Shinhye was waiting at a Japanese restaurant, she was sipping her tea while looking at the people coming in and going out of the entrance-exit door. After five more minutes of waiting, the person she was waiting entered the restaurant. The waiter ushered him to the table she reserved.

“Shinhye”, the person greeted her and bowed shallowly.

“Kyuhyun”, Shinhye stood and also bowed shallowly.

They both settled into their seats and asked the waiter to bring them tea.

“I understand that tonight will be our engagement party”, Shinhye started.

“Actually, it should have been in a month ago but your parents asked mine to postpone it because they said that you were not yet up to it. Are you now?” Kyuhyun asked.

“Yes, I am. Do you really want to marry me?” Shinhye asked as she looked directly at Kyuhyun.

“Honestly, no…I don’t wanna marry you but there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s my father’s prerogative and being the puppet that I am I’ll move according to his wishes”, Kyuhyun bluntly replied.

“You’re family is the most pathetic ones I’ve ever met in my entire life. I never hated you more than I hated anyone before!” Shinhye angrily said with her teeth clenched and her voiced laced with bitterness.

“I bet you could hate me for as long as you live, Shinhye, but still the fact remains that you’ll be my wife two weeks from now. Imagine, Cho Shinhye, who would have thought that we’ll end up with each other”, Kyuhyun insultingly chuckled.

“I’ll see you then tonight, scumbag”, Shinhye retorted before she stood up, grabbed her purse.

 “Send my regards to Jung Yonghwa…I heard that the two of you are quite close”, Kyuhyun smugly said while Shinhye after hearing his comment strode out of the restaurant without a backward glance.

Kyuhyun then signaled the waiter and ordered his lunch.

Shinhye was fuming with anger while she was driving her Porsche. She hated Kyuhyun so much that she had difficulty breathing the same air with him. She also hated Yonghwa and Joo Hyun because of the pictures she saw about the two of them but most of all she hated herself because she was so stubborn and prideful. She wanted to follow her mother’s advice and talk things with Yonghwa and trust him but her pride would not let her. Her damn pride would not let her listen to him.

“How did this happen to us, Yonghwa, my love?” Shinhye whispered as tears fell from her eyes as she continued driving towards her parents’ mansion. She remembered her last conversation with Yonghwa the next day after her family was threatened by Secretary Cho.

“Shinhye, my darling, I’m glad you agreed to see me”, Yonghwa’s eyes brightened as he looked at her and Shinhye wanted to cry for what she was about to do.

“Yonghwa, I…I…” Shinhye wanted to say how much she loved him and that she wanted to ask his forgiveness for not believing in him and their love but when she thought of her parents at home…when she thought of how much her parents would suffer…

Yonghwa embraced her tightly as if he would never let her go. He embraced her in such a poignant way as if he wanted to absorve her essence to him.

“I love you, Shinhye, I love you so much and for you to come and see me is such a blessing to my wounded heart”, Yonghwa emotionally murmured to her.

Shinhye’s eyes hurt and shone with unshed tears…she wanted to embrace her back and tell her she loved him but she hardened her resolve. She pulled his arms away from her and she stepped back.

“I didn’t come here to hear you out or even to reconcile with you, Yonghwa”, Shinhye said.

“What do you mean by that? If you didn’t come here to be take me back, then why did you agree to see me?” Yonghwa asked puzzled and his heart beating fast.

“I came here to formally end things between us and to inform you that I will marry Cho Kyuhyun”, Shinhye replied.

“You can’t mean that, Shinhye. You hated the guy for years and now you’re telling me that you’ll marry him?” Yonghwa could not believe the incredulity of what Shinhye was saying to her.

“Shinhye, is this some kind of cruel way of punishing me for those pictures? Won’t you believe me or anything that I told you before?” Yonghwa asked his ire…his anger already rising.

“I don’t care about you anymore, Yonghwa, let’s just stop here”, Shinhye said.

“Give me a valid reason why you’re dumping me. Give me a valid reason or else I won’t forgive you for leaving me”, Yonghwa angrily demanded.

“Please, Yonghwa, don’t ever forgive me…don’t you ever dare forgive me”, Shinhye said as she turned her back and walked away as tears fell from her eyes.

She was no longer there to witness that despite her plea of non-forgiveness from Yonghwa he still there, wanted to tell her that he forgave her for what ever fault she had committed against the two of them.

