Chapter 99
99. Exposure
2022.04.09.
Eun-bi kept pondering how she should live her life from now on.
A BJ friend, cornered by a manipulated broadcast, committed a bizarre act. She turned Jeong Ji-heon into a cheating man and Lee Jung-o into his mistress. The story Eun-bi had poured out while complaining to orchestrate a play before visiting Guksun Baekban had come back to bite her.
Afterward, the BJ asked Eun-bi for help. She argued that they should reveal the truth properly, crush Lee Jung-o, and restore their honor. Eun-bi was also at a crossroads.
While she was agonizing, a call came in. The caller was Jeong Ji-heon.
She realized the positive aspect of the exposé. Jeong Ji-heon, who hadn't contacted her once while she was absent from work, hadn't even asked her colleagues in Production Team 1 how she was doing, was now calling her directly.
"Hello."
[Long time no see.]
It was Jeong Ji-heon's voice after a long time. That calm voice made her want to burst into tears.
I really liked Oppa.
I still do. If Oppa gives up Lee Jung-o and comes to me, I'm ready to accept him. If Oppa brings Lee Yena, I can even raise Lee Yena. I can also devote myself to Oppa's parents.
But she couldn't bring herself to say those heart-wrenching words. Eun-bi asked in a sulky voice.
"Yeah. What's up?"
[I called because an employee of the headquarters has been absent without leave for a long time.]
"……."
[Are you not coming back to the company?]
"How can Oppa say that so easily? How can I go there?"
[Anyway, you should sort things out properly. Don't you think?]
He's not trying to hold me back at all. Her stomach churned at his harsh words.
[Come in tomorrow. Production Team 1 has been having a hard time because you've been absent without notice.]
"……Is there nothing else you want to say?"
[Anyway, come in. You have to sort out your work properly.]
"……."
[Let's talk tomorrow.]
He avoided her question, wrapped up the call quickly, and hung up.
Was it because it had been a while? His voice sounded strangely heartless yet gentle. She was swayed by that voice again, but now she also knew. She had to give up Jeong Ji-heon. Jeong Ji-heon, whom she had liked for over 10 years and courted for over 4 years.
The thought of Lee Jung-o standing next to Jeong Ji-heon, whom she wanted so badly, made her blood boil again.
With tears in her eyes, Eun-bi picked up her phone again. The only person she could rely on now. The only man who took her side. She wanted to call him, ask for his opinion.
The man answered the phone right away.
"Director Jeong told me to come to the company tomorrow. He told me to sort out my work properly."
Eun-bi whined and told the man what had just happened. The man asked.
[So, are you just going to sort everything out and step down?]
"I want to hold on, but what can I do? There's no way. I'm the weaker one."
[But you still have a weapon.]
"……."
[The weapon of being Director Jeong's lover.]
The man's answer cleared Eun-bi's mind. The BJ also explained on her channel that Eun-bi was a victim. The people at the company still thought that Ji-heon and she had been lovers and broke up. It really was a weapon she could use.
[In a love affair, a preemptive strike is important. The key is who seizes the position of the victim first.]
That's right. I can't just leave like this.
If I can't have him, I have to make sure Lee Jung-o can't have Jeong Ji-heon either. To do that, Lee Jung-o has to be ruined. She has to be humiliated.
I'll blow it up like the BJ did. There's no reason I can't.
Eun-bi's eyes gleamed sharply as she made up her mind.
"Okay. I'll blow up the bomb."
*
The next day. As Ji-heon asked, Eun-bi went to work after a long time.
As expected, no one welcomed Eun-bi. It was because her absence without notice had caused so much trouble for the team. Even Deputy Manager Jo Yuri looked at Eun-bi unpleasantly.
"You must have been comfortable. You've gained some weight."
It was true that she had been staying at home all this time, her body had become sluggish, and she had been sleeping a lot because she had nothing to do. Eun-bi made another excuse in response to Yuri's barbed words.
"It's just bloating. My body is in much worse shape than Deputy Manager Jo thinks."
Eun-bi apologized gracefully.
