SACCHARIN
CHAPTER 9

 

“When did I ever say I was going to kill you, huh?” the chairman said with a faint smirk.

“Chairman…”

I whispered, my voice cracking with desperation.

“I’m not the kind of man who goes around killing people, Wan-yi,” he continued, his tone casual, almost amused.

My pleas for my life seemed to annoy him more than anything else. His expression turned slightly irritable as if I were just making a fuss over nothing. He waved his right hand dismissively, signaling me to stop. Reluctantly, I shut my mouth.

It was clear that Shin Chi-woo’s plan was unraveling. I didn’t dare cry anymore, fearing it might provoke the chairman’s anger further.

At that moment, Shin Chi-woo seized the opportunity to interject. What he said next could determine my fate—or worse, expose whatever fragile alliance we had. Depending on his words, the chairman might discover our uncertain and dangerous connection, or Shin Chi-woo’s true loyalties might come to light.

Yet, he didn’t seem ready to withdraw his hand of support just yet. In a calm voice, he began reasoning with the chairman, trying to dissuade him from sending me to the factory.

“Chairman, is there really a need to send her all the way to a remote factory? She’s been spoiled her whole life, living off her father’s back, and wouldn’t be able to handle the work anyway.”

“That’s exactly why she should go,” the chairman retorted.

“With all due respect, Chairman, if we send her to the factory, she’ll likely cause more trouble than she’s worth. It’ll disrupt the morale of the workers who are already doing their best.”

It was clear Shin Chi-woo was trying to stop the factory decision, but the way he described me felt insulting. Sure, I’d lived a privileged life and focused on studying, but I wasn’t oblivious or incapable of staying out of the way.

“I get what you’re saying, Chi-woo. But think about it—if that bastard Seo Kyoyong truly cares about his daughter, he’ll come running the moment he hears about her suffering,” the chairman said with a cruel smile.

“Do you really think he will?” Shin Chi-woo asked, his voice skeptical.

“If word gets out that poor, innocent Wan-yi is being put through hell at the factory, don’t you think that bastard will show his face?”

I felt my shoulders tense as I watched the exchange. My gaze flickered between the chairman and Shin Chi-woo. The chairman’s cold, calculated reasoning sent a chill down my spine, and Shin Chi-woo’s subtle nod of acknowledgment made my stomach twist. Was he going along with the chairman’s decision?

“Chairman, let’s not forget that Director Seo blindsided us, despite knowing full well what would happen to his only daughter. He betrayed you, even knowing the consequences for her.”

“So what’s your point, Chi-woo?”

“I’m saying that this girl, who seems only capable of crying, may not hold much value as a hostage.”

“Hmm… not much value, you say,” the chairman mused, as if considering the idea.

His words felt deliberately aimed at me, like he wanted me to hear every scathing remark. Was Shin Chi-woo genuinely trying to help me, or did he mean every word he said?

But then again, could I really claim to be a good daughter? I had hidden the fact that my father had asked me to run away with him, prioritizing my own survival over his safety. Like father, like daughter—neither of us was free from blame. Yet in this moment, my terror of the factory outweighed any concern for my father’s wellbeing.

“Well,” the chairman said with a shrug, “an extra pair of hands at the factory wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

“…That’s true, Chairman,” Shin Chi-woo replied, his tone neutral.

“Enough talk—just send her. Wan-yi needs to understand why she’s been able to live so comfortably, focusing on her studies all this time,” the chairman said coldly.

At this point, I couldn’t help but wonder where this so-called “factory” was and what it really was. Was it an actual place of production, or was “factory” just their code for something far more sinister? A horrifying thought crossed my mind—could it be something like a red-light district?

Wherever it was, it was clearly a place designed to break me, an environment so harsh and unforgiving that merely the rumor of my suffering would spread like wildfire. It sounded like a place where people entered but never escaped.

My knees trembled uncontrollably as overwhelming fear coursed through me.

“Chairman, please… I’ve done nothing wrong… Please spare me,” I begged desperately.

“Wrong?” he replied, his voice laced with mockery. “Did you lie to me about something?”

“No! That’s not it… It’s just… I’m so scared…”

“Of course, you’re scared. Life is scary, Wan-yi. One day you’re comfortably studying, and the next, you’re thrown straight into hell,” he said with a cold finality.

“Chairman… I truly don’t know anything,” I stammered.

“I know, Wan-yi. I know everything,” he said, his voice eerily calm.

“….”

“But I can’t keep you here while I look for your father, can I?”

“Chairman…”

It felt like my fate was sealed. My father and I were being torn apart under the chairman’s merciless scrutiny, and it seemed nothing could stop it. The sheer unfairness of being punished for my father’s sins drove me to the brink of madness, but I was powerless to change my circumstances.

Kneeling on the floor, I begged until my hands felt raw from pressing them together, but it was useless. The chairman’s icy gaze bore into me, as if he saw my desperate pleas as nothing more than a theatrical performance.

“Please…” I choked out.

In a final, desperate act, I crawled to his wheelchair and clung to his legs, trembling. But even then, he waved his right hand in the air with a dismissive flick, as though swatting away an irritating fly.

