Chapter 3.

The glass walls gave me a perfect view of the bustling office where a dozen employees scurried about their business. Never in a thousand years had I imagined he would make a move on me in plain sight our co-workers, but he'd done a masterful job keeping his actions unseen. To all the world, we looked as though we were simply examining a document - his wandering hand only visible to the Seoul skyline our tenth-floor windows.

"Um... we decided... to subcontract the welding work," I sputtered out. "Our guys will be busy on the Merchant project. Outsourcing will enable us to keep the six-moth timeline the client requested." As I said the words, I frantically debated what to do. If I allowed him to continue touching me, it would no doubt encourage the asshole to take more liberties. If I confronted him or in an any way made a scene, the entire office would know in seconds. Before I had a chance to decide, the intercom in his office crackled to life.

"Mr. Yang, your flight leaves in who hours."

The instant his assistant, Misoo, began to speak, I pulled out of his grasp and fled the office. Bypassing my own office, I hurried to the restrooms and locked myself in a stall. Leaning against the door, head back and eyes closed, I tried to regulate my erratic heartrate.

Did that really just happen?

Could I have imagined the whole thing? Surely, my boss hadn't assaulted me in front of the entire office. As much as I wished it had been a nightmare, it wasn't. Each agonizing second had played out in living colour, and I had stood immobile like a squirrel starring down an approaching car. What was wrong with me? Why hadn't I pulled away instantly? Why hadn't I swallowed my pride and told my father the truth months ago or just turned Hyun-suk's balding ass into HR? I'd had my reasons at the time, but they seemed less and less valid with each new day. My conflict and self-doubt brought on a barrage of guilt and blame that bowed my shoulders with their oppressive weight.

I needed to get out of the building.

I exited the stall and went through the motions of washing my hands before walking to my office with my eyes lowered to the geometric patterns of the grey commercial carpeting. Grabbing my phone, I texted my cousin to move up our lunch date, then snagged my purse and scurried out of my office. Normally, I would inform a co-worker if I was leaving early, but I couldn't do it. I felt exposed - like anyone who looked at me would know what I had allowed to happen. I couldn't force myself to take that chance - to let them see the shame in my eyes. Instead, I kept my head down and hurried out the closest exit.

I couldn't allow my boss's behaviour to continue.

The realization was daunting.

Now, I just had to figure out what I was going to do about it. Would I confront Hyun-suk myself? Would I file a complaint with HR or go straight to my father? If I told my dad, would he believe me or think I was overreacting? Hyun-suk was his friend, after all. And if Hyun-suk wasn't immediately fired, would he know I'd reported him? How would a man with such little moral character respond when he found out I'd put his job in jeopardy?

The possibilities paralyzed me.

You have the rest of the week to figure it out, Lisa. Try not to panic.

I wasn't normally the type to procrastinate, but in this case, I needed time to process. I needed to talk through everything and make sure I took the proper steps, because once I started that ball rolling, there would be no stopping it.

Fortunately for me, I already had lunch scheduled with my cousin, Jennie. She would be the perfect sounding board. Until then, I would ignore all thoughts of Hyun-suk to protect my sanity. I shoved the incident into a dark corner of my of my mind - somewhere next to the misery of my first period and getting lost as a child in the subway - and prayed my dramatic morning had no more surprises in store for me.

Jennie was a firework laced with gasoline - her presence electrified a room and enchanted everyone she came into contacted with. Where I was cautious and a touch introverted, she was bold and always the life of the party. She'd been my best friend for as long as I could remember. Our mothers were sisters-in-law, and we were born one month apart. Where she was the oldest of three girls, I was the middle, but we might as well have been twins, we were so close. Yin to my yang, the opposite nature of our personalities kept up perfect in balance.

It was as if we were born to be close friends - soul sisters.

We ate lunch together at least once a week, often at the same deli where I was currently headed. It was close to my office and had the best Kaiser rolls around. I reached the place first after moving up our lunch so unexpectedly. Grabbing one of the four tiny tables inside, I played a game on my phone while I waited.

