The Woman Who Stole My Flower
Chapter 39
Chapter 39
#39.
Truly, Yeon-seo could not understand a single thing about Kang Joo-heon. Jooheon had never once been kind to her. He rejected her requests without a second thought, was perpetually blunt, lost his temper at the slightest provocation, and glared at her as if she were the most detestable person in the whole world. She had never even seen him smile.
…And yet, why did he treat her so well from time to time?
Her dad had told her. He said it was the very first time in his life anyone had treated him with such care. Opening his drink for him, pushing his wheelchair, giving him a ride in his own car all the way home… It was so unbelievable that Yeon-seo had to double-check several times just to make sure the subject of the story really was Kang Joo-heon.
She was thousands, tens of thousands of times more grateful than if he had treated her well. For her dad, who had spent his entire life being looked down upon by others, to receive such treatment from Kang Joo-heon—of all people, the man he admired so much—how happy must he have been? In fact, from yesterday until today, her dad had talked about nothing but Kang Joo-heon.
I’ve never seen someone so handsome. He couldn’t have been more kind and polite. He was so flawless, he seemed like an angel descended straight from heaven.
Entangled with both gratitude and resentment, Yeon-seo felt utterly confused. What on earth did this man think of her? Did he simply loathe her for taking his virginity, or was he even the slightest bit interested in her?
“The phone too! I told you that you didn’t have to buy it!”
Yeon-seo threw an unreasonable tantrum. For the first time in her life, she was whining and complaining to someone.
“It’s all Director’s fault!”
She had no idea why, but somehow she felt it was okay to act this way toward him. Even though he was someone who constantly snapped and barked, she felt that if she threw a fit, he would indulge her.
“I’m sorry. That… I didn’t mean to do that on purpose…”
Had she been right? Far from getting angry, Jooheon actually looked at a total loss for what to do.
“It was my fault.”
The massive man even bowed his head to her. A man who seemed like he would be arrogant before anyone in the world, bowing to someone as insignificant as Yeon-seo.
Feeling as though her face was about to turn bright red, Yeon-seo deliberately stomped her feet and stormed right past him.
“I hate you, Director!”
*
Thud.
Leaning his forehead against the elevator wall, Jooheon let out a deep sigh.
“Haa…”
Come to think of it, not a single word Yeon-seo said was wrong. Caring about her had only ever stayed in his head; he had never once spoken gently to her or treated her properly. Just as she said, he had always acted curt, scolded her, and glared at her.
Well, because as much as he liked her, he resented her too. He resented that she didn’t recognize him, couldn’t remember him, and broke her promise after saying she would like him.
You stupid bastard.
Jooheon blamed himself. If he had resolved to make her look at him within a month, he should have bent over backward to treat her well. When even being endlessly good to her wouldn’t have been enough, he had constantly badgered her, so of course she was startled and said she hated him.
[I hate you, Director!]
The single retort Yeon-seo had thrown at him kept echoing in his mind, drawing out sigh after sigh. Why do you hate me so much? When I like you this much.
Of course, she had no idea that he liked her. Nor could he confess. If he told her, she would freak out and run away!
Stifling his suffocating frustration beneath his suit, Jooheon stepped out of the elevator.
“Ah, Player Kang Joo-heon—no, Director!”
The 24th floor, the highest level occupied by Bellator Korea. The person waiting for Jooheon in front of the elevator was none other than the CEO.
“Please, come on in.”
The CEO, a man in his late fifties, could hardly straighten his back before Jooheon, who was young enough to be his son. He personally guided Jooheon to his office and even opened the door with his own hands.
Once they sat across from each other, a secretary soon brought tea and placed it between them. Looking at Jooheon seated opposite him, the CEO stared as if struck anew by his brilliance.
“To think that Kang Joo-heon would join our company… I still wonder if I’m dreaming or awake. The UK headquarters was overjoyed as well.”
There was a good reason for his overwhelming emotion. Although he held the title of CEO, he was essentially just a salaried manager dispatched by the UK headquarters. Yet he had secured a renewal commitment at the existing contract rate from Kang Joo-heon, the global model the headquarters cared about most—so this would all become his personal achievement. The money saved easily amounted to billions of won.
