Chapter Text
The Hong family has constantly undermined and underestimated Baek Hyun-woo. Almost as if his humble background and their chaebol status gave them a right to look down upon him. But it's not just them. People in Hong Hae-in and Baek Hyun-woo’s vicinity - be it in their professional lives or their personal lives - have also done the same. Time and again.
Baek Hyun-woo is not the person to ponder over external opinions. He felt bad about the way his wife’s family constantly demeaned and humiliated him, but he let it go all for his wife’s sake. He didn’t care what they said as long as his wife Hong Hae-in was beside him.
However, things have been going downhill for their marriage over the past few months ever since the miscarriage. Hyun-woo was seriously wondering if their relationship was even a relationship these days. They hardly spoke to one another unless it was something work-related. They slept in separate rooms. They avoided each other as much as possible. There were only two things they did together – breakfast and driving to work and that too for the sake of maintaining the façade for the outside world.
At work, Hong Hae-in’s cold and detached attitude and ire towards Baek Hyun-woo started garnering attention in meeting rooms. Baek Hyun-woo to all his credit still tried not to let their broken relationship become a spectacle even more than it already was. He had learned early on that Hae-in grew up amongst wolves and had a hard time navigating emotions. He understood that her cold, calculating, and detached self was a coping mechanism, but he also knew for a fact that he didn’t deserve this treatment from anyone – not his wife, or her family.
But no matter what, the feelings they had for one another never died. Hong Hae-in and Baek Hyun-woo have always been extremely protective and possessive of one another.
People knew that Hong Hae-in was the embodiment of “touch my husband and you die vibes.” It was so obvious in the early days of their marriage. People knew never to cross him scared of earning Hong Hae-in’s wrath.
On the other hand, people know that Queen’s Legal Director Baek Hyun-woo is smart. Not only is he intelligent and a good team leader, but his looks garnered a lot of attention – much to Hong Hae-in’s irritation, not that she would EVER accept it. Only Hae-in’s secretary knows just how jealous her boss gets when she hears or sees women simping over her husband.
Today Hong Hae-in would learn that Queen’s Legal Director Baek Hyun-woo, the SNU Law graduate belonging to a humble family based in Yongduri, could be brutal when provoked. There was a protective and possessive side of Hyun-woo buried deep inside him – a side that he rarely showed to anyone. Heck, even Hong Hae-in, his wife of three years had never witnessed it.
Baek Hyun-woo POV
"Look who is here. Finally done with your day, Director Baek?"
Lim Jae, the idiotic and worthless son of one of Queen's board members. The guy's been badgering us for the past month to provide legal approval for expanding his already loss-making brand's shop to three blocks compared to its current one block.
He is supposed to receive a notice of immediate evacuation from Queens tomorrow morning for the continued delay in rent payments. I signed the order just this morning and have the letter in my bag as we speak.
He and his thugs, five of them, have just stalled me and my secretary in the basement parking.
"Mr. Lim, how can I help you?" I ask calmly.
"Ah, Director Baek, you know very well how you can help me. Why don't you just provide the legal approval for the expansion? I am offering you a 5% cut in the profits!"
"Mr. Lim, for the nth time, given the fact that your shop has been facing losses for the past two years, we can't provide approval for expansion. That's written in the contract you signed with Queens. If all of this wasn't enough, you have been delaying rent payments for the past six months. Also, I am happy with what I earn. I have no interest in taking bribes from anyone." I set the facts straight.
"I must mention that that six-month extension is only because your father is on the board. We have asked others to vacate if there were delays of more than a quarter," I add further.
The tick in his mouth told me that I had pissed him off. He could have utilized the money he is wasting on these thugs to get some competent advice on how to run a damn business.
"So, you see there is no way we can provide you an approval to expand. That's my final answer." I say as I start to walk away and my secretary follows.
"You know I always wondered what the hell did the Hong princess see in you? Like seriously, your worth is less than that of the dirt on my shoes," he sneers out and his voice echoes in the basement. Each of those words pierced through my heart painfully. No matter what, I would never be worth Hong Hae-in in people's eyes. Only because I didn't belong to the same circles as her.
"SNU Law graduate from Yongduri, with a father desperately trying to hang on to the title of the village head, a mother slacking at home, and two good-for-nothing siblings. Jinja? I make more in a day than what your family makes in an entire year," he laughs out as his thugs follow cue.
My breathing slows to a painful beat as my chest constricts.
"I see that you did a background check on me. Thanks for sharing what I already know. Yes, that's my family. One that is everything to me. No one's opinion matters in this case." I maintain my steady voice despite the anger surging through my veins.
"Aish, this son of a bitch really is cocky, isn't he?" he breathes out to his band of lapdogs, who religiously cackle behind him as if Mr. Lim has cracked a joke.
Baek Hyun-woo calm down. Ignore. Do not take this personally. He is just trying to goad you into losing your cool and making the first move. Once you do, he would use the videos and defame Queens for harassment through their legal representatives.
