Reality Bites

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Sange sat at the counter of the small café where she worked part-time, stirring a cup of tea she couldn't afford. She wasn't even supposed to be drinking it—it was technically for customers, but since the place was empty and her boss wasn't around, she decided to take her chances.

Besides, she needed something to calm her nerves.

Her phone buzzed on the counter. A message from Hiraya.

Hiraya: SANGE. Tell me why I just had a dream that you married a billionaire and named your first child after me?

Sange sighed.

Sange: Tell me why you keep dreaming about me suffering?

Hiraya: Suffering?! Girl, you're rich in my dream! You had a whole mansion!

Sange: If I had a mansion, do you think I'd still be working here, secretly drinking customer tea?

Hiraya: …Good point.

Sange put her phone down and glanced at the small clock on the wall. Almost time to go home. Her shift wasn't long, but the little money she earned made a difference. It helped pay for groceries, bus fare, and sometimes even kept the electricity from getting cut off.

Her thoughts drifted to her mother's warning from the other night.

"When the two paths cross, fate will be awakened."

Sange scoffed. Fate? If fate existed, it sure had a twisted sense of humor.

The bell above the café door jingled, snapping her out of her thoughts. She quickly straightened, putting on the best "I'm-not-secretly-dying-inside" expression she could manage.

A middle-aged woman stepped in, looking around before stopping at the counter.

"Sange, dear."

Sange blinked. "Aunty Sonam?"

The woman gave her a sympathetic smile. "Your mother asked me to bring you home early today. Your parents need to talk to you."

Something in her tone made Sange's stomach drop. This wasn't normal.

"Is everything okay?" she asked hesitantly.

Aunty Sonam hesitated. "Just go home, dear."

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The Family Secret

The moment Sange stepped into the house, she knew something was wrong.

Her father sat at the dining table, fingers intertwined, looking grim. Her mother stood beside him, arms crossed, worry creasing her face. Even Sampa, the usual clown of the house, was sitting unusually quiet.

This wasn't a normal "family talk."

Her mother was the first to speak. "Sange, sit down."

She obeyed. "What's going on?"

Her father took a deep breath. "We need to talk about something important. About… our family's past."

Sange stiffened. This was already sounding bad.

Her father continued, voice heavy. "Years ago, before you were born, our family owed a great debt. A debt we could never fully repay."

Sange's fingers curled into her lap. "Debt?"

Her mother nodded. "To the family that owns J Corporation."

Sange's breath hitched. J Corporation. The massive, powerful company that dominated the business world.

"Wait—hold on." She shook her head, trying to process. "Why do we owe them anything?"

Her father's jaw tightened. "Your grandfather worked for them. He made a mistake—one that cost them a fortune. Rather than sending him to prison, they struck a deal. Our family would work to pay it back, generation after generation."

Sange's blood ran cold. "…You're joking."

Her father looked her dead in the eye. "I wish I was."

Silence.

The walls felt like they were closing in. Sange's hands trembled as she ran them through her hair.

"So what? We're just supposed to be… slaves?"

"Not slaves," her mother corrected softly. "But… we are bound by that debt. And now, the CEO of J Corporation has called on us again."

Sange's heart stopped. "What?"

"They need a worker. A personal assistant. And they've chosen you."

A sharp ringing filled Sange's ears.

No. No way. No freaking way.

She jumped up. "Absolutely not! I'm not throwing my life away for some spoiled rich—"

"We don't have a choice, Sange." Her father's voice was firm. "If we refuse, they can take legal action. We could lose everything."

Sange clenched her fists, her breathing ragged. How was this fair? How was this even legal?!

Her mother's gaze softened. "I know it's unfair. I know it's hard. But we need you to do this."

Sange squeezed her eyes shut. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be real.

But deep down, she knew—there was no way out.

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Hiraya's CEO theory 

Later that night, Sange lay in bed, staring at the ceiling in absolute misery.

Her phone vibrated. Hiraya.

Hiraya: Sange. Why do you sound like you died in the voice note you sent me?

Sange: Because I did. My life is over.

Hiraya: WHAT HAPPENED? ARE YOU PREGNANT? DID YOU KILL SOMEONE?

Sange: What?! NO!

Hiraya: Okay but imagine the plot twist if you were.

Sange groaned. Why was this her best friend?

She took a deep breath before typing.

Sange: My family has a secret generational debt. Now I have to work for some stupid CEO to pay it off.

She didn't have to wait long for a response.

Hiraya: …Sange. You realize what this means, right?

Sange: Yes. It means my life is ruined.

Hiraya: NO. It means YOU'RE ABOUT TO ENTER A BILLIONAIRE CEO ROMANCE STORY.

Sange's eye twitched.

Sange: I hate you.

Hiraya: DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY GIRLS WOULD KILL FOR THIS CHANCE?!

Sange: Hiraya. I'm being forced into this. Against my will.

Hiraya: EVEN BETTER. The enemies-to-lovers potential is INSANE.

Sange threw her pillow across the room.

This was the worst day of her life.

And it was only going to get worse.

---

 The Beginning of the End

The next day, she received an official letter from J Corporation.

It had everything—the contract, the details, and her start date.

She was expected to report in two weeks.

Sange stood outside the grand office building, staring up at the massive glass structure that seemed to mock her very existence.

This was it.

Her new reality.

And she had a feeling she was about to meet the one person who would make it a living nightmare.

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