Could this possibly be a dream? That was the first thought that crossed Han Seo Yeon’s mind after staying up all night. It just didn’t feel real at all.

And for good reason – her husband had never been sick throughout their entire marriage, nor had he ever shown her any sign of weakness. He was such a strong person that she suspected he might be made of iron. But suddenly, an accident?

Coming to her senses, she saw Tae Seong Jun’s family members greeting mourners with somber faces. Seo Yeon bowed her head alongside them to receive the visitors.

The man who had flown in from a distant country to see Seong Jun’s final moments was an old friend of his, whom Seo Yeon had met a few times before. Upon recognizing his face, Seo Yeon bowed in greeting.

“Sister-in-law… I don’t know what words of comfort to offer… Hic!”

His voice trembling as he tried to console Seo Yeon, the man suddenly burst into tears. At that, Seong Jun’s family members who had barely composed themselves also began to wail one by one.

“……”

Seo Yeon was the only person who hadn’t shed a tear in this place. All she could do was stand quietly among the crying people with a bewildered expression. Seo Yeon was curious. And she wanted to know.

‘Why aren’t my tears coming?’

A few hours earlier, Seong Jun’s lawyers had visited the funeral home. They requested to speak with Seo Yeon privately and informed her that her husband had left her a substantial inheritance. Originally, they were going to proceed with property division during the divorce, but the situation had changed.

She couldn’t remember the details clearly due to her disoriented state, but it seemed her husband, who had been in a coma, had briefly regained consciousness. At that time, the first thing he did was call for a lawyer to settle the inheritance procedures.

She was too dumbfounded to speak. He should have spent that time saying final goodbyes to his beloved family.

*

After that, Seo Yeon continued to receive mourners in a half-dazed state.

Though she couldn’t recall clearly due to the chaotic situation, she seemed to have heard criticisms and resentful words from her in-laws about how she could not shed a single tear.

There seemed to have been a brief commotion when she failed to respond properly to her angry in-laws.

Still, as Seo Yeon was still legally Seong Jun’s wife, she remained at her post to fulfill her final duty as a wife.

As she exited the building, a black sedan was waiting.

“I’ll escort you, madam.”

Seo Yeon gazed at the man with an expressionless face for a moment, then slightly bowed her head and opened the passenger door.

“Madam.”

Seo Yeon turned to look at the man. He hesitated for a moment, looking at Seo Yeon, then carefully said,

“Are you alright? Please cheer up.”

The man’s voice was trembling even more pitifully as he spoke. He was born in Han Kyung and grew up with Seong Jun. He was a man who had followed Seong Jun like a brother before he became his superior, so the shock must have been great.

“Thank you.”

Seo Yeon bowed and added in a trembling voice,

“You cheer up too, Driver Park.”

“Hic!”

At Seo Yeon’s words, the man suddenly began to sob as if overwhelmed with emotion.

So Seo Yeon had to stand on the street for a while, comforting the grown man who couldn’t stop crying.

This had been Seo Yeon’s job with Seong Jun’s acquaintances for the past few days. She empathized with their pain and offered words of comfort.

But Seo Yeon still couldn’t quite grasp the reality of the situation.

Though she had wished to part ways with him because life had become tiring and difficult, and she no longer wanted to have expectations or be disappointed by anyone, she never thought it would come about through her husband’s death.

“Um, madam, we’ve arrived.”

Seo Yeon snapped out of her reverie at the sound of the driver’s voice.

“Thank you. You’ve worked hard today. Please go in.”

Seo Yeon had arrived at Seong Jun’s house to organize her belongings that she hadn’t had a chance to pack before their separation.

After sending the driver away, Seo Yeon once again stared at the building with a half-dazed expression.

Although they had used separate rooms after their relationship soured, it was hard to believe that her husband, with whom she had conversed face-to-face every morning and evening, no longer existed in that place.

And the fact that she had to enter that space without Seong Jun.

After standing still for a while like a frightened person, Seo Yeon came to her senses and opened the front door to enter the house.

As she walked down the hallway, she stopped in front of Seong Jun’s study. It was the place where he spent most of his time when he was at home.

He was the type of person who was only satisfied when he achieved the best results in his work. Perhaps that’s why, even at home, he usually dealt with remaining work rather than resting. That’s the kind of person her husband was.

Occasionally, she had entered with fruit or tea, but considering her husband’s personality of not liking someone in his space, she didn’t stay long. It was also burdensome to be alone in a space with her husband.

