“If you love something let it go. If it comes back to you it’s yours. If it doesn’t, it never was, and it’s not meant to be…”

Song inserted in this chap: Set Me Free by Taeyeon (credit to owner)

“You are her legal husband and the father of the baby. You can sign the force abortion paper on behalf of her.” So Ra said softly. “You have to decide now... before it’s too late.”

Min Ho took over the file and clutched in his hand tightly. His hands was shaking, his eyes was red in pained. “It has never been a choice. I’ll sign it.” He said as he took out a pen from his jacket.

Jong Suk let out a deep sigh. “She wouldn’t forgive you.” He said softly.

After Min Ho signed the consent form for the forced abortion, he passed it back to So Ra with his trembled hand.

“I know she wouldn’t forgive me. But at least I still have her to hate me.” He said without looking at Jong Suk.

So Ra looked at the form and then to Min Ho. “Don’t worry, you will have me in the list with you. She won’t forgive me either.” So Ra said sadly as she turned away.

Jong Suk grasped on her arm. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay now because I need to save my best friend. But after the surgery, I don’t think I’ll be okay anymore because I kill my best friend’s baby.” She took a deep breath before she pulled away from Jong Suk.

After almost 2 hours, So Ra finally came out from the operation room. She walked towards Min Ho and Jong Suk who was waiting outside, looking extremely worried. She bit her lips as she looked at Min Ho. Her eyes were red with tears.

“The tumour was successfully removed and the bleeding was already stopped. Her condition is stable now. We will send the sample for testing and we will know the result by tomorrow morning.” She clenched her hands into fists as she continued. “And… It’s a daughter… I’m sorry.” Her voice quaked. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she averted her gaze.

Jong Suk So Ra’s back gently. “You have to be strong. We all have to be strong for her. She needs us now.”

“Thank you.” Min Ho uttered as he turned around and walked away.

Jong Suk looked at So Ra. “You okay? I think I need to go with him. He doesn’t look good.”

So Ra nodded. “I’m okay. You better take care of him.”

Jong Suk found Min Ho sitting alone on the bench in the hospital garden. He walked to him slowly and sits beside him.

“You know things are going to be tough from now on. You have to stay strong for her. We need to help her to go through this hard time.” Jong Suk said, breaking the silence.

Min Ho let out a sigh. “The first time I met her was in this hospital, in this garden. That day she was crying, holding a violin. She told me because she did something wrong, that’s why the god took her mother away from her. I still remembered very clearly the tears that rolled down from her beautiful eyes. It hurts my heart for the first time.” He said as he looked up at the dark sky. “Without even need to think, I gave her my mother’s butterfly necklace. I told her the butterfly could fly up to heaven and send her love to her mother. Her mother will become an angel and take care of her from the heaven.” He paused as he continued to look at the sky.

“Is my daughter already there?” Min Ho asked softly.

Jong Suk looked at him in confusion.

“Is my daughter already become an angel and watching us from the heaven now?” He asked in a painful voice as a tear rolled down. “Did I do anything wrong that make the god took her away from me?”

Jong Suk heaved a sigh before he patted Min Ho’s back, trying to soothe him down.

“My heart was broken into pieces when she begged me to trust her. She said she can do it and will protect our baby. But now, I’m the one who killed our baby. I’m the one who destroyed everything we have built up together.” Min Ho continued.

“It’s not your fault. You just want to save her. The situation leaves you with no choice. Everyone who loves her will do the same. Shin Hye will understand. She will… forgive you.” Jong Suk wasn’t sure what he said is true or not. Will she forgive him?

Min Ho chuckled sadly. “Will she? I don’t even sure I can forgive myself. Do you think she can?”

“Give her some time. The loves between both of you were so strong. You will find a way, she will find a way.” Jong Suk tried to convince him.

“Everything is over now. The moment I sign on that paper, I know it’s over. I know I will lose her.” Min Ho inhaled deeply, tried to ease the pain in his heart.

--------------------------------------------------------

So Ra was sitting by the bedside, holding a bowl of porridge looking at Shin Hye and then at Min Jung. She let out a long sigh.

“It has been a week already. You hardly eat anything. You couldn’t just rely on the glucose drip. You had a surgery and it’s not good for your body if you continue to be like this.” So Ra said worriedly.

Since the day Shin Hye was conscious and knew everything, she has been abnormally calm and quiet. She didn’t cry even for once and didn’t talk to anybody. The report was out and everyone was relieved that the tumour wasn’t malignant and it’s not uterine cancer. Her face looked extremely pale, and everyone was worried about her, especially Min Ho. He has been waiting outside her room for the past one week, hoping she will want to see him.

