Rosie Park was pretty sure her life had reached peak levels of pathetic, and the universe was just laughing at her now.
She stared at her reflection in the flickering fluorescent light of the JJL Company women's bathroom, her long black hair slightly frizzy from the humid Seoul weather, her brown eyes rimmed with the kind of exhaustion that came from doing absolutely nothing exciting for three years straight.
"You're a catch, Rosie," she muttered to herself, practicing her confident smile. It looked more like she was constipated. "A real prize. Anyone would be lucky to have you."
Her phone buzzed. Again.
Nayeon Unnie: WHERE ARE YOU. THE CHRISTMAS PARTY STARTS IN 1 HOUR. I WILL PHYSICALLY DRAG YOU OUT OF YOUR APARTMENT IF I HAVE TO.
Nayeon Unnie: I KNOW YOU'RE READING THESE.
Nayeon Unnie: ROSALIE PARK.
Nayeon Unnie: I CAN SEE YOUR "READ" RECEIPTS.
Rosie groaned, leaning her forehead against the cold bathroom mirror. The JJL annual Christmas party. A night of forced fun, terrible company punch, and watching her coworkers pretend they actually liked each other. As an orphan with exactly three friends (who were all more chaotic than comforting), holidays were already hard. But this year? This year was a special kind of hell.
Because Suzy would be there.
Suzy, her gorgeous, charming, utterly treacherous ex-girlfriend who had dumped her six months ago via text message. The text had read: "Hey, I think we should see other people. Also, I've been seeing someone else for like 4 months already. Hope that's cool! xx"
Four months. Suzy had been cheating on her for four months while Rosie was planning their one-year anniversary dinner. The dinner where Rosie was going to tell Suzy she loved her for the first time.
Rosie had cried for a week straight, eaten enough ice cream to fund a small dairy farm, and sworn off love forever.
And now Suzy was going to be at this party with her new girlfriend. Of course she was. Because the universe had a sick sense of humor.
Nayeon Unnie: I'M OUTSIDE YOUR APARTMENT. I HAVE MOMO. WE WILL BREAK YOUR DOOR DOWN.
Nayeon Unnie: THIS IS NOT A THREAT. THIS IS A PROMISE.
Rosie sighed, typed back a quick "Fine. Coming." and pushed herself off the bathroom counter.
Twenty minutes later, she was squeezed into a dark green dress that Nayeon had thrown at her with the command "WEAR THIS, YOU LOOK HOT," and being dragged through the doors of the Grand Seoul Hotel's ballroom.
The place was insane. Twinkling Christmas trees everywhere, fairy lights cascading from the ceiling, a massive ice sculpture of a reindeer that probably cost more than Rosie's monthly rent. Tables overflowed with fancy food she couldn't name and champagne that probably cost more than her entire wardrobe.
"See?" Nayeon squeezed her arm, her bunny-like smile bright. "This is fun already!"
"I'm pretty sure that ice sculpture just judged me," Rosie muttered.
Momo, standing silently on Rosie's other side, nodded solemnly. "It did. I saw it."
Rosie laughed despite herself. At least she had them. Nayeon, the loud, protective unnie who adopted strays like Rosie. Momo, the quiet muscle who spoke in three-word sentences but would absolutely fight someone for her friends. They were her found family, the only people who'd stuck around when she aged out of the orphanage system with nothing but a suitcase and a chip on her shoulder.
"Okay, strategy time." Nayeon pulled them into a corner, her eyes scanning the crowd. "Suzy's here. I saw her near the bar. She's with..."
Nayeon's face did something complicated.
"She's with who?" Rosie asked, her stomach already sinking.
"The new girlfriend is... really pretty," Nayeon admitted reluctantly. "Like, annoyingly pretty. Model pretty. I hate her."
"Great. Fantastic." Rosie spotted the bar. "I'm going to need approximately seventeen drinks."
"Nope!" Nayeon grabbed her arm. "No drinking on an empty stomach. Food first, then we can commence Operation Drown Our Sorrows."
They made their way to the buffet, and Rosie tried to focus on piling her plate with things she couldn't pronounce. She was doing okay. She was handling this like a mature adult. She was—
"Rosie!"
That voice. That familiar, melodic voice that used to whisper sweet things in her ear.
Rosie's hand tightened around her plate until her knuckles went white. She turned slowly.
Suzy looked gorgeous, of course. She always did. Perfect honey-brown hair, perfect smile, perfect everything. And next to her, holding her hand, was a woman who made Rosie's heart drop to her toes.
