With flu season in full swing, many staff members were getting sick, and wearing masks had become necessary in the office. As a result, I've been busy with work lately. There's been no time to slack off — it feels like I'm getting new patients every minute. Despite my advice to take time off work to recover, many insist on pushing through to meet deadlines. It's concerning to see staff risking their health for the sake of their jobs.

I'm so exhausted from work that I haven't had the energy to watch TV at home or even check my social media. I only check my email when absolutely necessary—it's been that hectic. It's also a relief that Mino also appears to be busy lately, so I haven't had to worry about making time for him in case he wants to meet up.

During lunch break, I went downstairs for food 'cause the pantry stuff wasn't cutting it. Besides, people up there are so nosy. There's a rumor circulating that the CEO's daughter is working in the office. No one knows who she is, but they say she is observing employees. There's also gossip about a coworker being a mistress and, of course, the rumor about me and Mino. Right now, I just wanted some alone time, some peace and quiet away from all the noise.

As I took off my mask while waiting for the elevator door to open, bam! I bumped into this guy. Pink top, denim shorts, heart-shaped shades—total fashion statement. I swear, he looked more fabulous than me. And everyone was staring at him like, "Who's this?" He's definitely a head turner.

He seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite place him. As he glanced at me over his glasses, it felt like he was sizing me up, assessing me with his judging eye. "C-Cali?!" he called out. Wait, do I know him?

"Y-yes?" I stammered, puzzled by him.

He motioned for me to inspect him closer, twirling around for added flair. And then it hit, "pride_Chicken?!" I blurted out, utterly shocked. Seeing him in person, I finally understood why "pride" was in his username. He truly embodied it.

"Yesss, girl!!" he exclaimed. We both screamed in excitement, jumping up and down, holding hands. I was surprised to see him like this as he sounded very masculine online.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, still in disbelief at seeing him in front of me. I hadn't been online lately, so I had no idea that pride_Chicken had returned home from abroad.

"I was waiting for a friend," he said. "By the way, you're not seeing my messages! I've been messaging to meet up. Anyway, do you work here?" he added, sounding curious.

"Yeah, I'm the company nurse. Sorry, I've been busy lately," I replied.

"What a small world. My friend works here too, but she's from the marketing department," he mentioned. "Oh, wait, she's here." I turned around and spotted her—my first ever patient at the office.

"Hey, girl!" Dessa exclaimed happily when she saw pride_Chicken.

"I missed you!" He replied. "By the way, I want you to meet my other friend. I assumed you already know each other since you both work here together," he said, smiling at us.

"Yeah, it's Nurse Cali!" Dessa confirmed, indicating that she knew me.

After a quick chat, we headed to a nearby unli chicken wings restaurant for lunch. It turned out that pride_Chicken had always loved chicken, hence the username.

During our meal, we quickly caught up. I was still in disbelief by the fact that pride_Chicken knew Dessa. As we settled in, pride_Chicken revealed that his real name is Izzy Romero and that Dessa is the mutual friend of Dom he had mentioned before.

"You knew Dom?" I asked, still surprised.

"Yep, by Dom you mean Nick? I knew him. In fact, I'm friends with both Mino and Nick as my family is business partners with the Vasquezes," she explained.

"Business partners? So, that means... you're our CEO's daughter?!" I exclaimed in amazement. So, the rumor is true?

Dessa shushed me. "It's a secret. I'm in training, so nobody can know," she said.

"Alright, now I know why you knew about the sushi place," I exclaimed, feeling stunned.

She winked at me. "Yup."

We shifted the conversation to Izzy, who mentioned he lives nearby. Surprisingly, we're the same age, but he didn't finish college. He explained that seven years ago, he went abroad after his dad passed away when they were struggling financially. I had always assumed he was older than me, but I was wrong.

He told us that Izzy wasn't his real name, preferring the more feminine-sounding Izzy over the original. Izzy shared stories from both his time abroad and his life here too and knowing I was waiting for work papers to go abroad, he shared insights about life overseas.

Our food arrived, and we dug in, continuing our chat as we ate. Now the conversation shifted towards me.

"By the way, Cali, you're dating Mino, right?" Dessa asked.

I nearly choked, unsure of how to respond, so I simply nodded and replied hesitantly, "Um, yes? Why?"

"Just asking, after all, you seemed to go to the sushi store more often than before," she giggled, teasing me.

"Mino? The guy from TV? Dom's brother?" Izzy sounded curious. "Weren't you seeing Dom, Cali?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

I had almost forgotten that Izzy wasn't aware of my history with Dom. Should I just tell him? I shook my head. Actually, no. It wasn't necessary.

"It was Mino I was seeing all this time," I said. Now, Izzy became curious about it. Feeling awkward, I just decided to drink.

"But what about Dom? Weren't you online lovers?" I nearly spilled my drink at Izzy's question.

"It's in the past. In fact, Dom is dating my best friend now," I told him.

"What?! You two were really cute though," Izzy said, sounding disappointed. "Did you know about it too, Dessa?" he asked, turning to Dessa, who was busy with her food.

"Yes, sort of, but it doesn't really interest me," Dessa clarified. "People fall in love, grow together, and sometimes fall apart. That's a common cycle. Besides, the Dom we knew is gone. He goes by Nick now."

"What? Nick? He always went by Dom," Izzy wondered aloud, seeming to piece things together.

