32: The Breakup

“It’s over. I’m through with you.”
The words slid out of Luhan’s mouth so easily, like they’d been on the edge of his tongue, waiting to fall over.

Dasol’s eyes flickered. She knew he didn’t like her – even though she had thought he was coming to terms with their engagement – but she hadn’t expected him to say that they would break up… Because he couldn’t.
So that’s exactly what she said: “You can’t.”

He scoffed, his pearly teeth gleaming in the beautiful sunlight. It was like Mother Nature purposefully made today’s weather perfect to match his mood.
“The funny thing is, Dasol… I can.” He sighed happily. “And it’s not just that I can… I have to. I have to break up with you,” he repeated. He could say it a million times over if he had to.
 

“What? I’m sure your grandfather and your father –”

“Oh, my father? He’s precisely the one who told me to end it with you,” he said while looking at his fingernails carelessly. “Those were his exact words: ‘End it.’”

She fumbled with her words, not knowing what to say. “Wha-Why? How?”

“The thing is... when your parents work for our number one rival company… it’s not healthy for our engagement.” He smiled. “Then it’s almost like… we’re enemies. Funny, isn’t it? Because that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to get through to you this entire time.”

Her tongue froze. She had tried so hard… So damn hard. And in the end, all her efforts came to naught… And it wasn’t even her mistake. It was inevitable.

“It was fate…” Luhan murmured in satisfaction, almost like he read her mind.

Sura waited patiently in the café across the street and watched as Luhan and Dasol sat on the bench, having the talk. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she could tell from the blissful expression on his face – and the pained one on Dasol’s – that it was good.
But when she saw Dasol grab his hands in desperation, her eyes b with tears, she stood up from her chair. She left the money for her coffee on the table and ran out the door.
She didn’t bother to look both ways on the street – and thankfully her life wasn’t a drama, and she made it safely to the other side.

“Dasol…” She breathed, starting to feel pity for the girl who had made their life so difficult for so long.

“What?! What are you doing here?!” Dasol shrieked at her. “Here to rub it in my face that you’ve finally won him?”

Luhan cringed. “Oh shut up,” he snapped.

But Sura crouched besides her and gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry it had to be this way.” She couldn’t apologize for taking Luhan away – because she wasn’t sorry at all about that. But she could at least express some kind of sympathy for the heartbroken girl.

Dasol’s eyes blazed, her anger not at all mitigated by Sura’s apology. To her, Sura had Luhan – which meant she had it all.
Yet she had given him unconditional love – what had been lacking?
“You must hate me so much to do this to me,” she murmured to Sura, tears freely flowing down now.

Sura bit her lip, looking at Luhan for some advice