I turn to my secretary, who looks red with anger and somewhat fear, but he hasn't said a word. He knows better than to step into such situations because unfortunately anything and everything can be used against us.
I am done talking to this guy. He is so blinded by his greed that he can't see the facts for himself. His father holds a deciding vote on the board and the elder Lim has never given me good vibes either. The old man is sexist to the core and is almost always in the cross-hairs with Hae-in’s ideas. Sadly, the apple hasn’t fallen too far from the tree.
I take a deep breath as I make an effort to maintain my gaze on Lim Jae. Gosh, I would like to break his teeth right now for calling my mother a bitch. But there are some lines I would prefer not to cross because, at the end of the day, I am still responsible for my wife's image. Irrespective of where our relationship is going, I would never willingly jeopardize her work.
I walk up to him and stare right at him as revulsion and disgust rages through me. Taking a deep breath, I say, "I will let this entire episode slide Mr. Lim. I suggest you work on improving your business rather than trying to feel good about yourself by insulting others."
"No wonder you are such a pussy, Director Baek. It's not surprising though. You live with a family full of bull-headed women who have whored themselves out. All sluts these female Hongs. If you ask me, all women are. "
Silence.
My Eomma. Jeon Bong Ae.
My Noona. Baek Mi Sun.
My Sister-in-law. Cheon Da-Hye
My Aunt-in-Law. Hong Beom Ja.
My Mother-in-Law. Kim Seon Hwa.
The women in my team, our offices, and our home staff.
Each of their faces ran in my mind over the next few seconds like a running film.
The last one is my wife. Hong Hae-in.
Looks like the universe does want to witness my fury.
I stare at my opponent as I dial Hae-in's secretary. She picks up on the second ring, "Secretary Na, can you please hand the phone to Hong Hae-in? It's urgent."
"De?" Comes the standard cold voice from the other end as my wife waits for me. I try to muster the words through the red haze of fury.
"I don't have all day, Director Baek, so.." she says in irritation.
"I resign. Effective immediately. Just do me a favor and take care of my team. What's about to happen is not their fault. Do I have your word?" I ask.
I hear a clattering noise in the background as my wife shouts out, "What the hell? Wae?" I can tell that she is already moving, most likely to trace me.
"Just give me this Hong Hae-in. Do I have your word that no one from my team will be touched? Not a single one gets fired after I leave." I shout.
She must have heard the tremors in my voice because, in the next breath, she agrees. "Yes, I promise. Hyun-woo, tell me where..'
I cut the call and throw my phone and I punch Lim Jae in the face with my left hand. The crack of his jaw does nothing to tame the beast roaring in my chest.
I have ignored all the shit he has spewed against my blood because I am numb to those insults. I hear this condescension almost everywhere I go. Especially since I married Hong Hae-in. But disrespecting women just because he is incapable of achieving anything on his own is a new low.
Deep down, in the innermost corner of my heart, someone calling my beloved wife a slut is what triggered my fury. I was silent regarding my parents and siblings, but Hong Hae-in...tolerating people's nonsense against her is not my strongest forte. Who am I kidding? I can't hear a word of disrespect or insult against her from outsiders. The fact that I put up with my in-law's reckless attitude towards Hae-in is challenging enough.
Mr. Lim Jae will know what it's like when cool-minded people are pushed beyond limits.
Hyun-woo Secretary POV
This idiot has picked a fight with the wrong guy. I have worked for Director Baek for the last two years and people underestimate him too much. Just because his words are always measured and he prefers to speak less, people just assume that he is powerless. If only people knew just how much the Legal Director of Queens is capable of, they would learn to show some goddamn respect.
The moment Mr. Lim called women (especially the Hong women) sluts and I saw my boss’ aura become chillingly cold and I knew shit was about to hit the fan.
My fear was proven right when my boss resigned without giving two fucks and shouting at CEO Hong, his wife – that never happens. Nobody shouts at Hong Hae-in. Ever. Unless you are Baek Hyun-woo. People don’t realize this but Baek Hyun-woo is untouchable. Hong Hae-in would eat the person who even looked at her husband wrong for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Only she is allowed to bully him.
The next few minutes are a complete blur as I see my boss kick ass of all six douchebags and Mr. Lim in a matter of few minutes.
Gosh, did Director Baek know boxing by any chance? How the hell is he so good at this? He is anticipating his opponent’s moves even before it happens. He seemed to be waiting for them to lose energy before he made his moves.
I hear the cops (thank God they are on time) just when Mr. Baek has twisted Mr. Lim’s hand behind his back and pushed him over the hood of a car.
“My Bag!” Director Baek yells at me and I rush to him with bag which I was holding for him.
“Take out the evacuation notice I signed this morning.” I do it as my hands tremble because Director Baek’s voice is still lined with barely restrained fury.
“Yah, let me go you, asshole. Do you know who I am?” Mr. Lim shouts out in pain.
“Sir, please let him go,” the police officer steps in.
