‘If I had comforted your heart then, would things be different now?’
“Do not ever visit her. The moment Mother meets Arin, be prepared to lose a son.”
[Jae, Jae-hyuk.]“I’m ending this call now.”
[Jae, Jae-hyuk…]Ignoring Mrs. Jeong’s voice trying to hold him back, Jae-hyuk ruthlessly cut off the call.
“Turn off the phone.”
Even knowing he had no right, he longed to see Arin.
Her smile, which she wouldn’t even grant in his dreams.
“……Where am I?”
He opened his eyes, but nothing was visible. His vision was blurred, and his eyelids felt as heavy as waterlogged sponges.
Forcing his eyes to blink a few times, the familiar white ceiling came into view.
‘This is a hospital.’
As his vision cleared, he still found it difficult to move his fingers.
He felt crushed, unable to move his body. Eventually, Arin gave up trying to move and retraced her memories before collapsing.
‘Jae-hyuk visited, and then I cried…’
A ringing sound echoed in her ears, preventing movement. She heard Yu-hyun calling her name, but the sound seemed to echo around her ears without entering.
“Haah…”
It was a frequent experience over the past three years. Her last memory was Yu-hyun’s comforting hand, supporting her body.
Then, there was a crash as a chair hit the floor.
“Arin, are you okay?”
The warmth enveloping her hand eased her anxious heart a bit, and her heavy body felt lighter.
“Are you okay? Do you feel discomfort anywhere?”
Was it so wrong to feel relieved that someone was worried about her? Arin was glad to open her eyes to someone else’s presence, unlike before.
“Are you hurting anywhere?”
“Uh, no.”
Ji-yoon’s worried face, meticulously checking her body, made Arin smile despite thinking she shouldn’t.
“Just because you’re here.”
“You’re crazy. Really. Why are you smiling for what I did?”
“I’m sorry, Ji-yoon.”
She was glad to have someone worried about her, but what about the person who was worried?
Arin reflected on her earlier thought of being glad to have someone concerned for her. She knew how much Ji-yoon had fretted over her for the past three years.
“……Then don’t make me worry. You scared me.”
Instead of responding, Arin just nodded. Ji-yoon pulled a chair next to her and sat down.
“You’re really not in any pain, right?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t hide it if you’re in pain.”
“Yes.”
Ji-yoon only showed a relieved face after repeatedly confirming that she was okay.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. We’re family.”
The word ‘family’ made Arin’s heart surge.
“……Yeah.”
Arin, engaged in light conversation with Ji-yoon, suddenly remembered it wasn’t a weekend.
“Ah…….”
“What’s wrong?”
Ji-yoon worked in the public relations department at VAN Group’s Seoul headquarters. She managed to visit Jeju Island on weekends but stayed in Seoul on weekdays. Her presence in Jeju on a weekday meant Arin was the cause.
“How did you get here?”
“I came after receiving a call.”
Realizing it was because of her, Arin felt guilty.
“You came because I collapsed?”
“……Isn’t that obvious?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I told you not to apologize. We don’t say sorry in our family. Besides…….”
Ji-yoon suddenly stopped talking, her eyes turning icy cold.
“Your ex-husband came, right?”
“…….”
“Haah. What right does he have to come here? He’s really shameless.”
Despite Jae-hyuk being a high-ranking person in her company, Ji-yoon didn’t hesitate to criticize him.
“Does he finally agree to the divorce this time?”
“……No.”
“Then why did he come?”
“I don’t know. Right now, I’m confused about why he came.”
Arin recalled what Jae-hyuk had said.
‘What does he want now, after all this time?’
She couldn’t understand why he appeared after three years to shake her up.
“Choi Arin.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t be swayed. It’s all over between you two.”
“……I’m not swayed. Just a bit confused.”
“There’s nothing to be confused about. He’s just a past connection. You’ve already moved on from Ban Jae-hyuk.”
Arin nodded to Ji-yoon’s words.
“So don’t worry about it. You once said it was just a marriage in name. Once you’re divorced, you’ll never have to see him again.”
“Yes.”
“So focus on getting the divorce done. You’ve already started anew, but the divorce will make it a perfect new beginning.”
Ji-yoon was right.
Was she swayed?
No, it wasn’t so much being swayed as being unsettled by Jae-hyuk’s sudden appearance. He appeared after a significant time had passed since Han Sil-jang’s visit.
“I know. Don’t worry. There won’t be any trouble like you’re worried about, Ji-yoon.”
Ji-yoon combed through Arin’s damp hair as she spoke.
“Right. Just focus on recovering now.”
“Are you going back to Seoul tomorrow?”
“I took a leave. Didn’t you have reservations at the store?”
“Ah…….”
“So, Mom has to go help with Brother’s work, and I can’t leave you alone, so I came. Remember, the doctor warned you to be careful after that incident. It’s a good thing Brother was there, what would have happened if you were alone?”
Arin didn’t want her barely regained normal life to collapse again. Ji-yoon, seeing the worried look on Arin’s face, reassured her.
“……Yeah.”
“You need to be careful yourself.”
Ji-yoon understood her concerns.
Vasovagal syncope [Star Icon], a condition that had been relentlessly tormenting her for three years.
[Star Icon] Vasovagal Syncope: A disorder where the normal interaction between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems collapses, leading to an abnormal activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. When the parasympathetic nervous system becomes overly active, it can slow the heart rate and reduce or stop blood flow to the brain, causing temporary fainting.After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
