“Yes, I do want revenge but not this!” a harsh voice came.

 

“It’s not my fault he got involved,” a calm voice said. “It’s not in my hands. And besides, YOU suggested it.”

 

“But YOU can control it!”

 

A soft chuckle came. “Who are you fooling, dear? You agreed with me because you wanted and needed money, not because you cared about Jiyong.”

 

“That’s part of it but I also told you I want him back! How am I going to get him back when he’s being investigated?”

 

“What do you want me to do, then?” the other demanded. “Call for a press conference and tell them I planned it all? You shouldn’t have talked to the press like that if you DO want him back.”

 

A harsh sigh came. “I was pissed!” she hissed. “We had a little argument and I was. . . you got resources, you go blame the crime to another person. Or better yet, produce a person who’s willing to go to jail for money! We had a deal, Lady Eun Jo!”

 

“I’m fully aware of that, Yuna. No need to rub it in.”

 

“Then do something about it!”

 

There was silence.

 

“Don’t make me regret I made a deal with you, Yuna. You don’t know who you’re shouting at!”

 

o=o=o

 

Yumi closed her eyes as her head started throbbing. Something’s bothering her. She can’t sleep these past nights because of it. The time when she saw her stepson, Kwon Jiyong begged his father to look for Dara the moment he woke up, her resolved almost swayed. Seeing her husband suffering with his son hurt her, too. Truth be told, she doesn’t care that much about Jiyong. She actually doesn’t like him but her husband’s affected with Jiyong’s problem. He cares for the old man, of course.

 

She felt someone watching her. She lifted her eyes and saw Mister Kwon looking at her. “Hi dear!” she greeted him with a smile. She stood up and went to him. She gave him a light kiss on the cheek. That was then when she noticed he seemed very. . . quiet and serious. She frowned at him. “What’s wrong?”

 

He loosened his tie and took a seat at the sofa bed. “Sit with me.”

 

With a frown, she complied. “What’s going on?” she asked again.

 

“A lot of things are happening lately,” he quietly started. “Everything seemed okay after things settled over with the Parks about Jiyong and Dara’s marriage. I thought everything was okay since Jiyong looked happy and contented with the union. He even became responsible. I thought at last, my son is walking on the right road. Then, in just a day, everything went out of control. One day, Jiyong was so happy and contented then the next day, I saw him in agony. He has never been an obedient child. He gave me too many headaches before but I still love him. For me, he’d always be the little Jiyong who comes running to me and ask me to carry him. I’ve been so worried about him lately that I kept pushing myself, my resources and everyone else to their limits. I got frustrated and frustrated when we weren’t making any progress. Then, something came up. I didn’t believe it at first and I didn’t mind it since I already had so many things on my hands. But as the days go by, it kept on coming back to me. And then I wondered, ‘why didn’t she tell me about it?’ I tried to find an excuse to the act but I failed. And then, I waited. I waited for YOU to tell me but you never did.”

 

“W-what are you talking about?” she asked.

 

He looked at her with sorrowful eyes. “Is there something you’d like to tell me, Yumi?”

 

Silence veiled them.

 

“I-I’m. . .”

 

“Yumi. . .”

 

“I’m sorry!” she cried. “I didn’t want it to happen but I didn’t want her to be put into jail, too! But Dara’s not dead! She-”

 

“Yumi,” Mister Kwon cut off with a frown on his face. “What are you talking about? Who’s going to jail? And. . . did you just say Dara’s not dead?”

 

Yumi paused and blinked. “But. . . you. . . asked. . . what were you asking for a while ago?”

 

“I was asking about your relationship with Kim Yuna. My men found out that she’s your sister but it seemed like you’re keeping something more from me.”

 

Yumi bit her lower lip. She was already betrayed by her own mouth, what good is to try to escape?

 

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled and bowed her head. “I didn’t tell you about Yuna because of her relationship with Jiyong and well. . .she didn’t really want anyone to know. She likes him but she was more after his. . . after his. . .”

 

“Money,” he filled in.

 

Yumi’s cheeks turned red. “I was afraid you’ll think that I’m just after your money too.”

 

The man was silent for a moment. “Do you have anything to do with the explosion of Jiyong’s yacht?”

 

“No!” she harshly cried. “B-but. . . but I knew about the plan. You see, it’s. . . I don’t know how to tell you. . .”

 

“You better start talking now, Yumi!” he darkly said.

 

“Please. . . I don’t want my sister to be harmed.”

 

“You should have stopped her then!” he burst out. “If you don’t start talking now, so help me God, I’ll forget you’re my wife!”

 

o=o=o

 

A loud peeling bell echoed through the hall. Taecyeon stood up and frowned. He wasn’t really expecting  any guests since only a few people knew about the little country house slash rest house he owned. As he went to open the door, a dark-faced Jiyong greeted him followed by a hard and solid punch straight in the face. He staggered backwards from the force.

 

Before even Taecyeon can recover, Jiyong stormed inside the house. “DARA!” he called loudly. As he was about to search the place, he was stopped.

 

“I can sue you for trespassing!” Taecyeon threatened.

