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"It's your mother Jeongguk. She would like to see you, spend time with you so that she knows you're fine."

"I know dad." Jeongguk says, munching down his breakfast. "I will stop by soon. She says it as if she doesn't video call me during meetings to show her new plants."

He hears his dad laugh, and then silence falls over. Jeongguk is sure the next question would be about Minhee moving in— "How are you holding up to the response, Son? I hope you are staying away from all the negative energy the media has surrounded you with."

Jeongguk's heart beats slower, eyes closing. "Ofcourse Dad. I knew what I was getting myself into when I had agreed to the union."

"Union? Son, do you really know what you've gotten yourself into?"

Jeongguk doesn't answer, stays silent, his spoon falling back in the bowl of cereal.

"Minhee is a sweet girl, Jeongguk. Your mother and I want you to open your heart to her, let her in— I wouldn't want to say this otherwise but being Daejun's child is not easy. He's not an affectionate man, but he cares and he won't show it in a way a delicate child like Minhee would want. She's a diamond hidden in a mine, you'll have to wait to see her shine."

Jeongguk snorts. If his dad genuinely meant to say it, then he would have just agreed but it feels like he's trying to evoke some sympathy in Jeongguk. Jeongguk hates how people think that evoking sympathy would lead to having people open their hearts— it might be a good start— but why do people need to see each other in vulnerable situations to do that? Why can't they do it when they are just simply, happy or themselves?

"I got to go to work Dad," Jeongguk says, "Love you."

"Love you son."

And he hangs up.

Jeongguk scrolls through his phone, reading the daily news and random information and isn't nearly surprised to see the number of articles getting reduced in just two days after the marriage announcement. All those analytically bullshit articles were 'how much money Jeongguk earns after the possible merger between Wings and BE' are nowhere to be seen.

Do people really think I married her for his company's benefit? Bullshit.

It isn't until Jeongguk is ready to head out that he spots the fishbowl kept on his corner table. Right! I was gonna take this to my office. It must have slipped my mind.

Jeongguk picks it up and decides to take the subway today, to get the little one to join its friends in his office's aquarium.

...

"It really stands out." Secretary Kim says, crossing his arms and observing the fish swim around the aquarium.

"Minhee gave it to me."

Secretary Kim squints his eyes at the fish, stepping back. "Did you check for any bombs?"

Jeongguk sucks in a breath, playing along. "Unfortunately I didn't."

"I am asking this just in case...will my death be taken care of if anything happens?"

"No." Jeongguk deadpans and then looks at Kim, "So don't even think of getting into any accidents."

"I don't plan on it. I need to get my money on the extra labour I did yesterday." Secretary Kim sighs. Jeongguk chuckles, "You know how my mother is. She is keen on making my house look like a home, and honestly, I don't know how that would make a difference."

The elder stays silent, nodding. "I will get Ms Yoon's room prepared as soon as possible then. When is she moving in?"

"Ideally, she should have yesterday." Jeongguk says, "But it seems like she doesn't care about her image anymore. But I care about mine and it would be shitty to see any more articles about us coming to work from different places...I don't like using this method but I have no option."

...

"I'm sorry..." Minhee sniffs. "I really didn't mean to hide it from you guys."

She is currently sitting in an empty cafe where Eunwoo works, it's past closing time and after a lot of self-convincing, she is finally here to talk to Eunwoo about the whole thing. She tells him everything— except how the marriage came about because if we are speaking the truth, she herself can't come to terms with it— and tries hard to not cry hard.

Hearing herself— the so-called sacrifice of her dignity to save herself using Jeongguk makes it worse. It's not the Minhee I know, Eunwoo says and Minhee agrees with that too. Somewhere along with the conversation, the anger in Eunwoo dies down and he brings her a vanilla latte. Minhee grimaces as soon as she sees it because Eunwoo damn well knows it is something she would never drink.

But she drinks it anyway.

That's all it takes for him to hug Minhee and whisper, "We don't know this Minhee, but we'll learn about her. She still looks cute when she cries."

Minhee goes home just before midnight, her mother greets her with a suitcase in her hand. "You need to move in with Jeongguk if you want to get the benefit of his announcement and efforts."

Again with the sing-song of praises for Jeongguk, do they ever get tired?

"We worry about you. You are just spiralling yourself into more mess by not listening to your father. He's been in this industry for thirty years, even before either of you were born. He knows how it works."

But Minhee doesn't want to. Moving in with an almost stranger makes her skin crawl but she knows she won't be able to postpone it much. When she calls Eunwoo that night and asks him to look into Jeongguk's personal life— anything that might be a valid reason for her to not move in, all she hears is, "Research doesn't tell you what kind of husband one is, Minhee. People are different as friends, lovers and life partners, it won't help you."

