Chapter 167: Family Court Investigator

The family court investigator showing an aggressive attitude could only happen if it was directed by a judge. After all, they served as the eyes and ears of the judge in custody disputes.

In other words, the family court investigator was nothing more than an avatar acting on the judge's orders.

Because of this, I also came to question the judge's credibility. Simply replacing the investigator wouldn't resolve matters if the judge remained unchanged.

"Didn't you hear me? I said I'm going to file a motion to recuse the judge, so please leave!" I shouted.

The flustered Oh Min-Jung yelled back with her chubby cheeks trembling. "How dare you insult our judge! Are you out of your mind? Now that I see what's going on in person, this really won't do. The home environment is a mess and the talent agent is extremely rude! This is no proper place for a child to live in. I'll definitely report this to the judge and..."

"No, you don't need to bother," I interjected.

"Wh-what did you say?" Oh Min-Jung asked in confusion.

"Also, see that security camera over there? It has recorded a month's worth of the home environment, so I'll submit it directly to the court."

When I pointed to the security camera installed above the curtains, Oh Min-Jung finally realized that my words were not just an empty threat.

"Wh-what? Why is there a security camera inside the house...?"

"Oh, and it would be quite interesting to compare the footage with the notes you're holding right now. It surely provides an objective comparison. By the way, the way you threatened Miso earlier was really~ impressive."

After Yoo-Jin's uncle had visited, I had installed a total of eight security cameras from the first floor to the second. Thanks to this, everything that happened today was being recorded and all the conversations in front of the house were recorded on my phone as well.

When Oh Min-Jung realized that her one-sided actions against Yoo-Jin were exposed, her eyes lost focus.

That's when the door on the second floor swung open and Kwak Moo-Hyuk arrived at Yoo-Jin's house.

Thump.

When I immediately explained the current situation to him, Kwak Moo-Hyuk's face hardened.

"We will formally file a complaint against procedural violations, coercive investigations, and the use of intimidation. Furthermore, we will proceed with complaints against both the judge and the family court investigator individually. We will also thoroughly investigate the reasons for the schedule change." Kwak Moo-Hyuk stated.

In most custody disputes, people tried to make a good impression on the family court investigator because the documents they prepared served as legal evidence that could influence the outcome of custody rights.

However, Kwak Moo-Hyuk declared that he would nullify all those documents. He even said he would directly file a complaint against both the judge and the family court investigator.

'So he's basically saying that he’s going to check if they've been bribed,' I thought.

Feeling that she was getting nowhere, Oh Min-Jung decided to directly target Yoo-Jin this time.

"Miss Jung Yoo-Jin! If you decide to go on like this, it will have a detrimental effect on the custody battle. Make your decision wisely!" Oh Min-Jung threatened.

She was making a threat even in this situation. However, Yoo-Jin was not one to be swayed by such threats.

'

She has no idea how strong Yoo-Jin is,

' I remarked inwardly.

Surely enough, Yoo-Jin stared back at Oh Min-Jung and responded.

"I won’t forget that you targeted us right from the start. And I have an interview with the media lined up where I’ll reveal everything. I never knew that family investigations were like this!"

Bringing the media into it would turn this fight into a real quagmire because the last thing a judge wanted was for their case to be discussed by the media.

It was one of the cards I planned to play as a last resort, but Yoo-Jin was already pulling it out.

'

Nice, Jung Yoo-Jin.

'

Yoo-Jin had landed a solid blow.

Oh Min-Jung glared at us fiercely, then abruptly turned and headed for the entrance.

***

Bang!

Oh Min-Jung slammed the second-floor front door as she left.

Yoo-Jin let out a deep sigh and her shoulders trembled slightly, but she forced a brave smile in front of Miso.

“Miso, were you scared?” Yoo-Jin asked.

“No, Mom! I wasn’t scared at all!”

“Miso, you're so brave.”

Yoo-Jin stroked Miso’s cheek, then looked over at me.

“Oppa. Is everything going to be okay...?”

“Of course,” I assured her.

Kwak Moo-Hyuk, also reassured Yoo-Jin. “Miss Yoo-Jin, we will file a motion to recuse the judge and separately investigate if any under-the-table payments were involved. So don’t worry too much.”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Kwak.”

As Yoo-Jin expressed her gratitude, Miso also bowed to Kwak Moo-Hyuk. “Thank you so much, Mr. Kwak!”

“You don’t need to worry at all, Miso. Alright?” Kwak Moo-Hyuk replied with a smile.

“Okay! Then...I'll give this to you as a gift!” Miso exclaimed as she extended her hand to offer something. It was two Powertuff Girls character gumballs.

