63. Hemorrhage

The three days of the funeral passed by in an instant, so quickly that she didn’t even know how they went.

She watched her sibling’s encoffining, greeted the mourners, and occasionally came to her senses to perform the ceremonial duties, but Haerin spent most of her time grieving for her sibling.

She cried and cried.

She cried, resenting her sibling for leaving, and she cried because her life, which she had sacrificed to reach this empty end, felt hollow.

She cried as if it were the last day of the world, bursting out and pouring forth everything she had held within.

On the morning of the funeral procession, when her sibling’s coffin was loaded onto the hearse, strangely, no tears came. As she followed the hearse towards the crematorium, Haerin stared blankly out the car window.

Gazing blankly at the passing scenery, everything felt futile.

Confessing now, there were many times she resented the thought that her sibling was consuming her life. So, when her sibling’s struggle with illness ended, she had expected a sense of liberation at the end, whether it was happiness or sorrow.

But it wasn’t like that.

The moment she heard her sibling’s death pronouncement, Haerin felt something inside her that had been supporting her snap with a ‘tang’. It was like a will to live that had stubbornly sustained her even in hardship.

Haerin recalled an old story she had once heard about a tree deeply rooted in an ancient temple.

At first glance, it seemed as if the tree was destroying the temple, but the story was that the temple had also maintained its form and endured for thousands of years by leaning on the roots of that tree.

She had resented her sibling for destroying her life, but conversely, it was also her sibling who had made Haerin live so passionately.

Perhaps even her ability to win scholarships and graduate with excellent grades was thanks to her feelings for Jungin.

‘Jungin-ah, you were the one who supported me.’

When the hearse arrived at the crematorium, Haerin once again remembered the vision she had seen the moment her sibling died. It was Jungin’s last moment, smiling brightly and saying thank you.

‘Now, live your share of life diligently, Unnie. Unnie is...’

Unnie is... what was she trying to say after that?

No more tears flowed. Haerin held her parents’ hands and blankly watched the coffin enter the incinerator.

Flames soared, and it took some more time before they were led to the ash scattering room.

Haerin’s parents covered her eyes with their hands so she wouldn’t see the cremation. She stubbornly insisted on seeing everything to the end, but her parents wouldn’t budge.

In the end, Haerin hugged her mother and closed her eyes, participating in the ash scattering process.

Her mother, holding her daughter, held back her tears but occasionally sobbed. When her mother’s body trembled, Haerin held her tightly in her arms. And her father would occasionally stroke the backs of the mother and daughter.

Carrying the urn they had prepared, containing her sibling’s remains, the family headed back to the columbarium.

They carefully placed a photo of her sibling from before she got sick, adorned it beautifully, placed the urn, and then the three of them stood side by side, bowing their heads for Jungin.

“Haerin-ah. Let’s go now.”

At her father’s words, Haerin kissed the glass of the niche where Jungin’s urn was placed.

‘Unnie-yah.’

As she kissed the glass and pulled her face away, Jungin, who was smiling from beyond, spoke to her.

‘Now, live your share of life diligently, Unnie. You can do it.’

The corners of Haerin’s lips trembled as she looked at Jungin. Tears, which she thought had dried, began to wet her eyes again.

‘Show me that my niece/nephew is growing up well. Okay? Live well, showing everyone what you’re made of.’

Yeah.

Clinging to the glass, tears streaming down her face, her parents’ hands came to rest on Haerin’s back.

‘Unnie, you’re not alone. So, be strong.’

Yeah. I will.

Haerin nodded repeatedly.

Just like you said, I’ll try to live well. I’ll live diligently.

After a long while, when Haerin turned around, her parents, who had been watching her silently, took both of her hands.

The three of them slowly left the columbarium, their steps heavy.

Standing outside, she saw Soohyun in the distance.

She knew that Soohyun had been hovering around her throughout the funeral proceedings, subtly taking care of her family. But because Haerin had so adamantly refused his approach, he had kept his distance like a shadow.

Now that all the procedures were finished, he was waiting to take his wife home.

Her father, giving a slight nod towards Soohyun, asked Haerin,

“Haerin-ah, what will you do?”

Haerin looked down at her parents’ hands in hers, then back at Soohyun standing far away.

Whether to take her husband’s hand and return to Taesung, or to take her parents’ hands and turn her back on him as she was now. As Haerin looked back and forth between her parents and Soohyun, her mother asked again,

“Where will you go?”

“I...”

Drip.

The moment she parted her lips, something flowed down between her thighs. Suddenly, she felt a pain as if a blade were carving out her lower abdomen.

“Ugh...”

As her body slumped powerlessly, leaning against her mother, Haerin knew something was wrong.

“Oh my! Haerin-ah! Honey!”

Her mother, who had been supporting Haerin, cried out in a panicked voice. Bloodstains were spreading on the spot where Haerin had been standing.

________________________________________

Haerin, who had collapsed in front of the columbarium, was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. Due to the unstoppable bleeding, they couldn’t go far and admitted her to a small hospital near the crematorium, not one affiliated with Taesung Medical Foundation.

