The man’s loud voice turned all heads inside the busy office.
Tiffany stopped talking to her staff and looked up to see his business partner burst inside the room, panting while frantically jumping up and down in place.
“What happened to you?”
“This!” He held up a long pink gown. “What did you do to it?!”
“Nothing. That dress looks exactly like the design.”
“But the design is black, Noona!” He held up a piece of paper with his other hand. “See? Black. A black dress. As requested specifically by our client.”
“I know but it looks so dreary so I thought a little color would do her well. It’s not like it’s neon pink or anything. It’s a very soft, elegant shade of pink.”
The young man shook his head violently. “No no no! This must not happen! She’s already on her way here to pick this up!”
“So? I’m sure she’ll like this,” replied Tiffany calmly. “She’s not the first client whose mind I’ve changed, you know.”
“B-bu-but… she’s different!” The blond man slumped his shoulders and shook his head again. “Not good,” he mumbled.
“Don’t worry. A client is a client and sometimes they need a push in the right direction, an expert opinion, if you will.” Tiffany left the room to go back to her office, followed by the still panicking man. “Calm down, Key. Get yourself a cup of tea or something.”
“You don’t understand,” hissed the young man as he closed the office door behind him. “This woman is dangerous! I’ve heard so much about her and it’s all unsettling.”
“She’s just another rich eccentric.” Tiffany sat down on her chair and dismissed Key’s concern with a wave of her hand. “If she really hates it then we’ll just make her a new one free of charge.”
“But her event is tomorrow! We won’t have time to make her a new dress!”
“Then I guess she’ll just have to wear this one, won’t she?” said Tiffany with a smile. “Her complexion is very good. She’ll look dazzling in this dress. I’ve even picked out a pair of matching shoes and ideas for her accessories. It’s gonna be fine.”
Key carefully draped the dress over one of the empty chairs and sat down across from Tiffany, lowering his voice. “You don’t understand. This woman is not just normal eccentric. She’s dangerous eccentric.”
Tiffany raised her eyebrows.
“She dabbles in occultism, you know. She likes that black magic stuff. Some say that she might even be a real life witch.”
Tiffany burst out laughing when she saw Key’s serious face. “You believe that kind of rumor?”
“I’m serious, Noona. Ask around. Her staff is frightened of her. Something bad always happens to whoever dares mess with her. Always.”
“Oh really?” Tiffany leaned forward. “What bad things? You get a parking ticket? You lose your wallet? You bump your head against the door? They’re called accidents or coincidences or even bad luck, Key. That’s not black magic.” She shook her head in disbelief as she leaned back in her seat. “Black magic. Right. In this day and age? I’m surprised you even believe that stuff.”
“Believe it, Noona. They weren’t just coincidences and they were too freaky to be accidents.”
“Then maybe they were just freak accidents.”
“One even went missing.”
“Who?”
“Her stubborn assistant.”
“Missing?”
“Yeah.”
“Did she kill her? Should I call the police?” Tiffany tried not to laugh.
Key frowned. “I’m serious. She went missing for a few days before they found her roaming the streets of Seoul like a hobo, looking lost and totally out of it. She kept murmuring ‘I’m sorry… I’m sorry…’ to herself while shaking from head to toe. They sent her to a psychiatrist after that.”
“Hm… were there any huge turn of events in her life prior to that?”
“Well, her fiancé broke off their engagement shortly before that… BUT!” the young man quickly said, stopping Tiffany from saying anything. “She was okay and even went back to work for a few days before she went missing and crazy.”
“You’re too gullible, Key.”
“I’m not, Noona. You should really be careful.” He then stood up, hung the dress up neatly and made for the door. “She’s gonna be here any minute and I’m too scared to stay so you’re on your own.”
“Gullible!” shouted Tiffany after the man. “Black magic. Witch.” She then scoffed. “Yeah right. So she wears black a lot. She’s probably goth.”
—-
Tiffany turned her head towards the door when she heard the knock.
“Miss Choi is here to see you, Unnie,” her assistant said before disappearing out of the office again.
