Chapter 30

"Mom, you can’t be serious. I think you have made a mistake. Yuri is Mr & Mrs. Kim’s daughter." Jinwoon said to his mother, "Jinwoon is right. How can she be my daughter when her parents are the Kim’s? What made you think that Yuri is my long lost daughter?" Mr. Jung said, looking at her confused & worried, "She isn’t our daughter. We adopted her when she was five month old." Mrs. Kim said, leaning on her husband for support. Mr. Jung turn & stared at Mr & Mrs. Kim, his eyes widen in surprises, "But that doesn’t prove anything! That doesn’t prove that Yuri is my sister! What proof have you got, mom, to conclude this?!" Jinwoon cried out.

"I...I saw the little red birthmark beneath her shoulder. Jaebeom, it looks just like the one you showed me. Remember the picture you showed me of your little girl, the one with the birthmark? That’s how I knew & she so much resemble Miran. Those eyes, I knew I saw them somewhere." Mrs. Jung said, rushing through her words. She was having a hard time believing what she had seen. She felt pain tearing at her heart. Her son was suffering along with Yuri, "I don’t understand, dad! I didn’t know you had another wife! For god sake, please clear this confusion up! Your silence is hurting Yunho & Yuri!" Jinwoon shouted. Mr. Jung looked up at his son. Jinwoon was right. He couldn’t keep his painful past a secret anymore, "After completing my study, I went home to the news that my parents had found me a bride & had already arrange the wedding. Always the obedient & only child in the family, I didn’t voice my displeasure but silently accepted it. This marriage wasn’t one built on love but built for business." Mr. Jung let out a sigh & continued.

"Although this was an arrange marriage, I still wanted it to work out. I tried my best to make our marriage work out but it was hard, Miran was too spoiled & didn’t respect anyone. Soon, I couldn’t be in the same room with her without having to raise my voice. I started to spend more time at work, avoiding her, only coming home late at night after she had retired to bed. Then one night, as I was preparing to leave my office I saw a light turn on at one of the cubicle desk. I thought the cleaner had forgotten to switch of the light off so I went over to turn it off but to my amazement, there was your mother." Mr. Jung turned to his wife & patted her hands.

"Mom?" Jinwoon said, staring at his dad, "Yes, that’s how I met your mom. She was finishing up an assignment. She was so absorbed in her work she didn’t notice my present. When I cough to get her attention, she nearly jumped out of her seat." Mr. Jung said smiling, recalling that moment, "Your dad nearly gave me a heart attack." Mrs. Jung said, squeezing her husband’s hands. Mr. Jung brought his wife’s hands up to his lips & softly kiss it, "I enjoyed your mom’s company so much that I stayed with your her all throughout the night as she worked on the assignment & besides, I had nowhere else to go & wasn’t looking forward to going home to face Miran & her tantrum. After that night, your mom & I got to know each other. We became very close.

I fell in love with your mom after that night. I enjoyed her company & she made me feel so alive. Meeting her made me realize how foolish I was to agree to a marriage that was doom from the beginning. I should have refused the marriage but it was too late & I have never felt so helpless in my life. Here was the women I wanted to share my life with but couldn’t as I was already a married man. I wanted out of this marriage but I knew my parents wouldn’t allow that to happen so your mom & I kept our relationship a secret until your mom became pregnant with Yunho." Mr. Jung saw the look of surprises appear in his son’s eyes.

"Your telling me you had an affair? I can’t believe this. Well, I sure as can’t say anything because if you didn’t I wouldn’t be here." Jinwoon said, running his long fingers through his hair, "Jinwoon, I know that what your mom & I did was unthinkable & not acceptable but we were in love & if I had to face the choices again, I would make the same choice. When I found out your mom was pregnant, I decided to divorce Miran, to hell with what my parents thought. I have spent most of my life living by my parents rules & it was time I made my own choices, live my own life. I thought Miran would be happy to be separated from me as she didn’t love me & I thought she would be relieved." Mr. Jung closed his eyes & took in another deep breath.

"But I was wrong. When I brought up the divorce subject, Miran went wild. I tried to reason with her but she wouldn’t listen. She wouldn’t agree to divorce me because if she did, people would think that she had failed her duty as a wife & her parents would be disappointed with her. I tried to make her see that for us to stay together would only make us both miserable, I even beg her to set me free, telling her that I have fallen in love but she was stubborn & wouldn’t change her mind & said that she would never sign the divorce papers." Mr. Jung rose & walked over to the window & clasped his hands together.

"God, she seem like an honorable women but selfish, too. How could she have been so blind as to not see that your marriage was killing you both? Why did she have to be so stubborn to hold onto a marriage that was doom from the start? Why not let go & find her own happiness?" Taeyeon’s voice broke the silence that had fallen over them, "I don’t blame her. It was my fault for I should have stop this marriage from the beginning. I shouldn’t have went along with it from the start. I was stuck in a dilemma. I wanted to end this marriage so I could marry your mom but without Miran’s signature I couldn’t do anything. Then one week later, Miran changed her mind, surprising me, saying she had given the divorce some thought & realize it was a good idea. I went to find your mom to tell her the good news but I couldn’t find her. When I entered the apartment that your mom & I shared secretly, I found the place empty & a note. It said 'I can’t marry you, Jaebeom Oppa, & don’t look for me’. I was devastated, fear gripped me as I read those words." Mr. Jung turned to look back at his wife, tears in his eyes.

"Oh Jaebeom, those were the hardest words I have ever written. I wanted to share my life with you so much but Miran came to see me & begged me to leave you. I felt so guilty for taking you away from her so I agreed. I should had never left then none of this would have happened. You wouldn’t have any reason to drown your sorrow with alcohol." Mrs. Jung cried out. Mr. Jung ran back to his wife & wrap his arms around her, "Hush, dear, its not your fault. I should had never gotten drunk that night then I wouldn’t have ended up in bed with Miran & she wouldn’t have fallen pregnant. I should have realize what Miran was up to. I should have been suspicious of Miran’s sudden change of mind but I was so happy when she agreed to the divorce I didn’t think." Mr. Jung wiped the tears away from his wife's face.

"So, what happen next? How did you end up marrying mom & losing Yuri?" Jinwoon asked curiously, "I tried looking for your mom but she seem to have vanish from Japan. Then, five months later, Miran vanished. She left without a word. No note. Just got up & left. All she left behind was the divorce paper with her signature on it. My parents hired a private eye to search for her but they couldn’t locate her whereabouts until now they are still searching. Then eight months later, I ran into your mom. She was at the hospital, having a checkup when I came in to visit my dad at his death bed. She tried to run away from me but having lost her once, I didn’t let her get away this time. I told her what had happen after she had left & took her to see my dying father where I announced to him that I was going to marry your mom. He didn’t object when I told him that your mom was carrying his grandson. He died a happy man. Then three weeks after your mom gave birth to Yunho, I received a letter. It had no return address but inside was a picture of a little girl & a note from Miran telling me that the little girl was my daughter." The pain of not being able to see his daughter cause his heart to fill with pain.

"But this still doesn’t prove that Yuri is your daughter. We can’t prove that with only a birthmark. There is one person who can prove this & that’s Miran. God, where could she be? We need to find her." Taeyeon said, frustrated. Damn, she was beginning to hate this women. She was, after all, the main person that was causing all this grief, "I have no idea where she is. My men are still out searching for her. I pray they will find her soon. I can’t bear to see Yuri & Yunho suffered. I want so much to solve this so that they could get on with their live. I pray to god that we are wrong, that Yuri isn’t my daughter." Mr. Jung said.