Seoul, Autumn
The sky over Seoul was a muted gray that evening. A chill breeze slipped through the slightly opened window of the small apartment Chloe shared with Jungwon. On the dining table, two cups of coffee sat—one untouched, the other barely sipped.
Chloe sat silently at the edge of the table, her eyes fixed on the black screen of her phone. It had been over an hour since Jungwon said he'd be home "soon." His last message was a single line—"Working late, don't wait up." Words she had been hearing far too often lately.
But it wasn't just the delay that unsettled her. What truly gnawed at her heart was a name that had been mentioned too frequently in Jungwon's recent stories—Selvinalisa. A new colleague at his office. Beautiful, smart, and somehow always present in every tale he casually told.
Chloe tried to shake off the thoughts. She hated feeling jealous without proof. She trusted Jungwon—or at least, she wanted to. But women have instincts, don't they?
And her instincts… weren't sitting well.
A few days ago, she had accidentally seen a message notification pop up on Jungwon's phone. One name lit up the screen: Selvinalisa. The message was short, yet it sent a sharp sting through her chest.
"I'm glad you're starting to trust me, Won."
Chloe said nothing. She didn't ask. She didn't bring it up. She chose silence. Maybe it was harmless. Maybe it was just a coworker being overly friendly. Maybe it was all in her head.
But that night, when the clock struck 11:04 PM and Jungwon still hadn't come home, Chloe sat alone in the dimly lit living room. Waiting. With coffee gone cold—and a heart slowly freezing over.
11:37 PM.
The door creaked open softly. Chloe straightened her back from her half-asleep position on the couch. Jungwon stepped inside, still wearing his jacket, his hair slightly tousled, his expression tired—or was it guilt she saw in his eyes? Chloe couldn't quite tell anymore.
"Sorry. Work got a little messy tonight," Jungwon said as he removed his shoes, never quite meeting her gaze.
Chloe nodded quietly. "Have you eaten?"
"Yeah. I ordered food with the team at the office," he replied, heading straight to the kitchen for a glass of water. But Chloe knew—the team likely included Selvinalisa.
Silence hung between them like heavy fog refusing to lift. Chloe observed Jungwon's movements. In the past, whenever he came home late, he would kiss her forehead, sit beside her, and share even the smallest details about his day, no matter how tired he was. But tonight, there was none of that.
"Who brought you home?" she asked, carefully keeping her tone neutral.
Jungwon glanced her way briefly before answering flatly, "I took a taxi."
Chloe nodded again, but inside, her mind was racing. She could ask more. She could bring up Selvinalisa. But what good would it do, if the answers only tore her apart further?
She didn't want to be the girlfriend who questioned every move. She didn't want to be suspicious without reason. She wanted to trust. But once trust begins to crack, it rarely ever returns to what it was.
Jungwon sat at the dining table and unlocked his phone. Chloe's eyes unintentionally caught a glimpse of the screen lighting up—a message notification appeared with the name that once again made her chest tighten: Selvinalisa. He quickly turned off the screen as if to hide it from her view.
In that moment, Chloe knew.
There was a distance between them now—one that couldn't be closed with mere explanations or reassurances.
Yet, she chose silence.
For tonight.
But deep down, she knew—if there was no truth by tomorrow, then the only thing left might be… goodbye.
The next morning, the sun barely peeked through Seoul's gray skies. Chloe sat at her small desk, staring at the blank screen of her laptop. Deadlines piled up, yet her mind drifted back to the night before—and the notification she had caught on Jungwon's phone.
Selvinalisa. The name echoed in her head like a whisper in an empty room. Not because it sounded beautiful, but because of the weight it carried.
Chloe finally opened Instagram. Her fingers hesitated, but curiosity outweighed reason. She typed the name into the search bar: Selvinalisa Han.
The profile opened. Public account. Smiling photos filled the grid—selfies at the office, coffee shop snaps, and—Chloe's heart skipped—a post from two days ago. Selvinalisa sitting at a café, wearing a jacket Chloe instantly recognized. Jungwon's jacket. The caption read:
"Borrowed, but cozy. Thanks, Won."
Followed by a smiley and heart emoji.
Chloe's hands trembled. She could brush it off. She could pretend it was nothing. But no—not when distance and dishonesty had already begun to strangle her chest.
At 4:21 PM, Chloe made a decision. She went to Jungwon's office. She told herself this wasn't spying. She just needed to see it for herself—to know whether her feelings had reason to doubt.
The building where Jungwon worked stood tall, sterile, and intimidating. Chloe walked in with calm steps, but a storm raged in her chest. She lingered in the lobby, pretending to wait for someone, while her eyes kept glancing toward the elevator doors.
Then they opened—and there they were.
Jungwon and Selvinalisa.
They walked side by side. Not touching, but the space between them was too close for just coworkers. Selvinalisa laughed, brushed his arm lightly, and Jungwon… smiled.
The same smile that once belonged only to Chloe.
Her eyes welled up, but she quickly looked away. She didn't want to be seen. Not yet. Not like this.
All this time, Chloe had waited, held back her doubts, and chosen silence. But in that moment, for the first time, she realized…
Silence would no longer save her.