This is the fourth story in the Undone series.
This is Jung Hoseok's time to shine.
He is taking control of a new project at Stellar Design, and he has decided it's time to take control of his love life as well. He is weary of being alone, and he...
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“Sweet Izzy," he sighed. "As usual I am not sure if Olivia is a selfish liar or just that clueless. Right now I am leaning toward the liar,” he answered.
She frowned, waiting for him to go on.
“ Nothing is your fault here Izzy. And I need you to know that this whole situation turned out to be the best move of my career. I was promised it would be when I left and they were right, no thanks to anyone in New York.” He paused for a moment.
“ Olivia did not tell me you had been transferred to New York until the day you came. I am still not sure if she knew, or just found out that day too.”
“I was so happy for you, but crushed I was leaving without having had the chance to …..see you,” he paused, still unsure how to explain the sense of loss he felt leaving her.
It was not loss at leaving the job, or New York, but leaving her behind, leaving behind the potential of them.
“I was so naïve,” he confessed “ they told me it was a merit promotion and I believed them. I had been working so hard, your designs were really taking off. They liked you, liked us - what we did together.”
“ And Olivia, well you can guess she wanted some of the attention too. She asked me to take her to several black-tie events. There were interviews about our projects and lots of social media attention. I found out later that she told everyone I was her longtime boyfriend, soon to be fiancé.”
He lifted her chin at her small gasp and looked her straight in the eyes as he said, “ that was a lie.”
“ We grew apart the summer after graduation. She traveled with an entirely different class of people. But she had trouble making friends and when I moved to the City she clung to me. She begged me to move in with her, but I kept thinking about the day you would finally join us. I did not want there to be any misunderstanding. But Olivia told people whatever came off the top of her head when they asked about us.”
“But when the articles and mentions started linking us together as a couple, her mother came to visit. Olivia later told me they got into a screaming match at the firm. Two weeks later I got the offer of a lifetime.”
He looked at Izzy and saw as she began to process the anger and betrayal.
“ I took the offer. I was moving home. It was with a top ten firm at double the salary and they told me there was a path to management. I was also told I was not allowed to mention it until a formal announcement was made. My only regret was leaving without seeing you,” he stopped, he could still feel the ache.
Izzy blinked hard at the sheen of tears in his eyes.
“I got here and got settled in, got moved into my small office and I sat there. For weeks, sat there and did nothing. It drove me mad. I finally went to the director and asked if there was a problem with my work. I asked if there was a project I could join.”
The change in his tone of voice had her sitting, reaching for his hand.
“She laughed…..” Hobi stumbled over the word and swallowed hard, “ she laughed in my face and said there were no daughters of rich families available for me to fuck at this firm,” he managed.
“ Hobi,” she whispered, her heart breaking for that proud and talented young man.
“She told me I should sit back and shut up and enjoy what the Americans had bought. She said the Fitzgeralds had paid good money to keep me away and that was simply that.”
He paused, for the moment the humiliation as fresh as it had been that afternoon.
“ Did Olivia know?” Izzy asked, thinking of all the times Olivia had blamed her and made her feel quilty for Hobi being sent away.
“ I am not sure if she knew at the time. Her family, her mom especially, was constantly telling her I was not suitable, that they did not date “ my kind.” He finished, his voice so quiet she had to lean closer to hear him.
He flushed a dull red. Izzy laid her hand along his cheek, wanting to wipe away the hurt and anger there.
“I am sure she found out later. I am also sure, knowing Olivia, that she did not want to feel guilty about it and decided she needed to make you feel responsible too, just to ease her own guilt. She really is a piece of work,” he said.
“ I quit the next week, no idea what I was going to do or where I was going. The director told me there was no refund. I told her to fu……..” he stopped short, looking at Izzy.
Izzy stared at him, trying to imagine Jung Hoseok mad enough to lose his cool like that with the director of his company. He laughed at her wide eyed stare and said, “ yeah. ..not my finest hour.”
“But a couple of weeks later I submitted some work into InNovis, which SongDae had just taken over and we hit it off immediately. I have found a family with these people and a career in which there is no shame. My life is full. This is how things had to happen,” he said, willing her to understand.
She nodded, seeing the truth in his words.
“There is only one thing missing,” he whispered.
She moved out of his arms. Her skin suddenly felt too tight. She kicked away the blanket, suddenly much too hot.
She stood, but he reached for her hand before she could escape.
“Don’t walk away, “ he asked, his eyes searching hers. “ this is so much to take in, just……just talk to me.”
“ I……I don’t know what to say or think. Part of me is so relieved to have told you everything, or what I thought I needed to tell you. But part of me is feels so deceived, furious,” she confessed.
“Olivia…” She started, but did not know how to finish.
He nodded his understanding.
“Hobi, I have to sort out the truth from the lies,” she said speaking to herself as well as him.
He nodded and pulled her back into his lap. This was heavy and complicated and it would not be solved in an evening. He felt his heart would crush under the task.
“ Let’s talk this out,” he offered and she sighed and settled back into him.
And just like they had done countless times before, they began to hash out the facts, looking for some understanding.
Along the way they recalled memories and places and things they wished they had said. They both knew they were leaving things unsaid tonight as well.
As the night faded into early morning he lifted her from the couch and carried her into his bedroom.
He felt the tears splash on his neck as she breathed him in.
While he was struggling to stay in the moment, she had already raced ahead.
