A Rin packed her meager belongings and left the main house at the break of dawn when everyone, including Jae Hyuk, was fast asleep.

As Jae Hyuk expected, she headed to Ji Yun’s house.

“Ji Yun…”

Perhaps the tension had left her body?

A Rin burst into tears upon seeing Ji Yun.

“A Rin, what’s wrong?”

Ji Yun embraced her as she burst into tears the moment she saw her.

“Come in first. Come in and let’s talk.”

The tears wouldn’t stop. Ji Yun slowly stroked A Rin’s back without a word.

‘What on earth happened?’

It wasn’t difficult for Ji Yun to sense that something was terribly wrong just by seeing A Rin’s swollen eyes and her travel bag.

“Ji Yun, I…”

A long while later, A Rin spoke as her tears subsided.

“I’m going to get a divorce.”

“…What? Really?”

A Rin nodded slightly at Ji Yun’s words. She burst into tears once again.

Ji Yun’s gaze sank deep like the ocean as she looked at A Rin.

Ji Yun recalled the contents of the sudden call she received from A Rin yesterday afternoon.

[Ji Yun, I’m sorry. Could you lend me some money?] [A Rin, what’s going on? Why do you need money all of a sudden? What happened?] [I’m sorry. I can’t say anything right now. I’m sorry… I’ll pay you back for sure. So please, lend me some money.]

Ji Yun was the head of the PR team at VAN Group. Although she had never experienced it firsthand, there were rumors that Lady Jung was fastidious and not someone to be trifled with.

Moreover, everyone knew that Lady Jung was fiercely protective of her son. A Rin was kind and pretty in her eyes, but she and Jae Hyuk lived in different worlds. How lacking and displeasing must A Rin have been in Lady Jung’s eyes?

It was a problem that could be understood without much thought. As proof of that, even though A Rin said she was fine, she was visibly withering away day by day, as if she was losing her light.

[No, you don’t have to tell me. How much money do you need? And you don’t have to pay me back. It’s okay.] [I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Ji Yun.]

Ji Yun was startled that A Rin brought up the topic of money. Even A Rin’s voice, which was lower and more dejected than usual, worried her.

Still, she couldn’t ask anything.

Because A Rin’s voice sounded so sad.

[I’ll come see you at dawn.]

With A Rin’s words that she would come and talk at dawn, Ji Yun was convinced that something big had happened to her friend.

She transferred all the money she could spare and waited for her until dawn without falling asleep.

“I’m sorry for coming so suddenly. Ji Yun.”

At A Rin’s words, Ji Yun snapped out of her reminiscence and said,

“What are you sorry about between friends?”

“Ji Yun…”

“Yeah, tell me. A Rin.”

Ji Yun held A Rin’s trembling small hand tightly.

“You know…”

“Yeah.”

“Did you love elder brother a lot?”

“…You know that.”

It was none other than Seo Ji Yun herself who knew better than anyone else that Choi A Rin loved Ban Jae Hyuk more than her own life.

The media poured out all sorts of speculative articles, calling A Rin who was marrying Jae Hyuk a ‘modern-day Cinderella’ or a ‘gold digger’. There were quite a few articles that made one frown.

[I’m fine. It’s not true… As long as elder brother doesn’t think of me that way, that’s all that matters.]

Even at that moment, A Rin smiled. Ji Yun could only pat her shoulder and tell her to stay strong.

But for A Rin to leave Jae Hyuk of her own accord?

It was as if the world had turned upside down.

A Rin had to hide her love for Jae Hyuk and sacrifice herself for the family who only had eyes for her.

Ji Yun knew A Rin’s family well.

They were not people who could be called family.

Even though they were very close, A Rin never opened up about her inner thoughts. She naturally didn’t know about her family either.

She had only greeted A Rin’s mother, Kyung Sook, in passing a few times.

But when was it?

She had seen Kyung Sook in front of the company before.

Thinking, ‘What brings you to the company?’, Ji Yun approached her to greet her.

Perhaps she was on the phone, but the words Ji Yun accidentally overheard became the biggest mistake of her life.

[Who am I? I’m the woman who has the son-in-law of the top group in Korea. But you expect me to live a lowly life?] [What? What will she do if she finds out? I raised her, so I’m using her like this. It’s not like I’m doing volunteer work.]

It felt like she had opened Pandora’s box that should have remained shut. Ji Yun couldn’t acknowledge Kyung Sook and turned back.

From then on, things that were previously invisible started to come into view. The image of the family A Rin wanted to hide, who were sucking her dry from behind…

After that, the media broke negative stories about A Rin’s family a few times. Each time, A Rin smiled again.

Ji Yun couldn’t ask A Rin if the reason for the divorce was because of her family.

“Are you serious?”

No matter what, this was too much.

Frankly, Ji Yun couldn’t believe that A Rin was leaving Jae Hyuk.

“Yeah. I’ve already made up my mind.”

A Rin looked at Ji Yun and nodded firmly.

“A divorce all of a sudden…”

“It wasn’t all of a sudden.”

“Did something happen with the elder lady? She told you to leave? Is that why you’re like this?”

A Rin couldn’t answer Ji Yun’s questions honestly.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Ji Yun.

‘I’m confused too right now.’

Her throat constricted at the terrible reality of finally leaving Jae Hyuk.

[Natural pregnancy will be impossible from now on.]

Dr. Kim’s blunt voice telling her that she couldn’t have a child kept tormenting A Rin, never leaving her mind.

“I don’t want to live like this anymore. Besides…”

A Rin felt like her heart was about to burst.

She didn’t expect a rosy future where everything would turn out well. But she didn’t wish for a living hell either.

Although her life hadn’t been long, she had only ever looked at Jae Hyuk. A Rin had loved Jae Hyuk for as long as she could remember, from a very long time ago.

