Her

During the ride, Jiwoo felt tension slowly leaving her body and soon enough she was able to breathe calmly. She always liked bikes, speed and extreme sports but being from high-class family, she was never allowed to show off the daring side of her persona and it only made her crave those things even more.

When she visited Los Angeles one summer, she tried skydiving, and mountain climbing was her type of relaxation on weekends after exhausting week of studying for college entrance. That, of course, all happened before Jiwoo got engaged to her husband.

They ended up sitting on the bench by the lake in Central Park. The ride seemed incredibly long to Jiwoo who still felt wind blowing her hair away from her face.

The two of them sat in silence for a while, before Matthew pulled out two cans of beer out of nowhere and took that as a chance to start a conversation.

"That guy was Jack, we're... I guess you could call us colleagues."

Jiwoo sighed. "I suppose you had some unfinished business."

Taehyung had a lot of those, but always sent out his bodyguards to manage it. Matthew, on the other hand, had a blue bruise by his left eye. His knuckles were also bloody and bruised.

"Not really, I was just stopping him from putting his big nose where it doesn't belong. His curiosity must've killed him if he was sneaky enough to get in while you were alone. Maybe he saw you getting in and out of building frequently and wondered if you could be another one of his... fishes."

Jiwoo felt chills passing down her spin. Who knows what could've happened if Matthew was any minute late.

"What type of job are you doing anyway?"

She imagined something like professional spying - that would explain coming home late and getting out early.

He gave her a charming smile. "It's my turn to ask."

"You hate rich people, so why would you wonder about me? Besides, I don't think there's anything interesting to say about my life", Jiwoo shrugged her shoulders, really meaning what she said. She never liked to brag about her parents' hospital or exotic places she's been to from earliest age. Hotels that she was at gradually got more stars, she went from economic to first-class trips and from helping her mother make breakfast to maids knocking on her bedroom door to serve her food in bed.

"Try me", he said daringly.

"Okay, what do you want to know?", she surrendered and waited for some simple question. Matthew thought for a little before replying.

"Why didn't you leave for Korea when you were supposed to? I know you applied to Manhattan College post arriving. So why didn't you just leave in time?"

Blonde averted dark eyes to look at the ground instead of back at him. How in the world did he know about that? But if she wanted honest answers from him, she had to be honest as well.

"Because my husband didn't want me to go back."

"And why is that?"

"My turn", she reminded him with a smirk and he nodded.

"I deal. Perfumes, clothes, food, tickets, people. Even drugs from time to time. There's nothing to be ashamed of, if you're careful enough. But I wasn't very active recently and Jack came for the money I owe him..."

Jiwoo silently waited for his next question, processing the information she was given in the meantime. Dealer. Not as cool as spy, but close enough. She shook those childish thoughts out of her head. She should be running away by now, telling him that she will report them all to the police. But instead, she just sat there, calm as ever. It seemed like, after her husband threw her away, she couldn't get surprised about anything anymore.

"Shouldn't let a man boss you around. You're your own person, though. You know, women empowerment and all the nonsense about 21st century."

She smiled. Bossing around... That was way too harsh. "I wouldn't call it bossing... I think I'm just allowing him to tell me what to do."

"Please, my girlfriend was obsessing over me trying to act superior and wouldn't talk to me for a week! If she saw and heard us like this she would pull my ears off my head, call me a cheater and then start chasing you around this lake."

They both laughed, clearing the depressing atmosphere for a moment.

"She just cares about you in her own way, afraid that someone else might charm you...", Jiwoo looked somewhere in the distance. It sounded like those words were directed to her instead of him.

"And... does he love you?", Matthew asked directly, turning the conversation back to her past.

"Would you love someone who tried to kill you?"

He shrugs. "I guess you could expect that from someone like her. Bold, dominant, loud, someone who obsesses over the smallest mistakes of their partner like wrong stare or not complimenting her outfit. But at the same time, I know she loves me too much to do something like that."

Jiwoo let out a deep sigh.

"But what are you supposed to do when you realize you love them when it's already too late?"

"I guess... drown in your sadness, maybe even attempt suicide... Or learn from your mistakes and, if you're given a second chance, try and make up for it."

After a few minutes in complete silence that seemed to fit both of them, Matthew asked a question she was afraid to hear the most, although it wasn't as scary as the memory that followed her answer.

"Jiwoo, why did you try to kill him?"

She gripped the can in her hands so hard that aluminum has cut her fingers.

"I told his mother that I'm not planning on giving birth to her grandchildren. Ever. Ever since the wedding, she's been hurrying us to start a family. Not only did she say that I'm 'irresponsible and incapable of carrying a child', but she also insulted her son for not having authority and being incapable in his own way, you can guess why...
After that, he grew even more distant and cold. He stopped replying with sentences longer than five words, six if I was lucky enough. I fought with him and his mother a lot, and it got to the point where I seeked revenge. A revenge that would hurt both of them at the same time. And so, here I am, failing miserably and making him hate me even more."

As the words slipped off her tongue faster and faster, she felt free to tell him about their first night and how she hurt him emotionally.

