CATB Chapter 1

Prologue

"You're really ruthless."

What the hell?

Is this even words or just shit?

"Did you really have to go that far? I'm the one who messed up, not Hye-ji."

"Honestly, are you even a woman? Have you ever once actually acted like my girlfriend?"

What?

Ladies and gentlemen, you are now witnessing an ex-boyfriend spewing shit from his mouth.

"What kind of bullshit is that? Is that all a cheating bastard has to say?"

"I did mess up, but!!! You're at fault too!"

"Want to get hit again?"

I looked at his swollen red cheeks and raised my hand again.

I can feel him flinching. Pathetic.

"If you're that ruthless, no guy can stay by your side. Women should be delicate and worth protecting, but if you're going to handle everything yourself, why even get a boyfriend in the first place? If you're too busy making ends meet, you shouldn't be dating."

"That's exactly why I said no from the beginning. Weren't you the one who said it was fine and that you'd accept everything?"

"F*ck, I didn't know you were this poor back then. That's crazy, how does it make sense that you don't even have money to go on dates?"

Looking down at my sneering ex-boyfriend's face, I raised my thick commercial law textbook again.

"Crazy bastards need a beating. Just die!"

"Ahhh! Ahhh! You crazy bitch! This is assault, you know? Ahhh! I'm going to sue... ahhh! I'm going to sue you!!"

"Go ahead, you bastard. Let me ask for some compensation money too! And books aren't recognized as assault weapons, got it? Sue me, asshole! Go ahead and sue!"

"Ahhh! Ahhh! F*ck!!!!"

Today I witnessed my boyfriend's affair.

Today I broke up with my boyfriend.

Today I wrote a police report with him at the station.

I wasn't punished.

Who am I? The legendary ruthless one who's topped her class for three years at Korea University, Lee Han-byeol. Having lived through all kinds of hardships, acting like a pitiful but hardworking female college student who was shocked by witnessing her boyfriend's affair wasn't that difficult for me.

My ex-boyfriend tucked his tail and ran after being called a bastard by everyone at the police station who heard the whole story.

"Bastard."

Without even having time to reflect on the end of a two-year relationship, I'm back to working hard at life.

Poverty doesn't give you the luxury of commemorating the end of a romance.

"Order here!"

"Yes, coming!"

Swallowing back tears that were about to rise to my chin, I worked hard at serving again.

This is a bar I've worked at since high school. Thanks to the kind owner who was moved by an orphan working hard to earn tuition, I was able to work here despite being a minor and finish high school safely.

Even after entering Korea University, I took on any part-time job I could find. The tutoring I discovered during that time became a decent main source of income, so I don't really need to do this kind of work anymore. But I can't refuse the owner's requests for help when he occasionally calls me, so whenever the phone rings, I come in as a substitute like this.

Actually, on a day like today, keeping my body busy would be better.

"Bastard, damn bastard. Let's see how well you eat and live."

Seeing myself curse my ex-boyfriend this long when I usually don't express emotions over unnecessary things, I guess I had grown a little fond of that bastard.

But what? Ruthless? So what if I'm ruthless?

You try living in this world all alone.

In a world where you get screwed the moment you open your eyes, do you think you'd survive if you weren't ruthless?

Damn bastard. All those times I desperately worked part-time jobs every day and studied until my nose bled, it was all for our future together.

I must have been crazy to try to share my life with someone like you.

Fortunately, my ex-boyfriend didn't manage to chip away at my self-esteem.

You're the one who's a hundred, a thousand times more stupid for letting go of a gem like me.

In two months when the fallout hits him, I'd bet my right wrist he'll come crawling back to me.

Even if he comes begging, I'll stomp on him like a dog.

Thinking about how to bury my ex-boyfriend who's probably playing the victim in our department, I downed soju heavily at the modest company dinner after all the customers left the bar.

It should be fine to get completely drunk today. If it's not fine, then what? Bring it on!

"Hey! Hey! Noona!"

"Oh my! That girl's gone crazy, doing soju shots!"

Behind the fussing owner lady's words, I gloriously blacked out.

"Han-byeol noona has completely lost it."

"Sigh, Je-yook, you'll have to take Han-byeol home today."

"What's gotten into her? This iron lady?"

"Leave her be. She had a shitty day today."

"Then, boss, ma'am, I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Alright, take good care of Han-byeol!"

Strong arms catch my swaying body.

"This is the first time I've seen this noona drink like this..."

"Je-yook? Uh... burp... Why are you here?"

"Why am I here? I'm here to take you home, noona. This won't work. I need to sober you up first. It's too hard to take you home like this."

Je-yook sat me down in front of a roadside store.

"Noona, don't go anywhere and just sit here. I'll buy some hangover medicine."

"......"

"Damn, I'm a bit worried..."

Je-yook scratched his head and went into the convenience store next door.

He could see Han-byeol clearly through the convenience store's glass window, so he figured he could come right out if anything happened. That was his mistake.

"Twinkle... twinkle... hic, little star... beautifully... hic... shing... ing"

I'm singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" that mom used to sing to me often when I was little, and little stars are twinkling before my eyes.

"...Huh?... It's twinkling..."

I leaned forward to try to catch the sparkling lights swaying before my eyes.

"Noona! No!"

I can hear Je-yook's scream echoing through the street, and my body floats up.

The light... is it a car?

Did I just run into a car with my own feet? How crazy, Lee Han-byeol.

Is this how I die...?

F*ck, this pathetically?