The Regressed Chaebol Grandson Finds It Hard to Forgive - Chapter 80

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 80. The Woman Next Door (4)

Click-clack, click-clack.

“How should I wear her down today? Hehehehe.”

A woman stepped out of the Latte Signiel elevator, murmuring to herself.

Her name was Koo Mi-ryeo.
She was Seo Da-hee’s current manager, working for DMC 3 Team with the title of deputy director.

A bitter smile played at the corner of her mouth.

Her position was manager in name, but in reality, it was something else entirely.

She was Seo Da-hee’s true anti-fan.

Her reasons for moving between entertainment companies were always clear.

Her purpose was to gather information worth money from successful female celebrities up close.

She filled her life with the thrill of discreetly tormenting these women.

Among all female celebrities, Seo Da-hee was the one Koo Mi-ryeo hated most.

“Acting coy at your age. Pretty things like you… they all need their wings clipped.”

In Koo Mi-ryeo’s eyes, murky malice and nauseating pleasure glinted simultaneously.

Beautiful. That was what her name meant.
But her appearance had never matched it. In school, she’d been stuck with the nickname “Ugly” like a permanent label.

Her twisted mind had taken root from then.

An instinctive jealousy of women blessed with beauty and elegance had begun to fester.

This entertainment company’s assignment had suited her perfectly from the start.

Seo Da-hee, who worked as a solo artist, possessed exceptional songwriting and composition skills.

Seo Da-hee had a clear sense of her own strengths and how to present herself to the world.

A singer-songwriter who survived alone and still maintained her reputation.

Not a single scandal involving sponsorship, a common pitfall for female entertainers.

No issues with school violence; she’d graduated at the top of her university class.

Her fanbase, consisting mainly of male fans, was drawn to her subtle sensuality.

Her voice was delicate yet warm, full of grace.

It supported her unique musical world without holding back.

Currently, Seo Da-hee had made it clear she opposed renewing her contract with the company.

Though expiration was only months away, she had no intention of signing.

A covert directive had come down from above: make her change her mind.

For Koo Mi-ryeo, this was tailor-made work.
Subtly tormenting people was her pleasure.

Once given the order, Koo Mi-ryeo moved into action.

Close surveillance that started at 6 a.m. ran until 11 p.m.

She maintained the appearance of a devoted manager before anyone’s eyes.

She’d wanted to live with Seo Da-hee at her residence, available twenty-four hours, but Seo Da-hee had refused to the end.

It was an excuse, of course, but sensitivity was the stated reason.

Though Seo Da-hee suffered from insomnia, she’d restricted medication and even food intake.

Frequent contact with family had been monitored.
Only the most basic privacy was permitted.

Within the confines of the residence, of course.

Koo Mi-ryeo visited Seo Da-hee’s residence at the same time every day.

Click.

The Master Key she’d been issued as a co-resident.

There was no need to knock when entering Seo Da-hee’s home as routine.

“Today you’re… dead too.”

She whispered low and yanked the entrance door open.
But in that moment.

Clang.

The door wouldn’t open any further—a chain lock had been engaged from inside.

“What?”

Koo Mi-ryeo was flustered.
The entrance shouldn’t have been locked without her permission.

“Are you trying something?”

Koo Mi-ryeo’s expression twisted viciously.

Her face hardened, contorting into something sinister—as if possessed by a demon.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

Koo Mi-ryeo began ringing the bell irritably, peering through the door gap.

-Who is it?

Seo Da-hee’s voice came through the interphone.

“Who? It’s me, Koo Mi-ryeo! Open the door!”

Seo Da-hee pretended not to know her, though she clearly did.

Fury surged through Koo Mi-ryeo’s head, and she bellowed.

-I’m getting ready. Please wait until I’m done.
“What? Wait? Wait??”

Koo Mi-ryeo stood stunned, as if struck by a hammer.

‘Is she insane? She’s challenging me now?’

Veins bulged in Koo Mi-ryeo’s eyes; fury boiled up from her heart.

Just yesterday, she’d held this toy in the palm of her hand, opening and closing her fist as she pleased.

A single night had passed.
Now this woman was resisting like she’d become someone completely different.

-It’s my home. Please respect my privacy.

A cold warning came through the interphone again.

“Hey! Seo Da-hee! I’m your manager!!”
-But you’re not my mother, are you?
“What did you just say??”

Click.

With those words, Seo Da-hee’s voice cut off.

‘Damn it. Did she take something overnight? Hey! Seo Da-hee!!’

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Unable to contain her rage, Koo Mi-ryeo pounded the door with her fists.

