FORTYSIXTH CHAPTER

                                    

                                          


                          
The Devil's Father
                          


                          
Ji stood in the middle of the house that had brought him far too many destructive memories. In his hand are the documents that sealed his sale of this property and as though a large blockage had been dislodged from his throat, he is now finally able to look at the house without all the hate that had built up inside of him.
                          
It is, now fully restored, a truly wonderful home. His mother cared for it well in spite of the terrors she experienced inside it during the time she was alive and not being the one to own it brought Ji a somehow different perspective of it. 
                          
He felt relieved.
                          
On his other hand is a bag that contained mementos owned by his Father. They were found in the vault in the Library – things that the Real Estate Agent deemed very personal to the family and should not be up for sale.
                          
Ji didn't care at all but he is not willing to let the Real Estate Agent take a peek into his emotions.
                          
Breathing in the atmosphere of the house one last time, he hoped that the next owners would erase the grief and anger that had griped its previous residents.
                          
He walked towards his car and headed back to his cottage – noting that his cousin's house is bathed in warm light. 
                          
As a kid and even now as an adult, he envied Seunghyun his family.
                          
"You can have the same thing", that voice inside him reinforced but Ji is confused and far too welled up by his feelings that he isn't sure at all what he should do or even... what he is really feeling.
                          
He walked down the cottage's porch facing the beach, sat in the comfort of the old wooden swing, and decided to look into the bag. He frowned upon seeing an old charm bracelet and a few envelopes.
                          
Names were not written on the envelopes to indicate who might have written them or to whom they were sent to so he opened one and was surprised to see they were letters to his Father.
                          
He hesitated whether to read them or just burn them since he is sure the old man won't appreciate him reading his personal letters but his eyes caught sight of the phrase "We will never be" and he felt his curiosity well up.
                          
Ji inhaled deeply and prepared himself. Did his old man have a mistress? It would explain why he was cranky all the time with him and his mother – the prick.
                          


                          
Love...
                          
Today is a very sad day.
                          
Forgive me if I was not able to come last night. I cannot elope. I cannot break my Father's heart. He has been nothing but kind to me and to you and I do not want him to feel like we have both betrayed him.
                          
Please understand that as much as I love you... this is one thing that I cannot do.
                          
Your mother came by the house and told me to stop running after you for you are now betrothed to the daughter of your father's friend. Do not worry. She was not mean to me, although, I wish she was for it might have been far easier for me to hate her.
                          
She told me we're both young and what we have was brought to us by our raging emotions.
                          
I don't know if that is true for all I know is that I love you but maybe... maybe we cannot be together because both of our lives have already been planned out.
                          
I leave for New York very soon for my studies and you must go to Seoul to be a Lawyer.
                          
I know I'd rather stay here but I cannot. I'm very confused and I don't really know what I want to ask of you but for both our sakes... please forget me. Forget this summer. Forget our walks to the beach. Forget that very first kiss and forget the last.