The Engagement Was Broken Off at the Wedding Hall

1 – 1-1. Mr. S Could No Longer Endure His Wife

What do you think about marriage?

Looking at popular media nowadays, most people say things like:

Marriage is hell.

It’s no way to live.

Especially for men, don’t marry women from your own country.

International marriage is an absolute must.

Overseas marriage is an absolute must.

The women in our country have all gone rotten.

So instead of looking for fresh oranges in a rotten crate, it makes more sense to find a brand new crate.

…I should have realized this much sooner.

“Oh, you’re home? Take out the food garbage on your way in.”

“…………”

I’ve just gotten home after working overtime.

The first thing to greet me upon arriving home isn’t my wife’s embrace, but the damp, smelly food waste.

I take the garbage out, dripping liquid on my shoes, and come back to find my wife still lying on the sofa, staring at the TV.

“…What about dinner?”

“Dinner? Didn’t you eat before coming home?”

“You told me not to.”

“Oh…. Just take something out from inside to eat!”

Take something out from inside to eat, she says.

I open the fridge and look inside.

‘…There’s nothing here.’

The fridge is practically empty.

Only natural since she doesn’t cook or do any housework, only eating out or getting delivery.

I glance at my wife, who insists there is food despite the emptiness. She raises her voice and shouts back at me.

“Why don’t you come home earlier and make something ahead of time for once?”

“……….”

I no longer say things like ‘Shouldn’t you be the one to make dinner?’

Yes, I must be the problem. It must be my fault.

After all, marriage is a contract where the woman makes sacrifices.

Her body is ruined from having children, her career shatters, so it’s only natural I make more sacrifices.

–Clink!

“…………”

Even if that weren’t the case, it’s already too late.

I’ve lived this way my whole life, never experiencing anything other than this kind of life.

“……..”

I eat rice with a carelessly fried egg.

I taste nothing. Lately my senses have been growing numb.

“Oh, and honey, I’m going on a trip overseas with the PTA moms, so give me 2 million won.”

“…………”

I barely swallow it down with water. The woman reaches out to me as I sit.

No, she doesn’t even reach out anymore. She just lies on the sofa and informs me.

I have no right to refuse. She’s my wife. I have to endure and sacrifice.

“And Chaeun signed up for another academy, remember I told you? That’s 700,000 won. I mentioned it before, right?”

“………..”

She didn’t mention it.

Another unilateral notice.

She insists on going through with it despite my clear objections.

‘She’ll just go a few times anyway.’

If I cancel all her academy classes, what will she have left?

Yet she herself is too busy going on trips and having fun to actually take her own child to academies or anything.

“Her English has been weak lately. Don’t you know anything as her father?”

“………..”

She acts as if she knows best about her own child.

Ridiculous. It all seems ridiculous now.

–Thud, creak.

“….Ahhhhh.”

I enter my room and sit down.

The chill air of the empty room. The only place that’s mine alone.

The last refuge I have, though I can barely rest with all the work brought home from the office. But I have no choice.

‘I have to endure.’

I’m the one who has to endure.

I’m the one who has to sacrifice for our family’s harmony.

As I open files and type documents, there’s a knock–no, the door swings open without warning.

“Dad, give me money.”

“….I just gave you 500,000 won last time.”

“What can I do with a measly 500k? Give me another 500k.”

“………..”

My daughter looking down at me.

She takes after her mother, truly pretty and beautiful as she’s grown up, but…

…what I see inside is a horrifying monster child.

‘Our daughter…’

She has the same eyes as her mother.

Not seeing me as a person.

Only seeing me as an ATM that spits out money.

I wanted to tell her to spend reasonably and learn financial sense, that 500k is too much for a girl your age, but…

“…Here. Spend it wisely.”

I had no right to refuse in this house.

More money drained. My account emptying.

And the monster child who takes it all for granted.

Not a word of thanks, just turning her back and leaving.

“…………”

The door closes.

The room, quiet once more.

As I tap the keyboard to finish my side work, it’s already 2 AM.

“……Ha.”

I don’t want to do this.

I want to sleep.

I don’t want to do anything.

Whenever I feel this way, all sorts of negative thoughts come.

‘I can’t…’

I can’t go on like this.

Think of Father.

He endured all sorts of hardships.

“But….”

Mother was by his side, supporting him.

Doing side work herself to prop him up during his difficulties.

“…………”

Come to think of it, when was the last time I visited my parents?

When was the last time I went to see them?

Staring blankly at the ceiling, I can barely remember.

“They’re already…gone…”

Too busy with the wedding.

