After returning from Yeosu, Joo started contacting the advertising agency JIN.

She spent a busy day organizing the extensive resort data and desired advertising concepts.

Mi, who was sitting next to Joo as she stretched her stiff shoulders, asked, “Are you taking breaks while working on it?”

“If I rest, I don’t think I’ll be able to finish it all within the deadline.”

“You have a husband who can support you even if you don’t work. Take it easy.”

Knowing Mi was referring to Do Hyun, Joo just smiled silently.

Since the only thing she would have left after divorcing Do Hyun in two years was her job, she was working even more diligently.

It was almost time to get off work, but Joo was still absorbed in her work.

With a meeting with the advertising agency in three days, working overtime was practically confirmed.

As soon as it turned 6 o’clock, Joo’s cell phone on her desk rang briefly.

Still keeping her eyes fixed on the documents, Joo pulled her cell phone over.

Putting down the pen she was holding, she checked the message on the screen.

The person who sent the message was her sister-in-law, Nam Seung Hee.

[Gangnam E Department Store]

There were no additional words.

It was a message all too familiar to Joo.

Joo, who got up with her cell phone, left the office.

As soon as she pressed the call button and brought it to her ear, Seung Hee’s high-pitched voice rang out.

[You can just come, why are you calling. I’m busy shopping right now. I’m hanging up.]

Seung Hee fired off what she had to say and hung up.

Joo didn’t show any sign of surprise at the call that was unilaterally cut off.

It was possible because it wasn’t the first time Seung Hee had looked down on her.

Joo pressed the call button again with her face still holding composure.

[Ah, what! Again!]

What Nam Seung Hee hated the most was having her shopping time interrupted.

Even though she knew that, Joo had something she had to say.

“Sister-in-law, I’m not done with work yet. Can I go next time?”

[I’m the one who decides next time, why are you deciding that.]

An annoyed voice rang out loudly even to the hallway outside the office.

She knew the reason she was called was to act as a porter.

After all, she had been doing that porter job diligently for a year since marrying Do Hyun.

If the porter who comes when called and goes when told to has a lot to say, of course she would be angry.

“I have an important meeting. I need some time to wrap up that work.”

[Is that my business? Come within 30 minutes. If you don’t come, I’ll call mom.]

Seung Hee knew that the person Joo feared the most was Park Young Ran.

When Seung Hee hung up first again this time, the hand holding the cell phone fell weakly into the air.

It was obvious that even if she called again, it wouldn’t work on Seung Hee at all.

Now was the time to fulfill her duties as a wife.

***

“For these shoes, is white better or black better for me?”

“I think white suits you better, sister-in-law.”

Since she didn’t know when they would change locations, Joo was holding shopping bags in both hands.

Seung Hee, who was standing in front of a full-length mirror, took off the black shoes she was wearing on her right foot and handed them to the store clerk.

“Give me the black ones.”

Ignoring Joo’s opinion, Seung Hee chose black instead of white.

Seung Hee smirked and looked Joo up and down as if looking at something trivial.

“Your taste is shit, so you think I would choose that? I should choose the opposite.”

The store clerk spoke to Seung Hee, who was sitting on a blue velvet sofa, in a small voice.

“This morning, a limited edition shoe for the season came in just one pair in your size. Shall I show you that?”

“Oh my. Why are you telling me this now? Hurry and bring it.”

Seung Hee quickly took off the shoes she was wearing and threw them.

The store clerk quickly brought the shoes in front of Seung Hee, who was humming.

When she opened the white box, shoes made of beige leather sparkled.

Seung Hee quickly took out the shoes and put them on her feet, admiring their beautiful appearance.

“They’re made of calfskin, so they’re comfortable to wear, and the shape is really nice, so they’ll look pretty no matter how you style them.”

“They’re perfect for me. Give me these too.”

“I will prepare them right away.”

The store clerk who took the shoes to the counter tied a pink ribbon around the box and put it in a paper bag.

And as she always did, she familiarly handed it to Joo.

As soon as they left the store, Seung Hee ordered Joo.

“I’m thirsty. Get me an iced Americano.”

“I’ll go buy it. Can you hold these for a moment?”

When Joo held out the shopping bags, Seung Hee gave her a contemptuous look.

“Why would I hold that? That’s for you to carry.”

Seung Hee went into another store, glaring, and Joo had no choice but to head to the coffee shop, huffing and puffing.

After struggling to place the order, Joo took a short breath and tapped her shoulders with her fists.

“One iced Americano you ordered is ready.”

Joo, who had caught her breath, pushed the bag straps up to her elbows and took the coffee.

The paper bags hit her knees with every step, but she had no time to pay attention to it. She just hoped this shopping would end soon.

When Joo saw Seung Hee heading into a luxury jewelry brand store, she became anxious.

How absent-minded she must have been to not even notice someone popping out next to her and only moving her feet in a hurry.

