IHMSFL-06

CHAPTER 6

Seo-eun took a deep breath in front of the entrance.

She remembered Ji-yu’s voice, always demanding whatever she wanted, as though she were asking Seo-eun to give up the love she had received in her place.

“Unni, this pencil case is pretty.

“Can’t you give it to me?”

Even after taking the one thing that was most precious to Seo-eun, something that could never be exchanged for anything else, Ji-yu still coveted what belonged to her.

“This necklace was the one Mom bought you when you got accepted into college, right?

“It’s pretty.

“Can’t you give it to me?”

Those were things Seo-eun had earned through her own efforts.

She had been grateful to her parents for them, endlessly grateful.

“I want to get a job at a big company like Unni.

“I probably can’t, though…”

Ji-yu, who had constantly coveted what belonged to Seo-eun, eventually coveted even the love Seo-eun had secretly cherished and protected.

“Unni, I like that Oppa.

“Can’t you introduce me to him?”

As though pushing away the version of herself that had never been able to keep anything completely, Seo-eun flung open the front door.

Her premonition had been correct.

Her parents, Ji-yu, and even Kang Do-yoon were gathered around the dining table.

Feeling as though she were about to put a blemish on an otherwise perfect picture, Seo-eun approached them.

“S-Seo-eun…”

Seeing Seo-eun, Do-yoon awkwardly lowered the hand that had been resting on Ji-yu’s shoulder, unable to hide his embarrassment.

“Seo-eun.

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t come…?”

“What happened?”

Mi-ri and Myeong-hun looked at Ji-yu in confusion.

Ignoring her parents calling her name, Seo-eun strode toward them.

The closer she got, the more color drained from Do-yoon’s face.

After avoiding her so desperately, he seemed to realize there was nowhere left to run and began backing away.

How much I trusted you.

She had given him her innocent heart because he had promised to marry her, and she had always treated his widowed mother with respect whenever she occasionally called.

And I even did all your work for you.

It was practically Seo-eun who had earned him his team leader position.

And after everything I did for you, this is what you did to me.

Smack!

It happened in an instant.

Seo-eun’s palm struck Do-yoon across the cheek.

Everyone was stunned by Seo-eun’s sudden action.

Do-yoon turned his head back in disbelief, one hand pressed against his cheek.

“W-What… what are you doing?

“Seo… Ah, Assistant Manager Han.”

Seo-eun curled her burning palm into a fist.

“Huh, Assistant Manager Han?”

Outside the company, he had always called her by her name, “Seo-eun.”

“Then I should call you Assistant Manager Han once we’re at work, shouldn’t I?

“Wh-What else should I call you…?”

“You should know that better than anyone, Kang Do-yoon.”

Do-yoon was startled by Seo-eun’s brazen way of addressing him.

“What…?

“Did you just… call me ‘you’?”

Watching him stumble over his words awkwardly, Seo-eun spoke.

She wanted to see just how good he was at lying.

“Yes, you.

“I mean you, Kang Do-yoon.”

When Seo-eun came at him so forcefully, Do-yoon couldn’t continue speaking.

He looked toward her parents and gave an awkward laugh.

“Haha, it seems Assistant Manager Han ate something strange.

“I-I mean, what is this… haha.”

Seo-eun cut off his obviously calculated attempt to brush it aside.

“I’m not the one who ate something strange.

“You are.

“Do you really not know why you got slapped?

“I never knew Kang Do-yoon could be this shameless.”

Seo-eun then shifted her gaze to Ji-yu.

“Ji-yu, how could you do this to your own sister?

“Kang Do-yoon seems to have lost his mind, so why don’t you explain it to him?”

“Unni…”

“Mom, Dad, do you know what Ji-yu and Kang Do-yoon have done to me?”

Holding on to the slightest hope that her parents would understand if she explained everything, Seo-eun asked Mi-ri and Myeong-hun.

“Do-yoon and I dated for a year.

“I already met his mother, and we were supposed to get married.

“So how could you do this to me?”

“Seo-eun, what are you talking about?”

“No, what…?”

Her parents stared at her in confusion.

Do-yoon’s complexion had turned so pale that it was almost gray.

“Well?

“Can you answer me now?

“When were you planning to tell me, and how?”

“I-I, um… th-that… I mean…”

Myeong-hun and Mi-ri’s gazes repeatedly fell on the stammering Do-yoon.

He looked as though he might faint at any moment, but Seo-eun kept her eyes fixed on him and pressed him harder.

“Answer me.

“Now.”

“I-I, it’s not that.

“T-This is… m-misunder…”

At that moment, Ji-yu, who had been waiting for Do-yoon to step forward and end his relationship with Seo-eun, rose from her chair and stood in front of Seo-eun.

“Unni, aren’t you being too much?”

The moment Do-yoon swallowed hard with his dry throat, unable to say anything, Ji-yu shouted,

“This is clearly stalking!”

“Stalking?

“You’re saying I stalked you?”

There was more than enough evidence proving that she and Do-yoon had dated.

