Big Time Betrayal

We were both torn apart at the same time. And though we were walking on different streets, we shared the same pain. But unlike Jin Ho, I had someone I could share my pain with. And I was heading to his place.

That person was my boyfriend Min Ki. We had been dating for two years and I decided to pay him a visit in his studio apartment. After walking for over an hour, I got to his apartment. I rang the doorbell and waited for the door to unlock, but no one came to the door. Therefore, I decided to call him. Since I didn't have my phone with me, I called him through a phone booth in front of his apartment. "Min Ki", I said over the phone. "Where are you?" I asked and he replied: "I'm at home. Why do you ask?"

"Because I am standing in front of your apartment", I replied. But surprisingly, he exclaimed: "What? What are you doing there?"

"Please open the door", I made an earnest request.

He said: "Okay, I will. Just give me a minute."

A minute he said, but it took about five minutes for him to open the door after I had walked to his room.

"Amy, what are you doing here?" He asked right after opening the door. I stood at the door without making any movement. My hands were numb whilst my eyes were puffy and clouded with tears. Hence, it wasn't surprising when he asked: "Are you crying?"

Finally, a drop of tear fell down my cheek.

After confirming that I had withheld the tears, he asked: "Why are you crying?"

At that point, the gate of tears opened and the droplets poured out bountifully. I cried with all my strength as if this was my last cry. Min Ki drew closer to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. He wanted to comfort me, but I asked whilst sobbing: "Min Ki, am I cursed?"

He replied by asking: "No, what are you talking about? How can you be cursed? Who at all can even curse you?"

Despite his strong claim, I still asked: "Then, why does everything go wrong with me all the time?"

"What are you saying? Perhaps, something happened at work?" He asked using his discretion.

Still sobbing, I told him: "Min Ki, today I was supposed to receive a promotion…"

"Really? Congratulations! Is that why you are crying?" He asked.

I replied to him saying: "No. Instead of the promotion, I ended up quitting my job."

As soon as I said that, he took his hand off my shoulder and asked in an outrageous manner: "What? Are you crazy?"

"Hey, is that the first thing you had to say?" I asked him and he realized his mistake.

He now apologized: "Sorry. I'm sorry." After which he asked: "Why did you quit your job?"

I replied: "That's because I got fed up with all their empty promises. I couldn't take it anymore. They had played with my heart for so long that now I was tired of them."

"But still, did you have to quit?" He asked.

"I don't know. I just don't know. Though I quit, I don't know if I did the right thing or not. Min Ki, do you think I did the right thing?" I asked him.

In his mind, he said: "Not at all." But on the outside, he said: "Well, you were fed up with them so it's normal that you quit."

"Thanks", I was grateful.

I was a little okay now but after I recalled what happened again, I muttered: "If only that jerk didn't work there. That jerk. That jerk!" I exclaimed and resumed the tear ceremony once again.

"Amy, it's okay. Don't cry", Min Ki said and brought me into his arms. He then asked: "Who exactly is that jerk and what did he do to you?"

"The Managing Director", I replied and continued: "He was the one who promised to give me a promotion but told me that I should continue to be on reserve."

"The Managing Director? Do you mean Crexe's Managing Director?" he asked just to affirm his assumption.

"Yes", I replied. His face dropped as he was startled by my answer. But trying to keep his cool, he pretended that everything was okay.

"Oh my gosh! That's so unfair", he said in my defense. Drawing me back, he placed both hands on my shoulders and said: "Amy listen. You don't need to cry over jerks like him, okay?"

"I don't?" I asked back.

"Not at all. People like him should be cursed, they don't deserve our hard earned tears", he replied and wiped the tears on my face.

Accepting what he just said, I replied: "You're right. I don't need to cry over a jerk like him."

"That's right", he affirmed his statement yet again and finally said to me: "Come inside and make yourself comfortable."

I entered his simple yet well kept studio apartment. After I had sat on a sofa, he asked me: "Should I get you a cup of coffee?"

"Yes, that would be great. Thanks", I replied. It felt so nice to have a boyfriend I could rely on. As he was gone, I stood up and walked towards the wardrobe. He soon returned and said: "Babe, here's your cup of coffee."

However, his hand was trembling whilst holding the cup of coffee. This made me ask him: "Min Ki, why is your hand trembling so much? Do you have a hand tremor?"

