Vyora stared at the gleaming building across the street, an upscale bar known for its glamorous atmosphere. However, she was going to a different place, one she had already planned.
Today was Vyora and her boyfriend's anniversary, a day that should have been beautiful.
Vyora meticulously prepared for it all. She chose her most stunning dress, prepared a special gift, and waited eagerly for Noah's arrival.
However, all those plans were shattered when Vyora's eyes caught sight of a very familiar figure entering the bar.
It was Noah.
Vyora was shocked. She stared at Noah with disbelief. He was walking and talking with a woman with long blonde hair. The woman was laughing merrily and clinging affectionately to Noah's arm.
"Noah?" Vyora murmured, her voice trembling.
Without waiting any longer, Vyora walked towards the bar. She wanted to make sure what was happening. She wanted to hear an explanation from Noah. However, as she entered the bar, all of Vyora's hopes crumbled.
Noah was kissing the woman.
Vyora held back her anger. She was deeply hurt and furious. She felt betrayed and lied to.
Without hesitation, Vyora grabbed a bottle of beer from a nearby table, without checking who owned it, and doused Noah with it.
"You bastard!" Vyora screamed, her voice trembling with anger.
Noah turned around sharply with a surprised expression. Instead of apologizing, he grabbed Vyora's arm tightly. "What are you doing, Vyora?!" he roared.
"We were supposed to have dinner together today, Noah! But what is this? Why are you cheating on me?"
Noah immediately dragged Vyora out of the bar. He forcibly took her to a small alley behind the bar.
"Don't interfere! This is none of your business!" Noah yelled, shoving Vyora's hand away.
"I'm your girlfriend, Noah! You dare to cheat on me! This is definitely my business!" Vyora screamed, tears continuously falling.
Noah clamped his hand firmly on Vyora's jaw. The man's eyes glared fiercely. "Shut up! I'm sick of your whining!"
Vyora flinched slightly. Immediately trying to free herself from Noah's grip. "Let me go! I hate you!"
Noah shoved Vyora's body against the wall. He brought his face closer. "You'll regret doing this to me," Noah whispered.
"Why are you like this? You've changed, Noah. You know you're hurting me."
Noah gritted his teeth, then released his grip, but his gaze remained cold and piercing. "Fine, I'll be honest with you. I just want a woman who's exciting and can enjoy life. You're too naive and boring. I can't keep being with you."
Those words from Noah hit Vyora's heart like shards of glass. Vyora stared at Noah with a disappointed look. She couldn't believe that the man she loved could have shattered her heart.
"What? I'm boring?" Vyora asked, her voice trembling.
"Yes, you're boring," Noah replied nonchalantly. "You're too good and obedient. I want a woman who can challenge me, someone who can make my life more colorful."
Vyora wiped away her tears roughly. Her chest felt tight. She felt heartbroken and humiliated. She couldn't accept the fact that Noah could speak so cruelly.
"But I truly love you, Noah," Vyora said softly.
"The love you give is boring," Noah replied cynically. "I want something more than that. You even always refuse to kiss me. That's so annoying. So, it's better to end things here. I'm tired."
Vyora looked at Noah with a gaze filled with disappointment. She clenched her fists. She lowered her head and smiled wryly. She felt it was pointless to continue pleading with a man who had fallen for another woman.
"Alright. You're right. I'll go. I hope you're happy, Noah." Vyora turned around quickly. She wanted to get away from Noah as soon as possible.
Vyora walked away with heavy steps. She felt shattered. She couldn't believe that her love affair with Noah would end so miserably.
"You're so cruel and awful, Noah."
Unconsciously, Vyora's steps led her back in front of the bar. Her anger boiled up inside her.
***
Vyora immediately entered the bar. She found an empty table and sat down hastily. "Give me the strongest drink you have!" she demanded of the bartender.
