Chapter 1: Notification
Switzerland â BHMS Campus
Eshana Amari walked out of the building, her JBL headphones blasting Woman Commando by Aura Starr featuring Annita & Coco Jones. She swayed to the music, enjoying the crisp Swiss air, when she noticed a crowd of students whispering excitedly outside the classrooms.
Curious, she pulled out her headphones and asked, âExcuse me⊠whatâs going on? Why is everyone so happy?â
One guy smiled, holding a letter. âWeâre getting our internship acceptance letters today!â
âOh,â Eshana murmured, unsure how to react.
Another girl smirked at her. âDonât tell me you didnât get yours?â
Speechless, Eshana shook her head. âI⊠I donât know.â
Then another girl scoffed. âEven if she didnât, who wouldnât accept her?â
A third girl chimed in, a hint of jealousy in her tone. âAnyone could accept her⊠itâs just you bozos are jealous of her beauty. All the guys on campus talk about how pretty she is and how she dresses, but they donât even notice you.â
Eshana felt a pang but smiled weakly. âThanks, Chloe⊠I just donât want to fight.â
Chloe grinned, taking her hand. âDonât worry, youâll get accepted too. Letâs goâcome on, Eshana!â
âThanks,â Eshana replied.
As they walked, Eshana asked, âWhere did you get accepted?â
âIâm going back to France,â Chloe said casually.
âOh⊠thatâs nice,â Eshana said.
Chloe nodded. âYeah, Iâll be working there. Plus, I havenât seen my family in a long time.â
âThatâs great,â Eshana smiled.
Chloe linked her arm with Eshanaâs. âLetâs buy some food and head back to our dorms.â
Seoul, South Korea â Han Corporation Industries
Meanwhile, Jihoon Han, a young, strikingly handsome man, sat at his sleek office desk with his friend and partner, Minjuun. Jihoonâs assistant approached nervously.
âIâm sorry, sir, but we have a problem,â she said.
Jihoon frowned. âWhatâs wrong?â
The assistant explained, âMiss Jawkins gave birth yesterday. Sheâll be on leave for six to nine months due to her recovery.â
Jihoon exhaled slowly. âSo⊠what do we do now?â
Minjuun leaned back confidently. âDonât worry. Weâll handle it. You can return to work and assign someone else temporarily.â
Jihoon managed a small smile. âIâm happy for Miss Jawkins⊠at least she told me. But now, I need to find someone soon.â
Minjuun teased, smirking. âEveryone knew she was pregnant except you, Mr. âI Donât Care.ââ
Jihoon rubbed his temples. âSo, what can we do?â
âIâll handle this,â Minjuun said, standing. âDonât worry.â
As Minjuun left, Jihoonâs phone rang. It was Han, his father and Chairman of Han Corporation. Minjuun answered the call on his behalf.
âGood afternoon, sir,â Minjuun said.
âCall me Han,â his father replied firmly. âCome to my house now. We need to discuss something important.â
âOf course, sir,â Minjuun said. He turned to Jihoon. âYour father wants to see you immediately.â
Jihoon nodded, feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Minjuun called the driver, and they left for the Han residence.
Two hours later, Jihoon and Minjuun arrived at the Han family residence.
Jihoon stepped inside and immediately saw his father, Han, seated with his mother, Soojin.
âFinally, youâre here,â Han said, his tone sharp but relieved.
âDad, meet Minjuun,â Jihoon introduced.
âGood evening, sir,â Minjuun said respectfully.
Han raised an eyebrow. âMinjuun⊠are you my worker or employer?â
Jihoon corrected him smoothly. âA business partner, and CEO of the Le Shaw family.â
Soojin tilted her head. âYou mean your mother, Lina?â
âYes, maâam,â Minjuun replied politely.
âWell, say hi for me,â Soojin instructed.
âI will,â Minjuun answered calmly.
Han nodded, then leaned forward. âEnough of this. Letâs get to business. Miss Jawkins gave birth.â
Jihoon nodded. âYes, I knew.â
âNone of your business,â Han interrupted sharply.
Han leaned back and continued. âI spoke to an old friend of mine. She told me she found you a secretary.â
Jihoon frowned. âAnd?â
Hanâs eyes gleamed with authority. âI donât know who she is or where sheâs from. But all Iâve heard is that sheâs dedicated and strong. My only concern is that she brings profit to the company. Thatâs it. My warning to you: you will accept her. Do not care whether she is ugly or beautiful.â
Soojinâs eyebrows shot up. âYuu⊠donât you forget your son is married.â
Han waved dismissively. âWhatever. I donât care.â
Back at BHMS, Chloe and Eshana were in their dorm room, arranging their beds and preparing snacks so they could relax and watch a movie on Eshanaâs laptop.
While Eshana was in the small dorm kitchen washing plates and preparing food, Chloe lay across the bed, scrolling through the laptop.