I'd never been big on social media. My parents didn't let us girls get on Myspace or Facebook when we were younger, and now that I was on my own, it had never felt all that necessary. Outside of Jennie, I didn't have a ton of friends, which was fine with me. I had two sisters and three female cousins - that was plenty of girl drama in my life.

"Hey cuz, what's going on? Hope you didn't have to have to wait long. I got here as quickly as I could." Jennie plopped down in the seat across from me, impeccably dressed, as always, long auburn hair falling in think waves down her back.

"Hey Nini! Not long at all. Sorry to spring the time change on you."

"Not a problem. I hope everything's okay."

"Yes and No. Let's grab our sandwiches, and I'll tell you about it over lunch."

"Please tell me it's not your dickhead of a boss again."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed her hand. "Food first, then talk."

We ordered and took our foo back to table as the deli slowly began to fill with the people on their lunch hour. I quietly relayed the events of the morning, attempting to keep the conversation just between us in a restaurant the size of a shoebox. I started easy with sultry elevator encounter, and once I had her distracted with lust-filled ideas of romantic rendezvous, I quietly recounted what had happened with Hyun-suk.

As I suspected, Jennie was fuming by the time I finished. I had hoped the elevator story would take the edge off her anger, but no luck. Nini was a mama bear ready to throw down on my behald. "Lili, I know you don't like conflict, but you can't let that man keep doing this shit."

"I know. I realize it's not going to stop if I don't do something about it. You know how hard I've worked to make a name for myself at IFC Seoul and for Dad to see me as an equal. I wanted to handle the situation discretely, but it's not working."

"You don't have to raise a stink, just tell your dad. He'll fire the guy's ass in a heartbeat - no one has to know why." In theory her suggestion seemed like the easy answer, however, life was rarely so simple.

"That's the very last thing I wanted to do. Crying to him for help would ensure he still sees me as a child incapable of handling my own problems."

"Then go to HR and file a complaint. That's not asking for help - that would be you handling the matter with the proper authority. Hell, file a police report for assault while you're at it. Better yet, we'll find a guy to take out his kneecaps. It'd be a lot harder for him to put to moves on you when he's in a wheelchair. The slimy toad deserves it."

I choked on my diet soda. "No, Nini. We aren't committing any felonies."

She shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"I will, thanks." I gave her a wink. "But I get what you're saying with HR. That would show a degree of assertiveness, even if it's not me grabbing the bull by the horns. I just want the employees at IFC Seoul to respect me. That's why Dad didn't just give me a job at the top to begin with - I'm supposed to earn my position - and I want to give him that. Show him that IFC Seoul would be in good hands under my leadership."

"I can't say that I totally understand. You don't even need to work. Your family has plenty of money."

"What else would I do with my life? Go shopping and host parties? I'm not my mother, that's not enough me."

"Too bad," she mused. "I'll have to find someone else to accompany me on my shopping runs and spa treatments."

"Whatever. That's not you either, and you know it." I narrowed my eyes and tossed one of my chips at her.

She laughed, her vibrant brown eyes shining. "I know no such thing. What I do know is if you don't do something about that boss of yours, I'm going to come up there and raise holy hell. Got it?"

"I get it," I smiled at my best friend. "And I promise I'll file a complaint with HR. In the meantime, he's gone for the rest of the week!"

"Fabulous! We should take a long lunch break and his Sacks later this week."

"You're incorrigible."

"So, is that a yes?"

I trew my head back and laughed. "Yes, I think that could be arranged."

"Boom! Now, get your ass back to work and file that damn complaint," she ordered with every ounce of moxie in her five-foot-four frame.

"Yes, sir, Colonel, sir." I saluted her as I stood, then hugged my amazing friend. Not every girl was lucky enough to have a Jennie in their life. I thanked my lucky starts on a daily basis that I'd somehow managed to score the best cousin ever.