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Rosie woke to the sound of her own soul leaving her body.
Or maybe that was just her stomach, attempting a dramatic escape through her esophagus. It was hard to tell. Everything hurt. Her head pounded like a tiny construction crew had taken up residence behind her eyes. Her mouth tasted like something had died in it, possibly several somethings. And her left leg had gone completely numb from whatever position she'd passed out in.
She cracked one eye open.
Sunlight. Aggressive, judgmental sunlight, streaming through her cheap apartment curtains like it personally hated her.
"Kill me," she croaked to no one. "Just... kill me now."
Her phone was buzzing somewhere. Or maybe that was the construction crew upgrading their equipment. Rosie fumbled blindly on her nightstand, knocking over approximately seventeen empty water glasses (when had she drunk all that water?) before her fingers closed around the offending device.
The screen was a nightmare.
Nayeon Unnie: 47 MISSED CALLS
Nayeon Unnie: 123 UNREAD MESSAGES
Momo: 8 MISSED CALLS
Momo: r u alive
Unknown Number: 3 MISSED CALLS
Rosie stared at the unknown number. Who...?
The events of the previous night came crashing back in fragments.
Champagne. So much champagne.
Suzy's smug face.
A woman in a red dress. Beautiful. Cheekbones.
Kissing her.
Running.
A bathroom.
Crashing into someone.
Kissing HER too.
A third woman. Topless.
Running again.
Rosie's blood turned to ice.
"No," she whispered. "No no no no no."
She scrambled for her phone, hands shaking, and opened her messages with Nayeon.
Nayeon Unnie: ROSIE PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE ALIVE
Nayeon Unnie: I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CALL YOU FOR HOURS
Nayeon Unnie: DID YOU REALLY KISS LISA MANOBAN???
Nayeon Unnie: THE WHOLE COMPANY IS TALKING ABOUT IT
Nayeon Unnie: THERE ARE VIDEOS ROSIE
Nayeon Unnie: VIDEOS
Nayeon Unnie: PLURAL
Nayeon Unnie: YOU'RE FAMOUS
Nayeon Unnie: WAKE UP I NEED TO KNOW YOU'RE OKAY
Nayeon Unnie: OR AT LEAST NOT DEAD SO I CAN YELL AT YOU PROPERLY
Rosie's stomach lurched. Videos. Plural. There were VIDEOS.
She typed back with trembling fingers.
Rosie: I'm alive. Barely. What videos?
The response was instantaneous.
Nayeon Unnie: OH THANK GOD
Nayeon Unnie: WE'RE COMING OVER
Nayeon Unnie: DON'T MOVE
Nayeon Unnie: WE'RE BRINGING BREAKFAST AND EVIDENCE
Nayeon Unnie: YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO SIT DOWN FOR THIS
Nayeon Unnie: ACTUALLY YOU'RE PROBABLY ALREADY LYING DOWN
Nayeon Unnie: STAY LYING DOWN
Nayeon Unnie: THIS IS A STAY-LYING-DOWN KIND OF MORNING
Rosie let the phone fall onto her chest and stared at her ceiling. It had a water stain that looked vaguely like a butterfly. She'd never noticed that before. She wondered if it had always been there, or if the universe had added it overnight as a cruel joke.
The next twenty minutes were a blur of nausea and existential dread. Rosie managed to drag herself to the bathroom, brush her teeth approximately four times, and change into sweatpants that didn't smell like regret and cheap champagne.
She was sitting on her tiny couch, hugging a pillow like a life raft, when her front door burst open.
Nayeon swept in like a hurricane in designer boots, her bunny-like smile stretched wide with barely contained glee. Behind her, Momo carried approximately seventeen bags of food and a look of deep concern.
"ROSIE!" Nayeon shouted, dropping onto the couch beside her. "YOU'RE ALIVE! TELL ME EVERYTHING!"
"Inside voice," Rosie whimpered, pressing the pillow against her ears. "Please. I'm dying."