This was Vyora's first time drinking. All this time, she always tried to be a good girl, so that Noah wouldn't cheat and would stay in love with her. She avoided alcohol, avoided places like this for the sake of her health.
But tonight, Vyora shed all her good qualities. She wanted to feel free, to forget all the sadness and disappointment.
Vyora downed the drink quickly. A burning sensation rushed down her throat. She felt dizzy and nauseous. But she continued to gulp the drink to vent her pent-up emotions. She didn't care if her throat could explode.
"One more!" Vyora yelled at the bartender. She rudely tossed her glasses onto the table.
Vyora kept drinking until she was drunk. She danced in the middle of the flashing lights, sang loudly to the loud music, even talked to people she didn't know at all.
"Noah, you bastard! I hate you! The cruelest man in the world is you, Noah! You're a devil-hearted human!" Vyora screamed.
She danced wildly. She felt free. She felt that nothing could stop her.
"I'm going to enjoy my own life! I can live without you, Noah!" she shouted, laughing and full of tears.
Vyora kept dancing until she fell to the floor. She tried to stand up, but her balance was gone. The wild laughter that had erupted earlier was now replaced by weary sighs.
"Ouch," she mumbled, trying to find something to hold onto.
Suddenly, a strong hand pulled her up. Vyora vaguely looked at the man in front of her. The man was handsome and wore a black suit.
"Are you okay?" the man asked, his voice gentle.
Vyora stared at the man with an empty gaze. She felt dizzy and weak. "Yes. I'm fine."
The man pulled Vyora to an empty chair and helped her sit down. He looked at Vyora's face, flushed with intoxication. His gaze seemed meaningful.
"You look beautiful when you're angry," the man whispered, running his hand along Vyora's waist.
Vyora flinched slightly. She immediately pulled the man's hand away and looked at him sharply.
"Who are you?"
"Leo," the man replied, smiling sweetly. "I'm your friend."
Vyora looked at the man named Leo with suspicion. She didn't believe that Leo was her friend.
"I don't know you," Vyora said firmly.
"You're drunk, Darling. So you forgot about me." Leo smiled, continuing to stare at Vyora intensely.
Vyora took a deep breath. She held her head, which felt dizzy. Her body suddenly felt weak. She couldn't think clearly.
"Take your hand off me. I want to go home."
"I'll take you home," Leo replied. "Let me help you."
Vyora looked at Leo with a hesitant gaze. She didn't trust him. But she also couldn't walk home alone.
"Alright," Vyora said, resigned. She just wanted to leave that place.
Leo smiled, then helped Vyora to her feet and led her out of the bar. He guided her towards his car.
"Get in."
"You know my house?"
Leo simply smirked, gazing at Vyora with an unreadable look. He pointed to the car with his chin.
"Of course. You'll be safe with me."
?
Leo's car stopped in front of a luxurious hotel. Neon lights illuminated the magnificent building, momentarily stunning Vyora. However, her vision was blurred. She forgot to put on her glasses, which were probably left behind at the bar.
Leo helped Vyora get out of the car. He guided her inside the hotel. Vyora simply obeyed, her mind in disarray.
Leo had already booked the best room. He brought Vyora inside the room. Vyora was confused as her body was laid down on the bed.
"Hey, what's the meaning of this? Where am I?" Vyora asked, confused. She looked around, everything seemed foreign to her.
Leo sat down at the edge of the bed, gently stroking Vyora's face. "Don't you understand, darling? I'm collecting a debt from you."
"What? A debt?"
"Yes, a debt," Leo replied, nodding.
"You splashed your drink on me earlier. It was an expensive drink, and my favorite. So you have to pay for it."
Vyora instantly remembered the incident. She felt guilty. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any money now. I... I spent all my money buying that beer."
Leo chuckled, his fingers adjusting Vyora's messy bangs. "You're funny, Darling. Don't you know I can ask for compensation in something else?"
Vyora looked at Leo with a questioning gaze. She felt something was wrong. But her brain was struggling to think.