Tall. Elegant. Dark hair falling in waves. Eyes that seemed to see right through you. She looked like she'd stepped out of a magazine, and she was looking at Suzy like Suzy had hung the moon.
"Rosie! Oh my god, it's so good to see you!" Suzy pulled her into a hug that Rosie absolutely did not return. "You look... wow. That dress is so... green!"
Smooth, Suzy. Really smooth.
"This is Mina," Suzy continued, gesturing to the goddess beside her. "My girlfriend. Mina, this is Rosie. The one I told you about."
Mina's smile was polite but distant. "Nice to meet you. Suzy's told me a lot about you."
"All bad things, I hope," Rosie managed, her voice only cracking slightly.
Suzy laughed like Rosie had made a joke. "Oh, Rosie's hilarious. We had some good times, didn't we?"
Four months of cheating on me, Rosie thought. Yeah. Great times.
"We should catch up later!" Suzy was already pulling Mina away. "Maybe you'll find someone to take home tonight! There's gotta be someone here desperate enough, right?" She winked, completely missing (or maybe not missing) how the words landed like knives.
Rosie stood frozen, her plate trembling in her hands.
"Did she just..." Nayeon appeared beside her, eyes wide. "Did she just imply you're desperate?"
"She's not wrong," Rosie whispered.
"OH HELL NO." Nayeon grabbed her arm. "We are not doing this. We are not letting that human hangnail ruin your night. Come on, we're getting drinks. Real drinks. The expensive ones."
The next hour was a blur of champagne flutes and Nayeon's increasingly creative insults about Suzy.
"She probably waxes her upper lip," Nayeon hissed, handing Rosie another drink. "I just know it."
"You've never even seen her upper lip," Momo pointed out.
"I don't need to. I can sense these things."
Rosie giggled, the champagne finally working its magic. The edges of the room were getting soft, the music sounded better, and Suzy's face was becoming pleasantly fuzzy.
"That's my girl!" Nayeon cheered as Rosie finished her fourth (fifth?) glass. "Now you're having fun!"
"I'm having so much fun," Rosie announced loudly, gesturing with her empty glass. "I'm having the most fun anyone has ever had. I'm the fun queen. Bow before me."
Several coworkers turned to stare. Rosie bowed dramatically.
Momo grabbed her arm before she could faceplant into the dessert table. "Okay. Maybe slow down."
But Rosie was on a roll now. The champagne had unlocked something in her brain, some combination of liquid courage and repressed feelings that was now demanding to be let out.
Where was Suzy? She wanted to find Suzy. She wanted to show Suzy. Show her that Rosie didn't care. That Rosie was fine. That Rosie could kiss someone too. Anyone. Right now. She could kiss anyone in this room and it would be amazing and Suzy would be so jealous.
"I'm gonna kiss someone," Rosie announced.
"No," said Momo.
"Yes," said Rosie.
"Absolutely not," said Nayeon, suddenly concerned. "Rosie, you're drunk. Let's get you some water."
"I don't want water! I want REVENGE!" Rosie pulled away from them, stumbling through the crowd. "I'm gonna find the hottest person here and I'm gonna KISS them and Suzy is gonna be SO MAD."
"Rosie, wait—"
But Rosie was already gone, weaving through the partygoers like a very drunk, very determined missile.
And that's when she saw her.
Across the room, near the giant Christmas tree, stood a woman in a red dress.
Not just any woman. THE woman. The most beautiful woman Rosie had ever seen in her entire life. She had dark hair pulled back, revealing elegant features and the most incredible cheekbones Rosie had ever witnessed. She was laughing at something someone said, her whole face lighting up, and she moved with a kind of casual grace that made Rosie's knees weak.
She was perfect.
She was SUZY'S NIGHTMARE.
Rosie straightened her dress, ran her fingers through her hair (making it significantly messier), and marched forward.
She didn't notice the way people parted for this woman. She didn't notice the respectful nods, the hushed tones, the way everyone seemed to straighten when she walked by. She didn't notice any of that.
All she noticed was those cheekbones.
"Hi," Rosie said, appearing directly in front of the woman in red. Too close. She was standing too close.
The woman blinked, surprised, but her expression remained calm. Amused, even. "Hello."
"You're hot," Rosie announced.
One perfectly shaped eyebrow rose. "Thank you?"
"I'm Rosie. I work here. In accounting. I'm really good at numbers." This was not true. Rosie was terrible at numbers. She'd gotten the job through a temp agency and somehow never left. "But that's not important. What's important is that my ex-girlfriend is over there." She gestured vaguely behind her. "She cheated on me. For four months. And now she's here with her new girlfriend who looks like a swan, and she told me I'm desperate, and I need to show her that I'm NOT desperate."
