Chapter 231:

“Hello, Chae-woo? Where are you?”

The excited voice came through the receiver with a transparent quality.

At the same time, the sound of tuning a musical instrument and the twist of the long-forgotten stringed instrument entered the momentary silence.

How many days had he been unable to sleep now? Maybe he should hurry back home.

Why had he been wasting time here in Hwaido? Was it all to witness this scene? Kwon Chae-woo emitted a bitter laugh as he listened to the discordant sounds ringing through the tiny cracks. It felt like a fuse in his mind was snapping.

“…It’s an unforgettable gift, Lee-yeon.”

“…Chae-woo?”

“It’s a perfect finale.”

With nerves snapping, and his vision momentarily darkening and then clearing, Kwon Chae-woo was already in the process of smashing the cello over and over again.

What was shattering into pieces wasn’t the instrument but his sanity. Violent urges surged to the point that his fingertips tingled.

He loathed the music, especially the cello. He thought that she knew everything and was mocking him. It was a true delusion of persecution.

“Please, just stop. Listen to what she’s saying.” Kwon Chae-woo pleaded as he watched another memory unfold.

But his strong arms focused on ruthlessly breaking the cello to pieces. He panted heavily only after snapping the cello’s neck with his own two hands.

“Did you enjoy taming me?”

He approached her, his disheveled hair now calmly combed back, and despite the fear trembling in her eyes, he took a perverse satisfaction in finally breaking her trust, something he had patiently endured until now.

“…I’m sorry for the lies. I, I was so scared of you back then. I… I did it to survive, but no one believed me. It was someone else who made you fall… Even Kwon Chae-woo didn’t care about what I had to say.”

Her tear-stained face, marred with regret, suddenly tugged at his heart. Just before everything crumbled, she had given her all to speak, with eyes that promised she would endure everything. She had wanted to have a conversation.

What ruined it was his blind rage and his deliberate shutting of his ears. Only now, as the belated waves of regret washed over him, did he realize this.

A sob escaped through lips that had been sealed until then. As the barrier in his mind finally shattered, his memories flowed backward in time.

“Hold my hand.” He said.

Kwon Chae-woo couldn’t help himself from taking action even though he knew it might be in vain as this was just a dream.

Even if it was just self-indulgence, he wanted to remove every thorn she got from him, even a single one. He wanted to cover her wounds anew.

“But, Chae-woo, at least you know that I acted in self-defense, right?”

“I know.”

He could feel her hesitance as she paused in response to his straightforward acknowledgment. Even though the scene had already started to unravel, she forced the words she needed to say into her mouth.

“I’m not sorry for the absurd lies. It wasn’t to protect myself.”

“Right, I understand.”

Kwon Chae-woo shook his head several times and added, “You did well, Lee-yeon. If you ever face a similar situation in your life, don’t hesitate and swing the saw just like that. I’ll take care of the rest, so don’t worry about the consequences.”

“…”

“The lie about being my wife, if you could keep telling it just to me for the rest of your life, that would be great.”

Despite the man’s changed reaction, Lee-yeon pushed forward with her words.

“I’m truly sorry for lying…”

Kwon Chae-woo echoed the words she had said desperately at some point.

“That lie has completely changed my life.”

“…”

“How can I forget that? You cared for me like you would nurture a beautiful flower. You looked at me with so much care, just like the small garden you made with your own hands.”

I still haven’t woken up from this dream.

That’s when it all began.

Lee-yeon’s face hardened, and her eyes became sharp and filled with malice.

“It’s futile, no matter what you do. You’ll never, ever be able to meet your wife again.”

She spoke in a chillingly transformed tone, marking the beginning of a true nightmare.

“Right here, right now, I’m going to discard all the memories associated with you.” She spoke the same words that Kwon Chae-woo had said said before.

“Lee-yeon…”

“It’s not fair for you to suffer any grudges. Let’s go back to how things were.”

“…”

“You should forget me too.”

Kwon Chae-woo couldn’t bring himself to raise his head, as he was left to face the words he had spoken. Had he spoken such cruel words to her?

His heart pounded in his chest, and his face contorted in disbelief.

So Lee-yeon’s emotionless demeanor, coupled with a subtle hint of amusement. It wasn’t a conversation; it was the unilateral severance of their connection.

He thought that cutting his fingers one by one would be better than experiencing this.

He couldn’t fathom how she had endured this situation. Kwon Chae-woo could only bite his lower lip in response.

“Even so, we… You said you… loved me, Lee-yeon.”

“Have I ever said those exact words to you?”

“…”