My heart screeched in annoyance, trying to get me out of this thought. I sighed, and then replied with the same calmness, "Forcing him or not is not important at all. You better leave your feet from this place right now before I call someone to drag you out of here."

I walked towards the desk, taking the cigarette and lighter that was lying beside the computer, then taking out a cigarette. As soon as I was about to light a cigarette on my finger, Donghwa suddenly brushed my hand away so that the cigarette and lighter were scattered on the floor, making a noise.

I glanced at him angrily but tried to say my words as gently as I could so as not to spark a fight between us. "What? I think my words are clear enough. Don't pretend to be deaf."

He was silent while lowering his head before speaking in a voice that was quieter than before but still sounded deep and desperate.

"I just want you to give that gift to him, but why are you making this even more difficult for me? You don't let me see him even though he is still my lover. You don't even allow me to hear his voice. Do you know how I feel right now? Do you know how it feels to be separated by someone you love, moreover, the person who separated you is nobody. I think I don't need to say that you're so shameless in this case because you won't feel that way no matter what, right? Heh, you know, ever since Chunghee left me, I've never felt as lonely as now. I keep hoping that tomorrow doesn't exist, but unfortunately, I still keep my eyes open every morning."

Taking a deep breath, I affirmed, "That's enough. Now, get out of here."

However, after all, he didn't want to listen to my words and even said many things that seemed to reveal what was in his heart.

"You don't know what I've been through with him all this time. The depiction is quite complicated. When you love someone and you fight for him, but one day, when you've been in a relationship with him for many years, suddenly a catastrophe makes you have to part ways. One person doesn't want their relationship to end up and the other wants to leave because he's hurt, but they still love each other exactly. Do you know how that feels? Of course, you will never know it."

Donghwa kept talking, "When I was in a relationship with him, my parents estranged me. My father asked me to make a choice, Chunghee or them. And, do you know what happened at that time? I ran from my house, intending to commit suicide. And, do you know what made me survive until now? Chunghee called me at that time, so I decided to go back to my house and tell my parents that this was my choice before leaving them." He smiled weakly, then continued, "Chunghee never knew about this and I don't want him to know."

"Then, why are you saying that to me? Are you asking me for mercy? Don't expect such ridiculous things from me. I don't care either if you think of me as a heartless person or anything."

He laughed hollowly, then replied, "To be honest, yes, I am. I want you to understand my situation as a fellow person who loves the same person." There was a pause before he added, "But, even so, we are still different at the beginning. When I went to school until I graduated from college, I worked hard to help my family financially and pay for my own life. When I was falling in love with someone, I also fought for that person by myself. And, when we worked at that time, we struggled together until circumstances made us had to work in different places."

"As for you, from the start, you've been rich and living in luxury. You can even get whatever you want. I bet, you had been never in a situation where you had not tasted a slice of meat in a year before, right? I had and could only gulp at that time. But, if you are born as a clingy kid in a rich family, it doesn't mean that you can take anything from someone as you please. You can destroy me, but don't take Chunghee away from me. He's like half of my soul. If you take him from me, it means that you reduce my lifespan in half."

"...."

There was sincerity in his eyes as he said, "This year is the tenth year of our relationship. Don't make this become the worst year ever for me. I was bad because has cheated on him. But, for God's sake, since then until now, I still love him so much."

Hearing those words, I felt as if I wanted to laugh. He didn't know me well enough and bravely said something about me.

Perhaps, some of his words were true, but some of them were wrong. He just didn't know how my life was and how I ended up in a different country for years.

"Don't tell me too much nonsense. You're almost making me a burst of a laugh. If you tell me about the story of your dark life again, I'd rather laugh right in your face than feel sorry for you," I said indifferently.

Finishing my sentence, I walked over to pick up the cigarette and lighter on the floor, then returned to where I was before. Burning a cigarette, I continued, "Just give up. Chunghee won't come back to you. Stop chasing him again and have fun with Sunyeon."

He shook his head weakly, "Heh, you know, I can take Chunghee by force from you if only I don't think about his feelings," he replied in a weak voice.

I smiled coldly after hearing those words. However, what he said about 'think about his feeling' caught my attention more, so I tried to make him believe that what he just said was similar to a joke from someone who just broke up.

"What did you just say? Thinking about his feeling? Heh, let me tell you. Chunghee had been working in this company for years since my father hasn't done handover with me—"

"I know. I know all the journey of his life because we've been through it together," Donghwa interrupted my words. "You only know all of that from what you've heard, whereas I experienced it firsthand with him. You don't deserve to say anything about Chunghee's life journey. No one is worth talking about it except me."

I chuckled. I stood up straight so I could look straight into his face. Because we had the same height, so no one dominated between us. I smoked the cigarette on my finger, then blew the smoke right in his face.

Donghwa didn't even falter and didn't show any expression but complexity in his eyes.

I grinned coldly, then continued my words, "Okay, then I'll talk about what you didn't witness." With a pause, I continued, "After I led this company, he had been my assistant for a few months so that it has made our relationship closer even as a co-worker. And, do you know what I saw during that time?"

He was silent, waiting for me to continue my speech.

I lifted the corner of my lips, then continued, "In his eyes, there was only sadness that he kept hiding behind a smile that ... heh, I think that's quite stupid. I don't know, what have you done apart from cheating on him, but by just looking at his eyes, I'm sure that he was really hurt because of that. He's been carrying a lot of burdens all this time. He's been hurt because of your behavior. Someone like you deserves this kind of pain."

With a deep and dark gaze, I gave him a sharp glance. "Do you really know how he felt at that time? If you feel that you really know everything about his feelings, you will definitely never hurt him no matter what. Heh, how funny. You said you loved him. Love? What kind of love? Why did you even play out there with someone else? What kind of romance do you mean is that?"

"Heh, actually I feel so guilty to him. Do you know why?" I laughed softly. Paused for a moment, I turned around, then walking behind my desk, and sitting back lazily. I continued, "Because my father tried to cover up your affair just to keep your good name and his in the media without knowing that apparently, there is someone who is suffering out there."

After finishing my words, Lee Donghwa lowered his gaze silently.

I didn't know what he wanted to hide right now so he avoided eye contact with me.

Regret? Is he trying to avoid the truth? Or, maybe he is lamenting his cursed self?

Soon after, he looked up again, showing how the pain and suffering had deepened in his heart. His voice trembled as he spoke, "Daehyun, what's your business actually? Now, you know our relationship is in trouble, and you came to him, for what? Do you want to be a hero? You don't even know anything about him."

"Heh, you're right. I don't know anything. But, I've known him long before you know him." I took a deep breath before continuing, "I've known him twenty-two years ago. Maybe, it's nothing compared to your relationship, but during those twenty-two years, I've been harboring my feelings for him. So, it's my business if the person I love looks pathetic like that. I won't remain silent."