Chapter 1
Y/N stood on her balcony, gazing at the lavender tree she had planted in her childhood.
It used to be full of flowers, just like her heart once bloomed with love and joy.
But now, only a few flowers remained, much like the fragments of her memories with Kim.
She remembered how they first met under that very tree, how vibrant their love had been. Now, it all felt distant, like a dream she could no longer reach.
Flashback
The day they promised forever under the lavender tree
The officiant asked,
“Kim, do you take Y/N to be your wife, to love and cherish her through all of life’s ups and downs, till your last breath?”
Kim smiled with so much certainty in his eyes, “Yes, I do.”
The officiant turned to her, “Y/N, do you take Kim as your husband, promising to love him faithfully for the rest of your life?”
Y/N’s voice was soft, but her love was strong, “Yes, I do.”
Everyone cheered, clapping and celebrating the new beginning they had just sealed with their vows.
Flashback ends.
Today marked their one-year anniversary. A year since they exchanged those vows, and yet it felt like an eternity since things had been happy. How did everything change so quickly?
Flashback
One day, Y/N was at home watching TV when she received a call from the hospital.
“Mrs. Kim, your test results are in. Could you please come in?”
Y/N had been feeling off lately, so she had gone for some tests. She wasn’t too worried at first.
She sat across from the doctor, who greeted her solemnly. “Please, have a seat, Mrs. Kim.”
Her heart raced. “Doctor, is everything okay with my reports?”
Time skip
Y/N sat on the couch, tense, when Kim walked in.
“What’s wrong? You look so pale… Is everything alright?”
His concern deepened when Y/N burst into tears and hugged him tightly.
Kim, panicked, asked, “Why are you crying? What happened?”
Kim’s mother, overhearing the commotion, came into the room. “What’s going on here? Why is she crying?” she demanded.
Y/N, sobbing, finally spoke, “Kim… I’m so sorry… I-I can’t… I can’t be a mother.”
Kim froze, disbelief washing over him.
“What are you talking about? You’re joking, right? This is just one of your silly jokes… right?”
But Y/N shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “No, Kim… I’m not joking.”
Kim’s mother spat, “I told you not to marry her! Now look what’s happened.”
Kim turned to his mother, his voice firm. “Please, leave us alone.”
After his mother left, Kim’s voice softened.
“How… how do you know this?”
“I went to the doctor because I wasn’t feeling well… and that’s what they told me,” Y/N whispered.
She left Kim in the room, confused and lost, and locked herself in their bedroom. Inside, she broke down completely.
“I’m sorry, Kim… I’m so sorry.”
Flashback within a flashback
The doctor’s voice echoed in her mind.
Mrs. Kim… I’m sorry to tell you this, but you have cancer. You have only a few months left.”
Y/N had been rendered speechless. The doctor had gently added, “Please, spend those months with your loved ones. Make the most of the time you have left.”
Flashback ends
Kim knocked on the bedroom door, his voice tender, “Y/N, it’s okay… we can adopt a baby. Please, stop crying.”
Y/N opened the door, and Kim held her, trying to comfort her. “Ssshhh, it’ll be okay. I promise.”
A week later…
Kim’s mother, however, wasn’t as understanding. She pushed for Kim to remarry, to give her grandchildren. One day, she presented him with a picture.
“This is my friend’s daughter. She’s beautiful. You should marry her, Kim.”
Kim was firm. “Mom, I love Y/N. We’ll adopt if we need to.”
But his mother wasn’t listening. “No! I don't want adopted grandchildren. You either marry her, or you’ll see me dead.”
Tension rose between them.
One day, their maid came running to Kim, panic in her voice. “Sir! Madam isn’t opening the door!”
Kim rushed to his mother’s room, banging on the door. “Mom, open the door! Please! I love Y/N, I can’t betray her!”
Finally, his mother opened the door, clutching a knife. “Agree to marry her, or I’ll end it right now.”
Y/N stepped in, her voice trembling.
“No, Mom, don’t! Kim will marry her… please, put down the knife.”
Kim shouted, “Y/N, what are you saying?! Stop!”
But the damage was done. Under pressure, Kim remarried. The girl’s name was Nia.
On their wedding night, Kim found Y/N and held her. “I promised you, Y/N… no one will ever take your place in my heart.”
At first, Kim was distant with Nia, but over time, they grew comfortable with each other. Nia was kind and even became friends with Y/N.
One day, Y/N overheard Nia saying she was pregnant, and everything changed. Kim, who still cared about Y/N, became so busy with work that Y/N began to feel he didn’t love her anymore. Though Kim wanted to talk to Y/N , he stayed away, fearing that his words might hurt her more.
Instead, he visited her at night, gazing at her with love and speaking softly to her sleeping figure about how much he still loved her.
Despite his quiet declarations, as he spent more time with Nia, their love gradually faded into a distant memory.
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