Chapter – 20
Seokjin wanted to immediately cover his father’s mouth and tell him he shouldn’t say things like that to Oh Gaeun.
That Oh Gaeun was not like ordinary people.
He should have told him that she might even ask for the entire Jushin Group, so it would be better to first offer something like 1 billion or 10 billion won in cash to gain the upper hand in negotiations with her.
From several past experiences, Seokjin knew that handing Oh Gaeun a blank check was practically the same as suicide.
She was the kind of woman who would show more than anything you could possibly imagine.
“Just tell me what you want.”
“Really?”
Seokjin squeezed his eyes shut, wishing this were just a dream.
“Just say it.”
“Jushin Retail…”
When he thought about his past self who had honestly told her which subsidiary was the most profitable part of the Jushin Group, he wanted to go back and grab himself by the collar.
“…I want it.”
“Jushin Retail?”
Now he might lose his CEO position to Oh Gaeun. The dizzying thought made his lips dry up.
Did she even know what Jushin Retail was?
It was a company he had built through relentless effort, running himself ragged and working like a madman.
And now it seemed like it would be taken from him just like that.
Gaeun slightly curled the corner of her lips upward before speaking seriously.
“Yes. So please give me Seokjin instead. I’ll make him happy.”
Chairman Joo burst into hearty laughter at her confident words.
If the goal was a marriage the family opposed, then maybe changing the approach wasn’t such a bad idea.
If she entered the family as the youngest daughter-in-law of the Jushin Group and completely wrecked the household from the inside, that might actually be even better.
“You’re my lifesaver, of course I should approve the marriage!”
“Then Seokjin belongs to me from now on, so please don’t treat him carelessly.”
“I am not an object.”
Seokjin openly showed his displeasure.
Is this guy trying to ruin everything right now?
Gaeun couldn’t understand why he was still standing on his pride at a moment like this.
If their goal was marriage, shouldn’t he just agree to whatever helped them achieve it?
She was getting angry wondering how much longer she had to tolerate this man who was supposedly risking his life to oppose the marriage.
“When did anyone call you an object?”
“From how this conversation sounds, I feel like one. And even if I’m not, I am not my father’s property. Even if it’s repayment for saving his life, saying he’ll give me away… that’s extremely unpleasant.”
“Father, we’ll go talk privately for a moment. Please get some rest.”
“Alright, alright, dear.”
Chairman Joo, who had nearly died, now looked ready to give even his soul to Gaeun for saving his life, even affectionately calling her dear.
To receive the affection of the Jushin Group chairman.
Maybe she should just cancel this marriage and ask for a nice building in a prime location instead.
But…
She felt sorry for Seokjin.
Thinking about how he was constantly looked down on for being an illegitimate child made her heart ache.
“What exactly are you trying to do right now?”
As soon as they reached a lounge far from the hospital room, Seokjin confronted her.
Gaeun ignored his question, walked past him, and sat down with her legs crossed.
“Trying to get married.”
“I said the goal was a marriage that gets opposed.”
“If we’re getting married anyway, why not just do it easily? Why make it harder by forcing opposition?”
“…”
Seokjin said nothing. Gaeun walked up to him.
His eyes looked deep as he fell into thought.
Is he growing a black hole in there?
They were the kind of eyes that felt like you might fall into them if you stared too long.
“I planned to use the strong opposition against you to bring family conflicts to the surface.”
“What’s so hard about that?”
“If rumors spread that my family opposes the marriage because of your lack of background, public opinion would at least tilt somewhat in my favor.”
After hearing his explanation, she admitted it made sense.
But then she would end up being labeled a scheming woman who seduced a man and caused family conflict.
This guy, seriously.
He said he’d protect her, yet he was only thinking about his own advantage.
“So what? You’re going to turn me into some nine-tailed fox seductress to gain sympathy?”
“…No. That’s not—”
“What’s not? Hey, President Joo. Should I just go back and ask the chairman for Jushin Retail instead? Honestly, being CEO sounds better than bothering with this marriage.”
“Ms. Oh?”
Seokjin looked at her in surprise.
“If I become CEO and run it into the ground, would that be good or bad? Want me to show you how to bankrupt a company in a month?”
“…Calm down.”
“Calm down? When someone shows goodwill you should be grateful. Don’t act like it’s your right just because it keeps happening.”
