It was still raining at Jin Woo's house. Thunder rolled through the sky, shaking the windows from time to time. Jin Woo was fast asleep when a loud thunderclap suddenly woke him up. His heart was racing, and his forehead was wet with sweat.
He had just seen a strange dream. In the dream, it was raining heavily. He was on the phone with a client while driving. Everything seemed normal until his car suddenly crashed into a big truck. The car rolled over and over. Jin Woo saw himself dying. The last thing he heard were loud sirens and more thunder. It felt so real.
He sat up in bed, breathing heavily. He rubbed his chest as if trying to calm his racing heart.
"What kind of dream was that?" he mumbled to himself and lay back down. He tried to ignore it and go back to sleep.
At that same moment, Tae Joon was sleeping deeply in his bed. Ji-a was lying beside him. She wasn't asleep. She was awake and staring at him with a strange smile on her lips. She gently stroking his hair like she was admiring him.
In her mind, she whispered, "Thank you for helping me ruin Na-ri. Thank you very much"
She slowly reached for her phone and put it on silent so it wouldn't make any noise. Then she lifted it and began to take pictures of her and Tae Joon lying in bed. She was careful not to show her face in any of them. She took several pictures, making sure they looked very intimate. After that, she put her phone away and closed her eyes to sleep.
The next morning, Ji-a woke up early. She got dressed quickly, put on a sweet smile, and said goodbye to Tae Joon. He barely replied. He was quiet, busy getting ready for work. That didn't bother her. She was too excited to care.
As she got into a taxi, she couldn't stop giggling to herself. The driver noticed and asked, "Miss, are you in a good mood today?"
Ji-a laughed and replied, "Yes, everything is going perfectly for me today."
While in the cab, she opened her photo gallery and looked at the pictures she took last night. She giggled again and began editing them. She made sure they looked even more intimate but still kept her face hidden. When she was satisfied, she created a new email address and used it to send the photos to Na-ri. After that, she sent another normal email using her real address with a file attachment. It was the guest list for the anniversary event.
Right after sending both, she called Na-ri.
Na-ri was already awake and having her breakfast when her phone rang. Ji-a greeted her and said, "I just sent the list of guests for the anniversary via email. Please check it out."
She tried to sound casual, but inside, she was laughing wickedly.
After ending the call, Ji-a arrived home. She walked into the house happily, almost skipping like a child. Her mother, Mi-na, was sitting on the couch watching the news.
"Why are you so excited this early?" Mi-na asked.
Ji-a twirled in front of her and grinned. "You'll see, Mom. Today Na-ri will cry tears of blood. Just imagine her face when she opens the email. Poor sweet Na-ri."
She explained everything to her mother while giggling. Her mother burst out laughing too.
Meanwhile, Na-ri had just finished forwarding the guest list email to Minji. Then she noticed the second email in her inbox.
When she opened it and saw the photos, she froze for a second. Then she shook her head and let out a dry laugh.
"So this is her big surprise? What a fool," Na-ri thought.
There were pictures of Tae Joon sleeping beside a woman, clearly after sex. But Na-ri already knew everything. She didn't even flinch. She just rolled her eyes and muttered, "You really thought this would hurt me?"
She closed the email and went back to finishing her coffee.
At the office, Ji-a walked in wearing a black office dress with sharp stilettos. She looked proud and excited. She had two things to look forward to: seeing Na-ri crushed and the big anniversary event later that day.
But as soon as she stepped inside, she froze.
Na-ri entered with Minji by her side, smiling brightly. She didn't look sad or broken. In fact, she looked more stunning than ever.
Na-ri wore an expensive blue designer trouser suit with a yellow silk shirt. Her hair was styled in soft curls, and she wore sapphire jewelry that sparkled under the office lights. Even her shoes were yellow and decorated with sapphires.
She didn't look like a woman who cried at all. She looked like a queen walking into her castle.
Na-ri turned her head slightly and looked at Ji-a. "You're looking extra cheerful today, Ji-a. Did you go on a date?" she asked with a calm smile.
Ji-a was too shocked to respond properly. She stammered, "Uh... I... no… I mean—"
Na-ri cut her off politely. "Round up all the preparations in the next one hour. We'll be leaving to inspect Royal Hotels soon." She pressed the elevator button and looked at Ji-a again.
"It's your stop," Na-ri said sweetly as the elevator door opened.
Ji-a walked into the elevator slowly, her brain still trying to figure out what just happened. "Did she not see the email? Maybe it didn't go through," she thought.
Na-ri walked into her office and sat down. She burst into a little laugh as she remembered the confused look on Ji-a's face. It was too funny.
She composed herself and got back to work.
A while later, she asked Minji to call Ji-a. When Ji-a arrived, the three of them left the company together in Na-ri's car. The ride was quiet. Ji-a kept staring at Na-ri from time to time, trying to guess what was going on in her mind.
She should have seen the pictures by now. Why is she so calm? Ji-a thought.
Na-ri noticed her stare and smiled to herself. She finally spoke up.
"Is there something on my face, Ji-a? You've been staring at me since we left the office," she teased. "Or am I just too beautiful today?"
Ji-a quickly looked away, embarrassed. "No, no… it's nothing."
Na-ri smiled even more.
"Your silence is killing you more than my words ever could," she thought.
They arrived at Royal Hotels and began inspecting the event space. Everything looked perfect. Staff were already setting up decorations. The mood was good.
Then Jin Woo walked in. He had been feeling sick all morning and looked pale and tired. He was also there to check how the preparations were going.
He didn't see Na-ri clearly at first. He was weak and not focused. Then suddenly, he bumped into her. His hands reached out and caught her before she could fall.
Na-ri smiled and said, "Oh! You okay?"
But Jin Woo just stared at her, confused. He didn't respond.
To him, it felt like he was seeing two versions of her. One, standing in front of him, dressed in a shiny blue suit, smiling. The other one, crying in the rain, wearing a simpler blue suit, soaked and broken.
His mind was spinning. He staggered backward and hit a vase behind him, then fell to the ground.
Na-ri quickly bent to help him up. "Han Jin Woo! Are you alright?" she asked, worried.
He could barely hear her. He blinked hard, trying to understand what was happening. But all he could see were flashes of the dream he had seen the night before…
The dream where everything ended in disaster.