When Chae-yeon was in sixth grade.

Su-yeon, who had been saving the child support money that Chang-seok sent every month, realized that the funds were running low.

‘I must provide for Chae-yeon myself.’

Determined to care for her lovely daughter, Su-yeon hurriedly found a job and carried out her work diligently.

Even though her appearance had become gaunt due to her reclusive lifestyle, her beauty remained intact. Because of this, her male colleagues frequently confessed their feelings to her.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in dating."

To Su-yeon, who had been hurt by a man before, their confessions were nauseating.

To her, men were like dangerous weapons that could harm her at any moment.

She harshly rejected the persistent advances of the men and maintained good relationships with her female colleagues.

As she gradually became recognized at her workplace and got used to her social life...

"Please, won't you go out with me?"

A man from another department confessed to Su-yeon. Given her reputation in the company as a 'woman with a fortified wall,' it had been quite a while since she received such a confession.

But whether it had been a long time or not, the result was the same. Su-yeon fiercely rebuffed Jung Dong-hoon, the man who confessed, and turned her back.

‘I don't need men...’

She believed that as long as she had her daughter, she could live alone. She vowed never to be swayed or hurt by a man again. But...

Su-yeon's resolve began to waver because of one man.

"Su-yeon, have this while you work."

That man was none other than Jung Dong-hoon, who had confessed to her. Despite years passing, his affection for her hadn't faded. No matter how firmly Su-yeon rejected him, he approached her kindly out of genuine love.

‘What is with this man...’

His constant and kind approach started to soften the thorns around Su-yeon's heart.

As Su-yeon had occasional meals with Dong-hoon, she gradually began to fall for his gentle demeanor.

'Dong-hoon...'

Su-yeon realized that she had fallen in love with Dong-hoon. His face constantly appeared in her mind.

Just as Dong-hoon always watched over her, at some point, Su-yeon found herself following his every move with her eyes.

'I promised myself I wouldn't fall in love again.'

She resented her uncontrollable heart. She didn't want to experience the same pain ever again, so why had she let herself feel this way?

Even while Su-yeon was undecided, Dong-hoon's affections did not falter. Believing that Su-yeon had opened her heart to him to some extent, he proposed to her without hesitation.

"I will look only at you for the rest of my life. So please, won't you marry me?"

"You know that I have been divorced before. And I have a daughter who's already in middle school."

"I know. If it's to be with you, Su-yeon, I can accept all of that.“

Why did he love her so deeply? A divorced woman. To put it bluntly, she considered herself second-hand. Why would Dong-hoon...

Feeling a bit dizzy, Su-yeon momentarily swayed and placed a hand on her head. She let out a shallow sigh and replied,

"Please give me some time to think."

Remarriage... She couldn't hide this serious situation from Chae-yeon.

After much deliberation, Su-yeon decided to share her honest feelings with her daughter and asked for her thoughts on the remarriage.

"It's a relief that you found someone good, Mom. I'm okay, so do whatever you want."

"Chae-yeon, but..."

"You've worked hard taking care of me, Mom. So now, hold on to your own happiness, okay?"

Empowered by her daughter's support, Su-yeon decided to remarry.

Chae-yeon hoped that her mom, after remarrying, would regain the brightness she once had.

She believed that Su-yeon, who had quit her job to focus on being a housewife, would call with excitement each time it was time to go home.

"Honey, I'm home~"

"Welcome. I've prepared dinner, so please help yourself."

However, contrary to expectations, there was no display of affection from Su-yeon after the remarriage.

Far from being gentle, her attitude was only cold.

Su-yeon carried out her duties as a wife—or rather, as a housewife—obligatorily and only received Dong-hoon's love passively.

'I must never reveal my true feelings.'

Once was enough for being abandoned by a man she loved.

Though she wanted to return her husband’s kiss with equal passion or even more, she feared hearing the same words her ex-husband had said: that he was fed up.

'I have to hide my feelings of love until the end.'

Fearing that her half-hearted approach might reveal her true feelings to her husband, Su-yeon guarded her love with thorns, maintaining her cold attitude to prevent Dong-hoon from noticing.

'Mom...'

Chae-yeon knew her mother's approach was wrong, but she also understood where it stemmed from, so she couldn't criticize her carelessly.

