A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 99

99. Exposure

Eun-bi kept pondering how she should live her life moving forward.

A BJ [Broadcast Jockey, a live streamer] friend, cornered by a manipulated broadcast, committed an absurd act: framing Jung Ji-heon as a cheating man and Lee Jung-oh as his mistress. A story Eun-bi had tearfully shared to orchestrate a play before visiting Guksun Baekban [a local restaurant], had come back to bite her.

Afterward, the BJ asked Eun-bi for help, insisting they reveal the truth to crush Lee Jung-oh and restore their honor. Eun-bi was once again at a crossroads.

While she was agonizing over this, a call came in. The caller was Jung Ji-heon.

She realized the silver lining of the exposé. Jung Ji-heon, who hadn’t contacted her even once while she was absent from work, and whose team members hadn’t even bothered to ask about her well-being, was now calling her directly.

“Hello.”

[It’s been a while.]

Hearing Jung Ji-heon’s voice after so long, so calm, made her want to burst into tears.

I really loved you, Oppa [an honorific term used by women to address older male friends or brothers].

I still do. If you give up Lee Jung-oh and come to me, I’m ready to accept you. If you bring Lee Ye-na, I can raise her too. I can dedicate myself to your parents as well.

But she couldn’t bring herself to say those heart-wrenching words. Eun-bi asked in a sulky voice, “Yeah, what’s up?”

[I’m calling because an employee of the headquarters has been absent without leave for too long.]

“…….”

[Are you not coming back to the company?]

“How can you say that so easily? How can I go back there?”

[Anyway, you need to sort things out properly, don’t you?]

He wasn’t going to hold onto her at all. The harshness of his words stung her heart.

[Come in tomorrow. Production Team 1 is having a hard time because you’ve been absent without notice.]

“……Is there anything else you want to say?”

[Anyway, come in. You need to sort out your work properly.]

“…….”

[Let’s talk tomorrow.]

He avoided her question, wrapped up the call quickly, and hung up.

Perhaps it was because it had been so long, but his voice sounded strangely indifferent yet gentle. She was swayed by his voice once again, but she knew now. She had to give up on Jung Ji-heon. Jung Ji-heon, whom she had liked for over ten years and courted for over four.

The thought of Lee Jung-oh standing next to Jung Ji-heon, whom she had wanted so badly, made her blood boil again.

With tears in her eyes, Eun-bi picked up her phone again. The only person she could rely on now, the only man who took her side. She wanted to call him and ask for his opinion.

The man answered the phone right away.

“Director Jung wants me to go to the company tomorrow. He wants me to go and sort things out properly.”

Eun-bi whined and told the man everything that had just happened. The man asked,

[So, are you just going to wrap everything up and step down?]

“Of course, I want to hold on. But what can I do? There’s no way. I’m the weaker one.”

[But you still have a weapon.]

“…….”

[The weapon of being Director Jung’s lover.]

The man’s answer cleared Eun-bi’s head. The BJ had also described Eun-bi as a victim on his channel. The people at the company still thought that Ji-heon and she had been lovers who had broken up. It really was a weapon she could use.

[In a love affair battle, the preemptive strike is important. The key is who seizes the position of the victim first.]

That’s right. I can’t just leave quietly like this.

If I can’t have him, I have to make sure Lee Jung-oh can’t have Jung Ji-heon either. To do that, Lee Jung-oh has to be ruined. She has to be humiliated.

I’ll blow it up like the BJ did. There’s no reason I can’t.

Eun-bi’s eyes gleamed sharply as she made up her mind.

“Yes. I’m going to detonate a bomb.”

* * * * * *

The next day, as Ji-heon had asked, Eun-bi went to work after a long absence.

As expected, no one welcomed Eun-bi. It was because her unannounced absence had caused so much trouble for the team. Even Deputy Jo Yu-ri looked at Eun-bi unpleasantly.

“You must have been comfortable. You’ve gained some weight.”

It was true that she had been lazing around at home, and because she had nothing to do, she had been sleeping all the time. Eun-bi made another excuse in response to Yu-ri’s barbed words.

“It’s just bloating. My health is much worse than you think, Deputy Jo.”

Eun-bi apologized gracefully.

