AAE -- For Better For Worse

Part 3 -- Chapter 12

by LoveCR2

edited by All-About-AAE

 

 

Hyung-Chul stares at Sun-Mi, shocked -- Divorce? He had prepared himself for tears, anger, even a tantrum, but not this.

 

"I went to see a solicitor today," she informs him. "He said the best grounds to file is on a charge of 'unreasonable behavior' as the cause of our marriage breaking down. And my behavior certainly was unreasonable before."

 

"You already went to a solicitor?" he replies, bewildered by her unfolding account.

 

"And the priest, too," she adds. "He said we can get an annulment from the Church because I'm infertile, but it will likely take at least a year to complete the process. Once the bishop confirms the decision, you can remarry with your mother's blessing."

 

"You really think I want to divorce you?"

 

"Why not? I won't stand between you and another woman you love."

 

 

"There is not another woman. There is no other woman I love, besides you," he insists. "As for any problems in our relationship, I'm the one to blame, not you. I'm the one who failed, and brought us to this point. You've done nothing wrong."

 

"B--But..." she stammers, her former certainty thrown into disarray.

 

He holds out his handkerchief. "Dry your eyes, and I'll explain."

 

She takes the handkerchief, wondering what he has to say as she pats her face dry.

 

 

"First, about the lipstick," he sets to immediately dispel her misunderstanding. "I went to a club last night, and one of the hostesses got too fresh. But nothing happened, I swear on my mother's grave! I would never betray you like that."

 

He reaches across the table to hold her hand.

 

"I don't see our relationship as who has given more or less," he assures her. "What you've given me -- your heart -- is priceless. I have never been as happy as I am being with you."

 

Sun-Mi raises her eyes to look at him. "Then why do you seem so unhappy? Why do you avoid me?"

 

 

Hyung-Chul looks away guiltily, sighs, then dives in...

 

"I've been lying to you, holding back by not telling you something -- important," he tries to break the news gently. "I was fired from my job, but was afraid to tell you, because I thought you might leave me."

 

She pulls her hand out of his."How can you doubt me so much?" she berates him, fresh tears of hurt rolling in her eyes. "Do my vows mean so little to you? Do you think I could let you go over something like that? Did you leave me because I lost my job?"

 

"It's not the same -- at least not financially," he quickly clarifies at her raised eyebrow. "What I'm trying to say -- what I was also holding back from you -- is that we're broke."

 

"What about your investments, your villa in Korea?" she questions his declaration.

 

"I sold them all off," he replies. "But that money is gone now."

 

"What about this house, we can sell it too, right?" she grasps at straws.

 

"It's worth less now than when I bought it," he tells her. "The bank has closed on the possession process. We have two weeks to move out."

 

"Two weeks? But shouldn't that take several months? Can't we appeal for more time?" Suddenly it dawns on her, what he hasn't said, "How long has it been since you lost your job?"

 

"Six months."

 

Sun-Mi stares at him, stunned. "Six months?" she repeats his words disbelievingly.

 

"Yes."

 

"How can that be, that I didn't know? How could you let things go on so long without telling me?," she questions him, her voice rising in anger. "So everyone else knew, except me? You deliberately let me look like a fool? Why am I always the last person to find out?!"

 

"I'm sorry," he tries apologizing, knowing that mere words could not atone. "I..."

 

"Don't say another word!" she rages, grabbing an empty beer can and tossing in his direction.

 

"Sun-Mi, just listen," he begs.

 

"Why should I listen to you? You lied to me! You made your own wife into a laughingstock in front of everyone! How can I trust you? How can I believe a word you say?! You may not want a divorce now, but maybe I do!"

 

Turning her back on him, Sun-Mi storms off to their bedroom, slamming the door.

 

Following her, he is about to try the handle, when he hears Sun-Mi break out in loud sobs. Dropping to his knees, he leans against the wall beside the closed door, until her sobbing quiets. Even then, he elects to wait until she is ready to talk.

