Chapter 62. Chance

Yonghwa watched her from a distance as her sundress played with the wind. He could not just approach her since Changmin was holding her by the elbow as if someone was going to whisk her away. He should probably be that someone. The sight disgusted him but it was something that he needed to endure.

There was another closed door meeting regarding some important changes in the company that only the chairman, his lawyers, Joohyun and Changmin’s party were allowed. Some of the Board of Directors were also called but he knew he wouldn’t be included especially because of his relationship with Joohyun. Something about the situation was not very comforting especially when he learned that Changmin belonged to one of the elitist families and that the art galleries that he co-owned with Joohyun and Taeyeon were just his way of continuing the legacy that his mother and Joohyun’s left.

Chairman Seo probably saw the opportunity to marry his daughter off to a more worthy candidate with wealth and name Yonghwa didn’t have. What he could not wrap his thought around was the fact that Joohyun would allow this kind of arrangement. She was just too stubborn and fiercely independent to allow herself to be subjected to this situation. Joohyun did say she loved him so there was just no way.

Listening to himself made him realize that maybe a small part of her wanted what was happening. She never made her relationship with Changmin clear to him, he was always just in the background suddenly appearing to take away Joohyun. The worst part of the thoughts Yonghwa was having was the idea that she was giving the other man a chance.

He really needed to talk to her. Once and for all, this should give him that peace of mind he deserved.

When Yonghwa reached his office, he locked himself up once again and pondered over the recent developments. There was no doubt that a big change would be happening soon especially since the rumor that had been going around about the chairman retiring seemed to be true. Then there was the merger. He knew that prominent company but he didn’t know that Changmin was one of the grandsons of the CEO. If the marriage arrangement was in place, he would be marrying into the Seo Corporation and would probably be named as the next chairman since Joohyun had been so vocal about not having to do anything with the company.

And lying there on his table was a golden card— an invitation for the next day’s dinner party for the chairman. They might also be announcing the engagement, Jonghyun said more as a warning than just relaying an information. He didn’t want to attend but as one of the top executives and because of his loyalty to Chairman Seo, he should endure his personal feelings.

His eyes landed on that sweet smile Euna was wearing on that framed photograph on his table. How would he explain things to her? It would break her heart for sure and it was not something he could shield her from. Yonghwa took a deep sigh before taking out his wallet, the secret compartment of his life which he carried for so many years. He started laying down before him every single content—small papers, receipts, calling cards and finally, the one he was looking for. Yonghwa took the small picture and the air of nostalgia seemed to blossom around him as he looked at the three happy faces.

It was a picture Joohyun took using her own phone in the amusement park. How they tried to fit their faces on that space made him more thankful that he had that. He missed those moments where they were together—the three of them.

Like they were meant to be like that.

~~~

The meeting finished earlier than expected so she lazed inside her dad’s office for a while smiling at the thought that everything she dreamed of was slowly happening. Thankfully, the two stubborn men in her life finally set aside their egos. It was about time for her appa to retire and for her oppa to take his rightful place in the company. She didn’t really like to be part of all the legal nonsense but it was one of the conditions Changmin gave her so he would agree to the plan. She was still to take a seat in the board but her responsibilities were limited.

If she married Yonghwa then maybe he could take her place so she could focus on the galleries that her oppa were now giving her and Taeyeon.

Joohyun wanted to laugh at herself for daydreaming.

The thought of him only made her heart ache. She closed her eyes remembering that moment they reached the fourth floor lobby where she saw him looking so far away. Her heart broke for him.

Wait a little bit more, Oppa.

She wished she could just walk up to him and say that.

“Speak it out and stop looking at me like that.”

Her appa’s voice echoed in the room and she laughed softly realizing that she must have absentmindedly looked at him from across the room. Joohyun stood from the chaise and took the seat across her father’s big oak desk. Waving her hand lightly, she sighed and spoke cautiously, “You had the chance to marry Auntie after mom died, why didn’t you do it?”

“Would you have wanted it?”

She shrugged. The way her appa was holding her gaze was both curious and calculating but she didn’t say anything until he continued.

“I thought about it. Talked to your Auntie about it. Prayed to your mom about it,” he sighed, “I was thinking maybe it was the best thing to do, for Changmin and especially for you. The fear of raising you alone was hard to bear since you were so close to her. But I did not, not because of unfaithfulness since your mother would have asked for it if she had time. But I chose not to because I loved her… always loving her.”

It made her smile. Although her umma had doubts about his love for her, she knew that her appa did love her more than she ever knew. Joohyun relaxed on her seat and voiced her thoughts, “Not because of unfaithfulness but because of love? It sounds the same. You love her so you felt that you don’t want to be unfaithful.”

“True but not so, I will never be unfaithful since whether I marry the woman I first loved, my heart will always belong to your mom. Whatever your Auntie and I shared before was a beautiful memory but your umma was my destiny and my soulmate. It’s mushy, I know, but in life there are things that will always be as well as things that will never be.”

“Law of nature? A curse?” Joohyun found herself saying in disgust.

“We’re a different case,” he reclined on his seat with that small grin of amusement as he focused on his not-so-little girl.

Joohyun rolled her eyes, “I’m not talking about me…”

He chuckled for a moment, “But you feel that your mother’s situation mirrored yours now, that’s why we are having this conversation.”

“I hate talking to intelligent people,” she frowned

“Who happens to be your father,” Chairman Seo pointed a finger at her lightheartedly.

“Who happens to be my father…” Joohyun stood and was ready to leave but she sighed and carelessly blurted, “Love is crazy.”

“No, Joohyun, you are crazy…” he noticed the sudden tension on his daughter’s body when she halted on her track. “Stop moving against the wind, Joohyuna. You won’t get anywhere by doing so. Cliché but past is past. He just learned to live in the present; I just hope you would too…”

“Intelligent people, really…” she shook her head then turned to give her appa one small smile before walking out.

As Joohyun made her way through building, she tried to fight the feeling of stopping by the familiar floor where they used to share and even an elevator ride seemed nostalgic. Who would have known that she would find her match right in this place? Who would have guessed that a single meeting would make such a big impact in her life? Who would have thought that her return home with the sole intention of fixing her family would cause her to discover the feeling she thought was simple?

Love. Complicated. Madness.

Pure and utter madness.

Joohyun walked on.

Not yet. She was too emotional to deal with him and it was not the right place for her to talk to him.

~~~

“Once upon a time there was a prince who wanted to marry a princess; but she would have to