Chapter 8: The Publicity and Schemes
1300 Words
When Sophia Hwang woke up, it wasn’t to birdsong or the scent of ginseng tea wafting from the Kang family’s estate kitchen.
It was Lily Jang’s voice screaming through her phone speaker like a fire drill from hell.
“OH. MY. STIR-FRIED-JEALOUSY. SOPHIA HWANG, YOU’RE A FULL-BLOWN INTERNET SCANDAL!”
Sophia jolted upright, nearly headbutting her lamp.
“WHAT?!”
“You’re all over BuzzSeoul! K-BizWire! Even that weird YouTube channel that thinks the Queen of England is a hologram! They’re calling you The Lab Cinderella!”
Sophia groaned and collapsed back onto her pillow. “I swear I haven’t even left the house except for one meeting!”
“Exactly! That’s the meeting. Someone leaked a photo of you beside Ethan during that strategy conference. Your face is glowing. Your bun is terrifyingly symmetrical. And your dress is giving ‘minimalist world domination.’”
Sophia yanked the covers over her face. “Lily—”
“Oh, it gets worse! They’re spinning this like a hostile takeover disguised as a marriage. One article literally said, ‘Kang Group rebrands by marrying a scientist.’ Like you’re a corporate asset!”
“I AM a corporate asset,” Sophia muttered darkly. “Just not that kind.”
“And get this—there’s a conspiracy thread claiming your lab coat is a metaphor for silent power. Like... what does that even mean?”
Sophia dragged herself out of bed. “Okay. Crisis mode. I need to reclaim the narrative.”
“You mean do damage control?”
“I mean rewrite the ending before someone else sells the screenplay.”
***
Downstairs, the Kang mansion remained eerily peaceful. The only sign of trouble was Sophia storming into the dining room in ripped jeans and a navy blazer two sizes too big—Ethan’s, of course.
Ethan, composed as ever, sat at the head of the long walnut table like a man unbothered by breakfast or trending hashtags.
He looked up. “You look... determined.”
“I’m a meme.”
His brow twitched. “Which one?”
“The one where I’m being compared to Marie Curie, but make it sexy. Ethan—someone leaked the boardroom photo.”
He set down his coffee. “I’m aware. PR’s investigating. Legal is drafting a containment clause.”
“A containment clause? I’m not toxic waste.”
“You’ve handled more chemical disasters than our PR team. You’ll be fine.”
She flopped into the chair across from him. “They’re saying I’m a political pawn in high heels. I didn’t marry you to be a PR distraction.”
“I know that. You know that.”
“Well, the internet doesn’t! And it’s having a field day. I want to speak. Publicly. On my terms.”
His spoon paused mid-air. “An interview?”
“With someone credible. No neon-lit gossip shows. No clickbait. Just... facts.”
Ethan exhaled slowly. “That’s risky.”
“Not as risky as letting strangers tell my story like it’s season three of Dynasty.”
He looked at her for a long moment. Then nodded.
“I’ll set it up.”
***
Two days later, Sophia sat under the harsh studio lights of BizSeoul Weekly, facing none other than Han Mira—anchor, financial bulldog, and unofficial queen of journalistic shade.
“Ready?” Mira asked with a raised brow.
“Absolutely not,” Sophia replied. “Let’s begin.”
The cameras rolled.
“Tonight,” Mira began, “we speak with the most Googled woman in Korea this week—Mrs. Sophia Hwang-Kang. Research engineer, advocate for occupational safety, and apparently, the surprise protagonist of everyone’s favorite boardroom drama.”
Sophia managed a smile. “I’m flattered. I think.”
“Let’s start with the headlines. Did you marry Ethan Kang as a stabilizing tactic for Kang Group?”
“No,” Sophia said, her tone firm. “We married due to a personal agreement that aligned with family wishes. It wasn’t about shares or stock charts. It was about trust.”
“Is it true you weren’t informed about the photo leak?”
“I wasn’t. But if anyone’s wondering—yes, I do own other dresses. And no, I wasn’t scheming in the shadows. I was mostly trying not to trip on the carpet.”
Mira snorted.
“Some critics say you’re unqualified to be beside a corporate titan.”
Sophia leaned forward. “I’ve worked ten years in high-risk environments where a mistake could cost lives. I’ve led recall teams, chemical cleanup crews, and once negotiated with a squirrel that broke into our server room. I think I’m qualified to handle a boardroom.”
“Are you in love with Ethan Kang?”
Sophia hesitated.
Then smiled.
“I admire him. He challenges me. And if that’s not love yet—it’s definitely something worth building.”
Ethan unintentionally glanced toward her.
***
#SophiaUnfiltered trended within two hours.
Clips of her squirrel quote, safety speech, and chemistry puns were turned into memes, reels, and fan edits. One user even made an anime-style intro where she wore a lab coat and wielded a clipboard like a sword.
Lily Jang texted:
"U HAVE EVOLVED. NEXT STAGE: K-DRAMA FINAL BOSS.”
The twins sent her a photo of their Barbie dolls lined up like a board of directors with the caption:
“CEO Sophia reporting for chaos.”
The same afternoon, a cream envelope appeared on her office desk—no logo, no return address.
Inside:
“There is an enemy within the Kang family. One who hides behind loyalty and silence. The late Phoenix feared him. I write to you now because she can no longer speak. Be careful who you trust. — A friend of the Phoenix.”
Sophia froze.
Phoenix. The codename Ethan’s late grandmother had earned in the press—equal parts elegance and iron rule.
Someone was warning her. Or testing her. Or both.
Either way, she wasn’t alone in this.
***
Elsewhere, in a cozy living room stuffed with silk doilies and questionable moral compasses, Aunt May stirred her tea.
“She thinks she’s smart,” she murmured to her cousin. “But smart girls forget: family knows where the bodies are buried.”
On the table lay an old manila folder labeled:
“Dormant Holdings: Hwang Family – Confidential.”
Aunt May smiled.
And took another sip.
***
That night, Ethan invited Sophia to a quiet rooftop dinner—no press, no staff, no suspicious cousins.
“Impressed by your interview,” he said, pouring her a drink.
“Thanks,” she replied. “Didn’t even use the squirrel story until halfway in.”
He smirked. “That was strategic. You disarmed a nation.”
She grew serious. “We’re being watched. And not just by the press.”
She handed him the Phoenix note.
He read it silently. His jaw tightened. “That signature… it might be real. My grandmother had allies. Quiet ones.”
Sophia looked out across Seoul. “I don’t want to play palace games. But I won’t be outplayed.”
Ethan looked at her. “I didn’t marry you to protect you. I married you because you don’t need protection.”
She turned to him. “Then let’s stop pretending this is just PR. Whatever’s coming—we face it together.”
A moment passed.
Then he offered his hand.
“Dance with me?”
“There’s no music.”
He grinned. “I’ll beatbox.”
“You absolutely will not.”
And yet, she took his hand.
On the rooftop, with the city humming below and the stars blinking suspiciously above, Sophia Hwang danced with the man who might’ve accidentally become the only thing more complicated than scandal: someone she could trust.
- Writer
