The Last Second Chance

The Last Second Chance

Another day began and Lee Chaeyeon's routine started, as usual, at the hospital.  Since she got an unknown disease, she had undergone tests and more tests, months on end, without the cause of her constant discomfort being discovered.  What made it worse is that she, once a successful businesswoman - owner of the largest real estate network in Korea - and surrounded by people always doing her will, now finds herself alone, in a room, intubated, struggling to survive.  And she knows she has no one to blame for that.

 

Chaeyeon came from a poor family, had a difficult childhood, like most of the children she lived with.  With great difficulty, her parents got her scholarships, both in middle school and high school. She graduated with honors in civil engineering, and, due to her competence, she soon came up with several architectural projects to develop.  And, during one of these services, she met a person who changed the destiny of her life: Kwon Eunbi, the richest young woman in Asia, who wanted to build a huge space to shelter homeless people.

As soon as they had their first conversation, Chaeyeon managed to convince Eunbi to hire her for this venture.  The competence and seriousness with which she conducted the entire operation impressed the millionaire, who decided to make her her exclusive contractor.  Driven by Eunbi's generosity and her inexhaustible desire to help others, Chaeyeon designed and commanded the construction of several community spaces, asylums, orphanages, renovation of philanthropic hospitals across the country.  The commitment and time that the two worked together created a great complicity between them, which became a strong friendship and over time, a great love blossomed.

A few years of courtship and marriage soon happened, entitled to an epic party;  even the Korea’s president appeared, honoring them for all the benefits they provided to all of Korea.  Chaeyeon, with all her wife's support, founded her own real estate company - after all, she also thought it was time to reconcile philanthropy with money making.  Eunbi continued to run charity events and projects, while she developed the company and made her fortune triple; in a short time, half of the buildings across Seoul had Lee Chaeyeon's signature on their construction.  Soon, they had a daughter, Wonyoung, to whom they dedicated all their love and also taught generosity as a pillar of personality.

For years, the Kwon-Lee family was happy and loving, being the happy family model. Wonyoung had the best childhood she could have, being present in every moment of mothers' fulfillment. But as time went on, that relationship started to cool down, just as Wonyoung reached his teens. Chaeyeon reached the peak of success, but at the same time her ruin began.  She began to pay much more attention to the company and business than to the wife and family projects. She made her personal fortune, parallel to Eunbi's; she spent nights out, involved in new projects, business dinners, trips... she became an absent mother for Wonyoung and stopped paying attention to Eunbi. It didn't take long for the separation to come;  Chaeyeon, blinded by tireless work, did not even struggle to maintain the marriage. Eunbi, completely hurt, disappeared, taking the couple's daughter. Greedy corrupted Chaeyeon's soul, who little by little lost all friends she had, becoming surrounded only by opportunists and profiteers.

Someday, while working like a crazy person - as always-, she felt bad and was soon taken to the hospital - and she has been hospitalized ever since then.  In just a few months, she spent almost all of the fortune she earned over the years looking for a cure, but the doctors didn't even find out what she had. Feeling that she had a short time to live, remorse and regret took her heart, and she thought only of one person: Kwon Eunbi. She needed her ex-wife back, to comfort her, to make her feel as before - happy.  But how to ask her for forgiveness, if she didn't even know where she had gone?? Chaeyeon suffered from severe pain, but she kept hoping to see her beloved person, whom she had not valued.

 

 

- Chaeyeon, you have a visitor - Yena, the nurse, said, as soon as she opened the door.

- You can let it in!  I hardly get visitors ... at least someone remembers me, besides you!  - She gave a yellow smile and looked up, feeling a tightness in her chest.

- It's just my job!  I'll let her in. If you need me just call, ok?  - Yena left.

 When she decided to look at the door and see who came in, she cried out:

- KWON EUNBI ???  Am I dreaming or is it really you ???

- Yes, Chae ... it's me - she replied, calmly.

- B-but how did you find out I was here ??  I haven't been able to contact you for a long time!

- I'm living in Europe .. I moved back then ... the way our separation happened hurt me a lot, I needed to stay away from here to forget all of it!  I went to realize my projects in France and restart my life, but the news flies fast, right? You’re known across the country! Chaewon, as my best friend, ended up knowing about your situation and told me everything and, of course, I had to come here to visit you! You hurted me, but I still care about you, you see?

Chaeyeon couldn’t think in another thing beside this:

- My love, do you forgive me??  I was very bad and toxic to you, I had no idea how you still can look at me.. Please forgive me, I can’t leave without this - Chaeyeon started to cry.

- Yes, I forgive you! don’t worry, ok?  Let's leave that in the past...

