The Adoption Rumor
Lady Na Hwa-jin thought about it very seriously. In the photo, the light washed out his features just enough that it failed to capture even half of that infuriating cuteness.
"It didn't even capture ten percent of it."
The photographer's skill must have been terrible.
The baby had been cute even in a flat photograph, of course. But Lady Na had seen him in person, and that was when she understood his true value.
"That little one has to be in motion."
Lady Na remembered those tiny fists, so absurdly dainty and yet constantly fidgeting.
'I almost wanted to put him in my mouth.'
Just as her cheek twitched strangely, a sharp voice suddenly cut into her ear.
"Mother, these kinds of pictures are all composited."
The cheek that had twitched settled back into calm. Na Hwa-jin turned only her eyes to look at her second daughter-in-law.
"Isn't it really too much? Calling that young lady a goddess. Everyone must be blind."
The madam took another sip of black tea.
"It is true that Soo-jung is beautiful."
"Mother! Those pictures are all smoothed over with Photoshop."
"Really? So you're upset that people call Soo-jung a goddess?"
Lee Yu-kyeong lost her words for a moment.
"Why would that upset you?"
"Th-there's no way, Mother!"
"Though Soo-jung brought that child home, don't forget that she's my daughter. Well then, are you finished with your business?"
Lee Yu-kyeong bit her lip lightly. In truth, the only business she had come for was this single photo posted on a community site.
"It's a disgrace to our Sungjin Group that a photo taken after bringing home that mongrel has gone viral."
"Publicity photos are meant to publicize something. I didn't realize I'd have to explain even that to you."
Lady Na waved a hand as though shooing away a fly.
"You're being noisy. Go away."
"Mother! Because you indulge her too much, that girl acts more and more recklessly. What if even a share of the company goes to that mongrel!"
Na Hwa-jin turned back to the English newspaper.
"I told you to leave."
"Mother!"
"Quiet. I know very well that you're jealous of Soo-jung, but don't show it so plainly."
Lady Na took a sip of tea and said each word with crisp precision.
"It's ugly."
Lee Yu-kyeong bit her lip.
"And why must you show that to me, of all people?"
"Mother!"
"Child. Didn't I just tell you to stop making noise?"
It was a clear order to leave. But Lee Yu-kyeong still didn't go.
"What do I have to envy about Ma Soo-jung? Has there ever been anyone who envied a mother who killed her own child?"
Na Hwa-jin's brow furrowed.
'I won!'
Lee Yu-kyeong sneered and said, "Then I'll be going, Mother."
The second daughter-in-law of the Sungjin Group turned sharply and walked away. Watching her go, Na Hwa-jin shook her head and muttered,
"And yet you're the one who envies her."
The moment the door closed, Lee Yu-kyeong muttered under her breath,
"That senile old woman."
She had come hoping to fan the flames and get her to kick that mongrel out, but all she'd done was spout nonsense.
'What? The photo didn't come out well?'
Lee Yu-kyeong looked down at her smartphone screen again.
The photo was still the same.
Ma Soo-jung was crying. It was exactly that scene, and yet because of her dazzling features, it somehow had a faintly sacred air.
Lee Yu-kyeong snorted and scrolled down.
'Her face is decent enough, I guess.'
That was the only thing worth looking at.
'At best, she's just a middling celebrity.'
Compared to her own position as the second daughter-in-law of the Sungjin Group, it didn't amount to anything.
The comments had already multiplied several times over. Lee Yu-kyeong kept scrolling.
Lee Yu-kyeong clenched her teeth. Then, without quite meaning to, she left a comment of her own.
Exactly three seconds after she posted it, comments started pouring in.
Once again, the comments exploded.
"No, no! This can't go on like this!"
Lee Yu-kyeong posted again.
This time, the whole mess had shifted to Ma Soo-jung's divorce. Lee Yu-kyeong closed the window with satisfaction.
"Saintly, my foot."
She was nothing but a pretty face, chewing on her own looks to make a living.
Lee Yu-kyeong hummed to herself as she walked away. Unlike Ma Soo-jung, who had nothing in common with her on any meaningful level, she had actual business to attend to.
* * *
"Is this really true?"
Ma Soo-jung took a long swallow of sparkling water from the sofa. Because of the figure-hugging costumes for the role she was playing these days, she had to count every single calorie she ate.
"What's what? You mean that I'm kind of like a saint?"
Ma Soo-jung swept her hair back. The agency's CEO frowned, but the actress didn't care in the slightest.
"No, the photo really was good."
"It was, wasn't it? Not bad even for promotional material. The photographer said it was the shot of his life."
"Yeah. I said not that it was genuinely saintly, you—! I'm asking if it's true!"
The CEO puffed up with indignation. He had almost been led astray by her deflection again.
Ma Soo-jung smiled brightly.
