10 rules of a Secretary chapter 1

“Wow, outing someone right in the middle of the office. And making our dear secretary uncomfortable too. I can’t live with this embarrassment.”

The man slightly turned his body. He gestured towards me with a nod and smiled faintly. Not even with his finger, but with the tip of his chin, he pointed at me insolently.

That man was none other than Han Doha, the CEO who paid my salary.

Under his half-lowered eyelids, I caught a glimpse of hazel eyes and sharply chiseled features.

The small beauty mark at the corner of his eye and his soft brown hair gave an impression of a gentle nature, but considering the major corporations he had brought down, it was hard to take him lightly.

His confident gaze and the straight line from his nose made him look like a perfectly painted masterpiece.

The muscles filling his chest were clearly visible under his tightly stretched shirt every time he took a breath.

There’s a saying that a man wears his suit with his chest, and he was a living proof of that. I felt a pang of inferiority and almost looked down at my own clothes. There’s no point in comparing myself to someone on a different starting line. He was an alpha, and I was just an omega.

I quietly watched the man with a bad temperament standing before CEO Han Doha. He had neatly slicked back jet-black hair and was wearing a high-end suit.

This was Vice President Han Jiwan, a known illegitimate child of the chairman.

Despite being a well-known secret, he didn’t have a good relationship with CEO Han. He was someone to be cautious of, almost like being at the top of a blacklist.

I usually just called him Vice President Han. Saying his full name seemed like a waste of time.

“Han Doha, do you think we don’t know that you pretended to be gay to escape marriage? Omega are somewhat acceptable, but a beta?”

In modern times where the traits of alphas and omegas had emerged, gender distinctions had become ambiguous. However, relationships between alpha and beta males were still somewhat difficult for society to accept.

Of course, it wasn’t considered a major flaw, but the circumstances of chaebol families, which tied bloodlines through marriage, were a bit different.

An alpha could only have children with an omega. Naturally, CEO Han, being a dominant alpha, also had to marry an omega from a suitable family.

Like most wealthy heirs, CEO Han also had a fiancée.

To him, who had lived life without any brakes, a fiancée was probably just a convenience to make life a bit smoother.

But three years ago, at a family dinner, CEO Han made a bold declaration.

‘I like men.’

‘Not just any men, but a beta. If it’s not those two conditions, I’m not interested.’

‘Don’t bring those ugly omegas to me anymore. Their scent disgusts me. If you send them again, I might send them back with a limb missing.’

After that, not only did the marriage proposal fall apart, but he also openly started dating a beta man.

It was hard to understand why a wealthy alpha would do such a thing, but I had already given up trying to understand his mindset.

Whenever there was a chance, the chairman would call him in and urge him to see another potential bride, and Vice President Han would seize the opportunity to mock him with the same routine.

In short, Han Doha’s sexual orientation was the only weak point that Vice President Han could exploit. Though it seemed petty to pick on such a trivial matter, CEO Han’s response was always the same.

“I’m just a gay guy, so why don’t you help out a bit? Or have you been helping me without my knowledge, Vice President Han?”

Just a little while ago, CEO Han had heard the same thing from his father, the chairman, so he was already in a foul mood, and Vice President Han’s timing couldn’t have been worse.

As soon as he stepped out of the building, Vice President Han, who had been waiting, immediately started picking a fight. Even though the words were the same, the context and mood of hearing them could vary.

Moreover, the location was bad. This was the lobby of Daewon Group, a major corporation, and it wasn’t like no one else was listening. Naturally, a few people were looking over with interest.

I sighed, knowing I’d have to explain this situation later.

As I retreated a step further, I tried to blend into the background, silently repeating to myself, ‘I am a ghost, I am a ghost.’

I blinked slowly, wondering when this conversation, like one between street thugs, would end.

“You think we don’t know that you only get hard in front of beta guys?”

“Oh dear, our Vice President Han seems really pissed off.”

Though there were no curses, the conversation was far from elegant. I reminded myself that these two were pillars of Daewon Group, the second-largest conglomerate in South Korea, trying to calm my growing unease.

I glanced at our proud eccentric, CEO Han Doha.

