Rin gripped the straps of his bag as he followed his boss who tramped across her wide patio, her heels clacking against the paved walkway. He pursed his lips, watching her punch the passcode to her door. After a standard beep, it swung open. He handed her her handbag.

She pouted. "You're not eating dinner?" she glanced inside her house, noting how the lights were flicked off and not a sliver of movement happening in the immediate radius. "My husband's not home so you don't have to worry about him. If he comes, we could say I'm just having a workmate over."

Something about her words drove a bristle down Rin's spine. He ducked his head and urged her to take the handle of her handbag. "I dropped you off as per your instruction," he said. "I must be going. I have people waiting for me at home."

"Then, how about we discuss the upcoming division event over a glass of wine, hmm?" Ashley prodded. "That way, you won't have any excuses left for me when we meet at the office tomorrow. Consider this as your boss lending you a hand."

Or she could have just pestered another guy in her expansive department. Why was it always him? It's something he didn't really have an answer to after all this time. "I'll get it done at the office," he answered, stepping backwards until his feet hit the level pathwalk. "Good night."

"How about we talk about the performance review coming up at the end of the month?" Ashley's tone froze him on his way to run towards the open driveway. That again. After failing to get enough recommendations for a promotion last month, she still held that hope over his head.

His fists clenched by his side. If he walked away now, Ashley had every power to get him terminated tomorrow. He had approached a beast and now, he's paying the price of taming it. After working under the woman for more than two years, he knew how she held a grudge. She could very well destroy his life if she wished. Even hell feared a contemptuous woman.

He cast a longing look at the gate and the street beyond it. This was one of the rare times he wasn't buried with work and could go home early, and now he's squandering it on some other woman's house. Still, he strode inside her house, the lights bursting on with every step she took deeper into the ante.

The food wasn't half bad but Rin couldn't find it in himself to chew and swallow. Everything felt so wrong, even the way Ahsley talked to him about the things pertaining to the company.

"Rin?" her voice speared into his thoughts, jarring him back to reality. He turned to find Ashley still in her blazer, cutting meat into thin strips. "Have you heard anything I said in the past half an hour?"

He bobbed his head. A lie, but he'd manage. He's becoming good at that recently for some reason. "I think we'll be better off holding on to it for now," he said, recalling the last sliver of information he retained when he was still tuning in. Something about the company event? For promotion? "The competitors are taking over the month and we'd just be buried under all of the buzz about the season."

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" Ashley challenged. "Won't we generate more income by going with the seasonal buzz?"

He shrugged. "It's still your call," he said. "I'm just stating my take on it."

Ashley hummed. Rin was about to prod at his food with his fork when his phone vibrated. He fumbled for it and looked at the screen. Hye-jin's name greeted him. What now? He looked at his boss who wasn't looking at him as she ate her food. Would it be rude if he answered a call while in her house? Would it add to his appeal so he could go home early?

"Trouble at home?" Ashley cocked an eyebrow at him.

He put his phone face down and put it on mute. "No," he lied. Again. "But I should go. I need to clock in tomorrow on the dot and I need to fix some of the proposals from the interns. Thanks for the food."

He grabbed his bag from the floor and dashed towards the exit before his boss could say anything. His soles tapped against the pebbles embedded in the pathway. Within a few minutes, he was out into the street. Maybe he'd catch a cab back to the apartment? Yeah. Let him do that.

He walked a series of winding alleys and dark neighborhoods, aiming to find the main road or a highway. Then, a neon sign caught his attention as it sped by his periphery. Soon, he was striding inside a roadside pub and propping on an empty table facing a wall.

What was he doing? He should be thinking of getting home. But...how could he face anyone after doing that? With his boss nonetheless? And the fact that he still couldn't refuse her with each of her petty requests knocked against his consciousness.

He had meant for it to stop, to escape her clutches entirely, but none of the companies he applied to were getting back to him. Maybe his experience was not enough. Maybe he's not really competent. Switch fields, perhaps? Put his biotechnology degree to good use?

His order arrived in the form of a bottle of liquor. He would rather have the traditional alcohol in the province, but he's in the city. He better make do with what's on hand. There's no going home early for him tonight. Hye-jin didn't deserve to have someone like Rin, who couldn't even face her and tell her the truth of his climate at work.

It's shameful how low he had to stoop to get Hye-jin the life she was entitled to.

He took one swig straight from the bottle. Then, another. It kept coming until he reached half the bottle and the alcohol kicked in. His eyelids drooped as he slumped all over the table, too tired to even raise his head. Phone. He should call Hye-jin. Wasn't she calling him earlier? What was that about?

His hands patted his pockets and rummaged around his work bag. A frown pulled against the corner of his lips. Where was his phone? Didn't he bring it from his office? He let his forehead slam against the table. Dear God. He must have left it in Ashley's house. Dumb. He's just dumb.

But...he'd get it tomorrow. Tonight, he should just sleep. Maybe his dreams would be less cruel to him. Let him hope they were, because he wasn't sure if he would be able to face tomorrow and the slew of horrors it was set to bring upon him. So, Rin closed his eyes and promised himself he'd get his act together once the sun shone again.

That was, if it did at all.