Mental Asylum || PURINZ

022

Never before had a colleague at the hospital angered me as much as Hong Eunchae. I had an urge to slap that condescending look off her face, especially now.

Eunchae still had a firm grip on my arm, and I attempted to free myself. "Let go of me!"

"What the hell were you doing?" she asked.

I pulled my hand away. "It's none of your business!"

I noticed that, even though I managed to break free, she still had the strip of pills in her hand. Eunchae gave me a sly smile and advanced toward me, cornering me between the desk and the cabinet. I had no space to maneuver and escape.

"Of course, it's my business when you're obviously snooping in the wrong place."

"Give that back, Eunchae," I insisted, trying to grab it from her, but she held it higher, keeping it out of my reach. It was so high that even jumping wouldn't help. Coincidentally, she pushed me aside and inspected the pills.

The smile dissolved into a harsh look. She shook the tablets in my face. "Did you fuck with that criminal?" She was literally boiling. All traces of humor had been erased. "Explain yourself!"

"It's none of your business who I fuck with," I retorted.

Eunchae violently grabbed my shoulder. "Don't you have any shame? Sleeping with the killer. Do you have any idea what Dr. Pham would do if she found out?"

"Don't you dare!" I said.

Eunchae chuckled. "Look at me, Chaewon. Watch me destroy you in five seconds."

"Go ahead," I challenged her. "Tell Hanni about it. And then, in turn, I'll tell her about you."

She looked at me, cautiously hiding her expression. "Tell her what?"

"I'll tell her what I saw you do. I'm going to expose your secret."

I didn't really know any secrets, but it felt like a good way to deal with the problem at that moment.

"You're just making things up," she said.

I looked at her confidently, not giving in. "If that's what you think, it's okay with me." A little smile appeared on my face. "Say anything about these pills to Hanni, and I'll spill everything about you. Every little detail."

"Are you trying to threaten me?" she challenged.

I extended my hand toward her. "My pills."

She frowned, reluctantly placing the pills in my palm. "You never know; it might already be too late, and the child of that criminal is growing inside you."

"Maybe"

"If you were truly seeking some action, you could have simply asked me," she quipped with a wry smile.

I maintained a sweet smile. "Dr. Hong, while I appreciate your, um, generous offer, I'm not particularly fond of wrinkles. I prefer something... more substantial." I gestured with my fingers. "And, I must add, Yunjin has never disappointed."

She responded, "It's because you haven't tried me," with a cunning smile on her face. "I can give you a list of satisfied customers who can vouch for my skills in bed. Maybe then, you'll stop thinking about that criminal."

I rolled my eyes. "Ew, no thanks."

"Hanni will figure it out, sooner or later."

"I'll handle it when the time comes. It's my body, and I get to decide who I want to be with. Hanni or anyone else can't make that decision for me."