Lee’s Publishing Corporate

“Shinhye-yaa..you’ve come?!” Im Yoona ran towards Shinhye and hugged her when she just arrived at their cubicles.

“Gwenchana unnie?” and Jiwon followed her from behind. They were hugging each other like teletubies.

Shinhye nodded her head and smiled, “Oh, I’m okay. I miss you guys!” then burst into laughter.

Yoona and Jiwon broke the hug and let their best friend to walk towards her desk. Shinhye put her bag on the table then sat and grabbed pair of black maryjane shoes under the desk, her favorite shoes ever. “Yya, you’re pregnant Shin. You’re not going to wear those high heels, don’t you?” Yoona warned her as she took away those shoes.

Shinhye hissed in annoyance, she felt now everyone began to organize her life. For her, they’re too much. Don’t do this, don’t do that. You should do this and you shouldn’t. And now even her best friend forbade her wearing her favorite shoes, oh c’mon! they’re totally too much responding her pregnancy while she, herself is fine. Totally fine. Oh no, please correct the last sentence, she was okay except about the morning sickness. So it means that she wasn’t okay. Not at all.

“Waeee? Itch! Why I can’t wear this, huh?” She protested.

But Yoona kept holding her shoes without any intention to give it back. “No, you cant!” She sighed, “Can you imagine what if you fall? Pregnant women often lose their balance, you want something bad happen to your baby, huh?”

Baby. Yeah, okay you’re win over me now – Shinhye rolled her eyes. She couldn’t fight her, or anyone else everytime they mention about the baby. It’s just like a key to make Shinhye give up and obey whatever they wanted or asked for.

Shinhye gave up. She bit her lower lip to express her annoyance as she open her shoes locker then grabbed a pair of white embroidery flat shoes. “It’s good for you unnie” Jiwon cheered her although Shinhye still showed her pouty face.

“Oh I almost forgot, your boss asked me to tell you to come inside his room when you’ve come” Jiwon said

“Minho-ssi?” Shinhye frowned. She wondered what the hell is he doing in this early morning. It’s not rare actually, but still it is too early for him to work inside his room. But the girls couldn’t answer instead of shrugging their shoulders in unison. “Umh, okay. Thanks for the info, Jiwon-nie!” Then she stood and walked towards Lee Minho’s room.

“Annyeong Minho-ssi” She popped her head once she knocked the door.

Minho lifted his face and smiled when he saw who was knocking the door, “Come in, Shin”. He stood and walked to the living room. He invited Shinhye to sit together with him on his luxury sofas.

“You’ve come? Why so early?” Shinhye asked as she handed a couple of files to be checking by him.

Minho forced himself to smile, weakly actually, “I can’t sleep last night”

“Wae?” She asked as she ripped the wrap of a ginger candy to eat.

Minho seemed hesitant to tell her, but he finally decided to reveal what’s burdening him. “I’m on progress to divorce my wife”

Shinhye choked when she heard him. No, he must be joking now. “What? Divorce? Who?” and she could only utter some stupid questions.

Minho let out a long and heavy sigh, “Me. I will soon be divorcing Minyoung”

Simple. To the point. Shocking.

What he had said successfully to make her jaw dropped. She didn’t say something. She couldn’t say something. She just stared at him while blinking her eyes in surprise.

“You must be very surprised, right? Me too actually” Minho paused to smile weakly, “It’s just that, the best decision for both of us. We better live apart”

Shinhye could see sadness plastered on his handsome face. Minho looks terribly messy. His eyes looks tired and lil’ bit puffy, too much crying maybe? Or lack of sleep? Well he is indeed looks messy and devastated. “Why Minho-ssi? I’m sorry I don’t intend to interfere in your affairs, I just feel very surprised. I mean, you two look so good together” Shinhye said nervously. She was afraid her words could only add his burdens.

Minho shook his head, “We were, but she changed a lot” he threw his back against the back seat and scratched his hair roughly, “Shinhye-ya, I hope you wouldn’t tell about this to anyone else” he seriously looked at her eyes.

She nodded her head as a promise, “My wife obsessed to get pregnant. And her attitude changed when she found out that she’s infertile. She felt frightened, over jealousy and suspicious of trifles because she wasn’t able to give a child for our six years marriage.” Minho closed his eyes and Shinhye was sure that he cried in silence. Warm liquids were streaming down his cheeks.

Shinhye still listened to him carefully. “I can accept if she can’t get pregnant, we still can adopt if she wants. But her behavior is getting worst day by day. she can’t longer be controlled and we always fight over small things. Minyoung no longer trusted me, soluble in her own fear while I was getting so tired of her attitude” Minho said between his sobs. He is indeed looks frustration.

Shinhye came closer and patted his shoulder to comfort him, “I love her, Shin. I do love her. But it never enough to keep our marriage. Her obsession has ruin our happiness. Her behaviour even more absurd. DAMN!” he cursed himself desperately.

“Minho-ssi..” She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what to do. She kept patting her palm onto his shoulder and rubbing his back sometimes. She even could feel the sadness deep inside her heart.

“Shinhye-ya” He called her while tried to calm himself. He braved himself to look at her after wiped away his tears, “I honestly envy you. I envy Yonghwa for having a lovable and caring wife like you. You know, I kept wondering why Minyoung changed herself so much? why she can’t be you while you have the some problem like us, when you guys still wishing to have a baby”

Shinhye stunned on her position, too shock to response him. “But not anymore. I finally realized that we have different path. When I saw your husband went crazy when he saw you at the hospital back then, I knew that letting go of her is the best way to make us happy in our own way”

“….”

“At that time, I felt so different from you. I’m not like him who looked so damn crazy when he found out his wife was sick. I lost it all. Maybe I’m too tired to feel that way. I’m no longer feel panic when she was sick, and I didn’t feel miss her anymore. Plain, everything felt so plain” He said softly, almost like whispering. “… so I decided to divorce her”

Once again she patted his arm as if could transfer her energy to him, “Be strong Minho-ssi” that was the only thing which came out from .

Minho smiled as he faced her, “Thank you, Shinhye-ya. I’m sorry for always involving you into my household problems. I knew you must be bored and tired listening this trivial things, sorry Shin” he gave an apologetic expression to her.

She shook her head, “Never mind. I’m glad to help you. You’re like my brother after all” She chuckled.

“Me too, somehow I count you as my own sister rather than a secretary, so I never doubt to tell you about everything” He said sincerely.

They smiled each other. Then Shinhye handed a cup of hot tea to him, “Gomawo. Ah, You’re pregnant now by the way” He said as sipping his tea slowly.

She nodded excitedly, “So you must stay healthy. Don’t work overtime and don’t hesitate to take a day off whenever you feel unwell, nde?” again, another excessive attention.

“Ndeee” She just agreed him rather than decide to argue with him. aigoo even her boss became too much over her. “Do you need anything else?

Minho shook his head, “No. you can back to your desk, and please keep it secretly. I don’t wanna see somebody else mocking at me behind. It hurts”

Shinhye chuckle