- Staying here, alone and sick, made me realize how lucky I was to have you by my side... how much I love our daughter... I'm so sorry I ignored you ... did you bring her?

- Yes, she is outside; they allowed only one person a time to enter patients' rooms, and I came first.

- How did they let her stay outside alone???  They could make an exception for her!

- But she is not alone, Hyewon is out there with her.

- Who is Hyewon?  Chaeyeon asked suspiciously.

- My future wife…

- WIFE??? - that phrase broke Chaeyeon inside.

- Chae... I already forgave you, I forgot what you did to me, and I needed to come here to take this weight off our lives.  I never stopped loving you - Eunbi started to cry a lot too - but today I have an established life, with someone who takes good care of me and our daughter .. be calm, I’m very happy and your daughter too.  I hope you will recover soon, but this is a final farewell. Bye my Love!

As soon as she left the room, she called Wonyoung, who was anxious to see her mother; a memorable reunion, wrapped in tears, hugs, and regrets:

- Wonyoung, my love! I miss you!

- Mom... I missed you so much!

- My daughter, I need to talk seriously with you, apologize for everything that I made you go through... I wasn't a present mother, I didn't give you the affection you needed and-

- Please, mom, don’t torture yourself! - Wonyoung interrupted Chaeyeon’s words - I didn't come here to demand an apology from you. I came to see you and stay with you! I’ll move to your house!

- Wony, I’m living here, in this hospital! You can’t stay here! And your mother? She will marry again..

- Pfft.. She told it to you?? I don’t believe! Hyewon is a great woman, but you’re my mother, and mama wants to be near to you again, too. If you ask her, surely she will stay too! Please, mom… I want to reunite my family again - Wonyoung hugged Chaeyeon tightly.

- Wonyoung, you shall know that my disease is unknown and my lifetime is very short. I can’t give it to you, I’m sorry…

- I don't care if it lasts a day or a year. I want my family back! I won’t let you leave us again! - Tears rolled by Wonyoung’s face.

Eunbi heard all these words - and of course Hyewon too. so they decided to let Hyewon go back to Europe and Eunbi to stay with Chaeyeon, fulfilling her daughter’s wish. They didn’t left the sick woman alone, being affectionate and lovely with her all the time, telling her about their lives in France, sharing good and bad stories, trying to recover the lost time.

 

 

A few days passed and Chaeyeon started to feel really bad. Quickly, Eunbi and Wonyoung entered in her room and get desperate.

- Nurse, please! She needs help here! - Eunbi shouted loudly.

- Eun.. my time is over - Chaeyeon said, barely breathing.

- NO, IT CAN’T BE!! - Wonyoung said, hugging her.

- Wonyoung… I’m sure about this… I-I already got what I wanted, get back your love - Chaeyeon put her hands in her daughter’s face.

- Despite everything that happened, you never lost our love - Eunbi replied immediately. We’ll be together forever!

Chaeyeon looked to them, in a soft way, and handed to Eunbi a folded piece of paper.

- Please, my love, give it to Hyewon.. she needs to read that, okay?

- B-but what is that??

- Just give it to her.. please - Chaeyeon's condition worsened and started to convulse. - Do it for me?

- O-of course, my love. I swear - Eunbi picked that paper and put it in her pocket.

- Thank you, Eun.. I love you!

- I love you more - Eunbi said, leaned in her.

After this, Yena entered in the room and make the duo leave her and Chaeyeon alone. While the nurse help to the patient, Eunbi, outside, started to read that letter:

 

“Hyewon, this is Lee Chaeyeon. you probably already know who I am, and my situation. I confess that when Eunbi told me that she was about to marry you, I was very angry. But those days I spent with them showed me that I no longer have that right. I threw away my chance years ago, and I was lucky to still live my last moments with the love of my life and my dear daughter. Eunbi and Wonyoung are too precious to me, and they always will be, but I know that I won't live long; so I hope - or rather, I beg - take good care of them, please! They deserve a good life, very different from the one I gave them. Do it like you're doing it for me, in my memory. Thank you.”

 

That small and sincere letter make Eunbi kneel down and sob a lot. At that moment, she really feared for losing Chaeyeon. On an impulse, she got up and opened the room door, to say again that she loved her; but she found Yena with a sad face and Chaeyeon already motionless, lifeless, but with a smile on her face. A smile from someone who had the last chance to be at peace with herself and the person she loved the most in her life.

Eunbi approached her ex-wife, closed her eyes and gave her one last kiss, the deepest and most passionate of all their lives. Wonyoung entered shortly after and, seeing that scene, despaired and embraced her two mothers. Eunbi, holding Chaeyeon's hand, said: "For you, my love, we will be happy. I promise". That family didn't have the best story ever, but it ended up full of love.

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luvyuj
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