- at the IMG Building -
"Mr. Lee, your business trip to the U.S. is scheduled for next week," his secretary informed him. "And sad to say... Miss Tanya will be joining you on the trip."
Jinho sighed heavily. "Is that so? Well, I don't really have a choice since she's part of this company project. I can't completely avoid her."
"Understood, Mr. Lee. I'll go ahead and book the flight tickets for next week."
"Wait..." Jinho paused, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. "Book me a seat in Business Class. But for Tanya... book her in First Class."
"Yes, Mr. Lee."
- at the Airport -
Jinho was already waiting near the gate when Tanya finally hurried over.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Tanya said, smoothing her outfit.
"It's fine," Jinho replied casually.
Tanya didn't realize that they were assigned to completely different cabins. As they boarded, a flight attendant stepped in front of her with a polite smile.
"Ma'am, your seat is right this way in First Class."
What?! Tanya turned around, throwing a sharp glare at Jinho.
Jinho merely offered a playful, mischievous smile and gave her a small wave goodbye from the Business Class section.
"Ma'am, right this way, please," the attendant guided her.
With no other choice, Tanya fumed internally as she was escorted to First Class.
- arriving in Boston -
After landing, a private cab picked them up and drove them straight to the Boston Harbor Hotel.
"Welcome, Sir," the front desk clerk greeted with a warm smile.
Jinho handed over his credit card, and the clerk handed him two electronic keycards.
"Here's your card," Jinho said, extending one toward Tanya.
Tanya snatched the card out of his hand with a huff, turning on her heel and heading straight toward the elevators to her room without waiting for him.
A short while later, Jinho finished taking a shower. With only a towel wrapped securely around his waist, he heard the door chime ring.
Checking the door monitor, he saw Tanya standing outside. He cracked the door open slightly. "Why...?"
Tanya's eyes immediately swept down his frame, taking in his damp hair, toned chest, and sculpted abs. "Nice view..." she purred with a smirk.
"What do you need?"
"Let me in. Let's drink," Tanya said, holding up a bottle of fine red wine.
Before Jinho could refuse, Tanya pushed past him and stepped right into his suite.
"Tanya..." Jinho sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Yes?"
"Can you please go back to your room after this? We have an early meeting with investors tomorrow, and you have your photoshoot early as well."
"Fine, fine..."
Tanya sat on the couch, patting the spot beside her. Jinho sat down, but deliberately shifted over to keep a respectable distance between them.
Tanya raised her glass toward him. "Cheers!"
Jinho clinked his glass against hers lightly. As time passed, glasses turned to bottles, and Tanya began getting heavily intoxicated.
Slurring slightly, Tanya leaned in close to Jinho. She tilted her head, her face inches from his as she attempted to kiss him. Taken aback, Jinho immediately pushed her shoulders back.
"Tanya...!!"
At that exact moment, Jinho's phone rang loudly on the coffee table. He glanced at the screen—it was Cha.
"Please... do not make a single sound. Got it?" Jinho hissed in a low whisper to Tanya.
"No promises," Tanya smirked drunkenly.
Jinho quickly swiped to answer. "Yes, Wifey...?"
"Hubby! How was your day over there?" Cha's sweet voice came through the speaker.
"I'm okay... just a bit tired from the flight."
"Jinho..." Tanya called out softly in the background.
Cha froze on the line. "Are you with someone? That sounds like a woman's voice."
"Ah... yes, it's Tanya."
"Tanya?" Cha's tone dropped.
"Yes, but please don't misinterpret this, Wifey, please..." Jinho pleaded quickly.
"Are you two in the same room?!"
"No—I mean, yes, but she's only here because... because..."
"Because what...?"
"Because she asked if I could have a drink with her," Jinho explained hurriedly. "Please, there's absolutely nothing going on, okay? She's leaving right after this, I promise."
There was a moment of silence before Cha sighed softly. "Okay, Hubby... I trust you."
"Ah... thank you, Wifey. I love you."
"Bye, Hubby."
Hanging up, Jinho let out a long sigh of relief and walked over to Tanya. "Alright, time to go."
