Escape From the Daytime Drama

Chapter 5

Alas, Cha Yebin, the brother I’d tried to accept and embrace as my new family, had completely changed when I refused to fulfill my role and objected to his engagement. He’d become like an empty robot, uttering words without even knowing what they meant, like a computer program that couldn’t move onto the next stage without the next prompt. It was quite the damper.

“Everything here is fake. Cha Yebin is nothing but a character in a show. He’s fake,” I mumbled, hugging myself as I shivered.

My brother’s love was also just a setup in this storyline. These fake people never deviated too far from the script written for them. That made me feel all the more alone. I had no one to depend on. I had to deal with The Flower of Trials all on my own, trying my best not to go insane all the while. My head began to throb. How I hated this crazy world.

There was still so much left in the plot, so many events that Cha Yeryeon had to go through. Could I pull everything off? Could I endure this all alone, barely holding onto my sanity? It felt like millions of ants were crawling all over my skin, eating me up. I lay in bed and squeezed my eyes shut. Hoping that when I woke up, I’d be back in my reality.

* * *

“Cha Yeryeon! What did you say to my parents?”

Han Seori came to see me the next morning, looking furious.

Not you too.

I watched tiredly as she flung open my office door, ready to fight.

This is why daytime dramas are so annoying. Why are you taking out your anger on me just because your parents won’t tell you why they’re against your marriage? As the female lead, you’re supposed to be better than that!

“Ms. Han, we’re at work right now,” I reminded her. “Please keep your private life out of the workplace.”

“We’re family now, aren’t we? Why are you so determined to drive me and Yebin apart? Isn’t it about time you accepted us?”

Family my ass. She was getting on my nerves first thing in the morning. I could finally understand why Cha Yeryeon hated Han Seori so much in the show. Who would ever like a girl spewing such nonsense to a future sister-in-law who opposed the marriage? This Seori character would have been so unlikeable had she not been the female lead. Feeling a migraine coming on again, I rose to my feet and slowly walked over to her. I felt a little sorry to see her stare at me nervously, but I wanted to get this argument over with.

“I told you to keep your private life out of the workplace. Not even my brother and father, the vice president and chairman of this company, would ever disrespect me like this in the office.”

I bent down to whisper in her ear since I was taller than her.

“Who do you think you are to come here and tell me off like this? You’re nothing but an assistant, while I’m the general manager.”

I coldly met her gaze, then flashed her a smile. Seori’s expression stiffened as she clenched her trembling fists, unable to say a word.

I love it when she makes that face. The one when her pride is wounded, but she can’t think of a counterargument.

It wasn’t an expression the pretty, dainty female lead of a daytime drama should be making. I was proud of myself for making it happen.

Well done, Cha Yeryeon. I deserve a pat on the back.

“Now, would you please leave my office? I don’t know how you have all this free time, because as you can see, I have lots of work to do.”

“If you’re the reason my parents won’t allow the marriage… I’ll never forgive you.”

“Is it because you lack the intelligence? Did you not get the message about keeping your private and work life separate?”

“Cha Yeryeon!”

“Gosh, that was loud.”

I was enjoying my favorite part of being in this show—teasing Han Seori—when a knock suddenly sounded at the door.

Exactly! The normal thing is to knock before entering!

The leads of this damn drama must have thrown their manners out the window—barging in whenever they wanted—because the sound of knocking was starting to feel like an anomaly.

“Ms. Han? What are you doing here…?”

Now Park Eunwoo was in my office too.

Wait, I don’t recall this scene. Why is everyone gathered here?

Arguing with Seori in my office was a scene that had been in the original script. Not that I knew it would be today, but I didn’t recall Park Eunwoo coming in too.

“Eunwoo!” Seori cried.

Looking like she’d just met her savior, she grasped his arm and scuttled behind him.

Look, it’s not like I hit you or anything. You didn’t have to hide like that.

I felt a little hurt to see Seori poking her head out tentatively from behind Eunwoo’s back.

“What brings you here this early in the morning, Mr. Park?” I asked. “I didn’t know my office was so popular.”

“I told you to call me Eunwoo, Yeryeon.”

“I’ll ask again. What brings you here? Did you come to look for Ms. Han? If so, take her away already.”

