RB - 22

22. For Your Revenge

Jung-hyuk placed his hand on Seo-yeon’s flat lower abdomen with a satisfied expression, then slowly began to move his hips. Seo-yeon clutched his bulging forearm as she gasped for air, her body wracked by spasms that blurred the line between pain and pleasure.

Jung-hyuk curled his lips into a smirk as he felt the sensations emanating from her lower belly. Each time he thrust his hips back and forth, her abdomen would rise and fall like waves, while her perky breasts swayed in all directions, asserting their presence.

When Seo-yeon’s legs, suspended in the air, tightened around his waist, Jung-hyuk furrowed his brow and let out a groan that sounded like the scrape of metal. Her body’s desperate yearning for him filled him with an unfamiliar sense of emotional satisfaction, compounded by an irresistible physical ecstasy.

At the peak of this surreal experience, Jung-hyuk blurted out an unplanned proposal.

“Han Seo-yeon… should we stop this contract relationship? Do you want to just live with me?”

Her slick arousal invited him in, and her involuntary spasms pushed him over the edge. But upon hearing Jung-hyuk’s unexpected suggestion, Seo-yeon suddenly became acutely aware of her situation. Though her body still burned with heat, her emotions quickly cooled into icy rationality.

With one decisive push, she shoved him off and panted heavily.

“Hah… hah… It doesn’t mean anything. I was just letting off steam today. I hope you suffer for a long time.”

The sound of the car door slamming shut left Jung-hyuk alone, his unfulfilled desire mocking him with a bitter laugh.

He had committed sins, so he deserved the punishment she had inflicted.

Jung-hyuk felt a choking urgency but couldn’t even recall why he was so anxious.

The next morning, Seo-yeon arrived at work and checked her laptop, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw it was safe.

Though her colleagues’ sidelong glances irritated her, there was no point in confronting them, so she endured silently.

As expected, Manager Kim from the finance team leaned casually against Seo-yeon’s partition, asking nonchalantly in her signature nasal tone:

“What’s going on? Even someone like you can fall from grace? Ugh, I can’t stand curiosity. Tell me already.”

Seo-yeon couldn’t miss the thinly veiled hostility in her voice. Just as she was choosing her words to respond, rapid footsteps echoed through the office, followed by the shrill scream of a middle-aged woman.

“Where is she?! Who’s Han Seo-yeon? Where are you?!”

Startled, Seo-yeon shot up from her seat, while Manager Kim turned pale and trembled violently. Several other employees pointed at Seo-yeon, and the middle-aged woman charged toward her without hesitation.

SLAP!

The sharp sound of friction filled the air as the woman slapped Seo-yeon across the face.

Seo-yeon’s head snapped halfway around, and she froze, unable to lift it back up. It was the first time she’d ever been slapped, and the pain was excruciating. The humiliation was beyond anything she could have imagined.

A clichéd melodrama unfolded in the office.

The woman, now crumpling into tears, was Kim Hyeon-ae—wife of HR Manager Ko Myeong-soo and a pitiful victim of domestic violence.

The melodrama began with her venomous cry:

“You! You seduced a married man and got him to buy you bags, didn’t you? I came here to see your face.”

Before Seo-yeon could utter a word, the middle-aged woman declared her identity clearly. Gasps erupted from the surrounding employees.

“I’m Ko Myeong-soo’s wife! You shameless woman! Did you think you could ruin someone else’s family and live comfortably?”

Of all people, Manager Kim from the finance team was the most shocked upon hearing Ko Myeong-soo’s name.

Her plump cheeks, which had gained weight after childbirth, turned ghostly pale as memories of her affair with Myeong-soo flashed before her eyes. Trembling, she backed away toward the office exit, breaking into a cold sweat. She stumbled and nearly fell in her panic.

Fortunately for Manager Kim—but unfortunately for Seo-yeon—no one paid attention to her retreat because all eyes were glued to Seo-yeon.

