Chapter 36

My heart hammered so violently it hurt. I tried to steady my breath, but the more I thought about what to say, the emptier my head became. Words tangled in my throat until I finally forced something out.

“I… I wasn’t lying,” I said, my voice thin and unsteady. “I really helped Auntie. But she needed more, so I went with my cousin to get supplies for her. That’s why my GPS kept moving. That’s all.”

I gripped the phone so tightly it dug into my palm. For a second, the line stayed quiet, and I almost believed she might accept it.

Then came her laugh. Not the warm kind. Not even amused. It was low and sharp, slicing right through me.

“Errands,” she repeated slowly, as though tasting the word. “So that’s your excuse? You ran errands… all evening? From early evening until now?”

Her tone was dangerous—soft, calm, but poisonous underneath. My lips parted, but no sound came out.

“You must think I’m easy to fool,” she continued, her voice dropping even lower. “Is that what I am to you? Some blind, gullible woman who doesn’t notice where her husband goes?”

Her tone sharpened. “That’s what truly upsets me, Haemin. Not the lie itself, but the fact that you thought I wouldn’t catch you. That’s insulting.”

Her sigh echoed through the speaker, cold and heavy. It made my throat close up. My mind went blank. I didn’t know what else to say, how to defend myself. My excuses had already fallen apart under her voice.

I held my breath, waiting for her to continue.

And she did. “You really don’t understand, do you? You still think—”

But before she could finish, I panicked. My thumb pressed down without thinking.

Beep.

The call ended.

“Haa… haa…” My breath came out uneven, heavy.

I froze, staring at the black screen of my phone, unable to move. My chest rose and fell sharply, each breath trembling, as though I’d been holding it in for too long.

What… what did I just do?

I… I actually ended the call.

I had never hung up on her before. Not once. My hands shook as the realization hit me. I had just cut my wife off—mid-sentence.

Yuna wasn’t going to let this go. She must already be furious. No, furious wasn’t even the right word. Livid. Outraged. Her pride wouldn’t allow her to be ignored like this.

The weight of that thought pressed on me until it felt like my chest might collapse. I could barely breathe.

But I couldn’t do it anymore. I was already worn thin—Sera earlier, and now Yuna. My mind couldn’t take any more.

The phone lit up instantly. Yuna.

I flinched. My stomach twisted.

The screen kept flashing, the ringtone vibrating against my palm again and again. Each buzz struck my chest like a hammer.

I just stared at it. Then, with trembling fingers, I set the phone down beside me and turned over, burying my face into the mattress. I couldn’t answer. I was too drained to deal with her now.

My head felt heavy, my heart sore—like it had been bruised.

The phone rang again. And again. She wasn’t going to stop.

I pressed my face deeper into the pillow, eyes squeezed shut.

“Not tonight…” I whispered, barely audible.

The world around me tilted, spinning faintly as exhaustion weighed me down. My body refused to move anymore.

The phone kept buzzing, a low hum against the sheets, but I didn’t reach for it.

Slowly, the heaviness took me under. I let go—choosing sleep over fear.

And in the silence of the night, with Yuna’s calls still lighting up the screen, I finally slipped into a restless, uneasy sleep.

__________

The next morning, when I finally opened my eyes, the room felt suffocating. My head pounded like I had been awake the whole night rather than asleep. My body was heavy, and I rolled slowly onto my back, staring at the ceiling as though that would somehow clear the fog clouding my mind.

The clock on the nightstand glowed faintly.

10:07 a.m.

I had barely slept. Every time I dozed off, my mind had pulled me back awake again—fragments of last night replaying without mercy.

I shut my eyes tight, forcing the memory away.

With a groan, I reached out and grabbed my phone. One look at the lock screen made my stomach drop.

One hundred and fifty notifications.

My thumb shook as I swiped it open. My heart raced faster and faster the deeper I scrolled.

Over a hundred missed video calls. Thirty unread messages. All from Yuna.

I didn’t dare open them. I could already imagine the kind of words waiting for me.

For a fleeting second, I thought about not returning to Seoul today. But that thought vanished just as quickly. I had already pushed her too far. If I avoided her now, who knew what she would do?

A heavy sigh escaped me.

I set the phone down, pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes. But then I saw it. Another thread of notifications.

Ten messages. Five missed calls.

From Sera.

Cold dread spread down my spine.

My hand trembled as I tapped the thread open.

[11:42 p.m.] — Have you slept already?

[11:58 p.m.] — You’re not ignoring me, right?

[12:15 a.m.] — Haemin, pick up.

[12:28 a.m.] — You didn’t block me… did you?

[12:37 a.m.] — Hey. Take my call.

My chest tightened so hard I almost couldn’t breathe. As if Yuna’s rage wasn’t already enough, now I had this.

Without hesitating, I erased everything—messages, call log, all of it. Then I blocked her number with a sharp exhale, as though the act itself could erase last night from existence.

After forcing my thoughts into order, I dragged myself out of bed. My body still felt heavy, but I moved on instinct—washing my face, then stepping into the shower, letting the water run over me in an attempt to shake off the fog in my head. It didn’t work. My chest still carried the weight from last night.

By the time I dressed and stepped out of my room, the clock was already edging past ten-thirty. I trudged down the hallway and made my way toward the stairs. From above, I could see the restaurant below—quiet, as mornings usually were. Only a couple of early customers sat scattered at the tables, the low hum of conversation filling the still air.

Just as I began descending, I froze.

Auntie was already halfway up, her steps quick and urgent, as though she had been about to come get me. Her eyes widened when she spotted me.

“Haemin-ah! You’re finally awake.” She hurried the rest of the way up, relief flashing on her face. “I was just about to wake you.”

Something about her tone made me uneasy. “What’s wrong, Auntie?” I asked carefully.

Without answering, she reached for my wrist, her grip firm. “Come, quickly. Someone’s been waiting for you.”

“Someone?” My brow furrowed. The uneasiness grew heavier in my stomach.

“Less talking, Haemin,” she chided softly, tugging me along. “This lady has already been waiting for nearly thirty minutes.”

Lady?

My thoughts stumbled. Who could possibly—

Before I could voice another question, we reached the bottom of the stairs. My steps faltered. Uncle was sitting at one of the tables, laughing heartily, chatting with someone across from him.

But the moment I caught a glimpse of that figure, my entire body froze.

“Miss Yuna,” Auntie’s voice broke through the haze, cheerful yet respectful as she gestured toward me. “Here I’ve brought Haemin. Sorry, he’s such a sleepyhead. He only just woke up.”

My breath hitched.

What?

My eyes darted toward the woman at the table.

No. No, it couldn’t be—

“Wa-Wait, Auntie—” My voice cracked, panic seeping in.

“Haemin-ah!” Uncle spotted me and waved me over with a broad grin. “There you are! How could you make this lady wait so long?”

The figure turned her head at his words.

And in that single motion, everything inside me dropped.

Seo Yuna.

She gave a faint, cold smile, but her eyes stayed empty.

The air felt like it had been sucked out of the room. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. My palms went clammy.

It was really her.

And she had come here.