Somehow, I Ended Up Married To A Chaebol Heiress Chapter 98

Chapter 98

The noise from outside disappeared almost instantly the mont we stepped into the building.

I let out a slow, heavy sigh. My chest rising and falling as if I had been holding my breath the entire ti without realizing it.

For a second, I really thought it was over.

But I was wrong.

The atmosphere inside the lobby wasn’t normal at all.

If anything, it felt even worse.

It started with a few people glancing in my direction, but gradually, more heads turned and more eyes followed as I walked further in. Their stares were obvious, even though they tried to hide them.

“…That’s him.”

“…Isn’t that the Chairwoman’s assistant?”

“The one who was in the news with Ms. Hwang, right?”

“…To be working right beside the Chairwoman and still have a connection with the Daehan heiress at the sa ti…”

“…He’s really sothing else.”

“Or maybe he’s not as innocent as he looks.”

“…Wait, doesn’t that an the higher-ups should be careful around him?”

Each word felt like it landed heavier than the last. I kept my expression steady, forcing myself to look forward as if I didn’t hear anything.

Beside , Harin looked calm, completely unaffected by the tension around us.

But just as we were about to pass the center of the lobby—

“Secretary Yoo.”

We both stopped.

I turned slightly—

And my stomach dropped.

A group of n were walking toward us.

At the front—

Director Baek.

Behind him, several board mbers followed closely. Their expressions serious and assessing as they approached.

The shift in the atmosphere was imdiate.

The faint murmurs around the lobby faded into silence, replaced by a quiet tension that spread quickly as people began to pay even more attention to what was about to happen.

This is… not looking good.

Harin stepped forward just enough to et them properly.

“Director,” she greeted with a slight nod, her tone polite but distant, maintaining a clear boundary.

Director Baek stopped a few steps away from us. His gaze lingered on her briefly before slowly shifting toward , his eyes carrying a cold, asured look. I held his gaze, keeping my expression steady despite the quiet nerves creeping in.

“…Assistant Kim, you’ve caused quite a scene this morning, don’t you think?”

Before I could respond, another director stepped forward, his expression more openly displeased.

“Do you have any idea, what kind of situation you’ve put this company in?”

I looked at him, pausing briefly as I tried to gather my thoughts.

For a mont, my mind went blank.

My chest felt tense.

“…I—“

“Alright, stop right there”

Harin’s voice cut in as she stepped forward, placing herself just a little ahead of .

“I would prefer that you refrain from addressing him in this manner, Director.”

“He is under my supervision. If there are any questions or concerns, you may direct them to instead.”

Her eyes settled briefly on each of them.

“And that applies to all of you.”

For a mont, no one spoke.

Director Baek’s expression remained controlled, but the slight tightening of his jaw didn’t go unnoticed.

A few of the other directors exchanged looks, clearly caught off guard by her response.

One of them stepped forward, frowning slightly.

“Secretary Yoo, how could you speak to us like that?”

He gestured subtly in my direction.

“And isn’t Assistant Kim also part of this company? We have every right to question him directly regarding a matter that affects the company.”

“There is nothing inappropriate about the way I am speaking. And perhaps I should remind you—”

Her gaze shifted briefly toward before returning to them.

“—that you are addressing the Chairwoman’s assistant right now. And I would advise you to be mindful of that.”

The warning in her tone was clear.

The directors fell silent again, this ti for a little longer.

Then, Director Baek let out a quiet sigh.

“Let’s not waste ti arguing over tone, shall we? We are simply trying to understand the situation.”

His gaze returned to Harin.

“…Why were we not inford that Assistant Kim has a connection with the heir of a rival group before he was hired? And not only that, he was placed directly beside the Chairwoman. Don’t you think we have a valid reason to be concerned?”

“I’m not—”

I started, but imdiately stopped when Harin’s hand pressed slightly firr against my chest.

A quiet warning for to stay silent.

“Mr. Kim’s personal life is not sothing that falls under the company’s authority to monitor or disclose. And the dinner that took place yesterday was a personal matter. It has no connection to any company-related affairs.”

She paused briefly.

“And for your information, Ms. Hwang knew Mr. Kim long before he joined this company.”

That made a few of them shift slightly, their expressions tightening with quiet calculation.

