There was a scratch.
A sharp, metallic scream tore through the silence of the night as something beneath the car snapped violently. The sound was brief, but it echoed in Kim Hwayeon's mind like a death bell.
Then—
The brakes failed.
Her foot slammed down instinctively, once, twice, again, but the pedal sank uselessly beneath her. The steering wheel trembled in her grip as the car surged forward, out of control.
"H–hey…?"
Her voice came out thin, almost swallowed by the roar of the engine.
The bridge lights ahead blurred into long streaks of gold and white, smeared across her vision by unshed tears. Wind rushed in through the cracked window, cold and merciless, tearing at her hair and skin.
Her hands shook.
Her heart pounded so loudly she could hear nothing else.
Then the car hit the railing.
Metal screamed against metal.
The world tilted.
Hwayeon squeezed her eyes shut just as the vehicle burst through the barrier and plunged into empty space.
She was falling.
The night air wrapped around her like icy claws, pressing the breath from her lungs. Tears slipped freely from the corners of her eyes, carried away by the rushing wind as gravity dragged her down.
Below, the dark river opened like a vast, waiting mouth.
Strangely, she did not scream.
Fear faded.
In that endless moment between life and death, only regret remained.
Her mother's face appeared before her eyes—gentle, worried, always trying to protect her even when Hwayeon refused to listen.
Her best friend's laughter echoed faintly, followed by the memory of blood, sirens, and a white hospital hallway that never left her nightmares.
And finally… him.
The man she had loved with her entire heart.
The man she had trusted enough to sign away her life with her own hands.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips.
"So this is how it ends…"
Her chest tightened painfully as tears streamed down her face.
"If heaven has mercy…" she whispered, her voice swallowed by the wind,
"please… change my fate."
Her fingers curled tightly, as though grasping at something unseen.
"If I am given another chance, I will love myself first.
I will protect those who truly love me.
I will stop chasing those who never looked back."
Her lashes trembled.
"I will do my best… to be happy."
The darkness rushed up to meet her.
Then—
Nothing.
---
You are probably wondering how I ended up like this.
How a woman who once had everything—love, family, wealth, a future—ended her life falling from a bridge with nothing left but broken promises and regret.
If so…
Let me take you back to the beginning.
---
When Kim Hwayeon was young, life was gentle.
So gentle that she once believed pain did not exist.
Her world was small, warm, and filled with laughter. The mornings smelled of freshly brewed tea, and the evenings were filled with her mother's soft humming. Her father would return home with gifts, pat her head, and call her his precious daughter.
Back then, her parents still loved each other.
Or at least, that was what she believed.
Then one summer, they moved in next door.
A quiet family with two boys.
The younger one introduced himself first, his smile bright and innocent.
"My name is Lee Dohyun," he said shyly, holding out a piece of candy as if it were treasure.
Her heart fluttered.
She did not understand what that feeling was back then—only that she liked seeing him smile, liked hearing his voice, liked the way he always waited for her before running off to play.
It was love at first sight.
The older boy stood behind him, silent.
He was taller, broader, with eyes far too sharp for someone his age. While Lee Dohyun smiled openly, his stepbrother only watched.
His name was Lee Taeheon.
Unlike Dohyun, Taeheon rarely spoke. When he did, his voice was calm, measured, and strangely heavy. His gaze followed Hwayeon more often than she realized, lingering quietly as if he were memorizing her existence.
But Hwayeon did not notice him much.
Not when her attention was already completely captured by Lee Dohyun.
She shared everything with him—candies hidden in her sleeves, secrets whispered beneath the shade of summer trees, childish dreams spoken with absolute certainty.
"When we grow up," she once declared seriously, "I'll marry you."
Dohyun laughed, his ears turning red.
"Then I'll wait," he said. "You have to promise."
She promised.
From a distance, Lee Taeheon watched silently, his fingers tightening around the book in his hands.
Time passed like a dream.
Until the knock came.
It was a quiet afternoon, sunlight spilling warmly through the windows. Hwayeon had been humming happily as she ran to open the door, expecting maybe Dohyun or a delivery.
Instead, she froze.
Standing there was a woman she had never seen before.
She was dressed neatly, her hair pinned perfectly, her lips curved into a polite smile that did not reach her eyes. Beside her stood a young girl.
The girl was the same age as Hwayeon.
They looked almost… similar.
Confused, a strange unease crawling up her spine, Hwayeon turned and called out, "Mother?"
Her mother appeared behind her.
The moment her eyes fell on the woman at the door, the color drained from her face.
Her hands trembled.
The woman bowed slightly, her voice gentle, almost kind.
"I'm here to see my husband," she said.
"And this is his daughter."
The words fell like thunder.
Silence swallowed the house.
In that instant, Kim Hwayeon's perfect world cracked.
And the tragedy that would destroy her life—
Had finally arrived.