Hello everyone. Hope you had a good weekend. As the year winds down, I've got various events and gatherings here too. I thought I needed to get used to and enjoy the solitude while being alone in the US, but before I knew it, I was meeting people for meals, exercise, and just hanging out. I guess I'm doing well. I hope you all are doing well too. I apologize, but I won't be able to upload more than this part this week. The next part will be posted on Tuesday, the 23rd, in the morning. Thankfully, this story will conclude within this year. Please stick with me for the rest of the story before my new start in 2026.

------- Ep. 42 The Kid's Birthday and the End of the Family. Buzz- [This is the verdict.] Finally, a message arrived from the lawyer. [Judgment] Plaintiff and Defendant shall divorce. As damages (solatium), Defendant 1 (the Wife) shall pay the Plaintiff 25 million won. Defendant 2 (the other man) shall jointly pay the Plaintiff 20 million won of the aforementioned damages with Defendant 1. Regarding asset division, the Plaintiff shall receive the ownership transfer registration procedure for 1/2 share of the real estate listed in Appendix 1 from Defendant 1 and simultaneously pay Defendant 1 N hundred million won, and complete the ownership transfer procedure for 1/2 share of the automobile listed in Appendix 2. Defendant 1 shall receive N hundred million won from the Plaintiff and complete the ownership transfer procedure for the real estate listed in Appendix 1. Defendant 1 is designated as the person with parental rights and custody for the child subject of the case. The Plaintiff shall pay Defendant 1 900,000 won for child support for the child subject of the case on the last day of every month, starting from February 2025. The Plaintiff may exercise visitation rights with the child subject of the case as listed in the appendix. Court costs between the Plaintiff and Defendant 2 shall be borne by Defendant 2; court costs between the Plaintiff and Defendant 1 shall be borne by each party respectively. Items 2 and 6 are enforceable immediately.

I repeatedly read the message sent by the lawyer for a long time. I don't regret the asset division at all. But custody ultimately went to my wife. Legally, I can no longer live with my son. A brief panorama of his life, from birth until recently, flashed through my mind. I felt tears coming, so I stepped outside the office. The court wrapped up one person's life just like that. In a few sentences. It took me 30 seconds to read those sentences, but it took over a year to get here. [Got it, thank you. But isn't there a phrase like 'the grounds for divorce are Defendant 1's infidelity?' I filed the lawsuit specifically to have that officially documented. Or will that appear in the actual judgment document?] [What I sent you is the conclusion of today's ruling. The actual judgment document, once it's issued, will state the grounds for divorce. The fact that the judgment ordered the Defendant to pay damages to the Plaintiff means the Defendant's infidelity has been acknowledged. The relevant content will be written in the judgment.] [That's a relief. Got it. Please let me know the procedures I need to follow next.] [The appeal period for both parties is two weeks from the date the judgment is received. The standard is not today, but the date the judgment is served to each lawyer. Once the judgment arrives, I will send it to you immediately and explain the next steps. Also, if neither side appeals, the judgment will become final, and you will need to prepare the asset division amount stated above. You should start looking into ways to secure the money, perhaps through loans. I will contact you when the judgment arrives.] Since the verdict has been delivered, my wife must have heard the results from her lawyer too. Her wrongdoing was acknowledged by the order to pay damages, so how is she feeling? Does she feel even a shred of guilt, or is she just annoyed by the situation?

I shared the results from the lawyer with my parents and explained everything. As the eldest son, I wanted to show my parents a harmonious marriage. And I wanted my younger sibling, who always said they didn't plan on getting married, to see me living happily so they might marry a good person someday, too. I feel terrible about everything. I feel overwhelmed by guilt, like I ruined everything.

Buzz- A message from my wife arrived. [The kid said they want to go to a BBQ place.] [Got it.] [And pick him up from Taekwondo. I'll head straight to the restaurant by 6:30.] [Okay.] Does this look like messages exchanged by people who just got their divorce decree today? Our relationship as a couple is over, but our relationship as parents must continue, so we can’t just cut it off cleanly like slicing a radish. As quitting time approached, I closed my laptop and gathered my things. If I left immediately, I’d arrive right as the Taekwondo class finished.