Chapter 2: The First Misunderstanding
1569 Words
The black luxury car slowed to a precise stop in front of the towering glass building.
Nguyen Kha Han sat still for a moment before stepping out.
The city’s morning air brushed lightly against her face—cool, fresh, yet carrying a faint tension she couldn’t quite explain. The towering headquarters of Tham Group stood before her, its mirrored surface reflecting the rising sun like a blade of light.
This place…
It wasn’t unfamiliar.
Not because she had ever worked here before.
But because she had read about it.
Many times.
Every conflict.
Every turning point.
Every humiliation the villainousness suffered…
All of it began here.
Kha Han exhaled slowly.
“Just walk in. Don’t think too much.”
Her heels clicked softly against the marble ground as she moved forward.
Each step felt heavier than it should.
The moment she entered the lobby, the atmosphere shifted.
It was subtle.
But unmistakable.
Conversations quieted.
Eyes turned—quickly, cautiously.
Some employees lowered their heads immediately, while others pretended not to look, though their attention lingered.
Respect.
Fear.
Or something closer to avoidance.
“So this is how they see her…”
Kha Han kept her expression neutral.
If she reacted too much, it would only make things worse.
The original Nguyen Kha Han had built this reputation carefully—cold, distant, untouchable.
And now she had to wear it like armor.
The elevator ride felt longer than it should have.
The digital numbers ticked upward slowly.
10… 15… 20…
Her reflection in the mirrored wall stared back at her.
Elegant.
Sharp.
Controlled.
Not a trace of the tired office worker she once was.
“Still doesn’t feel real…”
She murmured under her breath.
Then the doors opened.
Floor 23.
Marketing Department.
The moment she stepped out, a wave of tension rippled outward.
“Good morning, Director Nguyen.”
“Good morning, Miss Nguyen.”
Voices greeted her one after another.
Polite.
Formal.
But lacking warmth.
She gave a small nod in response, her gaze calm, unreadable.
Then she walked forward.
Steady.
Measured.
As if she belonged here.
Even if internally—
She felt like she was walking into a battlefield.
And then—
It happened.
“Ah—!”
A soft cry echoed down the corridor.
Kha Han’s steps halted instinctively.
Her heartbeat skipped.
That voice…
It matched perfectly with the one she remembered from the novel.
She turned.
And saw her.
Bui Anh Nguyet.
The female lead.
Standing near the corner of the hallway, slightly flustered, clutching a stack of documents that were now slipping from her grasp.
Papers scattered across the floor.
A male employee beside her frowned immediately.
“Watch it! Those files are important!”
“I—I’m sorry…”
Anh Nguyet quickly crouched down, trying to gather the papers, her movements hurried and slightly clumsy.
Her long hair fell forward, partially covering her face.
She looked… small.
Fragile.
Like someone who didn’t belong in this tense, suffocating environment.
Khả Hân froze.
Her mind screamed—
Don’t go.
Stay out of it.
This is exactly where everything started going wrong.
But—
Her body moved anyway.
Step by step.
Until she was standing in front of the girl.
“I’ll help.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Silence.
Instant.
Heavy.
The hallway seemed to freeze.
Even the air felt thicker.
Anh Nguyet looked up, startled.
Their eyes met.
And in that brief moment—
Kha Han saw it clearly.
Wariness.
Confusion.
And something deeper—
Fear.
“I… I can handle it…”
Anh Nguyet said softly.
Her voice was polite.
But distant.
Kha Han's fingers tightened slightly.
Of course.
In the original story—
This exact moment existed.
The villainousness approached her.
Not to help.
But to humiliate her in front of everyone.
“…I’m not here to cause trouble.”
Kha Han said quietly.
But the moment the words left her mouth—
She knew it sounded wrong.
Too defensive.
Too suspicious.
And then—
A hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Firm.
Cold.
Unyielding.
“Nguyen Kha Han.”
The voice was low.
Calm.
But filled with unmistakable authority.
Her entire body stiffened.
She didn’t need to turn to know who it was.
But she did anyway.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
And there he was.
Tham Nguyen.
Tall.
Imposing.
Sharp features carved like cold marble.
His dark eyes locked onto her, filled with unmistakable displeasure.
No—
Not just displeasure.
Disgust.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
His grip tightened slightly.
Kha Han frowned, instinctively trying to pull her wrist back.
“I’m helping her—”
“Helping?”
