Everything happened so fast. We just heard shouting and then the horrifying sound of car breaks as I saw Jaeyoung's body being thrown away, landing several feet from where she'd been hit. I remember running as fast as I could as I watched with terrified eyes how pale she had become as she bled. As I held her into my arms, shouting for help, I prayed to God that she would live.
And she did, but…
Jaeyoung remained in a coma for three months. During those months, Ian left and married the banker's daughter. Our separation was not a good one as Ian found out my feelings for her when I insisted he stay and wait for his fiancée to regain consciousness and he refused. He taunted me and I wasn't able to stop myself from pounding his face with my fist. I told him I never wanted to see his face again.
If he didn't want Jaeyoung anymore it was fine. I'd just stay beside her to help her. I'd give anything she'd ask, and if my presence would be too much as I might remind her of the man who abandoned her, I would step away.
My love, I realized, my love was the forever kind of love. Even if I had no choice but to let go, my heart would continue to beat for that person.
A month after that, Jaeyoung woke up.
"She's fine now – well physically at least," the doctor said and I frowned as I didn't understand. "Mr. Lee, the patient has amnesia."
"Amnesia?" I asked and the doctor explained. It seemed Jaeyoung was suffering from a type of retrograde amnesia wherein she'd forgotten a whole year of her life – well aside from the fact that she could somehow remember that she was engaged to someone.
She was sleeping when I came to her room. Without thought, I sat next to her bed and watched her sleeping face. I was so happy that she finally woke up after months of being in a coma. I was thankful too that she had forgotten Ian due to her amnesia. I was happy because with that, she would be able to start a new life – and maybe we could remain friends.
But if she didn't want to…
"Then, I'll say good bye," I whispered and I couldn't stop myself from reaching out to take her hand and then kissing it. The finality of my actions broke my heart into several pieces and I lay my head on the bed as I continued to hold her. The next thing I knew, someone touched my hair and when I looked up, Jaeyoung was smiling shyly at me.
"I-I…" I tried hard to explain, but her bright smile robbed me of my thoughts. "It's okay. You did not scare me if that's what you're thinking," Jaeyoung told me as she continued to smile at me. "I can't remember a lot of things right now but I do remember having a fiancé."
"I-I…" I was supposed to tell her that Ian had left, but again, no words came out of my mouth. "Are you my fiancé?" she asked and I froze. "The nurses told me you've always been with me while I was in coma – and you were holding my hand too earlier. Are you?"
I didn't know what came over me. I just found myself nodding and saying yes. I felt nervous with my lie but seeing how she smiled as she threw herself at me, hugging me tight, everything felt right, and I wasn't nervous anymore. I was determined. Fate had given me a chance to be with the one I love and I would take it with both hands.
~
Present Day
Five years ago, I married my wife. A year after that, our first child Moonbin, was born. Now, years after, Jaeyoung was carrying our second offspring, and I was – and still am deeply in love with her.
Throughout the years, I lived with the fear of Jaeyoung's memories coming back. I remember a time two years ago when she fell off the stairs because of her clumsiness. She hit her head hard, and I was terrified that time. Moonbin was only two, and I couldn't take it if she remembered everything and left us. But she didn't remember. Life resumed as it was – like nothing ever happened.
After that, I began to relax once more. If Jaeyoung didn't remember her past when she hit her head, there was nothing else to worry about right? Until today…
Today when Ian suddenly decided to show up and ruin everything. I heard that Ian's wife died a couple of months ago. If he showed up here it meant he wanted to have Jaeyoung back right? But I couldn't let that happen. Even if it started with a lie, our family was real.
I couldn't just give them up. Oh God, I just couldn't give everything up. Even if she remembered things upon seeing Ian again, I would find a way to make her stay.
I opened the door to our bedroom, and I saw my wife lying on the bed with her eyes closed. The bulge of her stomach was very obvious as she was wearing a sleeveless one piece. Seeing that, my heart felt warm in spite of the fear as I approached the bed. "Jae?" Carefully, I reached out to touch her hair, and held my breath as she opened her eyes.
We looked at each other for several seconds which felt like a lifetime. I felt tears filling my eyes as I waited for her to yell at me for lying to her.
It didn't happen.
My sweet wife smiled gently at me as she pulled me into a warm embrace. "Yunnie, what's wrong?" Jaeyoung asked me softly as I wept against her chest. I knew that if she still hadn't recovered her memories, my actions would seem very weird. But I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't continue living each day with the fear of one day losing her.
I knew I was the father – the husband, so I should be the one who's strong. But the weight of my only sin was breaking me down. I had to tell her everything now and ask for her forgiveness else I would go crazy.
"Yunnie, what's wrong?" Jaeyoung asked me once more, and I closed my eyes as I held her tighter. I could feel the movement of our baby against my abdomen, and it somehow gave me the courage I needed to confess.
"Love, I lied to you," I said as I told her everything that happened years ago.