"What's that?"
"Easy. Just sleep with me," Leo replied with a charming smile.
Vyora's eyes widened slightly. Her hand unconsciously gripped the sheet tightly. She was honestly afraid, but suddenly felt disgusted with herself. Because she had held onto her purity all this time.
So, there was no harm in wanting to experience that feeling. She wanted to release all the sadness and disappointment that had attacked her heart.
"I'll do it," Vyora answered after a long silence.
Vyora closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. She thought that this was her chance to let go of all the pain.
"After this, I don't want to be involved with any man," Vyora whispered to herself. "So, it's better to lose my innocence to this stranger. At least I won't see him again."
Vyora took a deep breath. She had to be strong. She had to get through this difficult time. She was an adult. No one could help her but herself.
Leo smiled triumphantly. He moved closer to Vyora. His hand pulled Vyora's neck, then kissed her lips softly. Then he pulled his face away for a moment.
"You won't regret it, Darling. I'll make you feel better," Leo whispered right next to Vyora's ear.
The woman closed her eyes and surrendered to Leo. She wanted to forget all the sadness and disappointment she had just experienced.
Leo pulled Vyora into his arms. He rubbed her waist slowly and kissed Vyora more passionately.
That night, Vyora spent a passionate night with Leo. She surrendered to the man she didn't know, unaware that he was actually her boss at the office. She also didn't know that it was Leo who had brought her glasses, left behind at the bar earlier.
Leo deliberately didn't tell Vyora who he was. He enjoyed the game. He felt an immense satisfaction seeing Vyora surrender to him.
Leo continued to kiss Vyora, gently at first, then roughly. He had been holding back all this time. Ever since he saw the woman apply for a job at his company, he had been looking forward to this moment.
"You're so beautiful, darling," Leo whispered, tracing Vyora's body with his hand.
Vyora closed her eyes and tried to enjoy the moment. She felt something different about herself.
"You know? I've actually been holding back all this time." Leo kissed Vyora's neck and left a mark there.
Vyora bit her lower lip. She held back the sound she didn't want to let out.
"You're beautiful and perfect," Leo praised, kissing Vyora's hair.
Vyora's heart pounded. She felt nervous and tense. This was the first time she'd felt this way.
"I want you to be completely mine," Leo whispered, gazing into Vyora's eyes.
***
The morning felt incredibly heavy for Vyora. Her head pounded, her memories spinning like a broken cassette tape. All she could recall was being dumped by Noah and getting drunk.
Now, waking up in a luxurious room with no clothes on, Vyora felt shocked and confused. She looked around the quiet room.
"Where am I? Who brought me here?" Vyora mumbled, biting her lip. After a few moments, she finally remembered something.
Vyora then laughed, "Ah, right. I finally shed my status as a good girl."
Vyora quickly put on her clothes and left the room. She walked downstairs at a quick pace, slightly annoyed that her glasses were missing due to her own carelessness.
As she reached the hotel lobby, she was surprised to see a taxi waiting for her.
"This is your cab, Miss," the taxi driver said with a friendly smile.
Vyora looked at the taxi driver with a questioning gaze. She couldn't remember when she ordered the taxi. She hadn't even opened her phone since waking up.
"Who ordered this taxi?" Vyora asked.
"Mr. Leo," the taxi driver answered.
Vyora's eyes widened in surprise. She tried to recall the name Leo. And what came to mind was the man who had helped her last night.
"Leo?" Vyora murmured.
She admitted that she couldn't refuse the taxi offer. She remembered spending all her money last night. She had to get home. So she couldn't possibly walk.
Not long after, Vyora arrived at her small apartment. She immediately showered and got ready for work.
As she arrived at the office, she heard whispers from people mocking her relationship with Noah. They knew because they were also at the bar last night, when Vyora caught Noah cheating.
