CHAPTER 14 - A FLICKER THROUGH THE DARKNESS .

Chapter Fourteen - A Flicker Through The Darkness .

Early the next morning, Haera slowly blinked awake, a wave of confusion washing over her as she noticed she was no longer in her wedding gown. Her eyes widened. Someone had changed her clothes.

Before she could sit up and process what had happened, the door creaked open.

In walked Ethan, freshly dressed and composed, followed closely by Mrs. Lee, who was carrying a tray with warm food and a few small packets of medicine.

As soon as Haera laid eyes on Ethan, her emotions flared.

"Who changed my clothes? Was it you?!" she snapped, sitting up in bed and pulling her blanket closer to her chest, her voice laced with panic and anger.

Before Ethan could speak, Mrs. Lee gently interrupted. "Sorry, Miss Park—no, I mean Mrs. Kang now... it wasn't him. I did. He came to me last night—pleading for help. He said he didn't want to intrude on your privacy, not even as your husband. If he had bad intentions, do you think he would have asked me for help? He would've done whatever he wanted or left you to sleep in discomfort. But he didn't. He respected you."

Mrs. Lee's voice was thick with emotion. She looked from Haera to Ethan, her gaze softening as she added, "Please… stop breaking the master's heart."

The room fell silent.

Haera's arms remained folded tightly across her chest as she turned her face to the side, refusing to look at either of them. Her mind was spinning—her emotions a storm she couldn't control.

Mrs. Lee, noticing the tension that refused to melt, let out a small sigh and looked toward Ethan.

"Auntie," Ethan said quietly, "just leave the tray on the side table. I'll take care of the rest."

Mrs. Lee hesitated, then nodded and placed the tray down before quietly excusing herself, leaving the two in thick silence .

After Mrs. Lee left, Haera slowly turned to look at Ethan, who stood silently by the door, eyes fixed on her with a mixture of pain and longing.

"What?" she snapped, arms folded tightly across her chest. "Do you think I'll feel pity for you now? Or maybe thank you? Never! You don't deserve it. So you brought your nanny here to lecture me? Well, thank both of you, because I had a good lesson today. As a matter of fact, I loved it."

Her words were sharp, cutting, but Ethan didn't flinch. He stood still, taking it all in. He waited until she had finished, then said softly, "Eat while it's still warm. And don't forget to take your medication."

With that, he turned around and headed toward the door, quietly accepting her fury.

His calm response only made Haera angrier. It irritated her that he didn't fight back, that he remained collected when all she wanted was to get under his skin.

Just as he reached the door, she picked up the glass bowl from the tray and threw it at him with full force. "Take it away! I said I don't want it!" she screamed.

The glass shattered against his back, the sharp edges cutting through his shirt and grazing his arm and side. Blood trickled down, soaking into the fabric of his shirt.

But Ethan didn't say a word.

He didn't even turn around.

He just kept walking, the silence between them suddenly louder than her outburst.

Haera stood frozen, stunned. She hadn't expected that. She expected him to yell, to lash out or get angry, like he used to. But he didn't. And for some reason, that silence crushed her more than any harsh words could have.

She saw the blood as he disappeared down the hallway.

Guilt.

That was the first time she had truly felt it—raw and unexplainable. She didn't understand it yet. But something about the way he took her pain, her anger, and didn't retaliate… it stirred something strange in her chest.

Not long after Ethan left, Mrs. Lee quietly returned to Haera's room. The sound of the door opening made Haera sigh aloud.

"Mrs. Lee," she said, annoyed, as she sat up on the bed. "What now? Are you here for the second batch of your lecture? Because if that's the case, let me save you the trouble—I'm not interested. Please, just leave."

Mrs. Lee didn't flinch. She gently closed the door behind her, her eyes already filled with unshed tears. With soft, slow steps, she walked up to Haera.

"Mrs. Kang…" she began.

"Don't call me that," Haera snapped, rolling her eyes. "It's annoying. Call me Haera."

Mrs. Lee gave a small nod. "Alright, Haera… may I please talk to you for a moment?"

Haera turned to look at her, folding her arms across her chest, clearly still upset. "Did Ethan send you here?" she asked coldly. "Well? Go on. Say whatever you came to say and let me be."

"No," Mrs. Lee said firmly. "He didn't send me. I came on my own." Her voice trembled slightly as she added, "Could you… could you please stop giving Ethan such a hard time? Please."