Moreover…

"I'm sorry, honey. I’ll do better from now on."

Despite Su-yeon's mistaken attitude, the family's harmony was maintained thanks to Dong-hoon's constant consideration.

Sometimes, it felt to Chae-yeon like they had returned to the household before the divorce, which led her to mistakenly think her mom’s approach was correct.

However, that foolish thought was shattered by the time Chae-yeon reached her second year of high school.

"Why can't you say it? Is it that hard to say you like me? To say you love me?"

Dong-hoon, drunk and full of pent-up frustration, finally voiced his feelings to his wife. It had already been three years since their remarriage.

Although he believed that loving her would eventually melt her cold demeanor, as Su-yeon continued to keep her distance, he grew anxious.

"I know you were deeply hurt by your ex-husband. But isn't it time to open your heart?"

Su-yeon’s breathing became labored at her husband’s plea. Open her heart, tell him she loves him—that was directly tied to her trauma, and it felt like she couldn’t breathe as she clutched at her chest.

'Please, don't do this...'

If she granted Dong-hoon's request but ended up abandoned again, she would truly become a wreck, unable even to return to society.

It was a harmony she had barely achieved; she couldn't let one wrong decision destroy it all.

"You seem very drunk. You should go in and rest."

Su-yeon, avoiding his gaze, tried to leave quickly, but Dong-hoon grabbed her wrist, stopping her from escaping.

"Su-yeon, please... just once, tell me you love me."

"Stop it! You even gave me the marriage you so desperately wanted. So what more do you want?”

“I’m just really struggling… I can’t be sure if you truly love me…”

Su-yeon looked like she was on the brink of tears.

‘My husband is having such a hard time, is it right for me to finally show my true feelings?’

She bit her lower lip hard and clenched her fists, trembling. She wanted to embrace him and comfort him as he knelt and pleaded for her love.

“I, I…”

‘Yes, let’s put everything down and be honest. Maybe it was just Chang-seok who was particularly trash…’

She stroked her husband’s bowed head, ready to reveal the love she had hidden for years.

“I lov—”

But then.

A sudden flash of her past life as a wreck, desperately missing her husband who left her, and showing a pathetic side to her daughter—that halted Su-yeon from expressing her true feelings.

“I lo…”

Her lips opened, and her voice came out, but saying ‘I love you’ was strangely impossible. Every time she tried to utter those words, her chest tightened, and the lack of oxygen made her consciousness fade.

“Sweetheart?”

Noticing something wrong with his wife, Dong-hoon reached out to touch her sweaty, trembling face, worriedly.

Thwack.

Su-yeon harshly pushed away Dong-hoon's hand and hurriedly covered her eyes. Turning her back to him so he couldn't see, she forced out her words in a cold tone.

"If you hate me like this, then just divorce me... I'll do it whenever you want."

She said this knowing Dong-hoon, who loved her, would never choose divorce.

As expected, Dong-hoon said he wouldn’t do this again and stepped out to get some fresh air, while Su-yeon, feeling like she might collapse any moment, stumbled to her room.

After their parents' argument ended.

Chae-yeon, who had heard everything from her room, immediately went to her mother as soon as she heard her father leave.

Creak—

The atmosphere was chilling. The blanket covering Su-yeon kept trembling.

Seeing this, Chae-yeon realized her mother was also suffering and spoke in a sad voice.

"Mom, please stop.. You know stepdad would never abandon you, even if you show your feelings. So please.."

"For the past few years, Mom has managed to maintain a happy family without revealing her true feelings.. Dad gives love, and mom receives it. If mom fully accepts Dad's love, our family can stay together."

Su-yeon's mistaken belief came through in her tearful voice. As Chae-yeon gazed at her mother's pitiful figure with sorrowful eyes.

Su-yeon's words continued.

"Chae-yeon, you'll understand one day when you find someone you love. You'll realize just how terrifying it is to be abandoned by the person you could devote your life to."

With these heartfelt words, their brief conversation came to an end. However, Su-yeon's sincere remarks left a deep impression on Chae-yeon's heart.

One day, when Chae-yeon became a college student.

"If it's okay with you... would you go out with me?"

She met her first love, Kim Si-hyun.