He cut her off.
A short, cold laugh escaped him.
His gaze shifted briefly to Anh Nguyet
She was still crouched down, holding the documents, her hands trembling slightly.
Her expression—
Nervous.
Uncertain.
Vulnerable.
And then his eyes returned to Kha Han.
Colder than before.
“I saw everything.”
The words felt like a verdict.
Kha Han’s mind blanked.
Everything…?
“I saw you cornering her.”
His voice sharpened.
“I saw her expression.”
“She was clearly afraid.”
Each word pressed down like weight.
“And now you call that helping?”
The surrounding silence became suffocating.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Kha Han felt irritation rise in her chest.
“This is ridiculous.”
She met his gaze directly.
“I just came over when she dropped the papers.”
But Ánh Nguyệt hesitated.
Her lips parted slightly.
As if she wanted to say something.
But no words came out.
Her silence—
Was louder than any accusation.
Tham Nguyen’s expression darkened further.
“Stay away from her.”
His voice dropped.
Cold.
Dangerous.
“Or next time…”
He leaned slightly closer.
“I won’t be this patient.”
Then—
He let go.
Abruptly.
Kha Han’s wrist stung faintly where his fingers had been.
But she didn’t move.
Didn’t react.
She just stood there.
Because she understood now.
Perfectly.
This—
Was the turning point.
The first misunderstanding.
The beginning of everything.
From this moment on—
No matter what she did—
It would always be interpreted as malice.
Because the image of her had already been decided.
“… So it starts here.”
She let out a soft, almost inaudible laugh.
Tham Nguyen had already turned away.
His entire demeanor shifted instantly.
The cold hostility disappeared.
Replaced by something gentler.
“Are you alright?”
He asked Anh Nguyet.
His voice—softer than before.
Completely different from how he spoke to Kha Han.
“I’m okay…”
Anh Nguyet nodded, though her voice remained slightly shaky.
He helped her up.
Carefully.
Naturally.
As if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Kha Han watched silently.
No anger.
No jealousy.
Only… realization.
“So this is how it looks from the outside…”
She thought.
The male lead protects the female lead.
The villain is standing alone.
Simple.
Clear.
Unchangeable.
Or so it seemed.
As they walked past her—
Anh Nguyet hesitat.
Just for a moment.
Then she turned her head slightly.
Their eyes met again.
This time—
There was something more in her gaze.
Not hatred.
Not yet.
But…
Distance.
Uncertainty.
And a quiet rejection.
Then she looked away.
And followed Tham Nguyen.
Leaving Kha Han standing alone in the corridor.
The whispers started almost immediately.
“They’re arguing again…”
“I heard she’s been targeting the new girl…”
“Poor thing…”
“She doesn’t even try to hide it anymore…”
Kha Han closed her eyes briefly.
Then opened them again.
Her expression calm.
Unshaken.
“…If that’s what they want to believe.”
She turned and walked toward her office.
Each step steady.
Controlled.
As if nothing had happened.
But inside—
Her thoughts were racing.
Fast.
Sharp.
Precise.
She closed the office door behind her.
Silence.
Finally.
She leaned lightly against the desk.
“… So avoiding the plot is impossible.”
She whispered.
She had tried.
Just one interaction.
And everything still unfolded exactly as written.
Misunderstanding.
Accusation.
Isolation.
It was all the same.
“…Then change the approach.”
Her fingers tapped lightly against the desk.
“If I can’t avoid it…”
“Then I’ll control it.”
Her eyes darkened slightly.
In the original story—
The villainousness reacted emotionally.
Angrily.
Which only made everything worse.
But she—
Would not.
“Let them misunderstand.”
She murmured.
“But I won’t give them proof.”
No impulsive actions.
No unnecessary conflicts.
No emotional reactions.
If she stayed calm—
If she stayed rational—
Then sooner or later—
The cracks in their assumptions would appear.
“… And when they do.”
A faint smile formed on her lips.
“I’ll be ready.”
Outside the office window, the city stretched endlessly.
Busy.
Unforgiving.
Just like the world she was now trapped in.
Kha Han straightened.
Her expression returned to its usual composed state.
“Let’s see…”
She murmured softly.
“How far this story can be changed.”
Because one thing was clear now—
This wasn’t just a story anymore.
It was her life.
And she had no intention of following a script that led to destruction.
No matter who stood in her way—
Even if it was the male lead himself.
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