10 rules of a Secretary chapter 2

I straightened up and gave my best smile.

“I appreciate your concern for my purity, Vice CEO Han, but I’ve seen too much to be in that kind of relationship with the CEO. I’d love to explain everything to you, but I can’t because of a confidentiality agreement.”

I glanced at CEO Han, who looked bored with the situation he had created.

Damn it, why do I always have to clean up his mess?

I bowed again and quickly thought of a way to leave.

“And one more thing.”

“…”

“CEO Han, we have exactly 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 18 seconds left until the photoshoot. If we go to the shop and then the shoot, we’ll be cutting it close. I’m concerned it might affect your participation in tonight’s dinner.”

In other words, it was time to stop wasting time and get back to work. CEO Han shrugged his shoulders, smirking.

“Our secretary doesn’t even care about these trivial matters. What a narrow-minded person.”

“Ha- damn it. Just a bunch of nonsense.”

Vice CEO Han finally cursed, and CEO Han told him to leave.

As I moved to follow the CEO, Vice CEO Han grabbed my arm.

Even as I turned, the CEO walked out without looking back.

Damn it, what’s the point of leaving me alone with him?

“Hey.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Do you think you’re something just because you’re under that bastard? If you’re part of Daewon Group, you should know how to survive. You must have a strong will to live, clinging to a rotten lifeline.”

His words were filled with genuine contempt. I forced a smile and gently took his hand off my arm.

“Vice President Han, it’s CEO Han Doha who pays my salary, not Daewon Group. Technically, the CEO’s company isn’t even a part of Daewon Group. So, I’m not part of Daewon Group.”

“You’re answering back now, huh? Lower your eyes, you bastard.”

As I lowered my eyes, a dull pain spread across my cheek. It wasn’t a sharp sound, but a dull thud. I staggered briefly, clenched my fists, and steadied myself. My cheek burned, but I kept my expression neutral by biting the inside of my cheek. I could taste the blood. It seemed I had bitten through the inside of my cheek.

As I glanced around, I noticed a few people in the company lobby watching us with curious eyes.

Honestly, I wanted to take the hit and ruin Vice President Han’s image, but I hated the pain. I didn’t just dislike it, I absolutely loathed it.

I clasped my hands together and bowed my head.

“There are a lot of eyes watching, Vice President Han.”

“Go, get lost.”

He kicked the ground in annoyance and threw a handkerchief at my feet. It had a faint stain, likely from wiping his hands earlier.

An expensive handkerchief, discarded with just a little blood on it. These people are really crazy.

How many chickens could I buy with that?

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“Get lost.”

“I apologize for the trouble.”

I bowed deeply again, looked regretfully at the handkerchief, and hurried away from Vice President Han.

As I moved my lips and gently pressed my cheek with my fingertips, I let out a sigh.

My lips tingled, and my cheek felt hot.

I touched my lips and then looked at the blood on my fingers, finally closing my mouth.

Humans are visual creatures; it’s not until they see blood that they start to feel the pain.

Sadly, I was no exception. As soon as I saw the blood, it started to hurt like hell.

Today, I decided not to look in the mirror. With that resolution, I got into the car parked in front of the building.

I tapped on the tablet in my hand and told the driver our next destination: the reserved shop.

“Why does your face look like that?”

“I got hit.”

“And you just let them hit you?”

“So I can file a work injury claim.”

My nonchalant response elicited a chuckle from the CEO beside me. It wasn’t a cheerful laugh, but more of a laugh of disbelief.

I tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in my cheek as I looked at the CEO’s handsome face.

The soft sunlight cast a shadow on the bored expression of the man, highlighting his face through the narrow window.

The well-groomed eyelashes caught the light, adding to the image of a perfect, elegant figure. The only flaw in this otherwise flawless picture was his unusually rough lips.

“Still, I do like you, CEO Han.”

When I answered cautiously, his eyelashes fluttered up. His eyes, fully revealed, looked particularly light under the sunlight. He smiled sardonically and responded.

“Do you not remember being outed earlier? I might just eat you alive.”

“At least you’ll leave the skin behind. Let’s go, Driver Jung.”

“To the hospital.”

Though it seemed out of character, I knew better. This man wouldn’t blink an eye even if I got beaten up or injured.

He was the type who would shrug off even a meteor hitting the road or the end of the world approaching.

He never cared about anything except what he wanted to do, never paid attention to anything else, and could discard anything that didn’t align with his goals without a second thought.

Furthermore, CEO Han would end any relationship by giving the people he met briefly either an apartment or an equivalent amount of cash. No further interaction, just solving things with money. That was all.

Wasn’t it common decency to deliver a breakup notice face-to-face? It was absurd that someone who had completely disregarded basic human decency could walk around in human skin.

This was the CEO Han I knew, and the truth about the man I had seen for eight years.

“Your concern would be appreciated more in the form of money or a vacation. I’ll recover and come back.”

“No vacation, but money?”

At his question, I held up two fingers.

“Double. Absolutely double.”

“You’d even act as my lover if I gave you money.”

CEO Han’s nonchalant words made me hesitate for a moment.

That didn’t sound like a bad idea. I quickly calculated in my head and proposed something a bit over the top, but not enough to leave a dent in CEO Han’s wealth.

“Holding hands is 20 Million won, linking arms is 30 Million won, hugging is 50 Million Won. For a kiss, 100 Million won might make me consider it. No sex, though.”

CEO Han smirked at my earnest proposal, one corner of his well-shaped red lips curling up. It was a look that made him appear quite sinister.

“If you’re not worried about my wealth, what makes you think you can name such prices?”

“Oh, then let’s make it 20 Million per sentence of conversation, and multiply everything else by five.”

“To keep you as my secretary, I’d have to create a country, not just buy a house. Do you want a new passport? Or are you suggesting you want to do something else? That would be difficult.”

That was as far as the joke could go. I bowed my head slightly and let the smile I had briefly worn fade away.

A new passport?

He might as well say he’d hide me where no one could find me. His threats were so elegantly veiled.

Objectively speaking, I wasn’t the type to catch CEO Han’s eye. His taste ran towards breathtakingly beautiful women, so I was definitely not his type.

“Then I’ll just take the medical expenses. Oh, and today there’s a photo shoot followed by an interview with a newspaper. It’s not associated with any magazines, but the issue is that it’s friendly with one of your competitors. I’ve set up the interview per your instructions, but if you don’t want it, we can just do the magazine interview.”

“We should embrace the competition. That’s the direction the chairman wants.”

CEO Han responded lightly, shifting his gaze to the window. As I watched his elegantly elongated neck and impeccably tailored suit, I acknowledged and started checking the schedule on my tablet, sending messages here and there.

I glanced at the slight buzz of my personal phone. I hesitated for a moment, then discreetly checked the message.

[The Land Lord] – Don’t forget the studio shoot tonight! 14:26

It was my roommate, Cha Jiyeon. I sighed softly and stared at the screen for a moment. But nothing changed.

The first rule of being a secretary: no other jobs allowed.

Could I survive in this world of secretaries where moonlighting was forbidden?

As an underwear model, no less.

Life is a damn mess…

People always tell me to hold onto the higher-paying secretary job and find something else. But there are three reasons why I can’t do that.

First, both jobs pay quite well.

Second, I really need a lot of money.

Third, I like CEO Han. Or rather, to be precise, I like his money.

For these reasons, I’m walking a tightrope, unable to let go of either. If I’m caught, I know I’ll be ruined.

I knew it instinctively, and it was only natural. But isn’t everything like that? As long as I don’t get caught, I’m cautiously, diligently, and wholeheartedly hiding it.