“Haa…”

Seo-yeon remained frozen, her head still tilted from the slap. It was clear she was overwhelmed by the sudden catastrophe.

Being humiliated like this at work felt like a death sentence. Even if she hadn’t committed any crime, the stigma would cling to her like a shackle, haunting her career forever.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Seo-yeon slowly raised her head. A vivid red handprint marked her pale cheek, and her delicate lips were split, hinting at blood.

She glared sharply at the woman who had struck her.

Her gaze was confident, exuding innocence—a moment that shattered the typical melodramatic narrative.

The middle-aged woman faltered under Seo-yeon’s fierce stare but quickly reminded herself that she was here to punish the mistress. Clenching her fists, she steeled herself again.

But as Seo-yeon took in the woman’s appearance—her unkempt hair, cracked lips, flaky skin, outdated dress, and tear-filled eyes—she felt a strange sense of defeat.

This was the image of a wife betrayed by her husband after decades of marriage.

Villains are supposed to be strong and wicked, so crushing them brings no guilt and satisfies the audience’s thirst for justice. Yet, Seo-yeon couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. What a pitiful, wretched attacker.

Seo-yeon’s composed response deeply wounded the pride of Myeong-soo’s wife, who scrutinized her from head to toe. 

The beige suit dress was too classic an office look to be called vulgar, and Seo-yeon’s striking beauty exuded charm that couldn’t simply be dismissed as neatness. 

How could such a young, beautiful woman have an affair with her husband, Ko Myeong-soo? The distinct aura emanating from Seo-yeon’s appearance only fueled the wife’s insecurity. She raised her hand again, preparing to strike, and shouted: 

“How dare you look me in the eye without shame? What have you done to act so righteous?” 

It was Jin-hyuk who roughly grabbed the middle-aged woman’s wrist. His voice dripped with icy disdain, like a shard of frozen steel. 

“That’s enough. And you’ve picked the wrong target.” 

The intense grip on her wrist contorted the woman’s face in pain. With a clean, deliberate motion—like discarding something filthy—Jin-hyuk flung her arm away. There was no hesitation in his movements. 

At the same time, an eerie chill ran down Seo-yeon’s spine. She kept replaying the strange texture of Jin-hyuk’s words in her mind. 

“Enough… Enough… It’s enough.” 

What was this inexplicable sense of dissonance? What exactly was “enough”? Why did his words sound like, “You’ve played your part well enough”? 

And then it hit her. She finally understood Jin-hyuk’s horrifying plan. 

She remembered what he had said the previous evening at Café R’amant: “There’s a way.” This was the “way” he had been referring to. 

Seo-yeon stared at Jin-hyuk in shock, their gazes locking in midair. Time seemed to freeze as they exchanged unspoken questions and answers through their eyes alone. 

Did you know about this, Mr. Jin-hyuk? Could it be… Did you call this woman here? 

Jin-hyuk calmly nodded, his expression serene and composed. 

“Yes, it was me. I did this.” 

The night before, he had made a phone call to the HR manager’s wife. He hadn’t lied. He had merely shared two facts: 

“Your husband is having an affair. And he’s currently under investigation by the audit team along with Han Seo-yeon from the business planning team.” 

The truth, when partially concealed or subtly reframed, can easily sow misunderstanding. By withholding certain details and manipulating nuances, Jin-hyuk had led her to misinterpret the situation entirely. 

The poor woman, already suspicious of her husband’s infidelity, spent the night grinding her teeth in rage. Her sleepless fury culminated in today’s explosive confrontation. 

As Seo-yeon studied Jin-hyuk’s face, she grew even more flustered. His eyes betrayed no trace of apology or guilt—emotions that should have naturally been present. 

Jin-hyuk, too, felt a pang of confusion. 

