Letting Go

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"You pushed me to my limits, Hyun. Everything is over, so over between us now."

"You filthy exploitive abuser!" And Hwan Chul beat him again fiercely, then pulled him up and said in anger, "I'll show you how you mistreated your so-called nurse last night. He took the remote control of Hyun-Ki's television and mirror cast his cell phone to show the film he had taken.

The film showed how he abused Rielle with his words while taking care of him under alcohol. He saw how Rielle washed him with a towel, assisting him as he threw up, changing his shirt for a fresh one, and of course, Hyun remembered the face towel thrown at him and that a twin slap fell on his face, but he never recognized that it was Rielle. Hyun-Ki stood up and returned to the balcony, thinking of that shameful scene and feeling guilty about how she treated Rielle after all the insults he gave her because he was hurting too. He felt he did not have a face anymore. Hwan Chul reprimanded and warned Hyun-Ki.

"Rielle loved you so much, and you must know now that Rielle already uncovered her lost memory of me. She came to visit Nancy in the hospital on the afternoon you looked for her. I came upon her during her visit with Nancy, and I suspected she came from weeping after talking with her best friend. You must know that Nancy was her only confidant with all her problems, and I felt her sorrow even if she tried to smile and laugh with us during our chats. I took the chance to talk seriously with her before she went home that night. That's when I discovered that Rielle already regained her memory had of me." Hwan Chul lamented.

"She expressed how she was angry with me and felt that what I did to her was unforgivable. Rielle does not know how long she will carry that burden of pain in her heart; Rielle feels betrayed and cheated, and even how much I ask for her to forgive me and give me the chance to prove to her how important she is, she told me that I have no more place in the heart because you filled up all that spaces."

There was complete silence between them, and then later, Hwan Chul left Hyun-Ki's room. Hyun-Ki felt guilty about what punishment she must have done to Rielle because he was angry at her, and his pride was hurt, but then he realized he had gone overboard. He was thinking of how he could make up for his wrongdoings.

Back in the Office, Rielle was writing something on paper and then crumpled it, doing as many times as she could, undecisive of what she was writing. After a few more tries, and as she decided, she was sniffling, controlling her emotions. A little bit more, she started packing her things and walked to Hyun-Ki's Office and placed the letter on his table, and with the envelope, she put in Hyun-Ki's ring.

She walked back to her table and tried to finish packing her things in a box when Louie caught her eye on Rielle, wiping her eyes with her handkerchief. Louie gave an elbow to Alexis and pointed her sight to Rielle. The two secretaries felt distressed about Rielle's movement that they came near her and asked, "Why, Miss Rielle? What is this box? Are you leaving us? Did you and Mr. Han Hyun-Ki break up?" The two secretaries felt bewildered and helpless because they did not know how to prevent Rielle from her decision to resign from her job.

And Hyun-Ki entered his Office. He was taking off his coat when he saw an envelope with his name on it and when Hyun lifted it, it somehow was so weighty that he quickly opened the envelope. Falling into his hand was his ring. He immediately opened the letter, and it was from Rielle, and it read like this:

"Dear Mr. Han Hyun-Ki: I do, at this moment, tender my irrevocable resignation as your Executive Assistant effective today. Thank you for trusting my ability to exercise my duties and responsibilities. Sincerely, Miss Gabrielle Mari Calma."

Hyun-Ki immediately walked to Rielle's desk, but it was too late. The two secretaries were weeping, and they couldn't tell Hyun-Ki how long she had gone.

Meanwhile, Rielle was in the elevator when Hwan Chul got a chance at her. He was astonished at seeing Rielle leave with a box of her things. He went with her inside and tried to convince her not to leave for Hyun-Ki's sake. Rielle kept quiet with tears, and troubled Hwan accompanied her until they reached the ground floor. Hwan Chul offered him a ride home, but Rielle declined. He instead told the Security Guard to call a cab for her and assisted Rielle with her things as she got in the cab.

Hwan Chul felt lonely and sad about Rielle leaving both him and Hyun-Ki. He felt so sorry that he was the reason for Rielle and Hyun-Ki's break-up. He quickly returned to the building and the elevator, feeling terrible about this day's event. He scampered in the direction of the CEO's Office and found Hyun-Ki by his desk, hands covering his face and somehow sniffling. Hwan Chul found a crumpled paper, so he took it and read.

"Look what you've done; you drove Rielle away because of your stupid pride?" Hwan Chul turned from his brother, his hand at the back of his head, pacing and thinking of how he could resolve this problem his brother had caused.

"It's too late now, Chul. Once Rielle decides, she won't break her decision. I can't do anything now; she's gone!" Hyun-Ki drowned his face and banged his hand on the table.

"I feel sorry for you, you and your foolish pride! That's what you deserve!" he muttered sarcastically. He left Hyun-Ki's room toward his, and when he was inside his Office, he leaned behind the door and looked blankly at the wall.