“If it felt that way, I apologize.”
“Seriously…”
Gaeun stopped mid-anger at his sincere apology.
Whenever he apologized like that, her defenses strangely collapsed.
“President Joo, let’s just do this the easy way. If you want family conflict, I can create plenty even after we marry. You saw earlier, right?”
If he wanted conflict, she could provide more than enough.
Watching those arrogant elites panic had been satisfying for her too.
“…It was impressive.”
“So we’re getting married easily then?”
“Let’s do it.”
“Then… let’s forget that earlier deal.”
She remembered their agreement that if she failed to get the chairman’s opposition, she would pay ten times the 1 million won.
She didn’t even have 1 million right now, and 10 million sounded impossible.
“A contract is a contract. If we start making exceptions, things will get out of control.”
“President Joo, this is where flexibility matters. You think I’m worried about 10 million when I just gained the chairman’s trust?”
“I know it’s not that it’s precious. It’s that you don’t have it.”
“W-who says I don’t have 10 million? I just don’t have it now… I’ll have it later.”
He must have checked her bank balance.
He had hundreds of billions yet was obsessed with 10 million…
Is he a miser?
Maybe he was.
He had complained when she spent just over 50,000 won at Daiso.
A miserly chaebol had definitely not been part of her plans.
She had planned to become addicted to shopping with his credit card, but now her mind went blank.
“Let’s just cancel this marriage. I’d rather take a building and live off rent.”
“According to whose decision?”
“Mine.”
She looked at him confidently.
Normally that would make someone flustered, but Seokjin was smiling.
What does that smile mean?
“If you asked for me in front of my father, it’s already decided.”
“I can just say I don’t want you anymore.”
“What kind of woman says two different things?”
“I thought about it and realized I overestimated myself. I am someone who says multiple things.”
Even at her shameless reply, he just kept smiling.
Gaeun began to feel uneasy.
“Take me.”
“…No thanks.”
She stepped back in shock.
What kind of strange thing was that to say?
What was she supposed to do with a grown man?
He said he hated jokes, yet now he was making ridiculous ones.
“If you asked for me, then ownership of Joo Seokjin belongs to you now. Once we file the marriage registration, it’ll legally transfer too.”
“Are you crazy?!”
“Don’t you want to make money? A single building would be nothing compared to the alimony you’d get after divorce.”
Right. There was alimony.
And their marriage contract was supposed to be renewed every three months.
Once she saved enough money, she could just leave.
Some celebrity had gotten a lot from divorcing a chaebol…
“Wait a second.”
Gaeun pulled out her phone calculator.
2 million won per month for a comfortable lifestyle.
24 million per year.
240 million in 10 years.
Roughly 200 million per decade.
To last 30 years until pension age, she’d need 600 million.
“How much salary will you pay? Don’t say you’ll decide later.”
“Five million.”
“Not five hundred, right?”
She clarified carefully, remembering how he’d tricked her before.
“Five million won.”
“Wait.”
“That’s 60 million a year.”
As he said this while watching her calculate, she grabbed her head.
“How am I supposed to reach 600 million?!”
At this rate she’d need 10 years before divorcing him.
And then…
That would be an awkward age to start over.
“I’ll make sure the alimony is satisfactory.”
“Fine, alimony sounds good. But be honest.”
“About what?”
“It’s weird. Someone like you doing this marriage. If you need to organize your family, you could just remove them. Why marry someone like me?”
She needed to know.
Only then could she properly help him.
“Why does marriage have to be once in a lifetime?”
“I don’t care if you remarry or not. Just tell me why.”
“…”
“Do you have a hidden woman? Are you planning to clean up your family for her?”
“No woman.”
Then what reason did he have?
At least he said he wasn’t defective.
“If not a woman, then why?”
“Several reasons.”
“Concubine… I mean sorry. Are you trying to take revenge on your half-siblings?”
That seemed the most likely reason.
Though honestly, wasn’t it natural for the legitimate children to resent an illegitimate one?
She understood his siblings more.
“My mother is not what people call a concubine.”
Then what is he talking about?
There was a legal wife, Mrs. Jung. If his mother wasn’t a concubine, then what?
Was he born from an egg?
“Originally… my father’s wife was my mother.”
