아린 left the family home with only her essentials in the early dawn, when everyone, including 재혁, was deep in sleep.

As 재혁 had anticipated, her destination was 지윤’s house.

“지윤아…….”

Was it the relief of seeing her friend? 아린 burst into tears upon seeing 지윤.

“아린아, why are you crying?”

지윤 immediately embraced her, offering comfort.

“Come in first. Let’s talk inside.”

아린’s tears didn’t stop. 지윤 silently stroked her back, trying to calm her.

‘What on earth happened?’

지윤 observed 아린’s swollen eyes and travel bag, sensing the gravity of the situation without needing words.

“지윤아, I…”

After a while, 아린, whose tears had subsided, spoke up.

“I’m getting a divorce.”

“……What? Really?”

At 지윤’s question, 아린 nodded weakly, tears flowing again.

지윤’s gaze deepened like a profound ocean, reflecting the weight of her thoughts.

She recalled the abrupt call from 아린 yesterday afternoon.

[지윤아, sorry, but can you lend me some money?] [아린아, what’s wrong? You need money? What happened?] [Sorry, I can’t tell you anything right now. I promise to pay it back. Please, lend me the money.]

지윤, the head of VAN Group’s PR team, had heard rumors about the demanding and tough nature of 정 여사, but she never experienced it firsthand. She knew 아린 as sweet and kind, but in 정 여사’s eyes, 아린 might have seemed inadequate.

지윤 knew 아린 was silently breaking down, even though she always claimed she was fine. The proof was her diminishing brightness.

[No need to explain. How much do you need? And you don’t have to pay me back. It’s okay.] [Sorry, 지윤아.]

지윤 was troubled by 아린’s mention of money, especially given her unusually subdued voice.

Yet, she couldn’t ask anything.

아린’s voice sounded too sorrowful.

[I’ll come over at dawn.]

Convinced something major had happened to her friend, 지윤 transferred all the money she could and waited up for 아린.

“Sorry for coming over suddenly, 지윤아.”

Pulled back from her thoughts, 지윤 responded.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about between friends.”

“지윤아…….”

“Tell me, 아린아.”

지윤 held 아린’s trembling hand firmly.

“Did you love 오빠 a lot?”

“……You know.”

서지윤 knew better than anyone that 최아린 loved 반재혁 more than her own life.

Society labeled 아린 as a ‘modern-day Cinderella’ or a ‘gold-digger’ upon her marriage to 재혁. Unpleasant articles abounded.

[I’m okay. It’s not true… as long as 오빠 doesn’t think that way about me.]

Even then, 아린 smiled. 지윤 could only offer words of encouragement.

But now, 아린 was leaving 재혁 of her own accord?

It was unimaginable.

아린 had to conceal her love and sacrifice herself for a family that only saw her as a convenience.

지윤 was well aware of 아린’s family.

They were people unworthy of being called family.
Even though they were best friends, 아린 never opened up about her inner thoughts, nor did 지윤 know about her family.

지윤 had only briefly encountered 아린’s mother, 경숙, in passing.

But then, there was that one time…

지윤 saw 경숙 near her company.

‘Why is she here?’ Wondering, 지윤 approached to greet her, but unintentionally overheard her conversation. It turned out to be the biggest mistake of 지윤’s life.

[How dare you talk to me like that? I’m the mother-in-law of Korea’s top group. And you think I should live pathetically?] [What? If she finds out, so what? That’s what you do with kids you raised. It’s not like I’m doing charity.]

Unknowingly, 지윤 had opened a Pandora’s box of secrets. She couldn’t bring herself to greet 경숙 and simply turned back.

From then on, 지윤 started to see things she hadn’t noticed before. The true nature of 아린’s family, who had been leeching off her back…

Subsequently, negative articles about 아린’s family emerged in the media. Yet, 아린 always smiled through it.

지윤 couldn’t ask 아린 if her family was the reason for the divorce.

“Are you serious?”

It was hard for 지윤 to believe 아린 would leave 재혁.

“Yes, I’ve made up my mind.”

아린 looked at 지윤 and nodded firmly.

“Suddenly, a divorce?”

“It wasn’t sudden.”

“Did something happen with 정 여사? Did she tell you to break up? Is that why?”

아린 couldn’t answer 지윤’s questions honestly.

‘I’m too confused right now.’

The terrible reality of leaving 재혁 choked her.

[You can’t conceive naturally anymore.]

The blunt words of Dr. Kim, declaring her inability to have children, haunted 아린.

“I can’t live like this anymore. Besides…”

아린 felt her heart might burst.

She hadn’t expected a rosy future but never wished for a hellish reality either.

Her life, though not very long, was spent loving 재혁. Since she could barely remember, she had loved him.

It was a natural order.

Like a newly hatched chick following the first thing it sees, 재혁 was her first love. The existence of 반재혁 was engraved in her life, irremovable at will.