A Rin couldn’t help but laugh at Lady Jung’s words.

Misunderstanding?

She didn’t even have the leisure to think that the reason he wasn’t divorcing her was because of his lingering feelings for her.

No, she didn’t bother to think about why he wasn’t divorcing her.

For the past three years, she had lived just to survive.

[I didn’t want any unnecessary rumors to spread before Yu Jin returned. Besides, Jae Hyuk and Yu Jin are already sure of their feelings for each other, so it would be troublesome if he was seen with this woman or that woman. But to announce the relationship between Yu Jin and Jae Hyuk……]

Lady Jung gently smiled as she held Yu Jin’s hand who was standing next to her and continued.

Seeing Lady Jung’s face, which she had never seen before, made A Rin feel miserable.

[It seems like it will interfere with our Yu Jin’s studies. Now that Yu Jin has returned, the divorce papers will be filed.]

Did you use me as a shield? Just for the reason of protecting the woman you love?

How long do I have to listen to this?

She was angry at them for still looking down on her.

The papers were already submitted. The divorce would be finalized as soon as he files them.

“I did everything. It’s your son who didn’t do it. Why are you doing this to me!”

She thought it was a bad fate that she still couldn’t end even after three years.

It was the summer of the following year after she left Jae Hyuk. Director Han, his chief secretary, came to find A Rin.

[Have you been well.] [What is this about?]

Seeing herself not responding to the greeting, Director Han smiled embarrassedly.

[The Vice President said to tell you that he has no intention of divorcing. And he said you don’t have to worry about the elder madam contacting you anymore.] [Worry? What worry. Do I look like I’m anxious about whether Lady Jung will contact me or not like before?] [That’s not it. Just.] [Don’t misunderstand. If madam contacts me, it’s because Ban Jae Hyuk won’t divorce me.]

Director Han’s face sank deeply like the deep sea.

[This whole mess is because Ban Jae Hyuk won’t divorce me. So make sure to tell him. To divorce me.] [I’m sorry. But as the Vice President’s person, I apologize in advance for having to relay this message even if you don’t want it.] [I don’t want to hear it.] [That you can come back anytime if you want to come back.]

She should be angry.

She should only be angry.

A Rin knew it would be no problem for him to find her if he wanted to. Rather, a year would be considered late.

[That will never happen. Tell him. That what I want is a divorce from Ban Jae Hyuk.]

Not being able to forget Jae Hyuk and wanting to go back to his side were unrelated. She had no intention of ever going back to his side again.

[Tell him to divorce me. I don’t understand why he’s not doing it. And just in case, tell him to never come find me.]

A Rin sent Director Han back with cold words.

Nothing changed with the passing of time.

A Rin contacted the lawyer in charge of her divorce.

[It seems difficult to proceed with a divorce by agreement. After three years, we should assume they have no intention of divorcing. If you want a divorce, it would be best to start preparing for a lawsuit now.] [If it goes to trial, won’t everyone find out about it? Even the trivial details. What if they find out things I don’t want known.] [There are no cases where the grounds for divorce are made public. Everything said in court is kept confidential. If an article about the lawsuit is released, it will likely only mention personality differences to the media. Some media outlets may try to dig for the reason, but there is no case where the part you are concerned about will be revealed to the world. So you can rest assured about that.]

Even with the lawyer’s words, A Rin somehow didn’t feel like going to trial. She wanted a divorce, but somehow she wanted to avoid a divorce lawsuit. However, she felt that if the situation turned out this way, a lawsuit would be unavoidable.

“Are you okay?”

Yu Hyun, who had suddenly approached closely, asked. At his touch, A Rin, who had broken out of her reminiscence, quickly opened her mouth.

“Ah, sorry. I’ll do it right away.”

A Rin said as she organized the scattered credit card receipts.

“I didn’t mean to rush you. I’m almost done. Let’s do it together.”

Yu Hyun held A Rin’s hand that was grasping the credit card receipts.

“……Sorry.”

“For what.”

Yu Hyun gently stroked A Rin’s hair.

“There are days like this and days like that. Sit for a moment. Let’s do it together.”

“Okay.”

Today was full of mistakes. She made double the usual amount and made frequent calculation errors. Moreover, she even handed over the wrong product.

Although she acted confident in front of Lady Jung, her insides were not.

A Rin blamed herself and waited for Yu Hyun.

“Let’s go, A Rin.”

“Ah? Okay.”

As A Rin jumped up, Yu Hyun held out a pink mini crossbody bag to her.

“Here, your bag.”

A Rin blankly took the bag.

“Thanks. Ah, oppa, I’m going to the restroom for a moment.”

“Go ahead. I’ll wait in the car.”

“Okay.”

As A Rin went into the restroom, Yu Hyun turned off all the store lights.

“Choi A Rin, you fool.”

Yu Hyun softly spoke, looking at the restroom door A Rin had entered. He already knew who had come by in the morning.

He was just keeping his mouth shut in case A Rin would be troubled if he acted like he knew.

A Rin had been acting strange since she saw that news.

‘You say it’s not, but somehow I feel like you haven’t been able to completely erase that man. If you had no feelings, you wouldn’t have had such a shocked expression at the news of that man’s engagement. Even now, after three years, the reason that woman who claims to be his mother-in-law came is all because you and that man haven’t been clearly settled legally.’

