“Looking for someone?”

Lee Min Ho stood at the door, watching his wife nervously running around the house to look for their daughter. His lips curved up into an inward smirk, his eyes locked at the tiny figure in front of him. She is too naïve if she think he will just sit here doing nothing and let her leave with his daughter. Everything was already planned beforehand. Since the night she told him that she will move to Yuri’s house with Yeo Jin after she discharged, he purposely avoid to meet her in the hospital for the last two days. He wanted to make her think that he is not doing anything and let down her guard for him. Knowing that she will be having a surgery this morning, it will be the best opportunity for him to bring Yeo Jin away first.

After he picked Yeo Jin up from the hospital early this morning and sent her to a safe place that only he knows where, he came back to the apartment to wait for Shin Hye. He knows she will definitely come back when she couldn’t find Yeo Jin in the hospital. And as expected, he was right.

When he came back this morning and saw almost all of their clothes were gone, he really feels like killing this woman. At first, he thought giving her some time to calm down would change her mind, but it seems she still insist for a divorce and moving out with Yeo Jin. So if this is what she wants, she couldn’t blame him for what he is going to do next.

Shin Hye turned around, knowing who was standing behind her and glared at him angrily. “Lee Min Ho!” She said his name through gritted teeth. “Where is Yeo Jin?”

“She is at somewhere safe.” Min Ho chuckled and held her angry gaze. “Why do you look so worried? Ah… if I remember correctly, someone wanted to bring my daughter and run away to her friend’s house.” He paused and let out a curt smile. “Do you think I’ll just sit here quietly and let this happen? You are underestimating me. I will not let you succeed. You are not taking my daughter away.”

“Since when you really treat her as your daughter?” Shin Hye raised her voice, couldn’t control her anger anymore. “If you really care for her, you wouldn’t neglect her all these years. I’m her mother. You have no right to take her away from me.” She paused and inhaled a sharp breath, trying hard to hold back her tears. “Yeo Jin is my life. I can lose anything, anyone…” Including you. “… but I can’t lose her.”

“I’m Yeo Jin’s father too!” Min Ho snapped as he entered the room and took a few steps closer to her. “You don’t have the right to take her away from me either.” He glared into her reddened eyes as he continued. “You can’t blame me. You are the one who insist to bring Yeo Jin away and wanted to move to Yuri’s house. I just act faster to avoid it from happening.”

“I’m not taking her away from you.” Shin Hye’s voice softened, trying to explain and hoping he would understand her intention. “We… we need time apart while waiting for the lawyer to finalize the documents. Even though… even though I move to Yuri’s house and we will be… separated but you are right. No matter what happened, you will always be Yeo Jin’s father. You can come to see her anytime you want and I won’t stop you from…”

“Stop!” Min Ho shouted and clenched his jaw tightly. The next moment, he just lunged forward and pinned her against the wall, holding her firmly in place. He looked deeply into Shin Hye’s eyes, so deep that her mind suddenly went blank.

His fingers held her chin firmly, forcing her to only look at him. “Park Shin Hye! Don’t even dream about it. I already told you. If you insist to get a divorce, you will not get Yeo Jin’s custody. I’ll fight till the end and make sure you regret your decision.”

Deafening silence took place as Shin Hye stared at him for a long moment before one drop, two drops and more drops of tears stream down her cheeks. Sadness and unbearable pain glimmered through her teary eyes.

“I don’t understand.” She whispered, her voice was hoarse and filled with hurt, with pain. “You don’t love me. You have made it very clear that you don’t love me since day one we met. What is the point of forcing all of us to stay together?” She paused and shook her head softly. “We will not be happy. All these years, I’m the one who take care and stay together with Yeo Jin. Where were you? You were with another woman, taking care of her son. You were trying to avoid us, trying to avoid your responsibility, trying to avoid this home and trying to avoid this marriage. All you want… is to stay with Soo Young and Dae Hyun, taking care of them, loving them and give them a home.”

She sobbed, biting her trembling lip at the same time. “And now… you finally got your chance. Soo Young finally accepted you and you can openly taking care of them without worrying anything. Why must you be so stubborn and still want to fight with me? I’m not asking for anything. I just want Yeo Jin. I give up, I let you go, but why you still want to fight with me? Don’t you think all of us will be happier if you are willing to let go?”

