Cracks in the Facade
"Ah, my back."
I clutched my aching lower back as I stepped out of the car. Groaning, I began my now-familiar walk to work.
Even though I hadn't slept a wink last night because of all the sex, I, Baek Jihan, was not a weakling who would let a little exhaustion ruin his schedule.
"I shouldn't have agreed to play butler."
I had spent about three hours bent over the bed, taking turns eating out Yuna Noona and Francesca. Keeping my back hunched for that long was definitely the source of this throbbing pain.
I never expected them to actually tamper with the clocks. The morning sun was clearly rising, yet they insisted it was 6:00 PM.
Still, I was in high spirits. The sex last night had been incredible, of course, but more importantly, Francesca had assured me that she had handled the task I requested flawlessly.
"I wonder~♪ what kind of face~ Park Sora will make today~↗↘♬"
Humming a tune, I knocked on the door of the CEO's office.
Knock, knock!
"CEO Park, it's Baek Jihan. May I come in?"
—...
I spoke while trying to suppress my cheerful expression, but there was no reply.
Just as I was about to knock again, the door swung open with a click.
"Oh, Jihan."
The person who opened the door wasn't Park Sora, but another employee. I recognized her face from seeing her around the office.
"Are you here to see the CEO?"
"Yes, is she inside?"
"Oh, what a shame. She took the day off today due to some family matters."
The female employee twisted her body coyly as she spoke.
"Ah, I see. It must be something important."
"I know, right? She's never missed a day of work before, so I'm actually a bit worried."
"I should probably give her a call."
"Yes! If you call her, Jihan, I'm sure it'll cheer her up."
Turning away from the blushing employee, I headed back to my office.
As soon as I closed the door, I pulled out my phone and dialed her number.
After a few rings, just as I was about to hang up, the call connected.
—Hello?
Her voice sounded incredibly exhausted. It was dry and cracked, as if she hadn't had a single sip of water, yet ironically, it was also thick with unshed tears.
"Ah, CEO Park. It's Baek Jihan."
—...Yes. What is it?
"One of the employees told me you took the day off for family matters. I was worried, so I wanted to check on you."
—Thank you. I should be back... by tomorrow or the day after. Don't worry. Well then...
Click. With that, the line went dead.
"Hmm..."
Things were playing out exactly as expected, but... did the plan work too well?
Well, of course. Anyone would lose their mind seeing their husband rolling around in bed with another woman in their own master bedroom.
"And right next to where their daughter was sleeping, no less."
I was the one who accelerated this disaster, but I didn't feel any particular guilt.
That household was bound to shatter sooner or later anyway. It was better to tear it down quickly and rebuild it from the ground up.
I felt bad for the pain Park Sora would have to endure in the process, but I would just have to do my absolute best to heal her wounds.
Of course, that was assuming she would willingly throw herself into my arms, but I doubted it would take very long.
Two days passed. When I finally saw Park Sora again, she looked completely devoid of life.
"Did you see the CEO's face today? She didn't even wear makeup, and her dark circles are practically down to her chin."
"Yeah, but she's still legendarily gorgeous... Anyway, I heard her husband was cheating..."
"Seriously? How did you find out?"
"I heard her on the phone this morning... Her voice was echoing all the way outside her office!"
"Hey, shh, shh! Ahem. Oh, hello, Jihan! You look handsome as always today."
"Jihan, if you have some time, maybe we could grab lunch..."
The employees waiting for the elevator had been whispering among themselves, but the moment they made eye contact with me, they smiled foolishly and tried to flirt.
I gave them a slight nod—simultaneously greeting them and rejecting their advances—and headed toward my office.
—Sigh... Fine, let's say we get a divorce. But what about Hanna? What are we going to do about Hanna?
My gaze drifted toward her door as her faint, strained voice leaked out into the hallway.
So this was what the employees were talking about.
"Is everyone here to see the CEO?"
No one was blatantly eavesdropping, but several employees were lingering just close enough to catch the conversation. I gave them a pointed look, silently telling them to beat it.
Once the hallway was empty, I stood there and listened to the call.
—Do you have any idea how badly a single-parent household affects a child... What? I've told you a thousand times! How could you even think of leaving our child with that woman? Are you out of your mind?
—She's better than me? Is that really what you're saying right now? How could a woman who seduces a married man ever...
—Forget it. Let's talk after work. I have to get back to my job... You think I can focus on work in this state? You're the one who caused this whole mess...! Haah, whatever. It's not like you've ever actually worked a day in your life anyway. I'm hanging up!
I quietly stepped closer to the door.
—Maybe I should just file for a contested divorce and ruin him.
A faint, muffled sob followed.
Even though I was the one who set this in motion, seeing her like this made me feel a bit uneasy.
I knocked on the door.
"CEO Park, may I come in?"
—...Sniffle... No. Later, please.
"...In that case, if you have to make another call, it might be best to keep your voice down. There were quite a few people lingering outside earlier."
—...Did you hear everything, Jihan?
"Yes, well. Unintentionally."
When I offered my gentle advice, she asked in a quiet voice. I replied just as softly.
—*Sigh.* Come in.
I turned the doorknob and stepped inside. The face that greeted me was utterly devastated.
Just as the employees had said, she wore no makeup, and dark circles shadowed half her face.
Her eyes were red and watery.
Sora forced her hazy eyes wide and spoke.
"I guess you forgot what I told you last time."
"...? What do you mean?"
I tilted my head, and she clarified.
