"What's this?" 

 

Ji Hyo stared impassively at the print out of an Internet article on the desk, a picture of her and Kim Jong Kook on the first page along with with the glaring headline, written in capital letters: 'SONG JI HYO CHEATED ON CEO BAEK CHANG JOO WITH RUNNING MAN CAST KIM JONG KOOK'.

 

"An unfounded gossip" she said, shrugging her shoulders in dismissal. How fast gossips travelled. It didn't even take people twelve hours to create the article, Ji Hyo thought; she got the call from Chang Joo first thing in the morning. 

 

Baek Chang Joo glowered at his former girlfriend, displeased at her nonchalant answer. "They even had a picture of you two," he pointed out rather harshly. 

 

"A week after we broke up," stated Ji Hyo matter-of-factly; there was a time stamp on the picture. She looked at her boss in the eyes. "I never cheated on you; you know it."

 

"Do I?"

 

Ji Hyo smirked. She knew where this would lead to - he was going to play the cards to his benefits. "Think whatever you want to - I didn't do anything wrong," she fixed the CEO with a long unreadable look, "unlike some people."

 

"What does that suppose to mean?" Chang Joo raised his eyebrows, anger was hot on his head. "Are you accusing me of something?"

 

Before Ji Hyo could answer, the door to Chang Joo's office was opened from outside. Park Sun Mi entered the room in haste, looking clearly anxious. 

 

"I'm sorry, Director, I didn't mean to barge in," the manager bowed deeply in apology before standing next to Ji Hyo. 

 

"You," Chang Joo addressed her viciously, lashing the unvented anger that was actually directed at Ji Hyo. "Park Sun Mi-sshi, as a manager your job is to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen. Look at this! Can you say that you have done your job?"

 

"Don't bring Sun Mi Unnie into this," Ji Hyo cut him off, quickly came to her manager's defence. She felt the other woman grabbing her arm and she turned around. "You did nothing wrong, Unnie," she said. 

 

"I'm your manager, Ji Hyo-yah. I'm responsible for any scandals you get into," the older woman said in an affectionate tone. 

 

"Enough!" Two sets of eyes were back to face their boss. "I don't care if the rumour is true or not," Chang Joo started begrudgingly, "do something about it, Park Sun Mi-sshi. Create a lie or whatever but bury this deep. Song Ji Hyo is still under our agency, no matter what my personal relationship state with her is now." The man waved his hand, silently dismissing the manager. 

 

Ji Hyo sniggered; she never thought that she could look over the manipulative side of this man before. He acted as if he was the chivalrous one. 

 

Sun Mi knew when she was not wanted and so she excused herself, throwing Ji Hyo a worried glance as she left the room. 

 

When they were alone once again, Chang Joo reverted to their earlier conversation. "So, you and Kim Jong Kook, eh?"

 

The question would sound innocent enough had it not been posed so accusingly. Ji Hyo cringed at the tone but she maintained her cool disposition. Her expression betrayed nothing as she repeated the very same thing she had been telling Sun Mi since the night before, "There is nothing between me and Jong Kook Oppa. We are just colleagues and friends."

 

Chang Joo picked up the article with the picture in it and scoffed; the picture showed Ji Hyo laughing while trying to reach for Jong Kook, who was also laughing. From a bystander point of view, the picture was a perfect capture of a couple having a good time. 

 

"Pictures speak louder than words," he said, eyes staring at Ji Hyo's. "They don't lie, Ji Hyo-yah."

 

"Like some people do?" Ji Hyo spat out before she could control herself, ignoring the angry glare the man was throwing at her. She nodded at the picture still in Chang Joo's hand. "This time the picture lies," she added. 

 

"I know what I see," Chang Joo replied coolly. 

 

"Do you?" Ji Hyo quipped coldly, "Oh trust me, Chang Joo Oppa, you know nothing."

 

"Does that suppose to mean anything?" There was a threat underlying the question.

 

"I don't know. Does it mean something to you?" she bit back without missing a beat, quite angry and tired of being the receiving end of all criticisms and finger-pointing while she never did anything wrong. "If you thought that I had been cheating on you when we were together then I suppose you really don't know anything about me." She was heaving as she said the words, trying her best not to cry. "I never, never cheated on you. And even now I am not involved with anyone, let alone Kim Jong Kook Oppa. He and I are just friends."

 

They stared unblinkingly at each other for some time before Chang Joo broke his stare with a chuckle. "Funny that you have said it twice in the past fifteen minutes - that you and Kim Jong Kook are just friends. It looks as if you are trying too hard to convince people about it."

 

"I'm not trying; trying means giving an effort and I can't try when you refuse to listen. Believe what you want to believe, Chang Joo Oppa, I can't change your mind," Ji Hyo said in a defeated tone. It was tiring, this game of running in circle chasing something that wasn't there - there would never be an end to it. 

 

She stepped backwards, making a move to leave. No sooner had she reached the door handle than she was shoved to the door, her breath was knocked out of her lungs and in an instant she was trapped between the door and Chang Joo; the man had his grip around her wrist. Ji Hyo looked at him in fear. 

 

"Don't do anything stupid, Ji Hyo-yah. We know that it is your career at stake, not mine - not Kim Jong Kook's," he warned her, holding her a second longer before releasing his hold. He watched as the woman she used to love flee his office without looking back. Once returning to his seat, Chang Joo checked his phone to find a message. He read it and a grim expression crossed his face at the three words displayed, "Good Job, Oppa."

 

 

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A/N: again, I'm a nervous wreck about posting this chapter. I didn't know why it turned out like this, but the story has taken a life of its own now and I'm struggling to make it at least understandable. I was planning on full fluffy chapters of spartace and I end up with angst, angst, and more angst in the future chapters. I hope this chapter will not disappoint you guys; I will understand, though, if this is not your cup of tea and you don't like it. 

No offence to Miss Song Ji Hyo's real boyfriend, his character in my story would be slightly unpleasant (but not totally, I hope) because he needs to serve his purpose. This is, after all, a Spartace fic ;)

Thank you for reading and subscribing and commenting. *hugs*