After lunch, I went home to rest while Youngho and Jiyeon returned to work. I had just finished putting the twins to bed when my lawyer called to say the court hearing was scheduled for a week from now."Everything will come to an end in just a week, huh? I see. Thanks for the notice," I said before hanging up and heading to bed.
Three days later, I received a call from someone I never thought I'd hear from—Park Ji-hoon, my soon-to-be ex-husband's father, soon-to-be ex father-in-law."Hello, Haneh! This is Jungwoo's father speaking," he said in that humble tone he always used when talking to me.
"Oh! Abeoji, how have you been?" I smiled, happy to hear from him. Out of all the Park family, he was the one who cared for me the most.
I remembered one night during my pregnancy when I wasn't feeling well. It was around midnight when he came running to take me to the hospital because Youngho was away on business and Jungwoo was nowhere to be found. At the hospital, Jungwoo finally answered his phone. Abeoji scolded him for not asking for a divorce if he didn't want to stay in the marriage and take responsibility for his actions. After what felt like an hour of scolding, Abeoji came to check on me. You'd have thought he was the father—he stayed up all night looking after me.
The next day, I convinced him to rest, but before he left, he said something that warmed my heart:"Don't force yourself to be happy in a marriage that makes you sad. If it makes you sad, it's best to let go."
Out of all the people who visited me, he was the only one who cared about my well-being before asking about the babies.
"Oh! My heart feels happy when you call me that, even though it's my son who wronged you," he said cheerfully. You could hear the joy in his voice.
"Haneh! I heard from Jiyeon that you'll be helping at the studio today, so I wanted to ask if you could bring Ha-jun and Ha-eun to visit." His words were gentle, as though he didn't want to impose.
"Oh, Abeoji, you don't need to ask when you want to see the twins. Just tell me when and where, and I'll bring them. I was about to ask Jiyeon if you were available so I could take them over. I'll be at the house in 30 minutes to pick up the twins," I replied softly, then hung up to get the babies ready.
I notified my dad I was leaving, then headed to the Park's old house.
When we arrived, I found a surprising sight—Abeoji pacing anxiously in front of the door."Oh, Abeoji, what's got you so nervous? Someone would think you're a high schooler waiting for final exam results!" I teased as I stepped out of the car, laughing.
He rushed to the car with a big smile and pulled me into a warm hug."Haneh! Have you been well? You look like you've lost weight. Are you eating properly?" he asked, patting my head.
"Oh, Abeoji, you're exaggerating. The last time you said that, I was actually heavier than usual," I smiled, feeling the warmth of his care.
He always knew the right thing to say at the right time.
We got the twins out of the car and headed inside, with the helpers following behind carrying our belongings.
Inside, Madam Park and Jungwoo's mother were waiting in the living room. As soon as we entered, they rushed to the twins, picking them up from Jiyeon and Abeoji's hands. I wanted to tell them off, but I held back—for Abeoji's sake.
"Abeoji, I'll be taking my leave now. Please feel free to call me anytime you need help. There's an iPad in Ha-jun's nursery bag that shows their schedule and what they can eat. If anything happens, please notify me immediately," I said, handing him my emergency number and pointing to the blue bag where the tablet was.
Then I left.