Chapter 90
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 90
The day after receiving a call from Tae-gon, Eun-seong visited his agency, Yeonildam.
His appointment was for one in the afternoon. When he arrived right on time, he found the secretaries who usually stood guard outside the CEO's office were gone. Tae-gon had clearly taken precautions to ensure their conversation wouldn't be overheard. After a brief glance at the empty desks, Eun-seong opened the door to the office.
He didn't bother knocking. Inside, Tae-gon, who had been gazing out the window from his leather chair, spun around to face him.
"You're here?"
"I am."
Thud. Eun-seong closed the door and sat down on the sofa. Tae-gon simply stared, his chin resting on his clasped hands. Normally, he would have immediately gotten up and joined Eun-seong, but today, he remained behind his desk, keeping his distance.
Eun-seong crossed his legs, his foot bouncing slowly. Though it was his own agency, he rarely had a reason to visit, so it had been a while since he’d last set foot in the CEO’s office. The room was the epitome of luxury, a clear reflection of Tae-gon's tastes. Amidst the opulence, a single photograph hung on the wall—a picture of himself.
It was a photo of him and Tae-gon, hoisting a trophy and a bottle of champagne into the air. He wore a similar tuxedo to nearly every awards ceremony, but he knew exactly which day that was. It was the most glorious moment of his past, holding his most prestigious trophy.
"Feels like just yesterday. Time really flies."
Noticing Eun-seong’s gaze fixed on the photo, Tae-gon spoke casually.
"I told you not to do that movie, but you insisted. And then you went and won the Best Actor Award at that prestigious film festival. You always had a great eye. Incredible insight."
Eun-seong had collected a sweeping array of titles: the first in Korea, the first in Asia, the youngest in the world.
It hadn't happened by mere chance, nor could it be brushed off as a fluke. Eun-seong had achieved what had never been done before, what was once deemed impossible, and what might never happen again.
Tae-gon chuckled as he looked at the photo. He had gone from a small-time agency CEO managing drama extras to a powerhouse standing shoulder-to-shoulder with giants of the global entertainment industry. He had followed Eun-seong to every corner of the world.
They both held their tongues, the silence stretching until their eyes met. Tae-gon raised an eyebrow.
The image of a college-aged Eun-seong, wearing a baseball cap with nothing but a backpack, flickered in his mind, overlapping with the man before him now. Back when they’d signed their first contract with a down payment of five million won, who could have possibly guessed he would become such a world-class actor?
Neither of them. Tae-gon had believed Eun-seong had the raw talent to succeed, but his expectations had remained within the bounds of common sense. He had never imagined he would one day see Eun-seong's movie posters hanging in a bar in some rural Mexican village.
"You must resent me, don't you?"
As Tae-gon broke the silence, Eun-seong slowly opened his eyes.
"Because of me, you were torn apart from your girlfriend. And you lived all this time without even knowing you had a child."
Tae-gon leaned back deep into his chair and examined his fingers. He picked at his nails for a moment, then blew on them.
"But Eun-seong."
"..."
"I don't regret it."
Life was a series of choices, and rarely did an option exist that satisfied everyone.
"I was the one who had to protect you. I dedicated my life to you, protecting you more than I protected myself, all to put you at the top of the world. So, what wouldn't I have done for that? I would have done far worse—anything, as long as it was for you."
Tae-gon spread his arms and shrugged. Seeing Eun-seong remain silent, he slowly stood up.
"Well, I suppose that's all I have to say in my defense. What do you plan to do now?"
Tae-gon walked over to the sofa where Eun-seong was sitting. He couldn't get a read on him at all; the actor's face was a complete blank.
Eun-seong was calm, quiet, almost at ease. Tae-gon had expected him to be consumed by a burning rage, but there was none.
"We should terminate the contract."
As soon as the words left Eun-seong’s mouth, Tae-gon nodded. It was exactly what he had expected.
"Right. I'll release an official statement soon. I won't try to hold on to you, so do what you want. What else?"
At Tae-gon's prompting, Eun-seong spoke, a mocking smile on his lips.
"What else would there be? That's enough."
"Just... contract termination?"
Tae-gon couldn't believe his ears. Had he misheard? Eun-seong had the recording from Go Yeon-ju; if he'd listened to it, there was no way this would be his reaction. Tae-gon had dismissed his secretaries, fully expecting Eun-seong to tear the office apart. To hear that only contract termination was on the table felt surreal.
"Why? Is that suspicious?" Eun-seong asked, glancing up.
Tae-gon quickly smoothed over his bewildered expression. He had already resolved to let Eun-seong go, so wrapping things up like this was the best possible outcome.
"No, of course not. Let's settle it like that, then. Thank you."
As Tae-gon quickly agreed, Eun-seong added, "I have to show some consideration for our history. After all, look how much time we've spent together. Don't you agree?"
