I didn’t realize how much time had passed.
The two people who were engrossed in each other for a long time were now asleep.
At that moment, Erin opened her eyes.
She turned her head and looked beside her, only to find Aiden deeply immersed in sleep like never before.
Erin wrapped herself in the blanket and sat up.
Leaning her head on her hand, she watched Aiden intently.
There was nothing covering Aiden’s body outside the blanket.
They had crossed a line that had never been crossed before.
Now, no matter what, she couldn’t pretend they were just friends.
They were an inseparable couple.
“Well, so what?”
The original plan no longer mattered.
She couldn’t let him go now.
It seemed that my attempt to divorce my abusive husband in order to survive had failed.
No, I decided to get rid of him.
It was the first time in my life that I had poured my heart out so much and received love in return.
Even before becoming Erin Zahard, I had never experienced such feelings in my previous life.
It didn’t matter even if it was a predetermined world with events that have yet to unfold.
Even if, by some chance, Aiden comes to love Julia Charte as in the original, it doesn’t matter. Erin will not let go of Aiden no matter what it takes.
She will not release Aiden as in the original. Of course, the outcome will be different from the original as well.
Because she will never let go, no matter what. Anyway, she made up her mind like this, to properly confront the original.
She gently stroked Aiden’s face. This man is now truly hers.
“No matter what happens in the future, I will never let you go.” Erin warned Aiden once again.
“Even if your feelings change later, you can’t retreat. If such a thing happens… be prepared.”
But that voice was so gentle and sweet that it sounded more like a confession than a warning.
“I might do anything to make Aiden mine. I can even torment you with everything I have.”
“….”
Aiden, who had fallen into a deep sleep, naturally had no response.
Erin approached Aiden’s face and whispered, “It was the last chance.
From now on, Erin would never ask Aiden for anything. She would only remember the way Aiden clung to her as if she were his world.
In that moment, Erin gave up on divorce without any hesitation, without any worry about what would happen in the future, and Aiden would never know what today meant to Erin, or how much she had changed.
As she looked at Aiden, she recalled something from a long time ago, before she became Erin Lienster , when she was possessed by Erin Zahard.
In fact, it was a memory of the real “her” before she became Erin Zahard, something she had forgotten and lived without for so long. Now, it feels like a distant story from a past life.
But those were clearly the times she had lived, and the memories from that time still influenced Erin’s choices.
***
Her name was Yoon Haneul.
Haneul was smart, kind, and someone who never shied away from hard work.
Despite an unfavorable environment, she did not give up and succeeded on her own terms.
She studied hard and landed a job at a large corporation, where her diligence earned her recognition and praise.
People admired her for her visible success, but Haneul’s life was not as happy as it seemed.
During her school years when she needed her family’s support the most, she felt abandoned.
When her parents decided to divorce, neither of them wanted to take care of her.
Throughout the process, young Haneul watched from a distance, feeling like a trauma that stayed with her even as she grew up as Erin.
After that, she was lonely for quite a long time. She longed for companionship and worked hard to not be alone. Her efforts paid off, and she found people around her.
Her closest friend, the most reliable senior who guided her as she entered the workforce, and even her boyfriend, who she thought would be her lifelong companion, were all more precious to Haneul than anyone else.
The most important thing to Haneul was the people she loved.
That’s why she wanted to both love and be loved. In every decision she made, she prioritized the well-being of her loved ones, even if it meant making sacrifices.
Seeing the people she loved smile because of her decisions brought her joy.
But when she truly needed someone, no one was there for her. There always seemed to be unavoidable reasons preventing them from giving back.
While she didn’t expect reciprocation, she felt unbearably lonely. Still, she understood. Certain things couldn’t be helped.
Perhaps they were busy.
Perhaps the timing just wasn’t right. Haneul continued to love them, but her sincerity was not only left unreciprocated, but also mocked and trampled upon.
When problems arose at work, they shifted the blame onto her, pretending not to know about it.
In the end, she took the blame for all the problems and resigned from her position.
When seeking comfort at her boyfriend’s house, she had to witness him cheating with her best friend.
Everyone had abandoned and betrayed her. Both her body and mind were shattered.
In an instant, she had lost everything. Once again, she was alone.
It seemed as if she had finally come to understand that the time she spent feeling abandoned and alone as a child had consumed her life.
At that moment, Haneul made a decision. She resolved never to expect anything from love again.
If she were faced with choices in the future, she would let go of love first. According to her, there was nothing as unreliable and meaningless as love.
***
And so it was.
When Erin Zahard, who had just turned ten in the original work “The Way of Preserving Fate,” realized the fact, there was only one choice for Erin.
The decision to divorce Aiden upon recalling the development of the original story was because she knew how it would end.
Furthermore, it was also Yoon Haneul’s decision to no longer expect love from anyone.
From then on, Erin never wavered in her goal of divorce at any moment.
She did not want to live like the character in the original work.
The original Erin’s life was about destroying herself in endless longing for something she lacked.
Dying from an impossible love like Yoon Haneul had done once was enough for her.
This time, she only wanted to live for herself. She wanted to completely escape from the divorce at an appropriate time, unlike what was expected.
Despite spending time with Aiden and eventually growing to like him, she never changed her mind.
Even if Erin came to like Aiden.
Even when Aiden behaved as if he liked Erin.
No matter how many times she tried to make up her mind. She shouldn’t rely on Aiden’s current appearance.
In the past, I trusted wholeheartedly only to be betrayed, and that is enough.
Even now, knowing what might happen, I shouldn’t be mistaken by momentary emotions.
However, Erin, who hadn’t changed her mind in 10 years, changed it today.
It was a feeling she wanted to experience at least once, a feeling that had been rejected time and time again despite her efforts.
But after she gave up, Aiden came looking for her. Erin’s heart raced as she watched Aiden’s anxious and restless appearance.
Aiden’s sincerity was keenly felt by Erin.
How could she not believe in this? Comparing the past with Aiden was pointless from the start.
Erin couldn’t turn back her feelings for Aiden. Then Aiden must be the same. It was enough to believe in just that.
Aiden had already expressed everything.
If she didn’t take his hand, she would regret it. That conviction crossed her mind.
She was finally receiving the feelings she had always hoped for. Giving up because of the memories of the past or the existence of the original work was too foolish and naive.
That would be something she would regret more than following the same course to her death.
It was this, more than anything, that would hold her back in life for the same reason as in the past.
Erin was certain of it.
For Erin, Aiden had always been that kind of person.
He willingly influenced her decision.
The moment Erin realized this fact, she had no doubts.
Her feelings were turned upside down like flipping the back of her hand.
Instead, her heart was fuller and happier than ever before.
A courage that nothing that would happen in the future could scare her surged within her.
So Erin had nothing to hold back now.
The original idea was not important to her. As long as Aiden was there, she was confident that she could handle anything, including the original idea.
“……”
Erin slowly lay down, looking at Aiden’s face.
With one side of her face on the pillow, she still stared at Aiden.
After looking at Aiden for a while, Erin’s eyelids gradually grew heavy.
She had no anxiety that today’s events might become a dream, even if she closed and opened her eyes.
She was just excited at the thought of getting up quickly and seeing Aiden.
