continues from chapter 11
| Echoes of Silence |
The sun had barely dipped below the horizon when Snow realized that Chalee wasn't beside her . Her eyes caught sight of a small sticky note on the kitchen counter, penned in Chalee's unmistakable handwriting:
"Take care, my dear.
Sorry for not telling you directly, but I needed to go.
Sorry, dear."
Snow sat down, her mind racing. She knew Chalee had been swamped with office work lately, his apologies frequent but necessary. Yet, something felt off. The sudden urgency, the unexplained absences — it wasn't like him. Had his workload really increased so drastically, or was there something else he wasn't telling her?
As these thoughts tangled in her mind, another, more harrowing memory surfaced. The hospital, the sterile smell of antiseptic. Dr. Noon's words whispered in her ear, piercing her heart:
"What will happen when your beloved husband knows the fact that you can't carry a child anymore?
He'll definitely marry another woman and leave you eventually."
The memory was like a dagger, twisting with each recollection. Snow's knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the cold floor, tears streaming down her face. Her heart ached with the crushing fear of losing Chalee, not just to his work but to an unspoken future without her.
Two days later, Chalee came home, finding Snow asleep in their bedroom. He left for work again before she could wake, their paths missing each other like ships in the night. The growing distance gnawed at Snow, her sadness deepening with each passing day, unnoticed by Chalee.
As their anniversary approached, the air between them grew thick with unspoken words and lingering glances. One evening, Snow sat in the living room, the cartoon on TV a mere background noise to her spiraling thoughts. She held her cheeks in her hand, sighing deeply, lost in a world where she felt utterly alone.
Chalee arrived home, his office work finally done, but Snow didn't even notice. He watched her for a moment, her absent-minded stare breaking his heart. Freshened up, he knelt before her, resting his head gently on her thighs, his eyes searching for hers.
"Snow," he began softly, his voice breaking her reverie. She blinked, her hand wiping away tears she hadn't realized were falling. Looking down, she saw Chalee's familiar face, his eyes filled with concern and sadness mirroring her own.
"Chalee," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Without another word, she hugged him tightly, pulling him onto the sofa with her. The sudden embrace spoke volumes, her longing and pain communicated through her touch. Chalee, feeling the depth of her emotion, held her close.
"I love you, Seonbae," Snow murmured against his chest. "Please don't leave me. Life without you is lonely as hell and dark as a water well. Being apart these days felt like a thousand years of loneliness."
Her words, raw and heartfelt, brought tears to Chalee's eyes. He caressed her face, his own heart aching with love and regret. As she began to speak of her fears, he silenced her gently with a kiss, tender and long. The kiss was a promise, a reassurance of his love and commitment. Snow's fears began to melt away as she kissed him back, their connection reaffirmed.
They fell asleep on the sofa, wrapped in each other's arms, the world outside their cocoon held at bay. When Snow awoke, she heard the soft sounds of beach waves and birds chirping, a cool breeze brushing against her skin. She opened her eyes, realizing they were not at home.
To be continued...