chapter 22

“Miri said she gave him an invitation on the day she saw him at the hotel. Why didn’t he come with you?”

Only after Yeonhwa stopped walking, Youngeun removed her hands from her shoulders.

“I guess he didn’t come because there’s something wrong, no?”

A tumbling voice dug through Yeonhwa’s auricles. ‘Why should I be accused like this?’ She thought about it. Then, with her trembling lips firmly closed, Yeonhwa took a step again. What they wanted was Yeonhwa’s defeated reaction, but there was no need for Yeonhwa to do what they wanted. Whatever they shout out of their mouths, Yeonhwa decided to ignore it.

When she pushed the glass door of the bathroom, the tears she was holding, filled up. Her ears felt deafened, and the sound of music that was laid low seemed to come from a distance. Yeonhwa did not hear Miri calling and walked to the restaurant entrance. Gradually, her pace accelerated and her eyes were blurred.

“It’s true that I and my husband have a bad relationship.”

However, compared to three years ago, they were a lot closer. They had breakfast together, sometimes had dinner, and even kissed each other. She was a little relieved. Maybe they didn’t have to divorce after all. They could be a happily married couple like she always wanted. But then the conversation earlier echoed in her head, and Yeonhwa started to have doubts. What if Geonwoo had another woman other than her? Was that the reason he brought the divorce papers on their wedding anniversary? Was she a fool to believe that their relationship had changed for the better?

Yeonhwa’s stride was shortened, but her steps were a little faster. The moment she was about to exit the restaurant entrance, someone caught her wrist. She felt like her head would burst at any moment, so she brushed it off roughly, but someone’s hand was holding onto her shoulder, so she turned back. The person came into her view that was blurry with tears.

“Song Yeonhwa.”

“Yoon Geonwoo?!”

Geonwoo, with a frowning forehead, looked at Yeonhwa. When he confirmed that tears were gently falling from Yeonhwa’s eyes, his heart seemed to stop beating.

“Why are you crying?”

The sudden encounter with Geonwoo made her tears stopped, and her complicated mind went blank when she saw him. And Geonwoo lost his composure when he saw Yeonhwa’s red eyes.

“What’s going on? What happened inside?”

Yeonhwa wanted to ask if he had another woman beside her, but the question couldn’t come out of her lips. What if he really had another woman? What would she do then? As Yeonhwa thought silently, it seemed that the tears she was barely holding would pour out. She didn’t want to ask him at someone’s happy wedding, so she decided to bury the question deep in her heart, and would ask him when they returned home.

“Nothing happened.”

Geonwoo noticed that there was something hidden in Yeonhwa’s weakening voice. At that time, Miri, who held the hem of the dress with both hands, jumped to their side.

“What are you two doing here and not coming inside?”

“I’m sorry. I need to get going now.”

When Yeonhwa finished speaking, Miri turned to Geonwoo.

“Geonwoo just came, but why are you already going? Stay a little longer.”

Miri grabbed Yeonhwa’s two wrists and spoke.

“It’s my covenant ceremony today, will you listen to me?”

Yeonhwa wondered how many glasses of champagne Miri had already drunk, the aroma of alcohol spread when she spoke. Yeonhwa, who could not beat Miri, was dragged back into the hall. Then she met Miri’s group who came out of the bathroom and made eye contact. Miri, who didn’t know what had happened in the bathroom, found the three and beckoned.

“Guys, come here.”

Yeonhwa, who didn’t want to meet anymore, turned her head away, and Youngeun approached with a smile. She looked at Yeonhwa and Geonwoo, who was standing next to her. Then she opened her mouth blankly at the appearance of Geonwoo which stood out handsomely at the ceremony. It was as if the statue appeared in front of her, Youngeun couldn’t take her eyes off Geonwoo. When Geon-woo turned his head to Youngeun in the staring gaze, she belatedly shies away from his gaze.

“Who is this man here?”

At Youngeun’s question, Miri laid her palm down and introduced her, pointing to Geonwoo.

