“Never say goodbye when you still want to try. Never give up when you feel you can still take it. Never say you don’t love that person anymore when you can’t let go…”

Song inserted in this chap: Breath by Taeyeon & Jonghyun (credit to owner)

2 years ago… (Hospital)

Kang So Ra and Lee Jong Suk was waiting outside the emergency room, looking very worried. When they saw the doctor came out, they ran to her together.

“Dr Jin, how’s my friend?” So Ra asked.

Jin Se Yeon sighed. “He was fainted due to exhaustion. We have given him a jab and will let him rest for tonight.”

“But did you see his hand and his chest? It’s quite serious. If not because he was fainted, we wouldn’t know about it.” Jong Suk asked in a worried tone.

Se Yeon nodded. “Yes, I did. It’s very bad. But I roughly know what the problem is. Let me have a counselling session with him tomorrow before I confirm it with you.”

So Ra turned to Jong Suk. “Should we call Shin Hye? I think we have to let her know. He is really in a bad shape. I don’t know what will happen next. I don’t feel good.”

Jong Suk let out a deep sigh. “Shin Hye doesn’t sound good too the last time we called her. It will only make her worse if we let her know now. Let’s wait until the report is out tomorrow and decide later.”

So Ra nodded helplessly.   

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“Shin Hye.”

Shin Hye immediately pulled her hand back as Min Ho slowly opened his eyes. She quickly averted her gaze to the voice behind her. It was Hae Jin, walking towards them.

“I was looking for both of you around the hospital. You didn’t pick up your phone. And I don’t have Min Ho-sshi number. I’m kind of worried about you.” Hae Jin said as his gaze shifted to Min Ho.

“I-I’m sorry. I muted my phone.” She said apologetically.

Hae Jin nodded. “It’s okay. I just want to let you know that the operation was over. It was a success and Seo Hyeon’s condition is stable now. We just need to wait for her to wake up and hopefully everything will be okay. But the doctor said it’s optimistic.”

Shin Hye let out a sigh of relief and smiled. “Thank god.” She was startled when Hae Jin walked closer to her and caressed her cheeks. Her eyes widened in shocked.

“You looked so tired. Do you want to go home first to rest? I’ll stay here with Sister Emily until Seo Hyeon’s wake up.” He asked softly, looking at her.

Shin Hye quickly pulled away from him when she heard Min Ho let out an exasperated sigh behind her. “O-Okay. I-I’ll go back first. I’ll come back again in the afternoon later.” She stuttered nervously.

Hae Jin smiled as he looked at Min Ho. “Please help me to send Shin Hye home. Thank you.”

Min Ho clenched his jaw as he took his coat, lying on the bench and walked away. “I’ll wait for you in the car.” He said coldly as he passed by Shin Hye.

Shin Hye’s heartbeat raced. She quickly took her bag and smiled weakly at Hae Jin before she marched behind Min Ho.

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Shin Hye slowly unbuckled her seatbelt when Min Ho stopped the car in front of the big mansion. She turned to him as her heart pounding even faster now looking at his cold expression. She looked down nervously.

“Thank you.” She whispered. She looked at him again when he was silent. She took a deep breath. “I mean… thank you for being there for me for the whole night today.”

Min Ho chuckled without looking at her. “Even if I’m not there, I’m sure someone will be there for you.” He said coldly.

Shin Hye looked at him in confusion. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Min Ho turned to her with a piercing glare. “Am I wrong? Your Hae Jin oppa will stay with you no matter what happen. He was so worried just now when he couldn’t find you.”

Shin Hye bit her lips hard, trying to hold her emotion. Without saying another word, she opened the door and stepped out of the car.

Before she could walk further, Min Ho was already out of the car and grasped tightly onto her wrist. He pulled her with his full energy and pinned her hard against the car.

Shin Hye was shocked as she tried to free herself from him. His strength was too strong and she could feel the pressure on her wrist. She gasped in pain as she looked into his eyes. His eyes were red in anger and his gaze flared with rage. His expression really frightened her. She has never seen him like this before. Although he was cold and got angry sometimes but he has never being rough to her before. Not like this. She tried to struggle but it only makes him press himself closer to her.

“What are you doing? Let go of me. You are hurting me.” Shin Hye asked with widened eyes.

“Who is he? Who is this Park Hae Jin? You are dating him?” Min Ho raised his voice as his gripped on her wrist tightened.

Shin Hye moaned in pain as tears started to form in her eyes. “What are you talking about? You know he is my professor.” She then looked sharply into his eyes. “Even if we are dating, it’s none of your business. You have no right to interfere my personal life. Ahhh…” She groaned as she felt Min Ho tightened his grip again.

“I have the right on everything related to you. I’m your husband!” He said through gritted teeth.

“I already signed the divorce paper. I’m not your wife anymore.” Shin Hye bit her lips, trying to hold back her tears.

“But I didn’t sign. By law you are still my wife.” Min Ho raised his voice and without waiting for another second, he grasped on to her chin and pulled her into a kiss forcefully.

Shin Hye widened her eyes in fear and tried to pull away from him. She struggled and hit his chest over and over but it was only make him pinned her against the car even harder. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as she felt the roughness of his tongue invaded . She closed her eyes tightly as both of her hands were clenched in fists. She was out of breath for she had used up all her strength. She knew her strength was no match to his and concluded that there was no use in fighting anymore. The kiss was rough and demanding, not like the way he used to kiss her.

