Jong Kook gave Ji Hyo a glass of water.
"Are you okay now," Jong Kook asked.
Ji Hyo takes a sip of water and sits on the couch.
"Not really," she said.
"What happened?"
It's about Gary, oppa. I saw him kissing another girl in his office. I think it might be the same girl I saw at our party several days ago.
"What?!...You saw Gary kissing somebody at your party?!"
"Yes, oppa...he said it was nobody and we really didn't talk about it because we had guests that night."
"Oppa..Gary makes so many mistakes...I'm starting to wonder if I am one of those mistakes...I love him so much and am willing to stay by his side...but what if I am not the one and that I am just one of those other girls he just played around with...was it all a lie?...I don't what to do?"
"Ji Hyo..I know Gary loves you very much....where is he right now?"
"Unless he left, he should still be in his recording studio," she said.
"Please oppa...don't call him...I really don't want to see him right now."
"Alright, JI Hyo...but you will have to talk to him to clear this matter up."
"Oppa...there's something else I want to tell you but please don't tell anybody about it...okay oppa?"
"Okay, Ji Hyo...what is it?"
"I gave back his engagement ring."
"What?!...Why?...you two are meant for each other...he loves you, Ji Hyo and you love him..."
"Oppa...if he loved me...why did he kiss that woman?...I might not be the person he truly wants to spend the rest of his life with....like I said before...I might be a mistake in his life."
Ji Hyo begins to cry. Jong Kook hugs Ji Hyo to comfort her.
"Thank you, oppa for listening to me...I needed to talk to somebody...I was just driving around, when I happened to stop in front of your building...I am so tired right now."
"Ji Hyo, why don't your rest on the couch for a while....I was going to do some errands before you came...but you are more important right now...I am going to step out to get something for us to eat....you look like you haven't eaten for awhile, so let me get some food for you...okay?"
"Oh, oppa...I am so sorry...I'll just go home now...I didn't mean to interrupt your day."
Ji Hyo starts to get up but she was lightheaded. The minute she got up she felt dizzy and she quickly sat back down on the couch.
"Ji Hyo...you're in no condition to drive right now....you're under a lot of stress...you need to rest...it's okay...we can talk more after you rest...I'll be right back....I don't have anything to offer you here to eat, so I will step out to get something...just stay here and relax...I'll be right back."
At first Ji Hyo hesitated but feeling so dizzy and tired, she accepted his offer.
"Okay oppa...I will just rest here on the couch until you come back...thank you oppa," Ji Hyo said sleepily.
Jong Kook went to his room to get his jacket. When he came back out to the living room, Ji Hyo was already sleeping. He goes back to his room to get a blanket and put it on her. Jong Kook stepped out of his apartment and got in his car. He immediately calls Gary.
Gary left his cell phone on his desk, while he went to get something from his car. Gil, who was waiting in his office, heard the cell phone ring, so he went to take a look at who was trying to call Gary. When he saw it was Jong Kook, he picked up the phone.
"Oh Gary-ah...what is going on between you and Ji Hyo?...she came to me crying..."
Just then Gary comes back into his office.
"Oh Gary...it's Jong Kook."
Gil, hands the phone to Gary.
"Oh, hyung..what is it?"
"Gary-ah...you need to come to my place...Ji Hyo is here...she's been crying."
"Okay hyung...I'll be right there."
Gary took the ring from the desk.
"Gil, I am going to Jong Kook's place...Ji Hyo is there."
"Gary, Ji Hyo has gone through so much with you...if you still have feelings for your ex girlfriend and she still has feelings for you...let Ji Hyo go....don't hurt her anymore."
"Gil...I have to go...I'll talk to you when I get back."
Gary left his studio and went to to meet Jong Kook at the lobby of his apartment building.
"Oh, Gary-ah...Ji Hyo told me what happened...what's wrong with you?...don't you love Ji Hyo?...why are you hurting her like this?...you need to talk...here...this is my key to my apartment...she should still be sleeping...go up there and talk to her...I'll leave you two alone while I do some errands..."
"Thank you Hyung."
Jong Kook left Gary on his own. Gary immediately went up to Jong Kook's place. He quietly opened the door and saw Ji Hyo peacefully sleeping on his couch. She was so exhausted, she didn't even hear him come in. He knelt down beside her and gently shook her arm to wake her up.
"Hmmm..." she moaned.
"Ji Hyo...it's me...Gary...wake up."
"Huh!...what are you doing here?...how did you find me?"
Startled to hear Gary's voice, Ji Hyo immediately sat up.
"Ji Hyo...please...we need to talk."
"Uhm...okay but wher is Jong Kook,oppa?" she asked.
"He went to do some errands...he'll be back a little later." Gary said.
Gary sits next to her on the couch.
"First, I want you to take this back." he said.
Gary takes the ring out of his pocket and slips it back on Ji Hyo's finger.
A single tear comes down the corner of her eye as he gently and lovingly slips the ring back on her finger.