Back at Hyun-Ki's Office, he took a pace from his table, and feeling sorry, he flung hard his arm towards the Office door and threw his ring. Then he walked towards the coat rack and tossed it on his shoulder, and left without notice, his face clouded with a dark look.

Hyun-Ki asked for his driver's car key from Junie because he wanted to drive somewhere. Junie told him that it could cause him to where he was going, thinking that moving for Mr. Han would prevent an accident and that he could not be in a better position to drive alone. So, Hyun-Ki told Junie to go with him to his sanctuary, where he moved Hyun-Ki to when he was depressed about Rielle.

Hyun-Ki stayed there for many hours of how long it took him to contemplate meditation on how he would take Rielle back.

Meanwhile, back to Rielle, she was descending the cab with a big box in her hand when her mom, who was watering her plants outside the fence, glanced at her. She came to meet and assist her, and she found her daughter wearing a gloomy look on her face.

"What's the matter, Rielle? What is this big box, and you look so gloomy!" her mother asked, looking at her inquisitively.

"Let me get inside first, mom, then I'll answer your questions." Sniffling as she replied. Rielle has not yet put the big box down when she grievously cried.

"I resigned from my work, mom. Hyun-Ki and I broke up." Rielle broke down and wailed.

"There's no more turning back, and I truly hate him! I hate him, mom!" Rielle wept in anger, and her mom could not think well but only comforted her with her embrace.

It was getting dark when Hyun-Ki came out from his contemplation. He felt divided by a decision will he go to Rielle now and talk to her, or will he let it pass for one more day? He was in the middle of his decision when Junie asked him, "Are we going to Rielle now, Sir?" Hyun-Ki was flustered. The more Hyun-Ki was halved in his decision, the much more making him confused. Was it the right time? He asked himself. He went into his car still thinking, so he tossed a coin to help him decide—if a man would not proceed, if flowers, he had to. So he threw the coin and landed the cash on his palm, showing the image of flowers. He mustered his courage and told Junie to drop him off at Rielle's house.

Hyun-Ki rang the doorbell, and a maid came to answer him.

"Oh, it's Mr. Hyun-Ki, please come in, and I'll get Miss Rielle for you." Said the maid courteously. The maid came knocking at Rielle's door, and when the maid told her that Hyun-Ki was there to see her, she rattled. She asked herself, would she come out to see him? Or would she drive him away? Then her mom advised Rielle to see him and close their relationship so he won't bother her again. And so, she did.

"Why are you here, Hyun? Have you realized the wrong you've done? You want me back as your EA, or do you want us to reconcile?" mused Rielle, controlling her hidden anger.

"Rielle, please forgive me. Yes, I want us back together, and I'm so sorry." Pleaded Hyun-Ki and Rielle could not speak, trying to control her emotions, but her anger took over her.

"Sorry? Sorry? Sorry of what, Hyun? Sorry for insulting me. Calling me a flirt? I have disgusted you, right? I received many criticisms you hurled at me, but I kept silent and patient because I knew you were angry at me; doing my best to understand your feelings, and I still believe that it is temporary; I rejected your proposal. But that rejection was only temporary because I wanted to resolve my issues with Hwan. That rejection was only a temporary decline; Have I outwardly rejected your proposal? No! I asked for some time because that memory I lost was a part of me, a piece of my life that is missing, and having that recalled will make me a complete person again. Do you think knowing I still have a memory to bring out from my deep consciousness would give us a peaceful life if we marry? I want to marry my man without doubts running from my head, Hyun, and that's what you fail to understand or do not want to understand!" Rielle stressed her stand.

"Yes, it was true; I got so angry at you and realized my mistake, so I am here now to forgive me, Rielle." Implored Hyun-Ki.

"After everything you hurled at me? What do you think of me, a rock that anything you hit at me I won't break? Each time it hit me, you broke me into pieces, and now you turned my heart into a stone, and hurting me won't break me anymore." Rielle paused, trying to replenish her aching heart for strength.

"You pushed me to my limits, Hyun. Everything is over, so over between us now." Rielle paused a while to gather her sensibility.

"I can learn to forget you, erase you from my memory. Let us not cross paths ever again." She paused once more, holding her tears.

"I am letting you go. Goodbye, Mr. Han Hyun-Ki." Rielle was now in tears; her pain was getting her.

As she turned her back away from Hyun-Ki, he grasped Rielle's arm and embraced her tight, not letting go of her. Rielle let herself be wrapped within Hyun-Ki's arms, making herself feel Hyun-Ki for the last time; both were weeping, and then slowly, Rielle loosened Hyun-Ki's embrace. She stared at him, giving him her previous look through his eyes while Hyun-Ki felt there was hope of getting her back, but from that long stare, Rielle took off his arms from her, stepped back, and said to Hyun-Ki---

"I'm letting go of everything about us. Let us not cross paths ever again. Goodbye."