"Right. It's not like I had a personal grudge against Go Yeon-ju. I only did it so things would work out for you. Thank you for understanding."
He wanted to end the conversation quickly before Eun-seong changed his mind. There was still time left on the contract, but that could be settled with the termination agreement. It was time to let him go.
Once the actor Im Eun-seong left Yeonildam, the company's stock would surely take a hit and rumors would fly, but that was a price he was willing to pay. If he got any greedier now, he could lose his position as CEO and everything he'd built.
"Which agency are you planning to move to?"
When Tae-gon changed the subject, Eun-seong stared at him intently. Then, he stood up and slowly walked behind the sofa.
"I'm planning to go to Dream Art. I'm somewhat close with CEO Park."
"Ah, Dream Art. A good choice. CEO Park did a great job with Kang Tae-jun. She'll take good care of you. I'll give her a call."
Of all places, Dream Art. The thought of handing Eun-seong over to that nine-tailed fox of a woman, CEO Park, made his head spin, but there was nothing he could do.
Eun-seong strolled around the CEO's office as if he were sightseeing. Tae-gon's eyes followed his every move. Finally, Tae-gon stood and held out the termination agreement he had prepared in advance.
"Review it and sign. I'm really letting you go now."
Eun-seong took the document and looked at Tae-gon. Dumbfounded by the phrase "letting you go," one corner of his mouth twitched upward.
"I thought I was staying here of my own free will. It seems you thought you had me on a tight leash."
"Don't misunderstand. I only said that because I'm sad to see you go."
Tae-gon placed a hand on Eun-seong's shoulder and patted it encouragingly.
"I suppose you'll have to reveal everything to the world now—that you have a woman you love, and a son. I don't know how you'll handle it, but I wish you the best of luck."
Eun-seong brushed Tae-gon's hand off his shoulder.
"To be honest," he said, "I've spent all this time thinking about how to utterly destroy you, CEO Min Tae-gon. And Yeonildam."
Tae-gon swallowed hard. He had already handed over the termination agreement and the transfer of rights.
"Yeon-ju told me something," Eun-seong continued. "That punishment isn't for mortals to deliver."
"..."
"A part of me wants to kill you, but what can I do? If punishment is heaven's domain, not man's..."
Tae-gon's lips parted slightly. Eun-seong's gaze drifted back to the photo on the wall.
He stared at it quietly for a moment, then reached out, took the frame, and dropped it to the floor. The glass shattered, scattering in every direction.
The glorious days of smiling beside him, trophy and champagne in hand, were shattered.
Eun-seong stepped on the broken frame with his leather shoe. With a grinding crunch, the glass splintered into tiny pieces, scarring the photograph beneath.
"I guess my part ends here, CEO Min."
"..."
"So now, prepare to receive heaven's punishment."
Tae-gon flinched, his expression a mixture of confusion and alarm. It was then.
"CEO Min! CEO Min!"
The office door burst open and Chief Hong rushed in, his face pale as a ghost. The moment Tae-gon saw him, a flash of fear gripped him.
"CEO Min! We have a huge problem! A—a huge problem!"
With wide, unfocused eyes, Chief Hong stumbled to a stop in front of Tae-gon. He shoved his phone forward, his voice trembling with terror.
"Yang Hee-ryeong... Yang Hee-ryeong has filed a lawsuit against you! She posted a written statement on social media, and everything is blowing up!"
Despite the sheer panic in Chief Hong's voice, Tae-gon's reaction was sluggish. He slowly raised a hand to take the phone, his gaze falling to Yang Hee-ryeong's statement on the screen.
"Yang... Yang Hee-ryeong is claiming you sold her off to an unlicensed bar... She submitted evidence that she was forced into sexual services because of a sponsor's blackmail, and she even attached videos! It's absolute chaos right now, CEO Min..."
‘Get in touch with Department Head Park from Cheongdam-dong Milk and have him set up a decent sponsor. There are plenty of brainless, rich, woman-crazy suckers over there.’
The words were his own, and he remembered them vividly. He stared at Yang Hee-ryeong's statement on the screen before raising his head, as if giving up on reading the long text.
"W-What should we do? CEO Min, the PR department and the administration office are getting flooded with calls..."
Just then, a message pinged on Tae-gon's phone. It was from Shin Gi-taek, the CEO of Sunlight Magazine, whom he had shared drinks with not long ago.
[CEO Min! Thank you for the incredible scoop!]
Having secured irrefutable evidence, Shin Gi-taek had turned on him in the blink of an eye. Tae-gon bit his lip, hard. Then, his gaze snapped toward Eun-seong.
"Im Eun-seong, you son of a bitch..."
This time, it was Eun-seong who placed a hand on Tae-gon's shoulder, patting it encouragingly.
"I don't know how you'll handle it, but I wish you the best of luck."