"You're showing her you're not desperate by... talking to me?" The woman's voice was low and smooth, with a hint of something Rosie couldn't place. Amusement? Interest? Confusion?
"Yes. Exactly. Because you're the hottest person here. No offense to everyone else." Rosie raised her voice. "NO OFFENSE!"
Several people nearby choked on their drinks.
The woman in red was definitely amused now. A small smile played at the corner of her lips. "I see. And what exactly is your plan here?"
"My plan?" Rosie leaned closer. Too close. She could smell the woman's perfume now. Something expensive and floral. "My plan is to kiss you. Right now. In front of everyone. Especially in front of Suzy."
"That's... a plan."
"Is it working?"
The woman tilted her head, studying Rosie with an intensity that should have been terrifying but just made Rosie feel warm. "You're very forward."
"I'm very drunk," Rosie corrected. "But also forward. They're not mutually exclusive."
A genuine laugh escaped the woman's lips, and the sound was so beautiful Rosie wanted to bottle it and drink it forever. "What's your name again?"
"Rosie. Rosé Park. But my friends call me Rosie. You can call me Rosie. Or yours. Whatever you want."
"You have no idea who I am, do you?"
Rosie squinted at her. "Should I? Are you famous? You look famous. Are you a model? You have the face for it. The cheekbones. The everything." She gestured vaguely at all of her. "Top-tier cheekbones. Really. Ten out of ten."
The woman's smile widened. "Something like that."
"Great. Perfect. Love that for you." Rosie grabbed her hand. It was soft and warm. "Okay. Ready? Suzy's watching. I can feel her watching. This is going to be amazing."
"Wait—"
But Rosie didn't wait. She pulled the woman forward and pressed their lips together.
Time stopped.
The kiss was... unexpected. Rosie had meant it to be a quick peck, a show, something to make Suzy jealous. But the moment their lips met, something shifted. The woman's hand came up to cup Rosie's face, gentle but firm, and she kissed back with an intensity that made Rosie's toes curl in her uncomfortable heels.
It felt like sparks. Like fireworks. Like every romantic movie Rosie had ever watched and secretly cried to.
And then the woman pulled back, her eyes slightly wide, her lips slightly parted.
The room was dead silent.
Rosie became aware, slowly, that every single person in the ballroom was staring at them. Not just looking. Staring. With their mouths open. With expressions of absolute horror and disbelief.
Someone dropped a glass. It shattered loudly in the silence.
"Did she just..." someone whispered.
"Is that..."
"Oh my god."
Rosie's drunk brain tried to process this. Why was everyone staring? Okay, yes, she'd just kissed a stranger, but it was a party. People kissed at parties. That was normal. Right?
And then she heard it. A voice from behind her. Suzy's voice, but different. Shaky. Terrified.
"Rosie... that's... that's Lisa Manoban. She's... she's one of the CEOs. Of JJL. She owns the company. She and her wives own everything."
The words took a long time to reach Rosie's brain. CEOs. Wives. Lisa Manoban. One of the three women who ran the entire company. The faceless, terrifying, untouchable women who everyone whispered about but no one actually talked to.
The woman in the red dress. The woman Rosie had just kissed. In front of everyone.
Was Lisa Manoban.
"Oh," Rosie said quietly.
Lisa was still watching her, that amused smile back in place, but there was something else in her eyes now. Curiosity. Interest. Something that made Rosie's heart race for entirely different reasons.
"Hi," Rosie whispered.
"Hi," Lisa replied softly.
And then Rosie's survival instincts finally kicked in.
She turned and RAN.
"Rosie!" Nayeon's voice behind her. "ROSIE, WAIT!"
But Rosie wasn't waiting. She was fleeing. She was escaping. She was going to move to another country and change her name and never speak of this again.
She burst through the ballroom doors into the hotel hallway, her heels clicking frantically against the marble floor. Where was the exit? Where was anywhere that wasn't here?
A door to her left. Bathroom. Yes. She'd hide in the bathroom and then escape through a window or something. That was a plan. That was a solid plan.
Rosie shoved the door open and ran inside—
And crashed directly into someone coming out.
They went down in a tangle of limbs, Rosie's dress riding up, her hair flying everywhere, and somehow, SOMEHOW, as they hit the floor, Rosie's lips landed squarely on someone else's.
For the second time in five minutes.
