A child who looks like me

Friday morning.

Jeong-o was the first to wake up.

Yena, who had snuggled into her embrace and fallen asleep, had now wriggled out of the blanket and made her way to the door.

What kind of exciting dream was she having to wander all the way there? Jeong-o quietly smiled, wishing she could peek into her daughter’s dream.

Wrapping Yena back in the blanket, she laid her down again and left the room, heading to the kitchen to drink the honey water that Guksun had prepared.

The tasting event last night had gone well. The erratic advertiser had been a bit of a nuisance, but thanks to Assistant Manager Park Young-gwang and Team Leader Ahn Chan-seop, Jeong-o had come away unscathed.

Ji-heon, who had said he would go to the tasting, hadn’t shown up until the event was over.

Had something urgent come up all of a sudden?

Or was he too embarrassed to come because he had crossed a line?

Or maybe he was too hurt from getting hit by her to show up?

While she was a bit concerned, Jeong-o decided to shut those thoughts out.

There were more important matters at hand.

She had overheard Eun-bi’s phone conversation. Since Eun-bi had been chatting right next to her in a way that seemed meant to be overheard, Jeong-o felt she hadn’t done anything wrong.

Jeong-o was convinced that Eun-bi’s conversation partner from yesterday was Mrs. Jang.

Ji-heon’s mother, Mrs. Jang Yeong-mi.

It seemed that Chae Eun-bi and Mrs. Jang were quite close.

It made sense since they would become mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

But it seems the two don’t share anything about me.

That, too, was understandable.

There was no need for Mrs. Jang to disclose her son’s ex-girlfriend to a prospective daughter-in-law. If there was a problem, she would probably handle it herself. Or perhaps Ji-heon’s other family members could have assisted Mrs. Jang.

For now, it would be best to consider Mrs. Jang as the center of this.

The mistaken phone call from seven years ago had likely been orchestrated by Mrs. Jang. And she might even know about Yena’s existence.

It’s possible that the attempted kidnapping of Yena was also part of Mrs. Jang’s scheme.

Since Jeong-o had entered Ji-heon’s company, perhaps it was a way to intimidate her so she couldn’t approach him.

But if that’s the case, why didn’t she come forward herself and just use someone else? Direct communication would be much more effective.

And if Ji-heon and Chae Eun-bi’s wedding was approaching, wouldn’t that make it even more urgent? Being indirect would be far less effective than just telling her straight out.

There were so many puzzling points that she couldn’t turn her speculation into certainty.

***

Ji-heon was holed up in his office all morning, continuously tapping away at the keyboard.

His head had been so foggy that he forgot about the group’s monthly report scheduled for the afternoon.

He felt completely out of it.

In reality, he hadn’t met Jeong-o many times, yet it felt like she was running around in his head like twelve different people.

And amidst all this, he still had work to do.

However, thanks to two hours of focused work, he managed to fill out a few pages of the report reasonably well. Ji-heon let out a long sigh and clicked the mouse.

Now he had to head to the headquarters.

How great would it be if he could just cancel everything, including the monthly report?

Do you want to save? Save. Don’t save. Cancel.

Don’t save. Click.

“Gah!”

Ji-heon jumped up in shock.

What on earth did I just do…?

Caught up in the desire to cancel all his plans, he accidentally clicked the “Don’t save” button!

He made a mistake that even elementary school kids wouldn’t make!

Ji-heon immediately reopened the document program to check his records. He regretted not setting up an auto-save feature in the past, which had been so irresponsible.

The two hours of hard work had gone to waste…

At that moment, the image of Lee Jeong-o from yesterday popped into Ji-heon’s mind.

“If all the materials I worked hard on for three hours got lost because I didn’t save them… No, two hours.”

The curses he had been muttering about Jeong-o’s ex-boyfriend flashed through Ji-heon’s head.

Why am I like this?

Grinding his teeth, Ji-heon opened a new document and set it to auto-save every five minutes.

He had to give up lunch.

Knock, knock.

As he adjusted his posture and stared at the monitor, he heard a knock.

“Yes.”

He shifted his gaze from the screen to the door.

The door opened, and Assistant Manager Jo Si-nae from the administrative office walked in. Si-nae flinched upon seeing Ji-heon’s expression.

Ah, I had called Assistant Manager Jo.

Ji-heon suddenly remembered that he had asked her to come to his office before lunchtime.

He slowly reacted and stood up.

“Please have a seat, Assistant Manager Jo.”

When Ji-heon invited her to sit, Si-nae, looking frightened, took a seat.

Ji-heon, sitting across from her, asked, “How’s the working environment?”

While he wanted to question why she would ask about the working environment when she had pushed him to the outskirts, Si-nae answered obediently.

“It’s fine.”

“I called you here today because I have a personal question for you.”

Ji-heon immediately stated his purpose.

“Have there been rumors in the company that I’m getting married?”

“I-I didn’t spread any rumors!”

Si-nae’s voice rose at Ji-heon’s question, her expression clearly showing her distress.

“I’m not interrogating you, Assistant Manager Jo; I just want to know something,” Ji-heon said in a calming tone.

