

Coffee-Stained Fate

 

chapter 4

The Email

Y/N POV

The next morning, her head was pounding. Her phone buzzed nonstop.

She groaned, barely lifting her face from the pillow.

Y/N: "Why is the sun so aggressive today?"

She grabbed her phone and saw the subject line from her email app.

> Subject: Park Enterprises – Interview Result

Y/N: "What—already? That was fast."

She tapped it open.

> Dear Miss Y/N,

Congratulations! You’ve been selected to join Park Enterprises.

Your position: Assistant to Legal Affairs Admin (Entry Level – Support Staff)

Responsibilities: Filing, errands, administrative coordination.

Report at 9:00 AM sharp tomorrow. Dress code: formal.

Welcome aboard.

She sat up. Blinked twice.

Y/N: "Assistant? Errands? Are you kidding me?"

---

Jay POV

Jay leaned back in his office chair, one brow raised as he scrolled through his emails. He saw the alert pop up: “Onboarding Confirmation: Y/N”

He sipped his coffee.

Jay (to himself): "Let’s see how long you last, princess."

Welcome to Corporate Chaos

Y/N POV

She stood at the base of the Park Enterprises building, craning her neck up like it could help her nerves settle. The glass shimmered against the sky like a mirror from another world. People in perfectly tailored suits flowed in and out like they belonged to a different species. Efficient. Confident. Rich.

Y/N swallowed.

Y/N (internal): “This place is on another planet… and I just landed with my discount blazer and bargain shoes.”

Her fingers curled tighter around her resume folder. She took one deep breath, squared her shoulders, and walked through the massive revolving door.

The lobby was all chrome and marble. High ceilings. Designer lights. Fresh orchids on every table. Even the floor smelled like money.

She approached the front desk.

Receptionist (brightly): “Good morning, welcome to Park Enterprises. How can I assist you?”

Y/N (politely): “Hi, I’m Y/N. I received a job confirmation email. I’m supposed to report today at nine.”

The receptionist typed quickly, nodded.

Receptionist: “Ah yes, Miss Y/N. Please take the elevators to the 18th floor. HR will meet you there.”

Y/N: “Thank you.”

She stepped into the elevator with three others. No one spoke. Everyone looked ahead like silence was part of the dress code. Y/N stared at her reflection in the shiny elevator walls, fixed her blazer again, and breathed out slowly.

Y/N (internal): “It’s just a job. No pressure. No disasters. Definitely no coffee casualties today.”

The elevator dinged.

The 18th floor was an open office jungle—glass cubicles, muted colors, minimal noise. Everyone moved with purpose. She barely had time to adjust when a woman in stilettos and a sharp navy skirt suit strode over, clipboard in hand.

HR Woman: “Miss Y/N?”

Y/N: “Yes, that’s me.”

HR Woman (nodding): “I’m Minji from Human Resources. Follow me, please.”

Y/N matched her brisk pace, careful not to trip.

Minji: “As per your appointment confirmation, your role is Legal Affairs Admin Support. That includes document filing, inter-department errands, printing, assisting with basic legal coordination, and whatever your direct supervisor requires.”

Y/N: “Right… and who would that be exactly?”

Minji stopped in front of a wide frosted-glass office door with silver lettering.

Minji: “You’ll be briefed inside. Good luck.”

She knocked once and opened it.

Minji: “Miss Y/N is here.”

Y/N stepped inside.

And froze.

There he was.

Jay.

In a tailored black suit, no tie, sleeves rolled just enough to make it look effortless. Leaning against the desk with a face so unreadable it could’ve been carved from marble.

Y/N (internal): “No. Nope. No way.”

Jay (flat): “You’re late.”

Y/N (checking her watch): “It’s 8:58.”

Jay: “I like early.”

She blinked.

Y/N: “Right. And I like not being tricked into an office assistant position by the same guy who ruined my day yesterday. But we can’t all get what we want, can we?”

He pushed off the desk and walked toward her, slow and deliberate.

Jay: “Still mouthy. We’ll see how long that lasts.”

Y/N (quietly): “So this is revenge.”

Jay: “This is a job. You were hired, weren’t you?”

Y/N: “As an errand girl.”

Jay: “As someone who needs to learn how to read the room. And maybe shut up in public cafés.”

Her jaw clenched.

Y/N: “You’re unbelievable.”

He handed her a small folder with her ID and a paper clipped list.

Jay: “That’s your schedule for the day. Welcome to Park Enterprises. Minji will show you to your desk. Don’t get lost.”

She snatched the folder without a word and walked out, eyes burning.

Y/N (internal): “This is war.”

---

Jay POV

He watched through the tinted office glass as she settled into her seat. She fumbled with the computer, dropped a stapler, hit her knee on the drawer.

Jay (muttering): “Unbelievable.”

He hit the intercom.

Jay: “Y/N, report to Office 1.”

A few minutes later, she stepped in, cautious but annoyed.

Y/N: “You called me, sir?”

Jay (calmly): “There’s a stack of legal reports in the lounge that need to be labeled, indexed, and alphabetized. Today.”

Y/N (in disbelief): “All of them?”

Jay: “Is that a problem?”

Y/N: “No, sir.”

He smirked as she turned around, visibly grinding her teeth.

Jay (internal): “Let’s see how long that confidence lasts.”

---