[Sim Daejung]

I'm a man of word. I promised I'd post that picture on Instagram, and there it is, with over ten thousand likes in just one hour. That Alice bitch is done. No-one will ever hire a lunatic. She should've seen the storm coming after her pathetic behavior with me.

Among the users who liked that post, there's one that sounds familiar to me: dellabozarth66. It must be her. It can't be some burner account. I need to check. I'm not hallucinating. I'm not imagining things. For God's fucking sake, stop it!

I open the profile and, yes, that's her. Same gummy smile, same chopped, curly blonde pixie cut, same blue eyes. It's her. Not someone passing off as her, but, yes, I've repeated it at least five times, it's the real Della.

I hesitate before hitting 'follow.' What if she changed her mind and thinks I'm a creep? I mean, women have a good reason to think ill of me, considering that I have the terrible habit of taking ages to answer properly a text message or, worse, going ghost on someone I don't want to talk to. To add insult to injury, I'm not even good in bed.

I let my instinct guide me and hit that button. I'm sure she'll appreciate that I still want to keep in touch with her, to check if she's okay after what happened with her horrible boss. That is, if she managed to leave. I don't want to believe she's still under his clutch. He needs to be prosecuted for abuse.

For some reason, I want to take a nap. I leave my phone on the night table, take my shoes off and lie down. For being the bed of a hotel room, this is a very comfortable one. I'm confident I'll sleep for at least two hours.

I close my eyes, thinking I know what awaits me.

***

"Congratulations! You've just become a father of twins!" The nurse shocks me with these words. I thought my wife was pregnant with one single child. The ultrasound must've tricked her. She's as surprised as me, but hides it behind her tiredness, which at this point is the lesser problem.

On the outside, I keep my cool and take small but deep breaths. On the inside, however, I seethe. I can hear a voice echoing in my mind; it says, 'You're a father, Daejung! What the fuck are you going to do? Get a grip! Get a fucking grip, man!'

I'm supposed to be near my wife, but she's sedated after enduring the pain of C-section and won't respond to me for now. Instead, I'm swarmed by the presence of people such as Daehwa, Sujin and other folks. Why are they here? Do they want to turn what's supposed to be an amazing day into a nightmare?

I turn around and realize I'm cornered. How am I supposed to keep the ghosts from the past away from me? I don't need them here to meddle with my life any further. But how am I supposed to get rid of them?

I squirm my eyes and extend my arms to protect myself from them, but they come closer every time I attempt to make a step back. I guess I have only two choices: to be swallowed in the spiral they want to drag me into, or to face those people once for all.

***

I wake up, hands in my head and sweat dripping through my face. I check my phone, realizing I've only slept for one hour. Was that nightmare so bad to drag me out of sleep that quickly? I guess I'll find out soon; now, I just want to forget it.

I scroll through notification and, to no surprise, find out that Della has followed me back. She has also liked a few pictures of mine, along with the infamous shot of Alice wreaking havoc at that bar. Is that a sign?

I decide to wait for her next move. I want to make sure she does have a soft spot for me and isn't just a desperate chick looking for love on social media. Okay, I shouldn't really use these terms. I'm no better than her. I come up with many more, and in some cases worse, tricks to score dates. Of course, I fail every time.

I turn the TV on, wanting to get away from social media. A trashy reality show is a good distraction. As I expect, the channel I tune on is airing one already. 'Oh, I know this one!' I mumble. It's Love Bunker, one of the trashiest and most extreme reality shows I've ever watched.

After the recap of the previous episode is over, I rejoice when the host introduces the first mission to the contestants. I can already see two or three of them go manic. The level of paranoia in that bunker is way above danger level. Someone is getting hurt in there. There's no way they'll all be able to resist.

Among the participants, I recognize what seems to be a familiar face. Again that pixie cut, those piercing blue eyes, that cute smile. I can't ignore the uncanny resemblance to Della. Now, I won't be able to focus on the show. How am I supposed to, anyway, now that her face pops up everywhere?

I turn the TV off. I'd rather go out for a drink instead. That is, if I can find a good bar where to unwind. I tidy up, look for the room's key, and leave the room. As I lock the door, I overhear a noise of steps on the carpet. I try to ignore it, since it's not anything particularly relevant.

But, as I walk toward the elevator, the noise becomes more insistent. I stop as soon as I catch a woman walking past me. She wears a pair of old, consumed brown heels that are on the verge of breaking, a checkered dress and a white bucket hat.

The woman sighs out of frustration as her left heel finally breaks. "Shit! That's my last good pair of shoes!" I lend her a helping hand and offer to get rid of those traps. She turns her gaze to me, and that's when I recognize that damn smile.

"Have I already seen you somewhere?" I ask, making her blush. She looks away, but I somehow manage to catch a glimpse. As she turns back at me, her hat falls, revealing none other than... Della. Is this a sign of destiny or what? But, most importantly, what is she doing here?

"H-hi... What... w-what a coincidence! Are you staying h-here?" She visibly stutters as we make eye contact with one another. She's likely to be still dealing with the trauma that asshole caused. No-one would like to be in her shoes, but she can't be left on her own to face that monster.

"Yeah, just for a few days, though. That is, until I find a new home." I should've kept my mouth shut. Now, she'll also have to carry my burdens, along with her own. Why do I always have to fuck everything up?

Fortunately, she's understanding enough not to paint me as selfish. She answers, "Don't worry. We're on the same boat. I was evicted just yesterday. I don't know why—I didn't have any issues with paying the rent, and the landlord adored me..." She hesitates, before adding a painful detail. "Well, he did. But his wife didn't. She hated me."

"May I ask why? That is, if it doesn't upset you." Her face turns pale; I feel the urge to squeeze her hand. She's not alone. I'm here for her. She doesn't have to fight her demons all by herself.

"Well... she... she..." Before she can finish talking, she blacks out. I catch her before she falls on the floor. Seeing her like that pains me like Hell. I don't want to lose her. I can't lose her.