Chapter Text
When consciousness found Hong Haein, it was accompanied by one name: Baek Hyunwoo. Her husband. Her reason for not wanting to lose her memories and for wanting to live… Wait.
She remembered. She remembered.
She could remember him, and she desperately yearned to see him. Awareness washed over her, a tidal wave that she eagerly embraced. Her eyes peeled open slowly, light seeping in. She had to see him, to tell him that she loved –
“You’re awake.”
She froze at the deep voice. It was vaguely familiar, but it certainly wasn’t Hyunwoo’s resonant, loving voice. Dread formed a pit deep inside her when Yoon Eunseong’s face appeared in her vision. Where was Hyunwoo? He promised. He promised to be by her side when she woke.
Eunseong smiled down at her. It was supposed to look comforting, but it only sent an oily sensation down her spine.
“You’re probably confused right now. You just had a major surgery so you lost all your memories, Haein.” She suppressed a shiver at how he called her name so tenderly. It felt wrong. “Right, you wouldn’t remember your own name. You are Hong Haein, heiress to the Queens Group.”
She opened her mouth to tell him to get lost, but something else came out: “Baek Hyunwoo.”
Eunseong’s expression stiffened, his eyes hardening. Then his lips curled up again with visible effort. “I’m not him. My name is Yoon Eunseong. Baek Hyunwoo was your husband, but you two divorced.”
Now that her wits were starting to return, she belatedly realized Eunseong was trying to deceive her. Did he take her for a fool to play the same trick twice? But if he was here and Hyunwoo wasn’t, then something terrible must have happened. She got her answer in his next sentence.
“Baek Hyunwoo was recently arrested for suspected murder.” Haein’s eyes widened. What? Her hands began trembling. Eunseong didn’t notice and continued, “He was a crazy stalker who followed you around and even tried to kill you. He ordered a truck to hit our car. I thought you were inside and injured my hand trying to save you.” He raised his hand, wrapped in white bandage.
Haein had to use all her willpower to control her facial nerves. You shameless bastard, she thought, struggling to maintain her composure. Did you send that truck? She knew she could not afford to slip up. She had to find out what Eunseong wanted from her. Perhaps he would lower his guard since he believed that she had amnesia.
“Then…” She gazed at the man she hated so much, forcing neutrality into her tone. “What kind of relationship do we have?”
His answering grin was unnerving. “We’re in love with each other.”
She swallowed, careful to wipe away any trace of disgust on her face. This… This was good. If he fancied himself in love with her, then maybe she could take advantage of the situation to turn the tables around. Keep your friends close but enemies closer, after all.
She smiled up prettily at Eunseong. “Really? I’m glad that you’re by my side then.” So that I can use you like how you used my family.
His grin stretched even wider, his eyes creasing up at the corner. Gently, he stroked her shoulder, leaving goosebumps in its wake. She fought not to recoil. His touch nauseated her, made her want to throw up. But she would tolerate this – she would tolerate anything if it meant reuniting with her husband, her love.
Even pretending to be in love with her worst enemy.
***
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
Haein donned on her mask of impassiveness. “Of course. You said I tried to kill myself because of him. I have to know my greatest weakness to overcome it.”
Eunseong nodded his head, but he still looked unhappy. “Alright.”
Together, they walked through the doors of Korea Correctional Service. She would have much rather done this alone, but she wasn’t left with much of a choice. Wherever she went Eunseong was always one step behind her, to the point she was certain he had bugged her phone and car. If he saw her going alone to the prison, he might start getting suspicious or tighten his suffocating rein over her.
As the guard led them toward the visitation room, her heart began to kick up. In a few moments, she would finally get to see him. Eunseong’s presence by her side was a dampener she was determined to ignore. She sat down on the bench, Eunseong standing behind her.
A door creaked from the inside and then she heard soft footsteps.
Don’t react, don’t react…
Nonetheless, her breath caught as Hyunwoo entered, his gaze wholly focused on her. She couldn’t breathe. He looked – he looked thinner. Had he been eating well? Was prison life too difficult for him? Of course it was; he was so fragile that he triggered all her protective instincts –
“Haein.”
