Maybe the best thing about falling apart is that it gives others the chance to start anew. Although the term falling apart sounds too brutal for her liking, Ahreum would rather describe all the events that took place in the past, nothing more than just a tragedy. Things weren't too disasterous, thankfully, but the storm served as an enourmous test to their marriage; wanting to see if either one of them had what it takes to remain in each other's embrace throughout the hectic hurricane.

And it is only when this storm finally came to an end that they realised, in which a lifetime promise of theirs has yet again been fulfilled ㅡ to always be there for one another, in sickness and in health.

Nearly twelve months has passed since the whole incident took place, and Sehun's physical health has improved drastically within a span of an entire year. He has transitioned from the hospital bed to a wheelchair, and moved from the wheelchair to a set of crutches, all before the full and final recovery stage. In other words, Ahreum has witnessed her husband start over all the way from square one, picked him up when he was at his lowest and even helped him learn how to walk again.

She had put everything aside to help him grow, motivating him on a daily basis just so he wouldn't lose hope of the future that lies ahead of them.

For her, it was like having to treat the broken wings of a precious bird, nurturing and protecting it from any further damage just so they'd be able to be fly off once again.

But when that day came and its wings have healed to its very fullest, Ahreum knew she had to brace herself to watch them take flight ㅡ right before her very own eyes.

Once Sehun was granted of his wish for a full recovery, the pending meetings or contracts that have been put on-hold due to his health issues gained onto him like water rushing out of a hole in a concrete dam. Shortly after things went back to normal, and being the workaholic he is, Sehun was determined to return to the office. He's working day and night to make up for the loss his company may have suffered during his absense.

Though it was honestly irritating for him to be dealing with the unfinished business left on his behalf, his greed to succeed has always driven him to reach greater heights in life, never giving him a reason to settle with anything less than what he was capable of.

A sense of self-accomplishment only fills his veins each time he flew across countries to hit the jackpot, allowing him to return home with bigger and better rewards in hand. Thanks to that, their lives have only improved for the better ㅡ especially in terms of their financial struggles.

Getting back into business has allowed Sehun to twist the fate of his corporation that was initally at risk of bankruptcy, to earning recognition as one of the top 10 rising companies in Asia. Things were finally easy breezy, and he knew he no longer had to stress about not being able to offer proper financial support to his family anymore.

Because he is able now.

No one would've simply guessed that this man, who came back to dominate the industry, had somehow survived a fatal car accident that caused him to become partially-paralyzed for a solid few months. Heck, he never even thought he'd even make it this far.

Then again, he owes it all to his wife.

Sehun knows that he wouldn't have gotten any closer to where he stood today if it weren't for her endless love and support. If asked, he would proudly admit that Ahreum was definitely the key to his success. Therefore, when the going gets tough, Sehun would always remind himself of why he's doing everything in the very first place.

All of this, was for Ahreum.

However, moments of glory and defeat seem to come hand in hand ㅡ after all, its quite hard to gain much without losing some in the first place. This means that the bigger their banks grew, the tighter his schedules got. And the more countries Sehun had to travel, Ahreum's heart only seems to long for her lover even deeper than before.

She wanted to be selfish for once and perhaps restrict him from travelling too frequently; although those oversea seminars were the main contribution to the growth of his business. Even if Sehun somehow manages to find a balance between his work and his woman, Ahreum can't seem to settle with the surprise lunch dates he'd take her on, just like how Sehun doesn't seem to realise that they already own so much more than they would ever need.

There's no denying that Sehun's sheer determination has always helped him make a name for himself, Ahreum has been to numerous events back in school to know of all the awards her then-boyfriend, Oh Sehun, would receive on a yearly basis. He walks the talk better than anyone else, and if Sehun says he's going to do it, then he wouldn't even bother having second thoughts into doing so.

Be it with or without anyone's approval, Sehun has an ego that feeds off the pleasure of making the impossible become absolutely possible.

In the meantime, Ahreum sort of found a new routine, where she would sometimes stay over at her mother's house while Sehun was away. And since her father was also at work, she knew her mother would appreciate her visit once in a while.

"Sehun goes on quite a lot of business trips these days.. Has he always been this busy?" Her mother asked one day, and a small sigh left Ahreum's lips.

Ranting about her husband's professional life to her mother was rather awkward, because the generation difference between them made it quite difficult for them to see things eye to eye. Ahreum tries her best to understand her mother's concerns, yet such statements only seem to complicate things even further ㅡ all the advice, wasn't really much of a help.

"Its barely been a week since he came back from Hong Kong, and he's leaving again tomorrow? Are you sure, dear?"

Questions like these only got Ahreum worked up a little more than necessary, because she was never the type to be suspicious of her lover. But nowadays, with such infamous gossips about the scandalous affairs married men are getting themselves into, Ahreum can't help but take a dip into a pool of doubts and worries hidden in the back of her head.

They say that the deeper you think, the deeper you will sink ㅡ Ahreum is simply hoping that she wouldn't be drowning any sooner or later.

After all, it is the overthinking that really kills.

Earlier today, Ahreum and the rest of the ladies gathered at a local Desserthouse for a short get-together session. Its been a while since they last saw each other, especially since one of them recently became a new mother and Xiumin's wife was busy adjusting her schedules between two kids now. So without putting much thought into the planning, the girls just agreed on a venue and hoped to stay there long enough before their husbands got home.

Catching up with her members of the "Wife Squad" always helped Ahreum get rid of all the useless thoughts inside her head. It was assuring in a way, to know that the rest of these ladies also seem to be going through that ridiculously dramatic phase of any woman's love life.

Apart from the leisure of being able to vent her frustrations about her workaholic husband, spending time with her friends also meant that Ahreum got to play with their adorable kids!

Jiyeon and Suho welcomed their first daughter at the beginning of October last year, and little Suyeon turned seven months old yesterday. On the other hand, Jisoo was now a caring big sister to Xiumin's second baby girl, Minhee, who was merely three months old. Seeing her friends with their daughters sometimes made Ahreum imagine of what things could've also been like if her little angel was still with her today, but she had to understand that some things happen for a reason.

Unfortunately.

Needless to say, it was always a joyful moment for Ahreum to be surrounded by these small babies, who happen to love her presence just as much as she enjoyed being around them. Then again, these short get-together sessions also reminded Ahreum of what big of an outlier she was to the group.

Compared to before, when Jisoo was the only child among them, their hang out sessions mainly consisted of them talking more about "lady" stuff instead. Now that it was one kid and two infants, this was quite more of a 'Mothers Club' rather than their casual 'Wife Squad'.

Truthfully speaking, Ahreum felt slightly out of place today. She found it quite hard to relate to the things her friends were talking about ㅡ because unlike them, Ahreum didn't have a child to begin with. Besides, they barely interacted with Ahreum throughout the whole session, knowing there wasn't that common ground between them to share things more casually.

They'd often glance and smile at her once in a while, only because their kids would be clinging onto their favourite "Aunty Mimi", or just to ask about how things have been going for Sehun and her.

Other than that, it was painfully awkward for her to even be there.

Having that said, Ahreum has been quietly listening to the two mothers sharing tips and tricks between themselves on how to take better care of their newborn daughters instead.

Who knows, it might come in handy for her, perhaps someday?

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