Min Ho was stunned for a moment; strong waves of pang hit him upon seeing her tears and hear the words she said. He doesn’t understand either. If she really saw them together in the hospital the other day, why does she still think he wants to be with Soo Young? If she really hears their conversation, she should know how he feels and what he thinks now. Yes, he admits that it was his fault for not being there with them but… she should understand the reason why he can’t leave Soo Young alone. She is his responsibility, they are his responsibility. He promised Kyung Ho to take care of them before he died. He has to keep his promise.

“I…”

“I have had enough.” Shin Hye cut him off without giving him a chance to say anything. She doesn’t want to hear anymore. No matter what he says, it wouldn’t change anything. “I don’t want to hold onto something that doesn’t belongs to me. I don’t want to become a hurdle between both of you anymore.” She paused and breathed painfully. “I let go. I let you go. So please… I beg you… please let me go too. I admit it was my fault to force you to marry me in the first place. I’m very sorry. I promise… I’ll not disturb you and…”

As she continued, guilt and pain slowly vanished as anger rose and explodes in Min Ho. He couldn’t stand what she said anymore and without thinking further, he leaned over and silenced her with a deep and angry-lust kiss. Or to be actual, he was literally and biting, as though he wanted to swallow her lips and his action wildly took all her senses away. It was so sudden and his strength was so strong that it startled Shin Hye. His sudden action caught her off guard and she can only looked at him with her widened eyes without knowing how to react.

And after God knows how long, when she felt the stingy pain on her lips, she finally got back to her senses and started to struggle. She doesn’t want it like this anymore. She doesn’t want to be drowned in his seduction and let herself to live under the pain given by him like in the past. She wants to break free from his control, from his world. Her tiny hands balled into tight fists, hitting his chest hard. She tried to push him away but the more she fights him the tighter he presses himself against her.   

“S-Stop…” Shin Hye turned her face, trying to pull her lips away, but just when she parted her lips and only one word succeeded to escape her lips, they were sealed by his again. Her action was only giving him an opportunity to slip his skilful tongue into , intruding her sweetness.

Min Ho tightened his grip around her jaw as another hand wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her firmly in place. He ignored her weak struggles and continued to deepen the kiss. He slanted his mouth over hers, making her to whimper and parted her lips wider for him. He is totally out of control and only wants to use his kiss to remind her that he is her husband, her man and she can’t leave him.

Tears continued to flow down endlessly and after a while, Shin Hye slowly closed her eyes and stopped struggling when she knows her strength could not fight him. She doesn’t know how long has passed and when he finally stopped, she can only feel her lips swollen and burning in pain.

Min Ho rested his forehead against hers, panting heavily and trying to steady his ragged breathing. As he opened his eyes, his gaze immediately looked into Shin Hye’s teary ones and it shocked him the moment he saw the disappointment and disgust in her eyes.

“Lee Min Ho…” Shin Hye spoke in a raspy voice. “… you are a devil.” Why still want to continue hurting her if he doesn’t love her? Seven years… it has been seven years. Why still want to continue torturing her? He doesn’t love her but doesn’t want to let her go either. He just wants to possess her and punish her with this painful marriage. He is a devil.

Min Ho clenched his jaw tightly together, his body stiffened in an instant. He could feel a thick cloud of emotions hit him like a strong wave. Please don’t hate me.

He slowly moved his fingers up and traced her swollen lips with his thumb, looking straight into her painful eyes at the same time. Do I really not love you?

“I’m not a devil.” He breathed. “I’m your man. From the day you say yes, you are destined to be mine. Possess you or not, punish you or not, you can’t run away from me. I will not let you go.” He paused and gently caressed her cheeks. “Come back to me and everything will remain unchanged. You will get to see Yeo Jin and we will all stay together.”

Shin Hye closed her eyes briefly, letting more tears to roll down her face and dripped onto his fingers. She realized it’s useless to keep talking and talking but can change nothing. No matter what she say, what she do, he won’t understand. It’s him who forces her to make things worse.