She ran her hand over the bookshelf in the study that her husband had touched, with a wistful look in her eyes, and read some of the humanities books he had enjoyed.

Suddenly, her gaze was drawn to a long desk with a slightly open drawer.

Seo Yeon slowly approached the desk and carefully opened the drawer.

There was a metal box inside. Seo Yeon opened the box as if in a trance.

“This is…!”

And her eyes widened in surprise.

Inside was an ultrasound picture of Seo Yeon and Seong Jun’s baby. Her heart trembled, and she pressed both hands firmly against her chest. Then she looked down again to check the ultrasound picture. Her eyes were already red and bloodshot.

“How is this here……”

A mistake of just one night. But for Seo Yeon, it was an unforgettable night.

Her husband was uncharacteristically drunk. Seo Yeon was a bit surprised by Seong Jun’s disheveled appearance. Was that why?

She had mustered the courage to speak to him first. The casual conversation that started soon turned into a deep discussion, and the boundaries between them suddenly crumbled. The careful kisses that began soon turned into breathless ones in an instant.

Then, as if by miracle, an angel visited.

Seo Yeon was worried about how her husband, who usually seemed uninterested in having children, would react, but she gathered her courage and spoke.

– I’m 7 weeks pregnant.

Upon hearing Seo Yeon’s words, he froze.

Like someone who had heard a very embarrassing story. Or like someone who was terribly surprised.

It was a face she had never seen before in her life.

Seo Yeon became frightened by that reaction.

Does he really dislike it? What if he says he doesn’t need a child?

– ……

Her mouth became parched with worry and nervousness.

Seemingly unaware of Seo Yeon’s anxious heart, he stared intently at the ultrasound picture she had handed him without saying a word. As her husband’s silence lengthened, Seo Yeon, feeling scared, gathered her courage and spoke first.

– I know it’s surprising. I was very surprised at first too. But it’s our child, I want to raise it well. I want to make it happy. So, Seong Jun, please cooperate as much as possible.

Seong Jun’s gaze, which had been looking at Seo Yeon with wide, surprised eyes, turned back to the ultrasound picture. Was it her imagination? Seo Yeon felt that her husband’s stiff face wasn’t from shock, but rather from being too moved to speak.

The unexpected child became something special to Seo Yeon.

At first, she was bewildered by the fact that she was becoming a mother, but when she imagined the moment of meeting the child, she was filled with happiness.

Seong Jun, who often missed home due to overtime work and business trips, started going to work late and coming home early to spend time with Seo Yeon. It was the most peaceful and happy time during their life as a couple.

– Thanks to you, I get to see my great-grandchild when I thought I had given up due to my age. Thank you, little one.

Her stern and seemingly frightening grandfather-in-law was particularly happy about the news of Seo Yeon’s pregnancy.

At that time, it was common to hear jealous and envious comments about how the old man, who didn’t even give his own son and daughter much attention, was especially fond of his granddaughter-in-law.

She thought they would only be happy in the future. But misfortune came suddenly. It was a miscarriage.

Seo Yeon still couldn’t understand.

Had there been a mistake in what she ate? Had she neglected her health? What on earth had she done wrong?

Baby, I’m sorry. Mommy is so sorry.

Seo Yeon shed tears from the guilt of not being able to protect the child. Is this what it feels like when your heart is torn apart? It felt as if a part of her body had been ripped away. It was so painful she could hardly breathe.

– We can have another child.

Seo Yeon, who had been pouring out her sorrow, looked up at Seong Jun’s face.

– This isn’t something to be so sad about. It was just an accident. So forget it.

Seong Jun’s words, which didn’t sound like comfort, were of no help to Seo Yeon at all.

Instead, her sadness only grew.

Forget? How could she forget?

And her resentment towards her husband, who acted as if it really wasn’t a big deal, only grew. She even thought she might suffocate and die soon if she continued living with such a cold man.

“……”

Seo Yeon’s gaze, having finished her reminiscence, returned to the ultrasound picture. The corners of the photo were worn and blunt from how many times it had been looked at.

In one corner of the box were the baby’s first clothes and socks that the two had prepared with excited hearts. Seo Yeon’s eyes trembled violently upon discovering them.

“You were sad too.”

Tears she had been holding back flowed along her long eye lines.

“And I didn’t know that and only blamed you.”