Wendy runs her thumb down the buttons of her navy blue work shirt. Every single one is securely done up and she relaxes marginally. Good. She retrieves the Tupperware container of cookies from the corner of the elevator and rocks back and forth on her heels, watching the numbers slowly go up

There’s something in the air. It’d followed her from home, curled around her ankles in the car, then it’d settled around her shoulders as she made her way through the building and into the elevator.

Yerim would have called it something like the anticipation of something new or the nervousness of a new job. But Wendy knows better. There’s so many things that Yerim doesn’t know. That Wendy won’t let her know. It better that those sordid little secrets don’t come to light. Her baby sister is best left untainted by that knowledge.

Maybe you just don’t want her to know how disgusting you are.

Wendy rolls her shoulders back and ignores the voice. She has more pressing matters to worry about.

Today is her first day at RBB Inc. She’s freshly graduated, freshly hired, freshly employed. She honestly feels like she’s being marketed at some kind of human salad at this point. Wendy Kim - the freshest greens you’ll ever find.

The elevator doors glide open with a ding. Someone had been waiting for her. Someone she didn’t expect.

What the .

‘Wendy, it’s been too long.’

‘Hello Miss Hwang.’ Definitely not long enough. Wendy smiles at her boss’s boss’s boss or something similar. Miss Hwang is far too high up in the food chain for her to offend. And it’s looking likely that she always will be.

Miss Hwang lounges casually against the wall, blonde hair thrown over her shoulder, hot pink pantsuit looking like it costs a month of Wendy's future salary. Her gleaming eyes are fixed on Wendy and there’s something unnerving about her gaze.

Wendy thinks about poisonous things and bright colours.

‘There’s been a slight...change of plan. One of the advertising team made an ill-advised dietary choice whilst on holiday and now he’s going to spending a lengthy amount of time in quarantine. The team leader asked for extra hands, so we’re moving you from HR to advertising. I trust there are no objections?’ Miss Hwang says, brightly.

Her tone makes it clear than even if Wendy had objections, they wouldn’t make a difference. ‘None at all.’

‘Great!’ Her eyes crease into pleased crescents. ‘Now follow me, we’re heading up another floor.’ Miss Hwang steps into the elevator and daintily jabs at a button with a florid pink nail. ‘You have my number. I trust you’ll call if you run into any problems?’

‘Of course Miss Hwang.’ Wendy plans to never call, no matter the circumstance. She's had Miss Hwang's number for years and she's never even been slightly tempted. She hopes that there’s anonymous complaint box somewhere in the building. Anything that won’t be traced back to her. Well, not that there’s anything to complain about yet, but she’s sure something will crop up in the future.

They wait, in what Wendy considers to be amicable silence, before arriving at their destination.

The doors open and she gestures for Miss Hwang to step out first.

‘Thank you. Please follow me.’ Miss Hwang leads her out of the elevator. They head down the hallway and when they round the corner