In the end, Joo, who was walking in a hurry, bumped shoulders with someone who came out of the store next to her.

The moment she realized it, the coffee she was holding spilled forward, and the shopping bags she was holding fell to the floor.

The bags that fell to the floor were not the problem.

The problem was the coffee that soaked Seung Hee’s white dress.

“Ahhh! My clothes!!!”

People’s attention was drawn to the shout, but Seung Hee was still excitedly stomping her feet.

“They said only three of these dresses were brought into the country!”

“Thi- this, let’s wipe it off with this for now…”

Joo tried to wipe Seung Hee’s clothes with a handkerchief from her handbag.

But before it could even touch the collar, Seung Hee slapped the back of her hand, not allowing her to come close.

“Where are you putting that dirty thing? What are you going to do about this? How are you going to take responsibility!”

“I’m sorry. I bumped into you because I wasn’t looking ahead.”

A man stood in front of Seung Hee, who was throwing a tantrum like a child.

It was the man who had accidentally bumped into Joo.

Seung Hee’s face turned red as she loaded curses at the man.

“Eyes!”

She was about to spit out if he left them at home, but she swallowed it back.

‘Eyes, those eyes… they’re so my type though?’

When the softly curving eyes reached a state of rapture, Seung Hee even forgot why she was angry.

Seung Hee, who had been staring at the man’s eyes to the point of being rude, smiled awkwardly.

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt anywhere, right?”

Seung Hee examined the man, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“I’m fine. I will compensate for the clothes.”

“No, it’s okay. What’s more important than clothes?”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You said there are only three of these dresses in the country.”

“Nah. People are more precious than clothes. I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Seung Hee acted like the coolest person in the world, even waving both hands.

Thanks to the man who was exactly Seung Hee’s type, Joo was able to survive.

If it hadn’t been for the man, Joo would have suffered at the hands of Seung Hee for a full week.

The man asked, looking at Joo’s pale face.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh… yes. I’m sorry.”

Joo’s apology was delayed because of Seung Hee’s outburst.

Joo, who had been nodding her head a few times, belatedly picked up the paper bags that had fallen to the floor.

The man also picked up the paper bag that had fallen at his feet.

Seung Hee, who had been blinking her eyes too much, made eye contact with the man.

Seung Hee was about to open her mouth to try to get his phone number.

“Since you said there’s no problem, I’ll get going.”

The man gave Joo a brief nod and went on his way.

“Ah, wait a minute.”

Seung Hee, who saw the man passing by in front of her eyes, stretched out her hand, not knowing what to do.

But the man had already left through the department store gate.

In that moment, Seung Hee’s eyes were filled with regret as if she had fallen in love.

“Wasn’t he really handsome? How can a person look like that? It’s like he has stars in his eyes.”

Joo quietly looked at the back of the man visible through the glass door of the gate.

He was handsome enough for that level.

But if we’re talking about being handsome… isn’t my senior better?

More masculine, with bolder features, and more mature than him too.

‘Ah, stop talking nonsense. What am I saying now.’

Get your mind straight.

You seem to have lost some objectivity.

Joo, who closed her tired eyes tightly and opened them again, followed Seung Hee into the store.

***

Joo, who had been walking around the department store for three hours, finally arrived at Do Hyun’s family home in Samsung-dong.

Joo put down the shopping bags on the sofa, stretching her arms that felt like they would break at any moment.

Then, Seung Hee, who had changed into comfortable clothes upstairs, sat on the sofa and opened the shopping bags one by one.

“I’ll get going.”

Young Ran was sitting on the sofa, drinking tea with her head held high without a word of thanks for the hard work.

Since she didn’t expect a greeting, Joo straightened her bowed waist and turned her body.

“My shoes! The shoes are missing!”

Seung Hee, who had been rummaging through this bag and that bag like a madwoman, fainted.

Young Ran frowned at Seung Hee’s commotion and asked, “What shoes are you talking about?”

Seung Hee grabbed the brown men’s shoes in the box and snapped at Joo.

“Did you sell my limited edition shoes somewhere and put men’s shoes in here?”

“Wh- why is this here…”

“Why are you asking me that now!”

Leaving Seung Hee in a rage, Joo quickly retraced what had happened at the department store.

Then she remembered the man she had bumped into at the department store.

That man was also holding a paper bag from the brand that sold limited edition shoes.

‘They must have gotten switched then.’

The back of her head felt creepy.

Her confused eyes shifted to Seung Hee.

“I think they got switched when I bumped into the man at the department store earlier.”

“What? Are you trying to trick me now?”

Bang!

Unable to hold back her anger, Seung Hee hit Joo’s head with the shoes she was holding.

The impact that struck her head was so great that her tied-up hair came loose.

The moment Joo raised her hand and grabbed her throbbing head.

The closed front door opened and Nam Do Hyun entered.