"Poor Vyora, dumped by Noah," whispered one short-haired employee.
"It's understandable to me. Vyora isn't right for Noah. That man is handsome and rich. He's not on the same level as Vyora, who's from the countryside and poor," whispered another employee wearing bright red lipstick.
"It must be because Vyora is too innocent, so Noah got bored with her. Men always want interesting women," added a male employee.
Vyora held back her frustration. She really wanted to explain everything. She wanted to tell them about the crime Noah had committed. But her lips wouldn't speak.
"Vyora, are you okay?" asked Grace, her friend who sat at the desk next to her.
"Yes, I'm fine," Vyora replied, clenching her hands under the table.
Vyora tried to hold back her frustration for a while. But they didn't stop whispering and staring at her. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer. Her anger exploded. Vyora stood up and glared at all the employees there.
"Hey, listen! You're wrong! Noah is the one who's rude! He cheated on me with another woman! I was cheated on! And you should know that it's not me who's not good enough for him, but he's the one who's not on the same level as me!" Vyora screamed, catching her breath.
Everyone was shocked. They couldn't believe that Vyora could speak so loudly. All this time, Vyora was known to be quiet and never showed emotions in front of others.
"Noah is a jerk!" Vyora repeated loudly. "He's not a good man!"
Everyone fell silent. They looked at Vyora with a variety of gazes. But then, they turned back to their computers. They resumed their work.
"Hey. I didn't expect you to talk that loudly. You're pretty cool," said Grace, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
Vyora let out a long sigh after sitting back down. "I don't want to be belittled anymore. I'm sick of it."
"That's a good decision. I'll believe you, Vyora."
"Thank you. You've always supported me," Vyora replied, smiling. She felt lucky to have a friend like Grace.
The break finally arrived. Vyora had just finished her work and felt relieved. As she was about to have lunch, Grace called her and told her that Vyora was being called to the boss's office.
Vyora furrowed her brow, confused. She didn't feel she had done anything wrong. But even so, she rushed off because she was afraid of making her boss angry. With a pounding heart, Vyora knocked on the boss's door.
"Come in," Leo answered from inside, his voice calm but slightly firm.
Vyora entered, finding Leo sitting behind his desk. Leo smiled, a smile that made Vyora suddenly feel uncomfortable.
"Vyora, have a seat." Leo pointed to the chair in front of him. Vyora quickly sat down, her heart pounding.
Leo pulled out a small box from his desk drawer. "This is for you," he said, offering her the box.
Vyora opened it, finding a box of medicine. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Headache medicine?"
Leo chuckled softly. Then he took something out of his drawer and handed it to Vyora. A pair of round glasses. Vyora's eyes immediately widened. It was definitely her glasses! The glasses she lost last night.
"These glasses... they're mine." Vyora covered her mouth, holding back her shock. She began to understand. The hazy memories of last night started to come back to her.
Leo smirked slightly. "Now you remember? You enjoyed it last night, didn't you? I still remember your expression clearly."
Vyora's face flushed red. She lowered her head, feeling ashamed and regretful. She had made a fatal mistake. Sleeping with her own boss? It was something she never imagined before. Vyora truly wanted to dive into the ocean right now.
Leo continued, "How are you feeling now? Haven't you had lunch yet?"
Vyora could only lower her head even further. She couldn't say anything. Deep regret filled her heart. Everything felt like a nightmare she didn't want.
"I'm fine. You called me, so I haven't had time to eat." Vyora couldn't bring herself to look at the man.
Leo bit his lip, holding back a chuckle, then nodded. "I understand. Now you can go. Enjoy your lunch and don't think about me."
Vyora's face felt hot. "Okay, I'll leave then. Thank you for the medicine."
***
Vyora was having lunch alone at her desk. Normally, she ate with gusto, but now she couldn't stop thinking about what had happened earlier. When Vyora discovered the fact that Leo Theodore had slept with her.
