Na-ri stared at her phone, still holding it after ending the call with Tae Joon. Her heart pounded. Her mind felt like it was spinning in circles.
She walked around her room, back and forth, holding her arms close to her chest.
"How… how did I know what he was going to say?" she whispered. "That exact sentence… I heard it before."
She sat on the edge of her bed, shaking her head.
No… This doesn't make sense. It must be stress. Maybe I really didn't sleep well. That's it.
Just then, a light knock came on her door.
"Miss Na-ri," a maid called from outside. "Breakfast is ready."
Na-ri stood up slowly and followed the maid downstairs.
Her grandfather was already at the table. The long dining table had several plates with breakfast dishes neatly arranged — toast, fried eggs, fruit, and tea. She sat down beside him.
He smiled as he lifted his cup of tea. "Look at us, having breakfast like old times. I'm in such a good mood today."
Na-ri gave a small smile and looked down at her plate.
He looked so happy and full of life. She forced herself to believe it was real.
It was just a nightmare. I was tense. Got home late from work, didn't rest properly. That's all.
She smiled a bit more naturally now.
Just then, someone walked into the dining room.
It was Ji-a.
She was dressed in her usual stylish way — a short black mini dress, long black boots, a shiny designer bag hanging from her shoulder. Her long hair was tied in a soft ponytail. She walked confidently across the room.
"Grandpa!" she said sweetly and gave him a quick hug.
He smiled. "Ji-a, my darling."
Then she turned to Na-ri with a wide, sweet smile. "Hi Nana," she said gently.
Na-ri blinked. Ji-a's tone was so warm. There was no trace of hate or bitterness. She seemed… normal.
Na-ri smiled back, though her heart still felt heavy.
Ji-a turned to the chairman. "Na-ri promised we'd go shopping for the company's anniversary. You won't mind if I steal her for a few hours, right?"
Chairman Kang waved his hand. "Go, go. Spoil yourselves a lot. You girls enjoy yourselves."
Na-ri stood up. "I'll go change."
She went upstairs and changed into a simple floral dress. She added a pair of earrings and a bracelet, grabbed her purse, and came back down.
Ji-a was already by the door, checking her phone.
They both got into the car, and as it started moving, Na-ri's phone rang.
It was Tae Joon again.
She answered.
"Hey," she said quietly.
"Hi, babe," he said warmly. "About earlier… you just hung up so suddenly."
"I'm sorry," she replied quickly. "I wasn't feeling well. But I'm okay now."
"Oh… I'm glad to hear that," he said. "Where are you going?"
"I'm taking Ji-a shopping."
"That's great! The aquarium's nearby. I'll come pick you up after. We can still go there, then have barbecue."
Na-ri gave a short laugh. "Alright. See you soon."
She ended the call.
Ji-a, sitting beside her, turned her head slightly. "Hmm… Someone's making plans with their boyfriend. It must be good to have someone," she teased.
Na-ri looked at her and smiled faintly.
She turned her face back to the window and sighed.
"It's not real. My family would never treat me like that. Tae Joon would never say those things to me. He's always been sweet. He stayed beside me when I lost Mom and Dad. Ji-a has always been kind. My aunt too… They're not like that. It was just a terrible dream."
They arrived at the mall and went straight into one of the high-end boutiques.
Ji-a was busy looking through the racks. Na-ri walked over to a section with elegant dresses. One of them caught her eye — a simple, sleek black dress. It was beautiful.
She held it up and stood before the mirror.
She looked… plain. Normal.
A sales assistant came over. "Would you like to try it on?"
Na-ri smiled softly and shook her head. "No, thank you."
Just then, Ji-a appeared beside her, grinning.
She was hiding something behind her back.
"Tada!" she said, revealing a pair of bright pink shoes. The exact pair.
Na-ri froze.
"Buy it for me," Ji-a said with a sweet smile. "It's so pretty. They said it's the only pair in all of Korea. If you buy it, I'll count it as my birthday gift for three years ahead."
Na-ri stared at the shoes. Her breathing slowed.
Everything around her started to feel muffled. The lights, the people, the voices — all faded into the background.
Her mind went back to that night.
Those shoes.
Ji-a's voice rang in her head, the exact same tone:
"Please buy it for me. All my shoes are plain and boring..."
Her eyes widened.
The memory hit her hard. Ji-a's words from that night echoed again:
"I guess he wanted to stay away from boring, plain Na-ri. Take a look at yourself in the mirror Na-ri, nobody wants you."
Na-ri stepped back slowly, her hands shaking.
It wasn't a dream.
She grabbed her purse from the sofa.
"Na-ri?" Ji-a called.
But Na-ri didn't answer.
She turned and ran. Like someone escaping something terrifying.
She ran straight to the elevator.
Ji-a shouted after her, chasing her. "Nana! Wait! What's wrong?!"
But the elevator doors closed before she could reach her.
Na-ri leaned back on the wall inside, breathing fast.
No… It can't be real… It can't be.
The elevator stopped. The doors opened. She walked out in a daze and pushed her way out of the mall.
And then—
"Na-ri!"
She bumped into someone.
Tae Joon.
He reached out to steady her. "Babe! Are you okay?"
But his voice… it was muffled.
All Na-ri could hear were the words from that night:
"I married you for your money. That's all. It's not my fault you were desperate for love and so naive. I can't stand you. I hate everything about you."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"No… it wasn't a dream…" she whispered, her voice trembling.
"Na-ri?" Tae Joon's voice broke through.
She looked at him, breathing hard. Then suddenly pushed his hands off her.
"I'm sorry," she muttered.
She raised her hand, flagged down a taxi, and jumped in.
"Drive," she said quickly, not even looking back.
Tae Joon and Ji-a came out at the same time. They watched as the car drove off, both standing there, stunned and confused.