Her eyes had turned wild with wounded pride.

The quiet, submissive Seo Da-hee’s sudden resistance had snapped her control.

Just then.

“What do you think you’re doing!”

Two large men stepped out of the Elevator, approaching Koo Mi-ryeo and demanding an explanation.

They were security staff from Signiel.

“This is my home! Open the door, now!”

Koo Mi-ryeo, her reason consumed by rage, shouted at the men.

“As of the resident’s request, your co-resident access has been revoked. Please vacate this floor immediately.”
“R-revoked? This is our company’s property! Who gave you—”
“I can’t speak to that. The resident is Seo Da-hee. Your co-resident status has been suspended. Please go to the concierge right now.”
“……….”

The security guards’ forceful manner jolted Koo Mi-ryeo back to reality.

Seo Da-hee had just played her perfectly.

‘You bitch! Seo Da-hee! I’m going to kill you!!’

Koo Mi-ryeo’s fury deflated, and she clenched her teeth.

What Koo Mi-ryeo didn’t know was this:

A man from the unit next door had stepped into the Hallway and was watching her with cold silence.

His gaze was sharp and chilling.

* * *

Thump! Thump!

Seo Da-hee’s heart pounded wildly.
Her manager Koo Mi-ryeo—a vicious creature who usually cornered her like a predatory cat, trapping prey in a corner.

The other managers she’d had weren’t like this.

Koo Mi-ryeo inserted herself into every move Seo Da-hee made.

She’d lived with almost no privacy during the day.

After work, even late into the night, and through weekends—the woman was always present and intrusive.

She seemed to have no life outside her managerial duties.

Koo Mi-ryeo surveilled Seo Da-hee with ruthless thoroughness.

Seo Da-hee had requested a private manager change through the agency, but was refused.

The only excuse was insufficient replacement staff.

She’d endured six months of this.
She’d avoided living together on the grounds of insomnia-related sleep disorders.

Being her first agency, combined with contract renewal pressures, left her on edge.

Without a strong public presence, Seo Da-hee had no choice but to make concessions.

Yet her manager’s interference had crossed all bounds.

The company and manager, locked in a hierarchical power structure, kept pushing her deeper into a corner.

Suffocating, even contemplating death, she’d met her savior at the edge of the abyss.

The man who had saved her—twice.

She didn’t know who he really was.
His name was Ha Tae-ung.

He looked younger than her, but his actions showed a maturity beyond his years.

More adult than herself, almost thirty.

There was a natural gravitas to him—a kind of charisma that radiated from everything he did.

His presence alone made her straighten her crooked shoulders, made her instinctively tense.

Yet he possessed a gentleness and warmth of character that contradicted this.

Most crucially, that brief moment when she rested against him…

“I’m crazy.”

As the memory surfaced again, her face burned and her heart raced.

The man who stirred her was younger than her.

That brief instant in his arms had captured her completely.

The scent of his cologne mingled mysteriously with his natural body warmth, deepening the fantasy.

His gentle hand patting her back had brought her peace.

It gave her the courage to act.

“Stand tall if you have nothing to be ashamed of! Life on this precious Earth, found after such a journey through the vast universe. Experience it boldly and warmly…….”

Those words he’d sung to her, cradling her in his arms—words of encouragement.

Seo Da-hee had felt strength bloom within her.

The demonic manager who clung to her like a shadow.
This morning, she’d prevented that uninvited intrusion.

Tap-tap-tap.

Seo Da-hee opened her smartphone, calming her racing heart.
Then she typed and sent a message with deliberate composure.

-Manager, I’m not feeling well today. I’ll be resting. Have a good day.

No special events or scheduled activities for today.

Lately, they’d been assigning her low-quality songs and forcing her to practice until her voice gave out.

Unless they meant to destroy her vocal cords entirely, this made no sense.

“I won’t take it anymore! I’m Seo Da-hee!”

Seo Da-hee clenched her fists and steeled her resolve.

Her gaze turned toward the table.

Ramens piled high, eggs, and pickled radish kimchi.

There was nothing left to fear.

The sense of support her neighbor had given her.

“I won’t forget this kindness. My neighbor……”

A solid wall separated them, yet she felt as though they faced each other across it.

The fact that he existed on the same floor, in the unit right next door, gave her heart strength.

Whoosh.

Seo Da-hee leaned against the wall, running her palm gently along its surface.

For the first time in ages, she felt a deep emotional tide rising within her.

She rested her cheek against the wall and closed her eyes.

And……
Recalling that moment in his arms, she bit back a deep, genuine smile.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————