Somi sighed, staring at the ceiling. "Not really. But there was this one guy I met through my college friends. He lived in the same hostel as them. One day, he asked my friend if they knew anyone who wanted to invest in marketing. He said it was a great way to earn a commission."
D let out a short chuckle. "And did you?"
"Of course, I did," she said, shaking her head at herself. "Back then, I was always looking for ways to make quick money. I thought, 'If I work hard enough, maybe I can save up and travel without asking my parents for anythin'g."
D hummed in response, a soft acknowledgment that he was listening.
"I tried everything," she went on. "One time, I had to hand-make a doll for a project. Another time, I joined this scheme where we had to create artwork using wheat sticks. We'd cut them into thin pieces, design a poster, and carefully glue each piece onto a frame. It was a popular souvenir for tourists—really expensive too—but it took forever to finish just one."
She paused before laughing. "Oh, and then there was the CAPTCHA job."
"What?" D asked, sounding amused.
"You know, the thing where you type out captchas all day? I did it for months, thinking I was making decent money. But when I finally went to withdraw it, the agent said, 'Oh, you don't have a PayPal account? Sorry, you can't cash out'."
D let out a full laugh this time. "No way."
"Oh yes," she sighed dramatically. "Months of work, gone, just like that."
"Sounds like you've been scammed a lot," he teased.
"Not scammed, just hopeful," she corrected with a grin. "I was just trying to find a way to earn on my own. But after that, I learned the hard way—if you want to make money, never take shortcuts."
D was quiet for a second before saying, "So… You've always been this ambitious?"
Somi smiled at the ceiling. "I guess you could say that."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. But in the comfortable silence, Somi could feel it—the understanding, the quiet admiration in his voice.
And maybe, just maybe, that meant something.
As the days went by, Somi received an invitation to a special birthday party. 🎉 It was for her colleague's husband—his first birthday celebration since they got married. Her colleague had personally called and asked her to come, and Somika, who never turned down a heartfelt request, happily agreed. 😊
The party was near Somi's home, but her colleague needed a small favor.
"Can you pick up the cake from the shop?" she asked. "It closes at 6 PM, and you live nearby. The party starts at 7 at a Turkish restaurant."
Somika checked the time and, without hesitation, replied, "Of course, I got it!"
Little did she know, this simple errand would add a bit more chaos—and maybe even a little heartbreak—to her evening. 💔
She had already told D about the party, and they were chatting as usual before she left. Everything seemed fine.
But when she arrived at the restaurant, something felt... off.
The place was empty. No guests. Not even the birthday boy and his wife. Everyone was late.
Feeling awkward, she texted D to update him.
And that's when things took a turn.
Unbeknownst to her, her friend had invited a few extra people—including her husband's boss, someone Somi had no idea would be there.
But D? He didn't believe it. 😶