"I'm going to resign. I'm really sorry that it turned out this way. I'm also upset and feel wronged."
And she subtly emphasized that she was the victim.
After tidying up her desk, Eun-bi told Team Leader An Chan-seop that she was resigning. Team Leader An also created the approval documents without trying to hold Eun-bi back.
"You can submit it after getting Director's signature."
To think that the end of my time at the company where I devoted my youth would be like this.
Eun-bi, holding Team Leader An's approval file, looked across the room. She saw the culprit of all this, Lee Jung-o.
Lee Jung-o was diligently working on her own tasks, not paying any attention to her packing her things and going through the resignation process. Occasionally, she smiled and talked to her team members.
Just you wait. Let's see if you can still smile like that in an hour.
Eun-bi sneered inwardly and went to find Ji-heon. She handed him the approval documents without a word, and Ji-heon glanced over the documents and opened his mouth.
"It's a shame that the end is like this."
He meant that he was disappointed that he couldn't see her responsible side. But Eun-bi only heard the words "It's a shame" and they resonated deeply. Emotions welled up.
I made so many memories going in and out of your family's house. I could have been your good wife.
She also wanted to save Ji-heon, who had been bewitched by the witch-like Lee Jung-o, leaving the easy path of being with her.
"Oppa, you're being deceived. Lee Jung-o is holding you back by using the excuse that she has a child!"
Eun-bi tried to persuade Ji-heon with all her heart. It was her last appeal.
"This is all Lee Jung-o's scheme. Why would she hide the fact that she was pregnant with your child 7 years ago? Because it wasn't the child you wanted. Lee Jung-o secretly gave birth to the child and raised her with the intention of inheriting your wealth or property later. And then she came to you now. Because she's sure you've lost your memory! Don't you understand?"
"Chae Eun-bi. That's not it."
However, nothing worked on him. His muffled, gentle voice cut off Eun-bi's words.
"I found Jung-o."
"……."
"My memories came back."
Eun-bi's eyes shook.
"Jung-o didn't say anything first. Rather, she was more careful because she misunderstood our fake relationship. I was the one who held onto her."
Ji-heon continued to speak calmly. It was the first time Ji-heon was telling her the story of the two of them.
"I didn't even know Jung-o had a child. I couldn't have known that the child was mine. Besides, you were the one who revealed the fact that Jung-o had a child at the company. Remember?"
Eun-bi swallowed her tears at Ji-heon's accusation.
"Do a good job with the handover. And organize the computer files well."
"……."
"Thank you for your hard work."
After speaking, Ji-heon signed the documents neatly and handed them to Eun-bi.
It was a kind look, as if he was now wishing her well in the future. He no longer glared at Eun-bi with a chillingly terrifying gaze. But that gentle and calm pressure tightened Eun-bi's heart even more.
On her way out of the office with the documents, she ran into Team Leader An Chan-seop again.
"Manager Chae, please hand over the data you're in charge of before you leave. Don't forget to send emails to each person in charge of the planning team, and check the person in charge of the handover and tell them everything they need to know."
"Are you making someone who's leaving today do work?"
"I don't want to let you go easily either. But what can I do? There have been a lot of holes in the work while Manager Chae was away. You have to do the handover properly so that the next person doesn't have a hard time."
Eun-bi closed her mouth, about to argue further.
Okay. I'll be a clear victim today.
She sat down at her desk and turned on her PC. There were files piled up all over the desktop. It seemed like it wouldn't be possible to sort them out even if she stayed up all night.
Besides, she had to check the person in charge of the handover for each case. She didn't want to take on troublesome work when she was leaving the company.
Eun-bi connected her PC to the company's shared folder and inserted a download link in the email she sent. And she added a meaningful message.
"I am leaving the company that I have grown fond of due to personal reasons. As much as I loved the company, I am also very heartbroken. I hope that the same thing does not happen to my colleagues. I am sorry that I cannot say goodbye to everyone individually. I am going to share some of the items I cherished while tidying up my desk. I plan to leave at 3 PM today, so please come to my desk before then if you would like anything. Thank you for everything. Stay healthy."