“This is Yeonhwa’s husband and DS fashion’s president Yoon Geonwoo. Is it your first time seeing him?”

“He often appears in magazines. Oh, you don’t read magazines often, do you?”

Perhaps it was because of alcohol, Miri embarrassed Youngeun. Geonwoo was the handsome man who made her heart fluttered. She almost asked if he was alone without knowing it. Youngeun’s cheeks rose red brightly. Yeonhwa felt a faint joy at the appearance of Youngeun, who was embarrassed. The other two, who were next to Youngeun, were also embarrassed and asked.

“I thought you couldn’t come?”

“Right, I thought you couldn’t come because Yeonhwa was here alone.”

When Geonwoo smiled very lightly, the three almost couldn’t control their composure.

“l almost couldn’t make it,” Geonwoo said, looking down at Yeonhwa standing next to him. “I was worried about my wife, who came alone, so I wanted to come early, but it was later than expected.”

In a friendly tone, Miri raised her eyebrows and poked Youngeun’s side. Youngeun frowned annoyingly and struck Miri’s arm. Even while the two were doing that, Geonwoo only looked at the expression of Yeonhwa. A little bit of sunlight seemed to be shining on her face where the darkness had fallen before. Was she happy because he came, or was it because of the embarrassed women in front of her?

Miri tried to order champagne from the waiter passing by her side.

“You have to have a drink, you’ve come this far.”

“I don’t think I can drink because I have to drive.”

“We have a car service below, so don’t worry, just have a drink.”

Excited, Miri gave champagne to the women, including Geonwoo. With her red cheeks, Miri held out the cup.

“It’s nice to see all of you after a long time, so drink up.”

When the cheers and the glasses collided, Miri brought cool champagne to her mouth. Youngeun narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth as she watched Yeonhwa only wet her lips with champagne.

“The two of you are so close, but I don’t know why such rumors are spreading.”

Youngeun did not look at Yeonhwa’s gaze and was only looking at Geonwoo. Then Geonwoo asked.

“What rumors are you talking about?”

As if she had been waiting for Geonwoo’s question, Youngeun said.

“It is rumored that you two are going to divorce. That was because other people don’t see how close you two are. You love Yeonhwa like this, but how do people look at you two as a couple about to divorce?”

As if she was making a joke, her voice got even lighter. Rather, it was Miri and her friends that got serious. It was Miri who was spreading the rumors she heard to her friends, but she didn’t know that her friend would bring the rumors to Geonwoo in person. In an instant, the surroundings became cold. However, Youngeun did not care about how the atmosphere was. Rather, she was satisfied with it, and the champagne in her mouth felt only sweet.

“They must be envious of us,” Everyone focused on Geonwoo, who spoke in a quiet voice. Then he wrapped his hand around Yeonhwa’s shoulders. As he pulled it slightly, Yeonhwa’s shoulders hit his chest. A red flag turned on Yeonhwa’s face, which had turned white like a blank paper.

“People are always envious of what others have so they create bad rumors. lt doesn’t matter if I go through this once or twice in my business.”

Geonwoo’s gaze, who was pointing at each person, finally reached Youngeun.

“But, it is not okay if it happens to Yeonhwa. I want you to be careful in front of my wife.”

Youngeun couldn’t speak as the chill passed by Geonwoo’s face.

Perhaps he didn’t want to hear Youngeun’s answer from the beginning, Geonwoo left only a cold greeting and turned to Yeonhwa. Behind Yeonhwa’s back, she could hear their voices blaming each other, but she had no time to care because she was only focused on Geonwoo’s hand which was wrapping around her shoulders.

As Geonwoo pushed the door leading to the outdoor terrace, the warm wind tickled her cheeks. It was only after entering the terrace that Geonwoo’s hand, which had been placed on Yeonhwa’s shoulder, was removed. It was the lights of the tall buildings that lit up the night which was unusually darker than other days. Yeonhwa asked as she was looking at the night view.

“Why are you here?”

“Because I was invited.”

“I know you’re busy, but you had to attend.”

