Everything is fair in love and war.
But what if you find both love and war in one person?
"Are you perhaps ignoring me, Mr Jeon?" Minhee presses on for a response, "So rude of you, Mr Jeon. You know you can't really ignore me forever, right?"
Jeongg...
اوووه! هذه الصورة لا تتبع إرشادات المحتوى الخاصة بنا. لمتابعة النشر، يرجى إزالتها أو تحميل صورة أخرى.
─── ·𖥸· ───
When Jeongguk turns towards the food stall he had left Minhee at before coming to play the drums, he panics seeing her nowhere. Secretary Kim immediately calls her, while Jeongguk jogs up to the stall.
"Her phone is busy," Kim informs Jeongguk and the latter is somewhat relieved, assuming that Minhee must have gone somewhere to take the call since it's too loud here. A few minutes later, they receive a message from Dahyun saying Minhee is heading back to work because of an emergency and a note of apology attached to it.
Jeongguk sighs. "Guess we'll have to do the lantern show alone."
Secretary Kim nods before they head back to their hotel to get changed and continue the day's plan without Minhee.
...
"Did you wake up just now, Ha-min?"
Maybe Ha-min is still in a daze because he doesn't hear the gritting of Minhee's teeth. He laughs, rubbing a hand over his face. "Yes, I just woke up and knocked on your door to find out you're not there. What are you upto?"
"What am I upto?" Minhee looks around her before saying. "I am in Jung-gu."
"Ahh!" Ha-min exclaims. "You're with Mr Jeon?"
Minhee scoffs, shifting her phone to the other ear. "Not with Jeongguk but in Jung-gu. You know, the district in Daegu?"
"What?" Minhee hears some shuffling on her phone and assumes it's Ha-min trying to see what time and day it is. "That Jung-gu? Are you saying you're in Daegu right now? Why did you suddenly go there? Why didn't you tell me? Aren't we heading to Seoul tomorrow—it's absurd."
"You think that is absurd?" Minhee scoffs, getting out of her car in front of the Daegu factory. "I will tell you something more absurd. We had a schedule for Jindo Sea Parting in the morning, so I called my secretary and he didn't pick up the call. Fine. Then, I had to come to Daegu, so I tried to wake him up again...but my secretary who got drunk and passed out wouldn't wake up. He even swore at me on call." Minhee says, anger and sarcasm lacing her voice. "So I had to get a ticket myself and come here alone. All because my useless secretary didn't do anything for me. Do you think this makes sense?"
Ha-min shudders. "We were done with everything on our agenda...and all we had left was boarding the flight...and you had told me to enjoy the night so—"
"Who said we are done? I'm not done yet. And are you trying to shift the blame on me? Are you my superior? Do you make the decisions? Are you the CEO? Who do you think you are?" Her voice echoes throughout the factory, causing people to look in her direction and immediately bowing down to greet.
"My apologies, Ma'am..."
"Submit your resignation letter as soon as you arrive in Seoul," Minhee says, eyes strained at the stack of damaged lipsticks at the corner. If she is right, it is almost 30% of their daily production.
"You are joking, right?"
MInhee scoffs, walking towards the corner. "Do you think I am joking?"
"I am hoping that you are joking."
"I'm sorry but I am dead serious," she says and hangs up. Before anyone could stop her, Minhee rips open the box with her bare hands, not caring if the edges cut through her skin.
A foul smell hits her nose, smudged lipsticks inside the box greeting her. She steps back, eyes wide in horror, blood running cold.
The downfall of things, it's a repeat process. No, this can't be happening right now.
Ignorance is its architect. Nothing is wrong, everything will be fine. It has to be.
Minhee hastily calls Ha-min again, "Take the earliest flight here. Call me when you get here."
Afterall, in life, some people learn more from a failure than a success.
...
"Vice-Chairman." Mina bows and puts forward a piece of paper on Minhee's mother's desk. "The revenue official is here....he wants to talk to CEO Yoon but she is not here so he—"
"No time no see Mrs Yoon."
"Mr Chan." Mrs Yoon grits her teeth when the said revenue official barges inside the room. She stands up, walks to the sofa and takes a seat on it, making the man follow her suit and get seated across her. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Nothing much. Had an interesting visit to your new store, apparently, your daughter is capable of making money," the statement makes Mrs Yoon's blood boil, her nostrils flare when she exhales. "But I am sorry to inform you, it's only in an illicit manner."
"Personal grudges shouldn't interfere in work life, Mr Chan." Mrs Yoon says, calmly. "We are deeply sorry that Minhee had punched your son to reject his proposal of marriage and then your son ran away on his wedding day, I can understand where you come from but—"
"You're the one who can't differentiate work and personal life, Mrs Yoon." Mr Chan interrupts, hands gripping the document in his hand, slightly crumpling it. "Anyway, here's the tax audit and it clearly shows your daughter has been gaining extra profit out of your Daegu and your new store."
Mrs Yoon takes the document from him with furrowed eyebrows, licking her lips. "It's not possible."
The man quirks an eyebrow up, "There is enough proof for it to be possible. Anyway, you'll be required to pay all the mismanaged funds to a charity as a penalty. More details are available in the document. An official will be here soon to follow up the process."
Mrs Yoon just sits there, staring at the papers blankly. Mr Chan scoffs and stands up, "As the Vice Chairman, you'll also be called for questioning."
And with that, he walks out. "Mina...did you know about this?"
The girl frantically shakes her head, denying. Mrs Yoon grips the document hard, crumpling it completely before throwing it somewhere on the floor. "Our company is going to go bankrupt paying all the penalties piling upon us! Why can't just one thing go right!"
She passes a hand through her hair, dishevelling them. "I set up my own finance team to deal with every arising issue in Incheon and Daegu factories and stores. Nothing fucking works right!"
Mina flinches at the high pitched scratchy voice of Mrs Yoon, shuddering as the voice stings her ears. She then glares at Mina, making her take a step back. "Get the whole team here fucking now! All they do is laze around all day, those fucking oldies! Why didn't I keep an age limit while hiring, half of them have more grey hair than me!"
