POV: Male Lead (Min-jae)
Min-jae could still hear the glass shattering.
Still feel the sting of Ha-neul's words.
Still taste the bitterness of the truth.
His mother—his world—had died because of her father.
And the woman he loved stood before him, her eyes full of guilt and sorrow.
"I didn't know," Ha-neul whispered.
Min-jae exhaled sharply, stepping back.
"You didn't know?" he repeated, his voice dangerously quiet. "You expect me to believe that?"
Ha-neul flinched.
Her silence made his chest ache.
Because deep down, he knew—she truly hadn't known.
But it didn't change the fact that her father had stolen his mother from him.
His mother, who had died bringing him a birthday gift.
His mother, who never got to hold her unborn child.
His mother, who had spent her last moments in agony—because of Yoo Ji-hoon.
Min-jae clenched his jaw.
It didn't matter that Ha-neul wasn't the one responsible.
Because every time he looked at her now, all he could see was the blood on her family's hands.
---
The Rift
"I need time," Min-jae finally said.
Ha-neul's lips parted. "Min-jae—"
"No." His voice was firm. "I can't do this right now."
Pain flickered in her eyes.
"Are you breaking up with me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Min-jae's heart twisted.
He should have said yes.
Should have walked away.
But instead, all he could say was—
"I don't know."
The silence between them was deafening.
Then, Ha-neul did something he didn't expect.
She took a step closer.
Her hands reached for his, and he let her.
"Min-jae," she murmured. "You don't have to forgive my father. You don't have to forget what happened. But please… don't push me away because of what he did."
Min-jae swallowed hard.
He wanted to believe her.
Wanted to hold her.
Wanted to erase the pain in her eyes.
But the image of his mother lying lifeless on that hospital bed—because of Yoo Ji-hoon's greed—was burned into his soul.
He gently pulled his hands away.
Ha-neul sucked in a shaky breath.
"You told me once that love isn't supposed to be this painful," Min-jae said softly. "But right now… that's all it is."
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
And Min-jae turned away.
For the first time, he walked away from the woman he loved.
And this time, he wasn't sure if he'd come back.
---