Chapter 53
Honorary Chairman Ji Seon-ung.
He was the founder of PY and currently held the position of honorary chairman, known for his imperial management style. He had dominated PY Group for a long time, to the extent that there was a period when even after he stepped down from the chairman position, his son, Chairman Ji Hae-chan, was considered a puppet.
Now, nearing eighty years old, he had completely retired from the frontline, but his influence was still significant. He still held shares and had many of his people among the major shareholders and board members.
So, when the current Chairman Ji Hae-chan, who was not in good health, stepped down, and when choosing the next CEO between his first son Ji Hyun-jae and second son Ji Hyun-oh, the intentions of the honorary chairman were expected to play a significant role.
Sua stood in front of the villa in Yangpyeong where Seon-ung was hiding. The only reason she had visited here was to pay respects before her marriage.
It had been six months since she married Hyun-oh.
This was the fourth time Sua had met Seon-ung, her grandfather-in-law. But no matter how many times she met him, his charisma was overwhelming, more impressive than any other family members.
[“The chairman wants to see you.”]
“He wants to see me?”
“Yes.”
She recalled the call from Chang-ha, his secretary, a few days ago. It wasn’t unusual for the chairman to call his granddaughter-in-law, but since the caller wasn’t an ordinary grandfather, Sua cautiously asked why he was calling her.
“He didn’t mention that. When it’s time, I’ll send a car. He would prefer if you didn’t tell anyone if possible,” he said, including Hyun-oh.
Understanding, Sua nodded. It was actually a relief. Since his birthday, Sua hadn’t contacted Hyun-oh even once.
She was considering divorce and wanted to settle it quickly. Until the divorce process was completed, the only message through the manager was to keep it a secret from family or company.
She hadn’t contacted him directly.
It had been weeks since she heard his voice.
She wanted to see his face.
She wanted to hear his voice.
But whenever she felt that way, she restrained herself.
“Haah.”
Stepping out of the car, she looked up at the high wall of the villa. It felt unusually long and distant, even though it was just a small staircase away.
***
“It’s been a while.”
As Sua entered the villa, Seon-ung, sitting by the window where the sunlight poured in, raised an eyebrow at her. He was almost eighty next year, yet he still had a straight posture. Unlike his father, who was planning to step down as soon as the next CEO was decided due to his health issues from a young age, Seon-ung still had sharp eyes that shone brightly.
“Grandfather. It’s been a while since I visited. I’m sorry.”
“What’s there to apologize for? I didn’t call you.”
Seon-ung waved his hand for Sua to sit down and ordered some tea for her. A steaming cup of tea was placed in front of her.
“Did you inform anyone about coming today?”
Sua nodded her head in response to Seon-ung’s question.
“Yes, you asked me not to.”
“Good. It’s not strange for a grandfather to call his granddaughter-in-law, but if word gets out that I called someone to Yangpyeong, there will be unnecessary speculation and gossip from those who like to meddle.”
It wasn’t surprising.
If rumors spread that Sua was called to Yangpyeong, there would be speculation from both insiders and outsiders about whether it had anything to do with the transfer of power to Hyun-oh. Of course, family members would also be anxious.
With a gulp, Seon-ung drank his tea and fell silent. He looked intently at Sua sitting in front of him.
His gaze seemed to measure her.
What did he want to talk to her about today?
By the time Sua swallowed her dry saliva, Seon-ung opened his mouth.
“You got a job.”
“Ah.”
Sua’s surprised voice burst out unexpectedly in a different direction from her thoughts.
Sua had not informed the family about her job at Yoon Dam Publishing. But if it was Seon-ung, it was a fact he could easily know.
“Yes, at a publishing company.”
Sua’s heart raced with the thought that a divorce decree might be issued. It wasn’t common for daughters-in-law to work outside.
But to her surprise, Seon-ung’s voice was calm.
“So you originally majored in Korean literature, right?”
“Yes.”
“You chose a fitting job. Did you have a dream that led you to this job?”
“Yes, I wanted to try working with books.”
She couldn’t mention her preparations for divorce. Although it pained her to keep secrets from her elders, she wanted to protect Hyun-oh’s position in the company and the family.