After glancing around, Si-nae opened her mouth again.

“Well, it’s not that it’s a rumor, but everyone seems to know that you’re getting married to Manager Chae Eun-bi by the end of this year…”

“Then it must have been Manager Chae Eun-bi who mentioned it. How did you come to know?”

Ji-heon nodded briefly and asked again, his voice polite but his gaze sharp.

“I’d like you to tell me any personal information you’ve heard about me, as it comes to mind. Anything at all.”

***

Later in the afternoon, Jeong-o visited Ji-heon’s office.

Ji-heon’s secretary had contacted her, saying Ji-heon wanted her to bring the report from Daewon Liquor’s first briefing.

Jeong-o found it strange that he didn’t call her directly but sent the secretary instead. Moreover, when she arrived at the office, Ji-heon wasn’t there.

As she left the office, she asked, “Um, he’s not here. Did he really ask me to come?”

“Yes. He asked you to wait a bit. He’s on his way back from headquarters.”

“Then I’ll come back later.”

“He’s almost here, so please wait inside.”

Since the secretary’s insistence was firm, Jeong-o went back into the office.

What could he possibly want by calling her in? While waiting for Ji-heon, Jeong-o kicked the innocent sofa in frustration.

***

[“I casually asked Ji-heon if there was something going on with you two, and he said he’d talk about it soon. He said it in a really serious tone.”]
“Ah… Did he say that? He said he’d talk about it soon?”

[“Yeah. So I told him not to make Mom and Dad suffer too much. And he said he understood.”]
Eun-bi recalled her conversation with Mrs. Jang last night.

What could Ji-heon possibly want to tell his mother?

Although she had mumbled that he might be talking about marriage, she felt a growing sense of anxiety.

Since the day she uncovered Lee Jeong-o’s past, Eun-bi hadn’t been able to approach Ji-heon. He had kicked her out of his office as if he never wanted to see her again and hadn’t contacted her once.

Eun-bi felt so anxious that she couldn’t focus on her work.

In the meantime, after finishing the headquarters meeting and returning to the company, Ji-heon called out to Eun-bi.

“Chae Eun-bi, could I have a word with you?”

After a month since his transfer to Max Planning, he finally called her out in public. His voice was quite gentle.

“Yes!”

Eun-bi stood up from her seat, her face flushed with color.

She felt as if tears would burst forth any moment.

Just the other day, he had kicked her out of his office as if he never wanted to see her again.

“Of course. Your mother loves me so much; you can’t just treat me carelessly.”

It seemed like a good decision to visit Mrs. Jang and pour out her feelings.

***

After work, Eun-bi felt pleased that everything seemed to have been resolved, especially since Ji-heon must be grateful for her coming to his mother.

She followed Ji-heon closely, who walked at a brisk pace, forcing her to jog several times to keep up.

“Oppa, what’s going on?”

Eun-bi asked with a smile.

Ji-heon didn’t respond to her question; he simply continued moving toward his office.

The two arrived quickly at the office.

Click, the door opened and then closed.

Once inside, Ji-heon slowly turned his head to survey the surroundings, as if confirming that no one else was around.

Now that she thought about it, there was no secretary in the anteroom either.

Eun-bi’s heart raced. The man who had just kindly asked to see her moments ago was nowhere to be found.

Now, it was the original Ji-heon, expressionless and with piercing eyes. No, he looked even more intimidating than before.

Eun-bi felt a wave of fear wash over her.

“Why do I hear that you and I are getting married?”

At Ji-heon’s question, the smile Eun-bi had forced onto her face dropped immediately.

“Speak with your own words.”

“…”

“Did I ever ask you to marry me?”

His threatening tone left her speechless.

We’re bound to get married eventually! Everyone wants that!

She should confidently declare it, but it felt as if someone was squeezing her throat, making it difficult to speak.

“Still, we… someday…”

“Just the facts.”

“…”

“Just tell me the facts, Chae Eun-bi.”

“…”

“Did I ever propose to you?”

With Ji-heon pressing all the blame onto her, Eun-bi clenched her fists.

“…We were going to, someday.”

“Why would I?”

“…”

“You seem to be under a big misconception; I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“…”

“How terrible. If I hadn’t transferred to this company, you would have been prattling on about that nonsense even more excitedly.”

“You don’t have a girlfriend anyway.”

Eun-bi retorted sharply, stung by his deliberate attempt to insult her.

“Who cares who I marry when I don’t even have a girlfriend? Whether we’ve dated or not, I can get married and maintain a marriage just fine. Isn’t it easier for you?”

Once she found her voice, her words poured out like a flood.

“Oppa, don’t you remember? Seven years ago! If I hadn’t reported your hit-and-run accident, you would have died. What do you think would have happened to your mother if you died? That’s why we need to get married! You and your family should be grateful to me for saving your life.”

I’ll have to carry that gratitude in my heart forever!

“The one who should be grateful is you, but instead, I’m the only one who did well. I’m the only one who tried. Think about how well I treated your mother. Have you ever properly celebrated her birthday or Parents’ Day? I took care of all of that. I called every week, visited her, greeted her, took her shopping, and bought her gifts.”

