She hadn't listened to anyone when they told her she was too young to marry, or rather she couldn't hear them. She blamed the euphoria of first love. He was her first love, first kiss, first everything.

 

Everyone told them they were foolish. They didn't listen. Everyone told them they were too rash. They didn't listen. 

 

Despite everyone's refusal, Lalisa married her other half, Choi Seunghyun. He was older, much older. 10 years older to be exact, but when you're in love, age is really just a number. They were introduced at a wedding of his younger brother, Jiyong, and her friend's sister, Taeyeon, who was also like a sister to her. They didn't hit off right away, it took a couple of times for them to get comfortable, the big and all.

 

It was a beautiful wedding with only their friends and Lisa's mom in attendance. Seunghyun's parents had disowned him for marrying against their wishes. They had planned his future out, his career and even his future wife, but he demolished their dreams when he told them of his plans. They told him Lisa was only marrying him to rob him of his fortune, that she didn't really love him and that he should open his eyes. He told them they were wrong and had cried for days but Lisa was by his side through it all. She lent him her shoulders for him to cry on. She cooked him food and forced him to eat. And she held his hands in the dark when he finally went to sleep.

 

They said 'I do' and that day was the first of many to come.

 

Like all things, everything seemed to be perfect in the beginning. 

 

Seunghyun had woken up earlier than most days to cook breakfast for his lovely wife. She had been sick these couple days and he wanted to surprise her with his new and improved cooking. 

 

He was just setting he dishes down when he felt her arms going around his waist, and her head on his back which brought a smile on his lips. "You're awake."

 

"And you made food?"

 

He nodded and turned to face her, his body leaning against the table. He engulfed her body with his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Why do you sound so surprised love?"

 

She giggled and snuggled into his chest. "I love you, but you can't cook for . Love."

 

He gasped. "Lalisa, are you cursing this early in the morning?" She nodded, laughing at him. 

 

He rolled his eyes playfully, pulling the chair out for her to sit. "Just try it and see."

 

Hesitantly, she sat down and as he watched her, as she ate the food in front of her. It was surprisingly good? "Oppa, what store did you buy this from?" 

 

His frown made her erupt into fits of laughter. Her laugh. He could listen to that all day, even if she was making fun of him. "I am seriously hurt Lalisa. I did not go to cooking class for 3 months for you to say I brought this from the store!" 

 

"Aigoo, my husband is still a baby. I'm just kidding oppa. You think I didn't hear the loud chopping?" 

 

He softened up and asked in a worried tone, "did I wake you?" 

 

She shook her head. "I couldn't feel you so I woke up then I heard the commotion in the kitchen. Thank you oppa. This means a lot to me." She got up and leaned in to give him a kiss. An innocent kiss that turned into a passionate one within seconds. 

 

"Gosh, I love you Lalisa."

 

Their lives were perfect for so many years. They were happy and in love for so many years. They had proven everyone wrong for so many years. 

 

Until...

 

"I want a divorce." His voice was cold and hard as he slammed the paper onto the table that shook under his strength. 

 

She saw this coming from the first time he came home drunk. It wasn't usual for him to come home late and more, drunk. She almost didn't recognize her own husband. "Seunghyun oppa?" He slurred a few words before collapsing on the floor. "How much did you drink? And why did you drink so much?" 

 

She lowered herself to help him up when she smelt it. Perfume. But she dismissed that thought in the wind. Seunghyun would never.

 

He woke up and complained of a headache. He forgot to thank her when she brought them hangover soup. He didn't kiss her good bye when he went to work. He didn't come home for dinner.

 

The next week, he came back with lipstick stains. She broke down into tears, not wanting to believe what she saw on her husband. 

 

"Oppa, why have you been coming home drunk lately?" He didn't answer her. "Oppa, I said w---"

 

"I'm tired okay? Can you please shut your mouth for just a minute and leave me be?" She was shocked at his outburst, this was not her gentle husband who sang, albeit offkey to her when she couldn't sleep.

 

""Oh... okay. I'm sorry. I'll go now."

 

"Good."

 

The third week, he came home with a large hickey adorning his neck, his hair was disheveled, and his shirt ed. He was rambling nonsense, or at least she thought it was at first. 

