Chapter 7. What The Hell Is She Thinking? (1)

Translator: Lili

It was bad enough that she had suddenly become possessed, but the thought that she had almost died simply for rejecting Shin Sera’s fate was far too cruel. Consciously, Sera refused to entertain that possibility.

Attempting to escape again the moment she was discharged had been an act of sheer defiance—an unwillingness to accept her fate. But despairingly, the result was the same. After finding herself hospitalized for the third time, she had no choice but to acknowledge the truth.

Escaping this damned drama was impossible.

In that case, the only option was to find a way to survive within the flow of the story. It was devastating, but she had to pull herself together from now on. After all, she was the only one who could save herself.

“First, let’s organize. Let’s get things straight.”

They say if you know your enemy and yourself, you can win every battle. There were three people Sera needed to be wary of from now on. The three male leads who were practically Lee Seonkyung’s personal guardians—Lee Rowoon, Cha Jaeheon, and Seo Jungwon.

Sera, drawing from her experience as an office worker, began jotting down notes.

(1) Lee Rowoon

Character Info: Heir to Sungwon Group and Shin Sera’s rival.
Original Story Route: Kicks Shin Sera out of Sungwon and orchestrates a staged car accident to cripple her.

(2) Cha Jaeheon

Character Info: Heir to Geumgang Group and Shin Sera’s fiancé.
Original Story Route: After breaking off the engagement, he frames Shin Sera for financial crimes by exposing Sungwon Group’s corruption.

(3) Seo Jungwon

Character Info: Heir to KM Group and Lee Seonkyung’s fiancé-to-be.
Original Story Route: Plays with Shin Sera like a toy when she approaches him, ultimately destroying her mentally and physically.

“Fuck, every single one of them leads to a destruction ending.”

Sera groaned, clutching her head. No immediate solution came to mind for how she was supposed to survive. All she had was a primal instinct telling her she had to avoid clashing with them at all costs.

If completely avoiding the male leads was impossible, then she had to improve her relationships with them before she reached an irreversible ending. She had no idea how to do that, though…

“…If it comes down to it, I’ll crawl on my belly if that’s what it takes to survive.”

Sera’s expression hardened with determination. If it was a matter of swallowing her pride and groveling, she was confident—her past life as Han Jia had been anything but smooth sailing.

From now on, she would keep her mouth shut, act docile, and behave as virtuously as possible. At the very least, that would prevent her from making any new enemies.

***

Reality, however, was far harsher than she had prepared herself for.

Shin Sera was an isolated island.

Sungwon Group’s headquarters stood proudly in the heart of Teheran-ro. Chairman Shin occupied the very top floor, with Lee Rowoon and Sungwon Construction below him, and Shin Sera and Sungwon Trading housed beneath them.

Since they worked in the same building, she occasionally ran into Chairman Shin, but each time, he treated her like she was invisible. Meanwhile, he would sometimes have lunch with Lee Rowoon, who wasn’t even his real son. The blatant favoritism was undeniable.

Madam Song was no better. She only saw Shin Sera as a means to keep Lee Rowoon in check, never showing the slightest sign of genuine concern for her daughter.

If even her so-called parents treated her that way, there was no need to mention Lee Rowoon’s hostility. Still, if she forced herself to be optimistic, he had saved her life once.

On the night of her first escape attempt, Lee Rowoon had been out on a walk when he happened to find her collapsed. He had taken her straight to Professor Kim. If not for him, she might have become a wandering ghost by now.

At the very least, Lee Rowoon wasn’t the kind of person to turn a blind eye to someone’s death. Even if that person was Shin Sera. That gave her the courage to approach him.

“Hey, Lee Rowoon.”

When Sera spotted Lee Rowoon at the office, she called out to him, hoping—if possible—to mend their relationship, even just a little. But the courage she had barely mustered immediately felt ridiculous. He stopped in his tracks as if she had just thrown filth at him.

“If you’re not busy, can we talk for a moment?”

Sera forced the kindest smile she could. She was intimidated by his blatant hostility, but she couldn’t back down now. Even as his expression soured further, she pressed on.

“Speak.”

His tone wasn’t friendly, but at least he was willing to listen. Taking a deep breath, Sera stepped closer and began.

“The other day, when I collapsed… you saved me, didn’t you? I don’t think I got to thank you properly… It’s late, but I just wanted to say I’m grateful.”

“…”

“I would’ve been in serious trouble if not for you. Thank you, Rowoon.”

Lee Rowoon’s eyes twisted into something grotesque.

“I thought I told you to cut the bullshit.”

“…Bullshit? I really do mean it. I know it’s hard to believe, but I’ve been reflecting a lot lately. Almost dying gave me a lot to think about.”

“…”

“I was too immature before, wasn’t I? I really wanted to say thank you… and that I’m sorry. That’s all.”

Sera finished her words with a smile, one filled with pure sincerity. Even to her own ears, it sounded genuine.

“Thank you and sorry?”

After a brief silence, Lee Rowoon slowly curled his lips into a smirk. He lowered his head slightly, bringing his lips close to her ear. As he spoke, his warm breath tickled her earlobe.

“You must be delusional. There was a CCTV in the garden.”

“…”

“If I had ignored you, it would’ve been negligence. I didn’t save you because I wanted to.”

His voice carried a thinly veiled regret, as if he truly wished he hadn’t intervened. Realizing that he had genuinely wanted Shin Sera dead, a chilling shiver ran down Sera’s spine.

“If you’re that grateful, next time, die somewhere out of sight.”

“…”

“Or just shut up and live like you’re already dead.”

… At the very least, she hadn’t thought he hated her enough to want her dead.

As if amused by her stunned silence, Lee Rowoon’s eyes curved slightly before he turned away without hesitation. It was only after he completely disappeared from view that Sera finally exhaled the breath she had been holding.

Is it really possible to mend this relationship?

Even after Lee Rowoon disappeared, Sera remained rooted in place for a long time, letting out a heavy sigh.

She had a feeling that the journey ahead would be far more difficult than she had anticipated.

***