My Contractual Husband

2. Lee Seung-Ho

Ji-Yeon woke up to the sound of construction, then immediately hit with a headache as soon as she sat up. The headache was among the worst she'd ever had. Not to mention she was also sore and the bright sunlight stung her eyes. Feeling the consequences, she was already regretting her decisions from last night and she promised herself that no man would ever be worth that bad of a hangover.

A surge of panic struck her and she scrambled to find her phone. There were at thirty miss calls and above those showed the time to be eight thirty; twenty minutes before her work starts, and sixty minutes later than when she'd usually wake up. The traffic in Seoul was at peak rush hour, she was filthy and groggy and God- she didn't even have a change of clothes.

She gasped in horror and she was sent into a frantic race against time. Using the hotel supplies that were nicer than she'd expected, she brushed her teeth and drenched her face with water before rubbing it so harshly as if she could wipe away the dark circles and swollen cheeks. She ran her hand to smooth out her brassy pink hair to tie it in a low ponytail, while trying not to think of how much it bothered her that couldn't do her makeup, or how she couldn't take a shower, or how much her head was hurting. Despite her dehydrated skin and tired eyes (that she couldn'teven hide), she'd managed to make herself look somewhat presentable in the record time of five minutes.

She threw on her small crossbody purse as she ran out the door and to the elevator. She couldn't help but dread how much the night had cost as she sped through the grand lobby that held a circular aquarium in the middle and large leather couches. It was easily a five-star hotel. Though when she stopped by the reception to check out, she was told that her room had already been paid for. Which made her more grateful for the stranger than she already was, but it didn't surprise her. She still remembered how that man had a designated driver in his black BMW... or was it an Audi? She felt her head hurting again.

The rest was a haze. Ji-Yeon ended up calling in late for work despite her taxi driver's best effort at fighting the traffic. Luckily her boss had counted on her perfect streak of attendance and was lenient. Though Ji-Yeon did feel saddened to break her record. She was nearly the perfect employee who always showed up ten minutes before everyone else.

S.T Marketing Agency has risen among the top marketing firms in South Korea in recent years. Only fresh out of college, Min-Joon had helped her get in when it was beginning to gain traction. She had worked her way from an intern position to an executive secretary. For the past years, work was all she's ever known, overcompensating with her work ethic like she had something to prove to herself and the world. And she did have something to prove. To prove that she had a place in the corporate world as a young woman, that she wasn't just some bimbo who got her position through her boyfriend's connection.

When Ji-Yeon arrived on her floor, she was tired and out of breath. She had run into the nearest store for a change of clothes so to no longer be in her pink top and jean shorts but instead professionally wore a white blouse and white dress pants (costing more than what she was happy to pay) while holding her old clothes in a paper bag.

Ji-Yeon was greeted on her way to her workstation by her coworkers, she'd earned their respect over the years. Except today, there were additional teases "Woah look who's late today", "did something happen?", "the world must be ending". In which Ji-Yeon could only respond with an amiable laugh or half-hearted comebacks because her exhaustion seemed to have dulled her usual sharp tongue.

Right when she reached her work station, an L-shaped desk set individually apart from the row of desks and conveniently placed right outside of the executive office, she was ambushed by a crossed armed, broad shouldered, straight faced woman. Jeon Hae-Rim was the manager of a marketing department, a loyal employee who's been with the company for over ten years.