Tiffany raised her eyebrows as she stood up. Where did she go? Don’t tell me she believes in that whole witch crap too?
She didn’t have time to think anymore on the matter because the tall woman had entered her office.
“Good afternoon, Miss Choi,” said Tiffany as she took a polite bow.
“Good afternoon. I’m here for my dress.”
“Ah yes. I’m sure you’ll be quite thrilled to see the result,” said Tiffany with a wide smile on her face. She went to take the dress off the hanger and showed it to the woman confidently. “Pretty, right? It will look so good on you. You’ll be the star of the show.”
The woman didn’t react. She just looked at the dress, staring at it like it offended her then shifted her deadly glare to Tiffany slowly. “Why. Is. It. Pink?”
“Now now, I know that you requested black but it’s dark and boring, don’t you think? This color will bring out your eyes and your perfect complexion. It’s a classy, elegant color. I chose the subtlest, softest shade of pink I could find. Trust me, I’m never wrong when it comes to what looks great on people. You can ask every single one of my clients.”
“So you push your own know-it-all will on every client?”
“Of course not! I don’t push my own will on anyone.”
“Then what’s this?” The woman pointed at the dress. “The event’s tomorrow and you’ve violated our agreement one-sidedly, without even consulting me on the matter.”
“I knew that you’d refuse but I really, honestly, think that this will look beautiful on you. At least try it on first? I’ve also prepared matching shoes and accessories. You’ll look dazzling!”
The woman shook her head and crossed her arms. “You just don’t get it, do you? How spoiled are you to not be able to respect other people’s wishes? If you can do this to a paying client, I’d hate to think what you do to your staff or friends.”
“W-what?” Tiffany’s eyes widened with shock. “I’m spoiled?!”
“Yes. And unprofessional.”
“I beg your pardon?!”
“You disrespected my wishes. That’s unprofessional,” replied the tall woman calmly yet sternly. She unfolded her arms and rolled up her sleeve. “I was hoping to be proven wrong, you know. I know you have a good heart but you should learn to listen to others and not be so spoiled and pushy.” She lifted her hand and waved it around, making a small circle in the air. “Let’s see how well you fare without being able to have a say in anything.”
Tiffany was about to protest but before she could say a word, she suddenly felt dizzy. It was as if the whole room was spinning.
Her grip on the dress loosened and she grabbed her head while trying to keep her balance.
Colors began to fade and everything was now black and white. She felt her stomach churn and bent down, placing a hand on it by reflex.
She didn’t know what happened next but when she came to, she found herself on the floor, lying on the carpet.
Tiffany tried to stand up but found that she couldn’t. Her hands and feet felt strange and when she tried to hold her head, she couldn’t lift her right hand and bend it properly.
She looked up, saw the woman smiling down at her before going to her computer to type something.
“Hey!” she shouted. “Don’t mess with my computer!”
The woman shushed her but continued typing.
“Yah!” Tiffany tried to stand again but fell chin first onto the floor instead. Oof! Thank goodness for lush carpets. What is wrong with me anyway? Why can’t I even stand up?
That was when she realized that she wasn’t feeling anything with her thumb. That’s weird. What happened to my ha-… OH DEAR LORD!
Tiffany let out a yelp when she saw the black fur on what was supposed to be her hands.
“What is this?! What have you done to me?!” she shouted at the woman sitting on her chair.
She realized another thing at that moment. She didn’t hear her words spoken out loud. She heard barks instead.
“The heck is wrong with me?!”
Bark. Bark.
“And whose dog is that?!”
Bark. Bark.
She shut her mouth and looked around, hoping to find the dog. When she saw none, she looked down yet again at the black paws and gulped, remembering what Key had told her earlier. Shit. So that whole black magic thing is real? Is she really a witch? And… am I a dog now? A black dog?
“You look better this way.”
She heard the voice and lifted her head, snarling at the woman looking down at her with an amused expression. Miss Choi had left her desk and was now towering over her.
“I think you look cute, cuddly and lovable. Much better than your old look. You can easily steal people’s hearts this way. You’ll be a star wherever you go.”
“What have you done?!”