In Another Life: Han Ji Pyeong's Happy Ending (Start Up)

Chapter 47: Apology Accepted

Dal mi's POV

"In jae." I greet her as I step out of the house and see her waiting outside, leaning against her car. "What are you doing here?" I ask her.

"I came to deliver the news that In Jae company would be happy to hire you." In jae says with a small smile at the corner of her mouth.

"Ah, right. Thank you CEO Won." I nod politely.

"You start tomorrow. Don't be late, Ms Seo." In jae says in her CEO voice. I nod and smile.

"But," I start again in a more informal tone. "Did you come all the way here just to tell me that? You could've just dropped me a phone call." I say.

In jae pauses for a second and her eyes flutter to the house before her.

"I also wanted to apologize." She says and lowers her gaze to her hands. "I told Ms Yoon the truth."

"Huh?" I ask.

"I told her that the girl on the swing is actually you." In jae sucks in the inside of her cheeks. She looks up at me with a more soft, vulnerable expression. "I'm sorry." She breathes heavily. I know how difficult it is for her to apologize. "I'm sorry for stealing your story." In jae says finally.

I smile at her, feeling a sense of lightness.

"It's okay. It's really okay." I forgive her.

"And also," In jae sighs heavily. "I'm also sorry for what I said about you and Han Ji pyeong..." Her voice trails off.

It takes me a moment to connect what In jae is saying. I finally recall how she said Ji pyeong and I are as different as heaven and earth.
"It's okay." I smile at her, realizing that her words never really bothered nor left an effect on me.

"Oh?" In jae says in surprise. "You're forgiving me, just like that?" She asks.

I nod and smile at her.

"What were you expecting? Were you expecting me to get angry at you?" I ask.

"Yes," In jae smiles. "I thought you'd start grabbing me by the hair and yelling curse words down on me." She laughs softly.

"I'm not angry." I say, surprisingly shocked at the truth of my words. "I admit that in the past I thought it was unfair that you seemed to have a head start because of your rich father." I say.

In jae flinches uncomfortably when I refer to Chairman Won as her father.

"There were indeed some moments when my mind would wander and I'd imagine how easy my life would be if I had followed you and Mom." I admit. "But looking back, I realize that although I didn't grow up with a lot of money, I grew up with something far more precious than that." My voice trails off as I get lost in my thoughts.

"I grew up under the sure love of Dad and Halmeoni, and that's something I wouldn't trade for with all the money in the world."

As the words flow out of my mouth, I quickly stop myself, realizing how they could be hurting In jae.

"Do you want to come in?" I quickly change the subject and gesture to the door. "It's Halmeoni's birthday. Halmeoni and Mom are both inside." I invite her.

In jae bites her lower lips and pauses for a millisecond. She shakes her head.

"No, it's okay. I need to head off anyway." She says.

In jae quickly nods and gets into the car.
"Don't be late for work tomorrow, Ms Seo." In jae says in her CEO voice before driving off. I wave goodbye and watch her car drive off before it disappears around the bend.

In Jae's POV

"CEO Won, aren't you getting off work?" Hyeon asks me. I look up from my computer.

"I still need to work on this. You guys go ahead. Have a safe journey home." I wave goodbye to the workers who retire home.

As I sit alone in the office, my eyes flutter to the calendar on my desk. Marked out on the calendar is Halmeoni's birthday. I rest my head in my hands as I struggle with the dilemma that fills my mind. A small part of me misses Halmeoni. Misses her voice, her warm touch, her sound of laughter. It's been such a long time since I've last seen her. The memories of her in my mind start to grow hazy and I realize I've forgotten the sound of her voice and the clear picture of what she looks like.

I glance at my watch and look at the darkness outside as night time has come.

I'm exhausted from a long day of work... and yet.. Something pulls me towards Halmeoni's house.

Before calling Dal mi to come out, I soak in the sight of Halmeoni's house.

"Halmeoni, happy birthday..." I whisper.

~

"Do you want to come in?" Dal mi asks me.

I pause for a second and feel the two voices battle furiously in my mind. I want so badly to see Halmeoni again. But... how can I step into that house with my Won surname... Shame infiltrates my being like a bad cold and suddenly I start shivering in the coolness of winter.

"No, it's okay. I need to head off anyway." I say quickly, as I feel the sting of tears in my eyes and these tears threaten to embarrass me.

I quickly get into my car, willing myself to hold back the tears and chiding myself to pull it together.

"Don't be late for work tomorrow, Ms Seo." I say too quickly, feeling my voice on the verge of cracking.

As I drive off, I see Dal mi watch me in the rear view mirror of my car. She watches me drive off and I feel the hot tears flood down my cheek. As I turn the bend, Dal mi is no longer in line of view of my car. I bring my car to a stop in the middle of the empty road.

I bend my head forward, resting my forehead on the steering wheel. Quiet tears flow down my face and the void in my chest suddenly grows to a startingly loud volume.

I'm fully aware of the empty house that I will be returning to tonight.

The image of my dad - my biological dad, my real dad - comes to mind. It quickly dissolves away like quick sand and I realise that I forgot what he looks like.

My cheeks feel numb and I bite my lower lip.

Dal mi's words play back in my mind.

"I grew up under the sure love of Dad and Halmeoni, and that's something I wouldn't trade for with all the money in the world."

In moments such as these, I question the decision I made... The decision to follow my mother and my stepfather. I think of the large mansion we lived in but also the coldness of the big rooms. I think about the silence across the dinner table and the huge gaps between us as we set far apart at the dinner table. The memory of Mom crying quietly to herself when she found out Chairman Won had cheated on her comes to mind. I also remember the quiet, secret moments when she would pull out a photo of her and my real father in the darkness of night to look at him.

I long to have that photo of him in my hands now... to remember his face. His kind eyes. His warm smile.

"Appa... Omma... Halmeoni..." I sob quietly as snow flutters down from the sky and a veil of darkness covers the night sky.