Passing Strangers

Chapter XVIII

Surely it knocked me breathless knowing that he's nowhere to be found. But there's no such thing as over him. No matter how hard he tried to push me away, I was determined to take back the things I've lost.

Waking up alone after one good, steamy night was a scratch to my pride. It felt like I was a good-for-nothing kind of woman who gets left behind when the dawn breaks. Though devastated, I didn't let my emotions consume me. I'd be lying if I'd say I didn't shed a tear. Well, I did.

Wearing the gown I wore the night before, I went home on my own. I wondered why the streets were clear, only to realize that it's Saturday. No rush hours, no heavy traffic and no busy people on the streets. Everything felt light.

It was different when I was somewhere far away. I hated Friday nights because weekends lie ahead. While families were on a stroll and couples were on dates, I was alone by myself. I barely got friends. I spent ninety percent of my time not talking. I realized how lonely it was to be alone. It's safe to say that it was my turning point to finally decide to go home. I didn't want to spend another day alone. I wanted to get back to Hyun Bin as soon as possible.

Determined to fix everything about our relationship, I decided to prepare a good lunch for him. I didn't know where to find him but I was positive that I needed to meet him come what may. I cooked his favorite dishes, hoping that good food is the best way to his heart.

I happily drove the car to our house. Despite the bitterness that I felt in the morning, I remained firm with my goal. I looked at the rear view mirror and smiled.

I cannot lose this fight.

I took a deep breath before I pressed the doorbell. I waited for a few minutes for someone to open the door but it seemed like no one's around. Hesitant at first but I ended up encoding the passcode. Surprisingly, he still kept the same passcode.

When I entered the house, the house looked the same. Nothing has changed over the past months that I wasn't around. However, I have noticed that the flowers in the vase went dry. The fixtures were dusty. Cobwebs have formed. Hyun Bin has always been a clean freak. I wondered how busy he was to not clean the house.

"Hello? Is anybody here?" I called out but no one answered. I looked into the garage but his car was not there.

I roamed around the house. It made me smile to find that he did not remove the photos of us. Our enlarged wedding portrait was still hanging on the blank wall near the stairs. My framed photos were still on display. I giddily visited every part of the house until I ended up in the bedroom. I clearly remembered the day I left. He was sleeping peacefully on his side, unaware that I was leaving. My heart was stinging by the thought of it.

If I could just turn back time, I would have thought a million times before leaving.

My eyes widened when I realized that even the bedroom remained the same. The sheets were the same, the curtains and even how the things around were arranged. It seemed untouched. I checked the bathroom and found the bottles of shampoo and body wash that I left. The bathroom floor was dry, like it had been unused since then. The walk-in closet looked the same. My clothes were still arranged according to how I left them.

It took me a while before I pondered that maybe he left the house and he's living somewhere else.

In the garden, the grasses have grown. The plants were no longer in good shape. I have concluded that maybe he really hated his every memory with me that he decided to leave the house.

I took out all the sacks of garbage I had gathered while cleaning. I was segregating the garbage when an old lady came to me.

"Omo! You must be the owner of that house! You're staying here again?" She happily asked. I nodded since I really didn't know what to answer. "Aish! I thought the married couple living there have broken up since some homeowners have been saying that no one lives in that big house of yours anymore. By the way, I'm Mrs. Ku. You're... ah you're Son YeJin, am I right?"