The door opened with little to no sound, completely unnoticed by the pair. Standing there was Ben. His gaze fixed on them longer than usual.
They stood next to each other, close enough to look like a couple.
His jaw tightened, his fists clenched from impulsive anger.
The night wind carried their quiet voices toward him, soft and private, filled with laughter and joy that she never showed him.
It felt… strangely intimate.
An unwelcome thought crossed his mind:
> "Had he interrupted something he shouldn't have?"
Whether he was just paranoid or emotional, his calm state faded, completely replaced by subtle anger.
Anna turned slowly, then she froze. Not out of guilt, but surprise.
The one she once searched for was now standing there, behind her, silently staring.
"Oh… when did you get there?"
A second ago, he was almost consumed by rage, but standing there was a calm-looking young man who seemed to always have everything under control, as usual.
Ben's fists loosened the moment Anna turned toward him. The anger in his jaw disappeared quickly, hidden behind a calm smile.
"They're looking for you inside," he said calmly.
Anna blinked. "Oh... really?"
"Yeah. I think it's your turn anyway." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I couldn't find you anywhere. Then I realized you were out here. Jeez…"
He lightly smacked his forehead in mock frustration.
Anna laughed softly. "Were you missing me by chance?" she teased. "I know you can't survive without me."
She slowly walked over toward him, then slipped her arms around his neck. "Come on, come on. Let's go."
Then she paused, turning toward Francis, who was still resting on the railing.
"Oh... before I forget. Aren't you coming in too?"
He stood there, raising his wine glass lazily with a relaxed smile on his handsome face.
"I'm good," he said. "I'll follow later," smiling as he stared at them.
Anna smiled, then nodded, pulling Ben along toward the door, as Francis calmly watched their playful friendship take over.
As they stepped inside, Ben slowly glanced back, a frightening look displayed on his face before being covered up by a subtle smile.
Of course, no one noticed.
Even Francis didn't notice.
---
The noise from the room hit them strongly as they entered. Loud cheers and laughter echoed all around.
"Anna!" someone called. "Where did you go? It's your turn!"
The further she moved from the balcony, the thinner her smile became, until it disappeared completely.
Seated in front of her were people who had openly shown disdain toward her, but now they were smiling as though nothing had ever happened.
Of course, most of their smiles were just masks, hiding malice and jealousy. Some were pained by her beauty, while others were just upset by her closeness with Ben. Most were fake, while some were still real.
Stephanie clapped dramatically from her seat.
"Anna, it's your turn to speak. I hope you aren't as fragile as before—we wouldn't want you to faint like you did during that national debate competition." She smiled softly, her words filled with mockery hidden behind a sweet voice and a caring face.
"Come on! Tell us what you've been up to since high school. You've always been very hardworking. Maybe not the most naturally talented, but you definitely compensate with effort," she said.
Her voice was disguised with a smile and subtle laughter.
Awkward chills ran down her spine. A sense of fear gripped her tightly as the heavy pressure of their stares rested on her.
Her cells screamed in frustration, as though they just wanted to disappear or turn invisible.
Then slowly, a hand gently grabbed hers from behind—unexpected, but warm.
The warmth of his hand was enough to silence the fear in her head, calming her restless heart and finally giving her the confidence she needed—the confidence to face things instead of running.
At that point, she wasn't her usual weakened self. She felt confident again. Calm and composed.
She looked straight at Ben, whose face was lit with a smile that felt calming and encouraging.
Then she inhaled.
And smiled.
"Well…" she began, her voice steady and calm, completely absent of the tension she felt earlier. "After high school, I went to X University and majored in economics on scholarship."
A few impressed murmurs floated through the room.
"Isn't that among the top universities in the country? Wow."
"How did she get in? I heard it was harder to get accepted into X University than to jump off a bridge."
Different murmurs filled the room… some impressed, some jealous, and some straight-up bitter.
"At first, I didn't really know what I wanted at the time," she continued, "but I ended up getting interested in market behavior, trend lines, and market flow… how people think when they buy things. Why they choose one brand over another."
Someone nodded as if they understood, while many looked obviously confused.
"In short, I just got interested in human psychology when buying and selling goods," she said easily, trying to ease their confusion.
"So after school, I went into marketing. I started small, taking freelance projects here and there just to scrape by. But over time, I started building connections and creating a community." She shrugged lightly.
"Eventually, I opened my own company, just a small firm that deals with connecting buyers to sellers. Nothing too over the top."
Polite applause followed.
"Wow, that's amazing."
"That's impressive."
"I always knew you were hardworking."
She could clearly feel the space between them filled with disbelief—as though it was a fabricated story—along with quiet comparison and subtle relief that she didn't seem too successful.
Maybe the thought of her being far more successful than them was something to fear, as she could visibly tell. Their smiles this time were more genuine.