'She's not falling for it.'
Why on earth were those rumors spreading?
Ma Soo-jung spoke in a sweet voice. "CEO Seo."
"Yeah?"
"You trust me, right?"
The CEO nodded.
"I do."
"And you trust the article on the internet, or you trust me?"
"You."
Ma Soo-jung let out a sigh.
"I see. If you'd said you trusted the article, I was going to lie to you..."
"Huh?"
"Relax."
Ma Soo-jung smiled like an angel.
"It's true."
In an instant, the CEO went blank.
"Wh-what?!!!"
"My Gongza and I were destined for each other. The moment I saw him, I fell for him. An angel smiled at me."
"Hey! Ma Soo-jung!"
"I couldn't resist. Gongza captured me like a devil with an angel's smile."
"Hey, it's still adoption! You actually did it?"
"Yes. I really did."
The CEO clutched the back of his neck and collapsed onto the sofa. Having known Ma Soo-jung for years, he understood one thing for certain.
"CEO Seo, weren't you supposed to have low blood pressure? Why are you grabbing your neck?"
"Hey! Ma Soo-jung! At least discuss something like this first!"
"If I discussed it with you, you'd have stopped me."
"Of course I would've!"
Ma Soo-jung sat back comfortably on the sofa and smiled, utterly at ease.
"That's why I didn't."
"Hey, but adoption—!"
"It's better than marriage—no, better than remarriage, isn't it?"
"Well, yes, but... "
The actress looked every bit the picture of leisure.
"But, Soo-jung. You're divorced."
"Right. I did get divorced. Two years ago."
Ma Soo-jung smiled brightly.
"So what? What does that have to do with anything?"
"Hey, the whole world doesn't think like you do."
"That's true. Sorry."
"Why adoption, though? What are you lacking?"
The actress shook her head.
"Do people usually adopt because they're lacking something? Isn't it the people with better character, more ease in life, and more room in their hearts who adopt?"
The CEO shut his mouth at once.
"You've just stabbed every adoptive family in Korea—no, in the entire world—right in the heart."
"Hey, I'm just saying that's how it is. That's not the issue right now..."
"I can raise that kid just fine. That's exactly the kind of person I am—good character, easygoing, and full of room."
Ma Soo-jung crossed her legs as she spoke.
"I make good money. I don't even turn down much work. If it's a good script, I'll film it. I'm emotionally at ease, too, and I donate regularly. And you know investors adore me, right?"
The CEO nodded.
"Among the people who make money for you, I'm not in the top three?"
"W-well, that's true."
"Then please let it slide. If I'm the one raising him, why is everyone making such a fuss?"
Ma Soo-jung rose from her seat.
"S-Soo-jung, where are you going?"
"I'm going to call a lawyer."
"Huh? What are you trying to do now?"
"Something feels off. The adoption was supposed to be confidential. No one should know about it except the people around me."
Ma Soo-jung smiled like a villain in a movie.
"Who would leave a comment like that, I wonder?"
"You're going after the malicious poster?"
"I’m going to catch the rat and make him pay a fine, if nothing else."
"You know prosecutors don't exactly chase that kind of thing hard."
"In the legal world, what, they just muddle through unless somebody kills themselves, right?"
If a malicious commenter killed themselves, people would scream that they shouldn't be punished.
If a celebrity killed themselves, people would scream that they should be punished.
Unfortunately, this was the era of the former.
"Honestly, it would be nice if they just tallied the death rate and made it official."
"Hey, Soo-jung. Don't say things like that so casually."
"Why? It doesn't sound human, does it? Our family is kind of like this. I guess it's rubbed off on me, too. Well, that's why we hire lawyers. Why do you think it's good to have a proxy? So they can throw the tantrums for me."
Ma Soo-jung looked down at her smartphone screen and muttered,
"Our Gongza shouldn't grow up like this."
'I want our baby to live in a bright world, soft as down.'
Mom will protect you. I'll make sure you get to live like that.
She looked back at the CEO and smiled brightly.
"So, please. CEO Seo?"
"Aigoo. Why did I ever bring someone like this in?"
"You like having me around, though. Don't play the victim."
She walked out of the CEO's office with cool, confident strides. Only after Ma Soo-jung had gone did the CEO finally realize it.
"She got me again!"
Not once had he been able to say a word in front of her.
CEO Seo lowered his head and let out a long sigh. To be honest, this wasn't adultery or tax evasion.
Still, adoption isn't a crime.
It might become a problem when she was casting roles in the future, but still.
CEO Seo slumped onto the sofa. Thanks to that, everything he had to deal with suddenly felt like a dream.
'You think keeping the press quiet is easy, you little—!'
If he weren't depending on her for money, he'd at least have loved to give her a proper scolding.
The CEO called somewhere, silently crying on the inside.