In this very cruel world, it is taboo to stay connected with the family of your ex-fiancé. But what should you do if they’re the ones who actually make all the effort to connect with you?

It’s such a dilemma for Jeonghan. She never wanted this to be like this but she’s too nice and well-mannered not to disrespect the elders of this society. She’s one too good to be true lady in this century that she’s still involved with the family of her ex-fiancé.

A call just as she opens the door to her apartment welcomes her. She sighs in frustration as she answer her phone. “Yes? Mrs. Choi?”

The lady in the other line talks to her with such endearment like it’s totally normal. “Jeonghan, did my husband tell you about dinner plans? We’ll be having dinner tonight, okay? We’re going to pick you up tonight.”

“I can’t join, Mrs. Choi. You see I-” She kindly refuses the lady but gets cut off.

The tone of Mrs. Choi’s voice changed, sounding firm, “I will not take no for an answer. We haven’t seen you for so long. See you later, dearest.” Mrs. Choi ends the call abruptly not letting her have the chance to reply.

She really can’t catch a break. With resignation and tired as hell, she finally gets inside dragging her bag to her room. A peculiar situation earlier at the airport happened too - Mr. Choi, Mrs. Choi’s husband, was there picking her up at the airport. It could’ve been fine if it was her dad who picked her up at 4 in the morning but it wasn’t. They’re not even related.

There was an agreement a year ago that they will cut ties after calling the engagement off with Seungcheol and breaking up with him. She made herself clear to them, specially his parents, to just forget about her and treat her like a stranger. She thinks his whole family either didn’t get the notice or they just ignored it.

Worried how she’ll be able to escape, empowered by a hot shower and a hot meal, she calls the only person she thinks will be able to help her.

A low grumble from the receiving end was the cue, “I’m going to sue you right now!”

“What?”

“Dino, wake up.” She’s sounding pissed yet calm at the same time. “Why did you tell them my schedule?”

“Who are you?”

“Dino, stop joking will you?”

“But you’re the one who said to treat you like a stranger, remember?” Dino retorts, voice sounding clearer. “What’s the big deal, Jeonghan? And it’s 6 in the morning.”

“Your parents are at it again.” She goes on telling the tale of the events this dawn. It frustrates her so much. There is no other person to help her other than Dino, Seungcheol’s younger brother.

Fully awake now, “What do you want me to do? I can’t help you anymore with this.” Dino sounds defeated. He can’t even go against his parents. “You should call hyung.”

Silence dawned upon them. Jeonghan couldn’t even get herself to say his name and now he’s being suggested the only person to help her with her problem.

“Hey, I know it’s hard for you to talk to him but isn’t it that you guys are the ones involved in this? I know you laid down the rules, so he should too. That coward ending everything with you and gives you this headache.” Dino blames his brother for everything that is happening to Jeonghan. He knows how Jeonghan’s been miserable and is drowning herself with work ever since.

“This is useless. You know I haven’t talked to that son of a gun since then.”

“But you said you’ve moved on and is okay now.”

“This conversation is useless.”

“I’ll see you later, okay? Hyung will be there.”

Dino drops a hint. Right. She forgot he’s engaged to be married already. Another thing to worry about.

She got 3 hours of sleep on the plane and is getting a headache. There’s only one thing she’s wishing right now - for someone from the office to call her and orders her to get her back to the airport because she’s leaving for another business trip. That rarely happens though. She just got back from opening a hotel in New York and is wanting more work already.

She lies in bed thinking of how to politely refuse these people. The only ideas she’s getting are drastic like change of identity, go on a long drive to the countryside, go back to her parent’s, go to either one of the brothers, literally go back to the airport and go for a weekend in a neighboring country.

Her phone rings…

Seungcheol Calling

“No. I will not deal with you right now.”

She purposely ignores his calls but when she can’t fall asleep since it’s the nth time he’s called, she finally picks it up.

