Chapter 51

Blind with tears, Yuri slowly made her way back to her cabin, "Am I doing the right thing? If it is the right thing then why does it hurt so much?" Yuri asked herself, 'Because you want to be with him. You should be with him, not Eunchae. Your his wife til death do you part, in sickness or in health, remember those vows?' Her little voice said.

"To love and to hold, in sickness and in health, til death do us part." Yuri spoke those words out loud. It was an easy thing to say but hard to do, 'Its not hard. Your thinking too much. You want to protect him, yet your causing him more pain. He's your husband, not an object that you can pass onto someone else. You had no right to make this choice for him, even if it was done with good intention. If you had only one wish right now, what would it be?' Yuri's little voice asked her, "You know what I had wish for. I would wish that Yunho Oppa was with me right now, to hold me. I want to feel his protective arms around me. I want him to hold me and never let go." Yuri cried, hugging herself, 'You had him, yet you left. You were in his protective arms, yet you walked away and let someone else take your place. Now, his arms are wrapped around someone else. You wish for something that already exists but you threw it all away because of one foolish choice, that wasn't even yours to make. Its time you stop running. Its time to wake up. Go back to Oppa and let him wrap his arms around you. Its where you belong.' Yuri closed her eyes as those words sank into her, 'If you had only one minute to live, wouldn't you want to share it with Oppa? I know he would. He wouldn't leave you. He had hold onto you and would stay with you until the end. You will only find one true love in your life and if you are lucky, you will get to spend the rest of your life with him, even if it's for a short time, as long as your together. This is what love is. Its not about protecting. Its about sharing and caring so don't be foolish and turn your back on Oppa now. You only have four days. Four days with the one you love. What more can you ask for?'

Yuri opened her eyes, "Thank you." Yuri cried to her little voice. It had help made her realize how foolish she had been. It made her understand that she couldn't protect Yunho but she could love him. Although her death would pain him, she understood that it was part of life. We go through life experiencing pain, that is what makes us stronger. Yunho was a fighter. She didn't need to protect him. She knew he was strong enough to deal with her death. Yuri turn to the sky and for the first time in three days, she was able to smile without having to worry. Her heart wasn't aching nor filled with sorrow. She felt as light as a feather. It was time for her to go home to her husband and to carry out her marriage vows. To love and to hold, in sickness and in health, til death do us part. Yuri wanted to go to Yunho right away but she couldn't, she had to find Eunchae first. She had to tell Eunchae that she has decided to return to Yunho, that Eunchae no longer needed to take her place.

Yuri was surprised to find a sleeping Eunchae on her sofa. How did Eunchae know she was staying here? Yuri softly shook Eunchae to wake her, "Yuri, your back. I have been waiting for you." Eunchae said, sitting up, "How did you know where to find me?" Yuri asked, sitting on the coffee table, facing her, "Feelings I guess. I just followed my instinct and it led me here." Eunchae said, "Oh, am I glad to see you. We need to talk." Eunchae said, her face turned serious, "Yes, we need to talk." Yuri said, not knowing how to begin to tell Eunchae about her change of mind, "Yuri, you shouldn't be here. You have to leave." Eunchae said, grabbing Yuri's hands in hers, "Leave? Why?" Yuri asked her, surprised "You can't stay here, Yuri. What if Yunho Oppa or your family run into you? We can't let that happen." Eunchae said, with a hint of panic in her voice, "Eunchae, you don't have to worry about this anymore. I have decided that I don't want to continue this deception. I want to return to my husband." Yuri said, squeezing Eunchae's hands.

Eunchae's eyes widen with shock. She pulled her hands away from Yuri, "You can't! No, you can't change your mind!" Eunchae shouted, "Eunchae, why are you raising your voice? I thought you would be happy that I have decided to put a end to this pretense." Yuri said, confused by Eunchae's reaction to her news, "Happy?! I'm not happy?! How can I be happy?! How could you do this to me?!" Eunchae shouted, pointing her finger at Yuri, "When you asked me to take your place, you should have known that there was no turning back! You said it yourself that you wouldn't change your mind! Your not keeping your words!" Eunchae screamed, with rage, "Eunchae, when I made that choice I thought it was the right thing to do but I have realize that its wrong. I know that now and I want to fix it. I love Oppa. He's my husband. When I married him, I vow that I would love him and share my life with him, til death do us part. I want to carry out my vows." Yuri said, her voice rising too, "Well, you should have thought about that when you asked me to take your place! You can't go back to Oppa! I won't let you! Your not the only one that loves Oppa! I have fallen in love with him and I want to share my life with him!" Eunchae cried. Yuri stared at Eunchae. She was rendered speechless. Eunchae loves Yunho? Oh god, "Oh, god! What have I done?!" Yuri cried out, "I'm so sorry Eunchae. I should have never had asked you to take my place. I'm so sorry."

"Sorry?! Sorry doesn't change what has happened Yuri! You gave up your rights to be with Oppa when you asked me to take your place! Oppa doesn't belong to you anymore! He belongs to me now! When he made love to me, it sealed our union! He may not be married to me but I have been living with him as a wife! He's been my husband for three days! I have shared his bed! We even made love! How can you tell me to let go of him, now that we have made love!" Eunchae cried, wiping the tears of furstration that was sliding down her cheeks. Yuri closed her eyes and brought her hands to clasped her chest. She felt pain errupt in her heart. She knew that by asking Eunchae to take her place that they would eventually sleep together but hearing it was too painful to accept. She wasn't angry that Yunho had slept with Eunchae. She knew that Yunho had only slept with Eunchae because he thought that Eunchae was her, "Oh Eunchae, I don't know what to say to tell you how sorry I am. I never intended to hurt you. What can I do to make you forgive me?" Yuri cried, "Leave, Yuri. Please don't take Oppa from me? I need him. I love him too much now to let go. Please Yuri? I beg of you. If you love me then please don't take Oppa from me." Eunchae pleaded, with her.