“If you experience any inconveniences while working, please feel free to contact me directly anytime. I will see to it that it is corrected immediately.”
Naturally, Jooheon couldn’t care less about the CEO’s awe. Brushing aside the flattery, Jooheon cut straight to the chase before even taking a sip of tea.
“Have you by any chance heard about what happened downstairs just now?”
He was referring to the commotion caused by clearing Yeon-seo’s name.
“Yes. I heard that Director Kang Joo-heon gave a grand gift to all our employees.”
“Do you also know the reason behind it?”
“I heard that one of our employees was falsely accused.”
“It was my secretary.”
Jooheon’s expression hardened as he spoke.
“Fortunately, the misunderstanding was cleared, but I cannot simply let this slide. Someone being falsely accused means there is an actual thief out there. I came to suggest that we formally request a police investigation.”
Yeon-seo’s father, who had dragged his impaired body all the way here and burst into sorrowful tears. Yeon-seo, whose eyes were still swollen this morning from crying so much. Remembering the two of them, Jooheon’s grip on the sofa’s armrest tightened involuntarily. He would never let this go unpunished.
However, the CEO wore a troubled expression.
“Regarding that matter, it seems there was a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?”
“Yes. Earlier, my secretary happened to find the box of phones dropped in a corner of the parking lot and handed it over to the Management Support Office. It turns out that was the very item everyone made a fuss about being stolen.”
Jooheon’s expression flickered subtly.
It was found just now, of all times?
The CEO spoke as if apologetic.
“Apparently, because there were so many boxes, a mistake was made while moving them. I am deeply sorry for causing Director Kang Joo-heon concern over a simple incident.”
One could clearly sense his subtle effort to emphasize that it was merely an innocent misunderstanding.
“…”
Jooheon fell into thought.
The reason Yeon-seo had taken the fall for this in the first place was that she had moved the boxes ‘alone,’ even though it wasn’t her department’s job. And the person who ordered her to do that was none other than Sung Hye-eun.
What had Sung Hye-eun done last time? She had tried to push Yeon-seo aside to take the secretary position for herself, only to be thoroughly scolded by Jooheon before slinking away with trembling lips.
His instincts flared. This incident had to be connected to that woman.
That was why he had requested a meeting with the CEO with full confidence, yet the stolen goods in question were miraculously found right before the request for a police investigation. Jooheon could not bring himself to believe this was a mere coincidence.
[I will meet with the CEO and propose reporting this to the police.]
However, barely thirty minutes had passed since Jooheon declared that downstairs. Would it be too far of a stretch to think that Sung Hye-eun had contacted the CEO in that short window? Even to Jooheon, who knew nothing about corporate hierarchy, a manager wouldn’t be able to meet or contact the CEO whenever she pleased. Even if she could contact him, there was no reason for the CEO to take her side and lie for her.
Did I misjudge this?
As Jooheon pondered, the CEO spoke again in a coaxing tone.
“Since it appears to have been a simple mistake, it would be best to let it pass quietly. What good would come of catching the person who made a mistake at this point? In matters like this, isn’t everyone a victim in the end?”
Just then, past the CEO’s shoulder, Jooheon caught sight of the nameplate sitting on the desk.
[Representative Director & CEO David Seong]
David Seong, Sung Hye-eun. Sung Hye-eun, David Seong…
“Understood.”
When Jooheon pushed himself up from his seat, the CEO stood up after him with a disappointed look.
“Oh, why are you leaving already? Won’t you stay a while and chat?”
“I skipped my morning training, so I need to go now.”
“Ah, is that so? Then of course, you must hurry along.”
The CEO escorted Jooheon all the way to the elevator. Before heading to the underground parking lot where Ho-jin was waiting, Jooheon first got off on the 20th floor. He then stopped an employee who happened to be walking past.
“Do you happen to know anything about Manager Sung Hye-eun?”
Out of nowhere, Kang Joo-heon appeared right before their eyes and asked a sudden question. Though startled and flustered, the employee answered readily.
“Yes. Manager Sung Hye-eun joined the company the year before last and is currently in the Management Support Office. She’s our CEO’s daughter, and she went to university in the States…”