“I’m sorry.” No greetings. Seungcheol tells her straight the second she answers the call.

“What for?” She tries hard not to snap at him. They haven’t talked for a long time.

“Mom and Dad are being like this.”

*****

She doesn’t know what came down to her but their conversation took her to the television station. She agrees to meet him.

“It has been a while, Jeonghan. I thought I’ll never see you again.” one of Seungcheol’s managers greets her by the entrance.

“I’m just really busy with work.”
 
“By the way, Seungcheol sends his apologies for not being able to pick you up.” 

They walk a long way to the back door. She was dreading this and could feel her heart beating so hard. She doesn’t know if this is the right thing to do anymore. But there is no other agenda than the problem. She’s not trying to get his attention. She’s not going to take him back.

“Jeonghan?” the manager calls her. He’s been holding the door for some time. They’re already at the waiting room.

Jeonghan snaps out of her thoughts. “I’m sorry. I just got back this morning.”

“Still flying everywhere?” the manager smiles. “Don’t worry about it.”

Very cautious, she follows the manager inside and greets everyone she sees. She was a frequent visitor and she knows majority of the people in there except the new staff but they rarely change often.

She should’ve known how crazy these people get but she was still surprised when everyone was literally excited to see her. The boys greet her with a warm hug, slightly crushing her. Being a clingy human being, Mingyu immediately pulls her to one side and asks her purpose.

“Gifts?” she answers and hands him a small gift from inside the paper bag. She starts distributing to everyone including the managers and the coordi.

“You were gone?”

“No.” She laughs and answers him sarcastically. “Honestly, I just opened a hotel in New York.”

Seungcheol was just in a corner, waiting for everything to calm down. He patiently waits for his turn to talk to her. He knows she’s still a crowd favorite and thinks she will always be the crowd favorite. He watch her with loving eyes like she’s still his but the catch she isn’t his for show.

He quietly asks for her time and leads her to the back of the waiting room. The sound of the silence was deafening. They haven’t seen them together like this. The sigh he lets out as he close the privacy partition means one thing - he’s worries about what his parents are doing too.

“Should I disappear for a year now?” Jeonghan suggests. No friendly greetings whatsoever.

“You already left months at a time. Don’t.” he answers sternly.

The awkward silence between them is so thick. This is the first time that they’ve actually talked, face to face, after a long while.

“What should I do then? I laid down rules and your parents ignored it.”

“Nothing.”

“Why?”

Seungcheol looks at her like she’s joking. He envelopes her into his warm hug. “Being true to yourself is one of the things people like about you. Also, we can’t change the fact that you’ve been part of my family for years.”  He used to tell this to her when she gets insecure about his family when they were together. Seungcheol could taste the sourness of how it is saying it after a break-up. Same words but it doesn’t feel right anymore.

“We shouldn’t be like this.” Jeonghan tries to push him away but his grip was tight.

“Is there something wrong about this?” Seungcheol finally sensed it’s making her uneasy and pulls away.

“It is wrong in all ways. Also have you told her about your real past relationship?”

“Haven’t.” Seungcheol was caught off guard. “I’m worried since you’ve set the standards so high,” he lets out a sigh. “They will always compare behind our backs. You are the perfect daughter-in-law.” Seungcheol pats her hand, “I may or might have trouble or not comparing comparing you all the time.”

“Are you out of your mind?!” she blurts out as she hits his head, thinking he will actually gain some sense. “You don’t say that! Goodness! You better keep your mouth shut about it comments,” she raises her fist threatening him.

Soonyoung peeks his head at the other end of the partition asking Jeonghan if there’s a problem. Her voice got louder a tad bit. She shakes her head and smiles, saying she’s about to leave. She leaves the waiting room, the manager escorting her out.

“That was fast,” the manager notes.

“Nothing to do here and no reason to stay any longer, sir.”

“You don’t need to call me ‘sir’.”

“Things are different now.”

“Remember that we’re family.”