 

 

Eventually the door opens, and Sun-Mi appears. Her eyes are dry, showing no sign of the flood of tears she had wept. When she sees him still in the corridor, she stops but says nothing.

 

Hyung-Chul looks up at her. "I'm sorry. It wasn't that I wanted to spare you worry, but because of my pride that I didn't tell you," he confesses.

 

"I don't need apologies, I need assurances," she states emotionlessly.

 

"Whatever you want, I'll do it. Just don't divorce me!"

 

"After thinking it over, I decided that I don't want a divorce either," she tells him, to his relief. "But some things have to change, before I can start to trust you again."

 

"Anything..." he reiterates his willingness, grateful at being allowed back.

 

 

She sits on the floor, beside him, to talk.

 

"First, you need to tell me everything about our finances. All decisions are made together from now on."

 

"Agreed."

 

"Second, we cancel our credit cards. If we can't afford something, then we won't be tempted to buy it."

 

"Agreed."

 

"Third, we both get jobs -- whatever we can do -- until you can find another executive position."

 

"Agreed."

 

"Fourth, and last. For now, you sleep on the couch. I won't share a bed with someone I can't fully trust."

 

"But... isn't that going a bit too..." he begins to object.

 

Her icy glare cuts him off.

 

"Agreed."

 

 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Hyung-Chul opens his eyes with a start, wakened by noises coming from the hallway to the bedrooms.

 

He sits up on the couch, bleary eyed, and checks his watch -- 5:00 AM. After apprising Sun-Mi about the state of their financial affairs late into the night, she had not relented on her insistence they sleep apart.

 

Curious, he gets up to investigate. The door to Sun-Mi's dressing room is open, light spilling out into the hall. He looks in, to find the room's usually neatly arranged wardrobes and shelves in disarray.

 

Her back turned toward him, Sun-Mi is stretching up to retrieve some shoeboxes from the top shelf of a wardrobe.

 

"What are you doing, so early?" he asks, puzzled.

 

"Organizing my clothes for sale," she answers, explaining as she turns to face him, "I'm separating out clothes to return for full value, sell on consignment, or take to a car boot sale this weekend. I've estimated they are worth enough to pay off our most of our credit card debts."

 

She sets the two new Balenciaga shoe boxes she is carrying, purchased just the week before, onto one stack, and steps toward the next as she continues, "For the rest I need to decide what to keep, donate, or toss."

 

 

Hyung-Chul notices the reluctance in her eyes as she places a favorite pair of Christian Louboutin pumps with the 'consignment' stack, next to a Lady Dior handbag and a clear storage box containing the Jimmy Choo bridal shoes she had worn on their wedding day.

 

"But these are your personal things. I can't ask you to give them up."

 

"When am I going to wear clothes like these again?" she states the fact, "Besides, there isn't enough space in your Millwall flat for everything."

 

"You're right," he concedes her point, mentally estimating the available storage in the two-bedroom apartment. "It's less than this room. I'll have to downsize, too."

 

"Same with the dishes, cookware, and furniture," she adds, "Since the flat is furnished, we can sell it all."

 

"Okay," he concurs. "Everything goes."

 

"Then that's settled," she confirms their decision.

 

 

But Hyung-Chul isn't so sure. "Tell me honestly. Are you really all right about moving into such a small place, after living here?"

 

"If it was good enough for you before we married, it's good enough for me now," Sun-Mi reasons. "Am I happy about it? No. But it has to be done, and things can always be replaced."

 

She comes closer, to stand directly in front of him. "I can give up everything else, Senior, except you."

 

"I can't live without you, either," he replies, resting his hands lightly on her delicate shoulders -- which now are carrying a heavy burden, not of her making.

 

 

Looking up into his eyes, Sun-Mi somberly asks, "Remember our vows? ... For better, for worse..."

 

He continues, "For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health."

 

"Before we were blessed with much. Now we have to live with less," she says with determination. "Yet whatever happens, we can go through it, if we are together..."