Daehyun treated her like she didn’t exist for the next few days. The two of them were wrapped in their own worlds of suffering, each unsure how to move on from the events of the last Thursday. Jinli wanted nothing more than to just live each day as if they were not in each other’s lives.

            She came home one day and found Daehyun sitting on the couch. His cheeks were hollow. From Jongup she had heard that the company’s stocks had dropped again. Her father was threatening to pull out from the deal after the insult he had received. The deal with Mr. Im was now precarious because Daehyun’s mother had made good on her word and asked for Hyosung’s removal. It was a miracle he was still up and alive.

            Daehyun looked up when he heard her. His eyes were puffy and dull. The dark circles printed low underneath his eye bags. “Did you eat yet?” He croaked.

            Jinli winced. Cigarettes had always been a vice of his and it seems like now was the perfect time for him to revert back to the habit. “Not yet.”

            “Eat with me.”

            The request was odd. She had been expecting something harsher, something vindictive. Not this. “I’ll see what Eunah made.”

            “No, I bought food.” He indicated the bag in front of him. “We need to talk.”

            Here it came. Jinli braced herself. She didn’t want to touch the food, afraid that his next words would make her want to throw it back up. “Go on.” She fought to keep her composure. Her voice was even.

            “I love Hyosung. I don’t know if I can ever stop loving her. But I also want to treat you right. If you want the divorce now, I will take full responsibility. We can cancel that stupid contract. It was pointless anyway.”

            Jinli felt her insides freeze. Even though this was the obvious route, the way to go, she hadn’t expected him of all people to bring it up. “But your parents will never accept Hyosung.”

            “That’s my problem. I’ll deal with that.”

            She stared at the man before her. He looked resigned, and yet determined. Jinli stared at the ceiling. Here it was. Finally. The eight months of misery could finally be drawn to an end. “So how do you want to do this? Rip the contract up? Do you want to go to your lawyers? Get the divorce settlement drafted? I can do that. You can set the terms and conditions.”

            Daehyun shrugged. “I don’t want anything, as do you, I’m sure.” There was a pause and he looked at her. “Will you be alright?”

            “Alright?” She gave a little laugh. “What does that even mean? Of course I will be.”

            “I meant with your father. I know that things can be rocky between you two.”

            “Daehyun, I think I would be a little more worried about whether he would cause hell at the company more than what he can do to me. He has no leverage with me anymore. I’ll just move back into my apartment in Seoul and never have to see him again.”

            He was quiet. Instead, he looked intently at the table, his fingers interlocking and twisting as if he was preparing for how his next words should come out. “Let’s just finish out the contract.”

            This sudden offer took her by surprise. “W-what?”

            Daehyun stood up. “Let’s just finish out the contract. We really only have sixteen months left. This way neither of our parents can give us any flack for not trying.”

            “But Hyosung.”

            “Doesn’t matter. We can’t be together right now anyway. Might as well give my parents some time to get used to the idea.”

            Jinli sat down on the couch and stared at him. “Do you think this is funny?”

            Once again, Daehyun felt his hackles rise. Why was she making this more difficult than it had to be? “No. I’m just saying maybe this might be the best way to go about things right now. I can’t get what I want. You won’t be living so well yourself. Might as well just stick it out together for another year.”

            “Have these eight months not been painful enough for you?”

            “We had some good times,” he replied simply.

            “And those were enough to counter the rest of the hurt?”

            “Jinli, please. I promise, it’ll be better. I’ll do better.” Again, he was pleading.

            She was baffled. It made absolutely no sense for him to want to stay together. Now that his mother knew, it wasn’t as if they could go on blissfully deceiving everyone. “You’re crazy. Isn’t it easier to just stop playing games?”

            “At least until I sort out the company troubles,” he begged. “I’m going to be selfish. Please just let me figure out what’s going on at the company, and then we can end this okay? I don’t need another scandal to make everything worse. Please. I’ll pay you however much you want. Just please. Let’s continue this play for another few months and I promise I will solve this the quickest I can so that we can both be free.”

            All thoughts of anger, of revenge evaporated at the sight of his desperation and Jinli sighed. “I’ll give you until the end of this year to sort it out. You have six months. No longer.”

            Daehyun came forward and smiled weakly. “Thank you.”

***

            “Hello?” She picked up after the unknown number had called three times.

            “Is this Jinli Cho?” The voice sounded familiar but she couldn’t quite place it.

            “That is correct. How may I help you?”

            “This is Hyosung. Can we meet?”

