Body

Seo Hye was in her room when she heard the sound of the door opening. She turned to see Kwon Jae Geum, her brother’s friend, standing in the doorway.

“What brings you here?” Seo Hye asked, trying to hide her surprise.

“I saw your light on and thought I’d drop by,” Jae Geum replied, his voice low and smooth.

Seo Hye nodded, feeling a bit awkward. “I was just working on some reports.”

Jae Geum walked over to her desk and looked at her monitor. “You’re working late.”

Seo Hye nodded again, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Yeah, I have a lot to do.”

Jae Geum looked at her with a serious expression. “You okay? You look like you’ve been crying.”

Seo Hye quickly wiped away her tears and tried to compose herself. “I’m fine. Just a bit tired.”

Jae Geum looked at her skeptically, but didn’t push the issue. Instead, he asked her if she wanted to grab dinner with him.

Seo Hye was taken aback by the offer, but didn’t want to be rude. “Uh, sure. I guess.”

Jae Geum smiled and nodded. “Great. Let’s go.”

As they walked out of the office, Seo Hye couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward. She hadn’t seen Jae Geum in years, and now they were having dinner together?

As they walked to the parking garage, Seo Hye’s phone buzzed again. This time, it was a text from Ahn Hee Seok, asking her to meet up.

Seo Hye rolled her eyes and ignored the message. She was done with Ahn Hee Seok and his cheating ways.

As they got into Jae Geum’s car, Seo Hye couldn’t help but feel a bit grateful towards him. He had saved her from a awkward situation with Ahn Hee Seok, and now he was taking her out for dinner.

Maybe this night wouldn’t be so bad after all.

But little did Seo Hye know, her night was about to take a drastic turn.

As they arrived at Jae Geum’s house, Seo Hye was shocked to see how grand it was. The entrance was like a palace, and the chandelier was sparkling brightly.

But what caught Seo Hye’s attention was the cold atmosphere in the house. It was as if no one was happy to see her.

As she followed Jae Geum to the living room, Seo Hye couldn’t help but feel like an outsider. Everyone seemed to be staring at her, but no one was smiling.

Suddenly, Jae Geum’s voice cut through the silence. “Seo Hye, this is my mother.”

Seo Hye turned to see a middle-aged woman with a cold expression. “Nice to meet you,” Seo Hye said, trying to be polite.

But the woman just nodded curtly and turned back to Jae Geum. “So, you’re finally home. I was worried sick.”

Jae Geum smiled and nodded. “I’m sorry, Mother. I had some work to do.”

The woman nodded again and turned to Seo Hye. “So, Seo Hye, what do you do?”

Seo Hye hesitated for a moment before answering. “I work in marketing.”

The woman raised an eyebrow. “Marketing? That’s a tough field. Do you like it?”

Seo Hye nodded, trying to be enthusiastic. “Yes, I love it.”

But the woman just smiled politely and turned back to Jae Geum. “Well, I’ll let you two talk. I have some work to do.”

As the woman walked away, Seo Hye couldn’t help but feel like she was being dismissed.

Jae Geum turned to her and smiled. “Sorry about that. My mother can be a bit…particular.”

Seo Hye nodded, trying to be understanding. “It’s okay. I understand.”

But as they sat down to dinner, Seo Hye couldn’t help but feel like she was in way over her head.

The dinner conversation was stilted, and Seo Hye found herself struggling to keep up.

As the night wore on, Seo Hye began to feel more and more uncomfortable.

She excused herself to go to the bathroom, but as she was washing her hands, she heard a noise behind her.

She turned to see Jae Geum’s mother standing in the doorway, a cold expression on her face.

“Seo Hye, can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked, her voice dripping with malice.

Seo Hye hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Of course.”

As she followed the woman out of the bathroom, Seo Hye couldn’t help but feel like she was walking into a trap.