"Leave?" Yuri looked at Eunchae. Yuri rose from the coffee table and walked over to the fireplace, 'You can't leave.' Yuri's little voice said, 'What am I supposed to do?' Yuri asked herself, 'You can't go on decieveing Oppa. He has the right to know the truth. Let him decide who he wants to be with.' Her little voice told her, "Eunchae, I can't leave. I don't want to decieve Oppa anymore. I have to tell him the truth and then I will let him decide what to do." Yuri turned to Eunchae. Fear filled Eunchae's heart because she knew that when Yunho finds out the truth, he wouldn't want anything to do with her. She knew who he love. She couldn't let Yuri tell Yunho. She couldn't risk losing Yunho, "No, you can't tell him! You know that if he found out that I'm not his wife, he wouldn't want anything to do with me! How can you be so cruel to me?! I did what you asked me to do, I took your place and care for your husband! Why can't you do what I want?! Why can't you leave?! Why can't you just die?!" Eunchae screamed at Yuri, with menace in her eyes.

"Eunchae, how could you say that? Do you really want me to die? Is that what you really want?" Yuri asked, with hurt, "Yes, I want you to die!" Eunchae shouted, from the sofa. Yuri felt pain ripped inside her heart. She couldn't believe that Eunchae hated her that much to want her to die. Yuri closed her eyes as the room around her began to sway. She held onto the mantle to try and steady herself. Beads of sweat started to break out on her forehead. She felt weak and her legs felt like jelly. She tried to fight the pain in her chest, only it was pointless. Yuri felt herself falling to the ground. Her head landed on the cold hard floor but she didn't feel any pain in her head. Her heart was aching so much it was the only pain she could feel. Yuri laid helpless on the floor. She couldn't seem to move her hands or leg. It was as if she was paralyzed, "Eunchae, help me." Yuri tried to cry out but it only came out as soft whispered. Eunchae had seen Yuri fall and was about to go to her but stopped herself. She heard Yuri calling to her but she didn't move to help Yuri, "I'm sorry Yuri." Eunchae said, as she turned to leave.

Yunho thought he heard Yuri's voice coming from inside the cabin up in front of him and started towards it. He had been waiting for Yuri's return and when eighty minutes had pass and she didn't return, he had gone back out to search for her but she hadn't been where he had left her. Panic had tore at his heart, afraid for her safety, he had started to search for her. He had been searching for almost fifty minutes and every second that pass made him burn with worry, "Yuri!" Yunho shouted her name, as he approached the cabin. He was about to climb up the front step when Yuri appeared in the doorway, "Oppa, what are you doing here?" Yuri asked him, surprised "Looking for you. You said eighty minutes and when I didn't see you return, I came looking for you. Why are you in this cabin? Who's in there with you?" Yunho asked curiously. Eunchae quickly closed the door and made her way towards Yunho. She grab his arms and started to walk away from the cabin, "Eighty minutes? What are you talking about?" Eunchae asked him, not understanding, "You said you wanted to be alone so I gave you eighty minutes. How can you not remember?" Yunho asked her, confused and why was she dragging him away from the cabin? Yunho pulled his arms away from her and turn to stare back at the cabin. Eunchae felt a pinch of horror. So, Yuri had been with Yunho. No wonder when she had return she had been crying and wanting to put a stop to their pretense but luckily, it wasn't going to happen, "Who's in the cabin?" Yunho asked her again, "No one." Eunchae lied. Somehow, Yunho didn't believe her and started towards the cabin. There was something inside the cabin that was calling out to him. It was a strange feeling. Yunho reached out for the door and gently pushed it open. He was about to step inside when he heard Yuri's painful cry. Yunho turn around to see Yuri clenching her chest and flew down the stepped towards Yuri, "Yuri, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Yunho asked, as he put his arms around her, "Yes. I just need to rest. Oppa, let's go home." Eunchae said, pretending to be in pain. She had been so terrified when Yunho opened the cabin door. She didn't know what to do. She had to stop him from entering and had pretended to have chest pain. Thank god she managed to come up with that idea.

Yuri thought she heard Yunho's voice. He was calling her name, "Oppa, please help me? Oppa." Yuri cried silently. She forced herself to turn onto her stomach and slowly pushed herself towards the door. Yuri thought she saw him standing in the doorway but then he had disapear before she could call out to him. He hadn't seen her. The coffee table had been in the way, "Oppa, please don't leave! Oppa, wait!" Yuri cried, as she forced herself towards the door. She mananged to push herself to the front door. Thankful that it was open, she pushed herself outside. She saw Yunho holding Eunchae and walking away, "No, Oppa! Please don't go?! She's not your wife, I am! Oppa, don't leave me here alone! Don't go! Come back! Come back! You promised to protect me, to keep me safe! I need you so don't go!" Yuri cried to Yunho's back, but her voice was so soft Yunho couldn't hear her. Yuri saw Eunchae looking at her. She just stared at Yuri without any emotions then she turned away to lean onto Yunho's shoulder. Yuri tried to force herself to stand up but she had no more strength. She slid back down onto the ground where she lay hopelessly as she watched them vanish from her sight. With her last strength, Yuri lifted her hands out to Yunho. She tried to force herself to scream out to Yunho but he was too far to hear her. Darkness folded around her and her hands fell to the floor, lifeless.