The Fallout

The muted glow from the TV bathed Yumi’s penthouse in cold light. Every curtain was drawn, every lamp turned off. The place smelled faintly of spilled wine and perfume gone stale. Empty takeout boxes littered the marble table beside the couch, and a half-empty bottle of vodka sat near her leg.

She hadn’t stepped outside in three days. Who the hell was she kidding? If she took one step out of this penthouse, the whole world would tear her down.

Hell, she's seen pictures of her store being egged by people. A few of her stores had been vandalised and broken into. Just imagine what would happen if she stepped out of her house. She shuddered at the thought.

On the screen, a news anchor spoke with the kind of careful neutrality that came with scandal fatigue.

“Former Sterling fiancée Thea Blackwood has remained silent as footage of Rune Sterling and Yumi Kwon continues to dominate social media. The viral clip, captured in a private bathroom during Sterling’s wedding party, has led to widespread outrage…”

The screen cuts to a blurred video frame. Even censored, the shapes were unmistakable. A tangle of limbs, the sound of a woman’s laugh, the glitter of a champagne dress tossed aside.

“Public opinion has been brutal. Sterling remains in custody, while Yumi Kwon, daughter of real estate mogul Han Kwon, has reportedly been dropped from her father’s firm’s upcoming expansion deal. Her fiancé, businessman Elias Zhou, was seen leaving the country this morning and his engagement ring finger, empty.”

The visuals shifted, comment sections scrolling too fast to read, reaction clips, gossip podcasts.

“She’s classless, I swear.”

“Sleeping with your best friend’s fiancé at her engagement party? Girl’s got no shame.”

“I used to like her fashion line. Not anymore.”

“Can you imagine her father’s face right now?”

“She pretends to be a girl’s girl and I fell for it! I even applied to be an influencer for her brand! This is despicable!”

“Goodness, censoring the video did nothing! I can see what's going on in that video!”

“Amd she was friends with Posy who framed her sister and is currently facing trial for her crimes? If the entire elite society isn't messed up, I am Queen latifa!”

Yumi muted the TV and pressed her palms over her ears.

Her reflection in the dark screen stared back at her; mascara smudged, eyes swollen, hair unwashed. A stranger.

She looked like a stranger.

Her phone buzzed again. Another call from her manager. Then a message from her father’s assistant, Jude.

Jude : Mr. Han will not be taking any personal calls for the foreseeable future.

Her throat tightened. Even now, her father couldn’t face her.

The doorbell rang. Once. Twice. Then again, rapid and impatient.

She exhaled, forcing herself upright. “Finally. The pizza.”

Her bare feet padded across the cold tiles as she adjusted the oversized sweatshirt that hung from one shoulder.

She swung open the door and froze.

Not the pizza guy.

Yolanda. Camila. Seraphina.

All three of them dressed like they’d stepped out of a glossy magazine spread in expensive coats, flawless makeup, eyes sharp with judgment.

Before Yumi could speak, Yolanda lunged.

Her hand tangled in Yumi’s hair, yanking hard enough to make her stumble back.

“You disgusting slut!”

“Are you out of your…”

Yumi barely finished before another tug sent her crashing against the console table. Picture frames clattered to the floor.

“You slept with my brother! At his wedding!” Yolanda’s voice cracked with fury. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done to our family?”

“Your family?” Yumi’s laugh came bitter and breathless as she struggled against Yolanda’s grip. “Your brother ruined himself! Don’t put that on me!”

Yolanda shoved her. “You seduced him!”

“I didn’t tie him down, did I? He wanted it as much as I did!”

The words hung heavy in the air. Camila and Seraphina stood a few steps away, watching, one with folded arms, the other recording on her phone.

“You fucking bitch!”Yolanda swings at Yumi who grabs her wrist, nails digging into skin.

“Don’t you dare make me your scapegoat! Rune’s a grown man who couldn’t keep it in his pants!”

Yolanda shoved her hand from her grip and slapped her. Hard.

The sound echoed, sharp as glass.

Yumi’s head snapped to the side.

“What did you just say? If you kept your stupid legs closed! This wouldn’t have happened!”

Then Yumi smiled, a slow, dangerous curve of her lips.

She lunged.

Both women crashed onto the carpet, pulling, clawing, shouting words that were more pain than rage.

“Fake bitch!”

“Jealous wrench!”

“You ruined my family!”

“Cry me a river!”

Seraphina’s phone kept recording. Camila just stared, expression unreadable, lips pressed into a thin line.