'

Wow. This is definitely a substantial bribe from Miso.

' I silently observed.

Kwak Moo-Hyuk accepted the bribe with a delighted fatherly smile. “Thank you. I’ll save these to eat later.”

“Huh? But you’re not supposed to eat them!” Miso protested.

“Oh? Then what am I supposed to do with them?” Kwak Moo-Hyuk asked with a puzzled look.

“You need to collect five different colors. But I only have one each of yellow, blue, and green, so I can’t give you those.”

“I-is that so? Then how long should I keep them?”

“Until you collect all five! Then you can eat them.”

I wasn’t sure why it had to be that way, but the deal was set.

At that moment, Jung In-Ji, assisted by Haru, arrived with a large amount of japchae.

“Where did that investigator woman go?” Jung In-Ji asked.

“She’s already left,” I replied.

“Left? Oh my, was I that late?” Jung In-Ji responded, looking slightly confused.

“No, it’s not that...”

As soon as I explained what had happened, Jung In-Ji put down the japchae and rolled up her sleeves.

“What? That woman! I should chase her down right now and give her a piece of my mind!” Jung In-Ji fumed.

Jung In-Ji was furious, suggesting she might even pull the investigator's hair out in her anger.

This lightened the mood and even Yoo-Jin started to laugh.

***

After handing all the prepared documents to Kwak Moo-Hyuk, he went to the court the same day.

The next day, there was a swift change in judge and family court investigator.

The new investigator, Lee Moon-Hee, arrived on the day of the second scheduled investigation. She introduced herself immediately and completed a warm and friendly personal interview with Yoo-Jin and Miso.

-It’s so nice to see Miso with her mom. I’d love to have a mom like Miss Yoo-Jin too.

Ha ha

.

The family investigation was concluded in just one session, and Lee Moon-Hee hinted that the judge handling the case was a fan of Yoo-Jin before she left.

And the next day, Kwak Moo-Hyuk called me to his office saying he had something to discuss. Immediately, I rushed up the emergency stairs to his office on the sixth floor.

When I hastily entered the office, Kwak Moo-Hyuk greeted me with a pleased expression and said, “Why the rush? You could trip and fall.”

“Mr. Kwak, what did the judge say?” I asked while trying to catch my breath.

Though it wasn’t an official ruling, I was anxious because I had heard that the judge had given an informal indication.

“I've never seen you so nervous before, Assistant Manager Jung.

Ha ha ha

. I’m enjoying this view.” Kwak Moo-Hyuk chuckled.

“Mr. Kwak!”

“Judge Kim told us not to worry.

Ha ha

.”

“Does that mean...”

"Yes. He said any sensible judge would agree that Miso is Yoo-Jin's daughter no matter who claims otherwise."

"Really?"

"Yes, and all the documents you prepared have been accepted by the court. You can relax now."

I clenched my fist without realizing it and shouted out in triumph. "Yes!"

Kwak Moo-Hyuk burst into hearty laughter.

"Mr. Kwak, may I make a call?"

"Of course."

I immediately called Yoo-Jin to reassure her. Yoo-Jin, who was practicing for her role, cheered as soon as she answered the phone.

-Oppa, is that really true?"

"Yes, so don’t worry. The verdict should be out in about two to three weeks."

-What a relief...

Yoo-Jin tried to hold back her tears as she responded.

After sharing the good news and hanging up, I belatedly bowed to Kwak Moo-Hyuk. While I had prepared the security camera and made recordings, it was Kwak Moo-Hyuk who had handled everything else.

"Thank you, Mr. Kwak."

"What for? This is my job," Kwak Moo-Hyuk replied.

"Still..."

That's when Kwak Moo-Hyuk cracked his neck, making a loud popping sound.

"In that case, there’s still something left to be thankful for," Kwak Moo-Hyuk added.

"What do you mean...?" I asked.

"Since they dared to mess with Miso, we need to shake them down thoroughly. Don't you think so?"

I had no intention of letting Jung Hak-Jae off the hook either, but I wanted to hear what Kwak Moo-Hyuk had in mind first.

"What are you planning to do?"

Kawk Moo-Hyuk grinded his teeth. "We’re going to recover every bit of property that Jung Hak-Jae took from Yoo-Jin and Miso. Not just the house they lived in but all other assets as well, plus compensation for their suffering! We’ll make sure he doesn’t miss a single dime."

Seeing his face flushed with anger, I realized I didn't need to step in: he had everything under control.

"Come to think of it, the candy Miso gave you turned out to be quite valuable, huh?" I joked.

Kwak Moo-Hyuk relaxed his stern expression and nodded. "It was the most expensive fee I've ever been paid in my life."