It was the natural order of things.

Just as a chick follows the first being it sees after hatching from its egg, Jae Hyuk was her first love. The existence of Ban Jae Hyuk was etched into A Rin’s life like an imprint that couldn’t be removed as she wished.

Yet, the reason she left him was…

“I feel like I’ll shatter if I continue like this…”

Besides, stubbornly staying by Jae Hyuk’s side was also wrong.

“I have to leave.”

Because there would be another woman by elder brother’s side.

“…A Rin.”

After a brief silence, Ji Yun spoke.

“Does the vice president know?”

“Even if he knows, nothing will change.”

“Where are you planning to go?”

A place to go…?

A Rin couldn’t answer.

She had lived a life that wasn’t short, but the fact that she had nowhere to take care of herself was too pitiful and miserable.

A Rin’s eyes met Ji Yun’s. Her eyes wavered.

“I have nowhere… except you.”

So that’s why I came to you.

A Rin held Ji Yun’s hand.

“Please help me a little… Ji Yun.”

“A Rin.”

“You’re the only one I can ask. Elder brother probably knows I’m gone by now. I don’t think he’ll come looking for me.”

Jae Hyuk was unlikely to come looking for her.

“I won’t see elder brother either, except when we meet at the court. That’s for my own sake.”

Although he refused the divorce right now, he didn’t love her. The divorce would be finalized in the near future. So seeing him would be foolish.

“What if he looks for you?”

“That won’t happen.”

“No. What will you do if he looks for you? Not because he misses you, but there’s also the issue with your father and money.”

A Rin fell silent at Ji Yun’s words that coldly pointed out reality.

“For whatever reason, if the vice president sets his mind to it, he can find you. Yeah, I’ll help with the money issue too. Don’t worry. But what I’m worried about is a different problem. Where will you go and live by yourself?”

“…”

She had family, but she couldn’t rely on them.

Even now, in this situation, the only person that came to mind was Ji Yun.

“Ji Yun, was it too irresponsible of me to run out of the house like this?”

A Rin’s thoughts kept drifting in a negative direction.

“I’m so incompetent. Right? Even as an adult, there’s nothing I can do on my own.”

She felt pathetic and stupid.

That’s when it happened.

Ji Yun held A Rin’s hand tightly and said,

“With the money I gave you yesterday, you can probably get a small rental place. But I don’t think I can tell you to use that money to get a place and live there.”

“…Why?”

“Because I feel like if you’re in a place without me, you’ll despair and blame yourself like you are now, and then disappear. You might say you’re fine, but don’t try to fool me.”

A Rin looked as fragile as a candlelight flickering in the wind.

Ji Yun spoke in a resolute voice, as if she had made up her mind.

“Don’t disappear from my sight.”

“Ji Yun…”

“Only if you’re okay with it. What do you think about taking the money I gave you and going to live in Jeju Island?”

“…Jeju Island?”

Jeju Island…?

A Rin was dumbfounded by Ji Yun’s words.

“Yeah. Remember I told you that my dad passed away and my mom went to Jeju Island? You’ve never seen her, but I mentioned my elder brother is studying abroad in France. He says he’ll come back next year or so, but it’s not confirmed.”

Ji Yun gently stroked A Rin’s trembling hand as she continued.

“If it’s okay with you, do you want to live with my mom?”

“…With your mother?”

“Yeah. I was worried about my mom being alone in Jeju Island. If you have no intention of living alone, how about living with my mom?”

“Won’t it be uncomfortable for her?”

Ji Yun held A Rin’s hand tightly and continued.

“Of course not. You know my mom liked you more than me.”

Scenes from the past flashed through A Rin’s mind. Ji Yun’s mother, Lady Seo, was a truly kind person in her memories.

[A Rin, have you eaten? If not, come in and eat with us. Auntie made your favorite japchae today.] [Oh my, A Rin, the button on your blouse looks like it’s about to fall off. Auntie will sew it back on for you. If you go into Ji Yun’s room, there are clothes in the closet. You can wear whatever you want, so go change and come back.] [It’s your birthday today, right? Auntie was working, so I couldn’t do much else, but I made seaweed soup and japchae. Stop by the house on your way.]

Lady Seo cared for her more than her own mother, who had no interest in when her birthday was or if she was eating well.

“Mom has been saying she feels lonely these days. So I think it would be nice if you go and keep her company.”

“Ji Yun.”

Tears welled up in A Rin’s eyes.

“Please, A Rin. To be honest, I’m worried about my mom. If you’re not uncomfortable with it, I’d be really grateful if you go to Jeju Island and stay with my mom.”

A Rin’s eyes wavered.

“Ji Yun. I’m sorry. And thank you. I know you’re saying it like a ‘favor’ to put my mind at ease, even though you’re worried about your mother.”

It was a great blessing to have gained Ji Yun as a friend in this world. A Rin put her arms around Ji Yun’s neck and hugged her.

“…Thank you. Ji Yun.”

A Rin conveyed her sincerity through sobs. Ji Yun slowly patted her back and said,

“What for? I’m the one who’s thankful.”

Ji Yun glanced at the luggage A Rin had brought and continued.

“Let’s leave before the vice president comes. I’ll take you. Are these all your clothes?”

“For now.”

“Okay. Jeju Island has marts and everything, so we can buy what you need later. I can buy them for you too.”

Instead of letting go of A Rin, Ji Yun held her hand.

“Let’s go to the airport first. We can get a flight to Jeju Island right away at the airport. I’ll talk to mom on the way.”

If Ji Yun hadn’t been there, how desperate would she have been?

Ji Yun, who was the same age but always like an elder sister, was such a precious person to her.

And an hour later, A Rin arrived at Gimpo Airport with Ji Yun.