“Enough!” Camila’s voice finally broke through the chaos. She stepped forward and yanked Yolanda away. “For God’s sake, look at yourselves. You’re pathetic.”

Yolanda turned, panting. “Pathetic? She slept with my brother!”

“And you’ve acted like you’re royalty ever since your empire grew!” Camila snapped. “Don’t stand there pretending you’re any better, Yolanda. You treat everyone like they’re beneath you. You’ve done it for years!”

Yolanda blinked, caught off guard. “Excuse me?”

“Remember how you laughed when my father lost his contract last year?” Camila’s voice trembled. “You called us financial casualties. You said you only keep me around because I make you look humble.”

Yolanda chuckled, a wicked laugh escaping her lips. “That's because I'm right! You are still a financial causality!”

Camila bit her lip, anger in her eyes as she glared at Yolanda.

Seraphina lowered her phone slightly, eyes glinting. “I don't think you're in any position to use that word on anyone! Your family business is struggling in the stock market right now...”

“Stop recording me, Sera,” Yolanda hissed.

Seraphina tilted her head. “Why? You don’t like being on camera anymore?”

“Turn it off!”

“No.” Seraphina smiled faintly. “I think the world deserves to see who you really are.”

Yumi stood slowly, wiping the blood from her lip. “Guess I wasn’t the only snake in the group, huh?”

Yolanda whirled toward her. “Don’t you dare act innocent! You destroyed everything!”

Yumi laughed, bitter and exhausted. “Destroyed what? A man who was already cheating? A friendship that was never real? Please.”

Camila’s voice came softer now, but laced with poison. “Do you even hear yourselves? We were supposed to be friends.”

“Friends?” Seraphina scoffed. “Those two treated friendship like a photo op. Always competing, always pretending to care while stabbing each other behind the back.”

“Speak for yourself,” Yolanda snapped.

“Oh, I am,” Seraphina said, stepping closer. “Remember when you spread that rumor about me dating my professor? You said it was ‘for my own good’ because my image was getting boring.”

“And?” Yokanda snapped.

“And?” Seraphina repeated, shocked by Yolanda’s nonchalance. “You’ve been cruel for so long, you think it’s personality.”

Yolanda’s nostrils flared. “You’re just jealous because…”

“Jealous?” Camila barked a humorless laugh. “Of what? Your brother? Your family? Your perfect life? You’re standing here screaming in another woman’s house because the internet finally found out your family isn’t perfect.”

Yolanda’s expression cracked. “ Do you understand what this has done to us?”

“None of us are coming out clean,” Yumi said quietly, brushing her tangled hair back. “Rune’s in prison. My father disowned me. Elias left me. And all of you…” she gestured around, “...you’re just here because it’s safer to attack me than admit how miserable you’ve been all along.”

No one spoke.

For a moment, the only sound was the muffled hum of the muted TV still playing news clips, her name flashing across the screen beside Rune’s mugshot.

Seraphina finally pocketed her phone. “I think we’re done here.”

Camila nodded, eyes cold. “Yeah. This friendship died a long time ago.”

Yolanda turned toward them, desperate now. “You’re just going to leave? After everything? After what she did to my brother?”

Camila looked her up and down. “He’s not your brother anymore, Yolanda. I heard he will be there for the rest of his life? Sad.”

And with that, she walked out. Seraphina followed, her heels clicking sharply against the marble.

“Those ungrateful….”

Yolanda stood frozen for a heartbeat, staring after them and then back at Yumi.

The fight had gone out of both of them. Only exhaustion remained.

“I'm not done with you!” Yolanda whispered.

Yumi smiled weakly, a hollow sound leaving her throat. “I'm done with you. Get out.”

Yolanda left without another word. The door slammed, the echo stretching into silence.

Yumi stood in the middle of her ruined living room, breathing hard. A shattered glass lay at her feet. Her reflection in the window looked ghostly in the city lights.

Her phone buzzed again. Another notification. Another headline. Another reminder of her disgrace.

‘Heiress Yumi Kwon — from red carpets to rock bottom.’

She dropped the phone on the couch and sank to her knees. The first sob tore from her chest before she could stop it.

Her father’s voice played in her head, from their last call before everything fell apart:

“You’ve shamed us. Don’t contact me again.”

Her body shook. She buried her face in her hands, sobbing until her throat burned and her breath came in ragged gasps.

For the first time in her life, Yumi felt what Thea must have been through being abandoned and torn apart by the world.

Hell, she had overlooked it, telling herself she deserved it and she was in the her position and it sucked.