âEshanaaa,â Chloe called out. âShould we watch a crime and thriller series or something else?â
Eshana wiped her hands with a towel. âHow about High Potential? I already watched Season 1.â
âOoh, okay!â Chloe said, excited. She searched for the show on the laptopâ
and thatâs exactly when a BHMS notification popped up.
Without thinking, Chloe clicked it.
A new email opened.
Dear Eshana Amari,
We are here to inform you that your internship has been accepted by BHMS. You will be working as a secretary at Han Corporation Company in South Korea.For more information please contact or see the administrator office.
Chloe froze.
Her eyes widened.
Her heartbeat stopped.
Her mind went blank.
Han Corporation.
South Korea.
Taycâs friendâs family.
Her stepbrotherâs circle.
âNo⊠it canât beâŠâ Chloe whispered.
Eshana walked over, confused. âWhat canât be?â
Chloe turned slowly, still shocked. âEâEshana⊠you got accepted. Yuuâyour internship⊠youâre going to work as a secretary for the Han Corporation Company.â
Eshana blinked. âChloe, stop joking.â
âIâm not joking!â Chloe pushed the laptop toward her. âLook! Here it is!â
Eshana set the food down quickly and snatched the laptop.
Her eyes scanned the email onceâŠ
twiceâŠ
three timesâŠ
âIt canât be me,â she whispered. âMe? Just a Black girl being accepted into that company?â
Then suddenlyâ
âAaaaaah!!â she screamed.
Chloe screamed too.
They jumped around the dorm room, hugging, laughing, shouting, crying, everything at once.
âWe have to celebrate this!â Eshana said breathlessly.
âYes, dearâwe are celebrating tonight!â Chloe cheered.
They continued dancing and screaming like two women who had just won the lottery.
Meanwhile, in South KoreaâŠ
Minjuun leaned back in his chair and sighed. âDamn⊠your father is strict and mean.â
Jihoon chuckled. âI just hope the new secretary is like Miss Jawkins. Sharp and easy to work with.â
Minjuun smirked. âWhat if you fall in love with the new secretary?â
Jihoon scoffed. âThatâs crazy. I have a wife who loves me so much.â
âTo you, she loves you,â Minjuun muttered. âBut she doesnât.â
Jihoon frowned, but Minjuun stood and clapped his shoulder.
âCome on, dude. Letâs go.â
Back at BHMS, Chloe threw herself onto the bed dramatically.
âNow that you got accepted,â she said, âtomorrow weâre going to the administratorâs office. We need all the information about your trip. Thenââshe snapped her fingersââweâre going to the salon. Shopping. New nails. New clothes. And this time, let me spoil you.â
Eshana giggled. âYes! Tomorrow I have to tell Mama the news.â
Chloe grinned. âYou should tell your Papa too!â
They burst into laughter.
Chloe wiggled her eyebrows. âAnd what about the fine men in South Korea? Youâre going to see them faaaceâtoâfaaace.â
âSTOP!â Eshana slapped a pillow at her.
Both of them screamed, laughed, and rolled around the bed, excited for the future.
Meanwhile, in South Korea â Jihoonâs Penthouse
Jihoon walked into his penthouse and immediately stopped.
The house was a mess.
Dishes in the sink.
Clothes thrown everywhere.
Shoes scattered.
Zero cleaning done.
He shook his head in disappointment.
Silently, he loosened his tie and removed his suit jacket, rolling up his sleeves. He started cleaningâpicking up clothes, wiping the counters, vacuuming the floor. It took time, but when he was done, the house finally felt breathable again.
He headed straight to the shower.
As the hot water hit his skin, he remembered Minjuunâs words:
âWhat if you fall in love with the new secretary?â
âYour wife doesnât love youânotthe way you think.â
âEveryone knows it.â
The words hurt.
Because they were true.
Yuri had never loved him.
She loved the Han name, the money, the status⊠but not him.
Jihoon let the hot water burn his back as if it could wash away the pain.
After the shower, he cooked simplenoodles, ate quietly, and eventually fell asleep on the couchâtoo tired to move to the bedroom.
Seven hours later, loud banging echoed through the penthouse.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Jihoon jolted awake. âYuri?â
He rushed to the door and opened it.
Yuri stood there in a short dress, makeup smudged, irritation written all over her face.
âWhy are you banging the door?â Jihoon asked, still sleepy.
âLeave me ALONE!â she screamed, shoving past him.
âWhere were you?â Jihoon asked softly.
Yuri whirled around. âWhy the hell do you CARE?â
Her words cut through him like a blade.
âYou do your things,â she snapped. âAnd Iâll do mine.â
Without waiting for an answer, she stormed into the bedroom and slammed the door.
Jihoon stood thereâhurt, silent, lonely.
He didnât follow her.
Instead, he went back to the couch⊠and slept there, as always.