What did Ji-yu think she was going to do when this came back to bite her?

“Please, just stop.

“Unni!

“I-I gave up everything for you.”

Stalking?

An act?

Was this the plan she had prepared for her marriage?

Wouldn’t everything fall apart if someone simply peeled back one layer?

“What did you give up?”

At Seo-eun’s question, Ji-yu hesitated.

Then she sighed with an utterly fed-up expression.

“Ha…

“I didn’t want to say this much, but…

“Do you know how much we’ve suffered because of you, Unni?”

“Han Ji-yu, you’d better watch what you say.

“Unless you want to be publicly humiliated later.”

At Seo-eun’s warning, Ji-yu flinched and clasped hands with Do-yoon.

“We have nothing to be ashamed of!”

“Really?

“Go ahead.

“I’ll listen for now.”

“You think I can’t do it just because you told me to?”

Ji-yu glanced at her parents before continuing haltingly.

“When you were getting me hired, you helped me with the interview, and because of that, you kept dumping your work on me at the company.

“And whenever I tried to go on a date with Do-yoon in the evening, you would shamelessly follow us every time.”

“Ha.”

So that was how she was twisting it?

The entire situation had been turned upside down.

“Am I wrong, Unni?”

“Can you swear to heaven that I was the one who helped you with nothing more than an interview, and that I was the one who followed you on your dates instead of you following me?

“Can you swear to that?”

Ji-yu widened her eyes, determined not to let anyone realize she was lying.

“I-I can.

“Then what did you do to help me get hired?

“Hm?

“What did you do?

“Tell me.

“Go ahead and tell me!”

Ji-yu’s shameless attitude left Seo-eun speechless.

She clearly knew that Seo-eun couldn’t reveal that she had secretly infiltrated the company late at night in an attempt to do something disgraceful, especially in front of her superior, Do-yoon.

Unable to expose her past mistake in front of Do-yoon, Seo-eun remained silent.

But once she fell silent, Ji-yu became even more vicious.

“See?

“She can’t say anything.

“Isn’t it only natural for an older sister to help her younger sister prepare for an interview?

“Even so, you can’t lord that over her and use it to torment your own sister.”

Under Seo-eun’s unwavering gaze, Ji-yu became increasingly anxious, but she stubbornly pressed on.

“Don’t you think it’s ridiculous too, Unni?

“Then if what you’re saying is true, and you really dated for a whole year, is there anyone at the company who knows that you and Do-yoon were dating?”

At once, her parents’ eyes turned toward Seo-eun.

Once again, Seo-eun couldn’t say anything.

She had kept her relationship with Do-yoon a secret.

Do-yoon had been aiming for an executive director position, and an office romance scandal would have been nothing but poison to his prospects.

He had told her they would get married once he became an executive director, so she had respected his wishes.

She had never imagined that it would become an arrow pointed straight at her.

“Is that true, Seo-eun?”

“D-Did you really stalk him?

“That crime you only see on the news?”

There was no way.

“I’m telling the truth, Mom, Dad.”

Seo-eun answered calmly in a low voice, but their faces showed that they didn’t believe her.

Sensing that the situation was beginning to turn in her favor, Ji-yu urged Do-yoon on.

“I didn’t want to take things this far…

“Do-yoon, you tell them.”

“Huh?”

“Were you dating Unni?

“I mean, did you really do something like those psychos in movies who go back and forth between two sisters?”

“M-Me?

“No?!”

Do-yoon flatly denied it, then flinched when he saw Seo-eun glaring at him with murderous eyes.

Having gotten the answer she wanted, Ji-yu became triumphant.

“You heard him, right?

“Do-yoon never did anything so shameless.

“And how could you possibly portray Do-yoon as some kind of psycho?

“What kind of crazy man in the world would do something like that?”

So this was how she intended to shut Do-yoon’s mouth?

If she left things as they were, Seo-eun felt she might actually end up being branded a stalker.

She made an important decision and reached into the pocket of her coat.

“Fine.

“Then I’ll show you the evidence.”

She took out her phone and held it up.

The message inbox was filled with affectionate messages exchanged between her and Do-yoon.

That wasn’t all.

Her new officetel was also filled with gifts and letters Do-yoon had bought and given her.

“Then, the messages Kang Do-yoon and I have exchanged until now…”

Just then—

“A-Assistant Manager Han!

“Are you going to keep making unreasonable claims?!”

Do-yoon grabbed Seo-eun by the wrist.

Thud!

The phone fell to the floor.

Looking at his hardened expression, Seo-eun could only think that he had made up his mind.

“Do you really not realize that if you keep saying ridiculous things, you’re only making yourself look more foolish, Assistant Manager Han?”

“Let go of me.

“Kang Do-yoon.”

He flinched for a moment, but he didn’t back down.

An invisible struggle continued for some time.

It was Ji-yu who finally broke the suffocating silence.

“Fine.

“I’ll leave.”

With everyone’s eyes fixed on her, Ji-yu collapsed to the floor.