K.H
And months turned to years.
Jungkook avoided me like the plague, well, Lisa made him avoid me.
But truthfully so, it was probably for the best. If he was in pain then I was too. He was still my research partner for class back then and the experience was nothing short from excruciating sadness.
The look on his face always told me that he had so much to say but he always kept his lips shut to my dismay. Every time we laughed about something that seemed funny, the laughter would cut short as we realized that these moments were temporary and would eventually just become distant memories.
The one thing I hated about life was circumstances. No matter how capable you are to get something you want, circumstances was life's trump card against you. It coerces you to change your decisions.
Worst of all, it forced me to abandon my feelings for him.
The heart is biologically an organ that pumps blood and keeps you alive by doing so. Figuratively, the emotions, the feeling of love that it pumps throughout your body is what keeps you alive.
With every hug, every compliment, every kindness, and every kind word, it pumps love. But even with the mere brush of my fingers against his and my heart beats twice as fast. I lose focus and I become enraptured by his presence.
As soon as the research project was over. He avoided me and again circumstances pulled me even farther from him. I was forced to take advanced classes along with Eunwoo and we graduated earlier than the rest.
I was 21 when I graduated and officially sat at my very own office as the CEO of Kyong Laboratories.
My mother was furious already at the fact that I got her job at the age of 18 but she was even more furious now that her office was renovated to become mine.
The plaque on the door now clearly said:
경 해원
Kyong Haewon
CEO
M
y mother didn't take it lightly. She tried to threaten me by trying to set our mansion on fire but it didn't end well for her. I had her arrested and she was eventually put to prison for attempted arson.
I had them run a health check on her just to make sure she had no mental illnesses, and to my dismay she had none. I wanted to believe that she didn't want to hurt me or dishonor my father's memory but turns out she was just a malicious person.
A malicious person who lost her sense of self because of money. I was filled with hatred for her but I told myself I couldn't hold onto that hate anymore.
My hate clouded my judgement. How did I know this? It's because if I haven't spent so much time loathing Jungkook for something he didn't mean to do, I wouldn't have this future.
A future so filled with pressure.
As one of the youngest CEOs to ever exist in South Korea, let alone a female CEO, all eyes were on me. From expecting breakthrough cures and cheaper medicine from the masses, there was massive pressure.
I thought it only stopped at that. I thought the pressure was only because of me being CEO. But the media caught a whiff of my marriage. Truthfully, there was nothing wrong with my marriage with Eunwoo. In fact we were happy but the media loved to pick on our marriage.
When we both graduated, not only did I take the seat as CEO of my company but so did Eunwoo for his company. Together we helped our companies soar in terms of helping hospitals and finding cures.
Because of that, people were so invested in our relationships. They were interested in the relationship between young CEOs. Every outing we had from casual lunches to date nights, there were always camera flashes.
But I didn't mind, Eunwoo made me feel safe. I can't lie at this point about my growing feelings for him. Though he wasn't my first love he was someone who brought me so much happiness. He took time to listen to my worries, surprise me with the things I like, and he held me close when I needed comfort.
I never thought I'd fall in love again but I did. I love Eunwoo. He was what I needed. Maybe not what I initially wanted but I can't imagine life without him anymore.
There were no secrets between us. I confessed to him about my history with Jungkook and he understood. Despite my brokenness, he embraced every piece of me openly.
Three years of our marriage passed by like a blur filled with happy memories before I took the seat as CEO as soon as I graduated.
Like I said, the media really took an interest in us ever since we took our seats as CEO of our respective companies.
Then the board of directors to my company caught on with the interest of the media and the people.
They took interest into our relationship that they pressured us into starting a family.
I can still distinctly remember when that happened.
After the meeting, we went home to our penthouse and we had a talk.
I went to our room frustrated. I slumped into the bed and buried my face in my hands.
How could they ask that of me?
Did they honestly think it was okay to tell me how to live my life just to increase some sales.
I never asked for the media to take an interest in our marriage. I love being CEO, I learned to love it but I can't just be a puppet.
My thoughts were cut short when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I removed my hands from my face and I looked to see Eunwoo with a worried look on his face.
He sat beside me and placed my hand around my shoulder and I leaned into his embrace. I couldn't bring myself to speak so he said, "Haewon, I know this might be hard for you because you might have lingering feelings for him-"
I removed myself from his embrace and immediately cupped his face then said, "No, no, no, it's not that, Eunwoo.....I know it took a while for my feelings for you to be real but they are very real and I really do love you. You loved me for who I am and I love you so so much.. I just-"
He removed my hands from his face then he carefully caressed my cheek then said, "It's okay, you can take your time, I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere, I'm always by your side."
I smiled at the comfort of his words and with that, I steeled my nerves and said, "I'm just afraid, I don't want to be like my mother, negligent of their child because of the demands of work."
"Hey, you know that's not true, your mother was money hungry and addicted to climbing the social ladder," he said, "She didn't even do her job in the first place, you were doing her job, you were and still are the brains of the company."
"And for the record, I know you'll make a great mom because you're nothing like your mother," he reassured and I looked into his eyes and found truth in them.
My body moved with its desires and kissed his lips. A kiss not out of the pleasure but a kiss that told both of us that whatever the future holds it's going to be okay.
He slowly pulled away from the kiss and placed his forehead on mine and smiled then said, "You've always been a damn good kisser, you know that?"
I smiled and said, "Damn straight."
I couldn't keep my thoughts to myself anymore and I found myself saying, "I want a family......Eunwoo I want a family with you."
He smiled and said, "Yeah?"
"Yeah," I said and our lips met again in a searing kiss. One that sent chills all over my body.
I was 23 when I had my first child. A baby boy. We named him Hajoon. Cha Hajoon.
I never insisted on getting babysitters in taking care of him because I took it upon myself to bring him to my office and even to our meetings and the board of directors didn't mind. They were glad that I could still produce results despite having a child to take care of.
Thankfully Eunwoo and I equally took turns in taking care of him.
We switched by week. It made it easier that way and then when we're both free, we both would spend time in taking care of him.
Now I'm 27 and a month ago my son turned four. This week was my turn to take care of him.
I had him on my lap as he quietly observed me typing away on the laptop. He was an intelligent boy and he always enjoyed watching me work rather than playing with toys. He learned to speak earlier than most and now he just speaks his mind.
I then stopped typing and asked him, "Hajoon-ah, in about an hour Eomma will have her lunch break, where do you want to get some lunch, hmmm?"
He grinned and said, "Eomma let's get some tteokbokki later!"
"If Hajoon wants tteokbokki then we shall get tteokbokki!," I cheerfully said making him giggle.
I was about to keep on typing when suddenly someone knocked on my door so I said, "Come in!"
The door opened revealing my assistant Jennie with a worried look on her face.
Jennie was at first my shy assistant but we grew closer over the years and now she's one my closest confidantes.
I looked at her confused then asked, "What's the matter?"
She seemed to slowly gain her resolve and just handed me what seemed like an invitation.
"Someone personally handed this to me and I haven't opened it but it doesn't feel right boss," she said quietly and Hajoon caught on with the somber tone and said, "What's in it Eomma?"
Against my better judgement, I opened the invitation and my eyes widened in surprise as I read the content.
You are cordially invited to the wedding of Lalisa Manoban and Jeon Jungkook.