01.21 p.m. 

Bzzzz… bzzzz… Annie’s silent phone is vibrating. She looks at the caller ID, takes a deep breath, and picks up the call.

“Hello.”

“Annie? Oh my god! I’ve just read your message. I’m so sorry. Where are you now?”  

“At my parents’.” Annie tries to sound as normal as she can.

“Oh, Annie… I wish I could be there for you right now. But Eve is… She’s just been admitted into the hospital again, and I…”

“That’s okay, Eppa. I understand. She needs you right now. You should stay with her.” Annie tries so hard not to cry. 

“I will definitely be there tomorrow though. I promise.”

Annie quietly inhales deeply as she knows that Eric, her beloved boss, may not be able to keep that promise, but still she says, “Yes, I know you will. Thank you.”

“Okay, Ippeo. Please send my regards to your mom. Bye. Take care, and see you tomorrow.” 

“Bye, Eppa.” And all tears break loose.

Annie’s parents’ home is in Busan, where her father has just passed away. She’s been Eric’s personal assistant for about 17 years, and been secretly in love with him for about as long. That’s the real reason why she remains single well over into mid-thirties. The not-so-real reason is to take care of and provide for her parents who have been unwell for a long time, as she is their only child.

 

02.16 p.m.

Ding!… Eric has got a message. It’s from Secretary Park, his mother in law’s personal assistant. “Miss Eve has regained consciousness. Please come see her at the hospital,” to which Eric replies, “Thank you, Secretary Park. I’m still in a meeting with clients. Will go there as soon as I can.” 

He’s lying. He’s not in a meeting and can actually leave right away. But he is so reluctant to see Eve. Especially not when he wishes he was in Busan, with Annie. He could actually leave for Busan right away too, but with Eve being ill, he doesn’t have the heart to do so.  

Tall, dark, and handsome Eric Mun is the current president of Moon & Sun, a pun for Mun and Son, the biggest holding company in Korea’s retail industry. Annie’s mother used to work in the Mun household for years, but had to quit after her husband fell ill.  At around the same time, Eric had a motorcycle accident and broke both arms and a leg, and thus had to take a long break from his studies at the university to recover. Didn’t want his son to fall too much behind, his father then hired Annie, who had just graduated from high school, to help Eric with his independent studying. His father then also put Annie through business school, and that’s how she ends up dedicating her entire life to Eric’s family, or rather, to him.

 

03.24 p.m. 

“How are you feeling, Mrs. Mun?” Dr. Kim smiles at his patient. 

“Like I’ve been thrown off the balcony and ran over by a train,” answers Eve.

Still smiling, the doctor answers, “A very graphic description. But I’m afraid I have never been thrown off the balcony nor ran over by a train. So I still don’t know what that feels like.”

Eve forces a smile back, but she’s pretty sure that it looks more like a grimace since all she feels is pain all over her body. “How long was I out this time?” She asks.

“Not long. Just a couple of hours,” answers the doctor while examining the frail woman. “Any headaches? Nausea?”

“No. Not nausea. Just pain. All over.”

“I see. Okay. I will see if I can give you something for the pain. In the meantime, you should eat something to gain some strength.” 

“Yes. Thank you doctor.”

Dr. Kim just smiles, bows to both Eve and Secretary Park, and then leaves the room.

“Secretary Park.”

“Yes, Miss Eve?”

“Is mother still in Shanghai?”

“She’s flying back here as we speak, Miss.”

“And my husband?”

“He was still in a meeting and said he would come here as soon as he can.”

“Thank you, Secretary Park.”

“Would you like me to get you something to eat, Miss?”

“Sure. Anything I don’t have to chew.”

“Certainly, Miss.”

Secretary Park bows and leaves Eve alone in the room. 

Being all by herself is nothing new to Eve. She used to cry, but it’s been a while now since the last time tears wet her cheeks. Probably a few years after she married Eric Mun. Not that she cannot cry anymore, she just feels numb. She has known and been married to Eric for 6 years, just a few months before her father passed away. Yes, Eve and Eric were not well acquainted with each other before they were married. Their marriage was arranged. It is obviously a business-political marriage, for Eve is the heiress to a multi-billion dollar real-estate and transportation holding company, which is currently still run by her mother.

 

07.28 p.m.