“Despite how you cruelly hurt me, Shinhye, I can’t stop myself from loving you. I can’t stop myself from wishing that we can take each other back”, Yonghwa whispered as tears fell from his eyes watching the only woman he ever loved walked away from him.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yonghwa at that time was inside his room at the Jung Mansion. He was clenching on his hand the pieces of the invitation sent for him and her mother

 “How could you do this to me, Shinhye? I thought that you’d not let anything destroy us? How could you let this happen to us?” Yonghwa angrily said as tears fell from his eyes.

He was not aware that Hyun Joong already entered his room and was watching him as he continued to clench his fist in anger.

“Are you tired of fighting for her? Are you already giving up on her?” Hyun Joong asked his cousin.

“What is there left to fight for? She doesn’t believe in me and no matter how I tried to explain things with her, she won’t listen to me. I guess it’s for the best that we go our separate ways”, Yonghwa replied.

“The two of us are both unfortunate when it comes to love…you…you lost Shinhye because of Joo Hyun’s deception; me…I lost So Min even before she’s mine”, Hyun Joong commented.

“Yeah…we’re really unfortunate. I guess we can’t have all in this world. We have wealth, fame and power but maybe we’re destined to live alone or to live with someone whom we don’t really love”, Yonghwa agreed as he was about to throw the crumpled invitation to the trash bin.

“Don’t ever throw that invitation away”, Hyun Joong admonished.

Yonghwa looked at him in bewilderment.

“We’re going to attend that engagement party”, Hyun Joong clarified.

“Do you intend to allow me suffer seeing the only woman I ever loved be engaged with somebody else?” Yonghwa asked sharply.

“Do you intend to let the world know that you’re suffering? If Shinhye won’t have you anymore as her lover…won’t you show your support to her even as a friend? I know I sound masochistic but still it wouldn’t be right to boycott her engagement just because you broke up”, Hyun Joong explained.

“I don’t know if I could make it, Hyun Joong”, Yonghwa replied with a deep sigh.

“You will because you have to. Show Shinhye what’s she’s going to miss when she marries that good for nothing Kyuhyun”, Hyun Joong encouragingly said.

“Okay…we’ll go”, Yonghwa decided.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At 5:00 pm, Shinhye was sitting in front of the mirror in her room. She was wearing a flowy, ankle length white dress. The neckline was V-shaped and framed with ruffles. The sleeves extended to her elbows. She was wearing a pair of four inches Christian Louboutin stilletos. The wide black belt accentuated her small waist. Her wavy hair was pinned at the sides of her head. Her beautiful face was made more beautiful by the expertly applied light make-up. She wore a gold watch and a pair of emerald earings as her accessories.

“Shinhye, my little angel, you look so beautiful”, her mother said at the doorway of her room.

“I wish I also feel beautiful, mom”, Shinhye answered sadly.

“I wish for you to change your mind instead”, her mother said.

“I can't let you and dad suffer because I'm not able to do something to save our family”, Shinhye replied.

“Your happiness is much more important to us”, her mother told her but Shinhye knew in her heart that her parents were just trying to appear strong against the threat of Secretary Cho.

“No, mom, please don't hide anything from me anymore...stop shielding me as if I were a child. Let me do this sacrifice for our family” Shinhye replied.

“I'm sorry, my child. I'm very sorry”, her mother replied with tears falling from her eyes.

“Don't worry about anything, mom. Please, don't worry about me anymore”, Shinhye said as she embraced her mother tightly.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At 7:00 in the evening, the guests started arriving at the Park Mansion where the engagement party would be held. The guests came from the upper class of the society ranging from business, politics and entertainment. Yonghwa arrived with his mother…the same with Hyun Joong who also arrived with his mother.

“The Park family really outdid themselves with the preparations. This is such an amazing party!” Yonghwa’s mother commented positively as they went out the black Jaguar.

Yonghwa remained silent as he too scanned the visitors entering the venue.

“Aunt, a splendid party, isn’t?” Hyun Joong said as he came near to Yonghwa’s mother.

“Yeah...as I was saying to Yonghwa here a while ago; althrough, it would have been more splendid if Yonghwa here ended up with Shinhye instead of with Kyuhyun”, Yonghwa’s mother commented.