"Even if there were some feelings left, they are now long gone. I realized too late that what I had was rare and that I should've taken better care of it."

Matthew had nothing to add; all he could do was look at the woman whose eyes started to fill with tears.

I feel sorry to the point that I might cry when she goes broke soon..., he thought bitterly.

Although Jeon Jiwoo caught his eyes since she arrived to New York, he didn't forget his mission - their mission. He wondered if Somin was doing okay on the other side of globe, if she was caught for fraud and put in jail, or if she managed to do her part and is progressing forward.

"We should probably go now, it's getting late", Jiwoo stands up and Matthew follows. She approaches the bike, but when she was about to get on, she felt like she was about to lose balance. Everything in front of her was suddenly moving. She felt a grip of strong hand grabbing her by the arm.

"Hey, you alright?"

She wanted to reply positively, but her tongue felt heavy and her jaw clenched without her consent so she wasn't able to.

Her head was heavy, as well as her chest and she suddenly forgot how to breathe.

Two seconds later, everything was black.

Him

Somin felt like all eyes were on them and could not help but wonder if there was something more to this.

Maybe her plan was finally working out, because it's not an every day thing that the heir of biggest fashion company in Korea holds your hand, and he definitely has a reason to do so.

Taehyung was gripping her fingers gently, but then again like there's no tomorrow. For the whole time, he kept her close, smiled and asked her questions like wether she's hungry or hot, does she wants him to hold her blazer but she denied every time.

It's not that she wasn't hot, but she didn't want to let go of elegant black blazer with short sleeves, paired up with golden dress that reached the end of her thighs and the most elegant sandals with heels that she's ever worn.

Before they reached the ceremony destination, Taehyung took her to the most expensive and popular beauty salon in Seoul for her to choose any hairstyle. She picked casual curls and did makeup according to stylists' advice.

When the main ceremony was over, they moved to celebration party. Somin noticed a lot of people we're there with their children or just partners. She watched the way other women of class stood and copied so it wouldn't be too noticeable that she doesn't belong there.

Taehyung left her a few times, just to say hi to a few important people but he would come back as soon as he was done, talking to her about everything and anything.

Somin liked that side of him. The relaxed, non-distant Kim Taehyung, a 25-year-old like any other, not the heir of shares and family tradition. But as much as she wished, it was obvious that those happy moments were not going to last forever, so she decided to enjoy them while they last.

After an hour spent inside, she went out on wide balcony to take in fresh air. There weren't as many people as inside, which suit her perfectly.

"I was hoping to see you here", said Taehyung, catching up with her.

"Oh you know, just trying to breathe and do all healthy stuff we secretaries do instead of bringing coffee and seducing bosses."

He smiled. This woman was totally different from Jiwoo, and he liked it in a way. She gladly spoke to everyone like they were old friends, offered them drinks and laughed even at not-so-funny jokes. She was picture perfect of confidence and that only attracted him more.

Carried by half-drunk mind and wind passing by her hair, Somin starts talking.

"Have you ever lied to someone and that lie was so huge that you knew it was going to be figured out sooner or later?"

He nods after thinking a bit. "I told my wife I don't love her anymore. At that time, it was untrue. Until... Well, until that specific moment when I really didn't. And you?"

Staring at the glass of wine in her hand, she nods. "But I kept on telling it because I just wanted to keep the man I loved. He pushed me away and I was so desperate to come back to him that I..."

Tears start dripping down her face silently but she doesn't pay attention to it. A pair of warm hands find their way around her waist and Taehyung lays his chin on her shoulder gently.

"You and me... We're different but same. We know each other's struggles and have same thoughts about some things. I've never seen a woman so young but so intelligent. I want you to know that, whatever that lie is, I believe you must've hada good reason to do it. He will understand, but only if he hears it from you."

Everything is so easy in your world, honey, Somin thinks, feeling his lips laying soft kiss on her cheek.

"Let's go back inside, so you can calm down and then amaze more people, what do you think?"

She nodded, still in trance because of what happened. Even now, she was lying to him. She was nothing but a fraud, sellout with broken heart.

When they reached the stairs, a voice called out to Taehyung.

"Secretary Oh!", he returns and Somin turns her head to look at the man he's talking to. Her eyes widened when she recognized the man from the hospital, the one who saw her getting in and looking at Taehyung's illness history. That means he probably remembered her face too.

His eyes flew from his boss to her and, suddenly, he frowns.

Realizing that she might be figured out, Somin murmurs something about going to the restroom when the man yells.

"Haven't we met before, Miss?"

Her knees shake as she takes wrong step. Then her foot slips and moments later, she's rolling down the stairs.

Someone called her name. Probably Taehyung. But she couldn't reply.

When the rolling stopped at the end of the stairway, all she could feel was unbearable pain in her abdominal area.

Somin picked up her head while gripping her stomach with hands and someone screamed.

"Call the ambulance, she's bleeding out!!!"

And really, there was a puddle of blood on the floor between her thighs. Somin was shocked and all she could think about was the pain and the fact that this was impossible.

She wasn't supposed to be pregnant.