My Pretty Woman

Chapter 28

[Sandara's POV]

As I sat in my London apartment, engrossed in conversation with Jiyong via video call, a wave of relief washed over me, mingled with a nagging sense of curiosity. It had a month since my return to London, yet Jiyong hadn't received any news from the university where I was studying. While a part of me was relieved by this, another part couldn't help but worry about his potential disappointment. His PhD credentials were impeccable, and securing a position as a visiting lecturer should have been a straightforward process.

I couldn't shake off the concern that perhaps there were underlying reasons for the university's delay in reaching out to him. Was there something I wasn't aware of, some complication that had arisen? Or was it merely bureaucratic red tape slowing down the process? Either way, I found myself growing increasingly anxious about Jiyong's state of mind amidst this uncertainty.

"Are you sure you don't need any recommendations or assistance with your application?" I inquired, trying to hide my concern.

"Nope, everything's fine. Don't worry about me. How's your day been?" Jiyong replied, removing his glasses and looking at me with those mesmerizing eyes.

I bit my nail nervously as I watched him on the screen. It surprised me how much power he held, even from thousands of miles away. Just seeing his face filled me with butterflies, a testament to the depth of our connection. "Terrible. I need more hot packs; my head is pounding from lack of sleep. It's freezing here, and the room heater isn't doing much. I'm cold all the time. I wish you were here with me."

He chuckled softly. "I could be there in no time if you let me..."

Sometimes, I regretted not allowing him to come to London just to be with me, but I knew his presence would be a distraction as I worked on my thesis and it was the last week, I need to be extra focus so I could get my title in two months. "I know... I'm sorry. Deep down, I was secretly relieved when they rejected your application—at least until I finish my thesis. I need to focus. But... I miss you." I sneezed, prompting a concerned reaction from Jiyong. "Don't worry; it's just a cold. I won't die from it," I reassured him, though the word "die" hung heavy in the air, a reminder of the jinx we both dreaded.

"Have you take medicine? Are you having fever?"

"Nope... It will get better in a few days."

Changing the subject, I asked about Jiyong's 'ask for forgiveness' project. We had agreed to reconcile and start our relationship anew, but part of that process involved Jiyong apologizing to those he had wronged or who posed a threat to us. First on the list was his father, Stephanie, Jay Park, and many others—individuals who seemed to harbor animosity toward him.

"Today, I finished with Jay Park," Jiyong reported, sounding as if he were discussing a mundane task. "He's in prison for assault, so it wasn't too difficult." His nonchalant demeanor irked me.

"Did he demand compensation for what you did to him?" I asked, knowing how tricky it could be to navigate these apologies.

"Nope, I just talked to him as if we were old friends, and he didn't even realize it was me who broke him," Jiyong explained, sounding pleased with himself.

"Jiyong..." I sighed, exasperated.

"What? I apologized for whatever I did to him. It's not my fault if he didn't catch on," he defended. As he scrolled through his list, I reminded him of the rationale behind including certain names. "Seriously, Sandara?" He showed the names he felt familiar of towards the camera to showing it to me.

"Seunghyun... Kiyong's on there because of how you treated him. You've humiliated him plenty of times."

"I didn't mean to..."