(prologue)

My name is Hye-Jin Kim. I'm a 24-year-old Korean woman who moved to America. I graduated from Yonsei University with a B.A. in English and a B.S. in Biology, hoping to become a researcher in one of America's best graduate programs. I naively thought that my education alone would be enough to get me accepted, but my lack of experience caused me to become rejected from all the programs I had applied to. It took me a while, but I managed to grab a job as an entry-level writer for a small scientific news organization. I also found myself a lovely Korean-American boyfriend who was a fellow coworker and was kind enough to let me live with him. The thing was... while my work life was acceptable, my sex life wasn't. I don't want to sound full of myself, but I think I'm fairly attractive, being at 5' 6'' with a thin waist and shapely hips. I also inherited a cup size of 32 C from my mother, while my butt had some definition due to my exhaustive glute exercises. I don't know if my boyfriend is just too shy or unwilling, but we only had sex on special occasions, which didn't come often due to our frugal and simple lifestyle. While I had accepted this quaint and quiet life, the ambition and desire for excitement and fulfillment hadn't lessened from the time I first came to America. This is my story, a story of love, betrayal, and passion, which all began from a simple gesture of kindness and empathy.

...

My alarm began to blare as I felt a hand push my shoulder incessantly. As I struggled to pull myself out of a quagmire of sleepiness and muddle-headedness, my boyfriend whispered into my ear.

"Your draft is late, see me in my office."

I sat up immediately, seeing the grinning face of my boyfriend. I threw my covers at him as I pouted while he laughed and began folding them.

"You're so not funny you know. You almost gave me a heart attack."

"It was all in good fun babe. Isn't it true that it woke you up though?"

I haughtily stood up and began walking to the bathroom as I checked the clock.

"7:30 AM?! Work starts in 15 minutes! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?!"

"Don't blame me, I woke up at the same time as you. Besides, it's my birthday today, I think Mark and Elise will cut us some slack."

"You mean they'll cut you some slack, not me."

I quickly washed my face and applied a light layer of makeup, making sure I looked at least presentable as I ran towards the closet and put on a simple, black pencil dress. My boyfriend was ready at the door, holding out my purse as I grabbed it and we both headed to work.

...

As I ran into the building and hurriedly sat down, I sighed in relief as my computer read the time: 7:50 AM. I then began to put some last-minute touches on my draft when I felt a chill down my spine. I looked behind me to find Elise, my manager standing behind me with a faint smile as she checked her watch.

"It looks like you're on time."

"Haha... Like I always am."

"While I did say that if you came late one more time you would get disciplinary action... I'll overlook this today."

"Huh? Why today?"

"Think of it as a manager's love."

Elise waved her hand as she walked away, leaving me confused. I turned back to my computer and looked over my draft once again before sending it to Mark, my editor. My finger hovered over my keyboard before I closed my eyes and pressed a key, sending my draft to him. I rolled away from my desk, covering my eyes with an arm as I exhaled heavily. A passing figure bumped into me.

"Ew, how much did you drink last night, Jin-Jin?"

I uncovered my eyes to see Martha, a fellow writer holding a cup of coffee in each hand. She gave one to me.

"Here you go! Free of charge."

I took the steaming cup of coffee and took a sip, tasting faint notes of hazelnut and chocolate. I slumped into my chair as I held the coffee with both hands, enjoying the warmth it gave me.

"Thanks for the coffee, Martha."

"No probs! The barista accidentally made two so I got one for free! Might as well give it to a zombie like you."

I raised my eyebrow at the comment, looking at Martha who had sat down opposite of me. Did I really look that bad? I guess I looked bad when compared to her, a pretty white woman with full lips and a petite face, coupled with an hourglass figure and huge breasts. I sighed as I looked at my chest before jumping to the sound of an incoming email. I slowly opened my email and saw that it was a simple message from Mark, telling me to see him in his office. I began to head to the far side of the building, hoping I wouldn't get lectured too hard this time.

...

I knocked on Mark's door and let myself in, seeing him sitting at his desk typing away. I took a seat for myself as I waited for him to finish up. After what seemed like an eon of typing, he stopped and turned his attention to me, before turning his computer screen, showing me my draft.

"Hye-Jin, where did you get this source?"

Mark pointed to a sentence on my draft, where I had conveniently forgotten to include a citation.

"I... I thought that it would be common knowledge, so I didn't think to include one."

Mark sighed as he turned his computer screen back.

"Look, I know you work hard and are enthusiastic about writing, but small mistakes like this really reflect the validity of what we put out. I need you to focus on the details and try to be more confident about your work."

I nodded as I gripped my dress. Mark looked over at me with a worried expression on his face.