Jeonghan just nods and gives the manager a bow as she heads out of the building and to the subway station, heading to Dino’s café.

Dino doesn’t even want to ask how she is when she arrived. She look angry and tired. She started working to make herself busy and to get her mind off of things. The staff tried to stop her but ended up being told off.

“You should work on your temper.” Dino suggests as he bothers her while washing the dishes. “Also, you’re in one of the places you don’t want to be when you’re avoiding my parents or my brother.”

“Your brother is out of his mind.” If looks could kill, her eyes are showing it right now. “I can’t believe it how he’s still not telling her about his true past. It’s going to be chaos if the media will be the first to find out.”

“But you’ve hid so well.”

“If they can find out about Seo Taeji’s previous marriage they can find this too.”

To their horror, Dino gets a call from his parents that they will pick him up at the café for dinner. Jeonghan makes a mad dash out of the café real quick, rinsing her hands and taking the apron off in one swift motion.

“Just text me any progress, okay?” She waves at Dino who have seen her do this countless of times. She stayed away from their parents but she can’t cut her friendship with Dino who she know since high school.

*****

It wasn’t easy to hide from those people. She waited for Dino’s message but they have a trick up in their sleeves. They picked her up first than Dino knowing that she doesn’t want to do attend dinner with them. Dino hurriedly goes to her apartment when she sent an awful text message with a lot of skull and bomb emojis because Mrs. Choi forced her to dress nicely saying that what she’s wearing was too casual - black tracksuit.

“Oh! Our daughter!” Mr. and Mrs. Choi exclaimed as she emerged from her bedroom looking more like a human being than earlier to their qualifications of human. She’s still wearing black from head to toe that isn’t a track suit, and her long curly hair, almost reaching her hips, is down from the usual bun.

Jeonghan gives them a weak smile, trying not to wince as she hears the word daughter from them. “Mr. and Mrs. Choi this is totally unnecessary. I shouldn’t be included in your family dinner.” Jeonghan complains as they drag her out of her apartment. She looks at Dino asking for help but can’t even move a finger.

An awful car ride with the urge to strangle a very unhelpful Dino was too much for her. Dino keeps on telling her that she’s too kind and too much of a people pleaser as factors why she’s there with them for dinner in a restaurant.

When they got there, Jeonghan’s parents are already there. She quickly goes to the side of her parents asking them why they’re there.

“They personally went to our home and invited us for dinner.” Jeonghan’s mom explains how Mrs. Choi also kneeled for them to be there.

Her dad with a hint of frustration in his voice, “I thought you already cut ties with them? Your brothers would be furious to know about this.”

“I did. They’re the ones making this hard.”

She couldn’t do anything when Seungcheol along with Jihoon and her parents appeared with some of the Seungcheol’s group members. The facial expression of everyone was a mix of shock, confusion, and nervousness. You do not put the ex-fiancé and the current fiancé together in one room with their families present. But they can’t help it already since they’re all there in one place.

Seungcheol’s mom initiated a very short talk, saying this is a birthday celebration for Dino and her. She wanted to crawl out of there with her parents. Yes, their birthdays are the same but they’re not even siblings for this to happen. It’s awkward and humiliating. She doesn’t deserve any of this.

The guests started to approach them and gives them warm hugs. Her mom and dad gives her a knowing smile - they know her worries. The second she comes face to face with Seungcheol, Jihoon and her family, she tried her best not to runaway. All thanks to her “twin” Dino she’s not going anywhere. Seungcheol introduce them to her and she gets all nervous. Jihoon and her parents are really nice to give her a hug too.

“Happy birthday, my Sky.” Seungcheol whispers to her as he hugs her tight. Everything feels wrong for Jeonghan. The way Seungcheol’s voice and hug is almost turning into her into post-break-up state. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” She can hear the sorrow in his voice. She wants to push him away, far away, but she doesn’t want to cause a scene.