"Just an average marketer, nothing unique as expected." That was the thought that probably filled their heads.
Anna only smiled modestly, lowering her gaze slightly.
She didn't mention the scale of her client list, nor the scale of her application, which was already topping eight hundred thousand active users.
She didn't mention the international contracts, nor the company value, which was already valued at about six hundred million dollars.
Nor did she mention that she employed more people than anyone in that room likely imagined—about ten thousand employees around the globe.
She gave their imagination freedom, letting them imagine the scale themselves.
It was the best way to avoid drama and unwanted kindness hidden behind selfish intentions.
Across the room, Stephanie stood with a warm smile on her face. She clapped slowly as the rest of the room followed along, then she spoke.
"Anna, that's honestly impressive."
Her voice was low but sharp, easily carrying across the room—a tone that was soft and friendly, one that felt genuine.
"Opening your own company after starting from nothing… that's really admirable."
Anna nodded politely.
"Thank you," finally seeing Stephanie in a better light.
Stephanie tilted her head slightly, as though amused by something from the past. A soft smile flickered across her face.
"You always worked incredibly hard back then too."
A few people chuckled softly.
"You had, what, three part-time jobs during high school?" she continued. "I remember sometimes you'd come to class looking so exhausted, one could bet you'd run a marathon."
The room hummed with interest, but for Anna, it wasn't the same. Her chest tightened faintly as her hands tightened around her glass.
Stephanie laughed lightly, then continued.
"I actually used to admire that determination. I don't think anyone else in our class could have survived that kind of pressure."
She paused slightly, then casually continued, "Although… you did faint a few times, didn't you?"
A ripple of laughter echoed through the crowd.
Then she waved her hands as though dismissing the laughter.
"Oh... I hope you didn't find me offensive. I don't mean that in a bad way. High school was rather brutal, especially for someone like you who had so much weight to carry."
Her eyes softened sympathetically.
"With you losing your parents to COVID… that must have been tough."
The room quieted slightly. The sympathy in her voice was perfect, almost too perfect. Her words flowed smoothly, soft and controlled.
She tilted her head again. "But I'm really glad things worked out for you in the end."
Her eyes gleamed.
"I'm really proud of you. You grew from the shy girl who used to cry in the school bathroom every day…" she paused just enough to catch her breath, "...to a woman who runs her own company."
Stephanie's voice softened gently.
"You're really inspiring."
Anna smiled softly, but her smile was shallow. Her heart raced as the room suddenly felt as though it had shrunk.
Her head lowered slightly in embarrassment and emotional strain.
"You remember a lot for someone who never paid attention in class," Anna said quietly.
"Excuse me," her voice was quiet, "I just need to use the restroom."
She rushed toward the door, her head fuzzy and her steps unsteady.
She couldn't even watch her path as her shoulder hit a tray carrying multiple drinks.
The glass shattered as cold liquid soaked into her sleeve, but she didn't stop—she kept moving.
Her steps quickened, from fast walking to running. Tears slowly clung to her eyes.
The chair beside Anna's empty seat suddenly slid back violently. The sound cut through the awkwardness.
Ben stood, turning toward Stephanie, looking her dead in the eyes. The easy smile he'd worn earlier was gone, and the warmth in his eyes had completely vanished.
"...You really haven't changed." His voice was low, controlled, and heavy.
Stephanie blinked. "I'm sorry?" Surprised by his sudden tone, her breath slowed unevenly as though trying to stay composed.
"For someone who speaks so politely," he continued, "you really have a talent for saying shitty things in the nicest way possible."
The room shifted, and the smiles faded.
Stephanie let out a small laugh.
"Oh come on, I was only joking. Nothing bad about that."
"That's enough." His voice was firm, powerful enough to wipe the smug look off her face.
Ben glanced briefly toward the door Anna had disappeared through, then back at Stephanie.
"You seem to have a lot to say. At least say it plainly next time. Maybe you'll sound less like a coward."
Stephanie's face paled as he stepped closer. "I think you're just misunderstanding—"
"You knew exactly where to aim. You couldn't help but resurface past wounds…" His voice tightened. "...even her deceased parents."
His voice was filled with pain, almost bitter.
Stephanie's expression stiffened. Her fists clenched, her eyes reddened.
"You know what's funny?"
Ben lowered his voice.
"For someone who had everything handed to you… you still need to pick at someone else's scars just to feel taller."
Stephanie froze, her confident posture cracking. Her hands trembled as shock flickered across her face.
Ben quickly moved toward the door without waiting for her response. Then he glanced once more at Stephanie, his voice calm and controlled.
"Next time you want to talk about someone's past…"
A brief pause.
"...try having one you're proud of first."
He immediately pushed the door open and hurried out after Anna.
Stephanie stood there as the weight of everyone's stares rested heavily on her.
For once…
Her smile was gone, and tears filled her eyes.