Every possible measure to prevent miscarriage was taken for Haerin’s body. The hemorrhage didn’t stop easily, leading to a series of urgent situations.

Initially, Soohyun had nursed Haerin, but as soon as she regained consciousness, Haerin kicked him out of the hospital room. Every time Haerin saw Soohyun, she became excessively agitated and screamed, so he was unable to enter the room after the first day.

Instead of Soohyun, Secretary Seok stayed by Haerin’s side.

Secretary Seok, who had rushed over like lightning, took care of everything. Instead of Haerin’s parents, who were exhausted from the funeral, he stayed by her bedside day and night, caring for her in every way.

During the days she was hospitalized, Haerin remained silent, not speaking to or answering anyone.

She only gave minimal indications of her will by nodding or shaking her head.

Several days passed, and one afternoon.

Haerin, who had finally regained some strength, spoke for the first time to Secretary Seok, who was sitting silently beside her.

“Secretary Seok.”

Her hoarse, cracked voice resonated in her dry throat.

Secretary Seok, lifting his head, looked at Haerin with a pitiful gaze. Just like the difficult time Haerin had gone through, Secretary Seok’s face had also become haggard in the past few days.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“Please, speak.”

Because it had been a long time since she had spoken, her voice kept cracking. After clearing her throat a few times, Haerin continued calmly.

“I’d like to be discharged.”

“You are not yet in a stable condition, so please stay a little longer.”

Every day, she had seen the ultrasound and heard that the baby’s heartbeat was weakening. Only this morning had she heard that the baby’s condition had finally stabilized.

However, Haerin had had a strange certainty from the beginning.

She felt no anxiety about whatever connected her and the baby. Rather, her worries about the future outweighed her concerns about the baby’s present condition. The baby would survive, and she had to protect it.

Watching the series of events, Haerin had held her tongue, forming and discarding many hypotheses in her mind. At the end of her complicated thoughts, only one conclusion remained.

“I think now is the opportunity.”

“Opportunity, you say...”

Secretary Seok narrowed his eyes and looked at Haerin. His gaze lowered as if trying to grasp the intention behind Haerin’s words.

“I want a divorce.”

Secretary Seok didn’t reply immediately but remained silent.

A silence hung in the hospital room. Haerin looked at the IV drip in the back of her hand and spoke again.

“You said you were sorry to me. If you were sincere, I would also like to ask for a clean ending.”

“...”

“I know there’s a lot of talk about the succession. Please consider this as eliminating a risk factor and help me leave this place quietly. If you do that, I will also keep silent about everything I’ve seen and heard.”

“...You don’t have to say all that. I understand everything.”

Secretary Seok, letting out a low groan of a sigh, lowered his gaze from Haerin and fell into thought. Haerin closed her lips, waiting for his answer.

Although she didn’t know the details, she knew that the rivalry among the brothers in Taesung was fierce, and if Haerin decided to make a fuss, it would be incredibly troublesome.

She was young and had never lived an easy life. Haerin was prepared to do anything to protect her baby.

Whether he intentionally didn’t dye it or not, Secretary Seok, with his prominent gray hair, looked older than Haerin’s parents.

His personal life was unknown, but Haerin had heard from her father that Secretary Seok was called Taesung’s dog and had handled all sorts of matters behind Chairman Park.

However, the Secretary Seok that Haerin had observed was someone who showed glimpses of humanity, contrary to his notorious reputation.

He was a meticulous person, even finding out about Soohyun’s first love, who was herself. She thought that if he put his mind to it, he could easily handle matters concerning Haerin’s safety as well.

“You must have made up your mind to say this,” Secretary Seok finally asked, as if confirming one last time after a long silence.

“Yes.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Haerin nodded and replied, and Secretary Seok let out a sigh of resignation.

“What began under my watch, I will set right.”

His tone was slow but resolute.

“Thank you.”

With that brief word of gratitude, Haerin concluded the short conversation. And only then did she lean back against the bed with a slightly more relaxed expression.

________________________________________

On the day of her discharge, Secretary Seok brought a document envelope. Inside was everything Haerin had requested regarding the divorce.

“If President Jung accepts this, I will discuss the subsequent procedures with him.”

Having checked the contents of the documents she received, Haerin stated firmly,

“I have miscarried, Secretary.”

Secretary Seok’s pupils flickered momentarily at Haerin’s words, but he soon nodded.

“Understood. Please take care of yourself.”

Actually, she was a little uneasy about how Chairman Park would react, but Haerin didn’t ask further.

After the day she had driven Chairman Park out of the funeral hall, Haerin’s fear of him had completely vanished. And from Chairman Park’s perspective, she thought that if he received a report that Haerin had miscarried, he wouldn’t hold any lingering attachment to her.

There might be troublesome retaliation later once he learned the truth, but according to Secretary Seok, Chairman Park was currently not meeting anyone and staying in his room.

She decided to postpone worrying about the future for now. Her priority at the moment was to recover her health.

She remembered Chairman Park’s last face, terrified like someone having a nightmare. Haerin’s eyes were filled with a resolution not to be defeated.