Chapter 78
The next day, Jeong Yeongjun returned to the office. Unlike yesterday, he was alone and looked disheveled. His hair was a mess, his clothes haphazardly thrown on, as if he'd rushed without a second thought. As he approached, a faint whiff of alcohol lingered on him.
True to his word, Jeong Yeongjun handed over the necessary documents and a USB drive containing the viral video.
"I'm sorry, but could you watch the video after I leave? I'd appreciate it."
He said it softly to Kang Minjae, who was picking up the USB. I could only hope Jeong Yeongjun hadn't caught the curiosity in Minjae's eyes.
"Of course. Have you spoken to your wife in the meantime?"
"......No. She won't even pick up my calls. I don't know if she's reading my texts or just marking them as spam. I even emailed her, but it shows as unread."
Go Jin-ah had clearly made up her mind. Jeong Yeongjun ruffled his hair in distress and hung his head.
"I haven't talked to my wife, but I did get a text from her lawyer."
Jeong Yeongjun fumbled for his phone and showed it to me.
"The 'executive director' here is my wife. She's the legal advisor for Yangjin Group at Taegwang Law Firm, and she even hired one of their lawyers for this. A divorce specialist with a long track record......"
"Don't worry too much, Mr. Jeong. Taegwang doesn't always win. I used to work there myself, and more importantly, we've beaten them in a civil suit before."
Kang Minjae's words seemed to offer some comfort. Jeong Yeongjun nodded slowly.
"......Yes."
"Mr. Jeong, how was your usual relationship with Ms. Go Jin-ah? Records show you've been married for seven years this year."
"Yes, that's right."
"No children, it seems. Was that by mutual agreement?"
"Ah...... No, not really. We tried to have kids, but it didn't work out. The hospital said there was an issue with my wife's uterus, making pregnancy difficult. We talked about IVF after that, but work kept getting in the way...... Before we knew it, seven years had passed."
"You mentioned you dated and then married. Is that accurate?"
"Ah, yes. We were college seniors and juniors—just knew each other's names and exchanged greetings. A few years later, we ran into each other at an alumni event. We ended up talking for a while, hit it off, exchanged numbers...... Started dating, and then got married. That's how it happened."
"After marriage, you joined Yangjin F&B as a division head and were soon promoted to executive director, correct?"
"Yes."
"What did you do before marriage?"
"Hm, I owned a small restaurant. Nothing big—just a little Western-style place near the university, with a friend."
"I see."
Those called chaebols place great emphasis on family ties in marriage. In Korea, marriage binds two families, aimed at maximizing business synergies. Politicians' kids with entrepreneurs' kids, or entrepreneurs' kids among themselves. Lawyers and doctors, top-tier in the marriage market, are second-string to them. But Jeong Yeongjun fit none of that. It was pure love marriage, no conditions attached.
"When you announced your marriage, how did her family react?"
"Not well, of course. But she stood her ground, and they eventually gave in."
"And after marriage, how were you treated by her family?"
Jeong Yeongjun paused, stroking his stubbled chin thoughtfully. He'd probably skipped shaving after the lawyer's message sank him into despair.
"Honestly, not great. My father- and mother-in-law ignored me constantly. No one in the family really liked me, except her."
"Why do you think that?"
"I was always sidelined at family gatherings. No one looked after me but her. If I slipped on even minor etiquette, they'd scold me for being unteachable or whisper behind my back. Even before I joined Yangjin F&B, they said a good university meant nothing without real learning, so I slaved over grad school for two years. Funny, right? We graduated from the same school, same department."
It was a common story. They build walls against those not from their so-called "prestigious families." In the 21st century, no castes, but some chaebols obsess over face. Rumors abound of daughters-in-law from elite families speaking French to exclude one from an ordinary background. Yet those same "elite" parents fail to rein in their kids, who tarnish the company image. Pathetic.
"Did they ever outright tell you to divorce?"
