chapter 2
799 Words
The hospital room smelled of antiseptic and fading hope. Ji-eun sat at her grandmother’s bedside, her fingers brushing against the old woman’s paper-thin hand. The soft beep of the heart monitor filled the silence.
Outside, the world kept moving — nurses passed, visitors came and went, rain pattered softly against the windows. Inside, Ji-eun felt trapped in a nightmare she couldn’t wake from.
How am I supposed to save you, Halmeoni?
A knock at the door startled her. A nurse poked her head in.
“Miss Ji-eun? The front desk asked me to pass this along.”
She handed over a folded paper — the updated cost estimate for the surgery. Ji-eun’s eyes widened at the figure. It was more than she’d imagined.
The nurse hesitated, her expression kind but helpless. “I’m sorry.”
Ji-eun managed a nod, biting back the sting of tears.
---
That night, unable to sleep, Ji-eun sat hunched over the cracked screen of her phone in the dim corner of the hospital cafeteria. She scrolled through job postings, heart sinking at each “minimum five years experience” or “degree required.”
And then, one headline caught her eye.
Kang Group — CEO’s Office. Secretary position. Urgent hiring. Competitive salary.
Her breath caught. Kang Group. A salary like that could change everything.
Memories of that infuriating man in the taxi flashed before her. Of all companies…
But this wasn’t about pride. It was about survival.
Ji-eun’s fingers flew across the screen as she typed out her application.
I have no choice. Please, just give me a chance.
---
The Interview
Two days later, Ji-eun stood outside the towering glass headquarters of Kang Group. Her heart pounded so loudly she thought the security guards could hear it.
She wore a borrowed suit from a friend — the sleeves a little too long, the heels unfamiliar under her feet. But she held her head high.
Inside, the lobby gleamed with marble floors and crystal lighting. Every surface seemed to whisper that she didn’t belong.
The interview waiting area was filled with candidates — polished, confident, dressed in designer labels. Ji-eun swallowed hard, clutching her simple folder as if it could shield her from their curious glances.
When her turn came, she stepped into the sleek office, bowing low.
The panel barely looked up as she introduced herself.
Her voice trembled at first, but she pushed through.
“I may not have experience in this kind of position,” she said honestly, “but I work hard. I learn fast. I don’t give up easily. I— I just need a chance.”
The interviewers exchanged glances.
“Thank you, Miss Ji-eun,” one of them said politely, already reaching for the next resume.
Ji-eun left the room with her heart sinking.
---
The Choice
Later that day, in his office high above the city, Kang Joon-ho sat in his leather chair, flipping through the final resumes.
His stepmother’s spies had already been exposed and cleared out. He needed someone trustworthy.
“Here are the shortlisted candidates, sir,” the HR director said, placing the neat stack on the table.
Joon-ho barely glanced at them. His mind felt fogged with weariness.
Then his eyes fell on a file set apart from the rest — as if someone had intended to discard it.
He picked it up.
And stared at the photograph clipped to the corner.
Her.
The fiery girl from the taxi. The one who’d dared defy him. The one whose stubborn gaze still haunted him.
Something stirred inside him — a flicker of interest, amusement.
A decision made itself in that moment.
“This one.”
The HR director blinked. “Sir? She didn’t make the shortlist—”
“Hire her.”
His tone left no room for argument.
---
The Good News
Ji-eun burst into the hospital room, breathless with joy.
“Halmeoni! I got it! I got the job!”
Her grandmother stirred, a weak but radiant smile lighting her face.
“My Ji-eun… I always knew you could do anything.”
Ji-eun knelt beside her, tears sliding down her cheeks.
This is for you. Everything is for you.
---
The First Day
The next morning, Ji-eun stood in front of the CEO’s office, her hands shaking as she adjusted the borrowed suit jacket.
Don’t mess this up. You need this.
When she entered, her breath caught.
There he was.
The man from that rainy night.
The man she’d hated at first sight.
Their eyes met — his cool and unreadable, hers wide with shock.
Ji-eun forced herself to bow low.
“It’s an honor to work with you, sir,” she said, the words tasting bitter on her tongue.
And so began the storm that neither of them could outrun.
- Writer
