The heavy silence in the house was suffocating.

Koo sat curled up on the couch, clutching her knees, the cloth her mother had draped over her earlier still clinging to her body. Her cheek stung from her father’s slap, but what burned worse was the shame, the words he had spat at her, and the fear—fear that they might really hurt Tae.

Her chest tightened, her tears flowing endlessly. She dragged herself to the bathroom, stripped, and stood under the cold shower. Water poured down her face, mixing with her sobs. She pressed her palms against the tiles and whispered Tae’s name like a broken prayer.

After what felt like hours, she stepped out, wrapped herself in a towel, and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red, swollen. Her lips trembled.

“I have to do this,” she whispered to herself.

Her father was powerful, ruthless when it came to protecting family honor. They would hurt Tae if she kept seeing him. And she couldn’t let that happen—not to the man who had just brought her back to life, not to the man she loved more than anything.

Her fingers shook as she picked up her phone. She dialed Tae’s number.

The line clicked, and his voice came through, rough, low, familiar. “Koo? … Are you okay? Did your parents leave?”

Her throat tightened. Just hearing him made her want to break down. But she swallowed hard and forced steel into her voice.

“Tae… don’t come here anymore.”

There was silence. Then his sharp breath. “…What?”

“I’m done with you,” she said flatly, though her eyes blurred with tears. “I need to be loyal to my fiancé now. You… you shouldn’t call me or message me anymore.”

“Koo.” His tone dropped, deep with hurt and anger. “Don’t do this. This isn’t you. This is your father’s voice, not yours.”

She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. “No, Tae. They talked sense into me. Only Suho can give me everything I deserve—luxury, status, security. You… you can’t.”

“Don’t you dare,” Tae growled, pain lacing every word. “Don’t you dare lie to me. You love me, Koo. I felt it. I saw it in your eyes, in your tears, in the way your body begged for me. You’ll never love Suho the way you love me.”

Her hand shook, clutching the phone. Tears streamed down her face, but she forced her voice to stay cold. “This is goodbye, Tae. Don’t call me. Don’t come. Forget me.”

“Koo—” his voice cracked, raw, desperate.

But she pressed the end button, cutting him off before he could say more.

The screen went dark.

Her phone slipped from her trembling hand onto the bed.

And finally, without holding back, Koo collapsed against the sheets, sobbing into her pillow, her cries muffled but endless. Her chest hurt so much it felt like she was being torn apart.

She had just broken her own heart to protect him.

But in her heart, one truth screamed louder than anything—

She would always, always belong to Tae.