“I am assuring all of you, that there is no conflict of interest, and there has been no breach of company policy. Any assumption beyond that is both inappropriate and unfounded.”

One of the directors frowned, dissatisfied.

“Secretary Yoo, we are not making baseless assumptions here. We are trying to understand a situation that has already begun affecting the company’s image.”

“And I am already clarifying that situation. There is nothing more to understand beyond what has been explained.”

Director Baek’s gaze hardened slightly, his patience thinning just enough to be noticeable.

“…Then perhaps, you can explain why such a situation exists in the first place.”

Harin didn’t falter.

“It happened because two people who already knew each other t for personal reasons. Anything beyond that is just interpretation.”

“Interpretation?” another director repeated, letting out a quiet scoff. “The dia is already running with this story. You know very well that so investors will start asking questions after this, and other groups will start forming their own conclusions.”

Harin’s gaze shifted toward him.

“And whose responsibility is that? The company’s… or the dia’s?”

“The company cannot be held accountable for narratives created outside of its control. If speculation becos an issue, then it is the speculation that should be addressed, not an employee who has done nothing wrong.”

A brief flicker of tension crossed their faces.

But they didn’t step back.

“Regardless,” one of them continued, “until this situation is properly settled, it would be best if Assistant Kim refrains from being involved in sensitive matters within the company.”

My breath caught slightly at that.

“…aning?” Harin asked, her voice turning colder, quieter in a way that made it more dangerous.

“It ans,” another director added, stepping forward, “he should step back from his current responsibilities. Temporarily. For the sake of this Group.”

I should have felt happy hearing that. If they wanted out, it ant I could buy ti until the cooling-off period ended. But being pushed out like this…

“That won’t be necessary.”

Harin’s response ca imdiately.

“He will continue his duties as assigned.”

“And on what basis are you making that decision?” one of them pressed.

Harin t his gaze directly.

“On the basis that there is no valid reason to remove him. No policy has been violated, and no misconduct has occurred. Therefore, there is no justification for such a asure.”

Then one of the directors let out a quiet breath, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“You’re defending him quite strongly, don’t you think?” he said, his tone laced with suspicion. “This isn’t like you. If I rember correctly, you’re usually stricter than any of us when it cos to internal conduct.”

“Think whatever you want. I am simply doing my job.”

“You—“

The tension thickened imdiately, the air in the lobby feeling heavier with each passing second.

Around us, the staff who had been watching from a distance grew even more still, their attention fully locked onto the confrontation unfolding in front of them. No one dared to move too much, but the shift in their expressions was obvious.

A few of them exchanged glances.

“…She’s really standing up to them.”

“…That’s Secretary Yoo for you…”

“To face the board like that…”

Everyone understood exactly who she was standing against.

And yet, she didn’t even waver.

“…Is there sothing else you’re trying to hide from us, Secretary Yoo? For you to act like this, there must be a reason.”

Harin’s eyes sharpened instantly.

“That is an inappropriate accusation, Director.”

“And yet,” Director Baek added, “this entire situation is inappropriate. If this continues to escalate, the board may have no choice but to reconsider his position in this company entirely—”

“And under whose authority are you making that decision?”

The voice cut through everything.

Cold and absolute.

Every single person in the lobby froze.

The tension that had been building so intensely just monts ago, stopped.

Slowly—

Almost instinctively—

Everyone turned.

And Yuna was already there.

Standing a short distance away, her presence alone enough to silence the entire lobby.

“Chairwoman!”

Everyone bowed at once, but she didn’t bother to acknowledge them and simply walked toward us.

Her heels clicked softly against the floor, her gaze steady… and dangerously calm.

The atmosphere didn’t just feel heavy anymore.

It’s suffocating.

Even the directors who had been pressing just monts ago now stood still, their expressions tightening almost instinctively as she approached.

By the ti she stopped in front of us—

The entire lobby felt like it was holding its breath.

Her eyes moved briefly, first toward Harin, then, to .

Before returning to the directors.

“Director Baek,” she said evenly, her voice quiet but carrying complete authority.

“I don’t recall granting the board the authority to make personnel decisions regarding my assistant.”

“So, I’ll ask again. Under whose authority… were you speaking?”