Now this was the voice she loved. The way he caressed her name had her blinking away the sudden dampness in her eyes. But Eunseong was watching her like a hawk, and she could not let him suspect that she recognized Hyunwoo.
“I’ll make this quick. So you’re Baek Hyunwoo, my ex-husband who stalked me and cheated on me?”
Hyunwoo’s gaze didn’t waver. “Was the surgery a success? Are you healthy now?” He gave her a wobbly smile. “I’m glad. Please… Even if you don’t remember me, be healthy. I’m sorry I wasn’t by your side when you woke up.”
The agony in her heart was tearing her apart. She soldiered on, “You’re not even going to bother denying my claims, it seems.”
“You won’t believe me anyway.”
I would. I’ll always believe you. “Eunseong showed me the photos” – that he fabricated – “of you at Hades Hotel. Was it Room 1031?”
His lips parted, and then he stilled. Something flickered in his eyes. Haein stared back at him with the same intensity, willing him to understand. To make the connection.
“It was Room 1388, dear,” Eunseong corrected. Neither of them replied.
Dawning realization shone on Hyunwoo’s face as he grasped why Haein had intentionally made the blunder. He quickly stifled it.
“I’ve never been to Hades Hotel before. But I know you’ll regain your memories one day, Haein. And when you do, bring hell to whoever has wronged you. But until then, know that I missed you.”
I missed you too. Haein lifted her chin. “Don’t worry. Revenge is my forte.”
Too soon, the visitation was over. Eunseong looked relieved that Haein hadn’t cracked in front of Hyunwoo. But he shouldn’t have been so pleased, because their trip here had only solidified one thing – Haein’s resolve to bring him to ruin and rebuild her future with Hyunwoo.
***
Today was the day of Hyunwoo’s hearing. Haein felt like she was on pins and needles as she kept praying internally for him to be acquitted on his murder charge. He was being framed anyway!
She spent most of the past week fervently trying to uncover evidence that he was innocent, but Eunseong was more thorough than she had given him credit for. She was sure that he was the real instigator, but she couldn’t find proof. She felt useless, frustrated. What was the point of all this facade if she couldn’t even save the man she loved?
A door slammed. She jumped. Eunseong was back from the trial, and he seemed to be in a bad mood. That was a favorable sign. She went to meet him, keeping a tight leash on her emotions.
“How was it?” she asked nonchalantly.
He snarled. She staggered back. Through gritted teeth, he said, “That son of a bitch was cleared of all charges.”
The tension left Haein’s body. She almost collapsed, would have collapsed if she hadn’t gripped onto the back of the sofa. “That’s a shame,” she forced herself to say.
Eunseong whirled to face her. His eyes bored into hers searchingly. “Really?”
“Of course. He’s a terrible man who hurt me and should be locked up.” Each word was a bitter lie that Eunseong ate up greedily.
“Yes, yes… He’s terrible indeed.” Eunseong’s change in demeanor was unsettling.
“I have something that will cheer you up. Wait a second,” Haein said. She climbed up the stairs, going to her room. When she came down again, she was holding a golden frame in her hands, containing a painting of a flower field. She held it out to Eunseong.
“It’s for you. This is Blooming Days by the artist Keda Quels. It’s my favorite work by him.”
Eunseong looked at a loss for words as he accepted the painting. “And you’re giving it to me?”
Haein inclined her head.
Eunseong placed the painting down and moved forward, hugging her. Haein nearly gagged at his spicy cologne, so different from Hyunwoo’s. “Thank you. I will treasure it, Haein.”
“It’s nothing.” She leaned back, peering up at his face. “Won’t you put it in your room? You can look at it everyday and gain strength from it.”
“If that’s what you want.”
Her arms closed around him as she embraced him back. Yes, that’s exactly what I want, Yoon Eunseong. Your downfall.
