Does it matter? Does it really matter who loves more in a relationship? If he loves you more than you love him? Or if your love is greater than what you get in return?
Does it matter?
Maybe it doesn't. As long as you love each other, that is what's important, right? It's all that matter — that you both love.
But every time Jae Kyung ponders on that thought, it gets scary. If she thought she loves Jeonghan, that she loves him more than he does, she's scared.
She's afraid the while she's falling deeply in love with him, she felt that she would be buried deep if Jeonghan would leave her.
But it wasn't like she could stop herself from loving him. Even in silence, even in his absence, she keeps on loving Jeonghan. Besides, what she's thinking won't happen, right? So she really doesn't have to weight who loves more between the two of them. She shouldn't.
"Jae?"
Chae Yeong's voice pulled her away from her roiling thoughts, and that's when she realized her phone was ringing.
"That – has been ringing for a while now." Chae Yeong said in a chuckle while she's getting her phone out her bag.
She knows it was Jeonghan who was calling and if she doesn't answer that quickly, he'll come driving his way here again, just like what he did yesterday when she didn't answer his calls.
"Where are you?" He greeted her in a very impatient tone.
Smile immediately crept on her face. He's always impatient. And demanding. But she loved every bit of it. Even if she just hears Jeonghan's voice, she could already guess his mood.
"At Aurora." She said and looked at the dark streets. Time passed by quickly. When she arrived, the sun was still setting. Maybe he's already home.
"What are you still doing there at this time?" There goes the demanding tone. She shook her head.
"Chae Yeong let me see something — but don't worry." She immediately continued before he could start his lecture. "I'm still with her here. How about you? Are you already home?"
"No, I was just coming home. Stay there. I'll get you there."
"Okay . . . I'll wait for you."
"Jeonghan?" Chae Yeong asked when she put down her phone. She was looking at something on her iPad but when she looked at her, one of her eyebrow was raised in amusement. "He wants you home?"
"Maybe." She shrugged. Of course. Jeonghan won't come for her to take her for a trip.
"You're really guarded by him, huh?" She shook her head while smiling. "I can't believe I'd live to see him so head over heels one day. Of all the years I've been working with him, I haven't seen him taking off his own suit just to be sat down by a person. And mind you, he doesn't give hi PN to just anyone."
"PN?"
"Private number. He's such a private person that even his friends' calls, it was Jeongyeon who would answer. It's just his family who had that number and, of course, Jeongyeon."
"How about Eunha? She's his legal adviser, right?" And she already saw Jeonghan and Eunha talking on the phone once.
Chae Yeong thinks for a while then she shook her head. "No, I don't think so. When Jeonghan and Eunha talked about something, especially if it's important, Jeonghan would get the phone form Jeongyeon. But I'm certain that Eunha doesn't have Jeonghan's private number." She said and came back to her iPad. "Eunha's my best friend, if you're asking why I knew."
She stared at her. "Eunha's your bestfriend?"
"Yup. When we're still in college. But since she came back from France, Jeonghan became her BFF."
France?
She wanted to ask Chae Yeong about Eunha more, and what she's doing at France, what year . . . but she saw a car's headlight from outside and she could hear a car engine.
"He's here." Chae Yeong gathered her things.
From the glass window, she saw Jeonghan coming in. He immediately put his hands on his pocket when he saw her. His necktie was loosely hanging on his shirt and his hair was still neat as it was in the morning. He still looks dashing in his working suit even after a day of work. She then noticed how something shines on his neck.
He wore necklace too? She thought he's just into watches.
"Hi, Jeonghan." Chae Yeong greeted. "I just accompanied Jae while waiting. Anyway, I'll go ahead." She pecked in her cheeks. "I'll give you the things you need to verify next. Ciao!"
She waved at her. "Ciao."
Jeonghan stayed on his place. Did something happen? Why does she feel like he has a different aura today? Maybe he's hungry? Or is he angry that she's still there during that time?
"Have you eaten?" She asked him when he walked towards the glass window. She grabbed her bag that was on the table and some catalogues that Chae Yeong left for her.
Jeonghan then went beside her. "Not yet." Ha said and got the catalogues on her hands. He put them down on the table again.
Okay. Something's off.
"You want to eat first before we leave?"
Jeonghan is still staring at her. Did she do something that angered him? Did something happen at the empire? Is he mad because she's still there?
She touched his arm. She's getting scared of his silence.
"I'm sorry if we stayed longer here. I'll be calling the driver to drive me home, really."
He just nodded and held her hand. He slid his fingers in between hers and linked their hands together. Somehow, it took away her unease.
"Are you okay? Do you have a problem? You're so silent today."
He shook his head. "You didn't have dinner yet?"
"Not yet. We're just about to go when you called."
He nodded. "We can eat before going home if you want."
"Okay. Let's go?"
He tugged at her hand when she was about to carry the materials again. "Wait."
When she turned to him, she saw him getting something on his neck. The thing she saw shining when he arrived. He was looking at her as he took it out of his shirt.
It was a silver necklace. And she turned speechless when she saw the rings as its pendant.
Their wedding rings.
He let go of her hand and let one of the rings out from the chains into his palm.
