Juri

I rushed into my office and sank into my seat. Once the reality set in, I ran my fingers through my hair. Twenty-nine years. For twenty-nine years, I had been the perfect, predictable woman. Yet a single proposal from a man I barely knew made me risk my future.

Was I possibly throwing my entire future for the sake of revenge?

A sigh escaped my lips. Let the regret come tomorrow, next week, or even next year. For now, I wanted to see how far this beautiful recklessness would lead me.

How liberating and incredibly horrifying it felt.

After a few hours of trying to focus and failing, I decided to go to the break room for lunch.

As I stepped inside, I noticed that some of the staff were already inside, including Erin and Gaeul.

Erin spotted me and dashed towards me, "Are you okay, Manager Kim? Gaeul should've been more careful. It's only been a week, and this already happened," she said.

Gaeul rolled her eyes.

I nodded with a weak smile, "It's something I'm used to, so don't worry."

My seemingly reassuring words didn’t ease her concerns because she gave me a puzzled look.

I wasn't lying either; I was physically assaulted before at my previous job due to the rumors circulating that the manager was having an affair with me. His wife ended up barging into my workplace and physically assaulting me in front of everyone.

A flicker of uncertainty broke through Erin's cheerful face, "But, how did you manage to get that woman a three year ban from all stores nationwide?"

My eyes widened, "What?"

"We all saw the notification on Elyvion's Dashboard. How did you do that so quickly? I thought local branch managers didn't have the power to do that."

"That's because they don't." Gaeul intervened. She glared at me, "Look, I'm grateful that you stepped in to help me, but a mere manager like you doesn't have the authority to ban someone that quickly. Even the previous manager couldn't do anything when something similar happened."

She folded her arms as I stared at her, completely perplexed. With a shaky laugh, I held out my hand in front of her face.

"Wait, I'm confused. I didn't ban that woman. As you said, I don't have the power to do that."

She folded her arms, "Of course it wasn't you. It was Mr. Lee."

Everyone broke into a whisper as she continued, "I've always been suspicious about the two of you since day one."

The name struck me like a physical blow. Not this again. My stomach bottomed out as the room suddenly felt entirely too small. They thought I was sleeping with an executive.

Again.

I dropped my hand and took in a deep breath. I won't let history repeat itself. Not when I was finally enjoying my job.

"Let's clear something up right now, Gaeul," I said. My voice didn't shake, but it carried a dangerous, quiet edge that made Erin take a step back. The same tone I had used with the woman earlier. "I am the manager of this store. A customer physically assaulted me on camera inside an Elyvion boutique. Mr. Lee didn't ban her because of me. He banned her because a violent assault on an Elyvion boutique floor is a multi-million-dollar corporate liability. HQ protects the brand, Gaeul. Not me."

I stepped directly into Gaeul's personal space, forcing her to step back.

"If you ever imply that I used anything other than my job performance to influence an executive's decision again, I will have Mrs. Min write you up for creating a hostile work environment before your shift ends today. Do I make myself clear?"

Gaeul's jaw tightened, her defensive posture completely fracturing under the intensity of my gaze. She nodded once, swallowed hard, and looked away.

"Good. Get back to the floor." I turned to everyone else, "That goes for all of you, too."

They all scrambled and exited the break room, and I let out a huge breath of relief. My feet almost gave out, and I balanced myself on the counter.

I really don't want history to repeat itself. If I get involved with Mr. Lee, I'll have to say goodbye to this work environment.

No, what happened before won’t happen again. I will make sure it doesn’t because this time…

The executive won’t be just a rumor. He will be my…husband.

Goodness, that sounded so foreign on my tongue.

Sunjae

Taeho glanced at me suspiciously as he packed up for the day.

“What?”

“You were joking earlier today about marrying Ms. Kim, right?”

I closed the folder and leaned back to my seat, “Why? Do you take me for a rumbling fool?”

“No. And stop putting words in my mouth. I just wanted to know since it just doesn’t make any sense. Ms. Kim over Chaewon is incredibly foolish.”

I sighed, “I will explain everything later. You may leave. I have work to do.”

“But-”

“Taeho, let it be.”

With a defeated sigh, he bowed and left. Leaving me in the all too familiar empty building.

Or perhaps not anymore, since the new hire, Ms. Kim, stayed behind too. I stared out the window as the thunder roared loudly as the heavy rain poured down.

After some time, I decided to wrap up my work earlier and head downstairs.

Ms. Kim was standing at the entrance, staring through the glass door at the heavy downpour as she fidgeted with her hands anxiously.

“Ms. Kim?”

The sound of my voice echoed in the empty hallway, prompting her to flinch. She always flinched at my voice.

“Oh, Mr. Lee,” she said with a formal bow.

I cocked my head, “Why are you standing there? Are you expecting someone?”

Looking down at her hands, I noticed she didn’t have an umbrella.

“Do you perhaps need me to hold the umbrella for you as you wait for a cab outside?”

"Oh, I-"

Without waiting for her permission, I popped open my large black umbrella and stepped out, tilting it over her head. 'Let’s go.'"

Giving up, she sighed and stepped out with me into the pouring rain. The repetitive, steady drumming of the downpour gave me a sense of calm, similar to the clicking sounds of my pen.

Suddenly, a familiar white car pulled up on the opposite side of the road facing the building. A scoff escaped my lips as Ms. Kim briefly closed her eyes in embarrassment.

“You mean to tell me you agreed to marry me when you haven’t called off things with your adulterous boyfriend yet?”

She winced in embarrassment, the rain catching the edge of her face.

“I need your help,” she pleaded.

“I do not wish to be part of a spectacle, Ms. Kim. Nor do I intend to get involved in domestic disputes.”

“But your proposal included that I can use you for revenge,” she fired back, her voice trembling but determined.

“I did not phrase it that way-”

“Just this once. Please.”

She glanced anxiously across the street as the car door swung open. The man stepped out, popping open a cheap umbrella. 

“Just this once," she pleaded again.

I let out a controlled sigh of defeat. If she was going to be my wife, I needed to remove any obstacle. Even if it was a man beneath me.

“What do you require me to do?”

She began shaking nervously as the sound of the man's heavy footsteps splashed through the puddles toward us.

“Juri,” he called out.

In the blink of an eye, she reached out, her fingers trembling as she gripped the fabric of my collar and pulled me down. Her chest moved rapidly as she stared into my eyes, a mix of terror and a sudden resolve.

“I am sorry, Mr. Lee.”

Before I could process her sudden apology, she stood on her toes. The soft scent of her lavender perfume rushed over me in a split second before she closed in the distance, locking her warm lips with mine against the backdrop of the freezing rain.

For a second, the world stopped. My ever-so-calculative mind froze entirely, like a system crash. She tilted her head, the soft texture of her lips brushing against mine with desperate urgency.

The sudden splash of an umbrella hitting a puddle pulled me back to reality. My eyes glided over her shoulder to her ex-boyfriend. His jaw was slack, his eyes wide and completely horrified.

Seeing his shocked face triggered something in me. All my strategic instincts came rushing back.

Ms. Kim pulled back, breathing heavily as she caught her breath, her caramel skin turning dark crimson as blood rushed to her cheeks.

I glanced back at her ex-boyfriend and smirked. Before she could even think of removing her hands from my collar, I dropped the umbrella. I wrapped an arm around her waist, cupped her cheek with my other hand, and pulled her against me, locking my lips with hers in a deep, unyielding kiss.

The scheme wasn’t done yet.