Slither of Empathy
Downing Today, Drowning TomorrowAfter being bed-ridden for a couple of days, Song Ji Hyo finally woke up. A tugging pain came from her abdomen, she couldn't really feel the weight of the situation until she made up where she was. The pain was unbearable but she was tired, her whole body was numb. There was a piercing scream coming from her head, she wonders if it was her - trying to come out from her nightmare. Lee Kwang Soo is sleeping next to her in a crouched position - obviously the bed is too small for the both of us. His height made it worse, his feet dangling on the side of the bed. Then the recollection of the memory comes. She touches her abdomen, she knows there's nothing in there. It's a bit swollen, the pain was agony. There were patches of cotton, holding the wound down. A mark that symbolizes a mother was drawn on her, but she was no mother. Her child is now gone. And she doesn't know who to blame. Should she blame herself, or her lying, cheating husband?
Slowly Kwang Soo's eyes start to open, he rubbed his eyes a couple of times - her wife is now awake! How long has he waited for this moment!
'Why are you here?' She asked him, in a sharp tone.
'We lost the baby, Ji Hyo-ah..' He said softly. He left the bed, and sat on the sofa chair next to her instead. My wife; beautiful as ever, he says to himself. But what reflected in her eyes was pain. It was distort, it was flaming anger blended into one.
'Do you care? Now? Now that it's gone. Now you care?' She said, he has never seen her that way. Her voice cracking, she's holding back tears. Almost choking in it, perhaps.
'I always care, Ji Hyo-ah. What I did was a mistake.' She says.
'Did you sleep with her?'
Slowly, he nodded. He doesn't want to lie to her anymore. Hasn't she gone through enough?
The saddest question she gave him was a simple one, but the weight of it was brazen. She took a deep breath. 'Don't you pity me, Kwang Soo-ah? I may have done you wrong, but is this what I deserve? Don't you have even a slither of empathy for me?' She asks.
'I do.' He says. 'I can't tell you how sorry I am, Ji Hyo-ah.'
'How could you do this? To me, of all people.' Her words sounded similar to Ji Eun's. 'I gave up everything I had just to be with you.'
'You're not the only one with sacrifices.' He says, a hint of arrogance in his voice.
'And so? You're throwing that away just for a ?' She says. 'Even the thought of texting with another man scared me. I wasn't afraid of getting caught, I was afraid that it would hurt you. I didn't want to let anything hurt you. But there you were.. not thinking slightly about the consequences, not even slightly thinking about me.'
'It's not like that, alright, Ji Hyo-ah..'
Her eyes were starting to water. 'Then why did you do it?' She asked in a brave tone. 'If your intention was not to hurt me, then why did you do it? What have I ever did to you?!' Her steady tone turned into a scream that it hurt . ' What did I ever did to you?' This time you can hear the crack in her voice. How angry must she have been, she's never reached that kind of anger before. She's usually cool with dealing with her anger with someone. But this wasn't just 'someone'. This was the person she agreed to marry. She was on her honeymoon, and one thing ripped everything away from her.
Why does like this always happen?
Comments