“I see…”
Seon-ung responded as if he already knew, then fell silent again. He wasn’t a talkative person to begin with, but today he seemed especially reserved. Even though there was a chance for conversation to start, silence quickly returned. He stared at Sua for a long time, seeming intrigued. How much time had passed?
“Aren’t you curious why I called you here today?”
“I am curious.”
“If you’re curious, why didn’t you ask?”
“I thought you’d tell me when necessary.”
Seo-ung chuckled at Sua’s brief response.
“You’re a careful and thoughtful girl. I always like seeing you. If it were someone else, they’d be nervous and might say something unnecessary. But you know how to wait.”
“No, that’s not…”
Sua shook her head in response to her praise. She wasn’t being cautious; she simply couldn’t find the right words. She knew there was no need for superficial conversation, especially with someone like Seon-ung.
Seon-ung chuckled at Sua’s response and then, in a low voice, continued, spreading a book open on the table. Inside was a white envelope, which he handed to Sua.
“Take it.”
“What’s this?”
A white envelope. Sua accepted it hesitantly, unable to gauge its contents. When she opened it, a check fell out. The amount written on it was unexpectedly large.
“…Chairman. This is…”
What could this money be for? Her head was still spinning. She recalled what her mother-in-law, Mrs. Cha, had said. Was this money for the divorce? But Seon-ung’s words were unexpected.
“It’s condolence money.”
“Condolence money?”
“Since your father-in-law passed away and your house became like that, you must not be feeling comfortable. It’s condolence money.”
“…I can’t accept this.”
Despite Sua’s firm refusal, Seon-ung chuckled.
“Even if you can’t accept it, you should. Your brother will have a lot of expenses, and your mother will need money too.”
The chairman already saw through Sua’s family situation.
“Considering your personality and the fact that you’ve only been married to Hyun-oh for a few months, you probably wouldn’t ask him for money, but your grandfather-in-law giving you an allowance wouldn’t cause any gossip.”
“Still, this is too much.”
“Accept it. Even if it’s not for you. It’s for Hyun-oh.”
“…”
What should she do? Sua pondered. Seon-ung’s intention seemed to be for her to help her brother’s business or to send money to her mother. Perhaps he thought she took the job for these financial reasons.
Having money would be helpful, but she didn’t want to accept it. She was on the brink of divorce. But if she returned it, who knew how he would react.
Should she take it and then return it when divorcing, giving it back to Hyun-oh?
As Sua stared at the envelope, Seon-ung smiled softly.
“Keep it. Use it when you need it. It’s not something to worry about right now.”
“…”
“If you don’t like it, you can return it later. Having money in hand changes your perspective even if you don’t use it right away.”
It was a tone that allowed no room for argument.
“…Thank you. I’ll keep it safe.”
With that, Sua finally picked up the envelope. Seon-ung’s smile widened slightly.
“Now, stop swallowing dry saliva and have some tea. We’re done talking for today. Relax.”
“Ah, yes.”
After that, Sua and Seon-ung chatted for a while longer. Most of the time, they talked about trivial things like the weather in Yangpyeong or books from the publishing company where Sua worked. Then Seon-ung brought up something from before their marriage.
“Come to think of it, before you and Hyun-oh got married, he visited me. I remember the nervous expression on his face, unlike his usual self-confident demeanor, and he talked to me. It feels like it was just yesterday, but it’s already been a year.”
Time seemed to pass quickly and slowly at the same time. Seon-ung took another sip of tea and continued.
“He told me your family would have a hard time not long after you got married, but that he had anticipated it and prepared for it. He told me not to worry about your father-in-law’s worries, that he would handle it well so that PY wouldn’t suffer any harm. He said he would work twice as hard since he lacked support from his in-laws. And he really did work hard. Looking at how things are going in the company lately, it seems you’ve been a great motivation for him.”
He was someone who always worked hard.
Seon-ung smiled as he spoke, but Sua couldn’t hear anything beyond his initial words.
Before they got married, Hyun-oh came here and said her family would have a hard time?
He… already anticipated that Han Dong Group would fail?
Knowing that, did he still marry me?
Sua’s mind went blank.
