“Take this money and leave my Cheol” she asserted, with her arms crossed before her chest and a cold look marking her expression.

The other woman in front of her felt humiliated. Her eyebrows knit together in unpleasantness. Shin Min-young stared at the bag full of money and her fingers curled into fists.

“I won't,” Min-young said with determination.

Park Seo-yeon grimaced and took a step forward. “What? You won't?”

Min-young shook her head, standing there and trying not to be intimidated by the lady in front of her.

“How dare you! I am being nice to you, Shin Min-young, and you should be grateful for that. I have other ways to deal with cheap people like you!”

“I think you…have misunderstood me—”

Min-young was cut in the midsentence by Seo-yeon. “There's no misunderstanding! I know women like you very well who find ways to seduce my Cheol. You know what, you shouldn't have stepped in when you knew CHEOL IS MINE.”

Min-young was intimidated by her and she took a step back. Whatever allegations the woman was throwing at her, it was all a lie. She wanted to say it to her, but the lady wasn't giving her any chance.

“I'm saying this again. Take this 5 million won and leave my Cheol. It will be better if you just disappear from this city” Seo-yeon said coldly, hatred oozing out from her. Her skin was simmering to be standing near her. ‘This woman who was neither beautiful nor rich, how did she think she could stand beside Cheol? How foolish! ’ she thought.

“I'm sorry, but I will not take the money. I love him and so does he—

Seo-yeon shouted in anger. “No! He doesn't love you!” She doesn't want to believe that the man she has loved all her life loves someone else. Even the thought made her grind her teeth.

Out of rage, Seo-yeon grabbed the collar of Min-young's shirt and threatened her. “Listen, Shin Min-young, my Cheol doesn't love you. So it will be better if you simply leave or else you don't want to get your name tarnished, right?”

Min-young bit her lip and looking straight into her eyes, she spoke, “He loves me. I am his girlfriend.”

A loud slap came across Min-young's face. She was shocked and it took her some moments to realize she was being hit. Her lips trembled and her eyes were frightened.

Seo-yeon glared at her with hatred. “Don't you ever say such things from your dirty mouth!” She grabbed Min-young's hair and tugged it down. Min-young hissed in pain and tears made her eyes hazy.

“L-leave me… leave my hair” she pleaded, but Seo-yeon tugged it more roughly.

“It will be better if you just die” she spits venom and Min-young believed that she wasn't joking.

It was at that moment when the man for whom the fight was going on entered. His black hair was in a mess and his eyes panicked to see Min-young getting bullied by Seo-yeon.

“Seo-yeon, let go of her!” he thundered and advanced towards them. Seo-yeon instantly let go of her and she was a little panicked to see him there.

Min-young felt relieved and when Seung-cheol asked her if she was okay or not, she buried her face in his chest. She was scared. Seung-cheol comforted her gently, rubbing his palm on her back. The scene made Seo-yeon's skin burn with jealousy and the hatred she had for Min-young intensified. Seo-yeon thought to herself that Seung-cheol has never treated her the way he was treating Min-young. He has never shown such tenderness towards her. Her heart ached to watch him do to someone else.

“Cheol, what are you doing?” she demanded in objection.

His gentle demeanor changed when he lifted his eyes at her. His icy gaze could freeze her and Seo-yeon was aware of it.

He wiped Min-young's tears and told her to stand behind him while he dealt with Seo-yeon.

“What is all this?” he demanded, scowling at the bag full of money.

Seo-yeon didn't want him to see all this. She still kept her chin high and said in a warm tone, completely different from the one she used with Min-young. “Cheol, I'm just trying to save you from her. She” she pointed her index finger at Min-young. “She doesn't love you. I offered her the money and she readily accepted to leave you for it.”

“I didn't! Why are you lying?” Min-young defended herself. Seo-yeon ignored her and went on with her lie. She was ready to go to any extent to kick this woman out of Cheol's life.

“It's reasonable why you are lying now. Cheol, she did say she would take the money and leave you.”

