Final
The Irreversible Beguilement
Sandara is furious. She glares at Seung Hyun disapprovingly. Yuri takes charge of the situation by conversing with Mrs Choi. She introduces herself and explains the situation, “Dara is progressing very well. We’re just waiting for now.”
Sandara meets Yuri’s gaze and something tells her that Yuri has something that needs to be passed on to her immediately.
“Can you help me to the bathroom, Yuri?”
Yuri asks Seung Hyun and his mother to stay in the room, and makes sure to close the bathroom door before Sandara speaks, “Yuri, I need you to send them out. I don’t want to see them right now.” Noticing Yuri’s restlessness, Sandara asks, “What?”
“That’s probably a good idea, Sandara,” Yuri agrees through her whisper, “I… uh… you were eight centimetres before, but when your mother-in-law came and you saw her, I felt your cervix went back to four. I’m really sorry.”
Sandara’s eyes widen in horror as she feels the world crashes down on her. “What?” she shrieks and a breath-depriving sob is poured out of her. “What are you saying?” she demands in frustration. “After all of these, h-how did…?”
“I won’t say I’m surprised because I have come across such a case before, but you need to get back on track, Dara. Don’t let this hiccup affect you.”
Sandara has looked after a similar case of obstructed labour as well. When the partner is not with the woman emotionally and being fully present for her, or when the woman’s adrenaline is released due to negative feelings, such as anger, frustration, embarrassment, and fear, her labour would be affected significantly. That adrenaline blocks the hormones that make labour happen and stalls the process.
And right now, Sandara feels the massive urge to just murder Seung Hyun Choi for what he has done.
How could he? He promised!
Sandara senses her labour eventually receding as the consecutive surges feel less strong than before and it infuriates her. Yuri asks Mrs Choi and Seung Hyun to leave the room after speaking to Seung Hyun privately.
“You can’t do that, Yuri!” he has argued petulantly. “That’s my child Dara is about to deliver.”
Calmly, as Yuri has expected his dispute, she says, “Seung Hyun, you’re her husband, the father of that baby she is about to deliver, but what have you done?” She gives him a questioning look, trying not to vent the anger she feels in Sandara’s behalf on him because she is there as Sandara’s midwife, not her friend. “We have spoken about this during the pregnancy. She just wants you here. What happened to that agreement?”
Seung Hyun brings his gaze downcast and reasons, “My mum called and I couldn’t tell her that we don’t want her here. What was I supposed to do?”
“Dara has asked you to turn your phone off, didn’t she?” Yuri’s anger finally slips at his lame defense. “You’re clearly not helping!”
At least, that’s what Yuri has recounted after it is all over. Although it does not go the way Sandara wanted it, she is glad Yuri has stuck with her throughout the journey. After Seung Hyun and his mother have been banished from the room, her labour re-establishes and she proceeds to have a beautiful baby boy at 01:50, who she names Se Hun.
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A few weeks later, Sandara signs the divorce paper and gives it to Seung Hyun.
“This is stupid, Dara!” he hollers in rage and waves his hand towards Se Hun’s closed door. “We just had a baby.”
“Seung Hyun, at our wedding, you promised to be there for me through thick and thin, to be with me for better and for worse, and to love and cherish me until deaths do us apart. You also promised to be the shoulder that I lean on, to support, and respect me for the rest of our life. When I was pregnant, you promise to not have your mum at the birthing room and to turn your phone off by the time I get into active labour. I got into that pretty much as soon as we were on our way. I was going really well, until you came with your mum in tow.” She pauses and lets the silence lingers for a moment. “How do you think I felt? You’ve read those books I gave you; you even listened to some of the tips. How could those minor parts get into your head, but you left out the major parts, the more important parts?” With a final tone, she concludes, “You betrayed me.”
Sandara does not care how many times Seung Hyun argues or yells at her for being stupid.
Sandara does not care what the neighbours say about her for divorcing her husband just weeks after their baby is born.
Sandara does not care how many times her parents and Sang Hyun have advised her to keep her marriage.
Sandara does not care how much much Seung Hyun’s mother cries and begs her to stay; although she does feel bad for her. Despite her involvement, Sandara does love her as a person.
People may think she is being petty over such a small matter, but what people don’t understand is that the betrayal has wounded her tremendously. It’s the fact that Seung Hyun decided to break his promise and step on the path that is completely different to what they had initially planned for their future; and when he does, he has denied her and walked further away from her.
For now, she does not want to see him at all.
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