“I’m going to resign. I’m really sorry that things have turned out this way. I’m also upset and feel wronged.”

And she subtly emphasized that she was the victim.

After clearing her desk, Eun-bi told Team Leader Ahn Chan-seop that she was resigning. Team Leader Ahn didn’t try to stop her and created the settlement documents.

“You can submit it after getting the director’s signature.”

To think that the end of my time at the company, where I dedicated my youth, would be like this.

Eun-bi took the approval file from Team Leader Ahn and looked across the room. She saw Lee Jung-oh, the source of all this.

Lee Jung-oh was diligently working on her own tasks, not paying any attention to Eun-bi packing her things and going through the resignation process. Occasionally, she would smile and talk to her team members.

Just you wait. Let’s see if you can still smile like that in an hour.

Eun-bi sneered inwardly and went to find Ji-heon. Without a word, she handed him the settlement documents. Ji-heon glanced over the documents and opened his mouth.

“It’s a shame that this is how it ends.”

He meant that he was disappointed that he couldn’t see her responsible side. But Eun-bi only heard the words ‘a shame’ and they resonated deeply within her. Emotions welled up.

I made so many memories going in and out of your family home. I could have been a good wife to you.

She also wanted to save Ji-heon, who had been bewitched by the witch-like Lee Jung-oh, leaving behind the easy path of being with her.

“Oppa, you’re being deceived. Lee Jung-oh is using the excuse of having a child to hold you back!”

Eun-bi tried to persuade Ji-heon with all her heart. It was her last plea.

“This is all Lee Jung-oh’s scheme. Why would she hide the fact that she was pregnant with your child seven years ago? Because it wasn’t the child you wanted. Lee Jung-oh secretly gave birth to the child and raised it with the intention of inheriting your wealth or property later. And then she came to find you now because she’s sure you’ve lost your memory! Don’t you understand?”

“Chae Eun-bi. That’s not it.”

However, nothing worked on him. His calm voice cut off Eun-bi’s words.

“I was the one who found Jung-oh.”

“…….”

“My memories came back.”

Eun-bi’s eyes shook violently.

“Jung-oh didn’t tell me anything first. Rather, she was more careful because she misunderstood our fake relationship. I was the one who held onto someone like that.”

Ji-heon continued to speak calmly. It was the first time Ji-heon had told her the story of the two of them.

“I didn’t even know that Jung-oh had a child. I couldn’t have known that the child was mine. Besides, you were the one who revealed the fact that Jung-oh had a child at the company. Remember?”

Eun-bi swallowed her tears at Ji-heon’s words.

“Do a good job with the handover. And organize the computer data well.”

“…….”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

After speaking, Ji-heon signed the documents neatly and handed them to Eun-bi.

It was a kind look, as if he was now wishing her well for the future. He no longer glared at Eun-bi with a chillingly terrifying gaze. But that gentle and calm pressure tightened Eun-bi’s chest even more.

On her way out of the office with the documents, she ran into Team Leader Ahn Chan-seop again.

“Section Chief Chae, please hand over the data you’re in charge of before you leave. Don’t forget to send emails to each person in charge of the planning team, and check who the handover person is and tell them everything they need to know.”

“Are you making someone who’s leaving today do work?”

“I don’t want to let you go easily either. But what can I do? There have been a lot of holes in the work while Section Chief Chae has been away. You have to do the handover properly so that the next person doesn’t have a hard time.”

Eun-bi closed her mouth, about to argue further.

Okay. I’ll be a clear victim today.

She sat down at her desk and turned on her PC. Files were piled up all over the desktop. It seemed impossible to organize them even if she stayed up all night.

Besides, she had to check the handover person for each case. She didn’t want to take on troublesome work when she was leaving the company.

Eun-bi simply connected her PC to the company’s public folder and inserted a download link in the email she sent. And she added a meaningful message.

「I am leaving the company, which I have grown fond of, due to personal reasons. As much as I loved the company, I am also very heartbroken. I hope that the same thing does not happen to my colleagues. I am sorry that I cannot say goodbye to each of you individually. I am going to share some of the items I have cherished while organizing my desk. I plan to leave at 3 PM today, so please come to my desk before then if you would like to have them. Thank you for everything. Stay healthy.」

A neat message that aroused curiosity. A kind message that clearly showed the victim’s position was created.

