My Cold Wife

Part 1 - From Glory to Ashes

The Chanel's main office , Midtown Manhattan, New York

9:45 am

Jennie's POV

The morning light streams through the panoramic windows of my office, casting long shadows across the polished hardwood floor. I can feel exhaustion settling in my bones, a heavy weight that seems impossible to shake. It's been three days since I last slept, lost in the relentless whirlwind of CEO responsibilities and paperwork that never seems to end.

With a weary sigh, I glance at the clock ticking away on the wall, each second ticking by like a harsh reminder of the time slipping through my fingers. Shareholders and investors are abandoning ship faster than I can keep track, leaving me to navigate the stormy waters of financial ruin alone.

I signal to my secretary, barely registering the weariness in her eyes as she scurries to fulfill my request for another pot of coffee. 

Could you please bring me a fresh pot of coffee, Lia? And cancel all my appointments for the day?

I say, my voice strained with fatigue.

Of course, Ms. Kim.

Lia replies, her voice laced with concern. 

Are you sure you don't want to take a break? You've been working non-stop for days.

I offer her a weak smile, grateful for her concern but too overwhelmed to heed her advice. 

I appreciate it, Lia, but I can't afford to take a break right now. There's too much at stake.

As Lia hurries off to fetch the coffee, my phone buzzes incessantly, a cacophony of demands and accusations from media representatives hungry for the latest scandal. I silence the notifications with trembling hands, the weight of their words settling like a lead ball in the pit of my stomach.

But it's the newspaper clutched in Lia's trembling hand that delivers the final blow. The headline screams out at me in bold, unforgiving letters: 

"Chanel is Gone and the CEO is a Failure." 

My blood boils as I read the damning words, my hands trembling with indignation.

How dare they reduce years of my hard work to mere fodder for the tabloids? How dare they tarnish my name and reputation with their callous accusations?

In that moment, a fire ignites within me – a fierce determination to reclaim my company's honor, no matter the cost. I push aside the doubts and fears that threaten to consume me, drawing strength from the burning resolve in my heart.

For I am not just a CEO – I am a fighter. And I will not rest until I have proven to the world that I am.

11:00 am

The air in the boardroom feels heavy with tension as I sit at the head of the long, mahogany table, surrounded by stern-faced investors from Kwon Group of Industries. Their CEO, Mr. Kwon himself, sits across from me, his expression unreadable as he delivers the harsh blow.

We're going to need our money back, Ms. Kim.

Mr. Kwon says, his voice firm but tinged with disappointment. 

Chanel is sinking into the mud, and we can't afford to let our reputation suffer along with it.

My heart sinks like a stone as I absorb his words. The weight of their demands presses down on me, threatening to suffocate me with their implications. I try to rally my thoughts, to find the right words to appease them, but my mind feels like a jumbled mess.