1 MYSELF

PROLOGUE

2013

A young man sits alongside his brother in a patient room, watching him as he lies in bed with his ventilator on, without opening his eyes. He bites his lips, tries to hold back his tears, and wonders when his brother will wake up from his long dream; he hasn't woken up in a month.

An old man in a black suit with glasses approaches him and looks at the young man while pulling another chair to sit closer to him.

The old man fixed his gaze on him, his eyes glazing over. "Doryeon-nim, please listen carefully since this is a serious and urgent problem for the company. Three days later, your elder brother should be the next CEO, but his condition is causing us concern. Nobody knows when he'll wake up." He rubbed his eyes.

"Sir Yohan, we haven't spoken in two months because Hyung said he needed to focus on his goal of becoming CEO, and I haven't used my phone because my trainer told me that... and then I got my phone back." He rubbed his chin with one hand.

"Doryeon-nim, I truly apologize." With a tissue, he wiped his nose.

"I thought I could finally reach out to him. There are so many new things I want to say to Hyung." He cried while looking at his Hyung. Why is his situation like this now? "What happened to him while I was in Seoul?" He raised his eyebrows.

"He was in a car accident with the driver and your father. The car had flipped and exploded. The driver is dead, but your father can still get your brother out of the car before it explodes. Both of them fell down a ravine, and while your father tried to protect him, he broke his hand, causing your brother's head to hit the rocks and causing him to faint. This causes brain damage in your elder brother. That's what I knew." He pats Doryeon-nim's shoulder.

"But I haven't heard anything about it in the news, and eomma and you haven't told me anything about it. How can it be? Why? ''

"It's because she bought the media and instructed the cops to keep it quiet. Your mother does not want anyone in the workplace to know about this." He says.

"At least Eomma can contact me about this! Why is it now? "How come you didn't contact me a month ago?"His face was getting red.

"Young master, many people aspire to be CEO. Your grandfather has always believed in your father as CEO, and he told us that after your father, only your father's bloodline may become the next CEO, like your brother. If others discover his actual state, the young master and his family may lose everything, putting the family in danger. That's why your mother remains quiet."

"But my hyung is in a coma... "Don't tell me..." He covered his mouth with his hand.

"Yes, young master, you are the next CEO," he says emphatically.

He shakes his head. "No, I can't do that." Eomma can handle it for a bit longer, and Hyung will recover as well. Aside from that, I don't have any supporters. Even Hyung needed a year to find excellent investors and get council approval."

"I understand your feelings, young master. Actually, you are still 20 years old. To become a CEO, you must have council permission and be 28 years old. only till your elder brother recovers from his coma. This is for the sake of the family. That's why Madam instructed that we keep this accident a secret and that you, young master, conceal your actual identity as a new fake CEO. This is our only opportunity to defend Kim's family." He bowed to his Doryeon-nim with great expectation for the future.

CHAPTER 01

Myself

2016

A man in front of me is staring at me. He approaches me slowly, touching my neck and then grabbing it. He strangled my neck and made me stare at him.

"It's all your fault." He suddenly says that.

"Is it my fault?" I said in a daze.

"You forced me to do it!" He growled, squeezing my throat even harder.

"Stop!" I tried to let go of his hand.

"You caused me to lose everything! Hahaha." He laughed in tears, tightening his hold, even more, cutting off my brain's air supply.

"Stop right now! Or you will face a problem!" I tried to threaten him.

"I don't care!" he chuckled. "It's all your fault!" He hissed, tightening his grip on me.

"It's all your fault!" It's all your fault!" The words continued repeating, and my eyesight became blurry.

2017

Everyone has said negative things about me. My parents didn't help me and believed the false rumors spread by my uncle-in-law about me being a slut for extra money because I failed in life and inability to get jobs for more than a year.

"I am not doing anything as the rumors said! I am just a normal girl like other girls in the world." I am simply a regular girl, like all the other females in the world."

My family's eyes were breaking with me. I could see their gaze full of sadness and disappointment as if they regretted having a daughter like me. They couldn't respond to whatever my uncle said till I begged my family to trust me only.

"Please eomma, appa. Don't believe him." I knelt till my tears dropped on the floor.

However, most people treated me unfairly because they believed I was doing something wrong. At the time, I realized that no one would be at my side through my darkest hours. Nobody can stand with me, comprehend the reality, or try to cover me up. They only judge me as a slut who is jobless. I believed that their attitude would be different if I were wealthy and powerful.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!"

My eyes snap open with cold sweat on my body. I can't stop shaking; my heart is pounding so fast, I touch my neck while looking around the room suspiciously. I get up cautiously, shivering, rubbing my head and eyes, and trying to completely awaken. Maybe I slept for too long, causing me to experience dreams from two years ago. Those nightmares sometimes appear unexpectedly in my sleep. It would be perfect if I could dream about becoming wealthy. I see the time on the phone. "Gosh! Better I get ready now!"

I'm standing and staring at the modest office in front of me, which has just three levels. It's been two years as a digital marketer at this company, after two years of struggling to seek jobs. I sigh deeply, as though I felt bored and unenthusiastic about working for this firm because they only pay me a tiny income. The director promised me a large income after five months of working there, but I have yet to get it. How can a 24-year-old lady like myself get paid so little when I know many people who can be wealthier than me, even at their young ages? Whatever the case may be, I need to stay for a while to gain more experience.

