Chapter#2
4th floor women’s restroom.
Ever since she was a new employee, Yulhee would come here whenever something difficult happened. There were fewer female employees working on the 4th floor, so it was usually quiet and empty.
She slipped into the innermost stall, locked the door, and collapsed onto the floor. As if she had swallowed fire, her chest burned and felt suffocating, and she pounded on it with her fists.
“Hic…!”
Being abandoned by someone she loved brought not just sadness, but anger. The betrayal rising to her throat made it hard for her to even breathe properly.
The tears running down her cheeks were nothing more than resentment toward Byungjoo.
If only he had broken up with her when he started liking Sora… or at least before posting the wedding announcement on the company intranet—then she wouldn’t be this furious.
After crying for a long time, exhausted, Yulhee leaned against the wall. The cold tiles touched her cheek, cooling her overheated head.
“No matter what… we’ll still have to keep seeing each other.”
Byungjoo had said a lot of nonsense earlier on the emergency stairs, but this part was true.
Her unfocused eyes drifted to the damp restroom floor. The messy, dirty footprints looked just like her current state, and she covered her face with her hands.
Just then, she heard people outside.
“Who would believe that?”
At the familiar voice, Yulhee held her breath and curled up. It was clearly Assistant Manager Hwang Yeonju and her group from Business Team 2.
They were known for gossiping, and earlier in the office, they had been the ones asking Sora and Byungjoo the most questions.
“Who in this company doesn’t know that Manager Park and Assistant Kang were dating?”
“I didn’t think Manager Park was that kind of person. How could he cheat in the same office—with an intern, no less?”
“Assistant Kang really got the short end of the stick.”
They clicked their tongues, saying Yulhee was pitiful, while busy touching up their makeup in the mirror.
“They say Sora is Director Kwon’s daughter. Manager Park must’ve calculated things carefully.”
“Honestly, judging by how Assistant Kang usually dresses, she doesn’t seem well-off. Why hold onto a rotten rope when a golden one drops down?”
Hearing all this, Yulhee looked down at her clothes.
A worn-out sweater covered in lint, pants faded from being washed at home instead of dry-cleaned, and cheap patent shoes bought for 20,000 won at an underground mall.
She had told herself she dressed “comfortably” because of the flexible dress code, but in truth, her outfit showed her poor situation.
“We should still go to the wedding, right?”
“Of course. It’s the director’s daughter. We should at least show our faces.”
“What should I wear?”
“I’m thinking of buying a dress. I’ve got one in mind.”
Just moments ago, they were criticizing Byungjoo for cheating, but now they had already moved on to what to wear to his wedding.
“The wedding’s next month, right? Why so rushed?”
“What if she’s pregnant?”
“No way.”
“Then why else would they hurry like this?”
“If that’s true, then wow…”
Yeonju paused, took a deep breath, then clapped her hands loudly.
“This is going to be fun!”
“Hey, seriously.”
“Why? Honestly, what else gives this much excitement in our boring office life?”
“That’s true. If stuff like this happened every day, I’d actually want to come to work.”
Their laughter filled the restroom.
To them, the affair and Yulhee’s betrayal were nothing more than entertaining gossip—like viewers waiting for the next dramatic episode of a soap opera.
“Should we go test it?”
“How?”
“I’ve got chocolate with alcohol in it. If we give it to Sora and see whether she eats it or not, we’ll know.”
“Let’s go!”
Excited by their clever idea to check if Sora was pregnant, the women rushed out.
The restroom became quiet again, but Yulhee couldn’t leave for a long time.
*
When Yulhee entered the office, all eyes turned to her. She ignored them and sat down.
“Assistant Kang!”
Sora pulled her chair closer and spoke in her usual cute, nasal tone.
Yulhee stared straight at her face.
“Are you dating Manager Park?”
“Yes, but… could you keep it a secret at work?”
“Don’t worry! I won’t tell anyone!”
Not long after Sora joined as an intern, she had caught Yulhee hugging Byungjoo on the emergency stairs. Back then, Yulhee had no choice but to admit their relationship and ask her to keep it secret.
Which meant—Sora knew everything and still had an affair with him.
Seeing her smile as if she knew nothing made Yulhee feel chills.
“What is it?”
She wanted to answer calmly, but her voice came out sharp.
Sora hesitated slightly, then carefully placed something on the desk.
“Would you like this?”
It was a bottle-shaped chocolate—the exact one Yeonju had mentioned earlier.
Yeonju and the others exchanged meaningful looks as they watched.
Are they mocking me?
Yulhee bit her lip.
Whether Sora noticed the intention or not, it felt like a mockery to Yulhee.
She wanted to throw the chocolate at her shameless face, but barely held herself back.
She didn’t want to become the main character of this messy drama anymore. And if Sora turned out to be pregnant, Yulhee’s role might shift from tragic heroine to villain.
Still, she couldn’t bear to sit there any longer. She stood up and walked to Team Leader Choi Yooncheol.
“I’d like to leave early.”
Yooncheol, who had been looking at stock charts on his phone, startled and flipped it over.
“Leave early? What are you—!”
He was about to snap, but seeing her pale face, he frowned.
“Are you that unwell?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, then go home and rest—”
He was about to allow it, then suddenly remembered something.
“Oh right, the new employee joining today is assigned to you. They’ll be here after orientation. You can’t leave your desk.”
He waved her away, telling her to go back.
Something boiled up inside her.
Just as she was about to speak—
The office suddenly became noisy.
“Oh my…”
A female employee gasped softly. Everyone stared at the man who had just entered.
Wearing a neat shirt and slacks, he had a tall, model-like figure and perfect proportions. His sharp nose and deep eyes made him strikingly handsome.
“Hello. I’m Baek Si-hyuk, and I’ll be working in Business Team 2 starting today.”
He smiled easily, without any sign of nervousness.
“I’m Team Leader Choi Yooncheol. This is your supervisor, Assistant Manager Kang Yulhee. She’ll teach you everything.”
After a brief introduction, Yooncheol immediately handed him off to Yulhee and returned to his phone.
Si-hyuk turned toward her and walked over.
She caught a faint scent of his cologne—cool and musky—and somehow, her tight chest felt a little easier.
“Nice to meet you.”
He extended his hand with a bright smile. After hesitating briefly, Yulhee took it.
He gently tightened his grip, holding her hand a little more firmly.
And for a moment, their hands remained together.