The gesture was clear—he couldn’t stand the sight of me anymore. He wanted me out of his presence.

It felt as though my mind was unraveling, slipping further into despair as I clung desperately to the last shreds of hope.

“Chairman, judging by her behavior, she’s bound to be more trouble than she’s worth. For the sake of the factory workers, I urge you to reconsider…”

“Shin Chi-woo, you insolent fool. You’ve been pushing your luck since earlier. Tch.”

“…My apologies, Chairman,” Shin Chi-woo replied, his voice subdued.

“If you’re sorry, then stop arguing and do as you’re told.”

“Yes, Chairman. I’ll do as you say.”

I had known from the beginning that Shin Chi-woo might not truly be on my side—or even if he was, he wouldn’t be able to defy the chairman. Still, I had clung to the faintest hope that he could help me. To me, he had been my final lifeline. But even he couldn’t save me in the end.

“Stop dawdling and send her down immediately,” the chairman commanded.

“If she must go to the factory, we’ll need to prepare. At least wait until morning,” Shin Chi-woo suggested, his tone carefully measured.

“…Shin Chi-woo.”

“My apologies, Chairman. I’ll send her down right away,” Shin Chi-woo said, bowing deeply. It was a gesture of submission, a silent plea for forgiveness for overstepping.

It was clear—nothing could reverse the chairman’s decision. When Shin Chi-woo finally relented and agreed to follow orders, I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to face what was coming.

To put it bluntly, I was completely screwed.

“Wan-yi, don’t blame me for this,” the chairman said.

“……”

“If you’re going to blame someone, blame your father.”

In just half a day, my entire life had plummeted into ruin. Now that my fate was sealed, I no longer felt like begging for my life. The chairman’s patronizing gaze, as if he pitied me, was unbearable.

All I could do was collapse to the floor, sobbing helplessly.

“You’d better behave yourself down there,” the chairman said, his voice devoid of empathy.

“If you want even the chance to recover your father’s body in one piece.”

“…Chairman…”

I choked out, but there was nothing left to say. The reality of my situation crushed me, leaving me utterly defeated.

“Oh, Wan-yi,” the chairman said with a sly smile.

“A day late, but happy birthday.”

“……”

“As for your present… let’s see… ah, him. Shin Chi-woo. He’s a reliable man.”

The chairman’s words were laced with an unsettling humor as he nodded toward Shin Chi-woo. Shin Chi-woo, visibly uncomfortable, shook his head in silent protest. The chairman, however, lightly smacked his arm and chuckled, casting a glance at me before nodding again as if confirming his decision.

“Shin Chi-woo will take good care of you. Let’s meet again next time—hopefully, you’ll stay in good health until then, Wan-yi.”

The implication was clear: the chairman wasn’t giving me a gift—he was giving me to Shin Chi-woo. It was nothing less than permission for him to do whatever he pleased with me.

What right did he have to decide such things? As if I were some object to be handed over. The insinuation left me seething with anger, the humiliation cutting deeper than anything else. It felt as though I were being reduced to nothing more than a plaything, a commodity, or worse—a prostitute.

They say even a cornered rat will bite a cat, and as I stood there, crushed under the weight of the chairman’s disdain and callousness, something inside me snapped.

Not only had he degraded me, but he had also invoked my father’s death with a chilling nonchalance. And then there was that ominous “factory.” A place he thought would break me.

If I were truly doomed to go to this so-called factory, then I would destroy it. I wanted to see the chairman’s smug face twist in shock and horror as his plans fell apart. If he wanted to crush me, I’d make sure to drag everything down with me.

03. The Gray Man

 

I watched as the wheelchair carrying the chairman disappeared beyond the doorway. Only when the hulking group of bodyguards that had followed him also trailed out and vanished did the tension in my body finally release, leaving me feeling utterly drained.

The room fell silent once more, but no one seemed to pay any attention to me as I sat slumped on the floor of the hotel, staring blankly. It seemed the suddenness of the chairman’s order had left those responsible for taking me to the “factory” scrambling to prepare.

“Yes, it’s me. I’m leaving Seoul shortly…”

A short-haired woman, who appeared to be one of Shin Chi-woo’s subordinates, stepped out while speaking into her phone. Soon after, one of the burly men who had also been part of the chairman’s entourage spoke quietly to Shin Chi-woo before following the woman out the door. From the bits of conversation I overheard, it seemed they were arranging for a car to be brought around or prepped for departure.

In other words, it was now undeniable: I was actually being taken to this so-called factory. There was no time left to cry or rage; the reality was that I’d have to leave immediately.

“Get up,” Shin Chi-woo ordered.

The tears I had shed earlier had long since dried. With my head bowed, I was mindlessly picking at the carpet with my nails, taking out my frustration on something that couldn’t fight back.

In my imagination, I was massacring the chairman, Shin Chi-woo, and their entire entourage, destroying the factory in a glorious explosion. But in reality, I had no such power. If I’d been stronger, faster, or even remotely skilled in self-defense, I might have at least tried to run. Instead, all I could do was sit there and fantasize about cruel and violent revenge, knowing full well it would never come to pass.

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