"You're not dying, you're suffering the consequences of your actions." Nayeon gestured to Momo, who began unpacking food onto the coffee table. "We brought hangover soup, fried chicken, and enough side dishes to feed a small army. Eat. Then talk."
Rosie eyed the food warily. Her stomach growled traitorously. She reached for the soup.
"Okay," Nayeon said, pulling out her phone with the dramatic flair of a magician revealing their greatest trick. "Now. Let's address the elephant in the room."
She turned her phone to face Rosie.
The video was playing before Rosie could protest.
There she was. On screen. In her dark green dress. Stumbling through the Christmas party with the grace of a newborn giraffe. The video quality was shockingly good—someone had clearly been recording on a recent-model phone.
"Is that... is that the accounting girl?" a voice whispered on the video.
"Shh, she's heading straight for—oh my god, she's heading straight for LISA MANOBAN."
Rosie watched in mounting horror as video-Rosie approached video-Lisa, standing gorgeous and unassuming by the Christmas tree.
"Hi," video-Rosie said, too close.
"Hello," video-Lisa replied, that same amused smile on her face.
"You're hot."
The person recording gasped. Other partygoers could be heard choking on their drinks.
"My ex-girlfriend cheated on me," video-Rosie continued, gesturing wildly. "For four months. And now she's here with her swan girlfriend and she called me desperate."
"Did she actually call you desperate?" Nayeon interrupted the playback.
"I don't remember," Rosie admitted. "Probably. I was very drunk."
On screen, video-Lisa was asking about Rosie's plan. Video-Rosie was leaning closer. Too close.
"My plan is to kiss you. Right now. In front of everyone."
Nayeon paused the video. "This is the part where I would like to formally state that I tried to stop you. For the record."
"You did," Rosie confirmed miserably. "I didn't listen."
"You never do." Nayeon pressed play.
The kiss happened. Even through the grainy video, Rosie could see it—the moment their lips met, the way Lisa's hand came up to cup her face, the way the kiss lingered just a moment too long to be purely performative.
And then the silence. The horrified, dead silence of an entire ballroom full of people who had just witnessed their employee kiss their CEO.
On screen, video-Rosie pulled back, looking confused by the reaction. Then, clearly, Suzy's voice: "Rosie... that's... that's Lisa Manoban. She's one of the CEOs."
The look on video-Rosie's face was priceless. Pure, dawning horror.
"Oh," video-Rosie said.
"Hi," video-Lisa replied softly.
And then video-Rosie RAN.
The video cut off.
Nayeon was staring at her with wide eyes. "Rosie. She said 'hi' like that. Like... like she was interested. Like she didn't hate it."
"She's probably planning my murder," Rosie said flatly. "There's a difference."
"There's another video." Momo spoke for the first time, her voice quiet but firm.
Nayeon's grin returned. "Oh, there are MANY other videos. But this one..." She pulled up another clip. "This one is from the hallway. Someone was recording the chaos after you ran."
The new video showed the hallway outside the ballroom. People were milling about, clearly buzzing with gossip. And then, from the direction of the bathrooms, two figures emerged.
Lisa Manoban, looking slightly out of breath but still composed.
And Jennie Kim, her perfect hair slightly mussed, her elegant dress rumpled, emerging from the bathroom with an expression of pure bewilderment.
They exchanged a look—a loaded, meaningful look that spoke of years of intimacy and silent communication—and then walked away together toward the elevators.
"The bathroom," Rosie whispered. "She came out of the bathroom right after I..."
"Right after you WHAT?" Nayeon pounced. "What happened in that bathroom? The rumors are WILD, Rosie. Some people are saying you fought. Some people are saying you made out. ONE person claims you proposed."
"I crashed into her!" Rosie burst out. "I was running from the party, I opened the bathroom door, she was coming out, we fell, and I accidentally kissed her!"
Nayeon's jaw dropped. "You accidentally kissed JENNIE KIM?"