***
For Eunseong to fall, he had to lose all his backing first. And that was what Haein strove to obtain. She watched in both satisfaction and fury as the news covered Moh Seulhee’s arrest for poisoning her grandfather which led to his eventual demise, hoping that he would be at peace now.
It was time for Haein to play her part.
She strolled to Eunseong’s room, where she found him inside, staring at his phone in disbelief. He glanced up blankly when she entered.
“Was it you?”
Haein’s lips curved upward. “Why do you think it was me?”
“Because you’re the only one who has access to my room, where the file that would damn my mother was hidden.”
Haein laughed. Eunseong’s expression shattered.
“You’re right, it was me.”
“Why?”
“Yoon Eunseong.” Haein plopped down on the seat opposite him. “I never lost my memories.”
“… What?”
“I’ve been stringing you along all this while. But don’t you think it’s fair considering what you did to my family?”
His phone rang. He declined the call. It rang again. With an animalistic roar, he threw it across the room where it smashed into the wall, going silent.
Shoulders heaving, Eunseong looked at her with pure devastation. “I did all those because I wanted to be with you! Committing fraud, pretending to invest in your stupid brother’s project, colluding with my mother… It was all because I love you!”
“That’s not love, that’s obsession.” Haein crossed her arms. “What about Pyeon Seonguk? Was his murder your doing as well?”
“Murder?” Eunseong scoffed. “I only got rid of a pest. You could say I was doing this world a service by killing him.”
“And trying to run Baek Hyunwoo over with your car?” This was what made Haein truly livid. He had almost taken her husband away from her a second time! Eunseong had gotten away with it by claiming it was an accident, and since Hyunwoo hadn’t actually been hit, the case was swiftly dropped. Or more like swept under the rug with bribes.
Eunseong’s expression darkened. “Don’t remind me that I missed. I should have fucking killed him then.”
“Yoon Eunseong!”
“Why? Now that you know everything, you’re going to leave me? That will never happen. I’m still the chairman of the Queens Group. With my mother gone, no one can stop me.”
“You’re wrong. I will stop you. Don’t you wonder how I knew where you hid the file?”
Eunseong’s eyes narrowed into slits as he processed her words. Recognition set in. Slowly, he turned until he was facing the painting that she had gifted him.
“A hidden camera,” she confirmed, a smirk dancing around her lips, “inspired by you. That’s what you did to Moh Seulhee, no?” It was an accusation his mother had hurled at him during one of their many arguments that she eavesdropped on.
Eunseong stood, trembling. “You –”
“And that’s not all. Our entire conversation from the moment I entered your room has been live streamed to the whole nation.”
The color drained from his face.
“I had a feeling a simple recording wouldn’t cut it, since you might bribe the authorities. You can’t do that now, can you?” Haein flicked her hair over one shoulder. “I hope you enjoy rotting in jail, former chairman of the Queens Group.”
She stood, heading to the door. But something barraged into her. A gurgling sound escaped her as hands tightened around her throat. Eunseong’s deranged eyes met hers with an eerie calmness. “If I can’t have you, then there is no point in me living anymore.”
She tried to pry his hands away from her, but his grip was too strong. He pressed her against the wall, choking her even more insistently.
“Don’t worry, I will join you soon, Haein.” He grinned maniacally. “Let’s meet in the afterlife, my love.”
He was crazy, he was insane, and she was dying, she needed air, she needed –
Baek Hyunwoo’s face flashed around her blurry vision. She just wanted to see him again. Just one more time. She missed him. Black spots danced in front of her eyes, blotting out Eunseong’s face. The faint ringing in her ears grew louder until it became the noisy roar of a waterfall.
The pressure abruptly disappeared. Eunseong was torn away from her and crashed onto the ground, groaning.
Without him throttling her, Haein sagged against the wall, sliding down. Her lips twitched weakly as she met Hyunwoo’s frantic eyes. He was here. He had come for her. His hands fluttered over her body, his eyes moistened with tears. He was real.
“Hong Haein!”
Or maybe this was a dream after all, because darkness enveloped her immediately and she sank into its sweet oblivion.