“Enough already. I don’t want Jihoon to know.” She answers, smiling weakly. This is draining all her energy for just one day.

The dinner party went by smoothly until Jihoon approached her and tried to make friends with her then she asks how is she related to Seungcheol and why is she being called by their parents daughter. She tried to keep her cool but couldn’t answer. Luckily, Mingyu was able to sense something was wrong and asked politely if he could have a word with her.

“You really are something.” Mingyu starts off as they walk away from where Jihoon and her family was.

She is trying so hard not to breakdown. “It’s not my doing. This is not my fault. I know this is all wrong but what do I do when I can’t get away from them.”

She explains how everything is the past year and how it was today. Mingyu couldn’t believe himself. He had to as her to repeat it twice. “If you want proof, that was why I was there at your waiting room this morning and you could ask Dino. He knows everything.”

Mingyu can sense she wants a way out of this but doesn’t know how to actually help. “How about try and meet other people?”

Jeonghan tries not to laugh at how badly Mingyu thought of that line but she knows that he’s trying to lighten her mood. “You know that I am currently not interested in the dating pool.”

“How about I introduce you to a small group of people? New friends?”

“I’m totally fine. Don’t worry about me too much. I have to go.”

Jeonghan gives him a kiss on the cheek just like the old times and left him to say goodbye to the others.

*****

She got out of the party the hard way. She had to do a lot of explaining and a lot of sorry to Mr. and Mrs. Choi. Thankfully, her parents are kind enough to bring her back to her apartment and Dino helped her get out of there making his parents realize what jetlag is. She had a long talk with her parents on the way to her apartment. They’re burdened too with how the Choi family is acting. Her parents decided that she move, change address, telephone and cellphone number. Her father even offered her to move back in with them. Jeonghan kindly refused moving back to her parents permanently since they know that location and just asked them to help buy her own house and with all the other stuff.

*****

Her parents work quick. As the only daughter of their family, their family connections sure does come in handy in times like this. She doesn’t really ask much from her parents and with this favor her parents are too enthusiastic to help her out. They do hope that this would solve anything. Her mom’s assistant arrived the next day after with a pile of files about houses around the metro and her dad’s assistant with an assistant for her.

“Why is my father giving me an assistant, Mr. Jang?” she asks as they all have coffee near her office. She looks at her father’s choice of assistant and feels pity that she’s a newbie given to a lioness. “Ms. Jang, right? Wait are the two of you related?”

“Just call me Seohyun.” Her assistant smiles.

“She’s my niece. And your father wants to congratulate you for being promoted to Assistant Director for international operations.”

“He could’ve called.”

“You know how he’s not vocal about these things.” 

“Ms. Yoon, movers will be at your place as soon as you pick a house. Your father wants to sell the place fully furnished so you need not to bring most of your furniture.” Seohyun butts in shyly.

“Stop with the formality. Just call me unnie or Jeonghan.” Jeonghan demands from her assistant. She’s not into these formality things when they’re almost the same age.

*****

It was bothering her how much Seungcheol started sending flowers with a note to her apartment every day for a week. The flowers stopped coming in her apartment but it started appearing in her office. Seohyun was surprised to see two arrangements a day with food delivery for breakfast and lunch. The notes are piling up in her office and she’s putting the flowers for disposal after Seohyun receives them (which she doesn’t follow). It’s the same flower every day - Ecuadorian roses.

“Why don’t you open the notes? It has Sky written. Are you sure that’s you?” Seohyun’s eating the lunch sent for Jeonghan. It was Vietnamese food today. She’s been really casual and informal now compared to her first week of work, scared that Jeonghan’s work personality is the same as what the others were talking about - a lioness who hunts and kills the prey.

Jeonghan looks at Seohyun like she said something wrong. “That’s what he calls me, Seohyun. He’s the only one who calls me that.”

He? Who is he? Seohyun could only keep shut.

