The secret of us -CHAENNIE-

Prologue

The beautiful, expensive shoulder bag is placed on the bedside table before its owner. A woman with a sweet face and fair skin, a curvaceous body that invites dreamy admiration, begins to remove her office attire. She takes off her white gown coat, which signifies her professional status, leaving her nearly bare, with only two pieces of clothing covering her top and bottom. Her delicate hands gather her hair, revealing a delicate neck inviting for a kiss. She then heads to the bathroom to unwind the tough day.

The spacious white jacuzzi tub, already filled with warm water, awaits her. Her lovely face gazes at the tub with empty eyes before her flawless, milky skin steps into it. She tries to wash away the thoughts that bring her back to the happiness she once cherished-the joy of sharing a two-person bath with a loved one and playfully spending time together in the bathroom.

But it's changed now. Dr. Jennie Kim has been left to suffer with memories of nearly a year that she still can't forget, memories that persist despite the love they once shared for three years.

A mocking smile crosses her beautiful face as she hears the song she started playing. The lyrics cut deep, causing her heart to flutter with pain, forcing her to close her eyes and let her feelings drift away with the music.

Days and nights I've devoted my whole heart to have turned into days lost in rain.

You tell me to forget, to forget our love, and for me to come to terms so I may never see you again.

How do I respond? l can't explain the feelings inside my heart.

I must stay silent like this, without a word to say. You ask why I don't speak at all.

Do you know how it feels to be left behind? My Heart aches.

You wouldn't understand the pain if you've never been abandoned.

What should I say to you? What can I say...

"Just being left behind, why do I still remember?'' she repeats to herself, but her heart never listens, not even a bit, as it still longs for that cruel woman. If her family hadn't begged her to return and continue the family business, she would've chosen to live abroad. Returning to South Korea only reminds her more of that heartless Korean woman.

Cute, clingy, gentle, she never imagined she could be so cruel as to sever their relationship without a shred of compassion.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Miss Jennie?"

"What is it, Min?"

The voice of the family's longtime housekeeper, an elderly, plump woman who'd cared for her, prompts Jennie to quickly walk to the bedroom door. She makes sure to wrap her bathrobe properly to avoid Nurse Min's scolding for not dressing properly.

"Drink some milk before bed, Miss Jennie."

"I'm grown up now. Are Mother and Father out for the evening?" Jennie takes the glass of milk, complying with her caregiver's wishes. She doesn't resent her parents; the family's love remains warm. Now that the Kim mansion has two grandchildren from her brother and sister, the chaos and cuteness of the little ones help her forget some of the pain from her past.

"Yes, Miss Jennie, Taeyeon ordered me to make sure you drink milk before bed."

"Mother treats me like a little child. I'm almost hitting thirty, you know.!"

"Even if it's thirty, forty, fifty, You will always be loved by everyone in the house."

"It seems only the people in this house see me as beloved... not that one who sees me as unnecessary in their life."

"Oh, my Miss Jennie..."

"I'm fine, Miss Min, no need to worry. It's just being left behind. l came back to be cared for by you, yes?" the pain in Jennie's heart is still clearly visible in her eyes.

Even though she says she's fine, her heart knows the wound still festers, never truly healing, no matter how much she tries to mend it.