-hyun was the owner of this company.

Nam Do-hyun’s eyes drifted down to Shin Lee Joo’s sky-blue blouse, which was soaking wet. His cloudy eyes turned dark.

“Are you the CEO?”

Despite the collective silence, Mr. Kim approached him, sneering.

Nam Do-hyun tilted his head toward the chief secretary next to him. His jawline, which seemed to have been cut at the most attractive angle, was slanted and exposed.

“Chief Kang.”

“Yes, sir.” His eyes were still on Shin Lee Joo, and his lips were loosely parted.

“Clean the floors so that no one trips.”

“Yes sir.”

“And escort out anyone causing disturbances without a visitor’s badge. Be polite, but firm.”

The soft voice sounded kind, but strangely grating. And he could tell that it wasn’t a mistake.

“If they still don’t understand, call the police and let the legal team prepare to sue for obstruction of business.”

“Understood.”

The villagers stamped their feet at the sound of the word “sue.” Mr. Kim swallowed dryly and grabbed Nam Do-hyun’s arm.

“Didn’t you hear me calling?”

Nam Do-hyun roughly pulled his arm up, showing his displeasure without hesitation. Mr. Kim’s arm, which had been raised all the way up, wandered in the air.

“Do I have to respond just because someone called?”

“Why don’t we just talk for a moment?”

“Please make a formal request for an interview through the information desk.”

“What do you mean an interview!”

Nam Do-hyun passed by before Mr. Kim could finish his sentence. The villagers quickly rubbed their feet together and stepped back, worried that they might have irritated Do-hyun. People who had spent their entire lives working in the fields in the countryside couldn’t help but be afraid of the law.

“I told you something about Shin Lee Joo, that b*tch!”

He screamed so loudly that his neck veins were bulging, but Nam Do-hyun had already passed the entrance gate that they couldn’t pass. At that moment, Mr. Kim, who was furious to the point of his head, was about to rush at Shin Lee Joo. The security team members who had been watching stood between Mr. Kim and Shin Lee Joo.

“Please get out.”

“Let go of me! Oh, let go!”

“If you don’t get out, I have no choice but to call the police.”

The security team members spread out their arms and pushed the townspeople toward the exit. Mr. Kim was so angry that he spit and waved his index finger wildly in the air.

“I know where your house is, so don’t even think about running away! I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth until I get my money!”

The townspeople were pushed out of the building by the force of the security team members. The people standing on the other side of the glass door were yelling at Shin Lee Joo. I couldn’t tell what they were saying, but I could tell they were curses.

‘Dad. I shouldn’t hate you, but I really hate you today.’

Today, I was branded a debtor’s daughter at the company I had a hard time getting a job at. Today, I can’t go home even after pouring dirty water over myself. And yet, today, I have to endure another day and live tomorrow. I really hate it. The people who finished their tours started leaving one by one, and only Shin Lee Joo was standing blankly in the center of the lobby.

As she stepped into the office, people peeked their eyes out over the gray partitions. Shin Lee Joo tried to ignore the employees’ gazes and was about to go to her seat.

“Manager Shin, come to here for a moment.”

Mr. Park, the head of the public relations team, stood up from his chair and gestured. When Mr. Park looked around at the employees who were perking up their ears, the employees fiddled with their mouses for no reason.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. I apologize for making a fuss.”

Shin Lee Joo’s voice echoed through the quiet office. Mr. Park said to Shin Lee Joo, who straightened up after bending down for a moment.

“I think the CEO is going to ask about this. He’s telling you to come up to the CEO’s office.”

She had guessed, so Shin Lee Joo nodded without objection. Shin Lee Joo, who was about to turn around, swept her wet black skirt with her hand.

“Team leader, can I use an early leave?”

Team Leader Park turned his eyes to the clock on the wall.

“There are less than two hours left to leave work anyway, so go to the CEO’s office and then go straight home.”

“Thank you.”

Shin Lee Joo returned to her seat, turned off the computer that was on, and grabbed her handbag strap. Shin Lee Joo left the office, leaving behind the many eyes on her. She took the elevator and arrived on the 31st floor where the CEO’s office was. Chief Kang, who had been waiting for Shin Lee Joo, opened the CEO’s office door. As she stepped into the CEO’s office, the door behind her closed.

Nam Do-hyun, who had been looking at the buildings closely together, turned around. Nam Do-hyun, who had taken off the jacket he had been wearing in the lobby, was wearing a white dress shirt and a black vest.

“Come closer.”

He lifted his hand that had been in his pocket and wiggled his fingertips. His sturdy arms, with their tendons protruding from the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, were visible. Even though Nam Do-hyun wasn’t grabbing her, Shin Lee Joo barely took four steps away from the door.

“Close.”

Nam Do-hyun spoke again forcefully, and Shin Lee Joo closed the distance so that they could touch. Shin Lee Joo wanted to end the conversation quickly because she was bothered by the smell of her own body.

“I have nothing to say about what happened today. I’m sorry.”

Shin Lee Joo bent down deeply and placed her hands together on her knees. When she called out to see if everything was okay, she suddenly showed the back of her head, causing Nam Do-hyun to burst out laughing out of nowhere.

“If you suddenly bend down from the waist, I’ll have nothing to say.”

Nam Do-hyun sat on the edge of the desk and tightly crossed his arms. His delicate fingers, not even a single callus, tapped his forearm. He waited for her to raise her waist, but only a voice came out.

“I’ll write a statement.”

“Oh, even a statement.”

He didn’t call me over just to get a statement. I was starting to feel even more resentful at the businesslike attitude that was lacking in softness.

“What are you going to write?”

“…”

“Do you want to get sympathy from people by bringing up Shin Lee Joo’s sad past in detail? Didn’t you already receive all the sympathy in the lobby?”

The statement of events was to be sent to Do-hyun through the team leader and the head of the headquarters. I wondered if people would inevitably read my story, and if they knew that, they would bring up the statement of events. Shin Lee Joo, who had been showing only the back of her head, lifted her waist. Shin Lee Joo straightened her upper body, which she had easily bent down, as if she would not bend it again, and met Nam Do-hyun’s eyes. His eyes showed that you had really upset him.

“I’m not being sarcastic, I’m just curious. Just curious.”

“I’ll write it as truthfully as possible without making you feel sorry.”

“Okay. If Shin Lee Joo wants to write a statement of events, write it and submit it.”

His face showed that he wasn’t interested in the statement of events anyway. I wondered if he had called me here because he was curious about the mess I had become.

“Isn’t there anything else you’d like to say?”

“Of course.”

Nam Do-hyun brought out the black card key that he had left on the desk.

“Go to my house and wash up. Put on some clothes that fit you.”

Shin Lee Joo looked down at the card key held between Nam Do-hyun’s long fingers. Nam Do-hyun flicked his wrist as if asking what she was doing without taking it.

“A normal boss doesn’t give his employee his house key.”

“Our relationship isn’t defined as a boss and subordinate, is it?”

The formality that had been stuck on him was cut off. It meant that the formal conversation ended the moment he handed over the card key.

“It’s not like it’s your first time going to my house anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”