She’s tempted to open the notes right then and there but she’s afraid of the outcome. She looks at it, dejected. Her hand hovers over the cards and her fingers graze the edges.

“If you’re going to mope around, just read it.” Seohyun suggests between bites of the vermicelli noodles. “Don’t worry. I’m turning a blind eye for you, unnie. I don’t know what’s your history but you’re my boss and I’m not going to judge you.”

*****

She quietly slid the notes in her bag making a mental note to read it later before leaving the office. Jeonghan went looking at houses again during the afternoon bringing Seohyun with her. They’re already in the last few houses recommended and it’s looking up for her now. This neighborhood is a little over the top but she’s fine with it.

For a small after-office get together, she asks Seohyun to join her in her apartment to have some greasy food and drinks. Jeonghan ordered way too much food for them and Seohyun is shocked to see her boss in her drunk state, so out of it, drinking soju like it’s water.

Jeonghan pours herself a drink, “You know, Seohyun? You’re the only one who will know about this.”

“Me?”

“You’re the only friend I have right now who isn’t related to Seungcheol.” Jeonghan raises her glass and asks for a toast. Seohyun grabs her glass of juice and clinks it with hers. 

Seohyun doesn’t think she’s worthy to be called as a friend since it’s been 2 weeks since she started working for her. She’s letting this slip since her Jeonghan’s too drunk.

“After Seungcheol and I broke up, I’m so lost. He’s been my world and it all came crashing down like a wave. I have no other friends than his friends - his group members.” Tears start welling up Jeonghan’s eyes. “We were so happy back then. He proposed to me during our 6th year then we both got busy with work. I don’t know if I was in the wrong but I tried so hard to keep up with my work and his work’s schedule. It was up to the point where I refuse international business because I’m scared I won’t be able to see him and we won’t have time to plan for the wedding. Now, I’m this. I’m okay with my career but I can’t get myself not associated with him in ways.”

“Boss, I think you had too much to drink. You should lay down for a while.” Seohyun is caught off guard with the revelation she’s getting from her boss. The whole world practically knows that Seungcheol is going to get married soon.

Jeonghan waves her off and grabs her bag and takes out the notes. “I was scared when the first note came.” She reads each note out loud.

It was great to see you. 

We should catch up soon, Sky.

I don’t know if you’re getting my notes. I do hope you’re going to read this. 

I would really love to reconnect with you.

I heard from Dino that you’ve been working as hard as ever. Don’t tire yourself too much. 

We should grab a bite soon. Like this week?

I still want you to be a part of my life.

The tears couldn’t be held back. She’s bawling and Seohyun is trying to keep calm. She’s seeing her boss cry like this scares her.

“I don’t know what to feel anymore. Do I just turn a blind eye and keep the communication between us or go on with my life? He’s confusing. He’s the one who broke up with me. I was fine until this.”

Drunk Jeonghan is giving Seohyun the culture shock of her life. It was a a tell-all. Every secret about her relationship with Seungcheol was laid down sans those very private ones that Seohyun had to stop her from telling.

*****

It’s been two days since she broke down during dinner with Seohyun and she badly want to forget it but she never forgets anything even when drunk. After that she had drinks with herself yesterday too, stressing about Seungcheol and how the flowers and food delivery aren’t stopping at all.

Jeonghan came in late for work. She already signed papers for her new home and met with the interior decorator for her plans. She already moved her stuff to her parents temporarily while the decorator is at work. She said goodbye to her apartment with a very heavy heart. It was a place where she and Seungcheol mostly made memories since he can’t be seen out dating. But she’s closing that book in her life now and putting it on the discard pile.

“How do I make him stop sending these gifts?” Jeonghan asks Seohyun as they enjoy the danish pastries that came in the morning. “And Seohyun, it’s like we’re selling Ecuadorian roses now. This is a corporate office why do we have that pile?”

“He has great taste in giving you flowers. Not burdensome to take care of.” Seohyun says what’s on her mind disregarding Jeonghan’s question altogether. “They’re all in these pretty boxes.”

