“…!”

Sorin was shocked when she came out to the yard after allowing Hyunwoo and her son to watch cartoons in the room.

Right next to where she had been soaking her feet, Yeonhee was standing alone, and Soyeon was kneeling in front of her with her head bowed like a sinner.

Moreover, Yeonhee was looking down at Soyeon, who was trembling like a wet puppy with a very perplexed gaze, sighing deeply as if the ground was caving in.

Sorin, wondering what was going on, ran over in one breath and urged her younger sister in a loud voice.

“Eom So Yeon! What on earth did you do wrong to be like this? Hurry up and tell me what’s going on!”

Soyeon, who had suddenly knelt on the bare ground a little while ago, saying that she was sorry and begging for forgiveness for being a bad daughter, heavily opened her lips again.

“I’m sorry, Mom. Hyunwoo’s dad… he’s not dead.”

“Wh-what do you mean by that?”

“He was someone I couldn’t dare to desire. So I hesitated and missed the opportunity to tell him I was pregnant. In that situation where I had no choice but to suffer alone, I ended up lying to everyone.”

“Huh! Hey, Eom So Yeon…! Mom, what is she saying now?”

Sorin, dumbfounded, pressed her forehead and stared blankly at her mother. She was worried that her mother might collapse after hearing this absurd and perplexing story.

However, Madam Jo Yeon Hee was surprisingly composed.

“So, you got pregnant, decided to endure it alone, and lied to us that the man was already gone from this world, right? If that’s the case, you should have kept that secret to yourself until the end, so why are you suddenly revealing it?”

Although her eyes and voice were somewhat shaky, Yeonhee’s words were concise in sorting out the situation and were even resolute.

“I unexpectedly met Hyunwoo’s dad again a while ago, whom I thought I would never see again. Although we only met briefly before parting, he says he can’t forget me at all and wants to live with me, including Hyunwoo.”

It was a story that had been buried in her heart and a moment she had always prepared for. Therefore, Soyeon’s voice was also extremely calm, in contrast to her pained expression.

“Then, Hyunwoo? Does that guy now know the child is his? So he’s saying he’ll even marry you?”

“He still doesn’t know Hyunwoo is his child. Since we met again through work, I couldn’t tell him, and I haven’t been able to bring it up even while dating until now. But Hyunwoo’s dad seems to be thinking of marriage.”

“Wh-what kind of lightning strike out of the blue is this… So?”

Yeonhee, who had firmly believed in Soyeon until now, felt her heart pounding rapidly. On one hand, she understood her daughter’s struggles that must have caused her flesh-carving pain, but she couldn’t help feeling betrayed by her child.

“We haven’t had a detailed conversation yet, but I don’t want to lose him a second time either. So I wanted to apologize to you first, Mom, for my lies. I’m going to tell Hyunwoo’s dad everything as soon as I return to Seoul. It’s late, but I think that’s the right thing to do, even if he changes his mind after hearing my story.”

“Hah…”

Her daughter’s sporadic confession was truly shocking. To the point where her heart ached. Because of that, Yeonhee, who had plopped down on a nearby outdoor chair, let out a sigh as her breath quickened.

Sorin, who had been quietly listening between her mother and younger sister, was also so surprised that her legs gave out, so she forcibly made Soyeon stand up and sit on a chair, and she also sat next to her.

“I’m really dumbfounded, just like Mom must be! So what are you thinking of doing now?”

“Although I like that man a lot, Hyunwoo is more precious to me. To an incomparable degree. But how much have you been distressed because of me, Mom? No matter what I do, I want to discuss it with you first before deciding.”

“You only come to Mom at times like this! Giving sickness and medicine, what a great, filial daughter you are! We had no idea and were completely deceived by you all this time, right?”

“I’m sorry, Sis…”

Yeonhee, who had been listening to her two daughters’ conversation with a resigned smile on her lips, looked at the horizon of the sea with a blank gaze.

Although she was angry at her daughter’s disappointing confession, Yeonhee pondered deeply after finding a small glimmer of hope in Soyeon’s story.

