In his office, Jin Woo leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair.
His mind wandered back to the moment Na-ri had told him not to help her anymore.
She had smiled as she said it, but he could still hear the slight crack in her voice underneath.
She said she wanted to handle things herself, that he had already done enough for her.
But he couldn't help but worry.
Without thinking too much about it, he grabbed his phone and dialed her number.
Meanwhile, Na-ri and Minji had just arrived at the company.
They stepped into the elevator, Na-ri adjusting the strap of her bag when her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen and smiled softly. Jin Woo.
She quickly picked it up. "Hello?"
"Na-ri," his voice was calm, but there was a slight concern hidden behind it. "You doing okay?"
Na-ri glanced at Minji who was pretending not to listen and replied, "I'm fine. We just grabbed lunch and got back."
"I just... wanted to check on you," he said.
There was a brief pause before he added, "And don't worry too much about my family tomorrow. They're not harsh people, Na-ri. They're excited to meet you."
Na-ri's grip on her phone tightened slightly. Hearing his voice made her nerves calm a little, but the weight on her chest didn't disappear completely.
"I'll do my best," she whispered.
"You're doing more than enough," he said. His voice was so gentle, it made her heart ache a little.
"Alright," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodbye, Na-ri."
"Goodbye, Jin Woo."
She hung up, tucking her phone back into her bag.
Minji, standing beside her, had a knowing smile playing on her lips.
Na-ri caught it immediately. "What?" she asked suspiciously.
Minji shook her head, feigning innocence. "Nothing."
Na-ri narrowed her eyes at her but didn't press it further.
The rest of the day passed quietly.
Work was slow and heavy, and Na-ri couldn't concentrate no matter how hard she tried.
When the clock finally struck the end of the day, she and Minji made their way back to the elevator.
The ride was silent at first. Both of them were too tired to talk.
The elevator came to a gentle stop, and as the doors opened, Ji-a stepped inside.
She was all smiles and fake sweetness, practically skipping over to stand near them.
"Nana!" Ji-a chirped, using that sickening nickname she only pulled out when she was trying to act cute.
"I'm sooo excited about tomorrow! I can't wait!"
Na-ri simply looked at her, her face expressionless.
Minji shot a glare at Ji-a but didn't say anything. She knew better than to start anything.
The elevator reached the garage, and Ji-a practically floated out.
"Bye-bye, you two! See you tomorrow!" she sang, waving her fingers.
Once Ji-a disappeared into her car, Minji shook her head in disbelief.
"Psychopath," she muttered under her breath.
Na-ri just stood there, her eyes cold, her face unreadable.
After a moment, she turned to Minji. "Let's go."
They walked together toward Na-ri's car without looking back.
Meanwhile, at Ji-a's home, the atmosphere was completely different.
Ji-a flopped down on the couch, her heels kicked off lazily.
"I can't take it anymore," she complained loudly. "I had to hold everything in today. I had to smile at her like a fool. Act like I'm happy. I almost threw up."
Her mother, seated elegantly by the side, sipped her tea calmly.
Ji-a leaned closer. "Mom, seriously. What's the plan? I'm going crazy here."
Her mother set down the cup, wiped her lips with a napkin, and stood up.
She walked over to Ji-a, leaned down, and whispered something into her ear.
Ji-a's eyes widened, a slow, evil smile curling her lips.
She clapped her hands excitedly.
"I can't wait to see the look on Na-ri's perfect little face tomorrow."
At the same time, Na-ri paced restlessly in her room.
She had had her bath and dressed up looking cakm, but calmness was far from her mind.
She kept glancing at her phone, checking the time, then going back to pacing.
Something was coming. She could feel it in her bones.
She had always known what would happen every day, what her life would look like.
But now... everything was different.
Everything was uncertain.
Her future was changing, slipping out of her hands like sand.
And she had no idea what tomorrow would bring.
She hugged herself tightly, whispering under her breath, "Please... whatever it is... let me have the strength to face it."
Elsewhere, Tae Joon stumbled into his small apartment, slamming the door shut behind him.
He threw his bag onto the floor and collapsed onto the couch.
But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't shake the image of Na-ri's face from his mind.
The way she had looked at him today — cold, disgusted, like he was nothing more than trash stuck to her shoe.
It burned him from the inside.
It wasn't fair.
Yes, he had made mistakes, but hadn't she abandoned him too?
Hadn't she embarrassed him, made him look like a fool?
Hadn't he been the one there for her after her parents died?
Hadn't he stayed by her side through everything?
And now she was acting like she was better than him.
Looking down on him like he was worthless.
Tae Joon clenched his fists tightly until his knuckles turned white.
He stood up abruptly, pacing like a caged animal.
"No," he muttered.
"No way. I'm not letting her end up with someone else."
His breathing grew heavy, and a wild, dangerous glint flashed in his eyes.
"She's mine. She was supposed to be mine."
A twisted smile spread across his face.
"If I can't have her... no one will."