HER RECKONING

CHAPTER 8

“So, you mean Trunks is now officially dating that dumbass?” Cornelia asked, her jaw dropping.

“Yes,” Suhee replied quietly, disappointment lacing her voice.

“Actually,” Cornelia continued, twirling a strand of her hair, “we can’t really blame him. She’s prettier… and rich.”

“Connie, you’re not helping,” Suhee said sharply, glaring at her.

Cornelia raised her hands in defense. “Sorry.”

Suhee sighed, sinking deeper into her chair. “Connie, what should I do now? Help me. I can’t openly fight her—Trunks asked me not to argue with her again—but I can’t just sit back and let her win that easily.”

Cornelia’s lips curved into a mischievous smile. “Hmm… I think I have an idea.”

Meanwhile, in a bar nearby, Ryan slammed his hand on the table dramatically. “Bro, I have news you won’t believe.”

“You’ll practically believe because it was pretty obvious but you’d never had thought it’ll be this soon.” Ryan added

Alejandro arched an eyebrow. “Spill the tea.”

Ryan smirked. “Trunks and Angelique are official.”

“What?” Alejandro asked, nearly dropping his phone. “How do you even know that?”

“Angelique and Pavitra share the same apartment,” Ryan said proudly, crossing his arms.

Alejandro whistled. “Damn. That was fast. What about Suhee? Does she know?”

“I hope she does,” Ryan said with a grin. “She finally gets what she deserves after parading around like she’s queen of the university. Good for her.”

“Hey—don’t talk about her like that,” Alejandro cut in coldly.

Ryan smirked. “Chill, bro. Why so touchy? I thought you were supposed to be the big bad mafioso around here.”

Alejandro said nothing. He simply took a sip of whiskey, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a slow drag.

Ryan tilted his head. “You’re weird.”

Alejandro gave him a dark, warning look. Ryan laughed, plucked the cigarette from his mouth, and took a puff himself.

“You guys are all weird,” he muttered, exhaling smoke as he walked out.

Alejandro stayed silent, his gaze heavy with unspoken thoughts.

Later that afternoon, Ryan lounged lazily on a bench outside the campus café, scrolling through his phone with a smirk. “So, to break it down,” he muttered to himself, “Alejandro probably loves Suhee. Suhee loves Trunks. Trunks loves Angelique. Angelique loves Trunks. Suhee and Angelique hate each other. Alejandro and Trunks—neither love nor hate each other. Cornelia’s a dummy, Pavitra’s Angelique’s flatmate… and I—” he smirked wider, “—I love whatever chaos is cooking.”

Just then, a girl approached, her perfume thick in the air.

“Hey, beautiful boy,” she purred, running her fingers across his chest. “Missed me?”

Ryan’s expression shifted instantly. “Why are you holding me here? You want my girlfriend to see us?” he snapped, stepping back.

“Hey, calm down—it wasn’t meant to upset you,” she said, startled.

“Tch.” He clicked his tongue in irritation. “Oust! Go wait for me where you know.”

The girl hesitated, then left without another word. Ryan ran a hand through his hair, smirking faintly as he watched her go.

“Drama, drama, drama,” he muttered to himself. “Campus never disappoints.”

Later that afternoon, Suhee and Cornelia headed out for a private shopping session at the most exclusive clothing store in the city. Every time they went, the boutique was reserved for their personal use—no interruptions, no strangers. But this time, when their car pulled up, the store’s doors were firmly shut.

“Why is it closed? I told you to book the place. Didn’t you?” Suhee asked sharply, turning to her assistant.

“I did, Ms. Park. I’m not sure why it’s shut,” the assistant replied nervously.

“Then go and find out,” Suhee said, visibly annoyed.

The assistant stepped out of the car, approached the door, and pushed gently—it opened. Inside, she found the store tenant waiting awkwardly near the entrance.

“Oh, Ms. Lee, you’re here,” the tenant said, looking startled.

“Thank goodness! We thought you’d forgotten Ms. Park’s appointment. She’s waiting in the car with Ms. Meier—I’ll let them in.”

The tenant’s expression darkened. “Actually… the store was booked privately today. That booking overrode Ms. Park’s. I’m terribly sorry—we should have informed you.”

“What?” Suhee’s voice sliced through the air as she entered the boutique, heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. “You canceled my booking?” She frowned, eyes cold. “Do you have any idea who I am?”

The tenant shrank back. “We know, Ms. Park. It’s just that the other customer—”

“The other customer what?” Cornelia snapped. “Who could possibly be richer than Suhee and me?”

