As soon as I arrived at work, the atmosphere in the company was noisy.

“Such a post on the company bulletin board was a bit too much.”

From the moment I entered the lobby, I encountered many eyes glancing and whispering at Jae.

Jae briefly made a puzzled expression at the noticeably different atmosphere.

What’s going on?

Before she could even sit down, Han Su Bin from the neighboring desk pulled her chair over and looked at Jae.

“Jae.”

“Yes, Manager.”

“By any chance, did you post something on the company’s anonymous bulletin board?”

“A post? What post?”

As Jae looked back with a face that showed she knew nothing, Su Bin grabbed Jae’s wrist and quickly made her sit down.

Judging by Jae’s expression, she really seemed to know nothing.

Su Bin hurriedly accessed the [#Cha Myung Group Company Bulletin Board] and showed her a post from last night.

“Look at this, Jae.”

Title: I’m reporting ‘her’

“This is the post.”

She clicked on the main text with her mouse.

「 Hello. I agonized a lot before posting this.

Since joining the company, I have constantly been subjected to all kinds of mistreatment and mockery from someone in our team.

I even overheard gossip about me during a team gathering. Because of that incident, I’ve been suffering from insomnia every night and have recently started seeing a psychiatrist.

I sincerely hope that person submits their resignation to the company. To be honest, I wish they would disappear from my sight. 」

Jae’s heart was pounding so hard while reading that her chest ached.

“How does it seem after reading? To be honest, as soon as I read it, I suspected it might have been written by you.”

“…It really does seem like something I would write.”

“Right? That’s why everyone was in an uproar even though it’s anonymous. They’re saying it must be you.”

Anyone could see that the person who wrote the post was Han Jae herself.

Why would such a post be uploaded?

Who on earth would do such a thing…

Jae’s fingertips began to tremble slightly.

Han Su Bin, who had recently grown close to Jae, kept looking at her with sympathetic eyes.

“This caused such a commotion from the morning. Well, it’s been almost a month already, and suddenly a post like this appears… Oh, Manager Park.”

As Han Su Bin’s gaze turned forward, Jae’s head also turned in that direction.

Park Min Ju approached Jae with bloodshot eyes. Her shoulders began to tremble.

“Was my apology… really not sincere enough? I apologized to you. I said I was truly sorry and that I wouldn’t do it again!”

Su Bin quickly stood up and tried to calm Park Min Ju, but her voice filled with resentment shook the office.

“Why are you bringing this up now after a whole month has passed! I apologized and said I would keep quiet. How could you openly attack me like this!”

Her loud voice startled even the employees who had just arrived, making them glance this way curiously.

Jae stood up and said,

“This is all a misunderstanding, Manager.”

“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? You’re the one who posted anonymously on the company bulletin board! You targeted me with that post, didn’t you?”

“No, it wasn’t me. Why would I post something like that?”

No matter how much Jae denied it, the other woman continued to unleash her words with a reddened face.

“Because of that incident, I even missed out on a promotion! There was no need to bring up past issues again… How am I supposed to show my face at the company now! Because of you, Han Jae, I…”

Thud.

“Manager Park!”

“Manager!”

As Manager Park fainted, overcome by her own anger, Su Bin and Jae caught her as she fell.

* * *

Rumors spread quickly throughout the entire company.

The rumors grew, becoming greatly exaggerated in a negative direction, reaching a level that Jae could not handle.

An even bigger problem was that other employees were also whispering while looking at Jae.

Due to hurriedly eating while being conscious of others’ gazes, indigestion set in.

Jae pressed her solar plexus gently and exhaled deeply.

“Phew.”

Even after two weeks had passed, Jae’s name was still on everyone’s lips.

Jae stood in front of the vending machine, tapped her card, and pressed a button.

With a clunk, a bottle of water fell to the bottom, and Jae bent down to retrieve it.

“That person in front of the vending machine.”

“It’s unbelievable, really. When someone apologizes, you should accept it. Did she really have to target someone like that and drain their blood?”

“Exactly. I heard that Manager Park Min Ju couldn’t even come to work for days and even developed selective mutism.”

Once again, conversations about that incident floated around.

Jae gently pressed her chest with her small hand and furrowed her brow.

“Han Jae seems to be in a lot of pain.”

Cha Geon Hak’s gaze, leaning on the upper floor railing, was directed at Han Jae.

Kim Do Yoon, standing behind him, also reported every detail about her situation. Since the team gathering, Geon Hak seemed to be particularly interested in her, so Do Yoon reported on her daily life.

He wondered if what he was doing was wrong, but Geon Hak didn’t seem to dislike it either.

“I hear that Han Jae is struggling a lot due to the rumors related to Manager Park Min Ju.”

“I see. Her face looks terrible. How upsetting.”

He kept staring at her with his chin resting on his hand.

* * *

Jae, sitting on the emergency stairs, looked at the resignation letter in her hand.

“Sigh.”

