Chapter 146

Chapter 146 – Until the Day I Die

A strong wind blew on Yuri’s long hair. A light grin appeared on her face only to instantly fade away.

This was dangerous. His intuition tried to warn him. The story that was about to begin would crumble him. Nonetheless, Tae-jun could not keep his eyes off her.  Her pale blue lips opened.

“We should stop seeing each other.”

His pupils constricted. “What?”

“I’m going back to America. There is no reason for me to stay here anymore.”

“No reason? I am not the reason for you?”

“You…  you’re the reason why I should leave.”

Tae-jun froze completely. He knew. He had always known that this would be the consequence once all of her lost memories were retrieved and the truth was revealed. Everything was planned to end up like this since the moment he had ruined her life. Still, her words threw him into lava. The pain was excruciating.

“What can I do for you? What can I do besides seeking revenge on In-bae Lee?” His voice cracked.

No matter how he tried to recompense, her father or Hye-yeon Jin would not come back alive. President Jin was already dead, and Hye-seong Jin was in a deep coma. In-bae Lee would also soon lose his reputation as a politician, which would serve as a worse punishment than losing his own life.

Yuri, as she looked at the man who appeared like his world just fell apart, replied indifferently, “You did so much for me. You saved my life. You avenged me.”

“…Not like this. I told you. I won’t give up like this! America? You wish! You think I’ll let you leave so easily?”

“Don’t. Please don’t. I beg you.” The woman who once looked at the man with affection was now stabbing his heart. Tae-jun clenched his teeth to endure the pain.

“I understand how  stupidly I have behaved with you. I don’t ask for mercy. I won’t ask for your love. You can call me filthy and loathe me as much as you want. Please, just let me stand by you. Let me live.” said Tae-jun.

Yuri shook her head. “…I don’t want to.”

“The time we spent together doesn’t mean anything to you?”

“That… was for the contract.”

The contract. He felt something hot rising from his chest and catching in his throat. He finally realized that it was the price he could not avoid paying, just like President Jin, Hye-seong Jin, and In-bae Lee. A contract that was forcibly enforced solely for his own greed, which led to the sin of tempting a woman who lost her family, friend, and even her memory.

He was too preoccupied with himself being in pain for having been deceived and abandoned that he did not listen to the woman properly. What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t turn back time or forcibly hold onto her like before. He was willing to kneel down and repent any moment, but the woman in front of him simply stared at him without any expectation.

Tae-jun approached her and took her hand. He did so unconsciously, as he desperately tried to grab onto her from leaving. “…This is your revenge on me?” His jaw trembled as he spoke. The memory became a knife and stabbed him. When he had threatened her to stay by his side, she had once asked…

“Do you want to take revenge on me because I cheated on you?”

“If I really thought that way, you wouldn’t be standing here in front of me in human form. Ah, speaking of which, I should add one more condition. Do not ever deceive me.”

“What exactly do you want me to do?”

“I’m going to think about that right now.”

He had found the answer only now. The answer he should have given her back then was that he just wants to love her. That was really all he wanted.

Yuri shook her head. “It’s nothing like that.”

“Then? At least loathe me and curse at me. I’ll tolerate everything. I’m willing to accept any offence. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll give you whatever you need. So, please Yuri—”

It kept overlapping… The day his father and mother left him. Tae-jun poured out words and emotions that he couldn’t express at the time as he grasped onto her shoulder earnestly. Yes, he should have been like this earlier.

“Please don’t abandon me.”

Compassion filled the eyes of the woman who was always very calm. She would think he’s acting so randomly, and that nothing made sense right now. He knew he looked ridiculous. He wanted to grab onto his stomach and laugh out loud. Even though he hated being sympathized, now he wanted to beg for it. Perhaps what was reflected in her eyes was the face of a boy who was too afraid to be abandoned.

She grinned lightly. “I’m not abandoning you. You already know about my health.”

He stopped for a moment like a broken doll. Only his eyes twinkled. Yuri, who was rescued from the abandoned hospital, underwent various examinations. As expected, her body was plagued with various neurological drugs and suicide attempts. The most serious issue was in her brain. The neurologist had explained her condition dejectedly.

“The brain is seriously damaged by the drug. As you can see from the MRI, the blood flow to the brain is dramatically reduced..”

“Can it be cured through treatment?”

“No. Unfortunately, a brain can not be restored once it is damaged.”

“Then, what’s going to happen?”

“The disease with the highest incidence would be Alzheimer’s. This patient should be concerned about premature dementia, which appears in people under the age of 65.”

As soon as he had heard the word ‘Alzheimer’s,’ he had placed his hand on his heart. It felt like something hot and heavy was pressing against his chest. As Seo Pharmaceuticals had been investing in the development of a new Alzheimer’s drug, he was very aware of the kind of disease it was. This was too harsh. It felt like breathing underwater. His lungs hurt, Yuri did not deserve such pain. His vision was blurry, and he felt wet from head to toe.

He closed his eyes and opened them again. “I already know. Because I know… I can’t let you go even more. You were ruined because of me. How can I let you go? I’ll keep taking care of you until the day I die. Even if… you can’t remember me.”