A clean message that aroused curiosity. A kind message that clearly showed the position of the victim was created.
Now, do as you please.
Eun-bi pressed the "Send to All" button with a light heart and went to the HR department with the approval documents. After submitting the documents to the HR department and returning, she found that the area around Production Team 1 was in a commotion.
Not only the people in charge of the brands she was in charge of, but also employees who had not been very close to her throughout her company life were gathered. They seemed to have gathered because they were happy to receive the items she cherished.
'You beggars. You always like free stuff like this.'
Eun-bi sneered inwardly. Anyway, it seemed like the end would be a good stage.
"Manager Chae, I heard you're quitting the company."
The planning team leader spoke first, as if he was sorry.
Deputy Manager Jo Si-nae approached from behind the planning team leader with a tearful face.
"Manager. Why are you... Why are you leaving..."
Eun-bi was sincerely moved by the unwavering loyalty of Deputy Manager Jo Si-nae, who had shown her loyalty even after being kicked out of the team.
"I... I didn't want to either..."
Eun-bi hugged Si-nae and burst into tears.
"I didn't want to leave. I wanted to keep my position. Deputy Manager Jo knows too. How much I loved the company..."
"Manager Chae Eun-bi, what happened? What unfair thing happened that made you..."
The planning team manager, softened by Eun-bi's tears, approached and asked. People around them began to murmur. Jo Si-nae, feeling wronged, shouted along.
"Don't you know why Manager Chae is quitting? Her fiancé cheated on her with another woman, how can she stay at the company? Especially when that woman is strutting around in the same company!"
Jo Si-nae was about to leave for another company anyway, so her words came out without hesitation.
Eun-bi was thrilled inside.
Yes, Jo Si-nae. Go on. Reveal Lee Jung-oh's name too!
Someone cautiously asked.
"The director... Manager Chae broke up because he had another woman?"
"Didn't you know? That mistress even stole Manager Chae's work..."
While Jo Si-nae was glaring at Jeong-o's seat and continuing her story, Song Gi-hun from Production Team 2 suddenly stood up.
"Manager Chae. What is this data?"
The flow was abruptly cut off. Eun-bi glared at Gi-hun.
"What is it?"
"There's something strange among the files you sent with the download link."
"There were so many files that I couldn't check them all individually. I think it would be good if you filtered them out yourself, Mr. Song Gi-hun."
"No, this is really strange. It's an Audio file, didn't you check it?"
Gi-hun lifted his laptop over the partition and showed it to Eun-bi. In the folder accessed through the download link in the email, there was a file titled 'Jeong Ji-heon0604'. It was an Audio file. Gi-hun clicked on the file.
[Did I ever ask you for a favor? Why are you blaming me for something you did because you liked it? I didn't want anything from you.]
[We agreed to date! That was the promise! If we agreed to date, then we should put in that much effort! That's why I put in this much effort!]
Eun-bi, recognizing the voices, was horrified. It was Ji-heon and her voice.
A conversation they had long ago in Ji-heon's office, arguing. The conversation where Jeong Ji-heon had nailed down the fake relationship between the two of them.
How... how is this!
How is it here?
"Why... is this..."
Even as Eun-bi was frozen, the stark truth continued to pour out of Gi-hun's computer.
[Chae Eun-bi. Agreeing to date was just to cover up the rumors from four years ago. You said that too. Remember? After that, you should have cleared things up. Instead of creating false rumors.]
[.......]
[Stop it now. Clear things up within a week. I'll turn a blind eye to all your bluffing and lies until now.]
My weapon. The weapon that I was Jeong Ji-heon's lover...
People murmured. The gazes directed at Eun-bi had changed. Those who had looked at her with some sympathy couldn't hide their embarrassment.
Go Eun-ju also got up from her seat and asked Eun-bi.
"Manager... when did you record something like this?"
"I... I didn't, I didn't do it! Director Jeong Ji-heon recorded it!"
"Ah, so the Audio file is true."
Eun-ju nodded.
"No!"
Eun-bi shouted with a flushed face.
