One Step Closer - PART 1

One Step Closer - 163💕

182.

Na-Ra's world has turned upside down in a matter of days. Her world imploded with a whirlwind of scandals. Once a successful business woman with multiple accolades and achievements, now her arrest had totally shattered her flawless reputation and public image.

Though she narrowly escaped prison, the price she had to pay for it was more than she could afford. She found out her sister had closed all her accounts and withdrew money from their joint accounts. Then she disappeared without a trace. Not even her friends knew where she went.

Na-Ra's heart stopped when the attorney gave her the list of assets she'd have to liquidate or sell in order to pay the fine. The moment she sat trembling in front of her lawyer, going through the thick file of documents that listed everything she had to part with would forever haunt her.

It'd take years to rebuild everything. Even then she wasn't sure if it would be possible. She felt like she was losing her sanity when everything was slipping through her fingers.

Her mother's estate, her shares in the company and the luxury penthouse she adored, the designer handbags and jewelry. Her stomach churned as the reality set in. Her mother was useless and fought her with everything until Na-Ra threatened to leave her ass behind in jail to rot.

Still, Myeong-suk's constant complaining only added to her misery. Her mother's selfishness and spitefulness was so appalling. It made her despise the woman she once knew.

In all these twenty-eight years of her life, Na-Ra didn't remember a time she despised her mother so much. How did she not discover her true nature until now? How could she be so blind? The things Na-Ra found out about her mother in these few days of confinement was more than what she ever knew.

An old saying claimed one would realize who his real friend was when you go through a hard time. None from the elite circle of friends had reached out to her except that brat Song Chung-Ho. And when he did, it was only to yap about this rude omega he ran into during one of the shopping trips.

Na-Ra was in no mood to listen to his rantings. But needed someone to accompany her because her regular hang out bitches were being just that...bitches. She ground her jaw in anger.

She stayed holed up in her room for the most time, growing frustrated with the constant fights and arguments going between her parents. Caught between their constant battles, she knew no peace. Her mother didn't know when to be silent and her father wasn't helping much with the cause. She didn't know how much debt he had accumulated or how he made one poor business decision after the other and had no interest in it.

All she could think about was how this was going to affect her life from here on forth. Jun-Myeon was right. She had lost everything. The company she had built was at the brink of collapse.

The media was still having a field trip with her story. Almost every channel ran her story during prime time as if they had nothing else to talk about. Hundreds of articles were written about her and the arrest, each coming up with new theories and speculations.

It was a PR nightmare. Many high level employees resigned during this time while the low level employees stayed only because they had no other choice. Her company was in shambles. Thankfully, it was still a private organization, which gave her full legal authority over everything and so no one could kick her out.

Still she couldn't just step out of the mansion and go to work as usual because the reporters still crowded her gates and outside of her office. So she has been inside for the next three days.

However, Na-Ra was beginning to grow exhausted. This continuous isolation was beginning to take a toll on her mental health. The few friends who always jumped first to party with her were nowhere to be seen.