Wanting to live together without even knowing the child is his – isn’t that something you can’t even imagine unless you really like someone? But it seemed there were still quite a few hurdles for Soyeon and that guy to overcome before reaching a conclusion right away.

In any case, it was certain that Soyeon needed more time in many ways. Yeonhee, who had somewhat made up her mind, broke the silence after a while and spoke coldly.

“Just shouting to the world that you have a child and will raise them well doesn’t make you qualified to be a mother! At the very least, you shouldn’t have taken away the child’s father’s opportunity to become a dad! There’s a world of difference between not having a dad because he doesn’t exist and having one but not being able to be together, you thoughtless thing!”

“Sob…”

“You arbitrarily deleted even the slightest chance for the love from the father that he should naturally receive. No matter how much you are the mother, you have no right to take away what belongs to Hyunwoo as you please!”

“So I… I guess I’m being punished for that now… Sob sob.”

Yeonhee, who had somewhat raised her agitated voice, now brought up what she had to say.

“No matter what the child’s father says, you have to tell him everything truthfully. And discuss between the two of you. About what to do from now on. The most important thing is that Hyunwoo doesn’t get hurt between you two. I’m saying you shouldn’t confuse the child with false hope. So I’m thinking of taking Hyunwoo back to Canada.”

“Mom! Anything but that! I absolutely can’t do that!”

Soyeon, who was startled by Yeonhee’s last words, shed tears that welled up in her eyes.

“I can never live apart from Hyunwoo again! I hate it! Do you know how happy Hyunwoo and I have been during the two months we’ve spent in Korea? You know better than anyone that I can’t live without Hyunwoo anymore!”

“Yes, I know. That’s why I’m saying this.”

“If you know, then what do you mean by that!”

What mother wouldn’t crumble at the sight of pearl-like teardrops falling from her daughter’s eyes?

However, Yeonhee spoke coldly and clearly.

“You do your best to bring the child’s father to me! I’m telling you to come find Hyunwoo together with him. You didn’t make the child alone, so showing sincerity to the child by doing that much is the father’s share, isn’t it? I’m not asking for more than that. If he can’t even do that, then neither you nor that guy are qualified to be parents!”

“Mom, please…”

“Don’t cry. It’s up to you from now on. I’m not forcing you two to get together. But I hope things go well between you two. If not, just keep in mind that he must not reveal himself as a father to the child.”

Yeonhee shouted loudly, but her heart also ached as if it was being torn to shreds.

However, Yeonhee had to endure the hook-carving pain in her heart with composure.

Love isn’t just about being together, is it? She had to do this so that Hyunwoo could receive the complete love of parents and grow up in a happier environment.

Even if the child’s father and Soyeon ended up not working out, at least Hyunwoo should not get hurt.

It was the last day of their stay in Jeju Island.

Yeonhee took her two daughters and two grandsons to the beach.

If yesterday had the atmosphere of a sudden typhoon raging, today, a day later, had a serene atmosphere as if the fierce wind and rain had exhausted all its strength. In fact, the weather was so sunny that the sand was unusually soft and fluffy.

The three adults spread a mat on one side of the beach and sat on it, while the two boys diligently built a sand castle with toy shovels by the water’s edge, well within the sight of their grandmother and mother.

On the white sandy beach, there were also a few other people, from couples to families, who had come out to play.

Among them, Sorin’s child seemed to have a friend, so he moved to another part of the water with that child. However, Hyunwoo insisted on finishing the incomplete sand castle by himself, so he was left alone in that spot.

“Mom, I’ll go check on Hyunwoo and come back.”

As expected, Soyeon, who had been watching Hyunwoo with eagle eyes, lightly lifted her buttocks. Then Sorin, who had been curious since yesterday but had held back until now, cautiously asked her mother.

“Mom, why didn’t you ask who Hyunwoo’s father is?”

“If you’re so curious, you should have asked.”

“Well, I’m a third party. It’s a sensitive issue too.”

“I’m actually glad. If I knew who he was, I might want to rush over and grab him by the collar right away. I didn’t ask because I knew I would be even more upset thinking about that guy even after going to Canada. I thought it would be better to see him when Soyeon brings him.”