The HR manager who had tormented Seo-yeon, Manager Kim from the finance team, and even Assistant Manager Kim Min-a—all deserved severe punishment. To orchestrate this grand scheme of poetic justice, some sacrifice on Seo-yeon’s part was inevitable. 

A drop of blood spilled for the sake of a monumental revenge. 

In war, this was called “strategy” or “tactics.” 

Jin-hyuk wanted to ask: Should I have sought your permission beforehand to protect you? 

Seo-yeon glared at him, her spirit crushed. 

Tududuk. The dam inside him collapsed. Through the wreckage, a torrent of emotions surged forth, crashing over him like waves and tearing him apart piece by piece. 

Seo-yeon wanted to lash out at Jin-hyuk, but for now, they were still in the office. She needed to escape the prying eyes of her colleagues. Her chosen method was bold. 

Arguing that she wasn’t the one having the affair would only make her more of a spectacle. Honestly, it was the best course of action given the circumstances. 

Instead of retaliating by slapping the woman back, Seo-yeon offered a surprisingly gentle suggestion. 

“Let’s go outside. We can talk there.” 

There was a risk that this might be interpreted as an attempt to smooth things over, but Seo-yeon willingly accepted it. 

“What do I have to say to a mistress?” the woman spat. 

Seo-yeon gently pulled the flustered attacker closer and whispered softly: 

“It wasn’t me. If we stay here, we’ll just become a sideshow. Come with me.” 

The woman had slapped Seo-yeon in suspicion of adultery. But what was this reaction? Shouldn’t the usual sequence involve fainting in shock, pulling each other’s hair, or rolling on the floor in a brawl? 

Regardless, Seo-yeon firmly grasped the hesitant woman’s hand and led her out of the office. Her demeanor was tender, almost as if she were treating a long-lost older sister. Whispers erupted behind them. 

“Oh my, it must be true adultery if she’s trying to calm her down outside.” 

“She really lived up to her reputation. Han Seo-yeon—oh no, I didn’t record this!” 

“Seriously, don’t you get it? She’s calm because it’s not adultery. Don’t you know how Han Seo-yeon usually acts? And besides, why would someone like her go for the HR manager?” 

“True, what does Han Seo-yeon lack that she’d need someone like the HR manager?” 

Left behind amidst the commotion, Jin-hyuk hurried after Seo-yeon but froze at her cold warning. 

“Don’t follow me. Stay put in the office unless you want to die.” 

Like a well-trained puppy, he remained rooted to the spot. Though his eyes darted left and right with emotionless precision, Seo-yeon turned away mercilessly. 

From the moment they stepped into the elevator until they reached the first-floor lobby, the two women exchanged not a single word. The HR manager’s wife silently reflected on her grave mistake, acutely aware of her blunder in the face of Seo-yeon’s poised elegance. 

A woman this beautiful and refined would never have an affair with someone like Ko Myeong-soo. I got it wrong. I slapped an innocent woman.

Seo-yeon led the woman to Café R’amant. If asked why she had chosen Jung-hyuk’s café as a safe haven while facing an overwhelming trial in her life, she wouldn’t have been able to give a clear answer. 

“Welcome back, Noona.” 

It was Ethan who noticed the red handprint on Seo-yeon’s cheek almost immediately upon greeting her. 

“Wow... It’s a good thing Boss didn’t come in today.” 

Ethan, quick on his feet, mouthed the question “Two iced Americanos?” even before Seo-yeon could place an order. She nodded silently, grateful for his perceptiveness. 

Did two women fresh from filming a melodramatic love triangle really need to deliberate over lattes or lemonades? There was no room for such trivial decisions. 

“For now, take a seat. Iced Americano will be fine, right?” 

At Seo-yeon’s suggestion, they sat at a corner table. Myeong-soo’s wife darted her eyes around, searching for the right words, but nothing appropriate came to mind. She glanced at Seo-yeon’s reddened cheek and swallowed hard. 

A silence as heavy as lead filled the empty space between the two women.