[CONTENTID1]CHAPTER 26[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2] 12 AUGUST 2018[/CONTENTID2]



 

[CONTENTID3]

"Mommy..."

A soft voice called out from behind, and you felt a sense of dread. Were your hallucinations getting worse, to the point where even Jihoon was now a part of them? You froze, torn between turning around or making a quick exit. It couldn't be Jihoon.

As you stood up, the arms that had wrapped around your waist loosened, and you took hesitant steps away. However, Jihoon suddenly ran to you, clutching your hand tightly, forbidding you from leaving. You desperately wanted to escape this surreal situation, to prevent yourself from sinking deeper into it. The boy frowned at his mother's reaction.

"Mommy, I'm here. Y-you don't want to meet me?" Jihoon's voice quivered with sadness as he tried to reach out to you. You battled with your own mind, struggling to resist what you were experiencing. It all felt so real and challenging to resist—the touch, the voice. He sounded so upset that your heart trembled.

Finally, unable to resist any longer, you turned around to face your son. There were tears in Jihoon's eyes, and his lips curved downward, displaying deep disappointment. How could he not be disappointed? It seemed as though his mother didn't want to see him or even look at him, like his worst nightmare.

But then it hit you—this was really him, your son.

All your worries and doubts were forgotten in an instant as you quickly knelt down, enveloping his small figure in your arms as tightly as you could. Jihoon accepted the hug with his whole heart, unable to believe that he was finally meeting his mother. Even though he had known you from before, this was the first time he recognized you as his mother. Wrapped in the warmth of his mother's embrace, he smiled, feeling content.

"Mommy, I love you.... so much!" He cried happily. You wipe his tears, giving the good boy a kiss on his forehead. "I love you too, my baby...” Being a sweet boy he is, Jihoon wipes your tears too. "How did you found out?...I'm your mother.."
 

"Daddy of course!" Something clicked in your head. Sehun. Your brain alerts you.
 

"Jae." A familiar voice called you from behind, making your jaw clench at the anxiety its giving you.

You stop breathing for a while. Not even looking at the voice owner, you ask Jihoon to give you a moment and the boy goes to play in the mini playground nearby.

"I'll wait for you, Mommy!" Jihoon's happiness was evident, and he had never looked so joyful before. However, a sense of fear crept over you as you realized that you might end up disappointing him. All this time, he had been imagining an idealized version of his mother, someone wonderful and perfect. The reality was that you felt far from living up to that ideal.

Now, it was just the two of you, and you mentally prepared yourself to face Sehun. He appeared a bit haggard, with dark under-eye bags and pale skin. When he glanced at you, beneath his emotionless facade, you could sense a hidden sadness. Is he really okay? This was the first time you had seen him since the accident, or more accurately, since he had regained consciousness.

You shook your head stopping all the thoughts on him. The one you should care is yourself not him, you done enough for anyone but yourself.
 

"What are you doing here?" Thank god, your voice came out sounding confident.

One, never look weak in front of him.

"I'm here to meet you.,." Different from you, his voice sounded hoarse, croaky, lack of energy.

Two, never give in to him.

You scoffed at his words. Just what is in his mind exactly? "Meet me?! Do you hear yourself?" Sehun frowned, not really getting what you talking about.

"I'm serious. I want to meet you, Jae. What do you mean? " His ex wife hold her arms up signaling him to stop. "Ask yourself, Oh Sehun. You want me to disappear, so I did. Now you said you want to meet me?" This time your voice break. You're afraid because you can't figure out his intention. 

"Listen, Jae-" His eyes wavering he don't know where to look at.

"I moved away from Seoul because I want to stay away from you and start a new life. Why you find me for?" Sehun is frustrated that you keep ignoring his words. "I want to talk about us okay!"

You stop your rant and look at him ridiculously. What in the world? You laugh right away.

"What is there to talk? Ain't we done?"

"I heard what you said when I was unconscious..." You eyes widened for a slight moment. It's still not going to change your decision to move on.

