Love Under Pretenses | Winrina

3.

“You can get out of my car now, get out!”

“Alright! Alright ! I'm coming out, geez!”

“For a CEO’s assistant, you really lack manners when it comes to your boss.”

“Oh! Should I be embarrassed? My bad!” I shot back, finally stepping into my house.

I took a quick peek out the window to see if Jimin had driven away.

Yep, I call her Jimin because she hates being too formal. She said I can only call her Miss Yu when we’re at work.

And yeah, she insisted on driving me home in her car.

She really didn’t have to, but with all those staff members staring at us, Jimin felt she needed to make our fake relationship look real.

If it weren’t for the big paycheck she promised me, I wouldn’t have gone along with this, tsk!

“Oh Winter, you’re home! Ningning came over to see you,” my mom greeted as I walked in, spotting Ningning laying on the couch, glued to the TV.

“Wow, living the good life over there, huh? Like you didn’t just leave me hanging outside the building earlier,” I joked, plopping down next to Ningning and snatching a handful of popcorn from her bowl.

“Hey! That’s mine! I came here to make it up to you, okay? I seriously had an emergency earlier,” she shot back, feigning indignation as she tried to reclaim her snack.

“Making it up to me by just munching on popcorn? Nice move,” I teased, and we both burst out laughing. My mom walked in just then, setting down two glasses of juice on the table.

“So, how did the job application go, sweetheart?” my mom asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Well, your stunning and charming daughter landed the job right away, and it comes with a hefty salary! So don’t worry about our debts, Mom, we’ll pay them off, I promise,” I replied, beaming with pride, my heart swelling at the thought of financial freedom.

“That’s good to hear, Winter! I’m so happy for you. I’ll pay you back once we’re a bit more settled,” my mom said, giving me an apologetic smile that I quickly waved off.

“No need for that, Mom! I just want to help out,” I insisted, feeling a warm glow of satisfaction.

“You two are so sweet together, but Winter, what’s this news I saw online about the CEO of YUnique Fragrance Corp dating her assistant? Don’t tell me—”

“It’s totally fake! I don’t know why that CEO roped me into her ridiculous scheme! You never mentioned how childish she is!” I exclaimed, rolling my eyes as I thought about Jimin’s antics.

“What?! So there’s some truth to the news? Oh my gosh!” Ningning said, clearly intrigued.

“It’s fake! Ugh, stop being so nosy! It’s just for show so she won’t be bothered by her suitors and parents. It won’t last, trust me!”

“What? What news are you talking about?” my mom asked, her brow furrowing with concern.

“They’re saying the CEO Winter works for made her as her fake girlfriend. I don’t know why she thought that was a good idea, especially with Winter! Doesn’t she have any doubts?” Ningning joked, and I quickly pinched her arm.

“You’re so mean! Mom! next time, don’t let her stay here!” I told my mom while shooting Ningning a glare.

“Honestly, at this rate, I might start thinking of you two as siblings with all this bickering. But Winter, are you really okay with that kind of setup?” my mom asked, her voice filled with motherly concern.

Am I okay with it? Absolutely not! She’s a rich CEO from a well-known company, and I’m just me, struggling with debt.

Honestly, I checked out the comments on that article where Jimin confirmed the rumor, and so many people were questioning why she’d choose someone a poor girl like me instead of Yeonjun, the son of CEO of another well known company.

How do I feel about that? It hurts, but I’m trying to act like it doesn’t bother me.

JIMIN POV

“Jimin! What’s this rumor you confirmed earlier?! You suddenly started dating without telling us and you went for that poor girl? Yeonjun is way better than her! Fire her and break up with her, right now!”

My dad greeted me with a lecture as soon as I stepped into the house, his arms crossed and his face stern.

“Dad, please! I’ve told you before, I don’t like Yeonjun! And I can’t break up with my girlfriend! I love her!” I said, my face heating up with embarrassment.

I cringed a little saying I loved my assistant, it felt both exhilarating and terrifying.

“We don’t even know this girl! Are you sure she’s not just after your money?!”

“Not now, Dad! Please, no more lectures!” I begged, but he kept going, so I had no choice but to leave the house again and head to my usual hangout.

The bar owned by Ryujin.

It’s a cozy spot where I’ve hooked up with a few guys and girls before, but it’s also where I can unwind and escape the pressures of my life.

But I’m not the type to jump into bed right away! I’m not that kind of girl.

I’m all about holding hands and kissing, but no attachments because I don’t want to commit.

Why? No reason. It’s tough to commit to someone when you’re not sure if they’re worth it.

“Ryujin!” I called out as I entered, spotting the owner and bartender behind the bar, wiping down the counter.

We’ve become close since I often hang out here when my mind is overwhelmed with work and family expectations.

They practically forced the company on me, and now they want to dictate who I should date? Seriously?

They might as well have taken over my life too.

“Your brows are all furrowed again, you’re going to look ugly if you keep that up,” Ryujin teased, laughing as she leaned against the bar.

“You notice too much, just hand me a beer already,” I ordered, plopping down on a stool.

“I saw that news article earlier, so no more hookups at the bar?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows at me. I shot her a disgusted look.

“Hell nah! I’m still hooking up! Who said I’m stopping?” I replied, taking a big swig of the beer.

“But you have a girlfriend now, right? Isn’t that a red flag?” she joked, clearly enjoying this conversation.

“She's not my girlfriend! My assistant is just a cover so I won’t get bothered by that Yeonjun guy or my parents. I’m not into my assistant at all, it’s gross,” I said, and she gave me a skeptical look.

“Ohh, interesting! What does your assistant look like?” she asked, leaning in.

“Well, she’s a bit shorter than me, cute, kind of pretty but also boyish? And she has this puppy vibe going on,” I described, and Ryujin just smirked at me, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Sounds like your type! When you were drunk the other night, you said you wanted a cute puppy-faced girlfriend. Looks like your dreams are coming true!” she teased, and I frowned.

“Nope, I didn’t say that.”

“Oh yes, you did! You were totally wasted! How do you even remember?” she laughed, clearly relishing this moment.

“Shut up! Forget about it! Like you said, I was drunk,” I shot back.

“As long as you’re happy,” she replied, still chuckling.