My Boss, My Step-Brother: The Devil From My Past의 모든 챕터: 챕터 11 - 챕터 20

Elena kept her gaze out the window, trying to mentally prepare herself for a day spent in Elliot’s company. She still hadn’t fully processed the shift in their dynamic—the high school bully who now seemed determined to prove himself as a decent human being. Her suspicions about his motives lingered, and the idea of forced bonding felt more like an elaborate punishment than an opportunity for reconciliation. The picnic spot her mother had chosen was undeniably picturesque. A sprawling meadow bordered by a gently flowing river, with tall trees providing ample shade. Elena carried a basket to one of the tables while Elliot and his father unloaded the rest of the supplies. “Here,” Elliot said, setting down a cooler and glancing at Elena. “Need help with that?” “I’ve got it,” she replied curtly, not meeting his gaze. Her mother, ever the peacekeeper, clapped her hands together. “Why don’t we start with a game of badminton? It’ll be fun!” Elena inwardly groaned. She hadn’t playe

The memory was one Elena hadn’t revisited in years, a moment buried beneath the layers of humiliation and pain Elliot had caused her in high school. Yet now, as she sat in her quiet apartment, her mind betrayed her, drawing her back to that fateful day—a day that had sown the smallest seed of doubt in her otherwise certain hatred for him. It was her junior year, the worst stretch of high school, when Elliot had been at the height of his cruelty. He wasn’t just popular—he was untouchable. His charming smile and effortless charisma made him the star athlete, the class favorite, and the one person everyone either adored or feared. For Elena, it had always been the latter. His taunts were subtle yet cutting, his pranks always well-timed to embarrass her in front of others. She had grown used to the sharp sting of his words and the way his laughter seemed to echo louder than anyone else’s. Yet, there had been a moment—just one—when everything she thought she knew about him had cracked,

Elena had always prided herself on her ability to keep her head down and get her work done, even in the face of adversity. But working as Elliot’s secretary in a high-pressure corporate environment had introduced her to a new kind of challenge—office politics. Among all her colleagues, there was one person who seemed to take a special interest in making her life miserable: Laura. Laura was an ambitious junior manager with a sharp tongue and an even sharper sense of entitlement. From the moment Elena joined the company, Laura had treated her with thinly veiled disdain, making snide remarks about her role, her background, and even her appearance. At first, Elena tried to brush it off. She had endured far worse in high school, and she wasn’t about to let someone like Laura get under her skin. But as the weeks went on, the bullying escalated, and it became increasingly difficult to ignored. It started with small things—Laura “accidentally” taking credit for Elena’s ideas in meetin

Elena wasn’t prepared for the phone call that came late one Sunday evening. Her mother’s voice, usually steady and reassuring, trembled as she explained the situation. “It’s your stepfather,” her mother said, her words rushed and uneven. “He collapsed. We’re at the hospital now. Can you come?” Elena’s heart dropped. Though she still felt like an outsider in her mother’s newly blended family, she cared for her stepfather, Robert, who had always treated her with kindness and respect. Without hesitation, she grabbed her coat and rushed to the hospital. As she stepped into the sterile, fluorescent-lit waiting room, the sight of her mother’s anxious pacing made her chest tighten. Standing nearby, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, was Elliot. He looked up as she entered, and for a brief moment, their eyes met. There was no hostility or teasing in his gaze, just a quiet, shared worry. “What happened?” Elena asked, walking over to her mother. “He was complaining about ches

Elena sat in her room, the warm glow of her desk lamp illuminating the stacks of papers she hadn’t touched in hours. Her mind was elsewhere, trapped in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions that refused to let her focus. The question that had haunted her for weeks now loomed larger than ever: could she truly forgive Elliot? She had spent so much time trying to understand him, deciphering the person he had become versus the boy he had been. On the surface, it seemed like he had changed—his actions were kinder, his demeanor softer, and his apologies more frequent, even if they were subtle. But beneath it all, the pain of the past still lingered, a wound that hadn’t quite healed. Forgiveness, she realized, wasn’t a simple decision. It wasn’t something she could give lightly, especially not to someone who had been the source of so much misery during her most vulnerable years. The memories came flooding back: the cruel pranks, the mocking laughter, and the endless sense of humiliation sh