Haera's expression shifted instantly into fury.

"Wait! Why should I? Huh?" she yelled, standing up. "Did he pity me when he kidnapped me? He locked me up for weeks! Then he forced me to marry him! Do you know the pain he put me through? Do you even know what he took from me—something I held dear, something I can never get back?"

Her voice cracked as emotion overwhelmed her. "And through all of that—did he pity me? Did he show any mercy? He gave me a hard time from the start. He still does. Every single day, he hurts me. He's killing my soul slowly, and not once did you stand up and tell him to stop. Not once did my own mother say a thing!"

Tears flooded her eyes. She dropped to the bed again, fists clenched in her lap.

"I hate all of you… I hate everything… Ahhh… Ahhh… Ahh—hahaha!"

Her sobs broke into a painful, hollow laugh as the weight of everything crushed her.

Mrs. Lee stood there, motionless and heartbroken, watching a young woman unravel from wounds too deep to heal with words. And for the first time, Haera didn't just sound angry—she sounded broken.

"Haera, please... try to understand him." Mrs. Lee's voice trembled with emotion. "This—this isn't who he truly is. It's the pain of his past that turned him into this. You're the only one who can break the walls he's built around himself. Only you, Haera!"

Haera's jaw clenched as her heart twisted in pain. "And what about me?" she cried, her voice cracking. "Have you considered how I feel? Did he ever try to understand me? The pain he's put me through? He's not a victim—he's just being ruthless! He's a… a beast!"

"No, you're wrong," Mrs. Lee said softly but firmly. "He's not a beast. He's a man running from shadows—shadows born from grief. He doesn't want to lose you the way he lost his family… he really does love you."

Mrs. Lee took a shaky breath, then smiled faintly through her tears. "You know… this is the first time I've seen him this soft, this vulnerable, since his parents passed. You want to know what he used to say when he was a child?" Her voice grew light, mimicking a child's hopeful tone. "'Nanny, I'm going to love my woman just like Dad loves Mom. I'll make sure she learns how to sing like Mom so she can sing for me when I marry her. My family will be me, Mom, Dad, my sister, and my wife. We'll live happily together forever.'"

Haera froze, her chest tightening at the pure, innocent dream.

"But that dream…" Mrs. Lee whispered, voice cracking, "It shattered the day his parents died."

She wiped away a tear and continued.

"Ethan blamed himself for their death, Haera. He was the one who begged them to go out that day. If he hadn't, they might still be alive. He watched their car get crushed. His mother's last words were for him to protect his little sister… but he couldn't. He was just a boy. Fear paralyzed him. He couldn't even move. He couldn't save her."

Haera gasped softly, her heart breaking as she imagined it.

"Since then… he changed. He isolated himself. He began tearing down anything that made him feel weak. He built walls around his heart. He never smiled. He didn't trust. He couldn't love. But I stayed by his side, even when he pushed me away—because I was scared of what he might do to himself if I left. And slowly… the sweet boy I raised became bitter."

Mrs. Lee stepped closer, sobbing now, her voice raw and desperate.

"I kept hoping—praying—that one day, something would change. That someone would appear and melt that bitterness. That someone was you, Haera. When you came into his life, I saw light return to his eyes. He genuinely loves you. He is ready to give up everything—everything—just to keep you."

She joined her palms together, pleading through her tears. "Please… bring him back to the light. You're my only hope. Please."

With that, Mrs. Lee slowly stepped backward, leaving the room and quietly shutting the door behind her.

Silence.

Haera stood still. The tears she had held back finally spilled over as she sank back onto the bed. Her entire world was turning upside down.

What really happened to him? What pain is he carrying alone? What else don't I know? she thought, and for the first time… her hatred faltered.

She broke down completely .

CALL TO ACTION

Will Haera finally open her heart to Ethan now that she knows his past? Will love blossom from the ashes of pain? 💔❤️ Comment your thoughts below! Don't forget to vote, share, and add to your library for updates!

📝 Author's Note:

Thank you, dear readers, for staying with Love in a Long Suspense. This chapter touched a tender corner of Ethan's past and Haera's inner conflict. Every comment from you helps me stay motivated, so please don't be shy—share your thoughts and emotions. Your support means the world! 💌

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✨ Stay tuned for Chapter Fifteen — where hearts may begin to heal... or break beyond repair.

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