Geonwoo slightly frowned his eyebrows at Yeonhwa’s strangely sarcastic tone.

“What do you not like? Do you hate me being here, that is why you didn’t even ask me to come with you?”

Yeonhwa’s lips trembled. Geonwoo must have forgotten what happened a year ago. Yeonhwa, who was invited to her friend’s wedding, asked Geonwoo to go with her. But the only answer she got from Geonwoo was “I’m busy”. Her heart was broken and she felt pathetic. Since then, she always went alone even if there was a place to be invited. She was afraid to hear Geonwoo say no, and she was afraid to get hurt again.

However, at his changed attitude at this moment, Yeonhwa’s heart became so dry that her breath was choked. She still said without giving a glance at Geonwoo.

“I don’t have to come with you.”

“Why don’t you want to come with me? If you had told me, I would have come with you.”

Yeonhwa thought If Geonwoo was going to divorce her, she would rather him be as cold as he used to be. She wanted to draw the line and put up the wall. Why is he making her confused? Why does he make her keep looking forward to it? Yeonhwa, who gave out a heavy exhale, reached out and grabbed the railing. Her heart seemed to freeze hard as the cold air from the cool railing penetrated her palms. Then she muttered. “It’s very sweet.”

“Look at me and talk.” As Geonwoo approached one step, Yeonhwa turned to him. When he was in her view, which was heated like flames. “We are going to divorce.” The words she was barely holding came out through her lips and her heart rattled up and down. Geonwoo couldn’t say anything to Yeonhwa’s unexpected words. Yeonhwa, who frowned her face as if it was painful, dropped her head and looked down at her feet.

“I heard it all, you were at a hotel with a woman.”

She didn’t want to cry, but her voice kept trembling.

“How do you think it would have been for me to hear about it?”

There was a cry in hardly spoken words. “Everyone says we’re going to get divorced, how do you think I’m feeling? I’m not used to going through things like this, so I’m not okay at all.”

If Geonwoo had known how she was feeling, he wouldn’t have told her to divorce. She would be able to do it if she had no feelings. Her heart pounded and her breath ran short as if she had jumped. Geonwoo didn’t say anything until Yeonhwa was able to clear up her heightened emotions. He opened his mouth only after the irregular sound of Yeonhwa’s breath changed regularly.

“It was because of me that you were in a bad mood. I went to the hotel because of the meeting. It was supposed to be confidential so it was only Secretary Kim who accompanied me, and when I met Yang Miri, Secretary Kim was waiting in the car.”

Like a gentle wave, Geonwoo’s voice was calm. Yeonhwa, who was suspicious of him for a moment, felt a hot fever on her face. She couldn’t lift her head up at the thought that she couldn’t control her emotions like a child and got angry.

“Because of that meeting, work has been delayed these days.”

Yeonhwa thought she must be crazy. She was blaming the man without measures. Geonwoo’s gaze fell at the back of Yeonhwa’s head.

“Now look at me. The misunderstanding has been resolved.”

Yeonhwa turned around and lifted her face. It was when Yeonhwa was quiet, Geonwoo reached out and pulled her back, and her face was buried in Geonwoo’s chest. Yeonhwa’s shoulders fluttered at the smell of his heavy perfume hitting her in an instant.

“Let go. Why all of a sudden?!”

Yeonhwa raised her head and her face was red. And the tension was relieved in an instant from the body that was shrunken. This was because the tip of Geonwoo’s nose overlapped with the tip of her nose. When Yeonhwa tried to step back, Geonwoo grabbed her arm and made it impossible for her to escape. The space between their lips was only about one palm away. Geonwoo, who prevented the escape, seemed to feel good. Yeonhwa swallowed dry saliva in the cool air as it wrapped her body tightly. Then as rigid as she was, Yeonhwa made a difficult voice.

“What are you doing?”

As their eyes met, Geonwoo, who looked at Yeonhwa with his unshakable eyes, had a faint smile on his lips.

“The wrong rumor needs to be corrected.”