Forbidden Love

 

The aroma of black coffee wafted heavily through the kitchen, piercing through the misty veil of sleep with the smooth, rich scent of roasted beans.

“Mary, breakfast is ready!” her mother exclaimed.

“Coming!” her lovely voice echoed through the hall as she ran to the kitchen in her soft pastel pink cocktail dress.

“Happy Birthday, Mary!”

 

Meanwhile…

 

Suho came down the stairs in his jeans and a plaid shirt with a big smile that made him look like those angels from heaven.

“Good morning,” his father looked up from the newspaper and set down the cup of coffee, “and Happy Birthday.”

 

Both Mary’s mother and Suho’s father said, “I hope you won’t bring up that matter again.”

The smile that had been on their faces started to fade away by each second as it was replaced by the gloomy look in their eyes.

“I know,” both Mary and Suho replied.

 

As it was the plan that they made two weeks ago, both Mary and Suho were going to have lunch together with their parents at a classy restaurant. The parents only knew that they were in a relationship, but they didn’t know about one another. When they arrived, Mary had to go to the bathroom, followed by Suho. So they left their parents to find the table.

 

“What are you doing here?” both shrieked as their eyes doubled in size.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her outside. The cold weather sent shiver down her spine. Her hands were trembling, but he didn’t seem to care.

“Let go of my hand,” she yelled.

“We have an agreement not to let the kids see each other, but what are you doing here?”

“I am as concerned as you are, and I didn’t know you were coming to this restaurant,” her voice was as bold as her eyes could be. She stared at him until a sudden 2 voices interrupted their conversation.

“Mother!”

“Father!”

Suho and Mary hand in hand walked towards to the 2 most elegant people who seemed to be having an argument.

“Is this your boyfriend, Mary?” Mary’s mother’s voice sounded calm. The type of calm that made you feel uneasy.

“Yes,” Mary replied. “You look so pale,” she stared into her mother’s eyes, when she sensed something was off. Since her mother left without a word, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Suddenly, Suho took off his coat and covered Mary’s mother’s shoulders. His action surprised both his father and Mary’s mother. However, not Mary,since, she figured he would do that.

“We’re going home,” Suho’s father said that broke the awkward silence.

“But father…-” his voice was cut off by his father’s loud voice.

“You Can’t Date Her!”

“Why not?”

“Mother, what is he trying to say?” Mary’s voice frightened by Suho’s father’s words.

“He’s right, Mary,” her eyes gave Mary the disapproving look, “you can’t date him. I’m sorry.”

“Do you two know each other?” Suho asked when he looked at their weird behaviors.

“Let’s go home,” Suho’s father didn’t answer him and just left without any other words.

 

When they arrived at home, Suho and his father just locked themselves in their rooms.

BOOM!!

He suddenly heard an object crash to the ground and ran immediately to his father’s room.

“Are you ok?” he panicked and his eyes came across a picture. “What’s going on?”

“I’m fine,” he picked up the broken tiny pieces of glass.

“Father, what is that picture?”

“Nothing, just go back to your room.”

Suho was really curious as to why was his father trying to avoid his questions throughout the day.

“I’ll tell you when the time comes,” he seemed to hesitate when he spoke out those words.

“Okay,” he left the room and called Mary, but she didn’t pick up. He then closed his eyes and let out a huge sigh.

“I don’t think I have the strength to keep up with this,” the old grumpy voice echoed and a loud sigh escaped his mouth.

 

Meanwhile at Mary’s house, she and her mother left as soon as Suho left the restaurant with his father. She locked herself in her room and thought about what had happened.

“I can’t think properly,” she sighed, “what is the relationship between mother and Suho’s father? What do they mean when they said we can’t date?” So many thoughts in her mind that came out of . A single tear escaped her eyes then followed by 2, 3, 4 to the point she couldn’t stop. She heard her phone ring, but she didn’t pick up and left the phone on her bed right next to her.

“I’m not ready to hear his voice,” she stopped crying, “I’m sorry.”

 

When dinner came, a sudden visitor surprised Mary.

“I think it’s time you two know the truth,” Suho’s father said when everyone seated.

“What truth?” he was still confused now like when his dad told him they were going to Mary’s house.

Suho’s father pulled out a picture of the baby twins as the exact same one Suho saw earlier, “This picture is you two.”

Both Mary and Suho’s eyes widened, while Mary’s mother just stared at the carpet and listened.

“Both of you are related...” Suho’s father stopped, “...by blood.”

“I don’t get it,” Mary was confused at the moment.

“Your mother and I divorced when you two were one month old,” he sighed, “so you two never knew about each other’s existence.”

Mary held onto her chest that experienced the pain that she never liked to feel. Suddenly, she stood up and ran out of the house as fast as she could.

“Mary!” Suho shouted, “come back here!” and ran after her into the busy street.

Mary couldn’t hear anything from behind. With the confusion, disappointment and sorrow, she let her heart decide the path that led Suho and her to that specific place.

“The park,” she looked around the park with sorrow eyes that led tears escaped from her eyes once again.

Suho finally caught up to Mary, but as soon as he realized the place, he let out a sad smile. He then looked at Mary with those empathetic eyes.

“This place holds a lot of memories,” she turned and looked at him with a small smile, “don’t you think?”

“On May 22nd,” he stared at her with the loving eyes.

“Where we first met,” she continued with his statement.

    “Our first date.”

    “When we first held hand.”

    “When we celebrated our birthday together.”

    “Our first kiss.”

    “Our first fight,” Suho heard Mary began to whimper.

    “What will happen to us now?” Mary asked.

    “Just know,” he walked towards her, “whatever happens to us in the future, I will always be there for you.”

    She hugged him tightly and cried on his shoulder for a while. Suho then put his hands on hers that indicated he wanted to let go.

    “Don’t cry. I don’t want to see you cry.”

    “I know everything would be over when your father told us the truth. I’m glad that you’re my first love and I just want to thank you for all those wonderful times we shared.” she then took out the ring from her finger, “I think this ring belongs to a girl who deserves your heart.”

    Her action surprised him. He never thought that Mary would return the couple’s ring. He held the ring and closed his fingers into a tight fist. He felt like the ring was stabbing his heart for every second he unwillingly accepted back from her. He tried to hold back the tears, but he couldn’t because of her next words.

    “It’s over between us now,” she said softly.

    The tears escaped from both of their eyes as she turned around and walked away. Mary hoped he would hold her back, but he didn’t. He let her go out of his life.

    “Our first breakup,” Suho heard her lovely voice.

    “And everything in our love story ends,” he turned around and began walking.

    “All at one place with the exact same date for the last 4 years,” both said as they walked away from each other and away from the most wonderful time in their lives.

    “And you always have my heart.”

Forever.