Chapter 55
I was waiting at the private parking area. The evening air was still, but my mind was anything but calm. While standing there, leaning lightly against the car, I found myself replaying everything that had happened to me over the past few days.
A long sigh escaped my lips. Unbelievable… I had only been working in this company for three days, yet it already felt as though I had been here for three years. The weight of it all was crushing. If things continued like this, I was certain I would lose my mind. From being Yuna's personal assistant, suddenly I was thrown into the role of mediator between two of the largest companies in Korea.
Did they really expect someone my age to shoulder something like that?
Lost in thought, my phone suddenly rang, startling me. I glanced at the screen, and when I saw the caller's name, a chuckle slipped out before I could stop myself. Hyunjae. It had been a while since I last heard from him. In truth, I had been so caught up in this new life that I nearly forgot I even had a friend waiting on the other side.
Without hesitation, I answered.
"Yah, Haemin!!" Hyunjae's voice burst through the speaker, full of energy.
I couldn't help but smile faintly at his tone. "What's up?"
"Man, you finally picked up my call! Do you know how many times I've been trying to reach you? I've been dying over here, calling and calling the whole week."
"Huh? Really?" I frowned and quickly checked my call history, putting him on speaker while scrolling through the list. There was nothing there. No missed calls at all.
"Are you trolling me? There's nothing in my call history."
"What do you mean I'm trolling you? I did call! You just didn't answer. But—" his tone shifted, "—there was one time the line connected, and then you cut me off halfway."
I froze. A realization hit me. At home, I often left my phone lying around, especially when I was buried in studying. Could it be… that Yuna saw the call and deleted it? There's no way… right? A heavy sigh left me.
"Hey, Haemin, are you still there?" Hyunjae's voice dragged me back.
"Y—Yeah, I'm here. Sorry, my bad. I probably didn't notice your calls. I've just been… really busy these past few weeks."
"Busy?" He snorted. "What kind of busy, huh? Man, what have you been doing? Forget it, that's not even the important part right now. I have bigger questions. Why the hell did you suddenly drop out of university? And you didn't even tell me beforehand! You know how shocked I was when I found out?" He didn't even give me time to respond before he continued, his words tumbling out in one breath. "Actually, no—forget that too! What's really important is—WHY DID I JUST SEE YOU ON THE NEWS TODAY, WALKING ALONGSIDE THE CHAIRWOMAN OF NARA GROUP'S AIDES?! Do you even realize how big today's meeting was? It's all over the news, worldwide!"
I rubbed my forehead. So, he had already seen it. "Sorry, Hyunjae… it all happened too suddenly. Ever since I came back from Busan, everything's been moving too fast. I didn't have the time to explain properly."
"What do you mean, 'too suddenly'? Haemin, you're killing me here," he groaned. "But fine, I'm sure you have your reasons. Just don't forget, you owe me an explanation. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," I said softly, my voice low.
Hyunjae sighed but quickly shifted topics. "Anyway, everyone in class was shocked. Some of them were downright disappointed. And, believe it or not, some of the girls were sulking because they lost their chance to confess to you."
A small laugh escaped me. "What are you even talking about? You know I'm already married."
"I know, but they don't!" He chuckled. "And after today's news, I can already imagine the chaos tomorrow. The whole class will be in an uproar."
"Yeah, I guess… I just hope you can cover for me."
"Of course I will. I'm your only real friend, remember?" He lowered his voice. "But seriously, how have you been lately?"
"I'm fine. Just—"
"Ha. With a tone like that, you don't sound fine at all. Come on, tell me the truth. Is it something else? Or maybe… are you having problems with your wife?" he teased, his voice playful.
But his joke cut too close. He hit the nail on the head, and the silence that followed was telling.
"Wait—hold on." His voice sharpened as though connecting pieces together. "Don't tell me… is that the reason you dropped out of university? And today's news—" his voice rose with disbelief, "—wait a second. Does this mean your wife has something to do with Nara Group? Is she… is she one of the directors? And you, walking with the Chairwoman's aides today—no way. Don't tell me your wife is Seo—"
The elevator behind me chimed open. My heart skipped a beat.
Yuna stepped out.
I barely caught the last part of Hyunjae's words; they blurred into nothing as my focus snapped to her. Panic surged through me. I quickly cut him off.
"Hey, Hyunjae, I need to go now. I'll call you later."
"W—Wait, Haemin, don't you dare hang up! HAEMI—"
I ended the call before he could finish.
Yuna's heels clicked against the polished floor as she walked toward me. She pressed the car key, unlocking it with a soft beep, her gaze fixed on me.
"Who was that?" she asked, her voice calm but edged with something sharper.
"Oh, nothing… it was just Hyunjae," I replied quickly.
She reached the driver's side door, paused, and looked at me. "You really need to stop contacting that friend of yours." Her tone was calm, but it felt like an order. "Get in."
Swallowing my unease, I opened the door and slipped inside without another word. Yuna adjusted the mirrors and placed both hands calmly on the wheel, preparing to drive.
But before she could start the engine, the words slipped out of me.
"Yuna…" I spoke softly, almost hesitantly.
Her head turned slightly, her sharp eyes landing on me. The weight of her gaze made me hesitate, but I gathered my courage.
