Episode 20
Jaehyun’s steps suddenly halted as he climbed the stairs.
He had spotted Seo-eun sitting on the living room sofa.
Normally always composed, today she was still in her pajamas. She looked absentminded, lost in thought, as if unaware of her disheveled appearance.
The morning sunlight streamed through the window, casting light on her pale face. She looked noticeably thinner in just a few days—her fragile frame now clearly visible.
Tsk. Jaehyun clicked his tongue unconsciously. His gaze fell on her slender wrist, resting weakly on her lap.
On the small table beside the sofa sat a cup of tea, now long gone cold. Staring blankly out the window, her posture carried the weight of deep anguish.
As Jaehyun stepped down one more stair, Seo-eun sensed his presence and turned her head. Her eyes widened slightly upon seeing him.
“Jaehyun, are you heading to work now?”
She stood up and adjusted her clothes as she cautiously approached him, more hesitant than usual.
“You’re working hard, as always… But please don’t skip your meals, okay?”
She spoke brightly, trying her best to sound cheerful, but up close, the dark circles under her eyes clearly betrayed her exhaustion.
Jaehyun quickly looked away. If he kept looking at her, his resolve might crumble.
He turned and walked away briskly—faster than usual. Yet even as he walked, the image of her pale, drained face lingered stubbornly in his mind.
Back on the sofa, Seo-eun stared down at the now-cold tea. She lightly touched the cup with her fingertips and let out a soft sigh.
—
The wall clock in the study ticked past 10 PM.
Jaehyun, still stuck at his desk, rubbed his forehead with frustration. The letters on the papers in front of him blurred meaninglessly. No matter how many times he read them, nothing stuck in his mind.
Normally, just one skim would’ve been enough to grasp everything.
But he kept thinking about Seo-eun. The way she sat there earlier in her pajamas, her pale face, the fatigue etched around her eyes.
Sigh…
Jaehyun got up and walked to the dining room to quench his dry throat.
He opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and drank deeply. The cold water slid down his throat, but the thirst remained.
Perhaps, the thirst wasn’t physical.
His eyes instinctively turned toward the stairs.
It’s late, she must be asleep by now.
Even before that thought finished forming, his feet were already moving up the stairs.
I’m just checking, that’s all.
Lately, she looked so frail—if she passed out alone in her room, it’d be a hassle. That was all. But as he reached the hallway where her room was, his steps slowed.
A faint light spilled out from under her door, signaling she wasn’t asleep yet.
Then—
He heard it.
The desperate attempt to suppress sobs. She must’ve buried her face in her pillow to avoid being heard.
It was faint but unmistakable—soft, stifled crying.
Jaehyun stopped in front of her room.
She told him to eat well, yet didn’t care for her own body. She shed tears for her brother but always held back when it came to herself.
This foolish woman…
Even her lies about being fine, her forced smiles, and her thin appearance—they all irritated him. But what irritated him most was himself—because he couldn’t stop caring about her.
He felt suffocated. Something heavy pressed on his chest like a stone. Yes, it was suffocating.
Jaehyun clenched his jaw. This was a feeling he’d never experienced before—being shaken like this by someone crying.
His hand moved toward the doorknob. But it stopped in midair.
He imagined her, crying alone in her room, unable to even cry freely because of him—because she didn’t want him to hear.
Slowly, he lowered his hand.
Her sobs grew clearer. The sound of someone swallowing tears, with no one to lean on.
And all he could do was stand there and listen—neither knocking nor walking away.
Only after Seo-eun cried herself to sleep did Jaehyun finally turn and walk away.
—
The next morning, Seo-eun gazed weakly into the mirror. Her red, swollen eyes from last night’s crying were now hidden beneath makeup.
I held it in for so long…
Why had she broken down like that yesterday?
She told herself it was because of Jaewoo. It was always about her little brother. But deep inside, she knew that wasn’t the only reason.
I started crying because I was thinking about Jaehyun.
She had to admit it now.
In the mirror, her reflection stared back. Her face was pale and thin, her dark circles deeper than ever. Then she met her own gaze.
Eyes filled with truths she could no longer deny.
I’m falling for him again.
The feelings she tried so hard to suppress were rising again.
The reason she had once decided on divorce wasn’t because she hated him. It was because she had loved him too much—she couldn’t bear being hurt anymore by his coldness.
Pretending to smile each morning, pretending things were fine… it was easier to let go completely. She just wanted to step away, quietly.
“Have the CEO’s child.”
But fate had brought her back into his life.
The more time they spent together after his memory loss, the stronger her emotions grew. His cold gaze still hurt her—but even that gaze, she missed. A single indifferent word from him made her heart flutter. A random brush of hands made her tremble.
—
Coming downstairs, Seo-eun instinctively looked toward the front door.
Jaehyun had already left for work, as usual.
But something was different today.
A note lay on the table, catching her eye.
> “I’ll be home late today. Don’t wait for me.”
It was a short message written in his neat handwriting.
“Jaehyun…”
Seo-eun stared at the note in disbelief. Then last night’s memory flashed through her mind.
The footsteps she heard outside her door.
Did he hear me crying?
Is that why he left this note today, unlike usual?
Whatever the reason, the small gesture made her chest tighten with emotion.
—
“Ma’am, it’s time for breakfast.”
Suwon Taek’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
Seo-eun carefully folded the note and slipped it into her pocket, then made her way to the dining room.
Her eyes widened.
The table was filled with more food than usual.
“Is today a special occasion?”
“I just put in a little extra effort. You haven’t been eating well lately, have you? Please eat up.”
Seo-eun sat down hesitantly. There were so many dishes, she didn’t know what to start with.
Noticing her hesitation, Suwon Taek hesitated before speaking again.
“Well… I wasn’t supposed to say anything, but…”
“Yes?”
After a brief pause, Suwon Taek confessed.
“It was the CEO’s request. He asked me to pay extra attention.”
“Jaehyun did…?”
“He said you’ve lost a lot of weight recently. And I agree—you look much thinner. I didn’t think you could lose any more weight, honestly.”
“So please, don’t leave anything behind today. If you do, I’ll get scolded.”
Seo-eun bit her lip.
She suddenly felt guilty for having resented him, even for a moment.
He must’ve had his own reasons. And maybe it was only natural for him to act cold toward her.
Gratitude—and guilt—rose in her chest.
Do I even deserve his kindness?
Their relationship had started with lies. Her feelings for him were genuine, but even that sincerity, she couldn’t express. She was still lying to him—yet she still wished for his heart.
Honestly… I loved him from the start.
She had to admit it.
From the first time they met, throughout their entire marriage—even when she decided on divorce, even now—she had loved him without change.
And she knew… he would never love her back.
—
“Ma’am?”
Suwon Taek’s concerned voice made Seo-eun force a smile.
She buried the whirlwind of emotions deep inside her chest and quietly picked up her spoon.
The warm rice entered her mouth, and for some reason, she felt like crying again.
But she held it in.
She didn’t want to worry the man who might’ve watched over her as she cried the night before.
