Chapter 3: Arriving at Crystal Haven Manor
Inside the car, Soo-jin texted Joon-ho with only one sentence: "Please leave." Despite everything, she felt bad for him. Even if she hated him, he didn't deserve to suffer like this.
Earlier that night, as the crowd outside the building grew larger, the police had been dispatched to maintain order. Several barricades were placed in front of the building to prevent anyone from passing through.
When the rain started pouring heavily, the crowd began to thin out, but the reporters and media vans remained, filming Joon-ho standing alone in the downpour.
As Soo-jin scrolled through her phone, reading the countless articles about last night's incident, she wasn't surprised to see more than a thousand had been posted.
After all, this involved the marriage and relationship of the CEO of the world's largest tech company and a globally renowned top actress.
Soo-jin was confused by the silence from the person she truly loved—no texts, no calls. She assumed he must still be asleep or hadn't seen the news yet, and brushed off her concerns.
Meanwhile, Joon-ho's phone buzzed with a notification. When he saw the message from Soo-jin, asking him to leave, his heart shattered.
He thought, She doesn't even want to see me anymore. With hollow eyes, he gave up, believing he would never be able to make her happy.
Maybe she'll be happy with the one she truly loves, he thought to himself. Determined to see her one last time, he opened another app on his phone to track Soo-jin's location and began driving toward her.
It's okay, Joon-ho told himself. Maybe this is for the best. If she continues to hate me, it will be easier for her after I'm gone. She won't feel guilty. And perhaps… she'll find happiness.
As Joon-ho tracked her location, he started following her car. But it wasn't long before the media noticed and began tailing him as well.
Inside Soo-jin's car, she noticed Joon-ho's car following closely behind. She was surprised. How did he know where I was going? she wondered.
And how did he know which car I was in? Before the media became more suspicious, she quickly texted him again: "Don't follow me."
Joon-ho, with tears streaming down his face for the first time in years, ignored everything except his desire to see Soo-jin one last time.
Meanwhile, the media, realizing something unusual was happening, turned their attention to her car and began chasing both vehicles.
Inside the car, Ji-eun noticed the cars trailing behind them and steadily increased their speed. Soo-jin, still texting Joon-ho, pleaded with him,
"Why are you doing this? Please don't follow me."
Joon-ho, focused only on seeing her, drove on, oblivious to the chaos unfolding around him.
Initially, Soo-jin had planned to go home, but with the media hot on their trail and her cover blown, she instructed Ji-eun to head toward the Hanam-dong district instead.
Complying, Ji-eun changed direction, heading toward their new destination. Glancing at Soo-jin in the rearview mirror, Ji-eun asked,
"How did we get exposed so quickly? It hasn't even been an hour, and we haven't even left the car. How on earth did they figure it out?"
Soo-jin avoided Ji-eun's gaze and muttered, "I only texted Joon-ho to leave. I have no idea how he knew where we were or why he's following us."
Ji-eun cursed under her breath. "That crazy bastard. Always pretending to love you, sticking to you like gum."
As they neared the gates of Hanam-dong, the security guards stopped them. Rolling down the window, Soo-jin showed her face, and the guards let them in.
After they entered, Joon-ho tried to follow, but the guards blocked his path. Frustrated, he lowered his window and snapped, "Why are you blocking me? Let me through!"
The security guards, who knew him to be gentle and kind, were taken aback by his anger. But they had no choice and explained,
"Sorry, sir. Your car number has been removed from Crystal Haven Manor by the owner, and you've been banned from entering. We're sorry, but we can't let you in."
Joon-ho clenched his fists. That man had already barred him from entering so soon after winning the succession war.
Inside the manor, Soo-jin guided Ji-eun through the luxurious estate. Ji-eun looked around in awe at the grand manor and asked,
"Are you sure? Do you really know the owner? Won't they kick us out if they don't recognize you?"
Laughing, Soo-jin reassured her, "Don't worry. This is Kim Tae-hyun's house. You remember him, right? He's been a friend of mine since our university days, just like you."
As they reached the entrance of Crystal Haven Manor, Soo-jin said, "Let's go in." But Ji-eun, glancing at the numerous missed calls and messages on her phone, replied,
"You go in first. I need to clean up the mess you created. Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital? This place seems safe, though. You can stay here until things calm down outside."
Nodding, Soo-jin stepped out of the car and headed inside while Ji-eun drove off the same way they had come.
As Soo-jin approached the grand manor, excitement fluttered in her chest. Finally, she thought, after all this bitter struggle, soon Kim Tae-hyun and I will be together.
With the public on our side, now Tae-hyun's mother won't be able to stop the divorce between me and Kim Joon-ho.
Her heart swelled at the thought of marrying Kim Tae-hyun—the man she truly loved, the one who had helped shape her into who she was today.
But then, her illness crept into her thoughts. What will Tae-hyun do after I'm gone? she wondered anxiously. Will he cry for me? Mourn my death?
She didn't want him to suffer, to cry for her. He should move on, start a new life, she reasoned. But still... part of her couldn't bear the idea of him forgetting her too quickly. Please, just remember me sometimes...
Shaking her head, Soo-jin pushed the gloomy thoughts away. No, she resolved, I shouldn't be thinking about that.
I need to focus on the time I have left and live these remaining days happily with Tae-hyun.