Windows of The Heart

Chapter Twenty-Six WICKED

"How could you, Hyun-Ki! You used me; you're nothing but a cold, horrible heartbreaker! You're nothing but an apathetic user!

Hyun-Ki and Rielle went out for lunch. Then when they were on their way back, Hyun-Ki received a call.

"Hey, Hyun! Benny here! I'm vacating your condo now, and I have men cleaning and fixing your place as per our agreement. Mind if you come here to look at the place before I leave?" Benny requested.

"Now? As in now? Why leave in a hurry?" Hyun-Ki is anxious to know.

"I am getting married. I bought a house for my bride because she's not in on living in condos." He laughed merrily.

"Okay, I'm coming since I'm still on the road, supposed to be on my way back to the Office. Junie, let's go see my condo." Then he turned to Rielle, telling him about the caller. "Benny is my best friend, way back in college. He was renting my condo, and now he is getting married, so he is leaving my place. We'll go there for an ocular inspection; how about that, Sweetheart?"

"Well, okay. How can I say no?" Rielle answered meekly.

After Junie parked the car, the lovers entered the condominium. Rielle was amazed by its grandest sophistication, relaxed and secure environment, and well-thought amenities perfect for diversity lifestyle. Hyun-Ki's place is a vast space of a two-bedroom unit with natural sunlight from the glass windows.

Benny stood by the door talking to someone over his phone when he immediately recognized Hyun-Ki. He was stunned by the lady with him; she was a perfect beauty in his eyes, like a goddess descending from the clouds carrying a fragrant breeze.

"Hey, Benny! What are you staring at like you're fascinated by a fairy goddess that passed by you? Have you seen one?" Hyun-Ki joked.

"Who are you with, your girl?" asked Benny.

"Girl? Benny, she's not my girl; she's my fiancée." Tapping him by his shoulder.

"You're so lucky, dude; by the way, I'm Benny." Extending his hand to Rielle. Hyun-Ki cut Benny's handshake to Rielle and jokingly said, "you are getting married soon, man, and it looks like you got star-struck by my fiancée." Hyun-Ki joked again while he wrapped his arms around Rielle.

"Are you not showing what's happening inside?" Hyun-Ki asked curiously, walking straight inside his condo and tagging Rielle along with him.

Rielle looked around the apartment and was fascinated by the view outside the glass window. The buildings she sees are like towering structures adorned with sky-blue glass windows that sparkled in the sunlight. Hyun-Ki approached her, wrapped her waist around his arms, lowered his head, his chin touching Rielle's shoulder, and whispered, "You like my place, Rielle?" She turned her head close to his face and answered warmly, "I love it, Hyun-Ki. You know how to choose your place, huh?" and kissed his cheek.

"Hey lovers, you're distracting my men here. So, what can you say now, joahamnida? (did you like it?) so, can we leave now, bro?" Hyun-Ki nodded and gave a thumbs-up.

Hyun-Ki and Rielle were left alone after Benny, and his hired crew were stranded.

"I still need to fill this place with things. Are you with me, Sweetheart?" She looked at her gently, slowly touching her face with his lips, then to her mouth, kissing passionately, unmindful of time and space.

Rielle slowly let go of him and reminded him it was time to go. She fixed her hair and tacked a piece of it behind her ear. She took her face powder from her bag to retouch and added more color to her lips while Hyun-Ki watched her lovingly.

Back at the Office, Hwan Chul called in his staff and asked about the whereabouts of all the commercial posters, pictures, and films, which were documented in the files but were missing at the designated posts of the building and even in their Office itself. When nobody could give him the answer, he went straight to Hyun-Ki's Office and discussed with him the documented files of their recent commercial. Hyun-Ki was shocked by what he learned and became hostile.

"I suspect that one of your staff sabotaged this, and yet, Nam-Joon took this lightly? I have someone in mind!" Hyun-Ki'reacted. He stood up and stormed the Marketing Di-vision, asking for Megan.