I hand my boss the letter and he slaps it over Mr. Lim’s chest, “You have been served asshole. You better be out of the premises before this week ends after you have given a formal apology or I will be suing you for defamation. Legal Director of Queens or not, your insults against my wife and the women in my family are grounds for legal action – a right, which I will exercise if you don’t leave.”
“I have a brilliant track record as an attorney Mr. Lim. I suggest you choose wisely.” Director Baek adds coldly after a beat.
He is not gloating – not one bit. Baek Hyun-woo has one of the best track records amongst the conglomerate attorneys in South Korea. Director Baek is revered for his intelligence and attention to detail – there is hardly anything that misses his eye. I can’t even count the number of times other firms have tried to poach him, not understanding that his first and foremost loyalty would always remain to his wife Hong Hae-in. No amount of money or incentives would budge him from her side.
As we start walking away from the mess, I take in my boss’ state. He has a split lip, a few bruises, and a cut on his face and one near his eyebrow, while his knuckles are bruised and bleeding.
“Director Baek, I think we should go to the infirmary right now. You need to get your wounds cleaned.” I say worriedly.
“I am fine. Can you do me one last favor?” he asks.
“Anything,” I say without thinking. He just put his life on the line for me and our team. The least I can do is help him out.
“Do you mind dropping me to my hometown? It’s a few hours drive from here. I don’t think I can drive that much in my current state. You can crash at my place tonight and come back tomorrow.” He asks hesitantly. He has this sad look in his eyes almost as if he is regretting something.
“Of course.” I nod immediately.
As we settled in and hit the road, I saw him taking out his phone, which had been ringing non-stop for the past ten minutes. He made me switch off my phone before I started driving because he didn’t want to be bothered by anyone from the office.
To my surprise, he sets his phone on his lap and starts recording.
“Hyun-woo here. I am going to Yong-duri for a few days.”
He sounds tired and resigned almost as if he wants to get away from everything even if it’s just for a short time.
“As for what happened today – you will learn about it from Mr. Lim’s perspective soon enough so I am not going to say much, but I recommend you check the security cameras once to see for yourself the actual chain of events. You may want to talk to my secretary once to understand my side of things to confirm that I am not lying.”
Oh, the CEO is getting a long-ass mail and a heavy attachment from me today. Don’t worry Director Baek. I will be supporting you. I hadn't mentioned this to Director Baek yet, but I had recorded everything on my phone. I had seen Lim Jae before we had entered his view and for some reason my gut told me that I should discreetly record a video just in case things went south.
“Hae-in, I hope you will keep your promise of protecting my team. All 10 of them are highly competent individuals and do not hold any responsibility for what happened today. Three got married just last year, two have elderly parents who moved in with them, three were blessed with babies just in the past few months, and the remaining two which include my secretary have long-term loan burdens on them. They do not deserve to be treated wrongly for my actions. As for me, I will mail my resignation letter by tomorrow morning. Thanks.”
“Please send this voice note to CEO Hong tomorrow morning,” he tells me tiredly once he is finished recording.
My throat is clogged up. I feel like the smallest person on the planet for all the times I have spoken shit about Director Baek behind his back, mocking him for remaining tight-lipped about the obvious mistreatment he gets from the Hong family. The entire team has gossiped about him to no end during team parties and lunch breaks. Heck, some call him the Hong Butler as a mockery. The same guy we laughed and mocked for so long has just stood in front of us like a shield protecting us from the oncoming wrath of a board member. Did we even deserve such a boss? Someone who knew everyone’s struggles, but has never commented on it. Not a single time have I heard him bad-mouthing anyone or disclosing anybody’s financial struggles to the wider team. So, what gave us the right to judge him for his personal life?
We have been absolute jerks. We don’t deserve someone like Baek Hyun-woo as our leader. Getting an asshole of a boss next time might put our asses in place and maybe then we will start appreciating what we had right in front of us this whole time.
I drop him at his home that night and as planned take a halt at his place.
When Director Baek asked me the next morning if I had slept well, I lie through my teeth.
He didn’t need to know that I had spent the night mailing the video to the entire Queens employee base right from the board to our interns. When I walked into the office in the afternoon the whole place was in an uproar and I had been summoned by the chairman.
As for the recording that Director Baek made for CEO Hong yesterday – I had taken the liberty to share it on the group chat as well. Every person on the team deserved the guilt trip for treating our ex-boss like absolute crap.
Amidst all this one thing that catches my eye, but doesn’t surprise me is that CEO Hong Hae-in is not in the office today.
I pat myself on the back for the discrete message I was able to send out to Secretary Na halfway through our journey yesterday during a loo break.
It was hard to act dumb when I saw the Valentino heels on the veranda today morning and the Mercedes parked just behind Director Baek’s car. I tried to act nonchalant when Director Baek gave me a knowing look. We both knew I was fooling no one and I had told his wife of his whereabouts despite his clear instructions to send out the recording today.
I am just praying that Hong Hae-in walks in with her claws bared tomorrow morning. It's been a while since I have seen her obliterate someone and I have my popcorn ready for when she decimates the Lim’s to the ground for crossing her husband.