Now, do as you please.

Eun-bi pressed the send button for the entire email and went to the HR department with a light heart. When she submitted the documents to the HR department and came back, the area around Production Team 1 was in disarray.

Not only the people in charge of the brands she was in charge of, but also the employees who had not been very close to her throughout her company life were gathered. It seemed they had gathered because they were happy to receive the cherished items she was giving away.

‘You 거지 같은 것들 [Geoji gateun geotdeul – You beggars]. You guys like free stuff so much.’

Eun-bi sneered inwardly. Anyway, it seemed like the last one would be a good stage.

“Section Chief Chae, I heard you’re quitting the company.”

The planning team leader spoke first, as if he was sorry.

Deputy Jo Si-nae approached from behind the planning team leader, looking tearful.

“Section Chief. Why are you…… Why are you leaving…….”

Eun-bi was sincerely moved by the unwavering loyalty of Deputy Jo Si-nae, who had shown her loyalty even after being kicked out of the team.

“I…… I didn’t want to…….”

Eun-bi hugged Si-nae and burst into tears.

“I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to keep my position. Deputy Jo knows how much I loved the company…….”

“Section Chief Chae Eun-bi, what happened? What unfair thing happened that made you…….”

The planning team manager, whose heart had softened at Eun-bi’s tears, came over and asked. The people around them began to murmur. Deputy Jo Si-nae also became upset and shouted.

“Don’t you know why Section Chief Chae is quitting? How can she work at the company when the man she was about to marry is having an affair with another woman? And that woman is walking around in the same company!”

Jo Si-nae was about to leave for another company soon, so she spoke without hesitation.

Eun-bi was thrilled inside.

Yes. Deputy Jo Si-nae. Do more. Reveal Lee Jung-oh’s name!

Someone asked cautiously.

“Director has…… another woman, so Section Chief Chae broke up with him?”

“Didn’t you know? That mistress took away all of Section Chief Chae’s work too…….”

While Deputy Jo Si-nae was glaring at Jung-oh’s seat and continuing to speak, Song Ki-hoon from Production Team 2 suddenly stood up.

“Section Chief Chae. What is this data?”

The flow was cut off. Eun-bi glared at Ki-hoon.

“What is it?”

“There’s something strange in the files you sent with the download link.”

“There were so many files that I couldn’t check them all individually. I think it would be good if you filtered them out yourself. Mr. Song Ki-hoon.”

“No, this is really strange. It’s a recording file, didn’t you check it?”

Ki-hoon lifted his laptop over the partition and showed it to Eun-bi. In the folder that he had entered through the download link in the email, there was a file titled ‘Jung Ji-heon0604’. It was a recording file. Ki-hoon clicked on the file.

[Have I ever asked you for a favor? Why are you blaming me for something you did because you liked it? I didn’t want anything from you.]

[We were going to date! That’s the promise! If we’re going to date, we have to try that hard! So I tried this hard!]

Eun-bi, who had identified the owner of the voice, was horrified. It was Ji-heon and her voice.

A conversation they had a long time ago, arguing in Ji-heon’s office. The conversation in which Jung Ji-heon had nailed down the fake relationship between the two of them.

What is this…… how!

How is this here?

“Why is this…….”

Even while Eun-bi was frozen, the naked truth continued to flow from Ki-hoon’s computer.

[Chae Eun-bi. The agreement to date was only to cover up the rumors from four years ago. You said that too. Remember? After that, you should have sorted it out. Instead of creating false rumors.]

[…….]

[Stop it now. Sort it out within a week. I’ll turn a blind eye to all your pretense and lies until now.]

My weapon. The weapon that I was Jung Ji-heon’s lover…….

People murmured. The eyes that were looking at Eun-bi had already changed. The people who had been looking at her with a little pity could not hide their embarrassment.

Deputy Go Eun-joo also stood up from her seat and asked Eun-bi.

“Section Chief…… when did you record this?”

“I…… I didn’t, I didn’t do it! Director Jung Ji-heon recorded it!”

“Ah, so the recording file is true.”

Eun-joo nodded.

“No!”

Eun-bi shouted with a red face.