“No, I came to see you,” Eunwoo said with a smile.

Seori’s expression subtly shifted. At that, I, too, felt an instinctive uneasiness creep up my spine. I’d never seen her make an expression like that before. Just as I opened my mouth to answer, Seori tugged on Eunwoo’s arm to make him face her. Her eyes welled with tears as she gazed at him.

“Eunwoo, I’m so lost. My parents suddenly don’t want me to get married. I don’t know what to do…”

Hold on, I saw this scene before… It’s supposed to happen in Eunwoo’s office, not mine.

This was the very scene that had brought Han Seori’s feminine beauty to fame, leading to articles like, “The Flower of Trials Actress Steals Every Man’s Heart!” Her pretty face carried the whole scene as she tearfully complained to Eunwoo. If I remember correctly, Eunwoo’s response had been…

“Then you should look for a way to make them approve, Seori, not waste your time blaming Yeryeon.”

“Wait, what…?”

No, that wasn’t supposed to be the line.

What’s going on? What’s with him?

I clamped my hand over my mouth, unable to hide my fluster. I was scared I might groan before I could help it. Eunwoo’s line had changed.

Originally, he was supposed to say, “Then don’t go through with the marriage. There are plenty of other men besides Cha Yebin who can make you happy.”

Why the change? How could Eunwoo be so cold to Seori? His character would never. He was supposed to be like sunshine to her, showering her with unconditional love. Eunwoo’s change in attitude might be acceptable for Yeryeon, but not Seori. Never Seori.

“Get out,” I snapped. “Both of you. Now!”

Desperately needing some time to collect my thoughts, I chased them out of my office.

* * *

Eunwoo and Seori both hurried out of the office after Yeryeon yelled for them to leave. As Eunwoo wistfully regarded Yeryeon’s tightly shut door, Seori watched him with anxious eyes.

“Eunwoo… Are you mad at me?” she asked in a shaky voice.

“Huh? What are you talking about, Seori?”

Eunwoo smiled warmly at her, giving her an affectionate pat on the head. Only then did Seori’s expression soften as she began to walk with him.

“It’s just that you seemed so cold earlier…”

“I didn’t like to see you cry over your wedding problems, that’s all. I’m sorry,” Eunwoo said soothingly, offering a sweet smile.

Now completely appeased, Seori grinned back at him.

“I accept your apology. But what do I do? I have a feeling Yeryeon might have said something to my parents.”

“What a serious accusation. Did your parents tell you that?”

“No, but who else would try to stop me from marrying Yebin?”

Eunwoo pursed his lips at the conviction in her voice. Seori, who was busy prattling away about how she’d never forgive Yeryeon, failed to see his expression.

“I hear you’ve been visiting her frequently,” she said. “Thank you for that.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re distracting her for me and Yebin, aren’t you? I owe you a lot.”

Seori smiled brightly at Eunwoo, her face as innocent and radiant as a child’s. She seemed to believe that he was trying to help her by befriending Yeryeon, as though she knew that was his given role. Whenever Seori showed such innocent goodwill and unwavering faith in him, Eunwoo occasionally wished he could shut his eyes. He kept saying and doing things he shouldn’t. He knew he was only suffocating himself by doing so, but it was also the only way he could breathe.

“Seori, you have no evidence that Yeryeon did anything to sabotage you. Don’t be so quick to blame her.”

“Huh? But…”

“Right now, you need to convince your parents. Your priority is marrying Yebin, isn’t it?”

“I… suppose so.”

“Don’t worry about Yeryeon and talk to your parents first. Maybe you can change their minds if you bring Yebin with you.”

Seori paused to think, then nodded with a broad smile. She was much more simpleminded than Eunwoo had thought.

“All right! I should ask Yebin to come with me.”

Seori took out her phone and called Yebin. With a slight nod at Eunwoo, she turned away and took the elevator down.

“But Marketing Team 3 is on the fifth floor…” Eunwoo mumbled.

He quietly sighed to himself as he watched the elevator go all the way down to the first floor. He could almost understand why Yeryeon bullied her. Eunwoo paced around in the hallway for a while, then stared at Yeryeon’s office door.