He's Out of My Life

Chapter Fifty-Six

"What? To see her cry? To stop me from leaving? There's nothing else to say. I want to get out of here."

Morning in the Han mansion looked gloomy, bleak, and dreary. Rielle woke up, rose from the couch where she spent her night, and saw their empty bed. She quickly gets out of the room, looking for Hyun-Ki. She heard the two brothers speaking in the dining area.

"This is your last day in this house, and with Rielle, are you not going to talk to her, say your last goodbyes, Hyeong?" Hwan Chul asked anxiously.

"What? To see her cry? To stop me from leaving? There's nothing else to say. I want to get out of here." Hyun-Ki said with determination.

Rielle padded back to their bedroom and stood on the balcony, trying to condition herself to cheerfulness. When Rielle heard Hyun-Ki going inside the room, she turned and greeted him pretending to be in a cheerful mood.

"How are you today, Hyun? Feeling well?" she asked, hoping his reply would be pleasant this time. "What is pleasant about this day, huh?" Could you leave my room now, please? I still have some things to accomplish at this hour." Demanded Hyun-Ki. Rielle took a long angry stare at Hyun-Ki and then left the room, banging the door loudly, causing some picture frames on the wall to fall. Hyun-Ki was never bothered, however.

Hwan Chul had a long talk with Rielle in the living room.

"We will be leaving this afternoon, Rielle. You can stay here as long as you want or at the condo until Hyun-Ki returns." Hwan Chul stared at Rielle gloomily.

"I have no reason to stay here or in the condo, Hwan; I am not sure if I'll wait for Hyun-Ki's return because I could feel he's not coming back. And please, stop lying on my face. I know everything; besides, I have a family to go home to; you don't have to worry about me." Rielle was controlling her emotions.

"I'm sorry if I was not truthful to you; it's just that I cannot say straight to you about Hyun-Ki's decisions. It is hurting me, too, Rielle. I would like to know if there is something I can do for you. What are your plans?" asked Hwan worriedly.

Rielle took off her wedding, and the engagement rings from her left hand, then reaching out from her pocket was a passbook in her name.

"Once you're home in Korea, give these to him. I do not need these. I heard from your conversations a day ago that he's considering divorcing me, so I am giving all these back to him once you're home." Rielle pulled Hwan Chul's hand and placed them in his palm.

"Since he had nothing else to say to me, not even a simple goodbye, tell him I wish him well and hope he will recover soon. Tell him these when you're out of this house. And I hope too, Hwan, that we shall never meet again. I will forget you all, so forget there was once a Rielle in Hyun's life." Rielle cannot hold her emotions anymore. She ran towards the garden, sat on the swing, and cried her heart out.

The Han brothers were getting out of the house to their waiting car. Hwan Chul turned his head around, searching for Rielle but could not see her. So they left, leaving Rielle with a heavy heart, in tears crying softly. While in the car, Hwan told Hyun-Ki Rielle's last words. "Rielle wished you well and hoped you could recover soon." But Hyun-Ki remained quiet; Hwan Chul heard not a single word from him. Back to Rielle, she walked inside their bedroom sniffling, trying to hold her tears, and packed her things. She was descending the stairs when Junie was there waiting for her.

"Good afternoon, Miss Rielle. Mr. Hwan Chul told me to help you with your luggage and bring you home to your family." Junie looked so gloomy and misty-eyed about their separation.

"Don't be sad, Junie; this is part of life. Sometimes you're happy; then you're sad the next day. Sometimes you're up there, then you'll find yourself below. And since this will be our last, I'll let you bring me home with that car." Rielle smiled sweetly at Junie, though her eyes were swelling from crying.

Rielle met Mrs. Calma, who embraced her tightly while Rielle cried once more. Their hearts seemed to have no more space to fill in more loneliness and aggrieved emotions. Donna felt so mad that she kept cursing Hyun-Ki. "I pray that he'll never find happiness ever, that freak; I curse you, Hyun-Ki, for hurting my sister!" shouted Donna. Zia was crying so hard, too. "That's why I don't want to fall in love; men are crazy freaks!" called Zia.

A few days after, Rielle was already calm and decided to look for a job to sustain her needs. She browsed newspapers and job placements on the internet and found nothing interested her.

"Mom, I think it would be best if I work outside the country; what can you say?" asked Rielle.

"Well, I like that, you know why? So, you can move on, forget the past and try other things or places," suggested Mrs. Calma.

"I'm applying for a job in Canada, Rielle. Once I get in, I'll look for a job for you there and get you. Do you agree with me, sister?" Zia said.

"Why, of course, Zia, I would like that." Rielle chirped.

By and by, the doorbell rang. A maid informed Rielle that two persons were asking for her. Rielle was reluctant why people were looking for her. She came from the living room to the porch, only to find Hwan Chul and a woman with him. Mrs. Calma came out too to know who the visitors were.

"Hwan Chul, what made you come back?" Rielle was anxious and bothered.

"Rielle, this is my mother, Mrs. Han Bong-Cha." Rielle became more bothered.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Han. What is it you came here for, Hwan?" asked Rielle.

"We are here because my Mom wishes to meet you, Rielle. She was curious about you because she had never met you personally, although I explained to her that you were the Mari I was to elope with before the accident and then became my brother's wife." Hwan Chul explained.

Mrs. Han was smiling, seeming happy to meet Rielle, and spoke: "Yes, I remember Mrs. Calma, your mother whom I had a disagreement with during that fatal accident, and was surprised to know that you became the wife of Hyun-Ki which Hwan Chul explained to me also. Rielle, we came here because I learned from Hwan how Hyun-Ki mistreated you. I felt so bad why he did those things to you rather than be thankful for your sacrifices. We returned because their father told me to sell our house here since everyone had returned home. The house will be useless, and paying the house staff was an additional burden to us, so all of us agreed to sell it, except the condo, because Hwan Chul said you have the right to own it since you are the wife of Hyun-Ki." Rielle looked at them both, then spoke:

"Even if it were Hyun-Ki who would want me to have that condo unit, I would still refuse it, Mrs. Han. Hyun-Ki considered divorcing me, so there's no use of getting or accepting anything from him. I returned everything to him, so why should I now accept anything from him? I do not want or need anything from your son, Mrs. Han, but only my freedom." insisted Rielle, determined in her decision. Mrs. Han stared at Rielle for a longer time as if trying to get into her mind to understand her decision. Never had she met someone like Rielle who never asked or demanded anything from the husband after they decided separation, despite the way Hyun-Ki had mistreated her?

"I admired your principle, Rielle, and I regretted why my son gave up on you when you deserve more than our respect. I was considering returning this passbook in your name because you were once Hyun-Ki's wife and half of the sale of the house. After all, you deserve it, Rielle. And I believed now what Hwan Chul warned me about, that you might not accept anything from us because of the passbook as proof you returned to Hyun-Ki. Still, then I will be at peace if you would accept these sales and the condo if only to alleviate your hardships and sacrifices you had while caring for Hyun-Ki." Mrs. Han implored.

"I'm sorry again to turn you down, Mrs. Han, because I don't want anything from Hyun-Ki anymore. My love for him was not for sale, and no material things could replace the sacrifices I made as part of my being his wife, and now that our life together was over, I don't think there is more to discuss. All I wanted was my freedom from him, and as I had told Hwan before they left, I never want to see you all again. Allow me to forget that there once was a Han Hyun-Ki in my life. Thank you for all this display of thoughtfulness. Goodbye, Mrs. Han, and to you, Hwan Chul." Rielle opened the gate to make them leave.