"Ji Hyo...I never wanted to hurt you...I love you very much...the woman you saw me with...we had a long history together...do you remember I told you about my last relationship?...well that was her....she was the girl that left me...we had a very bad fallout and she left....and I never heard from her again...I was really hurt by that relationship that I wrote all those songs about her....she meant a lot to me back then and I never really got over her....it took me awhile to open my heart to someone again after that...until you came along....you helped erased those memories that have been haunting me all those years...I never thought I would find love again but I did....but now...seeing her again after all these years...I'm a bit confused....I have a lot of unanswered questions that I need to ask her....I still love you Ji Hyo but I need to clear things up with "her" before I can truly commit myself to you...I want to be honest with you Ji Hyo...that is why I am saying this to you...please try to understand....I need some time to think things through....I really don't mean to hurt you but this just came as a surprise to me....I don't want to start our marriage with a lie, so I want to be honest with you with how I am feeling right now...can you understand what I'm saying?"
As Ji Hyo's heart was breaking inside, she showed no signs to Gary that she was hurting.
"Yes...I think I do...you need time to talk to your ex girlfriend and clear things up between the two of you before you can commit yourself to me...is that what you're saying?" Ji Hyo asked.
"Something like that," he said.
"Shall we postpone the marriage." Ji Hyo asked.
"I..I..think...we...we should wait...until...until I think things through," he said.
Gary looked down because he couldn't face Ji Hyo. She was glad he looked away because if he did look at her, he would had seen her lips trembling, as she looked up at the ceiling trying hard to hold back the tears that coming from her eyes.
"I see," she sadly said.
Ji Hyo then put her hand on Gary's chin, lifted it so he could face her.
"Thank you for being honest with me, Gary....I do hope you find the answers to all your questions and that you might have some kind of understanding or closure between the two of you."
She then kisses Gary on the lips before removing the ring off her finger again. Ji Hyo gently places the ring in his hand, then stands up, gathers her belonging and walks out the door.
It took all her energy to muster up the courage to let Gary go.
Gary didn't go after her. He knew that he really hurted her this time but he couldn't deny what he was feeling for his ex girlfriend. He knew he would hurt Ji Hyo more if there were doubts (did he make the right decision) lingering over their marriage. He wanted to have an honest marriage not one of deceit.
By the time Ji Hyo came down from the elevator, Jong Kook just arrived with a bag of groceries.
"Oh Ji Hyo...is everything okay now with you and Gary?"
"We talked and now things are clear...he's still upstairs in your apartment...thank you, oppa for letting me rest at your place."
"Anytime, Ji Hyo....are you leaving already?..I brought some food for you to eat."
"Uhm, thank you oppa but I have to go now...goodbye."
Jong Kook could clearly see that everything was not okay with Ji Hyo because as she was leaving, he could see her wiping away the tears from her eyes.
Jong Kook went up to his apartment and found Gary standing by the window. He was looking down at the parking lot to see if Ji Hyo left. He saw Ji Hyo walk to her car. Before she opened the door, Gary could see her wipe her face with the back of her hand. He couldn't take it. She was hurting and it was all his fault. He quickly turned around and bolted for the door but Jong Kook stood in his way. He grabbed Gary and stopped him from going after Ji Hyo.
"No, Gary...I don't know what happened here but I know she is hurting....don't hurt her anymore."
"Hyung...please let me go..."
"No! What did you guys talk about that made her leave crying?"
Gary turned towards the window. Jong Kook released his grip on Gary, who then ran back to the window. It was too late, Ji Hyo had already left.
Jong Kook told Gary to sit down and tell him what happened between the two of them.
Jong Kook wasn't happy with what he heard. He felt Gary messed things up more with Ji Hyo. Since he loved both of his friends, he could only be there to support them in any decisions they make, whether they be right or wrong.
"I hope in the end that you find what you really want and that your conscious is clear when you finally make up your mind on who you truly want to spend the rest of your life with," Jong Kook said to Gary.
Gary didn't know what to say but just nodded his head. He then said goodbye to his friend and headed back to his studio.
When he arrived at the studio, he told Gil what had happened. Gil was saddened with the news that Ji Hyo returned the ring back to Gary. In his heart, he knew that Gary made a huge mistake by letting her go.
Gil also gave a similar speech to Gary that Jong Kook gave. He wished only the best for his dear friend Gary and Ji Hyo.
Gary and Ji Hyo talked to their parents about their decision to postpone their marriage, without going into details as to why they are postponing it. They only told them that they felt it wasn't really the right time for both of them. Both sides of the family were deeply saddened by the news that they had broken off their engagement. As for the rest of their family and friends, they decided to hold off telling them the news until a later time.
Once they told their parents the news, Gary moves out of Ji Hyo's house and moves back in to his apartment. After he settled back into his apartment he made arrangements to meet up with his ex girlfriend. He was suppose to meet her earlier but things didn't work out that day.
