Chapter Ten

 SooYun was up and in the facility at 6:00 a.m. There were only a few writers downstairs, and they were just coming in to get started. In the dining area, Min-Seo and Jin-Seo were with their mother finishing up their breakfast. SooYun came in to brew a cup of coffee. "Unnie!" 

 She greeted the little girl with a warm hug then stepped back and bowed, "Min-Seo, I've been practicing my counting, I can almost make it to twenty."

 Min-Seo giggled, "You should begin your letters, Unnie! I will write them down for you."

 "Thank you," SooYun said. She bowed toward Min-Seo's mother, "Have a good morning, Mrs. Park!"

 "You as well, Ms. Shin!" replied Mrs. Park. 

 SooYun climbed the stairs and strolled down the hall to her office. She noticed the light in her office was on. She paused at the door that was open halfway, and a woman was sitting behind her desk, turning in a very slow circle, staring up at the ceiling. 

 May I help you?" SooYun asked, pushing the door wide. 

 The woman smiled, it was a feral smile, one that did not reach her black eyes which were wide and exaggerated with eyeliner. "So, you are the one that he said helped him through his fits!"

 "I don't mean to be rude," SooYun said, "But who are you and what are you doing in my office?"

 The woman got up from the desk chair, "I am Chu Min-Ji, the Director's wife."

 "Good for you," SooYun quipped, "But that doesn't answer my question, What are you doing in my office?" SooYun wanted to know.

 Min-Ji's smile faded slightly, "I am returning this rag, I believe it is yours," she held up a tattered sweater, "It simply fell apart. That's what happens to cheaply made knockoffs."

 "What do you want?" SooYun asked. She looked at the scraps of yarn Min-Ji sprinkled like wool spaghetti on her desk. It was some kind of threat, being able to get into the facility and wait for her in the office. 

 "I don't want anything from you. But I do want to give you a bit of advice," Min-Ji told her she came up to SooYun and they slowly circled one another like two wild animals. "He can't afford to entangle himself with a person like you. Certainly not a woman older than he is and a foreigner. Aquila Studios will always come first, and if you create problems between Chairman Chu and the Director, you will have more than a cheap sweater destroyed!"

 "I have just signed a six-month contract with Aquila Studios," SooYun said as evenly as she could. "That is the extent of my involvement with Director Jin. So, now that you made your statement, I think you should leave."

 Min-Ji's demeanor altered and she took a step toward SooYun, holding up a large pair of shears she had used to destroy the sweater. "Careful how you speak to me!" 

 "Unnie!" 

 The little girl was standing in the doorway her eyes wide in fright. SooYun smiled. "It's okay Min-Seo. Wait for me downstairs with your mom. I'll be down in just a few minutes, okay?"

 Min-Seo nodded, turned, and fled down the hallway past Warren, Brittany, and Gustav. "Kid looked like she'd seen a ghost!" Warren muttered. They walked into the conference room and froze as they looked at the end of the conference table. There stood the Director and Mr. Lim. 

 "Where's SooYun?" Lim asked, "Wasn't she with you?"

 Warren frowned and pointed in the direction of SooYun's office. "That kid just ran out of SooYun's office like she'd seen a devil." He said and angled a critical look at the Director. 

 The Director frowned at the clock on the wall then turned and rushed out of the conference room. "Call security!" he shouted over his shoulder.

 Lim paled dramatically, picked up his phone, and called security. He rushed out a step behind. Warren, Brittany, and Gustav also hurried out to see what was happening. The Director walked into SooYun's office. "Min-Ji!"

 She turned to the Director and brushed her hair back away from her face. "I think I've made myself clear!"

 "Escort her out of here!" the Director said in a low dangerous voice. Min-Ji's scarlet-lipped smile turned into a grim scowl. Two security guards rushed into the office and Mr. Lim spoke quickly and quietly to them. The guards closed in around Min-Ji and she left without further incident. 

 The Director looked at the destroyed sweater on SooYun's desk then looked at her. "I apologize. She won't be back." She nodded silently and started to move past the Director when he stepped in front of her. She looked up into his face. "I think you should probably check your place and see what else she's destroyed."

 "Yes, I will." He said and stepped to the side to let her pass. SooYun went past Warren, Brittany, and Gustav and entered the conference room. They followed and took their seats.