"When I took you in all those years ago, I saw a bright, confident, and passionate woman who, despite her dreams falling through the floor, strived to work hard and accomplish great things no matter where you were. I'm gonna be honest, I feel like you lost that passion and drive. These types of mistakes weren't present in your work all those years ago, so what happened? Is there anything you wanted to talk about?"

"I... I'm fine. I'm sorry for messing up and I'll revise my draft."

"Cheer up. I just want the best for you. We'll be holding a party for Kevin's birthday tonight, and I invited the whole crew. Finish up your draft by noon and I'll see you at the restaurant."

I stood up and walked out of Mark's office, feeling his gaze on my backside as I closed the door. Time passed by quickly as I revised my draft and started researching some new topics to write about. When the clock hit 5:00 PM, I took a last sip of my coffee, draining the entire thing as its cold, bitter liquid slid down my throat.

...

As I turned off my computer, I saw Kevin standing nearby, talking to Elise. I grabbed my purse and walked over to them. Kevin turned to me.

"Ready babe?"

I nodded as the three of us headed out. I felt a brisk wind hit my face and a droplet of water splatter on the bridge of my nose.

"Rain?"

"We better hurry up then. You think we'll make it without getting soaked if we run?"

"Let's not. I'll call a cab."

Elise pulled out her phone and began dialing a number. I looked at Kevin and as the setting sun exuded its soft orange glow, his face was washed in a golden light. I smiled as I recalled our first encounter. When I was hired, my English wasn't as refined as it was now, so I had to take extra time to revise my work before submission. It was Kevin who had taken time out of his schedule to help me and I fondly remembered the kindness and empathy he had shown me. The cab arrived in a flash and just in time as well, with a slight drizzle beginning to pick up. Elise took the initiative to go in the back seat before Kevin followed. I had a strange expression on my face before I sat in the front seat of the cab, feeling annoyed for some reason.

As the cab pulled up to the restaurant, we got out and entered, where we were greeted with loud cheers and greetings from our coworkers. All of a sudden, everyone started singing Happy Birthday while Kevin sheepishly chuckled. A small cake was brought out and festivities ensued. After the celebrations finished, everyone dispersed into their own cliques whilst chattering and talking cheerfully as food and drinks were ordered and served. I sat at a table with Mark, Martha, Elise, and Kevin, which was already laden with heaps of food and chilled drinks. As the night went on, Kevin got increasingly drunk, with his face bright red, being more cheerful and happy than I had seen him in a while. I smiled as I silently watched my boyfriend enjoy himself on his special day. I glanced over at Mark, who had drunk quite a bit, but was still as calm and collected as ever, casually talking with Martha who had a pink hue to her face. As the conversations drew to a close, Mark took the initiative and brought out a small gift.

"Kevin, here's a little something for you. I just wanted to say I appreciate the hard work you put into the office and I got this to reflect my thanks."

Mark handed Kevin a simple envelope and Kevin enthusiastically accepted it. Martha also brought out a gift, a thin box with a big red bow on top.

"Here you go! I wasn't sure what you liked so I just got something every guy would want to get on their birthday!"

Kevin took the present with a bit of a confused look on his face, which I thought justified, since Martha and Kevin really didn't interact that much, only being more than acquaintances with Kevin due to his relationship with me. As I thought this, Martha gave a wink towards my direction. Elise rummaged through her purse and cursed.

"Damn, I think I forgot my gift at home. Sorry Kevin, I'll be sure to bring it to work tomorrow."

Kevin waved his hand, indicating that it was alright. Elise then stood up and took a pack of cigarettes with her, heading outside. Martha and Kevin also stood up and said that they were going to the bathroom, leaving me and Mark alone at the table. I took an unopened bottle of soju and poured myself a shot, while downing the whole thing in one go. I then poured out another shot for myself before Mark lightly tapped his glass on the table. I raised an eyebrow at him as I poured him a shot as well. We drank together before I slumped onto the table.

"Ugh... I think I drank a bit too much."

"Take it easy, you're not a heavyweight like me."

"As if. I can still drink a lot more."

"Haha, it's your boyfriend's birthday, at least stay awake until you guys can make it home."

I squinted at Mark as he lightly coughed, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"It doesn't matter anyways... I just hope he can be happy cause if he is, then I'm happy."

Mark looked at me with a slight frown before clearing his throat.

"Listen, I know you don't like me too much, but believe me when I say this, I care about you."

"Are you speaking as a friend or as my editor?"

"As your friend."

I looked up at Mark, seeing the same worried expression I always saw on him when he judged my drafts, but this time, a hint of kindness and empathy was present. I sat up and looked around, hardly noticing that Martha had already sat down and was grinning while listening to our conversation. Mark coughed again, pouring out some more soju in our glasses.

"Say, where's Kevin? Also, where's Elise?"

"Hmm, you're right Marco Polo, where's Liss-Liss?"

"I'll go outside and check on Elise, I need some fresh air anyways."