Chapter Five
513 Words
The woman who had wormed her way into Joon-ho’s family decades ago now sat in her lavish sitting room, her eyes cold, her mind sharp as a blade.
She had tried everything — quiet sabotage at meetings, leaking rumors, manipulating board members.
But still, Joon-ho sat in the CEO’s chair, untouchable.
If I can’t take the company by force… I’ll break him the way his mother was broken.
She called her most trusted man — one who owed her everything.
“Tonight,” she whispered. “Stage it perfectly. Make him see what haunts him. This time, he won’t survive it.”
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The Trap Is Set
Joon-ho worked late, as always, the cold night air sharp against his face as he finally stepped out into his car.
The city felt heavy tonight, as if it too carried memories that wouldn’t fade.
When he arrived home — the sleek, empty apartment that was more fortress than home — he froze.
There, in the dim light, was a figure hanging in the living room.
A rope. A lifeless shape.
Just like before.
His heart seized. His breath caught.
The walls seemed to close in.
The past crashed over him, pulling him under.
Panic. Terror. Darkness.
His trembling fingers, without thought, dialed a number.
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The Call
Ji-eun was getting ready for bed, exhausted beyond words, when her phone rang.
She didn’t recognize the number — but something in her heart made her answer.
“Hello?”
There was no reply — only the sound of ragged breathing.
Her heart raced.
“Sir? Is that you?”
Still no words.
But she knew.
Without hesitating, she grabbed her coat and ran out into the night.
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Finding Him
When she reached his apartment, the security guard tried to stop her, but the sight of her panic — and perhaps fate — let her through.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, she found him on the floor, pale, gasping, his eyes wide with terror.
The staged horror still swayed above — a cruel mockery of his mother’s last moments.
Ji-eun didn’t waste time.
She pulled the rope down, cast aside the dummy.
Then she knelt beside him, her hands warm on his face.
“Look at me. Breathe. You’re safe. It’s not real. I’m here.”
Her voice was steady, her presence a lifeline.
Slowly, his panic ebbed. His body stopped trembling.
But when she tried to leave, seeing him still shaken, she paused.
And made a choice.
She stayed.
Sat by his side.
Held his hand until sleep claimed him.
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Morning Light
Joon-ho woke first, dawn casting soft gold across the room.
And there she was — head resting against the couch, still holding his hand.
His heart tightened.
No one had stayed. Not since his mother.
For a moment, he let himself feel the warmth of her closeness.
But as she stirred awake, he drew back, masking himself again in coldness.
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
And the distance returned.
But inside, something had shifted.
And neither of them could deny it.
- Writer