"On the lips!"
"On purpose?"
"ACCIDENTALLY! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"
Momo was quietly eating fried chicken, watching the drama unfold like it was her favorite television show.
"And then," Rosie continued, the words tumbling out now, "while we were on the floor, the bathroom door opened again, and JISOO walked in. TOPLESS. Holding her wet shirt. And she asked what was going on, and Lisa said I kissed her, and Jennie said I kissed her twice technically, and Jisoo just stood there HALF NAKED looking AMUSED, and then I ran away again!"
Silence.
Nayeon and Momo exchanged a look.
"Rosie," Nayeon said slowly, "are you telling me that in one night, you kissed Lisa Manoban, accidentally kissed Jennie Kim, and saw Jisoo Kim topless?"
"Yes!"
"And they all just... let you run away?"
"They were too shocked to stop me, probably. Or they were already planning my demise. One of the two."
Nayeon leaned back on the couch, processing. Momo quietly handed Rosie a piece of chicken.
"Eat," Momo commanded. "You need strength."
"For what? My execution?"
"Maybe." Momo's expression was unreadable.
Rosie's phone buzzed. Then buzzed again. Then started buzzing continuously, like it was having a seizure on her coffee table.
She grabbed it.
Unknown Number: Good morning, Rosie. We hope you're feeling alright after last night.
Unknown Number: We'd like to talk. At your convenience.
Unknown Number: No pressure, of course. But we have your employee file and your address, so we'll be in touch.
Unknown Number: - L, J, & J
Rosie stared at the messages.
Then she screamed.
"What? WHAT?" Nayeon grabbed the phone, read the messages, and screamed too.
Momo, reading over their shoulders, just raised an eyebrow. "They have her address."
"I KNOW THEY HAVE MY ADDRESS!" Rosie was pacing now, her hangover temporarily forgotten in favor of pure panic. "THEY'RE PROBABLY ON THEIR WAY HERE RIGHT NOW TO KILL ME AND HIDE MY BODY IN ONE OF THEIR MANY CORPORATE OFFICES!"
"Calm down," Nayeon said, though she didn't look calm at all. "They said 'at your convenience.' That's polite. Murderers don't say 'at your convenience.'"
"How do you know? Have you been murdered by many polite CEOs?"
"This is a fair point."
Rosie's phone buzzed again.
Unknown Number: Also, for what it's worth, we're not planning to kill you. That would be terribly inefficient and we have a board meeting on Monday.
Unknown Number: - J (the one you kissed first)
Unknown Number: It's Lisa. The kissing was nice. You taste like peppermint.
Unknown Number: This is Jennie. The accidental kiss in the bathroom was... unexpected. But not unwelcome.
Unknown Number: Jisoo here. Next time, knock before entering bathrooms. Or don't. I'm not your mother.
Rosie's legs gave out. She collapsed back onto the couch.
"They're... they're joking with me," she whispered. "They're texting me like we're friends. Like I didn't assault them at their own company party."
"Did you assault them?" Nayeon asked carefully. "Legally speaking?"
"I don't KNOW! I was drunk! Is drunk kissing assault? Is drunk accidental bathroom collision kissing assault? IS SEEING A TOPLESS CEO ASSAULT?"
"Probably not the last one," Momo offered. "That's just being in the right place at the right time."
Nayeon snorted. "Momo!"
"What? She's not wrong."
Rosie buried her face in her hands. "I can never go back to work. I'll have to quit. Move to a different country. Change my name. Become a goat farmer in New Zealand."
"You'd make a terrible goat farmer," Nayeon said. "You're allergic to hay."
"I'll become allergic to hay-resistant goats then!"
Her phone buzzed one more time.
Unknown Number: We're not going to fire you, by the way. That would be boring. We have a much more interesting punishment in mind.
Unknown Number: See you soon, Rosie.