Tanya tried to stand up, but her legs buckled beneath her.
"Tanya!!" Jinho caught her before she hit the floor.
As he held her up, Tanya looked into his eyes, her expression breaking. "Why not me, Jinho...?"
"Tanya, you're drunk. I'm taking you back to your room."
Inconvenienced but gentle, Jinho supported her down the hall to her suite, laid her down on the bed, and pulled the blanket over her shoulders.
He let out another heavy sigh before closing the door behind him.
- the next day -
The meeting with the investors went smoothly, concluding with both parties signing the contracts. Tanya also wrapped up her modeling photoshoot right on schedule.
Before heading to the airport for their return flight, Jinho stopped by a luxury jewelry boutique to pick up a surprise pair of earrings for Cha.
Later, as Jinho was driving their rental car along the highway, the small jewelry box slipped off the console and fell under the passenger dashboard. Jinho bent down for a brief second to reach for it.
When he looked back up, he didn't realize the traffic light had turned solid red.
He sped right into the intersection—just as a massive semi-truck roared in from the right side. The truck slammed directly into the driver's side of Jinho's car.
The vehicle flipped multiple times across the pavement before coming to a violent halt. Jinho suffered severe, critical injuries.
Emergency sirens blared through the streets as the ambulance rushed him to the nearest trauma center.
Hearing the news, Tanya rushed frantically to the Emergency Room.
"Doctor! How is he?!" Tanya cried out, grabbing the physician's arm.
"The patient is unconscious from the severe impact of the crash," the doctor reported grimly. "We are doing everything we can to save him."
"Please, Doctor! Save him, please!" Tanya sobbed hysterically.
"We will do our best."
Surgeons and nurses rushed back and forth into the operating room. Panic filled the hallways while Tanya stood outside, trembling in fear—unaware that Cha had no idea any of this was happening.
- meanwhile, in the Philippines -
Cha walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of ice water. But the moment her fingers wrapped around the glass, her grip suddenly slipped.
CRASH!
The glass shattered into pieces across the floor. Cha bent down in a hurry to pick up the shards, accidentally slicing her fingertip.
Blood welled up on her skin, and an overwhelming wave of anxiety suddenly tightened in her chest. A terrible feeling washed over her, but she shook her head, trying her best to brush it off.
- back at the U.S. Hospital -
"He is stable now, but he has not regained consciousness," the doctor informed Tanya hours later. "We will have to monitor him closely to see if any complications arise."
"Thank you, Doctor..."
Tanya stayed by Jinho's bedside, refusing to leave. She finally placed a call to IMG headquarters to report the accident.
Back in the Philippines, Jinho's secretary dialed Cha's phone in a panic.
"Mrs. Cha... Mr. Lee had a terrible accident in the U.S."
"What?!" Cha gasped.
Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor, her heart sinking into her stomach.
"H-How is he?! What's his condition?!" Cha sobbed into the phone.
"He's stable now, Mrs. Cha, but he hasn't woken up yet. He might need to stay in the U.S. for a long recovery."
"Can I go to him?! Please!"
"Yes, Mrs. Cha. I've already booked your flight ticket to the U.S. for tomorrow morning."
"Thank you... thank you so much."
The moment Cha arrived in Boston, she rushed straight to the hospital.
When she pushed open the door to Jinho's room, her heart twinged as she saw Tanya sitting right beside his bed. Seeing Cha enter, Tanya stood up quietly and stepped out into the hallway.
Cha rushed over to the bedside and sank into the chair, her heart breaking at the sight of her husband. Jinho was hooked up to countless monitors, a thick bandage wrapped around his head, and visible bruises and cuts scattered across his face and arms.
Tears streamed down Cha's cheeks as she cradled his limp hand in hers. "Hubby... I'm here now. Please wake up..."
Outside, Tanya watched through the glass door, her chest aching with helplessness.
A week passed, and Jinho remained unresponsive. Cha confronted the doctor, demanding answers as to why her husband wasn't waking up, but the medical team could only offer quiet sympathies. Jinho was in a deep coma.
Three months went by.
