❝ You are someone that I can't have...❞

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4 years later

"Ayla Kim! Are you ready?" Mrs Kim voice echoed through the apartment as she called out for her youngest daughter.

It was going to be a busy day for them and they were supposed to be at Four Seasons Hotel by 9 am but it was close to 8.45 am and her younger daughter was still not ready yet. Her eldest daughter, Riann, was going to walk down the aisle and as a mother, Mrs Kim could not be happier for her. However, there was still that bittersweet feeling she could not ignore. Mrs Kim knew that the man Riann was walking down the aisle with would make Ayla's heart broke. He was Cha Eun Woo. He had been her life. It was unfair for Ayla if she said Eun Woo was her love of life because Ayla had placed Eun Woo in a place higher than any men ever been in her life. 

Ayla had been silently taking care of Eun Woo. Whenever Riann was busy with her career or friends, Ayla was the one who took over her sister's place and was in every part of Eun Woo's milestone. Despite all that, the young man still chose Riann and never looked back at Ayla.

Everyone assumed that Eun Woo and Ayla would end up together as they had always been there for each other but fate said otherwise - the only man she ever loves was getting married to her own sister. Mrs Kim and the rest were always in awe how Ayla could keep her feelings to herself and still be happy for the couple. Honestly? Mrs Kim was heartbroken for Ayla but she was proud of her youngest daughter. She had bee at the sideline, watching how Ayla loves Eun Woo with all her heart selflessly without asking for anything in return, and to that, she learned how to love earnestly.

The mid-forties petite woman sighed once more when she realised she had not heard any response from her youngest daughter. Taking small and heavy steps, she walked towards Ayla's room at the end of the hallway. Her heart was at unease. What was this feeling she was having? 

She hesitated once she reached the front of Ayla's door as the guilt slowly engulfed her again. The day Riann confessed to Myungsoo 4 years ago, Mrs Kim saw how badly Ayla broke apart but as a mother, she was weak. She had no courage to tell Ayla to chase for her love. Instead, she prayed that Ayla learned to let Eun Woo go and be happy. That was selfish of her of course.

"Ayla, darling..." She gently knocked against the white door. 

Mrs Kim nonchalantly looked up and her eyes caught the missing photo frame that was had been hanging on the door for more than 8 years. It was a picture of Ayla and Eun Woo when they were in middle school. It had never been taken down by Ayla before but today it was no longer there. Anxious, she tried twisting the doorknob and surprisingly it opened. The older Kim panicked as she knew that Ayla never left the door unlocked whenever she was inside. She pushed the door open carefully and looked around the neatly arranged room. Nothing was out of its place but somehow her heart was nervous. 

Her daughter was not in the room.

Mrs Kim fastened her pace towards her daughter's walk-in closet. Her eyes wandered around as her world seemed to stop and crash. Tears cascade down her cheeks as soon as realisation dawned upon her.

Ayla Kim left.

The girl that had been so excited about planning her older sister's and future brother-in-law's wedding had left on the important day itself. Her broken heart was taken along, leaving no traces of her sadness in the room. The guilt that Mrs Kim felt heightened as she continuously realised that Ayla had taken all her important documents and stuff. The only things left were gifts from Eun Woo over the past years and also their photo albums.

Slowly, the sobs that she was holding onto erupted. Mrs Kim could not imagine the times Ayla had cried alone in the room without anyone knew. If only as a mother, she had the courage to tell Riann to give up and let Ayla have the chance to love Eun Woo. If only she made Eun Woo saw that it was Ayla that was by his side during all his tough and happy times. 

If only she did.

"Honey!" She shouted - calling her husband that was waiting for them in the living room, "Daniel Kim!" she called out once louder as her tears blurred her vision.

The tears were ruining her makeup but the mother could care less about her makeup. She was more concern that her daughter had left them because they had been selfish enough to not see the pain Ayla held on alone. 

"Yes, darling?" The deep voice of Mr Kim echoed as the charismatic middle age man walked into the and stared in surprise at his wife who was bawling her out on the bed, "hey, what happened? Where is Ayla?" he asked worriedly as soon as he noticed that his daughter was not around.

Mrs Kim weakly pointed towards the empty closet that used to belong to Ayla. 

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He felt his heart dropped as soon as he realised what happened.

"Did she leave?" he asked in disbelief as Mrs Kim nodded her head.

His eyes still wandered around the room - still in disbelief that his precious daughter left them without a goodbye. 

A glistening silver envelope that was neatly settled against the photo frame of Ayla and Eun Woo's picture grabbed the older man's attention