“What are you doing home?” She asked as the door opened, her eyes not bothering to leave the book she was currently lost within, not caring much to look at the stranger who called this house a home.

She was stunned however when his arms wrapped around her shoulders, his embrace being almost unbearable, forcing her to stay still in his lock. She tried to glance towards him yet found herself unable to see, his arms blocking her vision of him. She was going to question if he was sick, however froze when feeling warm liquid run down her neck and to her shoulders, soaking the thin cotton fabric that covered them.

“Are you okay?” She asked concerned, trying to turn herself around to comfort him but his arms wouldn’t budge around her, and so she surrendered by simply his arm, allowing him to know that she was there.

“I thought you left…” He breathed into her neck and it made guilt line her entire being, knowing that the things were packed and ready to be hauled in the morning. “I thought you left me…”

“Seung Hyun…” She whispered and she could feel him tense under her, knowing that he hated when she spoke his name like that, that she only spoke it when things were bad. “I’m leaving… I was serious.”

“You can’t. I’m your husband…” it was the only argument he had left to offer her “our sons, what will they think when they move? When their father isn’t around anymore…”

She paused as she drew in a soft breath, knowing that her next words were probably going to shatter him, but they needed to be spoken, he needed to hear them. Trying to find the right words to say, she could feel her defenses falling with every new drop that dripped onto her neck, with every sob he breathed into her ear. Yet they have been here before, and the broken promises had finally caught up to her, and she could no longer stand to hurt this bad.

“Their father isn’t around now… I doubt they will notice the difference” she admitted, and his arms tightened impossibly stronger around her shoulders, his breathing becoming heavier. “If you sign those papers, it will make things easier on us both. Let’s end in a peaceful way, let’s not fight anymore…”

“I won’t let you” he breathed heavily, and though she tried to escape his hold, she knew that he wasn’t going to let go, not until she spoke of staying. It was one lie, it was all she needed to say and despite how many times he had lied to her, she still couldn’t bring herself to speak even one. “I’ll fight for the rest of my life. You know that right? I won’t stop. You will be in my life until my last breath. You can’t escape, I promised you that…”

“You promised me many things, and it’s to late to hold onto promises now” she spoke softly, and soon his arms would drop from around her as he stood himself up and looked away, knowing that he looked like a mess, she couldn’t bring herself to look knowing she would break down for him, knowing that she loved him too much to see him hurt.

“Where is your rings?” He whispered, making her eyes go wide as she stared at her finger, it being so long since she took them off that she almost forgot she did so. “How long have you taken them off?”

“About a month” she answered honestly, her hand dropping towards her side. “They are on the dresser upstairs… You can keep them…”

“You should keep them, they’re yours…” His voice sounded defeated instead of angered as she had expected. “You should keep the house too, I’ll leave…” She wanted desperately to cling onto him, to hold him in her arms but she knew what future awaited that option, the disappointment that would follow it.

“I don’t want to stay here…” She admitted for too many memories flooded the halls, this being the place where her family had been created, and the place in which her family had fallen apart. “I also don’t want the rings…” They were only more false promises, false words that he told her from the beginning. “Please just show up at court on the date it’s set and don’t be late. Don’t disappoint them again.”

“I’ll be there” he assured, his voice a mere whisper “and I’ll sign the papers but know one thing before I do…”

“What’s that?” She asked, allowing her eyes to fall towards him for the first time since he entered the house, him looking just as horrible as she felt at the current moment, his eyes quick to connect with her own.

“I’ll always love you, so I’ll be here if you decide to come back. I know I don’t deserve to ask you to stay, I ruined that chance… but please promise me…” he paused, the tears he just wiped away coming once again, her eyes quick to match his own “promise me that you’ll be happy. That you won’t continue to cry, that you’ll eat properly and take care of your health. They need you in their life, stay strong for them… Stay strong for yourself.”

“I will” she quickly complied, standing herself up to draw him into a tight embrace, his arms just as eagerly returning what could be the last affection he would ever have the pleasure to receive. “You have to stay strong too. Not just for me and you, but for our children… Please stay strong…”

‘I can’t lose you…’ the silent thought stayed silent as her tears began to worsen, knowing he would recover fine without her around, he was doing a perfectly respectable job of it already, what would change? He would come alone to a lonely house? Sure, but when he came in late and everyone was sleeping, wasn’t it the same? If anything, she cried that night for herself, but would anything change for her? She would be alone all the same.

“I love you…” he spoke softly, his grip tightening into her hip but she was to numb to feel it anymore.

“I loved you too” she spoke softly before pulling away, keeping her eyes low to avoid staring at him. “Spend the night with them, I’m going out…”

“Okay” he seemed resistant in his answer yet produced the desired one which allowed her to fake a smile towards him, despite how swollen her eyes were. “Should I call off tomorrow?” He asked which brought concerned eyes towards him, not believing the words she heard.

“Of course not, I’ll be back at a decent time” she reassured while grabbing her car keys and purse, his eyes staying locked on the ground, as though contemplating something inside of his head. She waited for him to speak, waiting for his protest yet nothing came as she slipped past him, giving him one last glance.

“Dinner is on it’s way, I ordered take-out, I hope you don’t mind?” She spoke as her hand touched the handle of the door, watching as he nodded, his eyes looking up towards where the food would normally be cooking. “I’ll be back shortly” she bid her farewell before stepping out of the house, alarmed when running right into the back of a familiar figure, causing him to stumble forward a bit before turning himself about and offering a sad smile which must have mocked the one returned.

“Let’s go talk, it’s been a while since we caught up…” Ji-Yong spoke, leaving Abi without a choice but to nod and follow him towards his own car instead of her own where she had planned to cry the entire night away.