The Virgin
The Virgin
In, Chun-Ho's last name, a name provided to him by the government since he had no family nor was he adopted at a later stage. He was left at the orphanage, merely a child, and only able to recognize his first name, Chun-Ho.
Byeol requested for a private time with Chun-Ho to explain her side of the story and tell how they got married.
In response to his new wife's request, Chun-Ho practically dragged himself to the patio, just to get the answer he wanted.
In all fairness to his... new wife, she was patient, respectful, and courteous. Aside from that, she was a girl from a wealthy family in another city. He could not dare just throw her a tantrum.
After making his way to the patio, he took his seat, not minding the woman behind her. She simply found the chair in front of him and only then did she speak.
Chai Byeol forced a smile and said, "Do you remember how we ended up in this circumstance?"
"No, not at all," he said. He scratched his head, further dishevelling his hair. "Enlighten me, please."
"You were drunk - "
"Obviously and somewhere in between getting drunk, you took advantage of me." With a strange stare, he paused to say, "Somehow."
While Chun-Ho could see clearly how he was... taken advantage, he could not bring himself to hate the woman. It's not like... he was so... unlucky.
The woman before her him had very fair skin. She had straight, shoulder-length hair with strikes of thin bangs on her forehead. She had a cute and slender nose. Her eyes were dark brown and her lashes were quite long. She had thin, pinkish lips and from the way, they were glowing; it was obvious they were very soft.
Chun-Ho understood the woman before him was beautiful, elegant, and not to mention, rich. He could say, he practically won the lottery. 'So much for being taken advantage.'
"I'm sorry. I - I had a bad day and despite having slept over it for a few days, I - am not getting any better days either," said Byeol.
She sighed repeatedly and looked sideways before saying, "Your friend and his wife recognized me immediately after I - after I introduced myself. You were just so - so." She gulped before resuming, "I was curious about you - you looked so much alike with my fiance."
With a frown, she added, "Who left me by the way." She looked into Iseul's dark eyes and said, "At first I just wanted to take a closer look at you."
"So I joined your gathering - invited myself that is. Of course, I offered to pay for the drinks, but your friend wouldn't let me."
Chun-Ho grimaced. He remembered part of that night. Iseul practically tried to play cupid between him and... a stranger.
"Anyway, back then I was... in desperate need of company and my judgment was absolutely clouded. I was so hateful towards my ex-fiance that I was determined to find his replacement - whoever will come my way -"
"Oh, you found me - the replacement," Chun-Ho said, raising a brow and crossing his arms against his chest.
Byeol sneered. The way she wrinkled her nose along the way, actually made her look adorable and Chun-Ho realized this. He scoffed and said, "So you decided to take advantage of my drunken state."
"Since your friend could not drive you home, I offered to bring you to the Yeongs' mansion with my driver. It was - it was in my car that I told you of my predicament and I asked you... I asked you nicely without threatening you. I asked if you would like to be my husband."
"I showed you the marriage certificate form, and you signed it right away!"
"But how can that even be legalized?!" Chun-Ho asked.
"I had made prior arrangements to expedite my marriage with my ex-fiance. So connections were already made. The next day, I handed it to a lawyer, and just the other day, I got confirmation... that we are now... officially married!"
Chun-Ho sighed. He scratched his head again before saying, "Listen to me." He raised both his palms before adding, "We can undo everything."
With a hand on his chest, he explained, "I work for Anton Yeong. He is well connected. I realize this was a big mistake and we can undo this mistake."
Pointing at Beyol with his hand, he added, "No hard feelings. You are a beautiful lady and any man would be happy to marry you - "
"Apparently, not my fiance," said Byeol.
Before Chun-Ho could say more, his new wife said, "I don't want to undo the marriage."
It shocked Chun-Ho completely. He leaned back, feeling lost before reacting, "Wwwhhhaat? Are you crazy?"
"Maybe. Maybe I am. But I nearly married a man who I thought loved me. As it turns out, he only cheated on me and took the Ten Million Dollars I invested in his company. Apparently, his company was dying, and he needed my money to flee the country."
"I left my family six months ago, bragging about my newfound love. I fought with my father, insisting that my relationship is real and ideal."
As she spoke, she occasionally evaded his eyes, but towards the end of her tale, she returned her gaze at Chun-Ho.
"My father is returning from a business trip and he is determined to meet the man I married. I - I can't possibly go back empty-handed. Not with the stepmother and half-sister, looking down on me because of my choices. Not when he wanted me to marry someone for convenience - a man far worst than my ex-fiance."
"Wait... Are you saying - "
Chun-Ho's words were cut off by Byeol saying, "Yes, I don't want to cancel this marriage. I'd like for us... to give us a try... Please?"
"This is just wrong for many rea - "
"Can you blame me?" she asked with her lips trembling, slowly getting off her seat.
He was caught by surprise with Byeol, kneeling before him. Her eyes started to water as she pleaded, "I beg you. Save me from being shamed."
When her tears fell down her cheeks, Chun-Ho felt a pang in his heart. "Shit!"
Among the three of them, he had a softer character, exactly how the farmer from Afghanistan won his compassion. He could not bear to see a pleading woman crying in front of him.
"You -you don't even know me." Chun-Ho pointed out.
Byeol, thought back to their conversation while getting drunk at the wedding venue. She sniffed her tears away and said, "I - I know that you are a virgin?"
Chun-Ho: "Fuck."
Byeol: "I recall that your friend mentioned you sing nursery rhymes with your boss' daughters - few men would be willing to - not when a child is unrelated to him."
Chun-Ho: "Dammit!"
Byeol: "You are a good friend and never failed to buy your friends their birthday gift."
Byeol: "You are handsome and you have a great body."
Chun-Ho coughed at her words, slightly feeling his ears burning.
Byeol: "Of course, I looked you up before deciding to come here. I know you haven't had a girlfriend since... it's no... wonder you are a virgin."
Crickets ***