Pay With Your Heart

Chapter 291: Grieve

Shock, pain, anger and grief were some of the emotions that held Dan-Han rooted by the door with his eyes painfully fixed on his mother.

Was this real? This had got to be a joke. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be real. He told himself in denial.

He took subconscious steps towards her, and he felt his heart sink as she remained lifeless on the bed. With each step he took, his heart constricted tightly till he reached her side.

“M-om”, He gently called as his eyes fell on the same hand which had caressed his cheek minutes ago, and a low growl escaped his lips when he felt a huge lump on his throat.

He looked at her face, and a bitter yet derisive jeer rolled off his lips when he saw the smile that parted her lips. She must have known, and that was why she left while he was gone, with no one by her side. Was she happy to leave?

Again she has chosen to be selfless by passing on alone with no one to hold her hand. No one to tell her they were there to watch her leave. Even in death, she tried saving every one of the pains of watching her die.

How cruel! Not just to herself but him and his father. How could she do this to him – to them?! Couldn’t she should have fought a little bit more? A bit harder?! Dan-Han felt so many emotions he had never felt before. He has never experienced loss, so this was going to be complicated.

.....

He stared at his father, who was having a hard time controlling himself. He had his head placed on her stomach as he repeatedly apologised and begged her to return to him.

“Dan-Han”, Father Lee cried, but the man could only clench his fingers, his nails digging into his palms and drawing blood from it. He was mad...enraged at his mother, at life, at death, at himself for not being observant, at everything and everyone who knew yet kept it a secret from him.

At this point, all he wanted was more time with her, but they denied him that.

With anger raging in his eyes, he turned towards the door. He couldn’t stay there one more second. But he was surprised to see the figures standing at the room entrance, looking at his ‘dead’ mother with dumbfounded eyes.

His anger grew by leaps and bounds at the sight of them.

“D-Dan-Han,” Eun-Sun called with tearing eyes when he approached them. His eyes narrowed on her, but he couldn’t say a word. He didn’t know what to say. As a matter of fact, he had nothing to say. The veins and arteries in his head were throbbing so hard; he had to leave before he lost his mind. He pushed past them, but Eun-sun grabbed his hand, making him halt.

“Dan-Han-” Her lips quaked when she couldn’t find something to say, and her eyes gazed his red-tear glistening eyes. She could feel the anger, pains and coldness flaring through them. They both stood at the spot, staring into each other’s eyes with different emotions blaring through them.

“Dan-” Her trembling lips called again, tears rolling down her face. She couldn’t imagine the pain he was going through right now, and she wanted to comfort him, be there for him just like he had been for her. She flinched when he forcefully pulled his hand away from her. He looked at her, Jae-Hyun and In-Ha, who she had met with Jae-Hyun on her way there, before striding away without saying a word.

“Dan-Han”, She loudly called as she ran after him, but Tae-Ho manifested from God-knows-where and blocked her path.

“You should let him grieve.” He said without looking at her, his dark glasses hiding his eyes away. Eun-Sun stubbornly tried to evade him, but the man didn’t budge.

“Let him be.” He said again; this time, his voice sounded icy and unfriendly before turning away, leaving her there in tears. Eun-Sun body trembled as she cried. She couldn’t believe Mrs Lee was gone. She had just seen her yesterday. How could she be dead now?

It was true when they said, The cold kiss of death was sudden and unexpected with no regard for its victims.

Her wobbly feet almost gave way, but she felt someone hold her steady by the waist. She jerked when she saw the person holding her, In-Ha.

“Let him be for now.” He said, making Eun-sun frown at him.

Let him be? How was she supposed to do that? She wanted to stay by his side. Even if he wouldn’t forgive her, she just wanted to take care of him now, more than ever. She wanted to give him her shoulders to cry on as they both mourned his mother.

Staring at him in the eye, she replied, “I can’t.” Before running away with In-Ha, watching her leave with perplexing emotions.

Eun-sun had one desire in her mind as she hurried over Dan-Han, and that was for him to say something to her, anything at all, she would take, as far he lets her take care of him.

And soon, she did. She was shocked when she saw him stiffly standing in the parking lot, blankly staring into space with Tae-Ho and Chang-wok standing behind him with their shoulders sunken.

“Dan-Han”, She called in a low voice causing Tae-Ho to look at her. He didn’t know what was happening between the boss and her, but he could tell President Lee didn’t want to see her.

He was about to say something when Dan-Han turned toward her, tears uncommonly hunting his eyes, leaving Tae-Ho and Chang-wok in shock. The boss had never revealed this much emotion before. He nodded towards Tae-Ho and Chang-wok, signalling them to leave, and they did with Tae-Ho slightly hesitating.

Eun-Sun felt a pang in her chest when she saw Dan-Han’s broken face.

“What do you want?” His could voice caught through her thoughts.

Taking a step towards him, she said, “Dan-Han, I know you’re hurting, and you’re don’t want to see me, but please let me take care of you. Mother-”

“You required just one thing from you, and that was your loyalty.” He interjected.

“I gave you everything, my heart, love, respect, and all I had. But you...” He paused and pursed his lips. “You looked down on me. You called me a fool for trusting you with my life and mother. You hurt me in an unimaginable way.”

“Dan-Han, that’s not true.” A sea of tears rolled down her eyes as she tried to explain.

“It’s not true?” He asked. “You slept on the same bed with me, had breakfast, lunch, and dinner with me every single day. But one thing you knew, you couldn’t tell me.”

“I’m sorry. I promised her. I promised mother I wouldn’t tell, and I didn’t think it was in my place to do so. I wanted her to tell you.” She hurriedly explained between sobs.

“Well, she did, on her death bed!” He snapped.

“I’m sorry.”

He took a deep breath to calm himself. “Well, I hope you have a nice life, Park Eun-sun because I can’t be with a woman who could be this disloyal.” He said, making Eun-sun look at him with wide eyes.

Was he breaking up with her?

She waited for him to say something else, but he sighed and walked away, leaving her in shock.

What did he say?