 

"I'm so sick and tired of seeing your face everyday."

 

"Oppa, you're not in the right state of mind and don't know what you're saying."

 

"No, I'm perfectly fine. I know exactly what I'm saying. You're a useless wife, what do you do other than waste my money? Mother was right, you're only going after my money. You're just waiting for me to die so you can inherit all my fortune right? You know Lalisa, you think you're so righteous and perfect, but you're not! I saw you hug that douche Kim Hanbin last time, don't lie. See? You're not even denying it. . I hstejhfeh---"

 

He went to sleep in the guest bedroom. He left in the morning and she didn't see him for the rest of the week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Okay." 

 

"That's it? All you're going to say is okay? What the Lalisa! Here, I'm asking you for a divorce and you say okay? You're supposed to be begging on your knees, crying! You're supposed to ask me why! You're supposed to yell at me! Anything but okay!"

 

"I would cry and beg you to stay but would you? I would yell at you, but would that change anything? I could ask you why, but I already know." 

 

Lisa quietly signed the paper. "Don't worry, I don't want anything from you. After I pack, I'll leave you alone."

 

Seunghyun looked at her with disbelief. "I'm sorry Lalisa. This isn't your fault, it's mine. I don't know what happened, I was so in love with you. I really was. I thought I would spend the rest of my life with you, but things changed. It got boring. It got repetitive. Then she came into my life. She just made everything better, I don't know how but she did. At that moment, I knew I had really fallen in love. Park Bom changed my life for the better. You know she's pregnant now... I couldn't leave her like that while I had a wife. I had to... I hope you understand."

 

She prayed he wouldn't be able to hear her cries that that threatened to explode out of her. She kept on wiping the tears that constantly fell but it proved to be useless. Even after all he had done to her, she still loved him. Imagine your hus-- ex husband telling you how he fell in love with another woman and how little importance you have in his life. How would you feel if you gave up your dreams, defied your family, and left everything you knew behind to follow your heart only for it to give up on you and hurt you more than anything else. She felt as if someone had stomped on her heart, held it in their hands and threw it far far away.

 

Her hands rubbed the little bump and prayed she would be strong enough for him... her little one. 

 

The night he came home drunk, she had planned to surprise him. After years of trying, the heavens had heard their prayers and answered it. She opened her eyes, her heart in pain from the excitement and nervousness that she felt, the test results in her hands. 

 

 

 

 

Positive.

 

 

 

 

 The happiness that she felt was incomparable to anything she had ever felt. She was overwhelmed with joy as she cried uncontrollably. Her dreams of becoming a mother were coming true. Her little one. His little one. Their little one. 

 

 

Releasing the breath she didn't know she held, she calmly and happily as she could, "I'm happy for you oppa. I wish you and Park Bom-ssi, along with y-your child well. This is my farewell to you Choi Seunghyun. May we never meet each other again."

 

 

He sighed and watched her shadow leave. There was a sinking feeling in his heart that something was wrong, so terribly wrong. His thoughts were disturbed by the ringing of the his phone. "Did she sign it Seunghyun-ah?" 

 

"Yeah, she just left to pack."

 

"Oh, good. Did she do anything to stop you? Ask you for money? Beg you to stay? Cry?"

 

"No. Nothing of that sort. She just signed it without saying much."

 

"I'm so happy! No more secrets now, right Seunghyun-ah?"

 

"Right."

 

That sinking feeling didn't disappear. 

 

 

Lisa packed her clothes and belongings into a suitcase. She didn't have much stuff when they first got married, everything she left behind were things bought by him. She stopped in front of the framed picture of their wedding day. Their smiles were so bright and they looked so in love. She contemplated on taking the picture but decided not to. Instead, she took the picture out of the frame they picked out together and tore it. Park Bom-ssi did not need to see her lover's ex wife's picture in his bedroom. 

 

She left using the back door, she didn't want to disturb what must be a time of celebration for them.

 

Before she opened the gate and left for good, she turned around to say goodbye one more time. With her hands on her belly she said, "goodbye dear house. You were so good to me. Goodbye Choi Seunghyun. Although I might not be the love of your life anymore, you are and always will be mine. Don't worry, I'll take good care of our child. I hope you'll be happy from now on. I love you."