(flashback: when Gary's ex girlfriend was in his office, she had given him her cell phone number)
After Gary moved out, Ji Hyo took a trip to America with her son. Gary didn't object to her and their son going to America as he was too busy trying to find himself and what he or who he wants in his life.
Gary and his ex girlfriend started up their friendship again. They started spending time with each other whenever they had free time. She eventually told Gary that she was currently separated from her husband and like Gary she wasn't sure what she really wanted in her life. As Gary and his ex girlfriend became close again, Ji Hyo was trying to make the best of things in America.
She stayed with a very close family friend. Not knowing a lot of English and her way around the city where her friend lived, she felt homesick and wanted to go home. Seeing how unhappy Ji Hyo was being away from home, her friend introduces her to one of her closest friend, Shin Joon Soo. He is a coworker who works with her at the law firm where she works. Ji Hyo was confortable conversing with him, since he spoke fluent Korean and English. During his free time, he took Ji Hyo and her son around town so she can familiarize herself where the local shops are, eatery and entertainment places, such as museums, park and theatres. Since she spoke little English, he also helped her learn more English words. They began to spend a lot of time together and Ji Hyo began to let go her feelings of being homesick. She was starting to enjoy her stay in America.
Meanwhile back home, Gary and his ex girlfriend started talking about what happened in their relationship. She told him how disappointed she was with his lifestyle and that she wanted to change him to be a better man but he wouldn't listen to her. After listening to her explanation to what happened between the two of them, Gary came to realize that his ex girlfriend was trying to change him, that she couldn't accept his lifestyle and thought he was going nowhere with his singing career and that it was just a waste of time for him to focus on music.
"Is that why you left me?...because I couldn't change for you?"
"Yes, she said. After I left you I found someone who had a very good career and was very good to me...we married and started a family together...but after we had children, things changed...we weren't as happy with our life as we were earlier in our relationship...I began to feel distant from him...I feel trapped in my boring marriage...there's no excitement in our lives anymore....I began to feel depressed and lonely....then one day I read about your upcoming marriage and I remembered all the wonderful times we had together....they were exciting times....I am hoping to bring back those happy times again with you."
"Did you talk to your husband about this?" Gary asked.
"No...he wouldn't listen to me." she said.
"How do you know that if you never brought it up?"
Gary realized that what his ex girlfriend was struggling with was the changes that happened once she got married and had children. He realized that they had cut the communication line between the two of them that they began to drift apart and were living separate lives. To evolve in a married relationship, it is very important to keep the communication line open so that if anything major changes arises in their life they could work through it together to overcome the obstacle that is distancing them away from each other.
Gary asked her if she still loved her husband?
She said, "I'm not sure."
He then asked her if he still loves her and she said, "The last time he talked to me, yes."
Gary was glad the air between the two of them was finally cleared. He found the answer to what he was looking for and now has closure in his life with his ex girlfriend.
He tells her that she needs to go back to her husband and work things out with him. To him it was obvious that they still care for each other but the strain of married life with children has caused a rift between the two of them. They had forgotten how to communicate with one another and they began to devout their time and energy on raising their children, while neglecting to spend quality time with each other.
It was at this moment that Gary realized that it was a good thing that she left him because in reality he did find himself in the end. Although he lives a carefree lifestyle, he's doing the things he loves to do, which is focus on his music. Since she left him, he has had streams of success in his life, from music, to his television career to finding love a second time around. Ji Hyo loves him for who he is. She never tried to change his lifestyle but adjusted to him instead and became understanding. It finally dawned on him that he already has everything he could ever want in his life and he was happy.
He was glad his ex girlfriend came back to his life because she helped him to see the light that the person for him is Ji Hyo. He will always cherish what he had with his ex girlfriend but he now knows that it had been over between the two of them a long time ago. What they were doing now was just reminiscing about the past. He has to let go the past, in order to move on to the future.
Gary tells his ex girlfriend that they could never get back together. She has found the right person in her life but just need to work things out with him. He suggests they go through conseling to help them work through their marriage. He made it clear to her that she will always have a special place in his heart but the woman he truly loves is Ji Hyo. She is the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.
Gary closed this chapter of life with his ex girlfriend when said goodbye to her for the very last time. He wished her all the best life has to offer. By letting her go, he closed one door and opened a new one.
Ji Hyo had been sending letters to Gary to let him know how they are doing in America but she never wrote down a return address. Gary went to see her parents but her parents hesitated to tell him where she is. Afterall, he was responsible for breaking off the engagement. Gary pleaded with her parents to let her know where she is. He wanted to make things right by bringing her back home and marrying her. He realized he made the biggest mistake of his life by letting her go. He really, really loves her and wants her to come back home. Gary was so desperate that he not only kneeled in front of her parents but he put his hands together and literally begged them to help him find her.
Seeing how remorse he was with his actions against their daughter, her parents finally gave in and gave him the information where she was staying. Gary thanked her parents and immediately booked a flight to America.