Min Jung walked to her and held onto her hand. “Shin Hye-ah. Even if you are not hungry, just eat a little bit. All of us are very worried about you.” She bit her lips before she continued. “Do you want to see oppa? He is still waiting outside. He is very worried about you.”

There we no signs of emotion on her face when Min Jung mention about Min Ho. She just shook her head softly. “I don’t want to see him. Please ask him to leave.”   

This was the only thing she will say when they told her Min Ho want to see her. So Ra and Min Jung both sighed in defeat.

“When can I discharge?” She asked without looking at them.

“I’ll not sign the discharge paper if you continue being like this.” So Ra said sternly.

“If I finish the porridge…” She turned to So Ra and met her gaze. “… can you let me discharge?” Her tone was mild and emotionless.

So Ra looked at her as she nodded helplessly.

Shin Hye took the bowl from her and started to spooned the porridge into . After she finished, she passed the bowl back to So Ra.

“I need your help.” Shin Hye said softly.

“What?” So Ra asked curiously.

“I want to see Jong Suk.”

----------------------------------------------------------

“What?!” So Ra eye’s widened in shocked. “She wants you to do that? And you say yes? How can you do that? Are you crazy?” So Ra raised her voice at Jong Suk. She stood up from the sofa chair and walked towards Jong Suk and sat beside him on the couch. Now she understands why Jong Suk came to her house so late with a bag of beers.

“What can I do? I’m as helpless as you are, okay. The way she said it was like even if I don’t do it she will find another lawyer to do it.” Jong Suk said in frustration. He took the beer on the coffee table and took a big sip. “She is completely not the Shin Hye we knew all these years anymore. Last time when her father passed away, Min Ho was her last hope. But now, Min Ho is the last person she wants to see.” He sighed heavily. “I don’t understand. Min Ho has no choice, right. He has to choose Shin Hye over the baby to save her. She thought Min Ho will be happy killing the baby? His heart was hurting too. He was the father of the baby. Why can’t Shin Hye understand this point and forgive him? She is so unfair to him. Min ho loves her so much.”

“She is punishing herself and him.” So Ra said as she took a sip of the beer too. “She hate herself for not able to protect her baby. She hates him for not trusting her enough that she can do it. You think she doesn’t love Min Ho? You think it doesn’t hurt her for doing this to him? But I guess she is tired. After everything that happened in this whole year, she needs some rest.”

She looked down as she felt tears welled in her eyes. “She should hate me too. I’m the one who killed her baby.” She bit her lower lip, trying to stop herself from crying. “I took the baby out from her womb with my own hands.”

So Ra wasn’t sure what had just happened but by the time she came back to her senses, she was wrapped safely inside Jong Suk’s embrace, crying hard.

“You know it’s not your fault. You have done your best to help them.” He said softly as his hand her hair very gently.

She closed her eyes as more tears escaped from her eyes. “It’s me. It’s my fault. If I could do something, they won’t end up like now.”

Jong Suk pulled her away as he cupped her cheeks, looking deep into her eyes. “It’s not. You already did whatever you can. You know it very clearly that even if you don’t do the surgery for her, the baby will still die. No one could help her.” He gently wiped the tears away with his thumbs. “Please stop crying. It really hurts me seeing you like this.” He whispered with a worried look.

So Ra was a bit shocked as she averted her gaze. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.” Her eyes were widened when Jong Suk leaned forward and pressed his lips on hers. He tightened his arms around her, bringing her closer to him. She didn’t struggle or response but just sitting there frozen, letting him to kiss on her lips.

After a long minute, Jong Suk pulled away as their gaze met. He laughed at her stunned expression as he caressed her cheek.

“Y-You are… drunk.” So Ra whispered softly with a blush.

“I’m not drunk. I’m just doing what I need to do before it’s too late.” He said sternly.

So Ra looked at him confusingly with questions in her eyes. “But… but you love…”

“I love you.” Jong Suk cut her off. He let out a long sigh. “I admit I like Shin Hye before but I know she don’t feel the same for me and I totally gave up when Min Ho came into her life.”

So Ra narrowed her eyes at him. “Do you mean, because you have no choice so… I’m the only option for you?

Jong Suk chuckled. “Yah, Kang So Ra. I might not as handsome as Lee Min Ho but I’m not that bad, okay. I’m a lawyer and you think I don’t have other choices?” He planted another soft kiss on her lips. “But you are the best option for me.”

Tears started to roll down So Ra’s cheeks again. “You are lying.”

He let out another sigh before he pulled her over and kissed her passionately this time. He parted her lips open with his tongue and gently leaned her down on the couch. He pulled back slightly as he looked down at her. “The way I kiss you, does it feel like I’m lying to you?”

So Ra’s face was flushed and her he