Fashionably Late, Villainess Style
Dohyun was a perfectionist who never wasted a single minute of his time.
"If you'd called, I would have come straight to your office. I hope it wasn't too much trouble?"
"I can hardly order a CEO around, now can I? You are the head of Kangseong Media, after all."
Jongcheol offered an awkward laugh.
If you're going to say that, at least treat me like a CEO!
'Nothing more than Chairman Kang's bastard son.'
Frankly, Jongcheol had never liked Dohyun much. Everyone knew he was the child born of Chairman Kang's affair.
'The group will go to the second son anyway, so there's no need to suck up to him.'
Still, hiding his sour mood, he forced a hearty laugh at Dohyun's words. Whatever his personal feelings, there was nothing to gain from making a bad impression.
"Oh, I'm hardly anyone important. Next time, just call and I'll come running right away!"
"Thank you. Construction keeps me busy, so I expect I'll be calling on you quite often."
"Haha……."
Jongcheol swallowed a sob internally.
Secretary Kim brought in the coffee. Dohyun took a single sip, then spoke.
"I hear Representative Jung personally recommended a new hire."
The cup froze halfway to Representative Jung's lips. So this was the real agenda. He answered in a carefully measured tone.
"It's Ms. Lee Sojin—your fiancée, Mr. Director. I recommended her myself."
"Then I'd like an explanation for why you hired someone with nothing to her name but a prestigious university."
"……She attended a top American school, and even without much of a résumé, her language skills are exceptional. High scores on both the TOEIC and the TOEFL——"
"Anyone can flash a test score. What good is a team leader who speaks English well? She has no work experience."
"……In any case, I recommended her as a matter of sound judgment."
"You weren't colluding with anyone, were you?"
Jongcheol's shoulders visibly stiffened. He swallowed hard against the tension.
'He's right—I did take the bribe. But……'
An inexplicable calm settled into Jongcheol's eyes.
Dohyun's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. So he has something he's counting on.
Jongcheol spoke slowly, deliberately.
"You're free to think that, but it's not the case at all."
His voice was flat, almost monotonous.
"After all, the Chairman already knows Ms. Sojin is joining the company."
"How did Yeji used to act again?"
Sojin rested her chin on her hand and thought it over.
Yeji had been the company's most notorious menace. It was safe to say she only clung to her job through the backing of her parents—and whatever performance she could scrape together.
'And even that performance was all mine, of course.'
Sojin's face soured. Just remembering the days when her achievements were stolen from her, one by one, put her in a foul mood.
'Still, she does have her uses.'
Recalling Yeji's greatest hits, Sojin began drafting a list of ways to get herself fired.
Showing up late. Skipping work without notice. Talking back to superiors. Sending a different teammate whenever her direct boss called for her…… bribery?
"Ah, no—no bribery."
Bribery was one of the reasons Sera met her downfall in the original story.
Sera had harbored the deeply unethical belief that money could fix anything. She handed out bribes and pulled strings as casually as breathing.
'She even went so far as to shower people with money to torment the female lead.'
The moment Sera began harassing Yuna, the heroine, Dohyun quietly exposed every one of her misdeeds—every bribe, every abuse of power.
'And Sera, convinced the female lead was the one who leaked it, escalated to outright blackmail.'
That landed her at the police station on charges of bribery, influence peddling, and extortion.
And what came after that, naturally, was the death ending.
Sojin drew a firm line through "bribery."
Her pencil next landed on "talking back to superiors."
"My superior would be…… the male lead?"
Sojin tapped her lips with the pencil.
She was the team leader now, so her direct superior would obviously be Dohyun.
"In the original, Sera didn't so much talk back to him as obsess over him. And honestly, Dohyun would hate obsessive clinging and seduction even more than insolence."
Ugh, but then I'd really be acting exactly like the original Sera, which I hate…….
Besides, though it was nothing more than a strange hunch, she didn't think she could get fired no matter how badly she mouthed off at Dohyun.
He already knew about her fraudulent hiring, yet he hadn't said a word about it.
It was pure speculation on Sojin's part, but she suspected Dohyun was currently in a position where he couldn't interfere with her employment.
She put a little triangle next to "talking back to superiors."
'I'll keep this one in reserve—only if the situation calls for it.'
Methodically, dredging up more of Yeji's antics, Sojin added further entries to her how-to-get-fired list.
When she finished, she ran her eyes down the whole thing—and a sudden wave of unease made her frown.
"Wait, if I do all of this exactly as written, won't I be a dead ringer for Sera?"
Even as an act, becoming identical to that wicked woman was the last thing she wanted.
Sojin shook her head.
"No. If I want to pull off something great, this kind of cost is just part of the deal."
One way or another, getting fired would solve everything.
Hesitate, and even the doable becomes impossible.
She did her best to shove the lingering discomfort out of her heart.
Then she glanced at the calendar. Tomorrow's date had "first day of work" written on it.
First day of work.
Sojin dug through her bag closet and pulled out a glaring sunshine-yellow handbag emblazoned with an enormous designer monogram.
She checked the time. Already nine o'clock.
To arrive on time she would have needed to leave thirty minutes ago—but so what?
"I'm supposed to be late today, after all."
She dressed in a white blouse and a fierce red miniskirt, and made sure not to forget her coffee-colored stockings.
Next came the glittering diamond wristwatch. Seeing the hour hand inch past nine did prick her conscience a little, but she shook it off.
"No, you've got this! You can do it!"
Then, with great ceremony, she draped a red mink fur coat over her shoulders.
Sojin walked to the mirror.
She finished the look by pinning a diamond-studded flower into her hair.
In the mirror stood a truly breathtaking flower-beauty.
Not a woman pretty as a flower—a madwoman wearing one in her hair.
Sojin slicked on vivid scarlet lipstick. Her maximally curled lashes fluttered like a swan's wings.
"Nobody would ever mistake this for office wear."
Which meant it was more than enough to destroy her first impression.
Looking thoroughly proud of herself, Sojin picked up her bag, stepped out of her room, and swept across the living room.
The servants' jaws dropped at the sight of her—then they hastily bowed their heads.
"M-Miss! Have a good day at work!"
"Good luck on your first day!"
Sojin waved with leisurely grace.
"Mm~ you all fight on too~."
The moment she stepped out the front door, she found Secretary Han waiting to escort her to the company.
His eyes grew wider and wider as he took her in.
"M-Miss……."
"Yes? What is it?"
"Your destination today is Kangseong Media, r…ight?"
"Yep, that's right. Drive there very, very slowly for me, please."
So that I can be properly, completely late.
Secretary Han let out a bewildered little laugh. Heh.
She had always been an unusual young lady, but lately she seemed stranger than ever.
Still, ten years of serving her meant his bewilderment didn't last long. He smoothly took charge.
"Your carriage awaits, Miss."
Secretary Han accepted her bag.
When Sojin arrived and strode through the company lobby, every single pair of eyes turned toward her.
"What the—? Who is that?"
"Wearing that to the office…… incredible, honestly."
Sojin's steps faltered for an instant. The flood of stares set her heart pounding all on its own.
'No—don't chicken out! I'm leaving this company soon anyway. And this is inside a drama, remember!'
Mind control complete, Sojin forced a smile onto her face and crossed the lobby with elegant, unhurried steps.
She slid off her sunglasses and pulled out her phone. One message from the hiring manager was waiting.
Moments later, the hiring manager came hurrying down, glancing around in search of her.
Sojin gave a casual little wave.
"Over here!"
The hiring manager spotted her—and her mouth slowly fell open.