Remembering Nick's words the other day, I glanced at Dessa, wondering if she knew anything about it. I've been wanting to talk to Nick about what he said, but I haven't been able to get in touch with him. And I'm hesitant to get help from Jana until I'm sure that we're okay. Should I just ask Dessa about it instead?

Both Izzy and I waited eagerly for Dessa to speak up. "Sorry, it's not my story to tell," she said briefly. But we were persistent. "Fine!" Dessa said, looking defeated. "He changed because of the accident that happened a year ago."

Right, the accident. Mino briefly mentioned it to me, but he didn't go into much detail. I'm really curious. I really want to know more about it.

"What happened?" I asked.

Dessa seemed surprised. "Mino hadn't mentioned it to you?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"Then I don't think I could really share it," Dessa said firmly, trying to keep it to herself.

"Ugh, come on, say it! It's just us." Izzy protested, looking disappointed.

"Fine, but let's keep it here. Promise me not to tell anyone. I really don't want to meddle in other people's lives, but since it's you two, I'll share what I know. It might be difficult to hear, especially for you, Cali," she said, sounding defeated.

I nodded, feeling uneasy about what she said, but still wanting to know the truth. "Okay." There, Dessa started telling us about what happened, and we listened closely.

"Where should I start? Hmm, okay—" she said, pausing to gather her thoughts, then continued, "A year ago, Mino met someone named Kana who looked a lot like you, Cali," she began, surprising both Izzy and me. Dessa continued, "Around the same time, Nick also came across her and mistakenly thought she was you. Nick got really mad, thinking Kana had lied to Mino and that she ditched him. He couldn't accept the truth, even led him to throw his life away."

Izzy and I remained focused on what Dessa was saying.

"One night, Nick got drunk, causing trouble in a bar. So Mino, Kana, and their driver picked him up and in the car, they got into a heated argument. The driver lost focus, leading to the accident, and Kana didn't make it. It was really a heartbreaking incident. You see, Mino used to be a ladies' man, but Kana changed him for the better."

Izzy and I were both taken aback by what Dessa said, our eyes widening in disbelief. I sat there, and was left speechless. Dessa continued talking as we listened intently.

"Then months later, Nick met your friend Jana in an online dating app and learned about you, Nurse Cali. That's when he realized his mistake about Kana, but it was already too late. He can never bring her back," Dessa said, leaving Izzy and me even more shocked.

Dessa pulled out her phone, showing us a group photo of Mino, Kana, herself, and Nick, "Here." As I looked at the picture, I couldn't believe my eyes.

"OMG, Cali. You look really alike." Izzy said, astonished.

They were right. Kana looked exactly like me.

Realization hit me hard. I didn't realize it was such a big deal. So this was what Nick was talking about. That he had resented me for something I never did. I laughed at the thought, but then I realized how difficult it must have been for him.

"But, Cali, please don't tell Mino I told you. I was really happy that you all made up. It's in the past already, so I hope nothing changes between all of you," Dessa said sincerely, pleasing me.

I didn't know what to say to Dessa. It was all too much to process. So, I just nodded. And now, I don't know if everything is going to still be okay.

Right after we finished eating, Izzy said his goodbyes, promising another catch-up before he left, while Dessa and I returned to work.

The office seemed unusually quiet, as if I were the only one there. My mind was racing with thoughts, and I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. The decision I made seven years ago had led to this. It's like a butterfly effect, where I am somehow responsible for Kana's death because of the choice I made.

Unable to focus, I approached HR and asked if I could leave early as I wasn't feeling well. They agreed, and I left. It's ironic, isn't it? While everyone in the office is sick, struggling to get their work done, it's me, their nurse, who needs a break.

About to head home, I remembered Dessa's mention of Kana's nearby resting place. So, I booked a carpool ride and made my way there, feeling sad and confused. Upon arrival, I stood before Kana's grave and whispered, "I'm sorry," as the wind carried my words away.

Now, I couldn't help but wonder why Mino never mentioned Kana to me. Did he know about it? Did he realize that I was the girl mistaken by Nick? If so, why hasn't he told me about it?

Just as I was about to leave, I turned around and saw Mino standing behind me, holding flowers. Our eyes met, and he looked shocked when he saw me.

He simply tilted his head down, not saying a word to me. Slowly, he walked towards me and placed the flowers on Kana's grave. There were so many questions I wanted to ask him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, sounding cold and looking upset. Is he mad at me?

"You weren't going to tell me about Kana?" I asked.

He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, but you didn't tell me about you and Nick either, so I thought it was okay for me not to tell you too," he replied.

I was shocked. "So you knew?" I asked.

"Yes, Nick told me everything," he said after a pause, as if gathering his thoughts. "Right before I met you, I already knew who you were. Jana mentioned you to Nick before, saying she had a friend who is a nurse named Cali. That's when Nick found out that Kana wasn't you. I wanted to get to know you better to understand why Nick was so interested in you back then that he would choose to ruin his life because of you. I believed that you caused all this. I thought you were a bad person, but as I got to know more about you, I was wrong. You are a great person, Cali. In fact, I really fell for you. I did."

"You did? What do you mean? Now you don't?"

"No, that's not it. Cali—"

"Do you somehow resent me? Did you purposely want to hurt me because you thought I caused all this?" I shook in disbelief. "I thought you were different," I said, feeling numb as I walked away.

He called out to me again and even ran after me, but I pushed him away and decided not to look back. I had started to fall for Mino, but I was left confused and hurt. The pain was unbearable. Why was love so cruel to me?