Chapter 59
In response to Hyun-oh’s words, Sua simply looked at him for a moment.
During this time, Hyun-oh’s hand had been stroking her shoulder. The touch of his hand, firmly grasped to avoid causing pain, caused a shiver to run through the flesh of her shoulder where it met his hand. He tightened his embrace around her several times, as if emphasizing her preciousness, before speaking.
“I’ve been thinking about the conversation we had the day after the accident.”
“…”
“I’ve thought about why you wanted a divorce. Maybe you wanted to break free from all constraints, from me, from Han Dong Group, from PY, and go somewhere where you could live freely, with someone like Yoon Dam… a man who writes books. So, you wanted a divorce for that reason. That’s what I thought, anyway.”
Hyun-oh’s voice, spoken quietly, reverberated through her entire body.
“But I couldn’t believe that you liked me. If that’s true, then why did you want to leave me?”
Strangely, his words made her heart tremble irregularly.
“Was it because of my mother?”
The harsh words of Mrs. Cha, who had bitterly criticized Sua.
[Sua. Are you trying to ruin our Hyun-oh’s life? Are you hiding the fact that the company is failing and trying to stay in our house without leaving?]
She might have been more than eager for Sua to leave Hyun-oh. Her words weren’t entirely wrong. There was nothing good about her being with Hyun-oh. Above all, she understood Mrs. Cha’s feelings of desperately wanting Hyun-oh to succeed. Although it hurt, that wasn’t the reason for leaving.
Sua shook her head.
“No, it’s not because of your mother.”
“If that’s not it…”
He let go of Sua’s hand and turned his head away. Among the luggage brought by the manager, there was Hyun-oh’s document bag. What could be inside?
Hyun-oh walked over, opened the bag, and took out a document from inside. He flipped through the papers in the file with his left hand.
After silently examining the documents for a while, Hyun-oh spoke up.
“It must be because of Han Jiheon.”
“…”
Her heart sank at his words. She had desperately tried to prevent Jiheon from contacting Hyun-oh. She had planned to drag out the divorce process by threatening to divorce him if Jiheon contacted him.
Had he finally figured it out?
Hyun-oh looked at Sua calmly and continued.
“I thought about it. You told Ji-heon not to contact me, right? No matter what you said, you must have told him not to contact me. Then why didn’t Han Ji-heon contact me? We were once classmates, and now we’re family, so why didn’t he say anything to me? He could have easily asked me for help. There was no easier option than me.”
A smirk appeared at the corner of Hyun-oh’s mouth. The man who had found the answer didn’t hold back.
Sua’s mouth dried up with tension.
“Sua, you blocked him. I don’t know what you said, but you must have told him never to contact me. You must have tried to block him somehow, but Han Ji-heon’s company will become increasingly dangerous… Then eventually, he would have contacted me.”
That’s why she decided to divorce.
“Am I wrong?”
Sua hesitated for a moment at his question. What should she say?
No. I just wanted a divorce. I didn’t want married life. My love for you wasn’t a lie, but Ji-heon’s not important. This is just my decision.
As she was about to say that, she met Hyun-oh’s eyes.
His eyes, which had always seemed dark and impenetrable, sparkled. The man who already knew the answer demanded it himself.
“Tell me honestly.”
“…”
“Please.”
She couldn’t make a rational judgment. She didn’t know what was right and what was wrong. Only the man in front of her was in her sight.
Everything else blurred, and only Ji Hyun-oh was visible.
Sua’s lips, which had been resolute, softened. She finally spoke out the truth that she had harbored in her heart for a long time.
“…But.”
In a voice that sounded almost inaudible, she whispered.
“I… I thought that if I married you, it would be a better opportunity for you.”
“…”
“Even if you don’t love me, even if you don’t like me, it doesn’t matter. Because my existence can be a stepping stone for you. I boldly suggested marriage because… even though my presence might be a burden and baggage to you, it shouldn’t be. That’s not right…”
Hyun-oh sighed. Then he turned his head towards Sua.
“Who said that your presence is a burden and baggage?”
“…”
“Whether it’s Jiheon’s problem or Jisoo’s problem, I’ll take care of it.”
“Hyun-oh…”
“Did I seem like someone who couldn’t handle anything like that?”
She could see that he was a man who could handle anything. He was someone who could accomplish whatever he wanted. That’s why she didn’t want to become an even heavier burden to him.
“But there might be repercussions. If that happens, the ownership…”
“That’s also something I’ll take care of.”
However…
Various reasons, big and small, why she shouldn’t continue her married life with him came to mind.
It wasn’t easy to gauge how much of a burden she might be to him.
But as Hyun-oh drew closer, he enveloped Sua with his left arm. In the moment she was wrapped in his embrace, all those reasons vanished.
Normally, his heartbeat would have resonated solely with hers. But his injured arm, between them, created a barrier. Yet even so, Sua felt like he could hear her heartbeat as if it were his own.
Thump-thump, her heart pounded loudly.
“Han Sua.”
“…Yes?”
“Give me a chance.”
“…”
“To show you how capable I am. How well we can do together. Give me a chance. And if it still doesn’t work out, then you can leave. It’s not too late. Okay? Sua. The burden you give me is not a burden. It’s something we have to face together.”
His left hand ruffled Sua’s hair. His intense touch sent a tingling sensation through her scalp.
“You’ve always done well, Hyun-oh.”
But at that, he shook his head.
“You were anxious because of me. Since the first night, I just left you alone. I won’t do that again.”
“…It’s my fault.”
“No, it’s mine.”
Hyun-oh took a deep breath.
“I can’t live without you now. I’m the problem, the one who can’t live without you… Just the thought of you leaving this house again drives me insane. Forget about what I should do, the attitude I should maintain, the values I’ve held my whole life… erase everything about what kind of person I am, and only you remain in my mind. That’s the problem.”
His voice was thick and sticky.
“So, Sua. Don’t go.”
“…”
“Stay by my side.”
After enduring so much pain for a long time, she blamed herself for falling in love with him again, even though she knew she should stay away. With each step she took away from him, she knew she had to leave this house someday.
But he was pleading with her.
No matter what happens, he would be there to protect her.
Leaving him would be harder for him.
The walls she had built up so high collapsed in an instant. It felt like a rush of sound in her ears. Sua took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Can I still stay by your side?”
“You have to. I can’t live without you. Even if I have to abandon the company and everything else, just to search for you.”
“…”
“It has to be Han Sua. It has to be.”
His words poured out so sweetly, it felt like a dream. No, it was more euphoric than a dream. His words resonated truthfully in her heart more than anything she had ever dreamed of.
But as if to affirm that it wasn’t a dream, he spoke even sweeter words.
“Promise me you won’t leave.”
“…”
“Otherwise, I might just die.”
His voice was sweet and affectionate. Sua was finally able to speak, despite her heart pounding.
“I won’t leave.”
It was so easy to say.
Once the floodgate of her emotions opened, her feelings poured out freely.
“I don’t want to leave. It has to be you, Hyun-oh. I’ve never thought about dating another man. I don’t even have a place I want to travel to. Wherever I go, it’s always you on my mind. Even on the road to Gangneung, I was only thinking of you. There are many things I want to do, but I want to do them with you.”
“…”
“I love you. From a very young age until now. No, even more so now.”
“…”
“I love you, Hyun-oh.”
As Sua finished speaking, Hyun-oh gently pulled her closer and their lips met.