"I just… I just want to ask you something. Did Hyunjae call me last week?"
For a brief moment, she seemed to think, her expression unchanged. Then she nodded casually, as if it was of little importance.
"Yes, he did."
My brows furrowed. "R—Really? But… why didn't I see any call history on my phone?"
She leaned back in her seat, still calm. "I deleted it. Why?"
The words hit me harder than I expected. I blinked at her, stunned.
"You… deleted it? Why would you do that? And you didn't even tell me he called?"
Her tone remained cold, indifferent, as though she was simply stating a fact.
"Why should I? Nobody should bother us when we are at home, isn't that right?" She glanced at me briefly before turning her gaze forward again. "Why? Are you upset with me?"
Her question wasn't genuine—it felt more like a warning.
I swallowed hard, trying to control the tremor in my voice. "No… it's not like that. I just thought… at least you could have—"
Her cold gaze flicked to me again, sharp and unyielding. The intensity in her eyes silenced me instantly. My throat tightened, and the rest of my words died before I could finish. I looked down at my lap, gripping my hands together.
"…No, it's nothing," I muttered quietly.
Yuna lingered on me for a moment longer, then, without another word, she reached for the gear lever. Her hand pressed firmly against the brake switch before releasing it. With a smooth motion, she started the engine and we left.
Yuna's hands gripped the steering wheel firmly, her eyes fixed on the lanes ahead. I could tell she was not in a good mood. Probably because of today's meeting. I convinced myself that was all it was. Still, the silence felt suffocating.
Then suddenly, Yuna broke it.
"Hey, Haemin." Her voice was calm, but it carried a weight that instantly made my chest tighten.
"Yes?" I asked carefully, curiosity laced with unease.
Her eyes stayed on the road. "Do you still remember the story I told you once? About the empress who killed her husband because he helped the little girl?"
The mention of it made my throat dry. "Y—Yes," I answered cautiously. "Why do you ask?"
Her lips curved into something that was neither a smile nor a frown, only a thin line of control. "You know," she began softly, "aside from that one mistake, her husband was very loyal to her. He loved her dearly, completely. And most importantly…" Her eyes flicked toward me for a brief, sharp moment. "…he never lied to her."
I gulped, feeling my palms sweat. Something about the way she said it, made me feel cornered.
Then she suddenly asked, her voice cold and sharp. "Are you the same as him, Haemin?"
I straightened in my seat, trying to compose myself. "Of course I love you, Yuna. And I—"
"Where were you after the meeting today?" she cut me off, her voice turning ice-cold, her eyes fixed forward as she drove.
The shift in her tone caught me completely off guard. "I—I waited for you, just like you asked me to," I stammered.
"Is that true?" Her words carried no warmth.
"Yes!" I answered too quickly, almost desperately.
Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel, the leather creaking under the pressure. She asked slowly, "Then why did my driver say he did not see you right after the meeting ended?"
My breath hitched. My mind went blank.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her lips curve, not in amusement but in something darker. She let out a soft chuckle, though her face remained void of any smile. "Come on, Haemin. Just tell me where you really went, alright?" Her grip on the wheel tightened until her knuckles turned white. I know she is holding herself back right now.
"I… I felt thirsty," I finally managed. "I went to the water dispenser to get a drink, Yuna."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Alone?"
"Yes," I nodded quickly.
Her tone shifted into a soft laugh. "So Harin left you all by yourself? What a careless aide. I should scold her for not doing her job properly."
My chest tightened. Without thinking, I rushed to Harin's defense. "No, I—I did meet Harin after that. She came looking for me."
"Oh? Is that so?" Yuna's tone was flat, unreadable. "That explains why my driver said he saw the two of you walking out from the entrance together."
"Y—Yes," I nodded again, clinging to the explanation.
Her next words dropped like a bomb. "You know what's funny, Haemin? I happened to see Sera walk out from that same spot too."
My body went cold. My eyes widened in shock before I could stop myself.
Yuna caught it immediately. Her gaze sharpened, and her lips curved into a cold, humorless smile.
"Just as I thought..."
Without warning, Yuna slammed her foot on the brake. The car screeched to a sudden stop in the middle of the road. My body jolted forward against the seatbelt, heart racing. Behind us, tires screeched and horns blared. A wave of angry honks followed as cars swerved around us.
"Yuna, what are you doing?!" I shouted in panic, my voice cracking as fear gripped me.
She turned on me, her hand shooting out and grabbing my collar, pulling me closer. Her eyes were cold and merciless. "Haemin," she said in a low but sharp voice, "I will give you one last chance to be honest with me. Were you really alone?"
The noise of honking cars surrounded us, drivers yelling outside, but Yuna's gaze held me in place.
"It's true," I said desperately. "Yuna, it's true! Pease, let's move the car before—"
"Are you sure?" she cut me off again, her voice dripping with disbelief.
"Yuna—"
Should I call Harin and ask her myself? I swear, if she is lying too," Her grip on my collar tightened, her voice suddenly rising into a sharp yell. "I will make her suffer this very day!
Her eyes, cold and unyielding, sent a shiver down my spine. I did not know what excuse to give anymore. My mind was blank, trapped between her fury and my fear.
My lips trembled before I finally forced the words out.
"S—Sera was there."