· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ ·

The taste of victory was sweet, and Iseul savored it with every step she took.

With a swipe of lipstick, Iseul smiled at her reflection, the shade bold and unapologetic—just like her. Today wasn't just any other day. She had been accepted into the company after last night's chaos, and she was going to make the most of it.

Walking confidently into the office building, her heels clicked against the polished floor, each step echoing in her ears as if signaling her triumph.

Iseul sat in the company's restroom, feeling a little bored as the minutes dragged on. The muffled chatter from the hall caught her attention, and she realized a group of girls were gossiping nearby.

"How can a man like that not have a girlfriend?" one of them said, her voice filled with admiration.

"Maybe it's someone from the office," another girl suggested.

"I'm betting on Rena," someone else added.

"He only loves himself..." Iseul muttered under her breath, not realizing they could hear her.

"Are you talking about Mr. Park?" one of the girls asked, clearly offended.

Iseul quickly tried to backpedal. She chuckled, shaking her head. "No, not at all." But before the conversation could go any further, she spotted Sungchan across the room. A grin spread across her face, and she quickly walked over to him, excited to change the subject.

"Sungchan!" she greeted him, her energy high as she waved. It was a much-needed distraction from the conversation she had just overheard.

"Should we sit down?" Sungchan asked.

Iseul turned around and saw the girls still glaring at her. She immediately said, "Or not. Let's just take a tour around the company." She quickly moved towards the door, hoping to avoid any further awkwardness.

Iseul walked alongside Sungchan through the sleek, modern corridor of the company, a small but confident smile playing on her lips. The day felt like it was falling into place, and as they moved, she barely noticed Sunghoon approaching from the other direction.

Sungchan, always the polite guy, glanced up at Sunghoon and offered a friendly, discreet smile.Sunghoon returned the gesture, his lips curling into a brief, amused smile.

He smiled at me. This is easier than I thought, Iseul thought to herself, but little did she know he wasn't smiling towards her.

But as soon as Sunghoon passed them and disappeared around the corner, a slow smirk formed on his face, unseen by Iseul. His thoughts were cold, calculated. Let's see how long you can keep up that smile, Iseul. By the end of the day, you'll be wishing you never stepped foot in this company.

────────────

The office was quiet, the usual hum of activity replaced by the stillness of boredom. Iseul spun in her chair, her gaze drifting across the room. As a trainee, there wasn't much to do except wait.

Her attention was drawn to Sungchan, who was messing around on his computer. Without thinking, she reached over and closed his screen, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

"Do you want to get fired?" she teased.

"Lowkey..."

"Then why'd you even apply for the job?"

"It's a story for another day."

Iseul raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Ah, a secret."

"Yep," Sungchan responded, "a good one too."

He laughed before his expression turned more serious. "By the way, you seemed a bit pissed about someone at the company the other day. Something like 'he got rich and I got poor.'"

"A story for another day," she added quickly.

They shared a brief chuckle, but their moment was interrupted by the sharp voice of the secretary at the door. "Come on, everyone. The meeting's starting."

Everyone sat in anticipation, waiting for Sunghoon to enter the room. When he finally did, his usual poise was replaced with a subtle, rare fluster. He stood at the front, one hand resting on the table, his brow furrowed in uncertainty. The room fell into a hush.

"Before we start, there's something I have to tell you," he said, his voice oddly serious.

Iseul's eyes narrowed in confusion, and she wasn't alone—everyone in the room shared her puzzled expression. What was going on with him? This wasn't like him.

Sunghoon's gaze swept across the room before it landed directly on Iseul. There was a brief moment of silence, a weight in the air, before he spoke again.

"In fact," he continued, his voice steady but tinged with something unspoken, "I could have spoken to Iseul personally, but I wanted all of you to hear this."

The room grew tense, every pair of eyes now flickering between Sunghoon and Iseul, uncertainty thick in the air. Iseul's heart skipped a beat, confusion quickly turning to something more intense. What was he saying?

Sunghoon's eyes held hers as he dropped the bombshell. "Iseul and I share a past together. She's my ex-wife."

The room went dead silent. The revelation hit like a thunderclap, and Iseul could practically feel the shockwave ripple through the air. Gasps filled the space, and all eyes turned to her, some in disbelief, others in outright shock.

Sunghoon took a slow step forward, his presence suddenly overwhelming in the small meeting room. His voice was calm but carried an undeniable edge of vulnerability.

"We had a perfect marriage," he said, his eyes never leaving Iseul's. "But it ended because I'm an idiot. Yes, I am to be blamed for everything." He paused, the weight of his words hanging between them, then added, his tone softer but still firm, "Iseul, can you forgive me?"

· · ─ ·𖥸