Director Baek went silent.

And Yuna shift her gaze toward others.

One by one, the directors who had been speaking just monts ago lowered their eyes, unable to hold her stare for more than a second. The confidence they had begun to regain earlier faded just as quickly, replaced with a quiet restraint.

The balance had already shifted.

“…Chairwoman,” Director Baek finally spoke, “we are not overstepping. We are acting out of concern for the company.”

“The situation involving Assistant Kim has already reached the public. The dia is creating narratives, and it will inevitably affect investor confidence. As mbers of the board, we have a responsibility to address potential risks before they escalate.”

Another director stepped in.

“Our concern is not personal. But the connection between him and the Daehan heiress, especially when she represents a competing group will creates room for misunderstanding.”

The others nodded slightly, finding their footing again now that they were speaking.

“That is why we suggested a temporary step back,” one of them continued. “Not as a punishnt, but as a precaution.”

Yuna didn’t interrupt and just let them finish.

And when they were done, she didn’t respond imdiately.

That, sohow, made it worse.

Because the longer she stayed silent, the heavier the tension beca.

Her gaze remained on them.

Then—

She took one slow step forward.

“Are you done?”

Director Baek and the others straightened almost instinctively under her gaze.

“…Yes, Chairwoman.”

She let the silence stretch for a brief mont, just long enough to make them aware of it.

“Let make one thing very clear.”

“Assistant Kim’s position,” she continued, her gaze flicking briefly toward before returning to them, “was decided by . He works directly under . He answers to . And any decision regarding his role, his responsibilities, or his removal, also cos from .”

No one spoke.

No one dared to interrupt.

“So whatever assumptions you have about him, I suggest you to think really carefully. Because if there were ever any issue related to him, I would handle it myself.”

“And I don’t appreciate others getting involved in matters that don’t concern them.”

“…Chairwoman, our concern was never personal. We were only suggesting a temporary adjustnt to avoid unnecessary attention and to protect the company’s image—“

“Company image?”

Yuna took another step closer.

“Explain to —”

Her gaze moved slowly across all of them.

“—how publicly confronting my assistant improves that image?”

No one answered.

“And let make sothing else very clear.”

“If any of you think you have the right to decide when he should step back, you are seriously overestimating your position in this matter.”

“And if I hear another suggestion about removing him from his position—”

*Another step forward*

“I will consider that a direct challenge to my authority. And that, will beco a problem.”

A brief silence followed.

“I have restructured this entire company before, and I wouldn’t mind doing it again.”

That—

Wasn’t just a warning.

It was a threat.

No one spoke after that.

Even Director Baek remained silent for a mont before finally lowering his gaze slightly.

“…Understood, Chairwoman.”

The others followed, one by one.

Reluctantly.

Yuna held their gaze for a mont longer, as if making sure the ssage had fully settled, before finally looking away to the rest of the lobby.

Her gaze swept across the space slowly.

Every employee who t her eyes imdiately stiffened.

“And to all of you.”

Her voice carried clearly across the lobby.

“If you have enough ti to stand here and listen, then I assu your work is already done.”

Her gaze hardened slightly.

“Or do I need to start reviewing each departnt’s performance personally?”

That was enough.

Almost imdiately, everyone began to move quickly, not wanting to get caught up in it.

The tension remained.

Yuna didn’t say anything else and simply turned without another glance, followed by Harin and .

Behind us, the directors remained where they stood—

silent and still.

Their expressions were tight, clearly dissatisfied,

but not one of them dared to say a word.

_____

*The elevator door slids open*

We stepped into the elevator together. I silently moved to the back, standing behind Harin and Yuna.

The mont the doors closed, the atmosphere beca unbearably heavy and suffocating.

“Chairwoman… wasn’t that… a bit too much?” Harin asked carefully. “Threatening the board like that… it may escalate things unnecessarily.”

Instead of answering, Yuna turned around. Her sharp gaze landed directly on . She stepped forward without a word, closing the distance between us.

Okay… now what?

I had no choice but to back up, until my back hit the cold tal wall. She then stopped just in front of , looking down in silence, her presence overwhelming.

