My idol wife

Postpartum?

3 months have passed since our son Seonghwa was born. He has grown a little bit since his birth but he was still a bit smaller than the other babies around his age. The person who has changed the most since his birth has been Chaehyun. After being home for a month, taking care of herself, and recovering from birth, she has been going out. I don't blame her or anything since I know how hard it was for her to be home for a whole month without doing anything at all. Now she has the chance to enjoy herself and I'm happy about that. Though she has been more out lately than she has been before. She always comes home looking happy but whenever she sees me, her expression changes to a tired look. It has been a long time since I have seen her genuinely smile at me. Most of the time it has been a forced smile, even when holding our son she doesn't smile. I thought it just had to do with being a mom since it really drains your energy to be one but my suspicions grew even more when I noticed how she would be more on her phone even when feeding Seonghwa and how she would always be smiling when looking at it. I thought maybe she was cheating on me with someone else but when I talked with the other girls about my suspicions they just brushed it off. There is no way in their mind that Chaehyun would cheat on me.

But one day when I got home with Seonghwa after taking him to my parents since they wanted to see their grandchild, I saw Chaehyun walk right past us from the living room to our bedroom without saying a word to us. The only thing that she was doing was looking at her phone and texting someone. I placed Seonghwa in his bed in his room carefully since he was sleeping and closed the door behind me when I left for Chaehyun's and mine bedroom. I walked inside the room to see Chaehyun beginning to pack her luggage.

Jahoon: Where are you going? I don't remember you and the girls going to have a tour before next year.

Chaehyun: I'm not going on a tour. I'm leaving you.

Chaehyun said nonchalantly as she walked past me without even sparing me a look. I knitted my eyebrows and turned around to look at her while she took our clothes out of our clothes and walked over to put them in her luggage which was on our bed. I walked over and stood close to her. I was beginning to become agitated but tried my best to keep my cool.

Jahoon: What do you mean by "you are leaving"? What happened? Are you mad at me or something? If I have done anything wrong maybe I could fix it.

Chaehyun stopped in her tracks and looked at me with no emotions in her eyes. It kind of scared me a bit since I have never seen that look on her before but I stood my ground and tried not to be too affected by it.

Chaehyun: There is no way that you can fix it. I'm no longer in love with you anymore.

Jahoon: What... What are you saying?...

Chaehyun: For god damn sake! Do I need to spell it out for you?! I'm not in love with you anymore Park Jahoon! In fact, I have found someone who loves me and takes better care of me than you have ever done!

I looked at her trying to believe what I just heard. There was no way that could be right.

Jahoon: You are leaving me for another person? You are pranking me, right? There is no way that could be true. What about all those happy memories we have had in the past?! And what about Seonghwa?! Our son?! Doesn't any of it have any meaning to you?! Don't you remember how hard we tried to have him?! How happy we were when we found out that you were finally pregnant?! When he was born?! Nothing of it means anything to you now?!

Chaehyun: That was the past. Now is the present. There is nothing to discuss here. I'm leaving you. You take care of Seonghwa. Expect some divorce papers soon.

Chaehyun locked her luggage and walked out of the room with it. I just stood there frozen and staring at where she had just stood. There is no way that this could be true. I was expecting her to come back inside the room. To say that all of it was just a prank but it never happened. When I finally came to my senses I ran out of the room, following her and trying to catch up with her but when I came downstairs and out of the apartment building, I saw her car drive away and that was the last time I saw her. I stood there, catching my breath just looking in the direction where her car went blankly. After a few moments, I walked back up to the apartment and walked inside Seonghwa's room. He was still sleeping peacefully without having any idea of what just happened. I stood over his bed and watched him sleep but in the end, I couldn't hold it in any longer. The tears that were holding in me came flowing out. All I could do was bite the inside of my cheek and cry silently while watching him sleep.

Jahoon: What should I do? What should I do? Please stop crying. Do you want your bottle? Or do you need to be changed? I don't smell anything though.

I was holding Seonghwa in my arms as he kept crying. I tried to give him his bottle of milk, changed him, trying to make him sleep but even though my best effort of trying to quiet him down, none of it helped. I was worried that he may be sick. Should I take him to the hospital? While I was wondering if I should take him to the hospital or not, I heard someone knocking on our door. Did someone become annoyed with Seonghwa's crying and come to yell at us to be quiet? I slowly made my way to the door with Seonghwa still in my arms and opened it to see my neighbor, who was an old lady living in the opposite apartment from me.

Jahoon: I'm so sorry for the disturbance. I will try to keep him from crying.

Old lady: It is okay my dear. Actually, I came over to see if you needed any help. I overheard him crying for a long time. What is wrong with him?

I invited the old lady inside and we walked into the living room where we both sat on the couch.

Jahoon: I don't know. I have been trying to give him his bottle of milk and I have been changing his diaper, even trying to make him sleep but to no avail. I'm worried that he may be sick.

Old lady: Don't worry dear. We will try and find out about it together. May I hold him so I could take a look at him?

I handed Seonghwa over to her and looked at her with worry and hope that she could help him. After a while of looking at him, she turned to look at me.

Old lady: Dear, he is too hot in his clothes! That is why he is crying! We have to change him into some much lighter clothes, that will perhaps help this cutie little mood.

I nodded and walked inside his bedroom to grab some of the clothes that were thinner in texture. I walked back to the living room where the old lady took the clothes that she thought were fitting and changed Seonghwa. Soon after he stopped crying. I looked at him and then at the old lady as she had just done some witchcraft.

Jahoon: How did you know that?

Old lady: Oh dear, I have been a mother and grandmother I don't know how many times. I have experienced it all. By the way dear I want to ask you, are you a single mother? I don't see any pictures or any indication that there is someone else in your and this little boy's life.

She looked at me with genuine worry as well as curiosity. My thoughts returned back to the day that Chaehyun had left me. It has been half a year since it happened but all of it is still fresh in my mind. I looked at her with a smile trying not to break down in tears or anything.

Jahoon: I am a single mother. I had a wife before but... there were some complications between us and then she left. So it is only me and my son left.

Old lady: Oh dear. I'm so sorry. It must have been really hard for you then. It is not easy to raise a child on your own. You know what dear? I will help you with it. If you ever need anything or any help ask me then I will help.

Jahoon: No no. It is alright. I don't want to bother you too much.

Old lady: It is alright my dear. I'm already at home doing almost nothing and my own husband isn't really fun enough to be with all the time anymore, so don't worry. Just tell me if you or your little one need anything. What is his name by the way?

Jahoon: His name is Seonghwa.

Old lady: Hello Seonghwa. Aren't you a cute little one?

The old lady looked at Seonghwa with a bright smile on her face and began playing with him. Seonghwa squealed out of excitement and I couldn't help but smile at the interaction. At first, I was fearful of how I was going to raise Seonghwa on my own but now I'm just grateful that I had someone to help me when I really didn't know myself.