A Forest flowing with Milk and Honey - Chapter 7.1

Mi-jung, after being discharged from the hospital, dressed up in flashy attire and blended into the busy streets of Hongdae, filled with young men and women. She entered a brightly lit bar where two of her friends were already waiting.

“Mi-jung! Over here!” one of them called out.
Mi-jung sat down, placing her bag carefully where the brand logo was visible.

“Hey, isn’t that the new season’s collection? I heard even VIPs can’t get their hands on it because it’s sold out. When did you buy it?”

“My seller always takes care of me. I saw it in a catalog and reserved it, so I didn’t realize it was such a hot item,” she replied with a smile, hiding her irritation.

In reality, she had paid quite a hefty premium for it on a resale platform but chose to keep that detail to herself.

“Oh, I’m so jealous. I heard it’s going for 2 million won over retail price.”

Actually, she had paid 3 million more, but Mi-jung masked her frustration. It didn’t matter; as long as she kept it in good condition, she could likely resell it for a similar price.

“You don’t look too well,” her friend commented, bringing Mi-jung’s attention back to the present.

“My face? What about it?”

“You look a bit pale, like maybe you’ve overdone it with the diet?”

“Oh, please. You’re already so thin, why would you need to diet?” her friend added, though it was clear it wasn’t entirely sincere.

Mi-jung, who had gained some weight due to bloating, inwardly resented the remark. She was tall and had a solid frame, so even a slight weight gain made her appear much larger than she was. Then, she thought of Woo-rim’s slender, proportionate body, always looking effortlessly elegant in whatever she wore.

“She must have had plastic surgery on her face and chest. If I had as much money as she does, I wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble!’ Mi-jung thought bitterly, knowing deep down that Woo-rim’s beauty was natural, even though she stubbornly denied it to herself.”

Her thoughts were interrupted when one of her friends asked, “So, is Mi-jung treating us tonight?”

Mi-jung’s mind snapped back to the conversation.
“Of course, go ahead and order whatever you want!”

And they did just that. Silently cursing her friends for being inconsiderate, Mi-jung quickly calculated the cost of the night’s drinks.

She began to sweat as she realized her credit card limit was dangerously close. However, there was no way she would let herself be embarrassed in front of her friends, who believed she was wealthy.

She checked her card limit on her phone and forced a smile.

Mi-jung had always enjoyed dressing up, but her real indulgence in luxury began when she became a sales associate for a well-known international clothing brand. Before that, she used to shop at underground markets and online stores rather than department stores. But working as a salesperson required her to wear the brand’s clothing regularly, which significantly increased her expenses.

As she posted pictures of herself in the brand’s latest collections on Instagram, her follower count grew. Online, she no longer appeared as just a salesperson but as someone who was genuinely affluent and adored the brand.

Mi-jung would sometimes sneak into work early to try on new items or even take stock home to wear before discreetly returning it to the store.
When she met up with friends, she made online, Mi-jung enjoyed pretending to be a wealthy person.

Over time, her tactics became more elaborate, and her spending spiraled out of control. By the time she turned 20, she had spent all of her savings and was struggling with credit card debt.

“If I’d just sold the necklace, I wouldn’t be worrying about all of this now!”

Mi-jung’s anger towards Woo-rim was fueled by resentment. In her mind, Woo-rim had so much wealth and precious jewelry that making a big deal over one necklace was absurd.

Her frustration grew even further when she learned that, despite any leniency, she would still be stuck with a fine.

“All that fake ‘goody two-shoes’ act makes me sick… What a sly fox. Calling the police and causing a mess like this—seriously?”

What made it worse was that Mi-jung had to personally apologize to Woo-rim the next day to receive any sort of leniency. The idea infuriated her.

Woo-rim had attempted to understand Mi-jung’s circumstances, but her effort was lost on Mi-jung, who remained bitter and defensive.

Later that night, Mi-jung, stumbling home drunk, pulled out her phone to make a call.

“Kim Byung-ho.”

He was a total jerk, with a name that suited him. His looks didn’t compare to Yoon-seok’s, but his physique was decent, and from what Mi-jung could tell, he had some savings tucked away. He had a soft spot, and she figured if she played the victim, she could manipulate him. She needed someone to help her cover her credit card bills before they spiraled out of control.

However, when she tried to call, she didn’t get the usual voicemail message.

“We’re sorry, the person you’re trying to reach is unavailable. Please try again later.”

