I arrived by taxi, stepping out in front of the place I now called home.
There it was — our stunning, modern house, glowing beneath the soft city lights. A wide driveway stretched out like a welcome mat, glass walls reflected the stars above, and the soft trickle of water from the marble fountain filled the silence with peace.
I kicked off my heels at the front door and stepped into the open-concept living room. The scent of vanilla candles wrapped around me like a hug.
Home
I pulled my hair into a messy bun and made a beeline to the kitchen.
"Wine… where are you, my only friend until he comes?" I muttered, opening the fridge and pulling out a chilled bottle.
Just as I poured the first glass, the doorbell rang.
I frowned. "Why is he ringing the bell? He lives here."
Still barefoot and in my work clothes, I walked over and opened the door.
My heart stopped.
"Yuna?" I blinked in shock.
She raised an eyebrow. "Minji."
My voice caught. "What are you doing here?"
She stepped forward, arms crossed. "No, no. Let me ask you — what the hell are you doing here at night?"
I couldn't exactly blurt out, Because I live here with my husband. Surprise!
I forced a smile. "Uh… Mr. Joonseo asked me to come clean the place before he gets home."
She scoffed. "Oh, I see. First assistant duties, huh?"
"What about you? Why are you here?" I said, keeping my tone as casual as possible.
She rolled her eyes. "He left his watch at my place. I came to return it." Then she brushed past me like she owned the place. "Why am I even explaining this to you?"
I froze.
Oh no — the wine. The candles. The warm lighting.
She entered the living room and her eyes narrowed the second she saw the setup.
"The wine? The candles?" she asked, suspicion laced in her voice.
I scrambled for a lie. "Uh, Mr. Joonseo told me to set it up."
"For what?"
"I… I have no idea, Yuna."
She stared at me for a few long seconds, her eyes scanning every inch of my expression.
I smiled like I wasn't mentally panicking.
She tilted her head. "Right. That makes sense."
She plopped down on the sofa like she owned the place, crossing her legs and flipping her hair.
What am I supposed to do now that she's here?
And wait a minute... why was his watch at her place?
My stomach twisted.
They—what the heck did they do that night?
I turned to her slowly. "Why is Mr. Joonseo's watch with you?"
She smirked. "Why are you still asking?"
"I just want to know… about you and him," I said, trying to keep my voice even.
That smile. I wanted to slap it off her face.
"He was at my place," she said coolly.
Huh?! That b—I swear, I'll kill him.
Just then, the front door opened.
"Minji?" he called, stepping in and holding his coat.
His eyes flicked to me first… then landed on her.
"Yuna," he said.
She practically leapt off the couch and ran to him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.
"I missed you so much," she said, her voice too sweet to be real.
He looked down at her, then gently pulled her off.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to give you this," she said, pulling the watch from her purse. "You forgot it at my place."
He took it, eyebrows furrowed. "You could've given this to me at the company. Why come all the way to my house?"
"Because…" she gave a coy smile, "I wanted to see your face."
He didn't say a word. He just stood there.
She turned to me. "Minji."
"Yes?" I replied, rising from the couch slowly.
"You're done cleaning. You can go home now."
Home?This is my home.I don't have anywhere else to stay.
But I couldn't say that.
I forced a smile. "Oh. I'll leave then, Mr. Joonseo," I said quietly.
He looked at me—confused, hurt, probably wondering what the hell I was doing.
I ignored the ache in my chest, grabbed my phone and bag, slipped back into my heels, and walked out without looking back.
I took a taxi to a cheap hotel, barely checking in before heading straight to the small room. I closed the door behind me, dropped my bag, and sat at the edge of the bed.
Her voice echoed in my head again.
"He left his watch at my place. I came to return it."
I pressed my palms to my face.
"Why did he leave his watch at her place?" I whispered.
"I don't understand," I muttered. "One minute he says he loves me, the next—this?"
I lay back on the bed, eyes on the ceiling, the questions spinning around and around like a storm that wouldn't stop.
"I wonder what they're doing now," I whispered."It was supposed to be our night… just me and him."
My fingers clenched into the blanket.
"I really want to kill that model," I muttered.Did he like me… or her?"I don't understand," I said again, my hands running through my hair like a madwoman.
I needed to talk to someone.Without thinking, I called Nakyung.
Surprisingly, she picked up.
"Minji?" she answered, sounding sleepy but concerned.
"Nakyung…" I replied, my voice soft and broken.
"Are you okay?" she asked quickly.
"I am," I lied.
"Then why are you calling so late at night?"
I couldn't tell her the truth. I couldn't tell her I was Joonseo's wife. Not yet.
"My friend from Busan asked me something… and I didn't know how to answer. Can you help?"
"Of course. What is it?" she asked.
"She's married… but it's a secret. Not official."
"That sounds kind of romantic," she said with a chuckle.
"Yeah… and they decided to spend a night together at home," I paused, swallowing the lump in my throat.
"Ooh, now that's spicy," she said teasingly.
"But then… out of nowhere, this girl from the husband's office shows up. She says he forgot his watch at her place."
There was a pause.
"I thought this was a perfect love story, but now it sounds like drama," she said.
I continued, "Then… the wife lied. Told the girl she was just cleaning. And when her husband came home, the office girl told the wife she could leave because she was 'done cleaning.' She kicked her out."
"Wait, what?" Nakyung said, clearly shocked.
"She didn't have anywhere to go. She's staying at a hotel now," I said quietly. "She asked me… if her husband even loves her."
Nakyung sighed through the phone. "Tell her to try being with another guy."
"Isn't that cheating?" I asked.
"No," she said confidently. "She's not cheating—she's testing. She needs to know if he actually cares. Sometimes, jealousy speaks louder than words."
"I see… thanks, Nakyung," I said, feeling just a little lighter.
"No problem," she replied gently.
"See ya," I whispered.
"Bye," she said before hanging up.