Vengeful Desires

19-

After ending a call with her parents, Amirah lounged on the couch, idly munching on a bowl of popcorn as she stared up at the ceiling. The weight of regaining her freedom still felt surreal, like she was living in a dream that could dissipate at any moment.

Seul-hee glanced over from her desk, noting Amirah's pensive expression. "Everything alright with your parents?" she inquired, her tone a blend of concern and nonchalance.

Amirah nodded absently, popping another kernel into her mouth. "They're well, I suppose. As well as can be expected, given the circumstances." She exhaled softly, letting the comfortable silence linger for a beat.

"Unnie..." she began, turning her head to regard Seul-hee with a contemplative look. "What's the fastest way to accumulate wealth these days?"

The unexpected query seemed to give Seul-hee pause. She arched an eyebrow, carefully setting aside the documents she had been reviewing as she leaned back in her chair.

"Connections," she stated matter-of-factly, drumming her fingers against the arm of her chair. "Having the right connections, knowing the right people in influential circles – that's the quickest path to serious money and power."

Seul-hee's gaze took on a distant quality, as if lost in contemplation. After a moment, she pushed herself up from her desk and strode over to a filing cabinet, rifling through its contents with a focused air.

"There is... actually..." Her voice trailed off as she extracted a slim folder, eyeing its contents pensively. "While we wait for your new identity papers to be finalized, the plan was for you to take over this."

Amirah sat up, her brow furrowing in confusion as Seul-hee approached, extending the folder towards her. "What is this, unnie?"

"A business venture," Seul-hee explained, settling on the edge of the couch beside Amirah. "A legitimate company, purchased in your new name. With a few strategic transfers and the right management, it could serve as the foundation for your fresh start."

Amirah's eyes widened as she flipped through the pages, scanning the details with a mixture of surprise and trepidation. "But... when did you arrange all of this? And how did you even acquire the funds to–"

"You're asking too many questions," Seul-hee cut her off lightly, a hint of amusement in her tone. She fixed Amirah with a pointed look.

Amirah scoffed sarcastically, shaking her head. "Well, if you don't want to explain, you can just say so. You might be a drug dealer for all I know." She smiled childishly.

Seul-hee rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a small smile. "Anyway," she continued, pointing to the document, "this is your chance to hit the ground running, to start building something for yourself from the ground up without any ties to your past life."

Amirah fell silent, her fingers trailing over the crisp documents as she digested the weight of Seul-hee's words. After a long moment, she exhaled slowly and nodded, a glimmer of determination flickering to life in her eyes.

She offered Seul-hee a grateful smile. "I'll review these thoroughly and start mapping out a strategy first thing tomorrow."

Seul-hee returned the smile with a curt nod of approval. "It's getting late anyway," she conceded, rising from the couch and heading back towards her desk. "We can discuss the finer details in the morning, once you've had a chance to familiarize yourself with everything."

As Amirah settled back against the cushions, her mind already churning with possibilities and contingencies until the evening claimed her.

Very quickly, before the morning clock had even chimed 8 am, Seul-hee Park swept into Amirah's bedroom, throwing open the heavy curtains with a flourish. Brilliant sunlight flooded the space, and Amirah groaned, burying her face deeper into the m pillow.