Too busy being newlyweds.

Too busy with work, with the child, with everything to even meet them once before…

In the end, I sent them off with only funeral photos, without hearing their voices one last time.

“………Hmm.”

I attended the funeral alone.

Since my wife and daughter were away on an overseas trip.

Looking back now, it’s quite a funny story.

Missing a funeral to vacation.

I should have come to my senses then, at least.

“How could I…”

My in-laws came to help with the funeral.

Maybe not my wife, but my parents-in-law were good to me.

Yet my wife bawled her eyes out when her own parents passed, how ridiculous and laughable…

“……..Ah.”

Plop, something hot drops below.

It’s blood. Blood is flowing from my nose.

Am I just a bit tired?

I pinch my nose and go to the bathroom.

I wait for the blood to stop, wash up, and wipe the blood away.

“……Ha!”

As I wipe my face with the towel, I see my reflection.

An old, haggard, sickly old man’s face.

“………….”

No wonder I’m mistreated like this.

I tried to take care of myself, but I had limits in many ways, no room to properly care for myself.

So my body decays and my attractiveness as a man fades, it’s understandable why my wife started going out more.

Yes.

It’s my fault.

My failure.

I return to my room and sit down again.

And look at the

[Paternity Test Report]

“…………..”

Hair collected while cleaning the house, from my wife, daughter, and me.

I submitted samples to be tested.

No particular reason for doing this.

Just that after we got involved, her belly swelled up in less than a week,

And my daughter doesn’t resemble me in any way,

And I’ve seen my rival slash friend drinking together with my wife at our home a few times, etc etc

Simply

Out of curiosity

[Father: Yoo Hyun Sung / Daughter: Yoo Chae Yun]

[Paternity Probability (%): N]

“…..Hmm…”

Yes.

Just did it out of curiosity.

[Father: Han Kyung Soo / Daughter: Yoo Chae Yun]

[Paternity Probability (%): 99.8]

“Hmmm…..”

Out of curiosity.

Simply curious, that’s all.

“….Right.”

So let’s see.

If I go through this step-by-step:

My daughter is not my daughter,

My wife was cheating with my rival slash friend,

And that relationship has continued until now.

“And when I think about it…”

This picture on Kyung Soo’s profile.

This overseas photo.

It was uploaded right around when my wife came back from her overseas trip.

“Hmmm…!”

A masterpiece.

Truly a masterpiece.

Is this the reward I get for enduring all my life?

“Gah….kah….! Hmm, ahaaa….!”

My heart races.

Thump thump thump, fast and strong.

My vision blurs and it’s hard to breathe.

–Plop. Pitter patter….pitter patter!

“….Ugh…”

Drops of blood fall from my nose.

No, at this point it’s more like gushing out.

“Uhh….eee….iiii….”

Strength leaves my body.

My lungs hardening and stiffening.

Nerves throughout my body flaming up and dying out in an instant.

Death.

I sense it right before me.

“Ahhhhh……”

Thud, I collapse.

I fall atop the bloodstains I spilled.

Wet and hot. Chill and frightening.

Dying.

I’m dying.

And by my side, there is no one.

Not my wife,

Not my daughter,

Not even my friend.

“Uhh….”

They all fed on me.

They were just monsters who fed on me.

I didn’t live like a person.

I just lived with monsters.

“Ugghhh……”

My eyes gradually closing.

Something important inside me snapping off with a ‘pop.’

‘If…if it’s really possible…’

As my mind grows hazy,

If I could have just one wish…

“Groom Yoo Hyun Sung, will you take bride Kim Ji Yeon here as your wedded wife,”

I want to go back to that time.

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse,”

When I shone the brightest.

“For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health,”

The time when everything of mine was stolen away.

“To love and to cherish, ’til death do you part?”

The day I was shackled,

Made a slave in broad daylight.

“Groom Yoo Hyun Sung?”

“……..Yes.”

I looked around.

My worried mother looking at me.

My silent father just staring.

Nervous parents-in-law, and beyond them, countless friends and colleagues from work.

And…

“……”

Even the face of that woman I never want to see again.

“Do you swear to be faithful to your wife for life?”

“……Yes.”

As they all clapped and blessed the awful days ahead,

I turned to every single person here and stated clearly, firmly, with all my strength:

“No.”

“….Huh?”

I refused.

“Not now, not ever, not anywhere in the future–I will not be with this woman.”

“….???”

“”””……???””””

My stunned family.

The officiant at a loss.

The baffled bride. No, Kim Ji Yeon’s face.

“I can’t handle you.”

This marriage is completely invalid.