Chapter 67: Cactus
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 67: Cactus
“Can you imagine how shocked I was? To hear that Han-byeol is my son.”
…Time stopped.
Yeon-ju stared at Eun-seong, her expression frozen. She didn’t react with the reflexive shock one might expect. Instead, a strange calm settled over her as the seconds ticked by.
When she offered neither a word nor a reaction, Eun-seong shifted his gaze to Han-byeol’s drawing. Naturally, Yeon-ju’s eyes followed his to the canvas.
The child in the painting was a perfect likeness, making it instantly clear which photograph had been used as a reference.
It wasn’t a drawing completed in a day or two. Seeing how delicately every tiny detail had been captured, he must have stared at the photo hundreds, if not thousands, of times.
She understood why Eun-seong had painted Han-byeol. As he transferred the child’s face onto the canvas, he must have deconstructed and analyzed every feature. In the details he had once unconsciously overlooked, he must have discovered resemblances to himself.
“Do you know what this is?”
As Yeon-ju stood there in silence, Eun-seong pulled out a large manila envelope. Seeing her expression, as if she had resolved to exercise her right to remain silent, he kindly provided the answer himself.
“A paternity test result.”
“Stop lying.”
It couldn’t be. He would never resort to something as drastic as a paternity test, not with the name Im Eun-seong on the line. No matter how much privacy was guaranteed, he would never be reckless enough to take such a risk.
Yet, Eun-seong laughed.
“Why? Did you think I couldn’t do it?”
“…”
“Ms. Go Yeon-ju. Paternity tests aren’t only done in Korea.”
The breath she had managed to keep steady suddenly grew heavy. Yeon-ju clenched her small fists, struggling to control her ragged breathing.
Eun-seong took a step forward, closing the distance between them. He placed the envelope on the sculpture stand. Staring blankly at the envelope resting right next to Han-byeol’s invitation, Yeon-ju felt her mind go numb as a cold sweat broke out along her spine.
“See for yourself what it says.”
She didn’t have the courage to open it.
Suddenly, her legs gave out. She stumbled backward, barely catching herself against the wall. The icy touch of the wall seemed to freeze her entire body solid.
Watching her, Eun-seong let out another faint laugh. A hollow chuckle followed, laced with contempt and mockery.
“How could you do something like this?”
His disjointed words made her throat burn. Yeon-ju forced her heavy eyelids open.
“How can a person… how can someone hide something like this?”
Though he was only a few steps away, he felt incredibly distant, like a vast, endless horizon. Yeon-ju looked straight at his face.
Yes. This kind of situation, this very moment—she had imagined it every single night.
“How could you do this! Unless you’re completely insane, how could you!”
In her dreams, she had often seen him crumbling to pieces, writhing in agony after discovering the truth. Peering into his world of wails and screams, she too had broken down, weeping bitterly alongside him. In those dreams, she would resolve to run away before this future could arrive—
But when morning came, drunk on his love, she would delay her escape. Just one more day, just one more day.
“How could you do this to me… How can a person be this cruel…”
Why hadn’t she left? Why had she stayed?
It wasn’t as if she hadn’t known a day like this would come.
His trembling, unstable voice sounded faint and distant, but suddenly, it snapped into sharp focus. Yeon-ju opened her eyes wide, forcing herself back to reality.
Get a grip. If you break down here, it’s over. If you crumble now, everything ends.
“What? What are you talking about?”
She would not play the victim. She would not act pitiful. She would take all the hatred and resentment he threw her way and willingly accept his wrath.
“Why? Are you frustrated because you found out too late? Or are you angry because you learned a truth you wish you’d never known?”
She would be the villain. She would be the bad guy.
She had sworn she would never burden his life with herself and her child—
“Whose son? Han-byeol? Your son? Don’t make me laugh. Han-byeol is my son.”
Unbidden tears spilled over. Without bothering to wipe them away, Yeon-ju forced her eyes wider.
“What was I supposed to do? Should I have introduced him to you as if I’d been desperately waiting for this moment? ‘Oh, what a coincidence, Mr. Im Eun-seong. I have a son, and he’s yours. He’s ten years old now. Since we’ve run into each other, you can start playing the part of a father today, right? You’re confident you’ll be a good parent, aren’t you? You’ll take responsibility? You have to take responsibility, because he’s your child!’”
“…”
“Is that what I should have done?”
Tears poured down like rain as she ranted hysterically. Yeon-ju roughly wiped them away with the back of her hand, keeping her eyes locked on Eun-seong. Her bloodshot eyes burned, but she only stood taller, straightening her spine.
