Chapter 8

So Long For Now, Summer

Chapter 08

The World is Scary

………………………………

His demand for Hee-joo to pour alcohol was a common humiliation endured by secretaries when serving bosses or executives, and it was not the first time she heard such a request.

But she had been lucky. The first executive she assisted was the one who thought of her as a daughter, but now her boss was a man who would have noticed the Chairman’s dirty gaze. 

Even if she had a hard time because of his gawking, how could she refuse?

But now it was a completely different story.

“It has a purpose at least. Isn’t it easier to carry it?  Local, overseas… When I was young, I was like you. Carrying around a pretty female secretary, I would go abroad, change it when I got tired of it, and my innocent wife couldn’t even doubt us… I never had a lover as convenient as a secretary.” 

“…….”

“There are times when you do that. You can’t always do it because you’re tired of it.”

Chairman Jang was not just an executive, but the owner of Woosung. Even though Woo Jinha purposly asked Woosung to give up his bid… she could imagine what kind of face he was making right now without looking at him.

Chairman Jang is still smiling, but the atmosphere was icy. .

This is why Woo Jinha opposed their secretaries joining them for dinner. Hee-joo realized why he seemed so displeased when she sat down earlier.

It wasn’t her that Jin-ha Woo wasn’t satisfied with her, but he had predicted this predicament. He knew all along what Chairman Jang would want her to do. 

The reason why Hee-joo never met Chairman Jang despite his several meetings with Chairman Jang was because he had intentionally excluded her from the schedule. Today’s dinner wouldn’t have happened today if they all hadn’t attended the forum together.

“Well, Secretary Shim, come over here and sit down. Mr. Lee, get up.” 

The Chairman wasn’t even being a disgraceful drunk. His glare instead was lucid and pointed at Hee-joo, treating her like a hostess out of spite and hatred. Hee-joo froze at his orders. Chairman Jang looked at her and seemed to test Woo Jin-ha’s reaction.

The fierce air was tense, as if it was about to explode. She guessed her boss’s face through Lee’s terrified expression.

But to Hee-joo, the scariest thing for her right now was to destroy all her efforts to maintain a certain image for Woo Jinha up to now, rather than being subjected to Chairman Jang’s disgusting drinking habits. 

Ah… I mean, I should do what Chairman Jang told me to do for him, but I am afraid it would ruin his regard for me and my trusted, reliable position

The way her head was spinning was awful. 

The recipient of her ludacris love had no idea about her dilemma. Why was she like this? It’s not something she has to do…….

She sat on the sidelines. She was just a subordinate who was driven to a cliff. She had no right to worry about her dignity unless she wanted to be out of a job overnight.

Would it have been easier if Woo Jinha had pushed her forward and said, ‘Do it for the company’?

However, Woo Jin-ha would never have earned her love if he had been a cowardly jerk.

Since Woo Jin-ha would not ask her to do it, Hee-joo was ready to endure that insult.

Would not be too late to remain steadfast, overcome, and shed tears of chagrin after returning home. It was unfair, but that’s how the world worked.

Unable to endure the unpleasant silence, she saw the manager Lee quickly get a bottle of alcohol and pass it to her.

She got up to get it.

“The world is scary these days, Mr. Jang.”

“What?”

Jinha suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her down. It was a soft but relentless force. The liquor bottle she missed rolled over the table with a bang and fell under the table. 

All the alcohol had spilled.

“If you don’t know how the world has changed and you’re making excuses like this, it’s too hard for me to watch.”

“What the hell are you talking about….”

“You may not know because you’re an old man. I understand. So I’m holding it in, but the Chairman keeps saying nonsense.….”

Jinha’s voice was always courteous, which made Hee-joo suspicious of her ears. 

She stared back at him carefully because she thought he must have been drunk. He looked perfectly fine,  betraying her expectations.

“I’m going to put a stop to this ridiculous behavior. You’re going to get sued.”

“Who is going to sue?”

“The victim.”

“Secretary Shim? What do you mean? You made up this shit before I even had a drink.”

“I can always work with my company’s legal team to protect our staff by going straight to our law firm and buy a few lawyers specializing in sex crimes. There’s nothing I can’t do.”

Her heart pounded. 

Really, I didn’t expect you to do this to Chairman Jang.…. 

Crazy. This was absolutely nuts. It wasn’t worth it. 

Thank you, I guess…? but she didn’t appreciate it. She tried to twist her arm out of his grasp, but it didn’t work because he’d tightened his grip.

She tried to deter him even with her other free hand, but he was still so composed and imposing as if there was nothing that would stop him. 

“What kind of sex crime did I commit?… That’s enough. I see you are crazy about women.”

“It’s Chairman Jang who is crazy and can’t discern what’s becoming at a time and location. You should be grateful that I stopped at a minor sex crime level.”

“I’m embarrassed that you’re doing this. I didn’t ask you to put the secretary in my hotel room.….”

“Bullshit, Chairman Jang. I’m sorry that you are clueless. What are you going to do when the nine o’clock news starts with the Woosung Group Chairman Jang Myung-joon asking WK for sexual favors from a female employee?”

“It is a statement without any proof. Don’t you know about fabricating accusations?”

“I’m sorry, but everything is recorded.”

“……What?”