“For our last request, we have Eponine in Busan, requesting for 'On My Own', from the famous musical Les Miserables. And this has been 'Songs of Our Hearts' with your host, M-Style. We will listen to each other again on the same channel, same day, same time. Have a good night, and Eponine, here is the song of your heart…” 

“And now I'm all alone again
Nowhere to turn no one to go to
Without a home without a friend without a face to say hello to
And now the night is near
Now I can make believe he's here

Sometimes I walk alone at night when everybody
Else is sleeping
I think of him and then I'm happy with
The company I'm keeping
The city goes to bed
And I can live inside my head

On my own,
Pretending he's beside me,
All alone, I walk with him till morning.
Without him, I feel his arms around me,
And when I lose my way, I close my eyes,
And he has found me...

In the rain,
The pavement shines like silver,
All the lights are misty in the river,
In the darkness the trees are full of starlight,
And all I see is him and me,
Forever and forever...

And I know it's only in my mind,
That I'm talking to myself and not to him,
And although I know that he is blind,
Still I say, there's a way for us...

I love him,
But when the night is over,
He is gone, the river's just a river
Without him the world around me changes,
The trees are bare and everywhere the streets are full of strangers.

I love him,
But everyday I'm learning,
All my life,
I've only been pretending,
Without me,
His world will go on turning,
A world that's full of happiness,
That I have never known...

I love him... I love him...
I love him... But only on my own...”

Annie learned about Les Miserables from her English teacher back in high school. Since then, the musical has become one of her favorites, and 'On My Own', sung by one of the characters in the play, Eponine, has been Annie’s theme song ever since she knew Eric. It was love at first sight for her, but she only dares to dream for she knows her position. Her mother always makes sure that she does. “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” She would always say. “We are no match for the Mun family. We’re merely their humble servants.” She’s heard it too many times that it is etched in her brain that Eric Mun is indeed the moon; always free to look upon but never within her reach. 

But Eric’s treatment to her is by all means no help at all. Both being the only child in their respective families, Eric always treats her like his own younger sister. He even lets her call him Eppa, short for Eric oppa, and in return, he calls her Ippeo, which means pretty. So for 17 years they have been Eppa and Ippeo to each other. Even to this day, they still use the terms of endearment in private conversations, e-mails, and text messages.

 

08.19 p.m.

“Good evening, Mr. Mun.”

“Good evening, Secretary Park.”

“So glad to see you have finally made it. Miss Eve is resting inside.”

“Thank you, Secretary Park. I think you can leave now. I’ll take it from here.”

“My pleasure, Mr. Mun. Thank you, and good night, Sir.”

“Good night.”

Eric enters the semi dark room. He stands by her bed, staring at the sleeping beauty. Eric has been afraid to touch her lately. He feels like she might break at the slightest touch. She’s so thin and frail as she has been battling Lupus all her life. She has got to be strong, though, for making it this far. During the first few years of their marriage, Eric and Eve tried hard to get pregnant. But due to her condition, Eve kept on having miscarriages. Her doctor then suggested that the baby program be postponed to allow Eve’s body to recover and be prepared for another pregnancy. And that was three years ago. 
Eric cares a lot for Eve. But with her, everything feels like work. Even making love becomes an obligation in order to produce an heir or heiress to their family businesses. 

With Annie, it’s the other way around. He works with her, but everything feels like play. She’s a true assistant for making everything easier for him. He always feels that she is the only one who understands him. Annie always knows what to say or what to do at the right time and the right place. She’s the reason for him to look forward to go to work every morning. And without her business development ideas, he would probably still be under his father’s control. Eric may be the moon, but Annie is the star. He glows from the reflection of her bright light. 

Her cute, small face… heart-warming smile… her long, flowing, brown hair… her radiant fair skin… Her slim, toned body… A smile blooms on Eppa’s face just from thinking about his Ippeo. Then he realizes that he’s been standing there for a while and is afraid of waking his wife. So he takes off his jacket and rests himself on the couch in the huge super VVIP room, and the tired guy falls asleep as soon as his head hits the cushion.
  
 

10.25 p.m.

“Ippeo… Ippeo…”

Eric’s mumbling in his sleep awakens Eve. 

“Eppa’s here, Ippeo… Ippeo…”

It was soft mumblings, but Eve’s trained ears recognize them too well. Eric has the habit of talking in his sleep, so this is not the first time she hears it. And judging from the mumblings, Eric is, again, dreaming about Annie Lee, his personal assistant.

Ever since she married into the Mun family, she’s been observing and gathering evidences of the boss’s and his assistant’s true feelings for each other. She knows she could never beat the fact that Eric and Annie has shared their lives for more than 10 years when she sort of came in between them. She is well aware that Annie is an important part of Eric’s life. And she understands that without her family’s money, she wouldn’t have stood a chance. 

