Chapter 52
After being lost in thought for a while, Hyun-oh finally spoke up.
“I think we might need to prepare for a divorce.”
“…”
The manager, taken aback by Hyun-oh’s unexpected declaration, remained silent.
Lately, Hyun-oh has been extremely tired. Although everything was perfect in terms of work, the manager had suspected that there might be issues in his personal life if Hyun-oh was shaken. However, the manager had never imagined that it could be related to marriage. Just recently, Hyun-oh had personally ordered a piece of jewelry to give to his wife, setting aside a busy schedule at work. So the manager had thought there were no problems between them. He had vaguely assumed that Hyun-oh looked tired because of issues with Mrs. Cha in Pyeongchangdong.
“Are you okay?”
The manager asked Hyun-oh, who had lost his words. The manager nodded.
“Yes, yes. Of course. I understand. Should I look for a divorce lawyer?”
“We’ll go for an amicable divorce. Quietly, without causing any issues. We should make sure that no one inside or outside the company knows until the divorce is finalized.”
Hyun-oh furrowed his eyebrows and asked,
“Is that possible?”
“I know a lawyer who specializes in such matters. We can handle it quietly. After the divorce is settled, we’ll work with the PR team to handle it discreetly. What do you think?”
“I suppose that’s the best option.”
Nodding at Hyun-oh’s words, the manager jotted down the relevant details in his notebook. However, his mind was in turmoil.
What could be the reason for the divorce?
Although the situation had changed significantly with the bankruptcy of Han Dong Group, it couldn’t be because of that. Hyun-oh was well aware of the difficulties Handong Group had faced before their marriage. Moreover, he had been working like crazy for the past few months, knowing that Han Dong Group’s existence could be a vulnerability in acquiring the PY management rights.
The manager looked at the man in front of him.
Sharp eyes, a prominent nose, and red lips. Despite appearing somewhat disheveled due to worry, he still exuded an aura of perfection.
However, based on what the manager had observed while serving him for several years, he had never shown any interest in women to the extent that it would be a waste of such looks. So why would he hastily marry a woman who barely met his criteria just for the sake of the company?
It was unimaginable that he would meet another woman.
Yet, it was even more incomprehensible for his wife to request a divorce. Now that Han Dong Group had collapsed, she would surely need some background for her actions.
“What are you thinking?”
“Oh.”
The manager let out a short sigh as he realized he had been absentmindedly staring at Hyun-oh even after finishing his notes. He quickly composed himself, trying to conceal his thoughts.
“….Nothing. I apologize.”
His doubts had been written all over his face.
He shouldn’t have let his guard down. To show such vulnerability to him…
Although not as much as Hyun-oh, the manager was also known for his poker face. However, it seemed that his inner thoughts had been revealed while jotting down notes. Hyun-oh asked coolly,
“Are you curious?”
“No, not at all.”
Understanding the manager’s thoughts, Hyun-oh raised the corners of his lips slightly.
“The other party wants to break up.”
Unthinkable. The manager half-opened his mouth in response to the unexpected statement.
Throughout the wedding preparations, it had been more actively pursued by the other party, not by PY. The manager knew better than anyone else how desperate this marriage was for them.
Hyun-oh responded as if it were nothing.
“I can’t tell you the reason precisely because I don’t know.”
Although Hyun-oh’s tone was calm, it was different from usual. He didn’t want to dig up old wounds. Even if detailed reasons were needed in the divorce process, it was something the divorce lawyer should know.
It wasn’t the manager’s job.
“You don’t have to tell me.”
But Hyun-oh didn’t stop there. With his eyes half-lowered, he tapped the desk a few times. Tap, tap. After the rough cracking sound, he spoke up.
“Her father forced her to get married. Maybe now that he’s gone, she wants to run away.”
“…”
“She might have found another man.”
“Surely not.”
“If that’s not the case, it could be because she really dislikes me and can’t stand being with me.”
All three reasons were unimaginable for the manager, but Hyun-oh also seemed unable to find a precise answer.
“Today’s conversation was quite unnecessary. When you talk to the lawyer, just ask one thing first.”
Was it something related to the divorce, like a confidentiality clause?
The manager tensed up and held his pen tightly.
“What should I mention?”
“She wants to know if it’s possible to divide and gift my property even if the other party doesn’t want it.”
Hyun-oh’s words were unexpected.
As the manager hesitated, Hyun-oh narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t need money in the future, but she does. Proceed with property division in a way that’s definitely favorable to her.”
His demand was clear.
If possible, let Han Sua take more of the property.
This time, the manager didn’t inquire about the reasons or ask for explanations. One mistake was enough.
“…Understood.”
The manager wrote it down prominently at the top of his notebook and circled it.
* * *
In the quiet office of Yoon Dam Publishing, most of the employees had already left, leaving only a few. Nevertheless, Sua still had her head buried in her work on the screen.
“Sua, you’re still here?”
One of the employees leaving early greeted Sua, who then finally lifted her gaze.
“Yes. I have some work to finish by tomorrow.”
“It must be tough. Take it easy. Don’t overwork yourself.”
“Yes, I will. Please go ahead and leave first.”
After exchanging pleasantries, Sua returned her gaze to the computer screen.
The task she was currently working on was the second revision. Usually, Yoon Dam Publishing would have three rounds of proofreading before a book was published. Since it was easy to miss things when the same person read the text multiple times, the second revision was usually done by someone other than the initial proofreader.
Most of the tasks given to Sua were supportive roles, but this was the first time she had been assigned as the main responsible person.
So she wanted to do it perfectly.
The sound of typing on the keyboard echoed in the silent office. After concentrating on her work for a while, Sua closed her eyes for a moment and rubbed her temples.
She was tired.
But… she had to finish today.
If she didn’t finish by tomorrow, she would fall behind on the manuscripts that needed to be started the next day. What her friend Chaeyoung said when she first joined the company was never a lie.
“You won’t believe how much work there is. Don’t complain later. Why did you throw me into this mess?”
She would never complain about it, but as Chaeyoung said, there was indeed a lot of work at Yoon Dam Publishing. With only about ten employees, including CEO Yoon Dam and Chaeyoung, who stayed in the office, it was too much for ten people to handle, even with outsourcing for necessary tasks.
Sua had been working until 8 or 9 p.m. almost every day, even though her body was exhausted.
Although she was tired, she still liked having a lot of work to do.
“There’s no one at home anyway…”
Since Hyun-oh’s birthday, Sua hadn’t seen him. Instead of Hyun-oh, who left a note and went out, it was the manager, his proxy, who came to her house and took care of the things she needed while she was at work.
Now she probably wouldn’t see him again.
It was only natural. Since he suggested divorce. Now she could only see him in the media, but she couldn’t ask to meet him again.
Sua was also looking for a new place to live. She was planning to move to a studio apartment close to the office.
So, now she wouldn’t see him again.
Just thinking about it made her chest ache. She had suggested divorce herself, so she didn’t know what right she had to feel hurt.
“Let’s focus on work again.”
As Sua redirected her gaze to the monitor,
her phone, which had been set to silent mode inside the office, vibrated.
“Who could it be?”
Looking at the screen, she saw an unfamiliar number.
Where did this call come from? Although it was an unknown number and she hesitated to answer, she remembered receiving a business card from someone in the publishing industry she had recently met, and pressed the call button.
“Hello?”
-Is this Ms. Han Sua?
“Yes. Who is this?”
-This is Lee Chang-ha. I’m Secretary to Chairman Ji Seon-ung.
Sua was taken aback by the unexpected call.
It was a call from Ji Seon-ung, Hyun-oh’s grandfather and honorary chairman of the PY Group.
