We both sat in the couch in awkward silence. Finally, I spoke up. "So, why did you leave her?"
"Did you not understand? She left me."
I stood up infront of him. he looked down even further, if that was possible.
"Dad."
"What."
"Why?"
He stayed silent.
"Why then? Why did she leave you? Why did she even love you in the first place?"
He looked up at me. "She never did."
My heart started to physically hurt. instinctively, I grabbed it.
"Then why did she marry you?! Why were you together since highschool?! Why when you were drunk, you would always flop around the house saying how beautiful, or how kind, or how NICE she FUCKING WAS?! WHY-"
"For money. She only wanted money. I should've assumed so. All she ever wanted for her birthday everyday was yet another piece of jewlery-"
I was shocked.
Did he not know the meaning of the charms?
She would always ask for a new one each year to put on her necklace, and would tell me as a child that when she died, she wanted to wear the necklace so that he would recognize her soul in heaven.
I just realized my dad was still talking
"and I thought she actually loved me. I was used as a tool! A goddamn tool! a product that will just make an income."
"But she would always say 'I love you'" I snapped back.
"Listen boy, and very closely...
Love is an easy thing to fake when you have trapped someone's heart."
That hit HARD.
But it wasn't for income! it was for love! Did he not see?!
"Did you KNOW WHY SHE ASKED FOR JEWLERY EVERY YEAR DAD?! DO YOU KNOW WHY SHE WORE IT ONY TWICE?"
"why-"
"SHE WORE IT TWICE OUT OF EVER SINGLE DAY SINCE HIGHSCHOOL! DO YOU KNOW WHEN?!"
"WHY IS THAT IMPORTAN-" He started standing up, but I was still taller than him.
"TWICE. ONCE WHEN I WAS BORN, ANOTHER WHEN WE GOT IN THE CAR CRASH THAT I THOUGHT KILLED HER, AND IF YOU COUNT IT, ANOTHER AT HER OWN DAMN FUNERAL!"
I took a few deep breaths. My father simply looked at me dumbfounded.
"Y-you remember the c-car crash?" He managed to stutter out.
"OF COURES I FUCKING DID! MOTHER WORE THAT NECKLACE IN THOSE THREE SPECIFIC PLACES; BECAUSE WHEN SHE DIED, SHE WANTED TO HAVE THOSE CHARMS BECAUSE SHE SAID THEY WERE CHARGED WITH SPIRITUAL ENERGY, SO WHEN SHE DIED, ME, YOU, AND MY DEAD SISTER COULD RECONIZE HER IN HEAVEN!!"
My father stayed silent, trying to process the information that I had smacked him with. He looked like he was being brought back into memories
"y-you mean?"
"SHE FUCKING LOVED YOU JUNG JAE-KUK!"
I yelled at him, using his full name. feeling exhausted emotionally and a bit physically, I let my legs fall and stood on my knees. My father did the same. He hugged my tight and I felt something wet on my shoulder. His tears. I hugged him back and cried as well.