Every single day, Cha sat beside Jinho, holding his hand and softly telling him stories about their happiest memories together—hoping her voice would stimulate his brain cells and bring him back to her.
One afternoon, Cha briefly stepped out of the hospital room to buy some food down the street.
Tanya happened to drop by the room shortly after. While Tanya was standing near the bed, Jinho's index finger suddenly twitched.
Tanya gasped, leaning over. "Jinho...?"
Slowly, painfully, Jinho opened his eyes, blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights.
"Where... where am I...?" he rasped out weakly.
"Jinho!! You're awake! Hold on, I'll call the doctor!" Tanya cried out in joy, rushing out to get the medical staff.
The doctor performed a quick examination and confirmed that his vital signs were stable.
"I'm so happy you're okay," Tanya smiled warmly, wiping a tear from her eye.
Jinho looked around the room, bewildered. "What am I doing here?"
"You got into a terrible car accident before we were supposed to head back to the Philippines," Tanya explained softly. "Don't you remember?"
Jinho knit his brows in confusion. "No... Who am I?"
Tanya froze, her jaw dropping. "What...?"
Just then, Cha burst through the door, holding a plastic bag of food. Seeing Jinho sitting up, her face lit up. "Hubby! You're awake!"
Cha sprinted to his bedside, reaching out to hold him. But Jinho recoiled instantly, shoving her hand away.
"Who are you?! Get away from me!" Jinho shouted, his tone harsh and defensive.
Cha stumbled back, stunned. "Jinho...?"
Shocked by his aggressive reaction, Tanya immediately called the doctor back in.
After running a few tests, the doctor explained that the severe trauma to his head had caused profound amnesia. "His memory loss is significant," the doctor stated. "While his memories may return gradually over time, you must not force him or overwhelm him with information. Excessive stress could cause cerebral bleeding. Everything must be done very slowly."
Cha broke down into tears, her heart shattering into a thousand pieces.
"Jinho..." Cha whispered, reaching out once more to touch his hand.
"I said let go of me!!" Jinho yelled, glaring at her with utter disgust.
Cha pulled her hand back as if burned.
"Get out! I don't want to see you!" Jinho snapped coldly. "You've been crying non-stop since you walked in! You're irritating me! I'm not dead yet!"
Tanya stepped forward nervously. "But Jinho... she's your wife."
"What? My wife?!" Jinho scoffed, rolling his eyes as he looked Cha up and down. "She doesn't look like someone who could be my wife. You look more like my wife than she does!"
Cha stood frozen. Because she had spent three agonizing months sleeping on hospital chairs and barely eating, she was pale, gaunt, and wearing simple, worn-out clothes. Tanya, on the other hand, was impeccably dressed and groomed.
Tanya remained silent, an uncomfortable tension filling the room.
"I'll... I'll step outside for a moment," Cha choked out, wiping her tears.
"And don't bother coming back, got it?" Jinho shouted before she crossed the threshold.
Jinho's harsh words slashed through Cha's chest like a blade. She tried to remind herself that he was sick and had lost his memory, but the pain was unbearable.
Tanya made a move to follow her out, but Jinho reached for her wrist.
"You..." Jinho pointed at Tanya.
"Me?"
"Yes... you stay here with me."
"Okay..." Tanya agreed softly.
Sitting on a hard wooden bench in the cold hallway, Cha buried her face in her hands. From inside the room, the faint sound of Jinho and Tanya laughing and chatting echoed through the door.
A short while later, Tanya stepped out into the hallway.
"I'm sorry about earlier," Tanya said, her voice lacking any real apology. "Jinho wants me by his side right now. It's probably best if you don't force him to remember your relationship... for his own health."
Cha didn't say a word.
Walking away in silence, Cha returned to her small hotel room. She stood in front of the vanity mirror, staring at her hollow cheeks, dark circles, and unkempt hair. She barely recognized the woman looking back at her.
Quietly, Cha began packing her clothes into her suitcase. She had made her decision—she was going back to the Philippines.
Hours later, Cha sat in a window seat on a flight back home. As the plane soared above the clouds, she rested her forehead against the cool glass, tears silently streaming down her face.
___Chapter 12 end__
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