It didn’t take long for Mi-jung to realize she had been blocked. This wasn’t the first time it had happened, and the realization made her bl00d boil.

“Did that fool seriously block me?”

Still tipsy, she angrily fired off a series of insulting texts to Byung-ho, filled with curses. But after a moment, she tried to backtrack, sending a follow-up message filled with fake apologies, blaming it all on a friend.

You pathetic idiot, don’t think I didn’t know you’ve been trying to get in my pants this whole time.

Byung-ho, I’m really sorry. My friend must’ve taken my phone and sent that. I’ve been having a tough time lately, and it feels like everyone’s out to get me.

But her messages went unread. Byung-ho had blocked her and never saw any of it. Frustrated, Mi-jung scowled at her phone, still waiting for a response that would never come.

“Damn it, I’m seriously broke!”

* * *
Hae-yeon, a kitchen assistant, wasn’t feeling well that morning. She arrived at work drenched in sweat, debating whether she should leave early. But as soon as she stepped inside the mansion, she felt refreshed, almost as if the place itself had a calming, healing effect.
“Is this what they call virtuous healing?” she wondered.

For a long time, Hae-yeon had been happy with her job. She liked her beautiful and kind employer, and she had a secret fondness for quietly observing life around the mansion.

While half-listening to her coworkers chat, something odd caught her attention. She overheard Mi-jung say something along the lines of, “Don’t you find it strange that you and the director grew up like siblings? The chairman even wanted to adopt you.”

Mi-jung’s theft of Woo-rim’s necklace wasn’t known to anyone yet—Woo-rim had asked Deacon Kim to handle the matter discreetly.

With people sympathizing with Mi-jung, it was hard for others to believe she could do something like that.

Hae-yeon found herself pondering Mi-jung’s comment but couldn’t see anything strange about the close bond between Woo-rim and the director. To her, it was sweet and heartwarming to see them together.

“What’s so odd about two friends being close? They’re not even real siblings,” she thought.

The others exchanged glances at Hae-yeon’s words, sharing a laugh as they nodded in agreement, not wanting to be caught speaking poorly of their employer.

‘You’re right, I’d love to be in a relationship like that.’

‘You’re secretly a romantic! And lately, you’ve been leaving work early—things must be going well!’

‘Even I get excited when I see you two hugging.’
Meanwhile, Mi-jung, who had come to apologies to Woo-rim, secretly overheard the conversation and frowned. Neither Byung-ho nor Yoon-seok had been in touch since the day before, and hearing that Woo-rim was doing well, while she was still struggling with money, only made her stomach churn with frustration.

“Other than money, what do I lack compared to her?”

It was clear that she was born into a lucky, wealthy family and used her wealth to win over Tae-oh. It was also suspicious that Tae-oh, who wasn’t even related to Chairman Baek, ended up being chosen as the heir. There had to be some kind of deal involved. Otherwise, there was no reason why Tae-oh, who had never paid any attention to her, would suddenly act like a different person.

When Mi-jung first saw Tae-oh, she had foolish fantasies. He was like an alpha wolf leading a pack, a strong male whose unique aura was as seductive as pheromones.

She had often imagined what it would be like if this cold, seemingly indifferent man were to love her. But in reality, she couldn’t make a move. Tae-oh was too intimidating and distant.

“If only I had been Baek Woo-rim…”

Mi-jung unconsciously wished for it.

“Shall I help you become her?”

The vengeful ghost had been whispering to her all along. But for the first time, Mi-jung truly heard its voice in that moment. Entranced by the spirit’s voice, Mi-jung nodded.

“I will…”

Mi-jung succumbed to the ghost’s temptation. Just like when she had stolen the necklace from Woo-rim’s jewelry box, opened by the spirit, she now thought of stealing Woo-rim’s life without hesitation.

The ghost’s jet-black hair began to coil around Mi-jung’s neck, tightening.

“Miss, Kang Mi-jung is here.”

Hearing that Mi-jung had arrived, Woo-rim stepped out of her room.

Today was an unusual day. Four people had called in sick, saying they were feeling unwell, including Deacon Kim. The downstairs area was in disarray, perhaps due to Kim’s absence. And at the center of the commotion stood Mi-jung.

“I will… I will become her…”

Standing by the window where she had lost her baby, Mi-jung muttered like a madwoman.

Woo-rim’s expression darkened, feeling that it had been inconsiderate to call someone over when they were going through such a shock. The necklace issue had long since disappeared from her mind. Approaching Mi-jung, Woo-rim called out to her.