"I told you that even if my husband really was having an affair, I would never be interested in you. Back then... I didn't actually know he was cheating, but still... What? Did you come here thinking you finally have a chance now?"
Her tone was sharp and venomous. Like a small, cute hedgehog, she was bristling her quills to hide her deeply wounded inner self.
To be honest, she wasn't entirely wrong.
My husband cheated first, so this is just self-defense. This is... just revenge.
I had thought she would justify giving herself to me like that. But perhaps I had been too naive.
She was proving to be much tougher than I anticipated.
It wasn't like I was out of options. I could push her even harder. I could arrange for her to lose custody of her daughter, spread rumors to ruin her agency, force her to step down as CEO, and so on.
There were countless ways to break her spirit until she had no choice but to lean on me.
But...
...That's really not my style.
If I broke her like that, would she still be the Park Sora I wanted?
Ultimately, her husband was the root cause of all this, but my responsibility wasn't exactly zero either.
I needed to take responsibility, even if it was a bit late.
"...Honestly, I can't say the thought didn't cross my mind. You're a very attractive woman, CEO Park."
"Save it. You're no different from my husband, are you? You're just another shameless bastard who would fall for some other woman and heartlessly abandon his own!"
Her voice rose again. She started coughing mid-sentence, so I brought her a glass of water, but she didn't even look at it.
"I never abandon my women."
"Hmph! Talk is cheap."
She sneered.
I let out a soft sigh, pulled out my phone, and sent a KakaoTalk message.
As Sora watched me with narrowed eyes, about thirty seconds passed.
Ping! Ping! Ping! A barrage of notification sounds rang out in rapid succession.
I checked my phone and then turned the screen toward her.
"Why are you showing me your phone... Huh?"
"See this?"
"..."
I smiled and pulled my phone back. Sora's eyes shook as if an earthquake had hit her soul.
After a brief silence, she finally found her voice.
"All those women... Wait, 'Mama'? The building owner?"
"Well, all walls crumble in the face of love. Technically speaking, I'm not her biological son anyway."
I wondered if her husband had made a similar face when he was caught red-handed. Her jaw was slack, completely unable to close.
"So, what you said earlier was wrong. I love and cherish all of my women. Both body and soul."
Feeling my gaze on her, Sora shivered. She raised her hands to cover her chest and spoke.
"I'll... admit that much. But me throwing myself at you is a completely different matter."
I shrugged and replied.
"Well, we can talk about that later. For now, you should focus on resolving the crisis at hand."
"...How?"
Sora lamented her situation. Perhaps because I had exposed my own secrets first, she began to pour out her inner troubles without holding back.
"Those bastards who have never earned a single penny in their lives want to raise my daughter? Does that make any sense to you?"
"Not at all."
"Right? And do you know what they said when I confronted them? 'You can just give us the money!' Can you believe that? Unbelievable. Who do they think I am, an ATM?"
She went on venting for quite a while. I listened patiently until she finished, then summarized.
"So, basically, you just need to secure sole custody of your daughter, right?"
"Yes. All I need is Hanna."
"What about filing for divorce?"
"I'm worried my daughter will be hurt if the split gets too ugly..."
I dialed Francesca's number.
"Hey, it's me. I'm going to hand the phone over to CEO Park Sora, so help her out as much as you can... Huh? Again? Ah, dammit. Fine. I'll wear the butler outfit and serve you guys. Yeah, hold on... Here, take the phone, CEO Park."
"You really have no shame, talking about that right in front of me..."
I shrugged.
"Well, you already know everything anyway."
Blushing, Sora snatched the phone from my hand without another word.
"Yes, this is Park Sora. Yes, Secretary Francesca. It's been a while. Yes. Yes, that's correct. The situation is..."
A conversation filled with the raw anxiety of a protective mother began.
Francesca's cold, analytical mind and sharp intellect were incredibly useful in this situation.
Sora answered her questions earnestly, desperate to secure custody by any means necessary.
"Yes, division of assets? Contribution share... Yes, about that much... Oh, really? That would be wonderful! Yes! I won't give those bastards a single penny. Ah... a lawsuit... but then Hanna... You can take care of her for a while? Still... Yes, I suppose we have no choice. I'll do as you say. Yes, I'll pass the phone back to him."
Sora silently thrust the phone back toward me, waving it slightly. Having shared our secrets, the psychological distance between us felt significantly closer.
I chuckled and took the phone.
"Yeah, did you guys work it out?"
—Yes, I will explain the details to you at home. However, we have agreed to take custody of young Hanna starting today until the lawsuit is concluded.
"Is that so?"
Since the phone was on speaker, Francesca's voice was clearly audible to Sora as well.
I spoke up, making sure she could hear me.
"But what if Hanna loves our house too much and refuses to leave?"
—The probability is quite high. After all, we have many beautiful sisters, delicious food, and plenty of things to play with.
Francesca replied slyly, clearly playing along. But then she took it a step further.
—This is also highly advantageous for you, Young Master. CEO Park Sora's top priority is Hanna. If Hanna says even a single line like, 'I love Jihan Oppa so much! I wish Oppa was my real daddy!' then it is instantly game over.
Sora's expression, which had been filled with relief just a moment ago, instantly froze.
"You're banned from seeing me in the butler outfit."
—Y-Young Master? What do you mean by...!
Click. I hung up the phone.
"...Let's go pick up Hanna together after work. And don't worry too much about the rumors around the office."
Without a word, Sora raised a finger. She was pointing directly at the door.