 

“Go ahead!” Jiyong shouted. “I don’t care! I can sue you for kidnapping too! And don’t you dare deny she’s not here. I know the truth. Now where is she?”

 

“She’s not going to show herself to you!”

 

“I’m her husband!” he emphasized. “And she deserves to know the truth!”

 

“She’s not going to believe you,” Taecyeon hissed. Then, his face turned into a pleading one. “You’re just going to hurt her.”

 

“Would you rather she remains ignorant about it forever?” he asked. “Maybe this is exactly the reason why fate didn’t let you get her. You’re protecting her in a wrong way and for the wrong reasons! Wouldn’t it be good for her if the suspects are caught?”

 

“You know everything?” he breathed.

 

“Yes!” Jiyong gritted back.

 

Taecyeon’s shoulders fell. What good was it to continue fighting? He doesn’t even know what really happened. He wanted to ask him but he doubted the other will tell him everything. Jiyong was right. Dara needs to know the truth. “Follow me,” he then said.

 

Jiyong let go of him. As the latter led the way, he suddenly felt wobbly, dizzy and nervous. His chest felt like bursting open. For a brief moment, he felt proud of himself. He felt proud of how he didn’t give up on thinking that she’s still alive. Dara’s still alive, his wife IS alive!

 

Taecyeon stopped in front of a door. He stared at it for a while before heaving a deep sigh. He reached out for the knob and found it locked. Glancing sideways at Jiyong, he then took a set of keys from his pocket and handed it to the other guy. With slightly trembling hands, Jiyong accepted it.

 

“Which of these. . .?”

 

“This one,” Taecyeon quietly said, pulling a small key out. With his head bowed, he slowly turned away.

 

“Thank you,” Jiyong quietly said.

 

Taecyeon could only manage a nod and a sigh. Without saying anything, he started walking away. What was he supposed to do anyways? What was he supposed to say? Should he say, ‘oh sure, no problem’, ‘you’re welcome’, or ‘no big deal’?

 

The moment Taecyeon was out of sight, Jiyong took a deep breath to calm his nerves. With desperately trembling hands, he inserted the key inside the hole. He turned it and heard a click. He closed his eyes for a moment before pushing the door open.

 

He can’t fully describe what he felt the moment the door was fully opened. He saw no one. His eyes darted to the closed door of the bathroom. He slowly walked there. Just as the other, it was locked. He looked down at the set of keys in his hand. He tried a few keys before he got the right one. Everything washed over him as he saw her cowering at the far end. The emotions inside him overwhelmed him too much that he started tearing up.

 

Sandara Park thought she was dreaming. She thought that the voice she heard a while ago was just her imagination but she can feel his presence now, it was so near that she wanted to cry.

 

“Dara. . .?”

 

“DON’T COME NEAR ME!” she shrieked, covering her face with the black veil she had. But Jiyong didn’t listen. Instead, she heard his footsteps getting nearer. Then, his arms enclosed around her.

 

“You’re alive,” he whispered. “Oh thank God!”

 

“No. . . let me go. . . don’t. . .”

 

He pulled away gently and tried to cup her face but she pulled her veil around her tighter.

 

“Don’t look at me!” she cried with desperation. But again, Jiyong didn’t listen. And since he was stronger, he managed to pull her veil off her and cup her face. Dara could only stare at him as the tears continued rolling down his cheeks as he stared back at her. She suddenly felt something weird. Staring at Jiyong was like watching a drowning person struggling to get back to the surface and breathe again. For a moment, she forgot how hideous she was already.

 

“Dara,” he croaked. “My wife. You’re alive. My wife’s alive,” he went on and leaned his forehead against hers. “Oh God. . .!”

 

Dara felt something warm and gentle squeezed her heart. Then, she just found herself crying with him. All of her doubts and insecurities went away for the meantime. She could only think of him and how he felt so achingly familiar and warm. And just like how magnets attract metals, their lips met.

 

It felt familiar.

 

It felt warm.

 

It felt true.

 

It felt right.

 

It felt sincere.

 

It IS real.

 

Dara pulled away, unable to contain the emotions running inside her. Suddenly, she felt like everything’s wrong. She’s not supposed to feel this way. Plus, she can’t really fully rely on her judgment. Everything she had with Jiyong somehow contradicts everything about her, about what she believed in and what she grew up knowing of.

 

She blinked when she felt Jiyong wiping her tears away with his thumb. She looked up at him and saw a smile on his face. “You’re so beautiful,” he said. Every word was filled with so much sincerity that she slowly reached out to him to wipe his tears away, too. Words seemed to elude them but at the moment, it didn’t really matter. So, they hugged each other again. They can have their chat later. For now, being in each other’s arms seemed to be the most important thing of all.

 

It felt euphoric – escaping for a moment what’s in front of them. It felt so good that turning away from the problems they have was somehow so tempting. Would it hurt to momentarily escape reality and go to dream land, to a fantasy land where everything goes according to your plans, where pain and hurt doesn’t exist, where love is abundant? It wouldn’t hurt, right?

 

But of course, it was only a temporary thing. Everything outside reality is temporary while things related to reality and everything about it is permanent. No matter how many times you escape from it, reality would always pop up in front of you.