Chapter 148

Chapter 148 – The Heart Lingers (2)

After leaving the clinic, Yuri tightly tied the laces of her sneakers. She had to walk quite a distance to the Alzheimer’s Aid Centre, where she was volunteering once a week.

Marching down the street, she stopped in front of a sandwich shop. The shop was crowded with office workers ordering takeouts during lunch. She blended into the crowd and chose a sandwich and a soy milk latte. Then, she headed to a bench at the park and began eating.

She could not help but beam at the taste of fresh vegetables and salmon. This was true happiness. The sky was blue, and the sandwich was absolutely delicious. She enjoyed the taste by taking enough time to chew on the food. Then, she abruptly remembered something.

“You swallow much later than I do. You tend to chew much more when it’s your favourite food.”

After the comment, the man seemed to have grinned with warm eyes.

It had been three years since she returned to America from Korea. Nevertheless, her memories were clear as if they were from yesterday. Especially ones related to Tae-jun that still made her tear up at times.

The night she broke up with him, she had immediately rented a room at the hotel in which Roy stayed at. Then she almost fainted to sleep. She only recovered from exhaustion the day after. When she opened her eyes, Roy was looking down at her with concern.

“How did you come in?” she asked with a tired voice, she did not recollect opening the door for him.

“Tae-jun Seo. The man visited.” Because he was worried about you- he added.

She remembered that she was in Hotel Seoin. Opening a door would be a breeze to the man.

Roy pointed at the stuff across her bed. “They say these are all yours. They also told you to come back if anything is missing. Manager Choi will always be here. By the way, what happened?”

“It ended. The relationship with him.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, yeah… I guess so. It’s what I wanted.”

Roy massaged her shoulders to imply that she did not have to respond anymore.

Then for three days, Yuri ran her errands. She visited the City Hall, the bank, and the cemetery where her father and Hye-yeon were.

A familiar team of guards followed her everywhere. It was Tae-jun’s last request, and she had chosen to allow it. Had he gifted her with presents or money, she would have rejected it.

In-bae Lee’s case was officially broadcast two days after she came back to America. Her uncle hastily woke her up and showed her the Korean news. Surprisingly, the anonymous informant who turned in the list was Hyeon-ah Kim, In-bae Lee’s mistress. In-bae Lee, who attempted to escape abroad, was arrested at the airport.

The most probable presidential candidate’s downfall was aired internationally. His arrest at the airport was effective enough to reveal his truly evil persona.

The prosecutors dealt with the case, and every criminal act he had been concealing was now revealed. In the process, more than a dozen cases of Sang-gu Park’s murders that In-bae Lee had helped hide, were all revealed by the investigative agency. Hye-yeon’s murder was one of them.

Criminal psychologists diagnosed Sang-gu’s mental status as more fanatic than psychopathic. It was concluded that his extreme devotion to In-bae Lee was the driving force.

There was no way In-bae Lee could avoid a life sentence in prison while murderer San-gu Park was sentenced to death.

In addition, everyone involved in the crime was punished. The corrupt officers of Jinseong who served as subordinates of Lee were all replaced. Hyeon-ah Kim was not an exception.

Initially, Yuri couldn’t understand Tae-jun’s decision to make Hyeon-ah Kim the public informant. Her sin was nowhere near the level of that of Sang-gu or In-bae, but it was unforgivable that her actions led to catastrophe. However, she drew attention on the internet and even received funds by gaining sympathy by broadcasting her unfortunate past.

Then, one day, she was punished in the most unexpected way possible. She hanged herself in an apartment that was guarded by a group of police officers. The death was suspicious, as she had ordered food for delivery five minutes before the incident. Ultimately, the list that was in her possession went missing, and even the photocopies and data… the prosecutors lost validity.

When she was informed about Hyeon-ah Kim’s death, Yuri felt shivers down her spine for the first time. That woman was never one to commit suicide. Her greed for wealth and life was stronger than anyone. Someone definitely ended her life.

The one who hanged herself could have been Yuri instead… had she exposed the list to the world. And that was exactly what Tae-jun wanted to avoid. He was very aware of the consequences.

It was a bitter consequence, but one she needed to accept.

Yuri suffered from insomnia and nightmares during the entire trial regarding In-bae Lee. In her dreams, the deaths of her father and Hye-yeon were constantly replayed. She could not dare to do anything else besides visiting Dr. Davis for quite a long time.

After half a year of In-bae Lee’s notorious trial, he, Sang-gu Park, and several other associates were punished. Yuri’s nightmares had begun to erode ever since.

The first night she did not suffer from a nightmare, Yuri chopped her long hair short. It was a hairstyle she had not had after middle school. She resumed drawing. She got a room near the studio, began working out, and even did community service when she had the time.

She lived every day diligently and passionately. She did so as if she was trying to regain the days she had lost. She also began to gain respect for her work, and make money. Thanks to it, she was recognized by many others and even opened her own exhibition.

Ever since her life became busy, she has come to not think so much about Korea. Although she did always end up thinking about the man… Tae-jun Seo.

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