 Warren sat down across from SooYun, his hazel eyes blazing angrily. Lim returned and met the Director in the hall outside the conference room. "She's gone and I gave orders that no one without an ID is to be given entrance."

 The Director nodded silently. They walked in and stood at the end of the conference table. SooYun glanced at her watch again. "It's way past seven, I apologize for holding up the session, it was unavoidable!" She leveled stormy grey eyes on a far-away point. No one said anything. 

 "Ms. Shin, perhaps you can work from your flat until we can clean your office?" Mr. Lim suggested.

 SooYun shook her head. "If it's all the same to you, I'll clean up the office myself. It's just a ripped-up sweater."

 "Of course," Lim replied receiving a nod from the Director. The Director turned and walked out of the conference room. Lim was torn, he wanted to follow LiYul, but he knew he needed to look after the four people in the conference room. He turned to them, "Why don't you all go on to work, we'll check in at lunch." He looked at SooYun, "Come to my office, Ms. Shin."

 SooYun nodded and as the others filed out she followed Lim to his office. She entered his office, and he motioned her to sit in one of the chairs near the low coffee table. His phone chimed and he pulled it from his jacket pocket. He typed a response and joined her. "Do you want to press charges, SooYun?"

 She looked up at Lim. "No," She said. "That's what she wants. I just don't understand why I am in her sights?"

 "She is jealous of you," Lim replied. When SooYun looked confused he smiled faintly. "I know you and LiYul have been corresponding for over a year, and that interaction became very important to him at a critical time in the legal proceedings."

 "I understand now why there were times when I'd hear nothing," SooYun replied. "Weeks would go by before I'd hear anything. Then they'd start up again like nothing had happened. Professor Jin usually told me his nephew was involved in an important project or was out of the country."

 "That is all partly true, but many of those unexplained absences were usually Min-Ji's doing," Lim told her. "LiYul's illness can be triggered, and for the last year and a half, she has made sure he has been in a constant state of distress. You helped him more than you realize." 

 "Like at the airport?" SooYun surmised.

 "Yes," Lim replied. "LiYul wanted to be at the airport to meet you, Min-Ji knew that, so she called a meeting with the lawyers. He delayed it and she continued to harass him with phone calls and calls from her lawyers."

 "I see," SooYun replied. "She doesn't want a divorce?"

 Lim removed his glasses and rubbed his face wearily. "Min-Ji doesn't understand why LiYul did not have any interest in her. He's never been interested in her or any other woman for that matter. The marriage was strictly a business arrangement to pay off his father's debts and his loan to Chairman Chu. The agreement was LiYul would stay married to Min-Ji for two years, and then they would divorce, and go their separate ways. When LiYul started having an interest in you, Min-Ji was outraged."

 "Hiring me was something Min-Ji objected to?" SooYun asked.

 "Min-Ji objects to everything about you," Lim said. He leaned forward to SooYun. "I am only telling you all this because I want LiYul to be happy! He deserves to be happy, and he has a chance for once in his life because of you. He was a different person when he started corresponding with you – sporadic as it was. He finally had someone who understood him and had similar interests. Please don't let Min-Ji destroy something beautiful even before it has a chance to start."

 "I'm envious of the Director," SooYun said with a sad smile. "He has a wonderful friend in you."

 Lim sat back in his chair and sighed heavily. "He'll stay away since this happened," Lim said sadly. "I ask you to continue as normally as you can, SooYun. Don't let him withdraw."

 She nodded. Lim handed SooYun a piece of paper with two numbers. "The top number is his text and the other is the number of the townhouse. He's staying there until the end of the month."

 "Thanks. I'm just about finished with my second episode revision, so I'll load it up to the server and then text him my questions." SooYun replied.

 "Are you challenging him again?" Lim wanted to know.

 "No, but I need some direction on the interaction between the temple priest and his guardian." She answered.

 Lim grinned at SooYun, "I think I sense a debate coming! You know, he shared some of your other debates with me."

 "He did?" SooYun felt suddenly exposed, and Lim waved his hand, "Nothing personal – never anything personal. He would tell me about your writing and character development. He was impressed that you would push back when he got too domineering. Sometimes he would ask me how he should respond to you."

 "And you have more experience with women?" SooYun said with a wry smile.

 Lim chuckled good-naturedly. "There's what will bring him back!"