Yonghwa felt a sharp pain in his chest at his mother’s comment but he just ignored it while Hyun Joong concernedly glanced at him.

“Why don’t we go inside?” Hyun Joong’s mother said as she led the way towards the door of the mansion where they were welcomed by the butler stationed at the front door.

Secretary Cho and his family were already inside mingling with the guests. Kyuhyun was talking with Victoria whose father was navigating the ballroom with Secretary Cho.

“A splendid evening, Kyuhyun”, Victoria commented.

“A bitter evening, Victoria”, Kyuhyun retorted before he drank his champagne.

“Be careful with the champagne. You don’t want to be drunk even before the start of the bethrotal ceremony”, Victoria warned Kyuhyun.

“I want to be so drunk tonight that I would later make an of myself infront of everyone…making my parents the laughingstock of everyone here”, Kyuhyun suddenly blurted.

“You can’t do it, Kyuhyun, I’ll bet my father’s architecture company that you can’t do it”, Victoria remarked.

“Yeah, you know me so well, Victoria. You know me so well that I’m just wondering why don’t I just marry you instead of Shinhye or even So Min?” Kyuhyun asked.

Victoria turned a shade of red at what Kyuhyun said. It was a wish for her…to marry Kyuhyun…a wish that she knew would never happen in her lifetime if the engagement party they were at that moment would be considered.

“Stop fooling around with me, Kyuhyun. Your father’s interest at the moment is to secure a match with the richer Park family not with mine”, Victoria calmly said.

“Kyuhyun, Kyuhyun, you rascal come at the makeshift stage now. The program will start now”, Secretary Cho called his son.

Kyuhyun handed his champagne flute to the passing waiter before he went to the stage. After 10 minutes, Shinhye descended the grand staircase. She was a vision of beauty but Kyuhyun felt nothing at all for her but revulsion for being so perfect. Yonghwa stared at Shinhye and his heart fought between the feelings of love and hatred for what she did to him.

“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight I will formally announce the betrothal of my only child…my little angel, Ms. Park Shinhye to Mr. Cho Kyuhyun”, Shinhye’s father announced formally.

The ballroom erupted with applause from the guests who viewed the match as a good one. Everyone were cheering while Yonghwa’s and Victoria’s hearts were bleeding at the sight of their beloved being betrothed to another.

“Thank you for entrusting your only child to my family, Chairman Park. My son we’ll endeavor to be the best of husband to your daughter”, Secretary Cho said enthusiastically.

Afterwards, Kyuhyun holding a ring box went down on his knee and pretending to look as an adoring husband-to-be held Shinhye’s left hand. He took the heart shaped diamong ring and asked…

“Shinhye, will you be my wife? I promise to love, honor and cherish you all the days of my life”, Kyuhyun said.

“Yes”, Shinhye said calmly not looking at Kyuhyun’s face. She hated his pretentions…she hated that he was trying to act as though he was besoted with her when she knew for a fact that they hated each other.

The ballroom unaware of the tension between the two erupted with another round of applause and congratulations.

Kyuhyun stood and tried to kiss Shinhye who turned her face so his kiss landed on her cheek instead of her lips. The people again erupted to another fit of applause for the two who descended from the makeshift stage to start the waltz.

“Don’t ever make them think that this is a love match because you clearly know that we aren’t”, Shinhye angrily said to Kyuhyun in a controlled voice while a fake smile was plastered on her face.

“I’m merely playing my role to perfection, my dear, don’t worry everything that I do…is just for a show”, Kyuhyun replied tersely but still a fake smile was also plastered on his face.

They continued to waltz in silence having nothing to say to each other. At the other side of the ballroom, Yonghwa and Hyun Joong observed them.

“She seems ready to smash his face even though she smiles at him”, Hyun Joong commented.

“Really, to me she seems to look so happy…smiling at him”, Yonghwa replied.

“You know that she isn’t happy at all. You’d been around her for such a long time to know that she isn’t happy. Something must have happened for her to agree to this charade”, Hyun Joong bantered back.

“I don’t care, Hyun Joong, I just don’t care”, Yonghwa said as he drank his champagne in a gulp denying the truth that he very much cared for Shinhye and loved her and would probably love her till his dying day.

“Where are you going?” Hyun Joong asked as Yonghwa handed the champagne flute to a passing waiter and stepped away from company.