She still had a mountain of debt and loans to repay.

As her chest area hurt again, Jae raised her hand to press gently on her chest and opened the water bottle cap.

With a cracking sound, the cap opened, and she took out the medicine she had put in her pocket. She tore open the envelope, poured it into her mouth at once, and drank water.

When she went to the hospital for a check-up, it turned out to be stress-induced gastritis. Some days, she couldn’t even breathe properly, which intensified the pain.

“Today seems to hurt more than other days.”

Jae checked her wristwatch.

12:50 PM. The emergency staircase was the only place where she could rest comfortably for a moment during lunch break, away from people.

She had tried hiding in the women’s restroom, on the rooftop, and in the female employee lounge, but this place was the most suitable for avoiding people’s gazes.

Hoo, don’t break down, Han Jae.

How did I even make it this far?

Just hang in there for three more months. Then, it will soon die down.

As it always has.

Jae’s eyes began to sting as she comforted herself alone. She clenched her fist tightly to prevent tears from falling.

This is nothing. Compared to six years ago, the present was somewhat bearable.

Jae took out her phone from her pocket and went into the messages. There were messages showing multiple exchanges with the security team.

However, there were still no clues as to who had done it.

Jae also tried not to let the rumors grow bigger.

She posted a correction on the company bulletin board, which was the source of the problem, and even asked the security team to track down the person who posted that message, but it all turned out to be in vain.

Jae got up from where she was sitting on the emergency stairs.

She opened the emergency staircase door and folded the resignation letter in her hand in half as she moved.

Jae’s steps, which had been moving while staring at the floor, came to a halt.

A pair of black straight-tip dress shoes blocked Jae’s path.

Jae’s head slowly rose.

“…”

“You don’t look well. Are you alright?”

At the sight of Cha Geon Hak in front of her, at his kind voice.

She bit the inside of her mouth and barely swallowed her tears.

Jae bowed her head in greeting.

“Thank you for your concern… Executive Director. I’m fine.”

Geon Hak also responded a beat slower to Jae, who said she was fine while looking not fine at all.

“I see.”

“Then, I’ll be going first.”

Jae, who had greeted him, moved while putting the resignation letter she was holding into her pocket.

Thud.

As the resignation letter that couldn’t fit into her slacks pocket fell straight to the floor, Cha Geon Hak’s gaze turned to the white envelope.

Jae hurriedly bent down, but his hand was faster.

Ah…

Cha Geon Hak picked up the envelope that had fallen to the floor first.

Three words written on the white envelope.

Re
sig
nation

The neat handwriting seemed to speak to her personality. Cha Geon Hak’s brow gradually furrowed.

Had that word always been such an irritating one?

It was the complete opposite of how he had happily accepted resignation letters from directors he didn’t like.

What is this…? This emotion.

Why is she submitting a resignation letter?

Was it that difficult?

Was it this painful?

“What is this? A resignation letter?”

“It’s not, Executive Director. If you could give it back…”

As Jae moved to snatch the resignation letter from his hand, he raised the letter high.

“If I give it back. Are you planning to submit a resignation letter?”

For some reason, his face was full of anger.

What did I do wrong again?

This time, no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand why he was angry.

“I’ll handle this.”

By handling it, does he mean he’s going to accept it?

That won’t do. I still need to work more.

Above all, I didn’t want to end it like this. I don’t want to run away like this.

“It’s a misunderstanding… Executive Director.”

His thick eyebrows twitched.

“A misunderstanding. Isn’t this Han Jae’s handwriting?”

“It is. But I really didn’t intend to…”

As Cha Geon Hak took a step forward, Jae’s lips closed. Her pupils trembled slightly as she faced him at close distance.

“It would be better not to think about resigning. I won’t allow that.”

“…Pardon?”

“Don’t resign, Han Jae.”

Her eyes opened wide. As if she had never intended to quit in the first place.

Ah, damn. I overreacted.

“I… think the same as you, Executive Director. I don’t want to quit.”

Geon Hak looked at Han Jae in front of him. Her shoulders trembled slightly.

“Everyone says I’ve tarnished the company’s image, but…”

“Who says that? That Han Jae has tarnished the company’s image. I don’t think so.”

“…”

“We need employees like Han Jae who work hard and diligently without complaint. So please continue to work hard as you have been. That’s enough.”

Jae’s emotions welled up at his words. As always, he was a source of strength for her.

Jae bowed her head and greeted him.

“Thank you, Executive Director…”

As she moved, Geon Hak stared intently at her retreating figure.

“Sigh, I intervened again.”

He couldn’t bear to watch Han Jae leave. He disliked seeing that.

He stared fixedly at where Jae had disappeared, then put the resignation letter he was holding into his suit’s inner pocket. Then he took out his phone.

With a short dial tone, Do Yoon’s voice was heard.

― Yes, Executive Director.

“Secretary Kim, find the person who posted on the company bulletin board right now.”