She notices how the two of them use pet names when emailing or texting each other. And there are more evidences convincing Eve that Annie is the true love of Eric’s life. The way he protects her… The way he looks at her… How his eyes sparkle when he talks about her… Or how his face always lights up when he sees her, no matter how tired he was. Even when he’s angry or upset, one can always count on Annie to cheer Eric up, effortlessly. Just by Annie being Annie.

Eric himself may not even realize it, but he never looks at her the way he looks at Annie. His smiles are not as bright to her as they are to Annie. The birthday parties he never fails to throw for Annie year after year… And just how many single, thirty-something personal assistants own a private condo along with her own personal car and driver?

It always feels awkward when she and Annie happens to be in the same room without Eric. But when Eric is also present, Eve would always feel left out.
Could it all be a mere jealousy on Eve’s part? Maybe. But the inside jokes that she never understands, the painful look in Annie’s eyes whenever Eve is around, and Eric’s constantly mumbling Ippeo in his sleep is all the confirmation she needs. 

 

11.21 p.m.

Knock, knock

“Come in!”

“You wanted to see me, Miss Jung?”

“Oh, Annie. Yes, please, sit down. And call me Eve.”

Annie settles herself onto a cream leather sofa.

“Would you like a drink?” Eve stands up and heads over to the liquor trolley parked near a corner of the room. 

From where Annie was sitting, the tall, slender woman looks almost angelic in her flowing broken-white gown. Her jaw-length, straight, black hair is nicely tucked behind her ears, exposing a pair of beautiful and shiny pearl and diamond earrings. Her porcelain skin is so smooth and glowing. Quite unlike the thin, frail and pale Eve Jung she knows.

Annie is so mesmerized that she only replies Eve’s offer the second time, “No, thank you, Miss Ju… I mean, Eve…”

“Thanks for coming, there’s a favor I need to ask you.”

“Oh, sure. Anything.”

Eve dumps a slice of lemon into her gin and tonic mixture and casually says, “I… err… know about you and Eric…”

“Excuse, me? I’m… not sure I understand what you mean…”

Eve takes a seat and continues, “I know that you two love each other.”

“I’m sorry, I still don’t understand… What do you mean by love? What makes you think that?”

“I notice that you two use pet names when emailing or texting each other.”

“Oh, that, I can explain…”

“No, that’s okay. I understand… I mean, I know it’s always been you… And… He sticks around me all this time just because I’m not well.”

“Oh, but that’s not true… Eric… Mr. Mun loves you… He and I... There’s nothing going on between us… I… we…”

“Annie, come on… Who are you kidding? We all know that you are the love of his life! The way he protects you… The way he looks at you… How his eyes sparkle when he talks about you… Or how his face always lights up when he sees you, no matter how tired he was. Even when he’s angry or upset, we can always count on you to cheer him up, effortlessly. Just by you being you. He may not realize it, but he never looks at me the way he looks at you. His smiles are not as bright to me as they are to you. The birthday parties he never failed to throw for you year after year… Gave you your own private condo, personal car and a personal driver?”

“But he does that for you too!” 

“I’m his wife! Of course he does that for me… But you… You’re just his assistant! And I’ve seen those painful looks in your eyes whenever you see him and me together. Don’t lie to me, Annie… And you certainly can’t lie to yourself!” 

Eve takes a big gulp of her bitter-sour drink, trying hard not to squeeze the glass, while Annie squirms in her seat.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to belittle you or make you uncomfortable,” Eve continues after a long pause. “After all, I’m the one who needs your help.”

Annie knows better not to say anything and just silently waits for Eve to continue. Her eyes are on her fidgeting hands on her lap.

“I uh… *clears throat*… am dying, Annie,” Eve inhales deeply and exhales heavily. “Doctors said I only have 6 minutes to live.”

Annie knows Eve has been sick all her life, but that still comes as news to her, enough to give her the courage to look up at Eve’s sullen face. She knows, though, that it isn’t her Eve is angry at. 

Annie stares at Eve’s desperate eyes as if to convince herself that what she was hearing was true, before she finally says, softly, “I’m… So sorry… So… how may I be of help?”

Eve exhales. Keeping her eye contact with Annie, she stands up, walks over to Annie’s seat, and kneels in front of her. She then takes Annie’s hands in hers and pulls them to her bosom, “I need you to make a promise. Promise me that you will stay by Eric’s side, no matter what. I need you to promise me that, Annie… Promise me!”