"Wait what?" Both hands of your hands were hold up again. "You are mistaken. I never visited you at the hospital." This time Sehun breaks from his stoic face. He couldn't believe it, he try to search your eyes in case you are joking or lying.

"I don't know, who or what you listened in your sleep but it's definitely not me."

Upon you walking away, Sehun caught your hand the least attempt he could do to stop you, but you push him away and proceed to leave the garden.

As his eyes follows you, he hears footsteps coming towards him.

"Daddy! Where's Mummy going?" The little boy panics. Sehun couldn't reply, he might just cry if he did. The father just watch you leaving the place. Seeing his father not making any move, Jihoon chase after you, but when he reach you the elevator door about to close. The boy desperately press the lift button repeatedly, still the door is already closed and remained shut.

"Why?"

It shattered Jihoon's heart that his long-awaited first meeting with his mother had turned out this way.

 
......

The drive home was filled with an unsettling silence. Jihoon didn't want to talk to his daddy after what had transpired earlier; he was furious. In his young eyes, it appeared as though his father had done very little to mend his relationship with you. Sehun could have at least made an effort to chase after you, rather than just standing there, expecting you to turn back or something.

Sehun, on the other hand, was lost in his own thoughts, which seemed to flit from one thing to another. His mind was in such disarray that he couldn't find the words to speak at the moment. He figured it was better to remain silent, as there was nothing he could do to change the situation.

Upon their arrival home, Jihoon abruptly jumped out of the car, slamming the door with all his might, displaying his rebellious mood. He didn't spare a glance back at his father and left Sehun alone in the car.

Sehun felt utterly lost. He couldn't seem to meet anyone's expectations, and it felt as though he was causing hurt to everyone around him.

Soon after, he began to sob uncontrollably, slumping forward against the steering wheel.

You lied, he realized.

Earlier, when he had faced you, he knew. He sensed it. However, he didn't dare to voice it aloud because things were different now. It felt distant, as if you no longer looked at him the way you used to. Your gaze and your words had been enough to convey that you were treating him like a stranger.

No longer were there gazes filled with adoration and affection. They had been replaced with annoyance and displeasure.

Sehun reached for his phone and dialed a number.

"She left..." Sehun didn't know who else to talk to. He didn't have many friends, and here he was, calling Baekhyun in the middle of the night. Who else could he turn to?

The person on the other end of the line grunted gruffly. "What the hell, Sehun? It's way past working hours. It's 3 a.m., for God's sake!"

"SHE LEFT!" Baekhyun pulled the phone away from his ear, clearly annoyed. His best friend could be quite emo at times. He sighed before bringing the phone back to his ear.

"Who, Jae?" He heard some sniffing on the other end before a soft hum followed. Even though he was currently single, Baekhyun often played the role of Dr. Love for his friends. After all, single people were known for giving the best advice. "Okay, okay, what did you say to her?"

"I said I wanted to meet her... I brought Jihoon to-"

"Anything else?" Baekhyun interrupted, trying to recall the conversation. Sehun hadn't said much before you had fled the scene. Baekhyun could hear the frustration in Sehun's voice as he replied with a 'no.'

It was somewhat amusing how Sehun used to be the hopelessly romantic one among their trio of friends.

"Whatever it is, first you need to think properly before you met her. Say what you really want to say to her from the bottom of your heart. After that, then it's up to her to decide. " Afterall, there's a lot had happen, you can't just accept everything at once drastically. You're hurt and in need of time to slowly heal. It is not impossible for the two to get back together.

However, Baekhyun knows it's only the slightest chance that you will do so. As a friend, all he could do is give him support.

.....

After the call, Sehun return to his penthouse. It's dark. Jihoon must have sprinted straight to his room earlier. He stand in front his son room, wanting to knock the door. Thinking of it again, he retracted his hand, canceling his action.

Even if he talk to Jihoon, it wouldn't made the boy any better because he can't assure his boy nothing. He don't know anymore what he should actually do.

Not a