Chapter 20 Within Reach
Lovefool
My phone rings while I make my way back into the room. "Father?" He wants me to come back to Seoul as soon as possible as there is an emergency with the company. I try to persuade him I would return tomorrow. I need to speak to Evey tonight. He insists I must get on the first flight out tonight. Irritated, I oblige. I enter the room and watch Evey for a solid minute. I soak every bit of her hoping that I would have another opportunity to speak with her. I sneak out of the party. I leave voicemails for Baekhyun and Luhan to explain why I left for Seoul. Yoona and her bridesmaids will follow tomorrow. I wanted to call Sehun but ended up not to.
I arrive in Seoul and my father's driver picks me up from the airport and brings me straight to HQ. My father's office is busy. News reporters were set up in the board room. His administrative secretary pushes me through the crowd and I enter his office partially blind from all the flashing lights of the photographers waiting outside his office.
"Dad, what the heck is going on out there?"
"Jonginnie, I told you there is a situation, an emergency situation." My mother appears and she gives me a big hug and ask if I am doing alright. I nod.
"Let's sit down." My father asks everyone in the room to leave except for my mother and me.
"We've come to find out that your wife, Yoona, has kept a big secret from you. Apparently she was living overseas for a couple years and was in a relationship with an actor from Hong Kong, Edison Chen. The two were secretly married prior to her return to Seoul. Her father disapproved of the relationship and had the marriage annulled."
My mother interrupts, "The marriage was never annulled. Edison never signed the papers. It was long forgotten, Yoona's family thought that it was squared away, never followed up. We dug into it a bit deeper. Yoona was still in contact with Edison. He was even invited to your wedding. The two met two weeks briefly, two weeks prior to the wedding."
"At first we thought it was finalizing the annulment papers. I mean, if she's annulled prior to marrying you the marriage could have continued. But it wasn't to annul the marriage." My father handed me photos. They were of Yoona and Edison in an embrace, the second photo was of them kissing.
"Are you sure this is her?"
"It's been confirmed to be her. Her parents are very apologetic however we cannot continue. This has been viral to our company. The marriage that you two have is void. It never happened because she is still legally married to this Edison Chen."
"So you pulled me out of my honeymoon…"
"What's on your mind son?" My mom asks me. "I thought you didn't love this girl, did you grow to love her in this short amount of time?"
"No way." There's only one thing occupying my mind, and it's definitely not her.
"So that's that. You need to go ahead and announcement the break up of your marriage. Yoona should be arriving Seoul in a couple days. I am sure she will hear the news as soon as you make the statement." My father stands up and gives me a hug. "Thank you for going through with the marriage to begin with. To forego your dream for -" I stop him right there.
"It's fine dad, it had to be done." I bow to him and my mom gives me a hug.
"We will find you a good wife, don't worry too much about it." A new wife? Hmm, I smile at her and the press secretary goes over some things I am supposed to say during the press conference. Before heading out to the boardroom I call Luhan and Baekhyun. I tell them about the news.
"Daebak!" Baekhyun cries out over the phone. They were on speaker phone together.
"Seriously Kai? The marriage is void?" Luhan asks for the third time.
"Yes, I'm not married. My mom even went to the priest and asked just in case. I was never married."
"Daaaaeee-baaaak!"
"Baekhyun, you're done."
"So what does this all mean, what is your next move?" Luhan, the practical and rational one.
"First I have to make a press announcement. And then…"
"Evey?" Baekhyun finally finds another word to say rather than 'daebak.'
"I guess this changes things, huh hyungs?" I can be with her, I can really be with her without any obstacles.
"Sehun and Evey have mutually agreed to be friends. I think you need to talk to Sehun first though, explain it to him, it's best to start with him. He knows what's going on between you two. Evey has confided in him the past couple weeks."
"I agree with Luhan, hyung. You should speak with Sehun. We are leaving tomorrow morning already."
"She's going to know as soon as I speak to the press, the news may reach to you all fairly fast."
"That's uncontrollable. But it would be good for you to reach out to her first. I am sure she will be waiting for you."
"Thanks hyungs. Saranghae!"
"Sarangmida, Kai!" Baekhyun and Luhan yelled.
"Oh, Kai?"
"Yes, hyung?"
"Follow your heart this time. Play your cards well, araso?" I thought that maybe the fact that I learned about Yoona's crush on Sehun that would be my ticket out of the relationship and into the person I love. But instead it was this. An even bigger draw. I say a silent prayer of my good blessings and I head out of my dad's office.
The board room is packed with reporters. Yoona's family is standing at the front table. They bow to me as I approach them. I bow back and smile slightly. Yoona's father hugs me and whispers an apology in my ear. I tell him it will be alright. Yoona's mom has red rings around her eyes from crying. I approach her and bow, extending my arms for a hug as well. I wasn't really close to them however I sympathize. It must be embarrassing for them and to be in front of the press like this…
My father directs me to sit down and the focus is on me. "I want to send my deepest apology for the situation that has happened recently. Although I live in a world where arranged marriages aren't as common, this is my current reality, and I thank the media for always respecting our families during these four months since the engagement was announced. With the marriage our companies would grow together stronger; however there are unforeseen situations that I am sure many are now aware of. It is true that due to my partner's past the marriage that we have has been confirmed as void. We will continue to have a partnership within the two companies, the logistics of the partnership will be given in more detail in the coming days. Lastly, I would like to ask the media to respect this matter and sympathize with the families involved. I promise that KJ Fashion Advertisement will continue to provide the best regardless of this obstacle. Thank you." I stand up and bow an almost 90 degree bow and let it hover for a few seconds longer as I sense cameras flashing around me. My family and Yoona's family bow as well and we leave the board room.
What a day. I am back in my penthouse and I habitually look over to the East Wing. No one's there. The inhabitants from PH 38 E are still in New Caledonia as well as the ones from PH 38 W. I loosen my tie, the top 3 buttons of my shirt and take off my blazer. I look through the telescope, it's still pointing towards the East wing of the tower. I peer in her room. The bed, the bathroom, the bathtub…oh, that bathtub. I smile remembering those 12 hours. This time I enjoy thinking about the past, I am delighted thinking of her. There is no hatred, no angry thought of hating her for stomping on my heart or blaming her for ruining my dream. I take a quick shower and lay in bed staring at the coin she gave me.
"Reach for the moon, 'cause even if you fall you'll land amongst stars." Perhaps the moon is her. So does that mean I can have both love and dance back in my life? The fates were busy today…I won't ask for too much.
Hi Everybody! Just wanted to let you know that I made a Lovefool trailer. Please check it out and comment. Thanks! Find it on Lovefool's foreword :)
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