Annie’s eyes widened and her body stiffened. She’s been dreaming of being with Eric, but she never wished for anything like this to happen. 
“Hurry, Annie! I only have 6 minutes to live… Promise me, Annie! Promise me!”

“I promise! I promise!”

Any wakes up screaming and sweating. The dream she’s just had felt so real, almost like a memory. Or was it her wish? Does she really wish for Eve to die? And even if she got her wish, would she have the chance to be together with Eric? Or has her guilty conscious of wanting Eric all to herself surfacing to haunt her? 

Annie lies back down, taking deep breaths to regulate her wild heartbeats. 

 

11.27 p.m. 

Eric wakes up just as Eve is coming out of the restroom.

“Whoa! You’re okay?” Eric practically springs out of the couch and rushes to Eve who has suddenly lost her balance. 

“I’m fine… Just… Help me back to bed,” Eve forces a smile on her pale face while Eric is helping her up.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Looked like you were having a good sleep, and I know you don’t get much sleep these days.” 

Once she is back in her bed, Eve continues, “Secretary Park told me that Annie’s father has passed away this morning. Are you going to pay your respect?”

“Yep. I plan to go to Busan tomorrow.”

“So, what time are you leaving tomorrow?”

Eric sits next to Eve on the bed and replies, “Around 9 am. Eve… The funeral is still in two days, I can stay another day if you need me to… I’ve…”

“No… No. You should be with Annie. She needs you more than I do. I’ll be fine. I got Dr. Kim taking care of me. I’m in good hands.” Eve tries to reassure her husband with a smile and a hand squeeze.

“Yes, but you’ve just lost your balance and…”

“I just need more rest. I’ll be fine, really. This is only the umpteenth time I’ve been hospitalized. And I’ve always bounced back, haven’t I? And I know what it’s like to lose a father. So, Go.”

“Alright… Well, is there anything you need? Anything I can do for you?”

“No…”

“Well, okay then… I’ll…”

“No, wait! Actually… Could you stay with me tonight?”

“Yeah… Sure, no problem. I’ll just leave early in the morning. Would that be okay?”

“That would be great. Thanks.”

“Okay, I guess I’ll take the couch again, then.”

“No… Sleep next to me… Please.”

“Of course.”

Eric turns the lights off and carefully lies down next to Eve on the wider than normal, customized hospital bed. They are both awake in the dark. Their minds won’t let their eyes close.

Eve turns her back to Eric and hesitates for a while before she finally calls out softly, “Eric…”

“Yes?” Eric replies, turning his head to where the voice came from.

“Could you please… hold me? Don’t… say anything and just… hold me?”

Eric turns on his side facing Eve’s back. Without a word, he slowly slips his left arm under Eve’s head and with his right arm and hand, gently pulls Eve into his embrace. He stares out the window, at the partly clouded, grey, gloomy moon in the distance.

As Eve closes her eyes, tears slowly roll down her cheeks…

“Turn down the lights, turn down the bed
Turn down these voices inside my head

Lay down with me, tell me no lies
Just hold me close, don't patronize.

Don't patronize me.

'Cause I can't make you love me
If you don't.
You can't make your heart feel
Something it won't.
Here in the dark
In these final hours,
I will lay down my heart
And I'll feel the power;
But you won't.
No, you won't.
'Cause I can't make you love me
If you don't.

I'll close my eyes,
Then I won't see
The love you don't feel
When you're holding me.

Morning will come,
And I'll do what's right;
Just give me till then
To give up this fight.

And I will give up this fight.”
(I Can’t Make You Love Me – Bonnie Raitt)

06.00 a.m. 
Eric’s arms are still around Eve when he wakes up to his phone alarm. The sky is still dim with a hint of orange in the horizon. He lifts his right arm to reach for his phone on the bedside table, kills the menacing sound and puts the phone back on the table.
He then puts his left arm around Eve’s head to slowly and gently lift it slightly so that he can relief his asleep right arm from the pressure of the pretty head without waking the owner up. As he is pulling his arm, he notices that his left wrist, which is right under Eve’s nose, doesn’t feel warm as it is supposed to be when someone breathes on it. 
Eric turns the light on Eve’s bedside table to see her face better, and doesn’t like what he sees.
“Oh… No no no… Eve… Eve... Wake up, Eve! Wake up! Eve? Nooo… Eeeeeeeveeeee….!!!”

-끝-