“Seohyun!”

“I don’t know. You’re the one who knows him so well.”

Jeonghan let’s him be. For now.

*****

After her business trip to Singapore, she decided to still keep in touch with just a few people in their, her’s and Seungcheol’s, group of friends. It’s very hard to trim down so Seohyun kept her old phone just in case someone becomes suspicious.

“So how is our very successful sister?” Her oldest brother, Wonho, asks as they have a family dinner. “I’ve heard you moved back in.”

“That was a week or so ago,” she smiles. She felt relieved about the huge burden that was gone. “I’m almost done with renovations so I’m going to move in to my new home pretty soon.”

The family is complete. Her eldest brother, Wonho and his family, Joowon, the second eldest brother, and his family, Jiseok and Jiseob, the twin bachelors are there. They had a lot of catching up to do. It’s rare to see them all in one place since they’re too hands-on with work. She’s so happy to see her nephews and nieces too who are way too busy playing around.

Her mother is too excited to share to everyone that her home will be ready soon. Wonho’s wife, Jiyeon, is ecstatic to know that she lives in the same district as them. “We need some sister time away from your brother.” Jiyeon jokes and they all laugh since they all know Wonho’s the clingy type.

“By the way, Jeonghan, have you been in touch with them?” her dad asks as they sip on tea after dinner.

“I haven’t.”

“This is your mail from the old apartment.” Her dad hands out an envelope. “Mr. Jang took the liberty of sorting your mail and this was the only thing that wasn’t bills related. Don’t worry he didin’t open that.”

She’s silent. Her name written in silver on a black envelope.

“What’s the matter?”

“Dad, he’s getting married.”

*****

She wasn’t able to sleep that night. All she could think of is. This is real. She can’t even bring herself to open the envelope because she keeps on thinking that it should be her name written there. As the bride. That’s not what she’s supposed to feel. That’s not how she’s supposed to react.

Jeonghan waves the envelope as soon as Seohyun got in the office with her intimidating aura. Seohyun almost apologized immediately but remembers she didn’t do anything wrong. Luckily, it’s too early for people to be in the office this early.

“Is that what I think it is?” Seohyun asks as she hands over Jeonghan’s coffee. “Deliveries are constant too, don’t you think?”

“It is. Should I burn it? I should right?”

Seohyun grabs the envelope and opens it, going through all the leaflets inside. “It’s a closed event at the wedding hall. Maybe you should go?” Seohyun takes a sip of her coffee.

“Why on earth would I go?”

“You’re intimidating in your natural state, like now. How about make people be on their toes? Give him a taste of his own medicine and wear the best white dress you could?”

“No one knows about my social status, Seohyun.”

“You’re one complicated person, unnie. Why not let it be known that you’re the longtime girlfriend?” Seohyun sighs. “Just so you know, calls and messages are coming in non-stop from him. What are you going to do about it?”

“Because we broke up already.”

“She should be in the know why you’re being treated like a princess.”

“I don’t care anymore.”

Jeonghan looks at the clock. People would be coming in any minute now. They should shut their mouths soon.

“No. That’s not how you fight this. You should let her know. Close all ends, with the ex and the soon-to-be Mrs.. Also, they should talk about this or else their marriage would come crashing down faster than how they built the foundation if you’re being hidden.

“You’re too imaginative and way too much of a drama nut.” Jeonghan complains. She appreciates Seohyun help but she thinks the steps Seohyun’s suggesting are too drastic - totally not her type.

*****

Jeonghan’s hands are tied. The RSVP card is left blank and in the care of Seohyun who was too enthusiastic to schedule her meeting with Seungcheol and Jihoon within the week already - no ifs or buts were taken into consideration. She’s nervous about this specially she doesn’t know what kind of person Jihoon is and how will she take this blow. Probably with a grain of salt. Her work was all she has to get her mind o