Second Chances [Short Story]

Second Chances (continued)

I stared at it for a while. I stood there saying nothing and just stared at the slab of stone in front of me. I hoped and prayed to God that maybe it was a dream. Or maybe a prank. I don't care. I just did not want it to be real.

Seconds passed. Then minutes. Taehee and I just stood there in silence. I couldn't talk. Breathing was the only thing I could do and that was proving to be hard by the minute. Too many things were running across my mind at the same time that it was getting hard to think. So many questions that needed to be asked. And when I finally speak all I could say was..

"What happened?"

"Car accident." was her simple reply.

I still couldn't believe it. My mind was not accepting it. My heart couldn't.

"It happened 3 weeks ago…” she continued. “His car was hit another car. He was driving so fast that he couldn’t stop in time to avoid being hit by a taxi.” Taehee continued to explain. I could see that she too was emotionally unstable. I could see her eyes tearing up.

"Why was he driving fast?" I asked.

I couldn't believe it. Yoochun was reckless when it comes to other things but driving was different. He was always so careful. He was always saying that one mistake he makes on the road can cause the life of another... yet… why…

I feel so weak. It’s taking all my strength just to stay up… This just doesn't make sense…

Taehee looked at me. I saw now that the tears she was trying hard to stop were now falling freely from her eyes. I saw the look of pity she gave me as she said the words that broke me.

“He was on his way to see you.” her voice was full of spite. “He told me he couldn't take it anymore. That after 2 years of silently watching you, 2 years of patiently waiting for you, he couldn't take it anymore. That he had to go and take you back. He was willing to do anything! He was willing to compromise. He wanted to give you everything just so you would come back... but now... now... he doesn't even have anything..."

Her eyes were so full of hate. If looks could kill I would have died right there and then... and I wouldn't have cared. I would have willingly given up to death.

"Why?" I heard Taehee ask.

"Why are you here now?" she asked again. "After 2 years Eunhye... why come back now? Did you finally get tired of the limelight? or did your career didn’t end up being as glamorous as you thought it would be?"

"I..." I couldn't talk. My throat felt as though someone was choking me. I had to swallow hard just so the words would come out.

"I was in an accident. 3 weeks ago. My taxi... it crashed into another car... and I..." I stopped. I had to breathe. This was all so unfair. Why? Why wasn't he here? This is a lie. It has to be...

"I wanted to see him. When I woke up at the hospital, and I found out I was in an accident, all I could think of was him. That I wanted to see him. That deep inside even with all the glam, even with all the fame I had these past 2 years, nothing will ever compare to times I spent with him. I left because I wanted to live my dream, but I didn't realize that the dream I really wanted was the one I was leaving behind..."

I could feel the tears running down my face. This was real. He really was gone.

My knees finally give out. I knelt there in front of his grave and cried my heart out. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. I imagined seeing him, then talking to him. I would tell him how sorry I was. That I would gladly leave everything behind and come back to him. It wasn't supposed to be easy. Of course he'll be mad at first. He'll tell me how stupid I was for leaving him in the first place. That I was a fool for coming back to him now and that he doesn't care about me anymore. And then he'll throw me out.

I could take that.

I could take it, because it was the consequence to the actions I chose.

But not this.

I could take the pain of losing you in the end, but not the pain of losing you forever...

I cried. I cried and I cried and I cried. And yet it felt as though it wasn't enough.

The regrets. The pain. The heartbreak. All coming down on me at the same time.

This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

I was supposed to get a second chance... everybody deserved a second chance...

.

And yet I was too late.

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