He needed to engrave in his bones just how hard she had worked to maintain their relationship.

“I treated your beloved mother so well that you should only be thankful to me.”

“Do you know how high-maintenance your mother is when it comes to picking out gifts? Do you think you would have known about that struggle?”

“Then why go through that trouble? Did I ever ask you to?”

Feeling tears well up in her eyes at Ji-heon’s assessment of her generosity, Eun-bi felt her emotions surge.

“Why blame me for something you did out of your own liking? I never asked you for anything.”

“We agreed to date! That was a promise! If we agreed to date, then that means putting in effort! And I put in all this effort!”

“Chae Eun-bi.”

Even with tears glistening in her eyes and shouting in front of him, Ji-heon’s expression remained unchanged.

“Agreeing to date was just a way to quell the rumors from four years ago. You said that yourself, remember?”

As he calmed her down, his voice turned quiet.

Four years ago, Ji-heon had been particularly troubled by rumors. He didn’t know who was spreading them, but one day, his mother barged in, lamenting that she couldn’t take it anymore because of the rumors about her son.

Amid all that, Eun-bi had become the final victim of those rumors. As soon as she heard them, she came to him, lamenting like his mother, and by the time she left, she suggested that they create a real relationship.

Ji-heon had taken it nonchalantly. After that, miraculously, the rumors disappeared, and he thought it was a relief that he was no longer bothered by them.

He had thought it would end with a brief lie, but Eun-bi had held onto that act for a long time. Ji-heon realized that too late. If he hadn’t transferred to Max Planning, he would have remained oblivious forever.

And someday, he might actually be forced into marriage.

“You should have sorted that out after that, rather than creating more baseless rumors.”

“…”

“Just stop. Wrap it up within a week. I’ll overlook all your bravado and lies until now.”

Eun-bi shook her head vigorously at his demand.

“Oppa, you can’t treat me like this. Look at how I’ve treated you.”

“I’m grateful for the report from seven years ago. I’ll prepare a reward for you even now, so accept it.”

“…”

“I don’t care whether you say you dumped me or I dumped you; just settle this right away.”

Eventually, thick tears fell from Eun-bi’s reddened eyes.

Still, Ji-heon maintained his calm demeanor without wavering.

“If you’re embarrassed about lying to the people at the company, moving jobs wouldn’t be a bad option.”

“You’re going to regret this, Oppa.”

“Sure, I will. So let me stop regretting for a moment.”

His words and gaze were cold, but his tone was uncharacteristically gentle.

He opened the door to his office, which had been closed off.

“Time to go.”

“…”

“I have guests to entertain. Leave.”

Eun-bi clenched her fists and glared at Ji-heon before reluctantly leaving. She didn’t know what kind of guests were coming, but she couldn’t let them see her in this state.

As soon as Eun-bi left, the office door closed firmly behind her.

I’m going crazy!

Jeong-oh was hiding behind the sofa with both hands covering his mouth.

He had arrived at the office ten minutes ago. When he found no one there, he asked the secretary, who told him to wait inside.

Sitting on the sofa, he blankly stared at the floor. There were cookies on the table, as if they had been placed there just for him.

Feeling so bored, he opened the cookie packet. It tasted delicious, and his spirits lifted a little.

Why do I feel so comforted in front of food?

Should I eat one more since I’m bored?

The tasty cookies were a perfect snack for his hunger.

Just then, he heard footsteps outside. Normally, he would have stayed quiet.

“Oppa, what’s going on?”

It was Chae Eun-bi’s voice.

It was just like the other day. Once again, he found himself in the situation of facing Eun-bi and Ji-heon in the office.

And here I am, sneaking cookies!

For some reason, he didn’t want Eun-bi to catch him in this situation, especially with Ji-heon beside her.

Fidgeting, Jeong-oh quickly stuffed a cookie into his mouth and ducked behind the sofa.

Moments later, the door opened and closed, and a confrontation began.

To his surprise, he learned an unexpected secret about the two…

He never anticipated this. He didn’t expect such a situation to unfold.

He hadn’t imagined he would hear their history live and in person.

Though he wanted to jump up and run out of the office at any moment, the seriousness of their conversation forced him to hold his breath.

His heart raced like a fish flopping around in his chest as their argument continued.

“…You’re going to regret this, Oppa.”

Unable to counter Ji-heon’s momentum, Eun-bi finished her words and left the office.

Ji-heon seemed to remain there, unaffected.

What should I do now? How can I get out of here?

Feeling stuck in a predicament while eating cookies, Jeong-oh felt hopeless.

As he pondered how to escape, he suddenly heard Ji-heon’s voice.

“Guest.”

Jeong-oh jumped in surprise and looked up.

No way.

“If you’ve heard everything, shouldn’t you get up now?”

Ji-heon leaned over the back of the sofa, smiling at him.

“Did you understand everything properly?”

The smile looked both reassuring and sinister, leaving Jeong-oh unsure of how to respond.