Chapter 5
1366 Words
“May I have your name, sir?” one of the receptionists asked from behind the counter. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, clearly flustered by the handsome man standing before her.
“Ji-Hwan. Kang Ji-Hwan.”
Her fingers moved quickly across the keyboard, but her eyes kept drifting back to Kang Ji-Hwan’s face.
“Your father’s name, sir?”
“Kang Dae-sung.”
The moment the name was spoken, both receptionists froze. They exchanged glances, their expressions changing instantly—shock written clearly on their faces.
“I’m sorry, sir,” one of them said carefully, her voice cautious. “There is no appointment recorded under your name.”
Kang Ji-Hwan’s brows furrowed. His tone turned sharp.
“Didn’t you hear my father’s name just now? Kang Dae-sung. Who owns this company?”
But both receptionists remained silent, not daring to answer.
“Tch…” Ji-Hwan clicked his tongue in irritation. His gaze shifted from them to the security guards standing nearby.
“I’ll make sure every single one of you gets fired,” he said coldly before turning to leave.
“Mr. Kang Ji-Hwan!”
His steps halted.
He turned to the right. A woman in a black blazer and knee-length skirt was hurrying toward him. Her face was tense, her steps rushed.
“The Chairman is waiting for you, sir,” she said.
The entire lobby fell into silence.
Both receptionists froze.
The security guards exchanged glances.
“Why should I meet him?” Ji-Hwan asked, his face still burning with anger.
The woman stiffened, clearly caught off guard. Her lips parted, but no words came out.
Ji-Hwan stepped forward. His hand lifted, pointing at the security guards one by one.
“When I tried to go up, all of them blocked me. Even after I told them who I was and who I came to see!”
His voice rose, echoing throughout the lobby. Every pair of eyes turned toward him.
“We’re sorry, sir…” the woman said in a trembling voice. “They didn’t know your identity…”
“Ya, ssibal!” Ji-Hwan roared.
“Go up now. Tell my father to come down!”
The woman bowed repeatedly, apologizing without stopping.
Ji-Hwan took a deep breath. His face remained tense, his chest rising and falling as he restrained his anger.
“Fire them all,” he said coldly.
“All of them. No exceptions.”
“What?” The woman stopped mid-bow. Her eyes widened. She looked at the security guards one by one, then at the two receptionists, who had gone pale.
“Ya! Why are you silent?!” Ji-Hwan snapped, his fury growing.
“Sir… they were only doing their jobs. They didn’t know your identity,” the woman explained, her voice shaking.
Ji-Hwan stared at her sharply.
“What’s your name?”
She swallowed.
“Baek Soo-in.”
The corner of Ji-Hwan’s lips lifted slightly, a cruel smirk forming.
“Baek Soo-in…”
“Yes, sir.”
“Consider today your last day at work,” he said coldly. “Unless you fire them all right now. I’ll give you ten seconds to decide.”
“But, sir—”
“Time is ticking, Baek Soo-in.” His voice was low, but razor-sharp.
“There are plenty of women out there who would do anything to sit in the chair you’re sitting in right now.”
Soo-in stood frozen. Her face turned pale. Her body trembled unconsciously as her hands clenched the edge of her blazer.
“Baek Soo-in…” Ji-Hwan’s voice came again, softer, but heavier with pressure.
“Five seconds left.”
His arrogant expression remained unchanged—
until suddenly, his attention shifted.
His gaze dropped to the floor.
The entire lobby fell silent.
Everyone followed his movement.
He stopped.
He looked down.
On the floor, dirt was clearly visible—scattered food waste that stained the luxury of the lobby.
Ji-Hwan lifted his head.
His eyes locked onto a cleaning staff member standing beside a cleaning cart, staring back at him in confusion.
“Ya…”
He raised his hand, signaling her to come over.
But the woman didn’t move an inch.
Ji-Hwan’s blood instantly boiled.
“Ya, ssibal!”
He strode toward her, his face hardened with rage.
“Ya, ssibal! Are you blind? Can’t you see I’m calling you?!”
Han Soo-min stared at him blankly, confusion filling her eyes.
Why is he angry at me? What did I do wrong? she cried inwardly.
She hadn’t ignored him on purpose. Workplace rules strictly forbade cleaners from talking to anyone while on duty.
“Are you deaf—”
“Sir—” Baek Soo-in tried to intervene.
“Shut up!”
Without giving Soo-in a chance to explain, Ji-Hwan grabbed Soo-min by the shoulder of her uniform. His fingers dug into the rough fabric before yanking her forward.
The entire lobby was stunned.
No one dared to stop him.
No one dared to speak.
The name Kang Ji-Hwan alone was enough to freeze everyone in place.
Soo-min’s body lurched forward and she fell to her knees on the floor.
Pain shot through her knees.
Ji-Hwan stood before her, his gaze cold.
“Clean the floor. Now,” he said without mercy.
“With your hands.”
Soo-min was terrified to the core. Without daring to protest, she obeyed. The dirt on the floor was picked up piece by piece with her bare hands—no gloves, no protection.
“This. And that one.”
Ji-Hwan pointed at the filth with the tip of his shoe. His movements were rough, inhuman—his foot crushing down on Soo-min’s fingers.
Pain stabbed straight to the bone.
But the girl remained silent.
Her lips were tightly sealed. Tears pooled in her eyes, but not a single drop fell.
When the floor was finally clean, Ji-Hwan lifted his head with a satisfied smile.
“Next time, make sure all these floors are clean,” he said coldly.
“Do you hear me?”
Soo-min remained kneeling. Her head was bowed, her body trembling. She only nodded, not daring to look up.
“Can’t you answer?” Ji-Hwan’s voice turned sharp.
“Or are you disabled?”
His hand shoved her head roughly. Her body nearly collapsed to the floor.
“Y-yes… I hear you…” Soo-min replied, her voice shaking, her body trembling in fear.
“Hahaha…”
Ji-Hwan’s laughter echoed through the lobby.
A laughter filled with satisfaction.
He then turned his gaze to Baek Soo-in.
“Take me to the old man. Now.”
Baek Soo-in swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay calm.
“Yes, sir,” she said softly.
“Please follow me.”
Ji-Hwan walked away, following behind Baek Soo-in with a satisfied smile on his face. His anger toward the security guards and receptionists had vanished—
as if all of it had been fully released onto Soo-min.
What had just happened, to him, was nothing more than an outlet.
A release.
A satisfaction.
The moment Ji-Hwan disappeared from the lobby, Soo-min—still kneeling—quickly stood up.
No hands reached out to help her.
No voices comforted her.
She stood alone.
She wiped away the tears that fell unconsciously. Shame burned her face. Her heart ached, her chest felt tight—yet she forced herself to keep working.
She didn’t cry out loud.
She didn’t scream.
She didn’t complain.
Who would listen anyway?
She was just a cleaner.
Anyone could treat her the way Ji-Hwan had.
She just had to go back to work.
She slowly pulled her cleaning cart back to the spot she had just cleaned. Soo-min took the spray bottle, sprayed the floor, and wiped it with all her strength—
as if she were trying to erase not just the dirt,
but the humiliation carved deep into her soul.
Every movement of hers was watched.
All eyes in the lobby were on her.
But no one spoke.
No one stepped forward to help her.
Not even to comfort her.
And in the middle of all those stares, Soo-min kept wiping the floor—
in silence,
in pain,
in dignity that had been cruelly torn apart.
- Writer