Although I called him CEO, he was actually a managing director inside. Director Han.

It sounded a bit amusing when you added his last name, but considering the power and money he held, it was no laughing matter.

“Han Doha. You should be grateful that your useless lower half can still be used in a marriage. Is it that hard to have a kid? Oh, right. I guess a gay like you can’t get it up for a proper omega.”

Calling him impotent was harsh. If he were truly impotent… he wouldn’t have twenty-two lovers, would he?

Although most of those lovers were betas, not the omegas typically paired with alphas, and they didn’t actually sleep together, those were minor details best left unspoken.

Even though these two didn’t seem like brothers, they shared some similarities.

They were both annoyingly handsome, dominant alphas, and members of the wealthy Han family.

The suit CEO Han was wearing was clearly custom-made and ridiculously expensive.

Since I was responsible for everything about him, including his clothes, I knew the prices well.

It seemed wasteful to spend so much on mere clothing, but I was just a regular person, unable to understand the whims of the rich and powerful.

“Why do you say such hurtful things so casually, Vice President Han?”

The tone of his voice was soft, yet filled with sarcasm. It was a remark designed to scratch nerves, implying, ‘Who do you think you are?’

“Whether I like men or lick their assholes, it’s none of your business, Vice President. Or is that your taste?”

“You bastard!”

“I’m our chairman’s bastard, not yours. Get it straight.”

“You need to show respect. Brother? Is that the way to talk to your elder brother?”

At the word “brother,” CEO Han’s eyes narrowed.

He deliberately looked Vice President Han up and down, slowly, from head to toe and then back up again.

“Really? I thought your mother, Mrs. Jin Gaye, was just a concubine.”

“Your whore of a mother has been out of the Han family for ages, so stop acting like it matters whether she’s a concubine or a legitimate wife. Han Doha, get your head straight. No matter how much you struggle, I’m your older brother, and you’re below me. You’ll never become the managing director of Daewon Group while I’m alive.”

Ah, this was dangerous territory. CEO Han Doha hated any mention of his mother.

It was the fourth rule of being his secretary: never bring up his mother.

Mr. Han was usually (which is to say, rarely) calm, but on this particular topic, he was unyielding. I silently wished Mr. Han good luck and took a step back.

“Acting like you’re older just because you were born later. Did you think I wouldn’t know that you were registered a month early while you were still in your mother’s womb? You talk a lot for someone born late.”

Another topic that I had to pretend not to hear came up. I quietly bowed my head and clasped my hands together.

What was today’s schedule again?

After meeting the Chairman at headquarters, we had to go to a shop for a photoshoot…

Why did we have to run into Vice President Han and mess things up?

I glanced at my wristwatch. It was 2:20 PM. It would be tight but not impossible to go to the shop and then the shoot.

As I looked up, hoping the conversation would end soon, I felt two pairs of eyes staring at me, and I awkwardly smiled.

Smile, because what power does a mere secretary have?

“Um, is there a problem…?”

“You?”

While I was momentarily distracted, the conversation had taken a strange turn. Vice President Han glared at me as if he wanted to kill me.

“Are you the one covering for that bastard?”

Eight years as a secretary, and this was the fortieth time I had heard that accusation. Remarkably, Vice President Han had the honor of being the first to say it this year.

The Han family has a long tradition of spouting nonsense, it seems.

A habitual smile crept onto my face. After making this face for eight years, my facial muscles relaxed naturally.

“Forgive me for asking, but am I your type, Vice President Han?”

“Hey, who do you think you are speaking to like that…?!”

“I’m not interested in you, Vice President Han, nor am I interested to the CEO Han. My very straight sexual preference is for women, not men. To put it in chromosomal terms, I’m interested in those with XX chromosomes.”

Of course, that was all a lie, but I didn’t bother to correct it. I stopped myself from licking my dry lips. Damn it, being a secretary means being a scapegoat and a slave. Whatever happens, it’s always my fault. These insane people.

If Vice President Han caused a scandal, it was my fault, and if he came out at a family dinner, that was also my fault.

To be blunt, if the boss wants to do something, how can a mere secretary stop them?

My best option was to prevent this from leaking to the press and becoming a pointless story.