41. （SIGN）ificant
JAE
41
The office was a war zone. Papers were scattered across my desk, monitors flashed with endless streams of data, and the hum of frantic activity filled the room. I’d been here all night, grappling with the havoc of the server breach. Mina had been by my side, bringing me food and tea, her flirty demeanor a constant presence only adding to my stress.
“You’re running on fumes,” she said, walking in with another tray. Her perfume, a heady mix of vanilla and something spicy, preceded her. It was overwhelming, almost cloying in the already tense atmosphere. She placed the tray on my desk, her hand lingering on my shoulder, fingers lightly trailing down my arm. Too familiar. Too much.
“You need to eat something, Jae.” Her voice was soft, almost seductive, as she moved the tray closer to me. A steaming cup of tea and a sandwich sat there, tempting me. I was too exhausted to argue.
“Thanks, Mina,” I replied, picking up the tea and taking a sip. The warmth spread through me, momentarily easing the tension that had coiled in my muscles. I needed that, at least.
She perched on the edge of my desk, crossing her legs. Her skirt hiked up a bit too high, a deliberate move. “You’ve been working nonstop. Maybe you should take a nap.”
I shook my head, my focus back on the screen. “I can’t. There’s too much to do.” My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t help it.
“Just a short one,” she insisted, her voice coaxing. She leaned in closer, her hand brushing my arm again. “You’ll be no good to anyone if you collapse from exhaustion.”
I rubbed my temples. She wasn’t wrong. The exhaustion was making it hard to think straight, and I knew I was no good to anyone in this state. “Fine. But wake me up in time for the rehearsal dinner.”
Her smile widened, satisfaction glinting in her eyes. “Of course, Jae. I’ll take care of everything.”
I pushed back from my desk, standing up and stretching. My muscles protested, and I winced at the stiffness. I needed this nap more than I cared to admit. “I’ll crash on the couch in my office. Just an hour or so.”
“Good idea,” she said, her gaze following me as I walked away. “You deserve a break.”
I sank onto the couch in my office, the soft cushions a welcome relief. Closing my eyes, I willed myself to relax, but my mind wouldn’t shut off. The server breach, the rehearsal dinner, Verena. Everything swirled in a relentless spiral.
My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out, seeing a message from Verena.
Verena: How’s it going?
I sighed, typing a quick response.
Jae: It’s a mess here. I’ll be at the rehearsal dinner though. I’m sorry about last night. I know I need to make it up to you.
Her reply was almost immediate.
Verena: It’s okay. I understand. We’ll talk later.
Guilt gnawed at me. She said she understood, but I knew I had let her down. Again. I set my phone aside and closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion take over.
Just as I began to drift off, I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders. Startled, I opened my eyes to see Mina standing over me, her fingers pressing into my tense muscles.
“What are you doing?” I snapped, shrugging off her hands.
“Relax, Jae. You need this,” she said, her voice low and soothing. “Just let me help you.”
I pushed her away, my patience wearing thin. “No, Mina. This isn’t appropriate. I need you to handle things out there, not in here.”
Her expression shifted, a hint of annoyance crossing her features before she masked it with a sweet smile. “Yes, sir. Whatever you need. I’m here for you.”
She backed away but not before giving me a lingering look that made my skin crawl. As she left the room, I tried to shake off the unsettling feeling. Mina was becoming more of a problem than I had realized.
I closed my eyes again, but sleep wouldn’t come. My mind was too busy, too tangled with worries about Verena, the rehearsal dinner, and the work disaster unfolding just beyond my office door. Mina’s behavior was the last thing I needed to deal with right now.
Verena’s understanding text played on a loop in my mind, her patience and support making me feel even guiltier. I owed it to her to be there, to show up and prove that I could balance everything. But right now, all I could do was wait for the minutes to tick by, hoping for a moment of rest before I had to dive back into the storm.
Hours later, I jolted awake, my phone buzzing insistently. I grabbed it, squinting at the screen. It was Verena.
Verena: Jae, where are you? The rehearsal dinner is halfway through.
I jolted upright, my heart pounding. How could I have slept so long? I bolted to my feet, grabbing my jacket. I stormed out of my office and saw Mina leaning casually against the doorframe, a smug smile on her face.