An air came out of her mouth, between a surprised gasp and a skeptical sigh. Yes, she recognized them. Even if she doesn't have a memory of their wedding, she can recognize those rings. Her diamond stud engagement ring and a wedding ring, and his plain silver band.
"Give me your hand." His raw voice reached somewhere deep inside her and tapped into something that even she wasn't aware of.
In her moment of silence, she handed him her left hand. The rings hovered tantalizingly on her fingertips. She looked up at him and realized it was what Jeonghan was waiting. Her eyes.
Dark and solemnly intense eyes watched her face as though they were sensually tracing the lines of her lips, wiping the unspeakable tears in her eyes as he slowly slipped the rings on her finger.
She couldn't utter a single word. She felt like bursting. These emotions that were playing inside her . . . she can't believe she couldn't remember feeling this way. They were so magical, like fireflies twinkling in the dark . . .
He smiled. "This might probably keep Xyril away for now, and to those who are planning, but I won't count on it. I still need to guard you. I don't want another Rafael coming and kissing your hand."
"Rafael?" She blinked when she came back to the ground. Her mind registered the name.
Jeonghan also stared at her for a while "Nevermind." He said and smiled again.
She smiled to and looked at the ring she's wearing. It was almost a perfect moment . . . if only she could remember their wedding and his vows. Was it a big wedding? How many were there? Maybe their wedding as a happy even just like how she felt right now. Maybe it was the happiest time of her life.
"Jeonghan . . ." She called him when he removed the one he's using. But her voice faltered because of what she was about to say next.
Thank you for keeping them. For the second chance. For your forgiveness.
She gulped and looked at her ring once again. She had no ring when she woke up in the hospital. She doesn't also have the things recovered from the accident.
Did she take them off when she left him? Why are there two? Were they engaged at some point?
"Let's go?"
She took a huge breath and nodded her head. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to ask him that question.
Jeonghan held her hand and they went out together.
It was just like her any other dream . . . where it started good. It started off right and happy. On beautiful things. On the bright side.
She's on top of a hill and she can't see anything but the vast blue sky, the sun and the green surroundings. This place was heaven.
She heard a voice when she started walking.
"Read me a poem."
"No, just tell me to sing; just don't ask me to turn into a poet. I'm no Romeo and Shakespeare might not forgive me."
Jeonghan. It was her husband's voice. And her voice too. It was her . . . because she remembered telling that to him.
Someone giggled.
"But you kept calling me Juliet."
"Because you love that story so much."
Her footsteps followed their voices. She doesn't know where to go because of the wide scenery she's seeing, but she knows she's close. He was just somewhere near. She'll get there. She will . . .
"Just a line . . . Pretty please?"
Jeonghan sighed and cleared his throat.
"Doubt that the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move his asides. Doubt truth to be a liar . . . but never doubt I love."
The dark clouds started to hover above her head and thunder chased her. Jeonghan's voice faded and the angry roar of the thunder appeared. Lightening flashed and she realized she was no longer moving. Her feet was buried under the mud.
"Go home . . ."
Appa?
Her father stood in front of her and her heart ached. She stretched her arms. She wants to reach him, touch him . . . hug him. She wants to ask for forgiveness. But her father's image vanished immediately with the place changing.
Now she was faced with new surroundings. She was standing on a dark corner as she watches her own self inside a house. Sitting down, with the telephone on her hand. She had one hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying. Her father was angry. She could hear his voice, very furious.
"You've been there for a year now, Jae Kyung, and now I'll know that you're married? Just come home immediately!"
"But Appa . . ."
"No Jae Kyung! What will your Eomma say on what you did?! I didn't raise you properly just to get married with a random stranger!"
"Appa, Jeonghan loves me. He'll marry me —"
"Don't force me to be angry at you, Jae Kyung. Get back here in Korea and take on the company and the hospital. It's now the time you replace me. Throw that dream of yours away because there's no place for you for being a lawyer and a chef!"
"No, Appa! I'm not going home. I already told you . . . Jeonghan and I will get married. I love him, Appa. I hope you understand that I also have my own life . . ."
"Lee Jae Kyung, come home now!"
The world spun out of control. Everything was a blur. Strange faces . . . different voices . . .
And then there she was, inside a car. She saw her own hands on the wheel, driving. It's dark outside and it's raining hard. She could hear sobs . . . it was coming from her.
She was crying. She was hurting. Her chest tightened, she can't breathe. She felt like she's the one being stab. But there wasn't a knife on her chest.
She didn't know where she was going, but she wants to go far away. To get away . . . To the place where he can't find her . . . But who?
Her hands moved. She turned but she can't see the road because of the heavy rain. Wipers. She needs to turn on the wipers. But she can't.
A bright light burst throughout the place, and her eyes met the light.
No . . . It can't be . . .
She's too late. She didn't escape.
She crashed hardly that she felt her head shake. Her head hit the wheel and pain shot through her skull. And then everything went black. Her eyes kept opening and closing, but the car continued shaking. She could feel her body and on how she hit through the car, on how her every bones break, and the tight seatbelt that was holding her to place.
It will keep it safe . . .
But it didn't. It died that night . . .
She died.
"JAE KYUNG! JAE KYUNG!"
Her eyes snapped open and she blankly stared at the man screaming her name.