"You're absolutely crazy, Vyora. How could you spend a hot night with that man?" Vyora started talking to herself, feeling uneasy.
She wiped her face with her palm. Last night's events still felt so real, every touch, every whisper, and every one of Leo's enigmatic gazes.
"What was I thinking last night? What was my expression? Did I look like a stupid woman? I don't know how long I'll have to endure the shame of seeing him."
Vyora looked at the glasses she had taken off, sighing wearily for a moment. Then she closed her lunchbox.
"I hope he forgets about that night soon. But when I saw his smile earlier, I felt uneasy. Why did he seem perfectly fine?"
Vyora sighed in annoyance, covering her face with both hands. "He should have scolded me until I cried. But instead, he gave me medicine."
"Wait, isn't that strange?" Vyora suddenly uncovered her face. Her eyebrows furrowed, feeling puzzled.
"Why did he want to sleep with me? I was just drunk that night, he should have taken me home. Or at least let me sleep in the hotel if he didn't know my house."
Vyora put her glasses back on. "But... why? Is that his hidden nature? Because all this time he has always been cold to female employees. What if, behind that, he is actually a man who likes to sleep with a lot of women?"
Vyora tried to think back to the events of that night. Even though she couldn't remember anything in the end, she was too drunk to hear clearly. But Vyora was sure the man had said something to her.
"You're so bad, Vyora. He's your boss. You shouldn't think badly of him." Vyora immediately shook her head and dismissed her previous assumptions.
"It's better for me to think of how to apologize properly."
***
Vyora was lost in thought in the elevator, staring at her reflection in the elevator mirror. "What should I say later?"
Suddenly, the elevator door opened. Leo stood in front of her, looking at Vyora with an unreadable expression. Vyora was stunned for a few seconds before averting her gaze. Leo walked into the elevator and stood beside her.
Vyora immediately lowered her head and bit her lower lip, not daring to look up. Vyora didn't understand why they were meeting there. And why at the moment when Vyora had just been thinking about him? Although Vyora felt that now was the right time.
In the silence, Vyora took a deep breath. "Um, sorry, Mr. Leo. I... I regret last night's events."
"Why are you apologizing?" Leo asked, his voice sounding cold. "Because I enjoyed that night."
Vyora was shocked, but she tried to stay calm. "I'm sorry. But I... I don't remember anything."
"Don't remember? Or you don't want to remember?" Leo smirked slightly.
Vyora lowered her head even more, feeling a mixture of emotions. She didn't expect Leo to act like that. Leo wasn't the boss she had known all this time.
"I apologize," Vyora said, fidgeting with her fingers. "I don't want to lose my job. I hope you can forget about that night."
"Why should I forget it?" Leo moved closer to Vyora. "Didn't you get cheated on by Noah?"
Vyora was shocked and instinctively lifted her face. She turned. "What do you mean?"
"You've been dating Noah for a year, haven't you?" Leo looked intently at Vyora's face, as if piercing through her eyes.
"And it turns out he hurt you. You were cheated on by that jerk."
Vyora flinched slightly. "How do you know?"
"You should repay Noah for his actions. Use me, Vyora. Let Noah regret what he did. You don't deserve to be hurt by that man."
Vyora shook her head, immediately pulling back. "I don't understand what you're talking about."
Leo held Vyora's waist and smiled sweetly. "I'll help you forget Noah."
Vyora's eyes widened. Her body tensed. "I-"
"You won't lose your job," Leo replied with a charming smile. "But, you have to follow my words."
"If you truly want to apologize, then don't refuse my offer," Leo whispered, smirking.
Vyora remained silent, unable to answer. She didn't expect Leo to act like that. She never thought Leo would take advantage of the mistake that happened last night.
"I hope you'll enjoy my offer, Vyora." Leo tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
Then the elevator door opened. Leo moved away. He walked out of the elevator backward, with a charming smile.
"See you later, Darling."