It seemed like Jung Hak-Jae would likely go bankrupt over the two pieces of candy Miso had given Kwak Moo-Hyuk.

But of course, even one piece would have achieved the same result.

***

After I left Kwak Moo-Hyuk's office and returned to my desk, I began to check the planner.

About ten minutes later, I had all the misdeeds Jin So-Mi had committed clearly in mind. That's when the most painful retaliation against Jin So-Mi naturally came to mind.

'

She said her life goal is to become a lawyer, right?

'

Jin So-Mi's dream was to emerge from the shadows and become a lawyer. But her reason for becoming a lawyer wasn’t to defend people. It was to launder her status and make more money as a legal lobbyist.

'

You want to live as a lawyer? I won't let that happen.

'

According to the Attorney Act, those sentenced to prison couldn't practice as lawyers for five years, and those with a suspended sentence for two years. In other words, any legal misconduct could suspend one’s legal license for several years.

Thankfully, I was aware of several crimes she had narrowly smoothed over through lobbying. If I were to expose her criminal activities to the media, Jin So-Mi would not be able to become a lawyer. Alternatively, I could prevent her from even taking the bar exam.

'Jin So-Mi. Don’t even think about coming into the light. Being a lobbyist suits you just fine. A lawyer? Hardly...'

I clench my teeth while deep in thought.

She had built up enough connections to operate as a lobbyist and that was something I couldn't stop. But I could at least prevent her from becoming a lawyer. Moreover, that would undoubtedly be the one thing Jin So-Mi feared the most.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

I felt unburdened and began wrapping up the remaining tasks with my thoughts organized.

And just before leaving for the day, I received news from Kang Ji-Yung that my team lead appointment would be made official tomorrow.

Finally, I was one step away from establishing "Team Jung."

***

In Salon Rose Blanc located in Gangnam, Judge Choi Tae-Song, who had been disgraced after taking a bribe from Jin So-Mi, was fuming.

Choi Tae-Song loosened his dress shirt and downed half a bottle of whiskey as soon as he entered the room.

Jin So-Mi, who was pouring his drinks by his side, was startled by the news of the failed lobby.

"You were disciplined for that trivial matter?" Jin So-Mi asked.

The heavily intoxicated Choi Tae-Song bellowed loudly. "Trivial? Hey! Madam Jin! Did you say 'trivial'? Has this bitch gone crazy?"

Jin So-Mi began to feel uneasy at Choi Tae-Song's coarse language. "That’s not what I meant, Judge..."

"Hey! You said it was an easy job! Didn't you? If it was so easy, why was the opposition so perfectly prepared? Were you trying to screw me over? No, wait, did you take a bribe from my rival, Judge Kang, to get me killed?"

"N-no way, I’ve never interfered in your fights! You know that!"

Jin So-Mi never involved herself in the power struggles among legal professionals because getting involved would land her in prison first.

"Then why do I have to be audited for such bullshit? Huh!?" Choi Tae-Song cursed.

Choi Tae-Song had expected some hospitality in return for the lobby. However, the outcome was his exclusion from all duties. Moreover, he had heard from the audit office that they were digging into his past, which made him lose his mind.

Choi Tae-Song quickly gulped down another glass of whiskey and said, "Damn it. I'm screwed all because of you."

At that moment, Jin So-Mi knelt on the cold floor of the salon. Her tight-fitting dress was uncomfortable, but she had no time to care about such things. Being outcast by the professionals of the legal community meant losing all her foundations.

"I’m so sorry, Mr. Choi. Please forgive me."

"You're sorry? You think saying sorry is enough?"

"I’ll contact Chief Judge Kang and ask him to cancel the disciplinary action." Jin So-Mi pleaded.

At that moment, Choi Tae-Song raised his right hand. He nearly slapped Jin So-Mi but restrained himself, sighing and lowering his hand.

"

Ah

, seriously. Listen up, Jin So-Mi! For the time being, no one in the legal circle will take your calls. So keep quiet like a dead mouse. Otherwise, you'll be the first to go down!" Choi Tae-Song warned her.

Faced with Choi Tae-Song's warning, Jin So-Mi had no choice but to nod repeatedly. She then had to endure a year's worth of verbal abuse as she kept him company throughout the night.

The drinking session ended around 6 a.m.

The exhausted Jin So-Mi shivered as she stepped out of the room and wondered to herself, '

Jung Yoon-Ho, what kind of person are you really?

'

It didn't take long for Jin So-Mi's thoughts, once filled with malice, to turn into fear.

And only then did she start to regret messing with Jung Yoo-Jin and Jung Miso.