“Yes. I lied. I knew I might get caught, but I figured it couldn’t be helped. I mean, surely you wouldn’t fail to recognize your own child, right? You’d recognize him eventually. I was waiting for you to notice first. Do you know why?”
“…”
“Because I wanted to ruin you.”
Her own words stabbed into her chest. Blood gushed from the wound, but the pain was buried beneath her sheer misery.
“You, Im Eun-seong. Have you ever wanted to die? Have you ever felt as despondent as I have? Have you ever been so terrified of tomorrow, so utterly lost in the dark?”
Yeon-ju laughed like a madwoman, her brow furrowed as if the very idea was absurd.
“No, right? You never have. While I gave up my dreams and my future to raise our child, you flew as high as you wanted. You had everything, enjoyed everything, achieved everything! So shouldn’t you be grateful? Why are you angry at me? Who are you to blame me? Who do you think you are?!”
“…”
“Are you scared? Terrified that you’ll fall? Don’t be. Nothing changes for us. Just because you know the truth doesn’t change a single thing. If it hurts, endure it. You should at least accept that much. It’s only fair that you share some of the pain.”
Her vision blurred and cleared repeatedly through the overflowing tears. No matter how hard she tried to hide them, the tears were beyond her control, forcing her to breathe through her mouth.
After spitting out her words in a frantic, heated rush, she managed to rein in her emotions. In a completely drained voice, Yeon-ju muttered:
“I told you you’d regret it.”
“…”
“I told you… that you’d regret holding on to me.”
This was the end.
Anticipating a miserable conclusion, Yeon-ju bit her lip. Eun-seong, who had absorbed all her desperate, screaming words, stared at her in silence.
He could tell she was barely standing. Looking at Yeon-ju, whose face was so pale she seemed on the verge of collapsing, Eun-seong picked up the envelope he had placed on the sculpture stand.
Then, he opened it himself. He pulled out the sheet of paper inside and let it drop at her feet.
“You sure talk a lot of nonsense.”
Staring at the blank sheet of paper, with absolutely nothing written on it, Yeon-ju closed her eyes tightly.
“Do you think I’ll understand you just because you act like this?”
“I never asked you to understand.”
“What? You wanted to ruin me? I should be grateful because you flew as high as you wanted?”
“…”
“You think you can just say whatever you want?”
Yeon-ju slowly raised her head to look at him. As his gaze, cold as metal, pierced her, she felt a chill run straight to her bones.
“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”
“Shut up. Say one more word, I dare you.”
“…”
He bent down and picked up the blank paper. Then, he tore it into tiny pieces, as if ripping up their very future.
“No human being could do this. Am I wrong?”
As he placed the shredded paper on the sculpture stand, Han-byeol’s invitation was buried beneath the scraps. Staring blankly, she wished that they, too, could be buried like that, completely ruined.
“When you found out you were pregnant… you should have found me.”
“No. I didn’t want to.”
“You should have! No matter what it took! You could have!”
“…”
“Don't make excuses about how you couldn't. You should have met me, no matter what. There was no other way.”
Unable to face him, Yeon-ju turned her head away. She couldn’t bear the self-loathing of having let things come to this.
“Don’t pretend you were thinking of me. You act like you were worried about my future, but you were only worried about yourself. Even if it meant I couldn’t live the life I have now, shouldn’t you have left that choice to me?”
“…”
“I’m almost grateful you didn’t expect a single thing from me. Because it’s already far too late to talk about responsibility.”
“Yes. That’s the best thing you’ve said all day. Let’s leave it at that.”
With her fingertips, she wiped away the lipstick she had quickly applied before entering, wanting to look pretty for him.
“Are we done talking? I’ll be going now. I’m quitting my job. I just ask that you take good care of Han-byeol’s one remaining photoshoot. I’ll live quietly without leaving a trace, so please, let’s end it here.”
“You should have found me.”
He repeated the same words like a broken record.
“You should have found me. Even if you had to fly to the other side of the world. By any means necessary, you should have searched for me, found me, and stood before me.”
…Yes. It’s another breakup. In the end, this is how we finish.
I push you away, urging you to move on from me.
“No matter what… you should have come to me…”
“What use are those words now? They have no power, no meaning.”
Resenting, hating. Fading and washing away—
One day, it will become ordinary. It will become a breakup that anyone could have experienced.
“Even if I went back to that time, I would make the exact same choice, and I would never regret it. So, shake it off and move on, Actor Im.”
If I find myself forgotten by you. If my name becomes nothing more than common dust.
When that time comes, will I be able to smile, even just a little?
Will such a day ever come?
“I’m leaving.”
Goodbye. I offer you this far-too-belated farewell.