            Jinli stared down at the swatches of color swirling before her eyes. She felt her world still. “Hello?”

            “Do we even have anything to say to each other?” She was not about to put up pretenses and be polite.

            “Please. I think this will help you understand a little better.”

            Curiosity got the better of her and she carefully packed away her work. “I’ll see you in twenty.”

            Hyosung was sitting in the café. When she saw Jinli come in, she dipped her head in acknowledgement and indicated at the empty spot in front of her. “Thank you for coming.”

            “Make it brief. It looks about to rain and I didn’t bring the car.”

            “Of course. I think you know why I asked you to come here.”

            Jinli crossed her arms. Even though she had long known, and in some way, accepted, the existence of this woman in her life, she couldn’t stop the irritation rise in her, turning into belligerence. “His name is Jung Daehyun. Yes, please, get to the point.”

            Hyosung put on the face of pretend that made Jinli want to slap her. “My, aren’t you touchy? Here I was assuming you would be meek especially considering how you have no means of even trying to stop your husband from being with another woman.”

            “Cut the crap. What do you want?”

            “I just wanted you to come, enjoy a cup of coffee and listen to our story.”

            Jinli started to stand up. “Spare me. It doesn’t matter. He’ll be yours soon anyway.”

            “I think it might help make the next few months a little easier to bear.” Jinli turned back. Hyosung was looking at her with what seemed like genuine sincerity for the first time. Of course he would have told her that Jinli had given him a time limit.

            “Please take care of Daehyun.” The request was odd. It wasn’t as if she was going anywhere, was she? “He’s going through a tough time. And I know he’s probably ridden with guilt over how his mother treated me as well. She never quite forgave me for what I had to do. Nearly three years ago, I found out that I was pregnant. At the time, I thought this was the sure way to marriage. But he didn’t want the baby. He doesn’t like children, doesn’t want them. He made me get an abortion.” Hyosung paused to wipe away at the tears that were dripping down her cheeks. “The resentment stayed and half a year later, I received another opportunity at a company abroad so I left.”

            The revelation was shocking. Jinli stared at the woman in front of her and wondered why she was telling her all of this. Hyosung continued, “But I never forgot him. When I was rerouted back to Korea, the first thing I wanted to do was to find Daehyun. It was a of luck when I was placed on Mr. Im’s PR team. I didn’t expect Daehyun to have already been married.”

            “And now what about babies? Has he changed his mind?”

            “No. But I did. I’d rather be with him than anything else.”

            Jinli let out a tiny scoff. “Good luck marrying into that family and not having children.”

            Hyosung gave her a watery smile, as if the two of them were sharing an inside joke. “You’re right. But regardless, I know Daehyun would protect me.” She leaned forward and touched Jinli’s hand. It took all of Jinli’s willpower not to pull away. She did flinch. “Daehyun loves me. A lot. Please don’t delude yourself into thinking anything else. If he’s ever nice to you, it is only because his conscience won’t allow him to be anything but. Please take care of him in the next few months while he has to put up the façade of being with you.”

            Somehow, the words seemed so much more hurtful coming from Hyosung. Jinli swallowed. Daehyun being with Hyosung had been an alternate reality, something she never officially witnessed but knew as common knowledge in the back of her mind. But Hyosung telling her how much he loved her, how impossible it was for him to ever be hers, was reality. This was real life. This was how it was supposed to be.

            Jinli stood up. Her hand trembled but she refused to let Hyosung see how her words had affected her. “I see. I should get going now. I will keep all this in mind.” She gave a small nod of her head and walked out.

            Outside, there was a low rumble of thunder and the sky turned an ominous dark. It was only a fifteen minute walk back home. The rain came down in relentless sheets. Jinli held her purse to her body, holding tightly as if to a lifeline. The pain of Hyosung’s words pricked at her eyes and she allowed herself to cry.

            By the time she came back, Daehyun was already in the dining room. He had been very good about coming home on time for dinner. “You’re soaked,” he said, stating the obvious. “Go wash up. I’ll wait for you.”

            She stared at him. “He loves me. A lot. Please don’t delude yourself into thinking anything else. If he’s ever nice to you, it is only because his conscience won’t allow him to be anything but.” The words rang in her head again. Jinli shook her head.

            “I’m tired. I have a big meeting tomorrow. Please eat.”

            When she turned, she missed the incredulous look Daehyun gave her. Her voice had been thick with sadness and somehow he knew it was directed at him. He stared at the food he had made himself that night and sat down. “Fine. Whatever. Do as you wish.”