Taking another painful inhale of breath, she opened her eyes again and stared into his. “If you continue to be like this, if you continue to threaten me with Yeo Jin… you leave me with no choice but to take the final step.”

Min Ho narrowed his eyes, looking at her in confusion. He doesn’t understand the meaning behind those words but it make him felt uneasy. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Shin Hye held his nervous gaze as a small and faint smirk formed on her face. “Have you ever think why I’m still willing to marry you even I know how reluctant you were in the past? I know what will bring to me in this marriage if I insist to marry you. Sadness, humiliation, loneliness… but even so… I still say yes. The reason is very simple. It’s because… I love you. Although it goes against my principles… I still say yes.” She paused and bit her lip harder, as if trying to channel all her pain to her lips and forced herself to stay sane. Her father threatened her and because she loves him, because she wants to protect him, she has to say yes. But now… there is no reason for her to do so anymore. Slowly moving her hands up and tightly grasped the fabric of his shirt, she pulled him closer to her and another smirked curled onto her lips.

“I can marry you in order to protect you. And for the same reason, I can also destroy you in order to divorce you.” She whispered, her voice almost threatening. As long as she get the video that her father kept to threaten her during the night she brought Min Ho to the hotel 7 years ago, she can use it as an evident to accuse him for an underage girl. Although it was not the truth, although she was willingly giving herself to him on that night, but in order to fight for Yeo Jin’s custody, she will do anything. The video might not be enough to charge him for any crime but it’s enough to hurt his image and it’s no way the judge will give Yeo Jin’s custody to him.

What is she talking about? Min Ho got more confused as he squinted his eyes, trying to look for an answer in her eyes. “Are you trying to threaten me?” He chuckled sarcastically. “I’m very interested to know what can you do to destroy me.”

“Don’t try to challenge me.” Shin Hye cut in fearlessly. “You don’t know what I have in my hand. I already told you. Yeo Jin is my life. And bear in mind… when a woman’s heart is dead, she will do anything. If you dare to touch Yeo Jin, I’ll not let you off.” She warned him dangerously before she gathered all her strength and pushed him away when he lost his concentration. Giving him one last stare of disgust, she walked passed him and headed to the door. But before she walks out, she stopped and spoke again without looking at him. “I’ll give you one day. I’ll wait for you outside Yuri’s apartment tomorrow at 8pm. And if I don’t see Yeo Jin… we are done.”

Min Ho doesn’t know how long he has been standing in the room after Shin Hye left the apartment. Besides confusion, he was totally shocked with the expression he saw on Shin Hye’s face. This was the first time he saw her being like this. The warmth he always saw in her eyes has slowly vanished and replaced with hatred, and it scares him. He wasn’t scared about what she has in her hand that would destroy him. What scares him the most is the woman that used to love him deeply is now slowly fading away.

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

Yuri glanced down at her watch and let out a soft sigh before looking around the quiet road in front of her apartment. The sky has already turned dark and they have been standing outside the building of her apartment for almost twenty minutes.

“Are you sure he will really come? It’s already 8.15pm now.” She asked, turning to her best friend, who was standing beside her. “If he agree to let Yeo Jin to follow you, he wouldn’t take her away in the first place. I don’t think all this will be so simple. To me, it’s not easy to fight with Lee Min Ho if you choose to be his enemy.”

Shin Hye turned to the direction where cars were usually coming from and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. But except waiting, what else can I do?” She said with a helpless expression. “I tried to call his mother and she refused to answer my call. I went to their house this morning but no one was there. I know Yeo Jin is with them, but I don’t know where they are hiding her.” She sighed exaggeratedly as her hands reached up to rub her forehead. She is tired, very tired.

Yuri let out another sigh. “Why are you so insistent this time? I thought everything is getting better when I see your relationship with him was getting so much better lately.” She paused and looked at Shin Hye. “I know how much you love this man. You sacrificed almost everything for him. I really don’t understand. Why give up now? Why can’t you give him another chance this time? You should know if anything happen to both of you, the one who suffer is going to be Yeo Jin. The children will always be the victims. Yeo Jin is still so small. She needs a father. As long as you agree not to divorce, Yeo Jin will have both her parents.”