As she spoke, Yeonhee’s eyes followed Soyeon’s movements.

Before she knew it, Soyeon had moved to the rocky area covered with black stones and was busy catching periwinkles with Hyunwoo.

“Wow! This one is really big!”

“So are you scared?”

“Nope, Hyunwoo is brave so he’s not afraid of that!”

“Hehe, really?”

Even while saying that, Hyunwoo took steps backward. The periwinkle body that Soyeon abruptly stuck out right in front of him seemed very creepy as it squirmed inside the shell.

“You’ve already caught five? Shall we go release them?”

“Yeah!”

Soyeon took Hyunwoo to the water’s edge where the waves were gently coming in. Actually, Soyeon was about to have an important conversation with Hyunwoo.

Last night, she had told Hyunwoo that he had to go back to Canada with his grandmother for a while. She had no choice but to use the excuse that something came up for his mother. Hyunwoo nodded, saying he understood, but Soyeon’s heart ached indescribably as that sight kept haunting her.

“Hyunwoo, actually Mommy made Grandma sad.”

“Were you scolded again?”

“No. Grandma hugged Mommy. Like this…”

Soyeon warmly embraced Hyunwoo, who was crouching with his body curled up, with one arm.

“But I think Grandma loves Hyunwoo so much that she hates to part with you. She might be sad for a while without Hyunwoo.”

“Hyunwoo will miss Grandma too.”

Hyunwoo wrinkled his nose. It was a habit that naturally came out when he spoke sincerely.

“So I was thinking, it would be nice if Hyunwoo could stay with Grandma a little longer. Mommy will come get our Hyunwoo very soon.”

“Hyunwoo will hug Grandma tight until Mommy comes.”

“Will you really do that for me?”

“Yeah! But Mommy has to come quickly, okay?”

“Of course! Mommy will hurry and go get our Hyunwoo.”

“Promise!”

“Yes…”

Promise me, Hyunwoo…

The small pinky finger of the little child reddened the corners of Soyeon’s eyes.

But she couldn’t show her tears.

If she suddenly burst into tears, she would become a mother worse than a child.

Tap tap…

Junghwa, who entered the dark hospital room making the sound of thin heels, lowered her height and quietly sat on the folding chair next to the bed.

Yoo Byung Hwan, who noticed his daughter’s dry gaze scanning his body from head to toe, which was no different from a vegetative state, was quite different from other days, and rolled the whites of his eyes with distinct red blood vessels to stare intently at Yoo Jung Hwa.

“…”

“…”

Yoo Jung Hwa also silently gazed at the face of her father, who had become even more frail than when he was hospitalized, unable to make a sound, let alone a moan.

But it was a cold gaze.

No, it was an extremely chilly gaze.

It was an indifferent gaze, like the eyes of a fish, showing no emotion at all, as if she was so cold that she had no regard for the coldness of others.

“Stop enduring it. It’s time for you to go now. That’s right. I did it. Your accident, it was my doing.”

“Urgh…!”

At Yoo Jung Hwa’s calm voice, Yoo Byung Hwan, who rolled his eyes and panted roughly, breathed heavily.

He had also felt it for some time. That the horrible accident that befell him was not unrelated to his daughter. However, Yoo Byung Hwan did not accept that fact, thinking there was no way his daughter would do such a thing.

But at this moment, he knew for certain. That what he had thought impossible was not impossible at all. That the culprit of the terrible accident was none other than his own daughter.

“Family and you were nothing but pain to me! So please go. I’ve never thought of you as a father, but at least give me a fatherly gift at the end! Don’t drain people’s blood anymore!”

“Guh…”

At Jung Hwa’s shocking words, Byung Hwan writhed and thrashed as if having a seizure. His whole body trembled from his hands to his feet.

“Ugh…”

Even while watching Byung Hwan’s agonizing final moments, Jung Hwa did not press the call bell. She just silently waited until everything was over.

When the hospital room became quiet, Jung Hwa finally called the doctor and nurse.

A moment later, the doctor, who offered a simple condolence to Yoo Jung Hwa, declared the verdict.

Yoo Byung Hwan, deceased.

He said.