“Are you satisfied now, Haemin?” she asked, her voice low, with barely contained fury. “Is this what you want? All those warnings I gave you, were they nothing but jokes to you? Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve created for ? Because of your carelessness, I had to clean up the ss you made.”

I was completely speechless, not expecting her sudden outburst. Usually, she would keep it private if she wanted to act like this in front of . The fact that she was doing it now caught completely off guard.

Feeling deeply ashad after being scolded, I glanced at Harin, hoping she would ignore us. The mont our eyes t, I saw nothing but worry and panic on her face.

Yuna leaned in closer, so close that her presence felt suffocating.

“You think you can just do whatever you want just because we’re in the middle of our divorce?”

A heavy wave of guilt hit . I knew I was in the wrong, but shouldn’t I be angrier than her right now, after what she did to yesterday? Why did she act like I was the only one to bla? I wanted to throw that question at her, but Harin was here. She didn’t need to know about any of that. So I chose to stay silent and averted my gaze, unable to look Yuna in the eyes anymore.

She wasn’t going to allow that.

Her fingers gripped my chin lightly, forcing to look up at her again.

“Why aren’t you answering? Feeling guilty now? Where did all that bravery from yesterday go? When you tried to embarrass in public? You seed to have so much to say yesterday. Why are you suddenly so quiet now?”

“Chairwoman, that’s enough—”

“Be quiet, Harin.”

She moved even closer until our bodies were almost touching. I could feel her warm breath against my skin. My heart pounded hard.

“So you’ve got nothing to say, Haemin?”

Yuna… she… she’s doing this on purpose, right? She just wants an excuse to start sothing with , isn’t she?

I knew that if I talked back even a little, she would only beco more aggressive.

“Why are you staring at like that?” she pressed, her voice dropping into a cold whisper. “Are you angry? Or are you scared of ? Is that it? Now that no one’s watching, you’ve suddenly beco afraid? Do you want to report ? Go ahead. But I’m not even doing anything to you right now, am I?”

I remained completely silent, refusing to rise to her provocation. Even though resentnt was raging inside , I forced myself to swallow every bitter word. Arguing with her right now would only make things worse.

Harin couldn’t hold back any longer. She reached out and gently pulled Yuna’s arm, trying to create so distance.

“Chairwoman, please… that’s enough.”

Yuna finally stepped back slightly, raising her finger as she pointed at .

“You’d better watch your attitude with from now on, Haemin. Because there’s no one left you can rely on anymore other than .”

A cruel, humorless smile appeared on her lips.

“Your lawyer is dead, isn’t he? So tell … who’s going to speak on your behalf now?”

Just then, the elevator doors slid open.

“Make sure you rember that.”

Without looking back, Yuna stepped out of the elevator, acting like nothing had happened at all.

[Good morning, Chairwoman!]

I didn’t say anything until the very end, only able to stare at her while quietly holding back my frustration.

[Chairwoman!]

The mont Yuna moved ahead, Harin quickly ca to . Her eyes were filled with worry as she stepped closer.

“Haemin, go to my office and wait for there, alright?”

I could only nod weakly.

She hesitated for a brief second, her eyes scanning my face with clear concern, before she turned and hurried after Yuna. Even then, she still glanced back at over her shoulder one last ti.

I forced my legs to move and stepped out of the elevator.

Keeping my head slightly lowered, I walked as steadily as I could toward Harin’s office. I could hear the staff whispering, already knowing what that was all about, but I ignored it anyway.

.

Once inside her office, I closed the door behind . The sudden quiet felt like a small relief. I leaned against the wall for a mont, trying to calm my racing heart. I didn’t even realise my hands were trembling slightly, maybe from the pressure Yuna had put on .

Or maybe from the resentnt I was holding back. I wasn’t sure which.

“…Well… as long as she doesn’t lay a hand on , I just have to endure it… only three weeks left.”

After a few deep breaths, I walked over to the chair and sat down heavily, attempting to calm my nerves.

Not long after, the door opened again.

Harin entered quickly, closing the door behind her before going straight to .

“Haemin… are you okay?” she asked softly, her voice full of concern.

I tried to force a small smile.

“I’m okay,” I replied, though my voice sounded weak.

Harin stood in front of , staring at with a pained look. Her brows were furrowed, and her lips pressed into a tight line.