He chuckled in reply saying: "No, it's just that I was picking something from the freezer before you came in. Seems like the freezing effect is still on me."

"Ah, I see. Then shouldn't you wear something warm?" I asked. I then looked at the wardrobe and said: "Let me get you something from the wardrobe…"

But he quickly intercepted my move and said: "It's okay. Just drink your coffee."

I looked at him like a typically worried girlfriend and said: "But you…"

"It's really okay. You are more important than my hand. It's just a tremor. It won't last for long. Don't bother so much. Come on, drink your coffee", he said to me.

I drank a bit of the coffee and gave my view on it. "It tastes great."

"Really? That's good to hear", he said with a smile. I was enjoying the coffee when suddenly, a foul smell entered my nostrils.

"That scent", I said and started sniffing around.

"What scent?" Min Ki asked. He then concluded: "Ah, the sweet scent coming from the coffee?"

But I replied: "No, not that. I smell something else. When was the last time you threw the trash away?" I asked.

"The trash? Ah, it smells so bad, doesn't it?" He asked.

"Let me get rid of it", I told him and he said: "It's okay, I will do it."

But then I asked: "Can't I throw away the trash of my handsome boyfriend?"

Now he couldn't refuse, hence he said: "Sure, sure."

Immediately I stepped out to throw the trash, a lady came out of the wardrobe. "Can't I throw away the trash of my boyfriend?" She mimicked what I said earlier and began to laugh.

"Hey, stop it", Min Ki told her.

She looked at him spitefully and asked: "Hey, are you now on her side?"

"I am not on anyone's side", Min Ki replied.

"Does your girlfriend think that you are the only one for her?" she asked with a smirk.

Outside, as I was going to throw out the trash, I recalled something. "Right, he has not gotten rid of the rotten food in his fridge. That could also make the place smell.

Let me get that as well", I said to myself.

At his apartment, Min Ki said in a disturbing way: "I'm going crazy. Really, I'm going crazy."

"Min Ki, what's it?" The lady asked him.

"Do you recall that I was about to celebrate my new job with you?" He asked.

"Yes, why?" She asked.

"That job is what Amy will have received as a promotion", he replied.

"What? Didn't you know?" The lady asked and Min Ki replied: "No, I didn't. I knew that someone lost the job to me but… I didn't expect it to be Amy. I heard a voice similar to hers in the lobby but didn't get to see who it was. I can't believe that I did this to her."

"So, are you sad?" The lady asked him.

With sadness in his voice, he said: "Yes. I ripped her off her money all these years and cheated on her countless times. Even though we were dating for two years, I have never been a good boyfriend to her. But how could I do that to her?" He admitted his faults and looked so troubled by his actions.

However, the lady told him: "Hey, Min Ki, get yourself together. You did nothing wrong. She should have done her best if she wanted that position. And about your lifestyle, Amy should even be thankful that she has a boyfriend. Why are you at fault for all her suffering?"

Her comments enraged Min Ki so much that he said to her: "Go."

"Min Ki!" She exclaimed.

But he pushed her all the way to door, saying: "Just go.",

At the door, she said: "Fine, I will. But won't you give me a goodbye kiss before I leave. Or don't tell me that after what we just did, your mind all of a sudden shifted to Amy?"

"Alright, here you go", he said and kissed her on the cheek. He then opened the door for her to leave and once she took a step forward, she exclaimed: "You scared me!"

Min Ki also came out to see what happened and our eyes met.

"Amy, how long have you been here?" He asked with a trembling voice.

"Min Ki, it is not true right? All that I heard… was just a nightmare right?" I asked him whilst trying to control myself from crying.

"Amy, take your time. Amy, hear me out", he said.

"Answer me!" I exclaimed. After which I asked: "Did you take advantage of me all these years?"

"Amy, listen", he said. But I asked: "Did you rip me off all these years?"

"Amy, please hear me out", he said once more and I asked: "Did you cheat on me all along? And did you think that I felt privileged to be your girlfriend? Min Ki, are you a celebrity? Or are you of some great personality? You were nobody Min Ki. I spent all my money on refining you and yet… you took away all I had, even my promotion."

Min Ki had nothing to say. He got on his knees and said: "Amy, I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry."

But I told him: "Just stop it. Why? Why did you do this to me Min Ki? Just why?"

Now, the tears were in and my sadness had doubled.