“I’ll just grab some fresh air at the secluded garden at the back of the mansion”, Yonghwa replied. He needed solitude from the glittering sight and the pain the engagement of Shinhye with Kyuhyun was causing his heart and his mind.

He went outside and the cold air flushed his system. He then saw someone standing there. It was Shinhye.

“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with your fiancé?” Yonghwa asked as he joined her.

“I want to grab some fresh air….the ballroom’s so stuffy”, Shinhye replied nonchalantly.

“Are you happy?” Yonghwa asked.

“I should be…I’ll be married soon”, Shinhye replied in her flat tone.

“Do you love him?” Yonghwa asked “him” being Kyuhyun.

“Do I have to?” Shinhye asked back.

“I guess so…marriage I think is about two people who love each other”, Yonghwa replied.

“Maybe I love him…or maybe I don’t”, Shinhye answered vaguely.

“Do you love him more than me?” Yonghwa asked.

“Why did you ask that?” Shinhye asked back.

“It’s because you chose him over me. You chose to clung to the belief that I cheated on you in order to break us”, Yonghwa replied.

“Honestly…I believe that you didn’t and never cheated on me with Joo Hyun if my belief in you could be a compensation on the way I hurt you deeply”, Shinhye said.

“I thank you then…at least I know that I did nothing to destroy us unlike you”, Yonghwa bitterly said.

“You don’t understand anything, Yonghwa, so please don’t judge me too harshly”, Shinhye replied equally bitter.

“So make me understand, dammit. Make me understand why you chose that sorry excuse for a man over me”, Yonghwa said in a harsh voice as he grabbed her upper arms and brought her body close to him.

“I can’t, Yonghwa, I’m sorry I just can’t explain to you why. Suffice it to say that of the two of us, I’m the one to blame for the fall of our relationship and I’ll deeply regret it for as long as I live”, Shinhye said her eyes misting with tears.

“Why? Why can’t I hate you despite your betrayal? Why do I still love you after all the pain?” Yonghwa asked in despair.

“Please, Yonghwa, please, I beg you don’t feel hurt because of me anymore. Forget me…cast me to perdition…call me the worst of names and know the satisfaction that I’ll live with bitterness for the rest of my life”, Shinhye said as she gently held his face and wiped his tears with her thumbs even when her eyes were also filled with tears.

“Shinhye, why do you hurt me so?”Yonghwa asked.

“Yonghwa, I’m so sor-“, Shinhye was not able to finish her words because Yonghwa kissed her. It was a harsh kiss meant to hurt her…to punish her.

She wanted to deny it….she did not want to encourage him but her hands had a mind of their own because she clung to him. She put her arms around him and pulled him welcoming his harsh kisses. Until she noticed that the harshness gradually faded they were replaced with passionate kisses. Their mouths mated…their tongues dueled…their lips selfishly clung…their breathing became one.

“Yonghwa”, Shinhye breathlessly called to him as they let out to breath. She traced his lips with her fingertip before she pulled him for another series of torrid kisses.

They again let go to take air to their breath-starved lungs. Yonghwa was looking at her.

“Come with me…don’t marry him”, Yonghwa pleaded.

“No, Yonghwa, this has to stop here. What we’re doing here is a mistake. Please, let me go. I have been gone for such a time that they might send someone to look for me”, Shinhye said as she reluctantly pulled from their embrace.

“I’ll never marry until you come back to me. I’ll consign myself to despair and loneliness”, Yonghwa declared as he turned his back to Shinhye.

“Please, Yonghwa, live a happy life with someone. I hope you’ll forget me”, Shinhye replied although the thought of Yonghwa building a life with another woman left her wishing for a knife to stab herself.

“No, Shinhye, that will be my punishment for you. You’ll watch me live my life alone and lonely…bitter…while you live a misearable life with your husband”, Yonghwa declared harshly.

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry”, Shinhye said as she ran towards the door leading inside the mansion.

hi everyone! A heartbreaking chapter 34. by the way, i'd like to apologize for my not so nice chapter 33...i just realized that i was terribly riddled with boring facts that i need to present in order to jump start with these events in chapter 34. I hope that you continue to read, subscribe and comment on my story. Thank you very much. guys, i guess in the next chapter i'll give our JYH and PSH a break and will bring to light our KHJ and JSM...i realize that i'm missing the two of them...until then....