10 rules of a Secretary chapter 6

“Jung Yi! Come out quickly!”

“Yes, yes. I’m coming.”

I mumbled softly and carefully put on the long wig, mask, and veil.

As I stepped outside, I saw the prepared set under bright lights.

I nodded lightly at my roommate holding the camera.

She grinned and looked me up and down.

Today’s bizarre underwear was her creation. But when I was Jung Yi, I didn’t speak. It was a kind of rule. A small line to not reveal my true self.

Although my vision was limited by the mask and the black veil, it wasn’t enough to prevent me from finding my spot.

I turned my back, placed my arms on a high table, and bent my waist as much as I could.

According to Cha Chiyeon, my waistline was very pleasing to the eye, but to me, it was just a waist.

I swallowed the sigh that was about to come out and changed my pose as per my roommate’s instructions, who had suggested this cursed underwear modeling job.

The face was not to be shown; photos were of the back or lower body. If the upper body was needed, it had to be sufficiently covered.

That was the agreement between me and Cha Chiyeon.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t be a model, and needing someone to cooperate with his secret hobby cum business, Cha Chiyeon readily agreed.

Of course, money was my primary concern.

I closed my eyes against the blazing lights and flashing cameras.

My cheeks, bruised by CEO Han, still burned.

This job was always a torment each time I did it.

Dawon Group, a major domestic company holding various subsidiaries in construction, service, IT, food manufacturing, chemicals, and fashion, was robust even during these economic hardships.

With so many subsidiaries, there was no end to the gossip. At least one article about it appeared in the economic news daily, needing no further explanation.

This group had exactly two sons. Han Jiwan and Han Doha. Some thought the heir should naturally be the eldest, Han Jiwan, but the internal situation was more complicated.

Han Doha, born to the first wife who sought refuge in a villa in the countryside, was the second son, younger by a month than Han Jiwan.

And Han Jiwan, the son of the second wife who had settled in and occupied the main house, was technically the chairman’s affair partner.

Before her son was even born, she registered his birth, making him the official first son.

Han Doha, though essentially sidelined, was the true eldest, but people believed what they saw, and thus Han Jiwan became known as the first son of Dawon Group.

Typically, one would strive to correct this, but Han Doha did not.

As if knowing it would naturally return to its rightful place, he established Reed Co. Engineering with a part of his future inheritance instead of taking a Dawon Group subsidiary.

Initially, most people laughed.

Major construction companies in the same industry often mocked him, calling him a crazy guy for diving into the industry with nothing but his alpha status. (I thought so too. A construction company out of nowhere?)

In conclusion, Reed Co. succeeded.

It gradually increased its contract amounts, surpassing foreign construction companies, and filled positions both domestically and internationally with Reed Co. Engineering’s name.

Recently, it frequently ranked first among construction companies people wanted to join, making me realize I was quite lucky.

Eight years ago, when I applied to Reed Co., the economy was temporarily booming, and the competition ratio was a manageable 15:1. Compared to today, my timing was fortunate.

Like any other employee, I went through an internship. Marketing Team 2 was my place. Generally, interns transitioned to regular employees in the same department, but for some reason, I was assigned to the executive office.

Without time to contemplate whether it was a demotion or promotion, my tearful daily life began.

As the twelfth personal secretary to Han Doha, I struggled to avoid falling out of favor with him.

I never expected my intelligence to be a comfort in life. Having only ever studied for college entrance exams, I had to learn various foreign languages by chance.

On top of that, I had to memorize everything from my boss’s dietary preferences to the Han family’s tastes and clothing styles.

Honestly, I wanted to quit more than once. If it weren’t for the money…

Money, that damned money. I had to pour money into a bottomless pit daily, so I couldn’t quit.

It was like being a mortgaged slave.

With a faint hope, I tearfully scratched lottery numbers every month but never won. When I concluded that becoming a lightning-struck tree was faster, it was about that time.

To save money, I moved into a share house owned by the quite famous internet shopping mall owner (Embarrassing underwear shop owner).

Coincidentally, she was looking for a model, and I threw my body into the opportunity.

Luckily, Cha Chiyeon liked my waistline, and the deal was sealed.

Think about it.

Who wouldn’t take the deal to have their rent waived and get paid hourly just by wearing clothes and having their back photographed without showing their face?

I already knew I was a slave to money and had no objections to it.

Filming ended in the middle of the night. When I had entered, the sun was still up, but as I stepped out of the studio, the dark twilight sky greeted me.

I barely managed to return home and turned on my computer with a weary mind, feeling the buzzing of my phone vibrating and weakly pressing the button. I thought, it must be CEO Han.

“Yes, I’ve received your call.”

―Finally, you pick up. It’s hard to hear the esteemed person’s voice, can’t even tell who pays whom.

As expected. I momentarily switched to speakerphone, holding the phone away from my ear due to his sudden accusatory tone.

When I checked the yellow messenger app, around 20 messages were marked in red. A chill ran down my spine.

Secretary’s ten rules, the second: Never respond late to the CEO’s contact.

Usually, on nights with dinner, he doesn’t contact me, but something seemed to have happened. I diligently read through CEO Han’s messages, moving my lips quickly.

“I apologize, CEO.”

―Organize the clothing materials and send them over. Since we need to check the merger and acquisition case, include the stock market trends as well.

It seemed either the Chairman or CEO Han had irked the CEO during dinner. Mentioning the merger and acquisition hinted at some entanglement.

The merger and acquisition with Hajeong Pharmaceuticals had been oddly slow. Acquiring the pharmaceutical company would allow us to delve deeper into Alpha and Omega pheromone research, but both the CEO and I had a subtle unease that prevented us from sealing the deal easily.

“I will send the materials immediately. I will check with the relevant department to compile the stock market trends right away. And CEO.”

―What?

“Did you bite your lip?”

―Isn’t it more important to ask how the interview results were?

“I believe the interview is a field you know better than I do. However, I am concerned about your lips, which is not your expertise. Did you bite them?”

There was silence beyond the speaker to my quiet question. I pressed my eyes with my palms, predicting his next words.

It would be one of two things: either he did bite them, or he would scold me to focus on the tasks given. Anyway, I had no way to win against the CEO. If he said jump, I had to jump.

―I didn’t bite them.

“Really? You didn’t?”

Expecting a different answer, I barely managed to change my words. My voice leaked, but the CEO didn’t seem to mind and continued with his own agenda.

―I didn’t bite them. So, are you ready to grant any wish of your esteemed secretary?

It felt like he was saying he had strictly followed the process to achieve his goal. I drew a line towards the CEO, who prioritized his gain, with a short laugh. It was as if I wondered if he was trying to pull a fast one on me.

“I said I would grant within my ability, not that I would grant anything without limits, CEO.”

―Right, that. Within your ability.

Wondering what grand wish it could be, I prepared to half-listen to the conversation while taking out a USB from my bag and plugging it into the computer. After a few clicks, I found the desired file.

It was the financial statement of Hajeong Pharmaceuticals. There were many things to prepare along with this. Glancing at the clock, it was already 11 PM.

It seemed like another night of missing sleep, moving the mouse with my chin resting on my hand. It felt strange that a secretary would handle such work, but eight years was not a short time.

That was one of my sorrows.

―You will accompany me on this vacation.

“……Pardon?”

Was I hearing things? Did I just hear nonsense? I reflexively clammed up.

Secretary’s ten rules, the third: Don’t stupidly question the CEO’s words.

I was on the verge of breaking all rules in a day, ones I had never violated in the past eight years.

Of course, the fourth rule was broken not by me but by CEO Han, but the important thing was that the CEO had witnessed all the rules being broken in a day.