“Chairwoman… she has really gone too far this ti.”

“It’s okay, Harin,” I quickly spoke up, not wanting her to do anything rash. “Just let it go, alright?“

Harin didn’t respond, only looking at .

Her expression didn’t soften.

If anything—

The frustration in her eyes deepened.

She remained standing, clearly deep in thought. Then, all of a sudden, she walked to her desk and yanked open one of the drawers, pulling out a folded docunt. She clutched it tightly in her hands as she walked past .

My stomach twisted with worry.

“Harin… where are you going?” I asked, starting to stand up.

She turned to , her face looked serious.

“Just stay here,” she said, leaving no room for argunt. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back soon.”

Before I could say anything else, Harin left the office, the door slamming shut behind her.

Now alone in the room, my worry for her grew even stronger. I sat there staring at the closed door.

What was she planning to do?

_____

Harin’s POV

She really crossed the line this ti.

To think she even dared to corner him like that while I was there… it was too much. And what did she an by Haemin trying to embarrass her? I’m pretty sure she wasn’t talking about the news. What exactly happened yesterday? The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt.

It seed like, instead of worrying about Sera, I should be more worried about Yuna herself.

I had hoped that during this divorce period, Yuna would finally change. I thought she would reflect on her actions and try to win Haemin back.

But no, she had only beco worse.

That’s it.

I can’t let Haemin suffer like this anymore.

I took a deep breath as I reached the doors of her office. I knocked twice before pushing them open.

Yuna was already seated behind her desk, calmly reviewing so docunts. She didn’t even look up when I entered.

“What is it?” she asked, her eyes still on the papers in front of her.

I walked straight to her desk—

And placed the docunt on the table, sliding it toward her.

Yuna paused.

Only then did she look up.

Her gaze shifted to the papers, then back to .

“…What is this?”

I t her eyes.

“Haemin’s resignation letter.”

A brief silence.

Yuna’s expression didn’t change.

“…And?”

Her tone was cold. Detached.

“Please sign it.”

There was another pause—

Before Yuna let out a faint, quiet laugh and shook her head lightly, almost as if she found the situation absurd.

But when she looked back at —

Her expression had turned ice-cold.

The shift made waver slightly, but I held my ground.

“Harin, if you don’t have anything important to say, you may leave.”

“With all due respect, Chairwoman,” I said carefully, forcing my voice to remain even, “this is important.”

I pushed the docunt closer to her.

“Please sign it.”

Yuna leaned back slightly, her eyes still on , a faint smirk tugging at her lips.

“And why would I?”

I held her gaze.

“Allow to be direct, Chairwoman. You’ve crossed the line.”

Her gaze didn’t shift.

“What you said to him earlier, it was too much. With that being said, you’ve broken your promise. If this continues, Haemin has every right to take legal action. In fact, he already has enough grounds to do so now. But he won’t do it, because he chose to endure… for your sake.”

That drew a small flick of her eyes.

“If you keep pressuring him like this, he will eventually have no choice but to fight back. Before it reaches that point, it’s better to just let him go.”

Silence filled the room again.

Yuna rested her head against her hand, quietly observing .

Then—

“And what would you do,” she asked calmly, “if I refuse to sign it, Harin?”

I lowered my gaze, already expecting this kind of answer.

“…Understood. If that’s your decision, then I have no choice but to take this matter into my own hands.”

A small pause.

“I’m truly sorry, Chairwoman. But I can’t stand by and watch you do this to him anymore. If you choose to remove from my position after this, I will accept it without complaint.”

Without waiting for her response, I reached forward, took the docunt back, and bowed politely.

Then I turned, ready to leave—

“Before you do that.”

Her voice stopped .

My steps halted.

Slowly, I turned back.

Yuna leaned back fully into her chair now, her posture relaxed, as if she didn’t care at all about what was about to happen.

Her gaze rested on .

“Can I ask you sothing, Harin?”

I frowned slightly, caught off guard by the sudden shift.

“Yes?”

She went silent for a mont.

“Actually… I’ve been wondering about this for quite a long ti now.”

An uneasy feeling settled in .

“I’m curious…”

She tilted her head slightly, her eyes still locked onto mine.

“…how did Haemin look when he was little?”

My body froze.

Completely.