At that moment, the door opened again—and in walked Trunks, hand in hand with Angelique.

“Trunks?” Suhee froze, disbelief flashing across her face.

“Oh! Suhee, Cornelia! What are you two doing here?” Trunks asked, genuinely surprised.

“You, what are you doing here?” Suhee asked still surprised.

“I’m taking my girlfriend shopping,” he added with a proud smile.

Suhee’s expression stiffened. “So you’re the one who overrode my booking?”

“Oh, that was you?” Trunks said, startled. “I’m so sorry, Su. If I’d known, I would’ve never done that. But since we’re all here, why don’t we shop together? It could be a good chance for you and Angelique to get to know each other better.”

Angelique smiled maliciously, tightening her grip on his arm. “Oh no, baby. It’s the first time you’re taking me shopping like this. Next time, maybe Suhee and I can share—but today should be just the two of us. I’m sure Suhee understands.”

Cornelia’s voice sharpened. “What? Are you crazy?”

Trunks looked torn. “But…”

“It’s fine,” Suhee interrupted, her tone calm but eyes glacial. “We’ll be leaving. Enjoy.” She turned toward the door. “Come on, Connie.”

They were halfway out when Suhee stopped and looked back with a cold smile.

“One last thing,” she said evenly. “Never override my booking again.”

Her heels clicked away, leaving a silence heavy enough to choke the air.

“See, baby?” Angelique said, looping her arm through Trunks’s. “Told you she’d understand.”

But Trunks wasn’t listening—his gaze lingered on the door where Suhee had just disappeared. Angelique tugged his hand gently. “Come on. Let’s see what’s here.”

Inside, Angelique began browsing through the racks, selecting a few elegant pieces. Trunks, trying to be helpful, picked out some outfits he thought would suit her.

“What do you think about this one?” he asked, holding up a sleek navy dress.

“It’s pretty. I’ll try it,” she said.

The staff brought out a model with Angelique’s measurements to showcase the outfits. Every piece Trunks had chosen looked stunning on her.

“Wow, you’ve got great taste,” Angelique said, half-teasing. “It’s like you’ve done this before.”

He smiled innocently. “I used to take Suhee shopping.”

Her smile faltered. “You go to funfairs together, shopping trips… what else did you two do?”

Trunks thought for a moment. “Hmm… picnics, private beaches, jet skis, yachts, game arcades, photo booths, vacation trips. We had movie nights, cooked together, sometimes fell asleep in each other’s houses… lots of things like that.”

Angelique’s jaw tightened. No wonder Suhee thinks she owns him, she thought bitterly. They were practically a couple.

“Did you also… kiss?” she asked, voice edged with jealousy.

“On the cheeks or forehead,” he said truthfully. Then realizing he messed up, he added “Nothing like what you and I do.”

Angelique smiled coldly. “Then from now on, whatever you did with Suhee—do it with me instead.” She leaned closer. “Because I’m your girlfriend now.”

She smiled sweetly, looped her arm through his again, and continued shopping as if nothing had happened—while Trunks, awkwardly silent, followed beside her.

On the other hand, Suhee and Cornelia took refuge in a quiet café not far from the boutique, settling into a corner where the afternoon light fell in warm, lazy bands across the table.

“That Angelique… I think I’m starting to hate her,” Cornelia said bluntly, stirring her coffee. “You really need to get Trunks back.”

Suhee smiled, but it was a small, tired thing. “And look pathetic like I did earlier? No way. I’m not going to make a scene. I’m definitely letting them be together.”

“Are you finally giving up?” Cornelia asked, incredulous. “Earlier today you were ready to fight.”

“I was,” Suhee admitted. “But I never really had a chance. I thought I was cowardly for not confessing to him. The truth is, even if I had confessed, he would never have seen me as anything more than a little sister. Did you see his eyes when he called Angelique his girlfriend? I never saw him look at me like that. The fact that he’s happy—well, that gives me more joy than the pain of not having him.”

“So that’s it? You’ll just… let it go?” Cornelia pressed.

Suhee shrugged, folding her hands over her cup. “I think I’ve been coming across too desperate. That’s not me. But I don’t trust Angelique. There’s something about her that isn’t right. I won’t interfere—openly—but I’ll keep my eyes on her. And under no circumstances will I let her take my place as the queen of this campus.”

Cornelia grinned. “Sounds fair.”

“I’ll have someone look into her background,” Suhee added quietly, her voice calm but resolute.