Unknown Number: - The Three Wives
"SEE YOU SOON?" Rosie shrieked. "WHAT DOES 'SEE YOU SOON' MEAN? HOW SOON IS SOON? IS SOON RIGHT NOW?"
As if on cue, there was a knock at her apartment door.
Three knocks. Polite. Measured. Terrifying.
Rosie, Nayeon, and Momo all froze, staring at the door like it might spontaneously combust.
"Don't answer it," Rosie hissed.
"It's your apartment," Nayeon hissed back. "They know you're here. Your light is on. Your window is open. They probably have satellite tracking."
"Who has satellite tracking?"
"CEOs, Rosie. CEOs have everything."
Another knock. Three more. Still polite. Still measured.
"Rosie Park?" A voice through the door. Low, smooth, familiar. Lisa's voice. "We know you're in there. Your friend's very loud car is parked outside. The one with the 'I <3 My Bunny' bumper sticker."
Nayeon gasped. "That's a LIMITED EDITION bumper sticker! How dare she mock it!"
"Now is NOT the time!" Rosie whisper-yelled.
"Rosie." A different voice now. Jennie's. Cool and elegant. "We brought coffee. And pastries. From that place you like—the one near the company building. The one with the amazing croissants."
Rosie's traitorous stomach growled. She hadn't eaten anything except hangover soup and half a piece of chicken.
"The croissants are really good," Momo said quietly.
"You're not helping!"
"We also brought your employee file," Jisoo's voice added, calm and amused. "And a contract. Nothing scary. Well, maybe a little scary. But the good kind of scary. The life-changing kind."
Nayeon grabbed Rosie's shoulders. "Rosie. Listen to me. Three of the most powerful women in the country are outside your door with coffee, croissants, and a contract. This is not a disaster. This is an OPPORTUNITY."
"An opportunity for what? Public humiliation?"
"An opportunity for the HOTTEST comeback story in the history of ex-girlfriends! Imagine Suzy's face when she finds out you're dating her BOSSES. Her BOSSES, Rosie. Plural. All three of them."
"I'm not dating them!"
"Yet!" Nayeon shook her. "YET!"
The door knocked again. "Rosie? We can hear you whispering. Your walls are thin."
Rosie closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and made a decision.
"Fine," she said. "Fine. I'll open the door. But if I die, I'm haunting all of you."
She stood on shaky legs, walked to the door, and opened it.
Lisa, Jennie, and Jisoo stood in her tiny apartment hallway, looking wildly out of place among the scuffed walls and flickering light fixtures. They were dressed casually—well, casually for them, which meant expensive sweaters and perfectly applied minimal makeup—and each held a coffee cup and a pastry bag.
Lisa smiled first, that same amused smile from the party. "Hi."
"Hi," Rosie whispered back.
Jennie's eyes swept over her, taking in the sweatpants, the messy hair, the general state of hangover-induced dishevelment. "You look... comfortable."
"She looks like she's dying," Jisoo corrected gently. "Which is fair. We brought caffeine."
They stood there for a long moment, four women in a doorway, the tension thick enough to cut with one of those fancy croissants.
And then Nayeon's voice cut through it all: "So... are we all going to stand here like idiots, or are we going to eat these pastries and discuss how my best friend accidentally kissed her way into the most powerful polycule in Seoul?"
Lisa laughed. Actually laughed, a bright, genuine sound that lit up her whole face.
"I like your friend," she said to Rosie.
"She's very loud," Rosie managed.
"We noticed." Jennie's lips twitched. "The whole building noticed."
Jisoo stepped forward, holding out a coffee cup. "Here. Drink. We have a lot to talk about, and it's better with caffeine."
Rosie took the coffee mechanically, her eyes still wide with disbelief.
Behind her, Momo was already reaching for a pastry bag.
And somewhere in the back of her mind, a tiny voice whispered: This is either the best thing that's ever happened to you, or the biggest disaster of your life.
Knowing Rosie's luck, it was probably both.
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END OF CHAPTER 2
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To be continued. Please vote and comment.