The next morning, I didn't hear my alarm. That had never happened to me before—not since I'd been in Korea.The day dragged on exactly the way it had started: dull, heavy, grey. Guests came and went. Same questions. Same complaints. Not a single name on the booking list made my heart skip like it used to, and the hours oozed by like molasses.
After work, I wandered into one of the countless supermarkets in the neighborhood and bought things I didn't really need—just to feel like I was doing something.The cashier smiled. I couldn't bring myself to smile back.
The day after that, I sat on a bench after my shift, watching people pass by. I wondered how many of them carried secrets like mine. Was that man over there cheating on his wife with his cute secretary? Had the woman walking past the fountain run away from her fiancé a few days ago?It was a familiar kind of moment—one that reminded me of home. I used to invent stories for the people around me while waiting somewhere. A tiny scrap of normalcy.
The next day mirrored my mood perfectly. Rain came pouring down in sheets. The grey sky looked like it belonged to my world without him. Water pooled in the streets, reflecting the lights of the city.Work at the front desk was unusually quiet, so I spent the hours sorting old documents. In the evening, I sat in front of my laptop, lost in thought, when a picture popped up that made my stomach turn.
"Does Jhio have a girlfriend?"That was the headline.
My fingers moved on their own, opening more tabs, chasing more information. I kept seeing the same photo again and again—Jhio with his arm around a woman who wasn't looking at the camera.They looked close. Too close.They were headed into a restaurant.
I tried to calm down. Failed.Told myself it was probably just a rumor for clicks.But what if it wasn't?
I zoomed in. Again and again. Searching for something—anything—that would prove this wasn't real.I found nothing.
No. He wouldn't do that to me.A cold anger started to stir.Stupid girl, a voice in me mocked. Who do you think you are to him? He doesn't even know your name.
Three steps and I was at the fridge, pulling out the bottle of white wine I'd bought for guests.I hadn't drunk in years. Not because I didn't like the feeling, but because I couldn't handle the aftermath. The hangovers hit harder with every year.But tonight? I didn't care.I grabbed a wine glass from the cupboard, placed it on the counter, and filled it to the rim.
A few hours later, the bottle was empty.And I was convinced—that had to be his girlfriend.
I might've been a little drunk, but I wasn't stupid. Or so I told myself.
How could he do this to me?Didn't he feel it—didn't he know that the right woman had already entered his life?Was I really just another nobody?
Furious, I slammed the laptop shut.If he could do it, so could I.
I stood and went to my closet.The pictures on the board seemed to mock me as I picked out a short black dress. Black heels. A plain purse. I cranked the music up in the bathroom—some meaningless pop beat—and started putting on makeup.For the first time, not to feel pretty.To get attention.
I wanted to become the kind of woman who wouldn't go home alone.
When I was satisfied with the result, I called a cab and stumbled out of my apartment more than I walked.Told the driver to take me to any trendy club. Didn't matter which.
The lights outside blurred past as my anger boiled back to the surface.That asshole. Who did he think he was?
I hesitated.When exactly had my obsession with breaking his mask turned into something else?Why did it feel like he had betrayed me?
The driver said we'd arrived.I looked up and saw the glowing neon letters: LUX.
Of course. Gangnam.The hotspot of the elite.
Time to forget I felt like the exact opposite.
The façade looked plain, almost boring.I stood in line.The bouncer eyed me up and down, then nodded and let me in.
A wide, sweeping staircase led downward, into a labyrinth of glass, steel, and thunderous music.The walls were covered in LED panels that displayed shifting visuals, pulsating with the beat.The VIP areas hovered above the dancefloor like a dark crown—hidden behind tinted glass.Plants softened the design. The ceiling was high, fitted with a kinetic light sculpture that danced as if it were part of the party.Lasers sliced through the thick air, which smelled of perfume, alcohol, and just a hint of smoke.
This club was its own universe.I stared at the bottles behind the bar and found a seat—barely—and ordered a whiskey.
If I was drinking, I'd drink properly.
I propped my elbow on the cool metal edge and downed the glass in one go. It burned, but I needed more.
"Another," I yelled.The bartender nodded and replaced the empty glass.And so it began.Every time I emptied my glass, he filled it.
I lost count.The music became the only thing I heard.No one here asked questions.LUX was a refuge for the wrecked elite.
Hours passed in a blur of glittering cocktails, shots, and more whiskey.The room spun.The pain in my chest refused to leave.
The man next to me—I didn't know where he came from, or how long he'd been sitting there—slid me a tiny bag like it was nothing.
"Wanna have some fun?"
He said more, but I didn't hear it.I wanted to forget.And that seemed like the fastest way.
He poured a white line on the back of his hand.I didn't hesitate.One inhale. Gone.
We both laughed.
First came the numbness. Then the buzz.The world glowed. Lights danced. Music turned into rhythm, rhythm into pulse.
My heart beat too fast.I didn't care.
We went to the dancefloor.I let go.
Hands on my hips.Bodies pressed against mine.I moved like I wasn't even there anymore.Reality faded.
Songs melted into each other.
He was gone for a bit. I didn't know how long.Then I felt his hand grab mine. Too tight.
"Come," he whispered.
Why not, I thought.His face was a blur. Always moving.Didn't matter.
I felt like I was floating as we left the club.The world was soft, like cotton.Why couldn't it always feel like this?
He helped me into a taxi, slid in beside me.My head leaned against the window.The lights outside smeared into one long, endless line.
A mess of images without meaning.
The ride was forever and over in an instant.
He led me into an apartment I didn't register.
"Sit," said a dark voice at the edge of my thoughts.
I sat on the couch he pointed to.
He handed me a glass of water. I drank it all.It tasted bitter.And then the world started to darken again.He said something. I didn't understand.
And then—black.
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Tell me—would you choose to fall,or dance on broken glass like she did?Next chapter drops tomorrow. Don't keep the dark waiting. 🖤