Hwan Chul was confused, asking his brother about his suspicion of Megan. "Why Megan, Hyun?"

"We had a severe misunderstanding that only we two know, and I am positive she wanted to get back at me." Hwan Chul kept to himself.

Megan was coming in from her office break and appeared nervous at her boss's angry face. "Where are they, Megan? Where are the posters and the film of our commercial!" asked Hyun-ki with a darkened look. Megan remained calm and dumb.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Hyun!" she replied, ignorant about the issue.

"You are talking to your CEO, Megan; answer me properly!" Hyun-Ki was fuming in anger.

Megan felt cold water doused her, so she came to her senses and defensively said.

"I threw them away! Yes, I disposed of all of them, so what to you!" she retorted. The staff in the Marketing Division was aghast.

"After everything I've done for you, you just threw me away, so that's what you get! I also threw away that mattered to you!" Hyun-Ki pulled her neckline in anger in close range to his face, looked at her with cold eyes, and recklessly released her hold on her, almost losing her balance.

"How could you do this; you don't have the right to destroy the company's property! That is not yours to decide on, Megan!" Hyun-ki was losing his temper that he wanted to hit her, but Hwan quickly stopped him.

Megan did not stop her argument there. "You are so angry not because of losing the posters, but because it was Rielle's face on the posters, and everything was lost, thrown away, am I right, Hyun-Ki? Poor, poor Hyun-Ki!" Holding back his anger, he picked up the phone and requested the HR Manager to come up to have this issue with Megan settled.

"What, what? You cannot threaten me, Mr. CEO! You're the one who started it all!" Megan was furious, fearless in throwing blame on Hyun-Ki. Those around them, the staff and Hwan Chul, couldn't move and said nothing, watching, so shocked by her sharp tongue.

Mrs. Miranda came in and was shocked by the things Megan revealed. She went in the middle to shut Megan up and tried to pull her out of the Office. Mrs. Miranda told one of the employees to call Security, which was when Megan stopped. Hwan Chul pulled his brother to a corner and spoke with concern.

"What has this something to do with you and Megan, Hyeong? I am troubled and confused! Why did she dispose of the posters and other paraphernalia that come with the commercial? What have you done to turn her into an impetus person, or a witch, a better word for that!" Hwan wanted to know.

"Nothing, let us forget about that. Megan will never harm again coz I am firing her!" Hyun-Ki firmly made his point. Hyun-Ki entered the room where Megan was held and talked to Mrs. Miranda.

"Since she cannot produce the missing commercial items, I want you to make her pay for it. She will not receive anything, withdrawing all her benefits, and she will not be given an honorable dismissal despite her years of service, not even a clean clearance."

"How could you, Hyun-Ki! You used me; you're nothing but a cold, heartless heartbreaker! You're nothing but an apathetic user! And now you can get rid of me just like that, huh? I didn't dispose of them; I just stacked them in the storage room! Now you're happy?" Megan admitted angrily.

Hwan Chul commanded the staff to look for the missing items in the stock room, then turned to Mrs. Miranda with his cold stare at Megan.

"If she's telling the truth, she can only receive her severance pay, and her dismissal still stands, but no graceful exit what she said cannot take back. She said what she said, so that's it! The things she said were damaging; no more second chances. That is my final decision!" Mr. Hyun-Ki left with a darkened face.

The Marketing Staff found everything in the Stock Room and were thankful they were not damaged. The Stock Room clerk declared that Megan just threw them like trash, so he picked them all and folded them neatly so they won't look dirty and trashy. He kept the film copy in a box, so it was not damaged. When Mr. Hwan Chul learned of the care taken to those commercial items, he gave the stock clerk a suitable commendation.

The posters were given designated places in the entire building, from clear walls to elevators and some posters are equipped with a stand so that it stands in strategic places of the building. Hwan Chul was pleased with the quick action taken by his staff but still, had no full knowledge nor clear recognition of who the commercial model shown in the posters.