She moved closer to Shin Hye and held her hand with a soft squeeze. “I know you are upset because of Choi Soo Young, but you know this isn’t the first time. He has always been taking care of her and her son all these years. But… you should know she is only a responsibility because of what he promised his best friend. I know he has feeling for this woman, but if he really wants to be with her, I think he wouldn’t wait until now. They have a lot of chances in the past. I think they are just…”

“It’s different this time.” Shin Hye cut her off as she held her best friend’s eyes, disappointment evident in her voice.  “You might think I’m just jealous and upset because of Soo Young, but I’m not.” A faint smile formed on her lips. “I’m just… getting tired of being neglected or… or maybe I’m getting greedy. I don’t want to be kept at home and keep waiting for him to come back to us. I’m tired of sacrificing without getting anything in return. You are right that Yeo Jin is still small, but she is growing up. She will slowly realize something is not right with her parents and it won’t be healthy for her to grow up like this. And moreover…” She paused again and felt her heart still ache whenever she thinks about what she heard in the hospital that day. “Soo Young… is not just a responsibility anymore. She… she wanted to be more than just a friend.”

Yuri parted her lips into a small ‘O’, shocked by what Shin Hye just said. More than just a friend? What does that mean? She thought… she thought Soo Young doesn’t love Min Ho. And… she thought Shin Hye was so angry this time because Yeo Jin was sick and Min Ho was not around because of Soo Young again. She didn’t know the situation is so serious this time.

“I… she… I mean… maybe… you...” Yuri tried to say something but couldn’t find the right word to form a complete sentence. And just when she finally found the right words to comfort Shin Hye, the sound of a car heading towards their direction took all her concentration away.

The car stopped near where they were standing and when Shin Hye took a clearer look at the car, her eyes dimmed in disappointment. It wasn’t Min Ho’s car. But when the driver came out, the disappointment quickly vanished as a faint smile formed on her lips.

“Why are you two standing here at this hour?” Kim Rae Won asked while walking towards them.

“Kim Rae Won-sshi.” Yuri smiled at him. “What are you doing here?” Instead of replying his question, Yuri asked curiously.

Rae Won returned her smile politely as he took a quick glance at Shin Hye before answering her. “Shin Hye told me that she would be staying at your place temporary. I… ermmm…” He paused and briefly glanced at Shin Hye again. “… thinking to come here and find out why she didn’t go home.”

“Samcheon…” Shin Hye looked at him and smiled. “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

“She is not fine.” Yuri interjected and ignored Shin Hye’s meaningful glare.

Rae Won’s brows furrowed the moment he heard what Yuri said as he turned to Shin Hye and asked worriedly. “What’s wrong?”

“Lee Min Ho kidnapped Yeo Jin and hide her somewhere because he disagreed to the divorce. And Shin Hye couldn’t find Yeo Jin now.” Yuri spoke before Shin Hye could say anything. “He even threatened Shin Hye to take Yeo Jin away forever if she insist to divorce. That is why we are standing here waiting for him. Shin Hye want him to bring Yeo Jin back to her at 8pm today.”   

Divorce?

“Is it true?” Rae Won asked as he stepped closer and stood right in front of Shin Hye.

Shin Hye inhaled a deep breath before she slowly looked up to meet his worried gaze. “Don’t listen to Yuri. She exaggerates the situation. He indeed picked Yeo Jin up when she discharged from the hospital yesterday. But he didn’t kidnap her. I’m quite sure Yeo Jin follow him willingly and went to somewhere with her grandparents.”

“Then what is the divorce all about? Did she exaggerate that part as well?” Rae Won asked again. 

Sinking her teeth into the bottom of her lip, she inhaled another deep breath. “I’m filing for a divorce.”

“Meo?” Rae Won’s eyes widened. “W-Why?”

“Because…” Shin Hye let out a weak smile. “… I guess is about time for both of us to let each other go and… stop trying for something that is not possible. I think this is the right time to end this meaningless relationship.”

For a moment, Rae Won was totally speechless and felt no