After a while, Min Ho released her wrist when he felt Shin Hye no longer struggling. He moved his hands up and cupped her cheeks that already covered with tears. He was now kissing her tenderly as he nibbled and softly on her lips.

Min Ho pulled back as he panting for air. He rested his forehead on hers, trying to steady his breathing. He opened his eyes slowly as he tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. But then, he was frightened when the bleeding on her lips caught his attention.   

“I-I’m sorry.” He said softly as he wiped the blood away and caressed her lips. His hands started to tremble as he stepped back away from her. “I… I was… I don’t mean to hurt you… I was just…” He stuttered nervously as he tried to inhale deeply.

Shin Hye noticed his nervous expression as she took a step closer. He looked weird and she was started to worry now. She raised her hand, wanting to hold his hand but avoided by him.

“Don’t touch me.” He said as he took another step back, looking away. “I’m sorry.” He muttered before he walked quickly to his car and started the engine.

After his car was out of sight, Shin Hye looked down on her wrist and caressed it softly. The fresh arising purple bruise was clear on her wrist. Her heart was beating very fast, feeling uneasy. She knew something wasn’t right with Min Ho.

Min Ho held very tightly on the steering wheel as his breathing was still heavy and uneven. He knew it’s coming back again. He couldn’t control his emotion in front of Shin Hye. He even hurt her. He took his phone out and started call.

“Yoboseyo.”

“Se Yeon-ah… I need to see you now.”

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“So, what you think about the song?” Shin Hye asked after Hae Jin finished playing the new song she composed with his piano.  “Do you think this song is suitable for the charity ball?”

Hae Jin took the music score sheet as he read the title again. “Breath.” He let out a deep sigh before looking at Shin Hye. “It’s a sad song. Perhaps… it has something related to you and Lee Min Ho?”

Shin Hye was startled by his question and averted her gaze. She couldn’t deny that he was right. The song was about her and Min Ho.

“Because it hurt too much, we promised to let each other go.” Hae Jin read one of the lines in the lyric. He put down the music score sheet as he stood up of the piano stool and made his way to where Shin Hye was standing. He stopped right in front of her.

He took a deep breath before looking into her eyes. “You know how I feel about you. When the first time I saw you in my class, I already couldn’t take my eyes off you. I know right away that you are the girl I was looking all these while.” He slowly held Shin Hye’s hand in his. “I know you have a history with Lee Min Ho and I know you still have feelings towards him. But I can see the pain in your eyes whenever you looked at him. I don’t know what happened between both of you last time but I know it wasn’t something you want to talk about.”

Hae Jin took another breath and continued. “I just want to be with you. I love you.” He said sincerely.

There was a long silence as both of them were looking at each other. Shin Hye was the first one who pulled her gaze away from him. She looked down as she let out a sad smile. “Do you want to know what happened between us?” She asked, breaking the silence.

Hae Jin nodded his head softly.

Shin Hye walked to the couch and sit on it. She took a breath before she started. “PLE Corporation was initially belongs to my father, Park Won.”

Hae Jin widened his eyes in shocked. He knew Shin Hye’s background wasn’t simple but didn’t know she was the heiress of PLE Corporation.

“Three years ago, my father was dying from cancer. He was worried that nobody will take care of his only daughter and his company. So, he was looking for the right candidate for an arranged marriage with me. At that time, Min Ho oppa need to save his father’s company and he has no choice but to accept the deal. I proposed him a one year contract for our marriage. I’ll give him everything and sign the divorce paper after one year if he agrees to marry me.” Shin Hye laughed softly before she continued. “And that was when the painful love story began.”

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Shin Hye: “I’ll give you my money, my company in exchange for one year marriage. After one year, I’ll sign the divorce paper.”

Min Ho: “Deal.”

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Shin Hye: “Home? What home? Do I still have a home? The home without appa and eomma, is that still consider a home?”

Min Ho: “Our home. A home that belongs to you and me.”

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Min Ho: “I was the boy you were talking about that you met 14 years ago.”

Shin Hye: “You gave me this necklace and make me think of you for 14 years. You told me this butterfly could help me to send my love to my mother. But at the same time, this butterfly already helped you to steal my heart for you.”

Min Ho: “I love you.”

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Shin Hye: “I have to be strong and fight for what I want. And at this moment, I just want my husband.”

Min Ho: “Thank you. Thank you for trusting me and fight for me.”

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Shin Hye: “I’m… pregnant.”

Min Ho: “Oh my god. You are pregnant.”

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Min Ho: “We are still young. We still have a lot of chances in the future.”

Shin Hye: “You are so selfish.”

Min Ho: “If loving you is consider as selfish, then yes. I’m very selfish.”

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Shin Hye: “It’s a girl. But she was gone before I can even carry her in my arms. Because her mother was not strong enough to protect her. Because her father wanted to save her mother and sacrificed her. I had a choice, you had a choice but she doesn’t.”

Min Ho: “I’m sorry. But I have to save you. You were in danger and I couldn’t risk waiting any longer. She will eventually leave us too if you don’t do the surgery. At that time I’ll lose both of you.”

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Shin Hye: “Oppa. If you really love me, please let me go.”

Min Ho: “Will you be happier if I let go of this hand? Will you really be happier without me in your life?”

Shin Hye : “Yes.”

Min Ho: “Promise me you will take good care of yourself. I will wait for you. No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait for yo