The room was icy, silent, and almost blindingly white.
Lin Sae, 22, was curled up on the hard floor, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Her thin shirt no longer protected her from the cold that seeped into her bones. Her lips were dry, her throat burned. She hadn't eaten for far too long to even count the hours. Hunger was no longer a sharp pain, but a dull, constant presence that slowly weakened her.
Every breath was heavy.
Every heartbeat echoed against the white walls, as if the entire room were listening to her suffering.
She lifted her eyes to the flickering neon light above. The harsh light pricked her eyes. There was neither night nor day here. Just waiting. And oblivion.
The door suddenly creaked.
The metallic click of the lock made Lin Sae startle. Her body reacted before her mind. She struggled to sit up, her numb muscles protesting. A fragile spark lit in her chest.
Someone… had come.
"Lin Sae…"
The voice was soft. Almost reassuring.
Her heart raced. She recognized the voice immediately. She raised her eyes, teary.
Han Nana appeared in the doorway.
She was impeccable. Perfectly styled hair, clean clothes, a compassionate gaze. She wore that same smile she had always had — the one that seemed to say I'm on your side.
"Han Nana… you came…" Lin Sae whispered, her voice broken.
She tried to stand but collapsed back onto the floor.
"I… I knew someone would eventually listen to me…"
For a split second, Han Nana did not respond. She simply observed Lin Sae from head to toe. Then she entered and gently closed the door behind her.
The smile changed.
It didn't disappear completely. It became sharper. Colder.
"Did you really think that?" she asked calmly.
Lin Sae frowned. A shiver ran down her spine.
"W-what… what are you talking about?"
Han Nana approached slowly. The sound of her steps echoed against the floor like a countdown.
"You've always been like that, Lin Sae. Too confident. Too sure the world loved you."
She stopped in front of her, crouching to meet her eye level.
"You thought I was your friend. That I would defend you. Save you."
Lin Sae's heart tightened.
"Nana… why are you saying this?" she asked weakly.
Han Nana smiled wider.
"Do you really want to know?"
She straightened and began walking around her, like a predator circling its prey.
"Your husband… he never believed you. Not even once.
It was me who told him everything. Every 'proof.' Every tear. Every lie."
Lin Sae shook her head.
"You're lying…"
"Really?"
Han Nana laughed softly.
"When I cried in front of him saying 'forgive her, it's my fault,' do you know what he did?"
"He held me in his arms."
The words struck Lin Sae like blows.
"Your family?" Han Nana continued mercilessly.
"The conflicts. The misunderstandings. The decisions that destroyed everything.
I just… whispered what needed to be told to the right people."
Lin Sae felt her strength leave her.
"Why…?" she whispered.
Han Nana stopped in front of her and looked straight into her eyes.
"Because you had everything.
A united family.
A secure future.
A man in love.
And I… had nothing."
She leaned so close that Lin Sae could smell her perfume.
"So I decided that everything that was yours… would be mine."
A small shiny object appeared in Han Nana's hand.
"And now, there's no one left to save you."
The blade fell.
The pain exploded, but Lin Sae didn't scream. In this chaos, something ignited within her. Stronger than fear. Stronger than death.
"I… will return…" she murmured.
"And you will pay…"
The world went black.
Two years earlier.
At that time, sunlight freely entered through the large windows. Laughter filled the rooms. Life was simple.
Lin Sae was twenty.
She was sitting at the table with her father, mother, and younger brother. Breakfast was noisy, lively.
"Eat properly; you're leaving too early again," her mother said.
"I can't be late," Lin Sae replied with a smile. "Today, I'm observing the strategic meeting."
Her father looked up from his newspaper.
"You really want to learn everything so quickly?"
"Yes. One day, I need to be ready."
He nodded, proud.
"Then do it your way. Not mine."
Her brother looked up from his phone.
"When you run everything, will you get me a car?"
She laughed.
"Start by doing well in school first."
The front door clicked softly.
Lin Sae stepped outside.
Dong Hi was waiting.
Her heart leapt.
"Dong Hi!"
He smiled, opened his arms. She ran to him. They kissed without restraint.
Then a car door opened.
Han Nana stepped out.
"Hi, Lin Sae."
A slight unease passed through Lin Sae.
"What were you doing in his car?"
"We just happened to meet," Nana replied sweetly.
"Yes," Dong Hi confirmed.
Lin Sae smiled. She believed them.
In the back seat, Lin Sae watched their reflections in the rearview mirror, unaware that at this very moment… everything had already begun.