This woman was different. Softer. She smelled like roses and luxury. Her eyes, when Rosie finally pulled back in horror, were wide with shock. She had the most perfect pouty lips Rosie had ever seen, and she was staring up at Rosie like Rosie had personally offended her entire bloodline.
"I—" Rosie started.
"You just—" the woman gasped.
"I'm so sorry—"
"You kissed me!"
"Accidentally! That was completely accidental!"
The woman sat up, her elegant black dress rumpled, her perfect hair now slightly messy. She looked familiar. Why did she look familiar?
And then Rosie's blood ran cold.
Because this woman had the same energy as Lisa. The same untouchable quality. The same aura of power and money and "I could ruin your life with a single phone call."
"You're..." Rosie's voice cracked. "You're not... you're not another CEO, are you?"
The woman's eyes narrowed. "Jennie Kim. Yes. I'm another CEO. Lisa's wife." She paused, studying Rosie's panicked face. "Why do you look like you've seen a ghost? And why do you taste like champagne and... is that peppermint?"
Rosie opened her mouth to answer, but the bathroom door burst open.
"There you are!" Lisa appeared, slightly out of breath, her eyes going wide when she saw them on the floor. "Jennie? What happened?"
"She crashed into me," Jennie said, still staring at Rosie. "And then she kissed me."
"She WHAT?"
"It was an accident!" Rosie scrambled to her feet, nearly falling again. "I was running from you—" she pointed at Lisa, "—and I ran into her—" she pointed at Jennie, "—and we fell, and it was an accident, I swear, I didn't mean to kiss anyone else tonight, I only meant to kiss you to make my ex jealous, and now I've kissed TWO CEOS and I think I need to die—"
The bathroom door opened again.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, what is all the noise out here?" A third woman appeared, holding what looked like a champagne-soaked shirt. She was beautiful too, of course she was, with a calm, elegant face and knowing eyes. She was also, Rosie noticed distantly, currently topless, holding the wet shirt in front of her like a shield.
Rosie's brain, already running on fumes and champagne, short-circuited completely.
This woman. Topless. Beautiful. Familiar energy.
"No," Rosie whispered. "No no no no no."
The woman raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
"You're the third one, aren't you?" Rosie's voice was hysterical now. "The third CEO. The third wife. Jisoo something."
"Jisoo Kim, yes." The woman looked at Lisa, then at Jennie on the floor, then back at Rosie. "What's going on here? And why is my wife on the bathroom floor?"
"She kissed her," Lisa said, pointing at Rosie.
"Twice," Jennie added. "Technically."
"And she kissed me first," Lisa continued. "At the party. In front of everyone."
Jisoo's expression shifted from confusion to something far more dangerous. Amusement. Pure, delighted amusement. "Oh, really?"
"This is not funny," Rosie squeaked. "This is the opposite of funny. This is tragic. This is a disaster. I'm going to be fired. I'm going to be sued. I'm going to jail."
"Jail is a bit dramatic," Jisoo said mildly, still holding her wet shirt. "Though I appreciate the commitment."
Rosie couldn't take it anymore. The room was spinning. Three pairs of eyes were on her. Three of the most powerful women in the country, and she'd kissed two of them and seen the third topless.
She made a sound that was somewhere between a sob and a scream, turned, and ran again.
This time, no one followed. They just watched her go, three women in various states of shock and amusement, standing in a hotel bathroom.
Outside, Rosie didn't stop running until she burst through the hotel's back doors into the cold December air. Her breath came in panicked gasps, forming little clouds in the night.
She'd kissed her boss. Two of her bosses. And seen the third one's boobs.
Her phone buzzed.
Nayeon Unnie: WHERE ARE YOU
Nayeon Unnie: ARE YOU OKAY
Nayeon Unnie: ROSIE PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE ALIVE
Nayeon Unnie: ALSO DID YOU REALLY KISS LISA MANOBAN?? THE WHOLE COMPANY IS TALKING ABOUT IT
Nayeon Unnie: AND WHY DID JENNIE KIM JUST WALK OUT OF THE BATHROOM LOOKING FLAUSTERED
Nayeon Unnie: ROSIE.
Nayeon Unnie: WHAT DID YOU DO.
Rosie stared at her phone, then at the hotel behind her, then at the empty Seoul street ahead.
She had exactly one coherent thought before the champagne and adrenaline finally caught up with her and her legs gave out, depositing her on a cold bench near the hotel entrance.
"I am never drinking again," she whispered to the night sky. "And I am definitely never going back to work."
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END OF CHAPTER 1
To be continued
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Please tell me how it was. Should I upload daily