Trial Marriage Husband (Pangyo Couple version)

CHAPTER 6: Returning to the Position of Top Model

Of course not, the timing isn't right!

Jeonghwan knew what she was thinking, so he grabbed the phone and handed it to her. Jooeun did not step aside to take the phone call. Instead, she confidently pressed the answer button, right in front of Jeonghwan.

"Jooeun, where are you right now?"

"I was afraid the reporters would find me, so I found a place to hide." Jooeun replied calmly.

"So, you're saying you aren't aware of the incident with Jang Minjung?" Yonghwa asked in a patient tone.

"What's wrong with Minjung unnie? The place I have hidden in is quite remote, so I haven't been able to keep up with what's happening on the outside, what happened?" Jooeun tried her best to sound curious.

"Thanks to your manager, CN is now in a mess. Return to the office first, I'm going to arrange for you to hold a press conference. Jooeun, I am depending on you to clear CN's name."

Press conference? More like another opportunity for him to throw the blame on me. Did he really think I am still that naïve?

Jooeun hung up the phone in disgust, when suddenly Jeonghwan began to speak.

"I've already saved my number in your phone. Anytime you need me, give me a call and let me know what you want to do."

"Thank you, Jeonghwan."

"You shouldn't be calling me that." Jeonghwan unfolded his legs and pulled Jooeun to his side, "Call me something else...or I won't let you go."

Jooeun blushed as she whispered shyly, "H-hubby..." A rare smile appeared on Jeonghwan's face.

"Come on, I'll drop you off at work. Remember what you promised...don't get too close to another man." Jooeun knew exactly what Jeonghwan was referring to. She responded with a reassuring smile and a hopeful look in her eyes for Jeonghwan to trust her. Jeonghwan's heart skipped a beat. Between the two of them, there was nothing more to say.

In just 40 minutes, Jeonghwan had successfully driven Jooeun to a location close to CN Entertainment. As the King of Entertainment, he knew all the deepest, darkest secrets of the industry. Hence, he was curious as to how Jooeun intended on turning the tables to retrieve her position as top model.

Jooeun knew what she was getting herself into. It was clear that this was a game where she had to keep her cards hidden, whilst her enemies had already laid their cards on the table. If she couldn't change the outcome even after swapping out her entire hand, then she would have to admit defeat.

After stepping out of Jeonghwan's car, she accessed the building through a secret walkway. As soon as the staff spotted Jooeun, the room was filled with mixed reactions of disgust, hate and mockery; as if they were sure Minjung's revelations were all under Jooeun's directions. Jooeun pretended not to notice. She walked over to Yonghwa's room and pushed open the door as her gaze met the back of his head.

"You're back..." Yonghwa turned around holding back his anger.

"Tell me, what happened?"

"Jooeun, are you certain you don't know about the incident with Minjung?" Yonghwa threw the newspaper reports in front of Jooeun. He questioned her angrily. "If she didn't receive orders from you, how would she be brave enough to do this?"

"Yonghwa, we are about to get married, why would I do something like this? Wouldn't that be pushing you away?" Jooeun choked on her words as she looked at him innocently.

"Then, how do you explain why you placed the LOVE bracelet on your ankle at the show? You knew very well, that the biggest difference between you and Shinhye are your legs."

Jooeun looked at Yonghwa as he interrogated her. She thought back on the multiple times that Yonghwa had protected Shinhye in the same way. She once thought it was all because he was trying to protect his own growing career, so she was willing to endure being wronged and allowed him to stick up for another person. But from the looks of it now, the only person he wanted to protect all along had solely been Park Shinhye.

"At the time, I had no way of wearing the LOVE bracelet on anywhere but my ankles. Shinhye's assistant was also present, you can ask him."

"I asked him already and he said you had made the decision yourself..." Yonghwa pressed on.

"Yonghwa, I am your fiancee, yet you choose to believe an outsider?" Jooeun faked a look of disappointment as she continued to observe Yonghwa's reactions. "Yesterday...we were supposed to be signing our wedding papers."

"It's too late to say anything now, the damage is done. Stonehenge has already notified the court of their intention to sue CN for breaching the contract and thanks to your manager, the public's negative reactions towards CN are now getting worse and worse. You need to take responsibility for this." Yonghwa looked down at Jooeun condescendingly. He gave off the aura of an almighty god passing judgment.

"You will be my wife soon. I don't want my wife to hurt my career. That's why, Jooeun, for the sake of CN, you have the responsibility to step out and explain to the public the entire mess was created by your manager for hype and has nothing to do with CN."

"Admitting that my manager was responsible is just like admitting I was responsible! Weren't you the one that called me to hastily substitute Park Shinhye?" Jooeun cried. "Yonghwa, is it because I am to marry you, that I should be sacrificed?"

"I don't care. Being recognized was your fault." As soon as those words left his lips, Yonghwa must have felt he had gone too far. He quickly calmed down and reached out his arms to give Jooeun a hug, however, she retaliated by pushing him away.

"Jooeun, I was just getting a bit impatient. Just this once, after we are married, I promise to treat you well." Of course, Jooeun held back her tears and nodded.

"I am doing this, not because I admit to creating this mess, it is because I want to protect your career. But, there will be no next time!"

"Yes...I promise, there will be no next time!" In actual fact, Yonghwa knew Jooeun would fall for it again next time. Especially after they were married, according to Jooeun's character, she would be easily controlled by him.

"The press conference will be this afternoon at 3pm. We will have a meeting in a minute to go over your script."

"OK!" Jooeun stopped crying and forced herself to look into Yonghwa's eyes like always. But, as soon as she left the room, her eyes swept over with a cold gaze. She couldn't immediately forget the jerk, but, she was going to stick by her decisions. There was no way she was going to take on the blame for Yonghwa's wrongdoings again.

After thinking carefully, she returned to her own room and phoned her manager.

"Minjung unnie, Yonghwa is trying to use me as a shield."

"Hah! Jooeun, tell me what you want me to do." Her manager was full of fighting spirit.

"3PM. I will announce I created the mess and apologize. Afterwards, I want you to anonymously release photos of Yonghwa and Shinhye being affectionate in the hospital."

"Sure! I've even thought up of a great headline 'Exposed! CN's boss has multiple affairs: The Biggest Cheating Scum!'" Jooeun couldn't help but respond with a laugh, before she began to apologize.

"Sorry unnie, for dragging you into all this."

"Jooeun, as long as you have made the decision to start afresh, I will help you return to being the top model. In fact, I will help you become an international supermodel!"