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chapter 46
[“I didn’t really want to call you, but seeing your mom’s symptoms getting worse, I think it’s time you know too. As you know, depression isn’t something that can be hidden away and cured on its own. I didn’t think telling your dad would help, so I’m contacting you. Can you come down?”]
Her aunt’s cautious voice carried the hope that she would come.
Yeon-ha answered that she understood and hung up. For a few seconds after, she just sat there in a daze.
Her mother’s depression was shocking.
Not for a year, but for ten years.
A mix of regret for not noticing at all and anger that her mother had tried to protect her by hiding everything surged through her.
Shock, anger, and self-reproach all hit at once, blurring her vision.
If her mother had been hospitalized, it must have been serious. Why had she hidden it for so long?
Even though her mother had told her not to say anything, her aunt should have told her. If only…
‘Would anything have been different then?’
Yeon-ha had no answer.
Just as her parents had done, her aunt had maintained a distant relationship.
Except for holidays and birthdays, she rarely visited, and phone calls were only made out of obligation, once a month at most. Even then, they were brief check-ins.
‘What could you possibly do for a mother suffering from depression?’
Yeon-ha pressed a heated palm to her forehead. If only she had been more attentive, maybe her mother would have suffered a little less. The reality that the past couldn’t be changed weighed heavily on her chest.
Hands trembling, she set down her phone and patted her chest, taking a deep breath.
But the heavier she breathed, the more oppressive her emotions became.
The next day, Yeon-ha took a day off and went to her family home.
On the way to the hospital, her chest felt tight. She sighed while staring at the passing scenery outside the car window.
When she arrived at the hospital room, her aunt approached her at the door.
“Go on in.”
Yeon-ha quietly opened the door. She stopped in her tracks at the sight of her mother lying on the bed.
Perhaps it was the hospital gown, or the paleness of her face, but her mother seemed small, fragile. Seeing her like this tore at Yeon-ha’s heart.
“Mom.”
Her voice came out thin and trembling.
“…How did you know I was here?”
Her mother, previously staring blankly at the TV, realized Yeon-ha was there and opened her eyes wide.
“I heard from Aunt.”
“I told her not to say anything, over and over.”
Her mother’s voice was weak but sharp with coldness.
“It’s not a fatal disease, so don’t worry about it.”
Yeon-ha bit her lip. Frustration and helplessness swelled in her chest.
“Why didn’t you tell me? You’ve been suffering from depression for ten years.”
“What would telling you do? What good would it do?”
Her mother replied bluntly.
The indifferent tone, as if it were someone else’s problem, made Yeon-ha feel her emotions building to the point of eruption.
“You should have told me. I’m your daughter… doesn’t it make sense that I wouldn’t know you were sick?”
“When did you ever care about me? Just do as you’ve always done.”
Yeon-ha squeezed her eyes shut.
“…Then should I just leave?”
“What?”
“You said to do as I always do.”
Her mother looked at her incredulously, then with exasperation.
“Fine, go! Neither you nor your father is needed!”
The air froze.
Though her mother often spoke harshly, today the words cut deep.
“If you don’t need me, then why do you call? Why do you look for your absent father, send me side dishes? You could just not care whether I eat or not, wherever I go.”
Yeon-ha couldn’t help but spill her emotions.
She knew she shouldn’t direct her anger at her sick mother, yet the long-suppressed feelings burst uncontrollably.
“Then leave me alone even though we’re family?”
Her mother’s voice rose.
“Are we even a family?”
“If we’re not family, what are we? Strangers?”
Her mother looked at her as if she were saying something absurd.
Yeon-ha smiled bitterly.
“I’d rather we were strangers.”
“What?”
Her mother’s face stiffened.
Yeon-ha drew a deep breath. She decided it was time to speak.
“Mom, I’ve never been happy living in the house in Dujeong-dong.”
Her mother froze in shock.
“What is she saying?”
Yeon-ha continued slowly.
“I didn’t want to come home after school.”
The house was cold and empty, filled with her mother’s deep sighs.
“So I spent time in the empty playground after all the kids went home, only going back when it got dark.”
“Is that because of me?”
Her mother’s eyes wavered. Yeon-ha swallowed the rising tears.
“I just… I want you to stop hating Dad so much.”
“Do you think I do it for no reason? Do you know why I got sick? It’s all because of your father. He lost the house investing in stocks. Do you know how hard I worked because of that? I couldn’t even straighten my back properly for ten years.”
When her father lost the house through investments, her mother, previously a full-time homemaker, had to enter the workforce. She worked in factories, restaurants, cleaning—nonstop, even on weekends. In five years, she managed to buy their current house with a loan.
Thinking of those days, her mother wiped away her tears.
“If you hate him so much, why not just divorce him?”
“Who’s stopping me?”
“Then why don’t you?”
“If I divorce now, who will hold my hand when you get married?”
“Don’t worry. I don’t plan to marry.”
Her mother’s expression twisted.
“What? Why not marry?”
“I can’t live happily.”
Her mother let out a laugh of disbelief.
“Why not? What’s lacking in you? Don’t tell me you still haven’t gotten over Kyung-jin?”
At the mention of her ex-fiancé, whose engagement ended three years ago, Yeon-ha shook her head.
“No.”
“Then why suddenly decide not to marry?”
Yeon-ha took a deep breath.
“I’ve never seen you and Dad happy, so how could I possibly be happy?”
Her mother froze, shocked. She had accepted the engagement to Kyung-jin because of his harmonious family.
“So Mom, please, just divorce Dad and live comfortably.”
“…”
“You’ve had to struggle so much that you ended up hospitalized.”
Her mother was left speechless.
Afterward, Jung-sook stared out the window with a fixed expression. Yeon-ha felt her mother needed time alone, so she quietly left the room.
Meanwhile, Do-hyun left the officetel and drove toward Chairman Kwon Jin-man’s mansion. She had promised to go with her, but it wasn’t possible. Since her mother had fallen ill on Friday, she had taken a day off and would likely stay until the weekend, apologizing for not being able to come.
Do-hyun told her it was fine and to take care, then hung up.
As the mansion drew near, her heart raced with tension, and her hands sweated on the wheel.
Upon arrival, the butler opened the door for her.
Do-hyun was overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the mansion. She had lived in a spacious house in Australia, but this was incomparable.
High walls and a sturdy gate surrounded the property, and the exterior was finished in marble or natural stone, adding luxury.
Large windows and columns harmonized with a design incorporating traditional Korean elements. The garden was wide, with meticulously pruned trees, a pond, and a terrace.
Inside, the butler led her to the living room, where Chairman Kwon Jin-man was playing Go alone.
“Chairman, a guest has arrived.”
“Welcome.”
“Team Leader Seo couldn’t come; she had work at home.”
“I heard. Sit.”
Unlike his formal appearance at the company, Chairman Kwon’s comfortable modern hanbok made him seem approachable. Perhaps because he might be her grandfather, Do-hyun noticed his eyes, smiling in a way similar to her own.