"Haha, of course. All the time. It was practically a habit with my in-laws. Every time I made a mistake at Yangjin F&B—big or small, while still adjusting—they'd say it. They'd ask her if she still liked a dimwit like me, say it was a blessing no kids, that it wasn't too late to split. Stuff like that."
"You've been through a lot."
Kang Minjae sighed sympathetically. But Jeong Yeongjun shook his head.
"No. She's suffered more than me. She always cheered me on and comforted me despite that talk. And...... thinking how disappointed and betrayed she must've felt seeing that video first crushes me. That's why...... I want to know who set me up even more......"
Jeong Yeongjun rubbed his dry face. He hadn't touched the drink Minjae had set out for him, just heaved heavy sighs.
"But figuring that out feels secondary to stopping the divorce right now. I can't focus......"
"Did you report it to the police?"
"Yes. Right after my father-in-law slapped me, I went straight to the station. They said they'd try, but it was hard to catch the culprit. They'd block the spread......"
Celebrities and even ordinary folks have suffered from unwanted sex videos. Most from ex-partners, so tracing the source isn't hard. Some faced punishment. Police always try to contain it. But even now, years later, finding old leaked videos is tough. Here, the distributor was unknown. Jeong Yeongjun's case was dire.
"You said it looked like assault while drunk. The room in the video—was it unfamiliar?"
"Yes, completely. Looked like a hotel or maybe a residence...... No idea."
"Even with blackout drunk, no waking up somewhere different, body unusually heavy, anything like that?"
"No. That's what drives me crazy. Even blackout, I always called a driver and went home. Never stayed out alone except business trips. Next mornings, always at home. Hangovers aplenty, sure. But porridge-level drunk every time...... Didn't notice extra heaviness or anything."
Her family nagged divorce constantly, no one welcomed him. Maybe they orchestrated it to oust him. But with their bond strong, divorce was impossible. After seven years, if Yangjin could no longer tolerate him? Say he caused major loss, bursting their patience. Or needed his position for someone more useful. Questionable to risk company image, but some chaebols treat "ordinary" folks' rights like bugs.
"Just a hypothesis: what if your father- or mother-in-law set it up?"
"What? Them?"
"Just hypothesizing. Any oddities?"
"Honestly, they'd be capable. No, the whole family. But it hurts the company image. Plenty of other ways......"
Your marriage too solid, maybe this was their only crack. After all, Ms. Go Jin-ah's from a family full of "capable" folks, per you. The video tanks her image too, erodes trust in you. If her parents' doing, they might think she'd ditch you now.
"......Lawyer, that's a bit harsh."
To Jeong Yeongjun, her family was both in-group and out-group. Contradictory, but he rebelled against them while craving acceptance. Solely because of Go Jin-ah. Yet he bristled at her being one of them. Truth was, her love shielded him, but without it, she'd see him same. She'd already sacrificed for this opposed marriage; no reason to endure longer.
"......"
"No way. My in-laws......"
"Just a hypothesis. You said they wouldn't risk image damage. Yangjin isn't suffering major hits. Embarrassing, sure, but public blasts you, not mocking them much. Surprisingly, folks pity the chaebol."
"Lawyer......"
Kang Minjae tugged my arm, eyes pleading I'd gone too far. No helping it. Jeong kept repeating he didn't want to lose her, showed up messy today. Pitiful spot—scorned for uncommitted crime, nationwide ridicule. But to save the marriage, crumbling over lawyer texts won't cut it. Needed to pull it together now. He still wasn't seeing objectively.
"No, you're right. Yeah. Maybe it is my in-laws. They're capable, and to rip me from Jin-ah, they'd ruin me without blinking."
"......"
"And three months ago, I made a small mistake costing the company about 200 million won. Not huge, but maybe that's it?"
Jeong Yeongjun's eyes widened, as if struck.
"Feels like my in-laws. Yeah. So, what now?"