So when she is on her way to work the next day and gets a call from Eunwoo again, she doesn't expect him to say, "You did a good thing, my friend, I am so proud of you."

Confused, Minhee lets her car park at the corner of her street, "Good thing? Finding out that Jeongguk wakes up at 5 in the morning?"

"You donated money." Eunwoo's amused tone matches that of Minhee's. "No matter how much money you have, not everyone can do it."

"I donated money? I did?"

"100 million won at that..."

"100 million won!?" Minhee gasps. She can't do donations right now with all the penalties Wings has to pay, what the fuck is he talking about?

"Now all those scandals you had about the customer violations and all the shit have been pushed back, for now."

"I didn't do it...for real."

And just like that, Minhee ends up standing on the stage at one of the public halls of a government school with students sitting on the seats, clapping.

"Commending Yoon Minhee. Taking interest in social welfare..."

Minhee isn't sure what is happening around. Dahyun and Mina switched their places as her and her mother's secretaries and hence she knows nothing. Mina isn't trained to deliver every piece of information like Dahyun does but only limited like to her mother.

The formalities are over and the students are called on the stage. It's when she is standing in the middle of the group of students that she hears a few of them speak.

"These pictures will be on the internet right?"

"The rich think that if you're poor, you can't get embarrassed."

And that particular conversation drops her heart. She thinks about it until she's out of the event, in the waiting room until someone takes a seat beside her, almost making her heart jump out of her body.

"This worked out well now. Pay me back."

...

"Aren't you done yet? Surprising me, helping me or whatever shit my father makes you do." Minhee grits her teeth.

"Your father makes me do nothing," Jeongguk says, calmly. "I am doing this because my present self has seen errors in getting associated with someone like you."

They are sitting in one of the empty rooms in the same building, along with their secretaries. Minhee scoffs, "Well, you're too late then."

Jeongguk nods, agreeing. Then he proposes a file, opening a page that says 'Revised contract of the union' and places it in front of Minhee. She looks down at it and immediately says, "I am not re-signing it. I am sure you've changed clauses to make everything work in your favour as if it already was not."

Jeongguk gives her a tight-lipped smile. He wonders if Minhee realises how much vulnerability she shows when she's given the short end of the stick. No, Jeongguk understands that— being the last one to know of the marriage, getting forced to move in a place where Jeongguk tries to make his home— he can cut her some slack off, but the big ego of hers can't just get bruised enough to break.

"Your interests have been prioritised." Jeongguk sighs. "Moreover it would be a problem if you don't, you took pictures with my money."

Somewhere Jeongguk feels sorry for Minhee, but he has to take things into his hands if she isn't willing to cooperate. As if on cue, Secretary Kim starts reading the titles of various articles being published, "Angel Yoon Minhee, Donating and doing good deeds is in the blood, etc, etc."

Jeongguk nods in approval. Minhee scoffs, "Are you threatening me, Jeon?"

Minhee really wishes to have Dahyun with her right now. She would know exactly what needs to be said and done. She fucked up bad.

"The threats aren't done yet," Jeongguk says, smiling. Mina licks her lips, unsure of what to do. "Donation schemes by Yoon Minhee turned out to be a lie, A fake angel—"

"That would be enough, Secretary Kim, thank you," Jeongguk says. He crosses a leg over the other, "With a flick of my finger these articles will be sent, the technology has come far hasn't it?"

Minhee contemplates. If not this, then her father would threaten her with something else, better fall into a trap she can actually get away with if she tries. Picking up the contract, she skims through the points— doesn't really see the difference in any but signs anyway.

She throws the file on the desk and mimics Jeongguk's pose. "Happy?"

Jeongguk smiles and flicks his fingers in the air towards Secretary Kim.

"Shit." the older man says. Jeongguk looks back at him, confused. "I meant to press the cancel button but mistakenly pressed send."

Minhee stands up, irritation peaking. Mina fumbles with all the items in her hands and follows her boss' suit, standing up as well. Jeongguk looks calm rather, indifferent to the whole situation.

"Did you?"

"Did you!" Minhee yells as if it was a small mistake. She is about to cause a fuss when Jeongguk picks up his phone, tapping something on it. "I deleted it." and then looks up at Minhee's dumbfounded face. "We never mentioned who it was being sent to. It was being mailed to me."

Jeongguk chuckles, standing up and fixing his coat. "I am telling you this as a good husband, try to check everything before you sign contracts. Or maybe not? It's cute how you get all riled up in seconds."

He hears Kim clear his throat while Minhee has her lips parted in shock. He wonders if he went too far but shrugs off the thought to say, "I hope you have read all the clauses."

Minhee exhales, eyes closing as she feels a headache incoming.

"See you at home tomorrow," Jeongguk winks when she opens her eyes again, "Wifey."

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we love a little over the top drama now, don't we