Seung-cheol directed his head to Min-young and a small sneer appeared on Seo-yeon's face. She assumed he wouldn't believe Min-young and throw her out himself.

However, he didn't do any of that. Instead, he said, “You don't have to give any explanation, Min-young. I believe in you.” Seo-yeon's smile slipped and she was shocked to hear what he said. He returned his cold gaze to Seo-yeon and continued, “And I also know what kind of person you are.”

Seo-yeon gulped, taken aback by his words. “Wh-what do you mean?”

Seung-cheol sighed in disappointment. “When will you grow up, Seo-yeon?”

Seo-yeon didn't understand what he meant. She tried to hold his hand by taking a step toward him, but Seung-cheol told her not to touch him. A hurt expression marked her face when he acted rude to her. It wasn't the first time. Seo-yeon doesn't remember the last time he had smiled at her or even showered care for her. It was often him giving her the cold shoulder and chastising her.

“I have been tolerating your actions but you have crossed all limits. You tried to hurt Min-young, and I cannot accept that!” he bellowed, his voice the only sound that could be heard inside the hotel room.

Seo-yeon flinched, her eyes wavering. ‘Why? Why every time?’ she thought, biting the skin of her lower lip and her nails digging deep into her pale skin.

“You are yelling at me because of this lowly piece of trash? Cheol, what happened to you?” she implored.

Seung-cheol raised his index finger at her. “Shut up, Seo-yeon. She is the woman I love. She is my girlfriend so think before you speak, you understand?”

Seo-yeon's blood boiled hearing the truth. “No! You don't love her. She is not your girlfriend! She can't be your girlfriend! Only I can be your girlfriend! Only I—”

“That's your problem, Seo-yeon. You simply don't want to accept the truth. I have clearly told you that I don't love you. I'm well aware of your tricks but I never threw the shades on you, because I thought one day you will grow up and understand. But I don't think that day is ever going to come.”

Her heart cracked at his words. “I know you love me!” she yelled frantically, cupping his face in her palms. “We are childhood sweethearts, Cheol. I have always loved you and-and I know you love me too! You are just distracted by this woman!”

Seung-cheol removed her hands from his face in displeasure. “I'm not distracted. You are living in a delusion, Seo-yeon. I have always seen you as my little sister… cared for you but you were never satisfied.”

“Sister?” she hissed in rage. “Are you kidding me, Cheol?” He kept his expression serious. Seo-yeon felt like tearing apart everything inside the room. She snapped her head in Min-young's direction. Min-young tensed in alertness. “Did she tell you to say this to me? Huh? You little bitch!” Even before the words left her mouth, Seo-yeon charged at Min-young, but Seung-cheol came in between and pushed her back. Seo-yeon fell on the ground on her stump.

When Seung-cheol showed affection towards Min-young, her heart was shattering into pieces slowly. She couldn't watch him with someone else. It hurts her.

Tears slid from her eyes, but she chose not to cry. Seung-cheol glared at her with intense animosity, making Seo-yeon want to hide somewhere. “Stop testing my patience, Seo-yeon! Or else I'll forget we were even friends!”

Seo-yeon said with an upset face, “I love you, Cheol. I love you so much…you can't even imagine. Why can't you love me back?”

Seung-cheol showed no compassion or mercy to her. With his hands in his pants pockets, he uttered the words that shook Seo-yeon completely. “Love? You are incapable of loving someone, Seo-yeon. Even if I do love you, you won't be satisfied, because you know why? You are a selfish, self-centered, and ill-tempered woman!”

“Oppa…” Min-young opened her mouth to stop him from saying such harsh words to Seo-yeon, but Seung-cheol motioned for her to not say anything.

Seo-yeon's heart broke completely. She stared at Seung-cheol in horror and in utter shock, unable to say anything. “I don't want to waste any more time with you so I hope you have understood not to disturb me or my girlfriend.” Those were the last words she heard before he left her in that room alone.