Yu Hyun’s mouth tasted bitter.

“It’s still far. Seo Yu Hyun.”

How much longer do I have to wait for you to look at me by your side?

At first, he hoped for even a small crack in her heart where he could enter. However, as time passed, his greed grew bigger and bigger.

Just as she was his complete love, he wished he could be the same to her……

“Sigh.”

Yu Hyun let out a low sigh. Muttering the last words, he walked towards the store door.

At that moment, with the sound of the bell, the door opened and a shadow was cast into the darkened store.

Thinking it was a customer, he quickly approached and said,

“I’m sorry, today’s business……”

The moment he saw the face of the person he thought was a customer, Yu Hyun couldn’t finish his words.

“You……”

Was there anyone in Korea who didn’t know his face?

No, even if he wasn’t a famous man, he would have recognized him.

Because he was the man A Rin loved.

Yu Hyun was only filled with the thought that he had to kick the man out before A Rin came out.

“What are you doing here? Leave immediately.”

“…….”

Yu Hyun approached the man who didn’t answer and warned in a low voice.

“Hurry up and leave.”

Yu Hyun was anxious as the man didn’t budge.

And the worst became reality.

Behind him, the sound of the door opening with a click was heard along with A Rin’s voice.

“Oppa, why are you still at the store……”

Yu Hyun felt a sense of despair in his heart. He could no longer hear A Rin’s footsteps in his ears.

[This is the timeline separator]

“No way.”

A Rin couldn’t believe the identity of the man standing in front of her.

She couldn’t move.

Was she seeing things?

A person who shouldn’t be here was standing before her eyes.

As the man’s gaze that had been directed at Yu Hyun touched her, his eyes greatly wavered.

“…..A Rin.”

A dry voice flowed out between the tightly closed lips of the man.

A man she once loved like crazy, and a man she once missed so much she thought she would die.

A man she hated and despised.

“…..Ban Jae Hyuk.”

It had been three years since Jae Hyuk appeared in front of her.

‘Get a grip, Choi A Rin. You have to do well here.’

Even in the bewildering situation, A Rin pulled herself together. Instead of the title “oppa” lingering in her mouth, she drew a line.

Was it effective?

Jae Hyuk’s eyes shook roughly.

A Rin pondered for a short time.

Should she kick him out, or……

“Oppa.”

“……”

“I’m sorry, but go home first today.”

A Rin spoke in an apologetic but firm voice. Yu Hyun looked at her with a reluctant expression.

“…..I’ll wait.”

“No, oppa, you go first.”

It wouldn’t be good for Yu Hyun either if she made him wait.

“Oppa.”

“Okay, I got it.”

In the end, Yu Hyun turned around powerlessly at A Rin’s stubbornness.

After Yu Hyun left the store, A Rin sat face to face with Jae Hyuk for the first time in three years.

Was it because she had just heard the news of Jae Hyuk’s engagement?

A Rin was annoyed by Jae Hyuk’s pitiful and sorrowful gaze at her while he was going to marry another woman.

So rather than her heart aching at his unfamiliar gaze, resentment and hatred came first.

“Why did you come to see me?”

A Rin spoke in the coldest voice she could muster.

“……Have you been well.”

Jae Hyuk asked in a dry, cracked voice, trying hard to hide his shaking eyes.

A Rin did not avoid Jae Hyuk’s unfamiliar gaze looking at her.

“You and I aren’t in a relationship to ask about each other’s well-being.”

“……Yeah. You’re right.”

Jae Hyuk’s eyebrows and shoulders drooped down as he said those words in a powerless voice.

It wasn’t that A Rin’s heart was completely unaffected by Jae Hyuk’s powerless voice.

Until now, she had tried not to see Jae Hyuk on purpose.

She didn’t watch the news, and if Jae Hyuk’s name was in an internet article, she turned off her cell phone.

But……

Yesterday, it was the news of his engagement.

Today, it was his fiancée who came with his former mother-in-law.

A Rin didn’t want to be caught with her confused feelings.

“What right do you have to come find me?”

It was the coldest voice she could muster.

“What do you and I have to do with each other?”

Despite saying that, her eyes kept going to Jae Hyuk’s sunken cheeks.

‘Why have you lost so much weight? Are you eating properly? You have so much money, but why aren’t you taking care of your skin?’

His muscular triangular body was still not hidden even in a suit, but his face was much sharper and thinner than three years ago.

Until a moment ago, she hated Ban Jae Hyuk to death for getting engaged without divorcing her.

A Rin’s heart surged up with emotions she couldn’t control herself. She quickly turned her head away from looking at Jae Hyuk.

“Seeing you makes me feel bad. I hate that you came with such a struggling expression. It seems hypocritical.”

Leaving him was her own will, but it was half like being pushed out.

It was so hard she wanted to die.

No matter how much her family demanded money, no matter how much Lady Jung didn’t treat her like a human being. If only he had shown her even a little bit of interest, she wouldn’t have thought of leaving like this.

Just as a person’s heart cannot be cut perfectly like cutting a radish, perhaps even at the moment she handed him the divorce papers, she wished he would hold onto her.

But in the end, Jae Hyuk never looked back at her heart.