Cunning and Evil

SEND MY LOVE (TO YOUR NEW LOVER)

Seo Dan is on the cover of Elle Korea, wearing a white dress and a veil.

Describing the model as radiant would be a complete understatement. She is beautiful, gorgeous, and stunning. Almost every woman who saw that cover aspired to be as half as beautiful as she was when it's their turn to wear white.

During her shoot, the stylist gushed at the flashy diamond on her finger, and Seo Dan only curtly smiled. She hasn't removed that ring for several years now. As beautiful as it was, the ring is a striking reminder of the irony of her situation: it tells her about Ri Jeong Hyeok's disinterest to marry her now, or ever.

"Let's not use the engagement ring prop. Let's use the one on Seo Dan-ssi's finger. Would that be alright?"

"Of course."

And when the cover came up, Korea was in awe.

Social Networking Sites were bombarded with search queries of Seo Dan, Seo Dan boyfriend, Seo Dan fiance, Seo Dan Wedding.

What a beautiful couple they painted. Model-Humanitarian, soon to be a wife of a reputable assemblyman. A match made in heaven, the people say.

Dan browsed the tag of her name, wishing all of it were true.

She was shaken out of a daze when the person on the other line called her attention. "—Dan? Are you still there?"

"Yes, Jeong Hyeok. What were you saying?" She asked, "I was spacing out."

"We should've talked about this, Dan." The man on the other line explained, obviously frustrated by the magazine cover that his assistant brought earlier today.

Shouldn't he be proud of her? Shouldn't he be gushing about how beautiful her bride-to-be is? Like you know, a man in love with the woman he's supposed to marry.

"I'm a model, Ri Jeong Hyeok. What are you expecting me to do?" She was visibly getting frustrated too. "It's not like I announced a date or paraded your photo! It's an ad for a bridal clothing brand!"

"Dan, it brings unnecessary pressure to the engagement."

"Unnecessary?!" Her ears rang. "Really? You think being engaged to someone for several years now is not pressuring in itself?"

"Still. You should have talke—"

She cut him off, "You're still marrying me, right?"

There was a few seconds of silence between them, and Seo Dan had to check if the line was cut.

"What kind of question is that, Dan?"

Ri Jeong Hyeok is notoriously known as the force to be reckoned with during campaigns, hearings, interviews, and debates, being the eloquent speaker that he is.

He can answer any question thrown to him, may it be about the economy, international relations, laws in Korea, or anything under the sun...

Just not this one.

***

All the staff employed by the Office of the Assemblywoman Yoon Seri has contributed to developing a specific SOP, or Standard Operating Procedure, for when the boss is on a warpath.

The moment Yoon Seri stepped into her office, Mr. Hong already knows. The tell-tale signs are the specific sound of the click-clacking of her stilettos, the way the water bottle on her hand is crumpled, and how she didn't literally blink while walking to her office.

"Code black, everyone!"

Her executive assistant shuddered.

No calls should be directed to her office without screening by her executive assistant, all reports should be reviewed by Kim Ju Meok and approved by Hong Chan Sik, no staff should enter the room to submit anything unless asked.