I just sit in my chair and watch the other employees in the workplace interact with each other during break time. I can only see them from afar, with their bright smiles and friendly interactions while sharing their meals. I knew no one in the workplace wanted to befriend me. People on my team invited each other to lunch, but they purposefully avoided me. I've realized that I'm an incredibly boring person. It's no surprise that ladies my age feel awkward with me. I've become used to it.

"What are you doing, Miss Yujin? She called me with a soft voice."Come here, come to my desk." she says, tapping on her desk.

"Do you need anything, Mrs.Yeom?" I get closer to her.

"No, it isn't. I cooked lunch this morning, but I made too much, so I'll share it with you as well, because I heard you love kimchi fried rice." she adds with a kind grin.

"How did you kn-? Mrs. Lee Yeom, I appreciate it. Thank you." I make a 45-degree bow to her.

Mrs. Lee Yeom is usually the only one who wants to make small talk with me if it isn't about work. I'm not sure why. Maybe she felt lonely since most of our team members were youthful and full of energy, and it was difficult for her to keep up with them at her age, or she perceived me as an old lady as well, because I lacked energy too much in here and I can see my wrinkles and feel pain in my back. Let's finish this lunch and get back to work. I smile at her and am grateful for the food.

"Welcome Home...Yujin." I cheer myself up with my exhausted voice. The phone is ringing. "Hello, eomma, why are you calling at this hour?" I say with my throaty voice.

[I'm calling you now since you're working from sunrise to night.] She claims.

[Eomma can call me on the weekend.] I say.

[Yes, I remember the last time I called, you didn't answer. Actually, why does eomma always contact you first? Sometimes we want you to call us as well.] She was nagging me.

[All right, I'll try again next time.] I roll my eyes.

[You don't even care about our condition or our new hobbies here.] She says it, her voice trembling.

I sigh. [Ok… How are you doing, eomma, appa, and Yoona? Is there anything new in our village?] I ask softly.

[Thank God, we're fine. Actually, on Sundays, your oesukbu, your sachon, and all of our family went to a BBQ party.] Her voice sounded energized again. [How are you doing, daughter? Wait, Why do you sound like you've lost your voice? I can't hear your voice clearly.] She is concerned.

[I'm all right; I was just tired today.] I explain.

[Go to sleep. eomma just wanted to check on you. We were worried since you live alone in Seoul. Make sure to call us the next time. Understood? "Goodnight.]

[Don't worry, eomma. Good night, eomma.] I reply as she hangs up the phone.

Eomma is worried because women living alone is unsafe, but for me, it is tougher because of my low salary. I'm hungry because my stomach is growling so loudly. I open the fridge; there are no stock foods in here, and I can't find the one instant noodle that I saw yesterday. I sigh and take a drink of water. It's best if I go to bed tonight; my strength will recover tomorrow.

Today morning should be full of energy. But, I feel like an old woman; my back hurts, and I have a headache. I'm having trouble sleeping again. My eyes popped up in shock as I checked my phone because I am unable to scroll up or down.

"No, no, please don't tell me this phone error again!" I repeatedly tried to restart it, but it's not working! My face sweats profusely and excessively. "Please, God, not this time!" I yelled. Because I have to work, I don't have time to check it.

In the office, I'm having difficulty concentrating on my task. While I'm typing on my computer, my eyes are continually drawn to my phone. I charged my phone, but it still does not function. I have only one phone. What to do?

"Miss Park Yujin!" From his desk, the manager shouted. I raised my brows and blinked. My eyes were drawn instantly to the manager. "Y-yes, Sir?"

"How come you didn't respond when I called you twice? You're even not concentrating on your task; we have a deadline today; we must concentrate." When he focuses his eyes on me, he raises his brows.

"I apologize for losing focus, sir." I make a 90-degree bow to him.

"For the time being, it's OK. This was the first time I saw you act like this. This time, I'll let it go." He lets out a big sigh and returns his attention to his task.

I go to the phone service as soon as I end my workday. The staff checked on the condition of my phone, but his look made me nervous.

"How's it going?" While worrying about my phone, the only thing I can do is grin. "Your phone system is completely damaged from the inside out, not just the battery." He shakes his head. "The ROM system as well." I can fix it, but I'm not sure how long this phone will work. Perhaps in less than a year, also the data will be lost." He says.

"Oh, okay." I crinkled my brow and offered a half-hearted smile. "How much is the cost?" I ask.

"The price is 400.000 won." I blinking. "I can't right now, but I'll return after I get some cash." I take a long, deep breath. I don't have any money in my wallet, and my phone system is in error, so I can't call anyone. All of my data is on this phone, including my favorite games. "Do I have to wait a few weeks for my salary?" I'm pouting and lowering my gaze.

My feet are trembling too much, and I'm too exhausted to get to the bus stop. My stomach hurts, I can't eat, and I have online coupons, and they're on my phone. I'm not going to buy food stocks today. Gladly, Mrs. Yeom shared her meals with me again today, so I simply had lunch. I sat in the garden, and about 20 meters away, an elderly man in ragged clothing happily ate his dinner. I believe that, even though I am a career woman, there is no difference between me and the old man; we are both poor and have no money. My job is only a label to impress people.