Charley's P.O.V.

Sang-ook's eyes stayed on me as I laid with one arm pinned to his bed. I could feel humiliation come to me as he stared at me. I'm getting emotional for no reason. People are terrible people, that's it. There is no reason to cry about it. 

“I never understood why you wanted to marry a stranger whom you disliked, but now I can understand. I should not have judged you at all. Instead, I should have been by your side.” My brows furrowed.

“Don't start that now.”

“I am only telling the truth.”

It's just an I'm sorry.

I hate I'm sorries

But why is it that his understanding of me can trigger my tears in seconds? And his hand is gently caressing my cheek as if he weren't the cause of most of this. I don't want to crave his comfort, but it feels as though I can't help it. I want to hold his hands to me and close my eyes-

Hell no!

I kicked him away from me, causing him to dry heave and land on his side. I got off his bed and started to leave, but he somehow recovered and grabbed my hand.

“Let go,” I said as I tried to pull myself free. He yanked me towards him and held me in his arms. I tried to break free once more, but instead I felt his embrace stay while he placed his head on mine. “You asshole, I don't want to even be near you right now.” 

“It's okay to cry, Charley. You have been holding everything in for so long. I promise to do my job as your fiancée and protect you like I am supposed to. You don't ever have to feel as though you need to feel as though you don't have that.”

This was supposed to be his punishment, and yet he is treating it as if we fell in love with each other and decided to get married. This is anything but that, and yet- when I feel his arms around me, as I listen to his soft voice, and the beating of his heart, I can't help but want to hold him back.

I melted in Sang-ook's arms and allowed myself to cry the tears I tried to hold back for so long. Sang-ook no longer spoke. Instead, he continued to comfort me.

Sang-ook's P.O.V.

Thirty Minutes Later 

I sat across from Charley on my bed as we stared at each other. She's calmed down now, but I want to stay awake to make sure she is okay. “Do you feel better?” She didn't look at me. Instead, she stared at the blanket below us.

She has been like that ever since she stopped crying. I couldn't judge her. She has every reason to.

“Do you want to eat? It's been a while, right? Plus, you missed dinner.” She looked at me. “It's understandable if you are.” I looked at my door. “How about we go to a diner down the street. They have great cinnamon waffles. I know how much you like those.”

“I would ask how you know that, but there is no doubt you learned that when you had spies on me.”

She was right

“Let me guess. You are going to get a Ruben?” She asked me. I nodded.

“It seems that you remember what you got on me as well,” she said, standing up.

“How can I not. I almost hired someone to poison your food the week before the ball.” My eyes widened.

She what?!

“How come you didn't?”

“My overtime pay was late, which screwed up my bills. I got hit with late fees after late fees-”

Thank goodness

her pay was late

“Speaking of which, did you quit your job? I mean, I know you have just come back from the hospital, but you didn't mention work for tomorrow at all.” She shook her head.

“After the press conference, they sent me a termination email. It was a shame because I liked working for Golexi.”

“They didn't trust you anymore?” She nodded.

“Yup. Nothing says untrustworthy like announcing an engagement with the son of one of your competitors.”

Either way,

had they not fired her

 she would have had to quit that job

My father wouldn't have

gone for her staying with

them.

Forty Minutes Later, Sunny Day Diner

I watched as Charley ate her food. For a woman who hasn't eaten in hours, she seems to be eating as if she ate twenty minutes ago. Was her food not good? “Are you not hungry?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I am, it's just that I am not trying to scarf my food down. It makes me feel nauseous after, and that's not a good feeling before going to bed.”

Understandable

“You and Gabi, tell me more about it,” she said.

“I thought you knew about it.”

“I thought I did, but after our conversation earlier, I have a feeling I am missing something. So I want to know more about it.” I nodded.

“Gabi and I met while doing business. Both of our fathers were businessmen who had been friends after last year's meeting. They brought us together to try to get to know each other since we were the same age. Gabi had been married while I, single. We became friends fast. She would tell me about her marriage, and I would tell her about the relationship I had been in. One day, after the two called their marriage quits and divorced, she grew even closer to me and stood by my side. I found it weird until the woman I had been engaged to at the time and I called it off.”

“The one with Mina?” I nodded. “What ended it?” I arched my brow.

“I am surprised you didn't know?”

“There is only so much information I could get from a billionaire's son. Especially with how secretive you all are. The only way I could get the best information was by spying on you all, but I couldn't do that every day. I had to work, you know?”

“One of the staff overheard her conversation; she was on the phone, stating that she was using me for money. I didn't want to believe it, but not long before that, Gabi showed me proof. If I were to ignore those two signs that Mina didn't love me, I would be forcing myself to be in something that was not for me. We ended our relationship, and I stuck around with Gabi. We were both hurt people who related to one another by the fact that we both got out of serious relationships. I admit I had feelings for Gabi, but once she started dating someone, I moved on. I couldn't judge her. She grew tired of waiting for me to say something to her about how I felt.”

“Would you say what you two had was love?” Charley asked. I shook my head.

“We were close to that, but never got to that point.” She stared into my eyes. Likely to read me. I let her. I didn't want her to think that I had been lying.

“How did you feel when she moved on?” She asked.

“Hurt, but I couldn't just say ‘ditch your new boyfriend and go out with me’. It was I who took so long to confess to her. Why should I confess when she is happy with someone else? So I buried myself in my work. Eight months later, I was handed your file.” She began to cut another piece of her waffle.

“I was a rebound for you when Gabi didn't want you anymore?” My eyes widened while Charley took a bite of her waffle. 

“No, I promise. I just liked reading your file and learning about you. Your multiple hobbies and how you like to do a new activity once a year. How you loved your family and your job. How, despite being pushed down by life, you didn't let that stop you.”

“You are not going to screw me over and think I can ’whether’ it, right?” Damn, maybe this was the result of her ex-fiancé and cousin's torment. 

“Why would I do that? To hurt someone and expect them to automatically forgive you over time is one of the dumbest things to do.” She arched her brow. I paused. Does that mean what I think it means? “I know what you are going to say, but you know why that happened.”

“Understand that because of what you did, I feel this way.” I sighed and stared her in her eyes.

“I understand that, Charley, but I do have feelings for you. More than you know. You feel the same, right?” She froze.