“You forgot to wake me up,” I snapped, pushing past her.
She blinked, feigning innocence. “Oh, did I? I must have gotten distracted. So sorry, Jae.”
Her nonchalance stoked the flames of my frustration. I didn’t have time to argue. I needed to get to the rehearsal dinner. I glared back at her. “This can’t happen again, Mina.”
She tilted her head, her smile never wavering. “What does it matter? It’s not like it’s a real marriage,” she said, her tone dripping with condescension.
That was it. Something in me snapped. I turned back to her, my eyes blazing with anger. “It is real, Mina. As real as it gets. And your attitude and behavior are completely unacceptable.”
She straightened, her smile faltering for the first time. “I know it’s not real, Jae. You’re doing this for your aunt. Everyone knows it.”
“Even if that were true,” I said, my voice cold and steady, “it doesn’t give you the right to undermine my relationship or sabotage my responsibilities. You’ve been a hindrance rather than a help, and I won’t tolerate it anymore.”
Mina’s eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off.
“Pack your things. You’re fired.”
She stared at me, stunned. “You can’t be serious.”
“Dead serious,” I replied, my tone leaving no room for doubt. “I need someone I can trust, someone who respects my decisions and my relationships. You’re not that person.”
She stood there, speechless, as I turned on my heel and walked out of the office. Relief and anxiety churned in my gut. Firing Mina was long overdue, but now I had to face the repercussions. More importantly, I had to get to the rehearsal dinner and make things right with Verena.
As I hurried to my car, my phone buzzed again. It was another text from Verena.
Verena: Jae?
I glanced at the time and cursed. I quickly typed a response.
Jae: I’m on my way. Sorry, I overslept. Be there soon.
As I slid into the back seat, I told my driver to hurry. The engine roared to life, and we sped through the city, the streets blurring past me. My mind raced with a thousand thoughts. Verena had every right to be upset. I had promised her I’d be there, and now I was running late again, caught up in the endless demands of work.
Every second felt like an eternity. I thought about Auntie, her frail frame and the way her eyes lit up when she talked about the wedding. I was missing precious time with her, time that was slipping through my fingers like sand. The guilt gnawed at me. I was letting everyone down—Auntie, Verena, myself.
We hit a traffic jam, the car lurching to a stop. Wall-to-wall cars surrounded us, the cacophony of honking horns and frustrated drivers filling the air. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “Fuck,” I muttered.
I thought about Verena’s face when I’d last seen her, the hope and frustration mingling in her eyes. I couldn’t keep doing this to her. She deserved better than a fiancé who was always late, always distracted. She deserved someone who could be there, fully present, not torn between responsibilities.
Mr. Jameson, my driver, glanced back at me, concern in his eyes. “We’re stuck in traffic, sir. It looks like it might be a while.”
Auntie was dying. I was losing Verena. My job was a constant source of stress. It was all too much. I pressed my hands to my face, trying to hold back the rising tide of panic.
The honking horns grew louder, the noise drilling into my skull. My breath came in short, ragged gasps, my chest tightening with each inhale. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t be everything to everyone. The pressure was suffocating, a vise tightening around my heart.
“Fuck!” I shouted, slamming my fist against the seat in front of me. The driver flinched, but I barely noticed, lost in my own spiraling thoughts. Tears stung my eyes, and I let out a choked sob, the floodgates opening. “I can’t do this,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I can’t.”
The realization hit me hard. I had been avoiding it, pushing it down, pretending I could handle it all. But I couldn’t. Auntie was slipping away, and I hadn’t even accepted it. Verena was slipping away, and I was too caught up in everything else to see it.
The car moved forward a few inches, then stopped again. The futility of it all washed over me, and I broke down, my shoulders shaking with sobs. I buried my face in my hands, the tears flowing freely now. I was failing. Failing everyone I loved, failing myself.
Mr. Jameson’s voice broke through the haze of my panic. “Mr. Lee, we’ll get there. Just breathe, okay?”
I nodded, unable to speak, the lump in my throat making it hard to swallow. I took a shaky breath, then another, trying to calm the storm raging inside me. But the weight of everything was too much. I couldn’t think, couldn’t move.
I had to pull myself together. For Auntie, for Verena, for myself. But as I sat there, trapped in traffic and my own despair, I didn’t know how.