Embers of Hope// Hyunlix

Chapter - 11

Hyunjin's POV: 

The following morning was like every other lately—Felix was already gone by the time I woke up. His side of the bed was cold, the sheets perfectly smoothed, as if he'd never even been there. I stared at the empty space beside me for a moment before slowly getting up, my body weighed down by exhaustion that no amount of sleep could fix.

I dressed mechanically, barely registering the familiar routine of pulling on my clothes and fixing my hair. I moved through the motions, not because I was particularly eager to go to work, but because it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart completely.

By the time I reached my workplace, the bustling noise of the office was already in full swing. It was a place that used to excite me—creative projects, discussions with colleagues, the rush of deadlines. Now it just felt like another place where I had to put on a mask and pretend everything was fine.

"Morning, Hyunjin," my colleague Jiho greeted me with a smile as I walked through the office. "Coffee machine's broken again, but I brought some extra from the café if you need."

I forced a smile, though it felt like my face would crack from the effort. "Thanks, Jiho. I'll be fine."

He looked at me for a moment, probably sensing the strain in my voice, but he didn't push. Thankfully.

As I settled at my desk, I tried to focus on the work in front of me—design layouts, drafts that needed revising. But my mind kept wandering back to last night, to Felix's distant gaze, to the quiet moments where we barely exchanged words. It was like living with a stranger, someone I knew so well yet felt miles apart from.

I was in the middle of reviewing a new project proposal when I heard someone clear their throat nearby. I looked up to see my boss, Eunji, standing by my desk with a folder in hand. She was one of the few people at work who had seen me in my worst moments, and although she never pried, I could tell she worried about me.

"Hyunjin, do you have a minute to discuss the new client's design brief?" she asked, her tone professional but warm.

I nodded, quickly closing the file in front of me. "Of course. What's the issue?"

She pulled up a chair and sat across from me, placing the folder on the desk. As she flipped it open, I tried to focus on the details—color schemes, layout preferences, the client's vision. But the way she glanced at me every now and then told me she could see right through my attempt to keep it together.

"Are you okay?" Eunji asked gently, her hand resting on the folder, halting our discussion. "You've been... different lately."

I blinked, caught off guard by her concern. "I'm fine," I said automatically, but even I didn't believe the lie.

Eunji gave me a knowing look. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but just know that if you need some time, it's okay to take a break, Hyunjin. You've been working nonstop."

Her kindness only made the ache in my chest worse. I wanted to tell her everything, to pour out all the frustration, the heartbreak, the confusion I felt every time I looked at Felix and wondered where we went wrong. But I couldn't. Talking about it made it real, and I wasn't ready for that.

"I'll be okay," I murmured, forcing another smile. "Just... a lot going on."

Eunji studied me for a moment longer before nodding slowly. "Alright. Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

I nodded, grateful for her understanding as she stood up to leave. Once she was gone, I let out a long, shaky breath, my hands trembling slightly as I opened the folder again. I tried to immerse myself in work, to lose myself in the distraction of deadlines and creative challenges. But even here, the weight of my crumbling marriage followed me, casting a shadow over everything.