[My Wife's Affair. So I Stood in Court.] - Ep. 45 'I Hope You'll Be Happy'

Hello. Today is the final chapter of 'My Wife's Affair. So I Stood in Court.' It turned out much longer than I expected... Thank you for reading all this time. Since so many people followed along, I feel it's only right to say a proper goodbye. Around this time tomorrow, I'll post a short epilogue about why I started writing this, what I felt while writing, what remains at the end of the story, and what this process meant to me. Thank you again for reading, and I hope you all have a great end of the year.

Ep. 45 I Hope You'll Be Happy I took a half-day off on Friday and left the office. The sky outside was so clear. As if proving that spring is the start of the four seasons, the fresh breeze and the scent of blooming flowers made my heart flutter. The cherry blossoms will be out soon. Every year, I used to go see them with my wife and kid, but I guess that’s not happening this year. Neither she nor I filed for an appeal. Legally, the trial is officially over. I took today off to stop by the lawyer's office and then head to the district office. In a trial divorce, the plaintiff is responsible for reporting the divorce. I thanked my lawyer, got the certified copy of the judgment and the certificate of finality. I have my ID in my wallet; I just need to submit the judgment as proof. I don't need my wife’s ID or stamp at all. Arriving at the district office entrance, I remembered coming here to file our marriage registration, holding her hand before the wedding. We held hands with such excitement, promising never to let go. Why did it end like this? There’s no point in thinking about it now. I double-checked my documents, pulled a number, and it was soon my turn. The clerk didn't ask much. They just checked if I had everything and said it would be processed within two weeks at the latest. That was the end of the divorce report. All that's left is finalizing the apartment lease.

Saturday morning. I headed to the realtor’s office. Today was the day the new tenants were paying the balance. Since the contract was signed while we were still under joint ownership before the divorce, we proceeded as is. I had already notified the tenants that the ownership would be fully transferred to me within a few weeks. “Where are you?” “I’m inside the realtor’s office.” I hung up and waited for her. Meanwhile, the realtor checked the utility bills with the management office. Soon, she walked in. She looked like she’d lost some weight. The realtor pulled out the paperwork, checked our IDs and the tenants', and we stamped the contract. “You must be happy. The kid is going at a perfect age, so they’ll pick up English in no time.” “Haha.. yeah.” After some awkward small talk, the tenants left to meet their wallpaper contractors, and the judicial scrivener arrived shortly after. I didn't think it was strictly necessary, but since the property was joint and the process involved property division and ownership transfer due to divorce, I thought it was safer to go through a professional. The scrivener checked her ID and handed her the documents for the transfer of title. Once they got everything, they left, and we said goodbye to the realtor.

“Want to talk for a second?” I agreed to her suggestion. I had to stop by the management office to pay the remaining utilities, so she headed to the cafe first. After finishing up everything related to the apartment, I walked toward the cafe. It was a local hotspot near the house with big floor-to-ceiling windows and a unique interior. She was sitting by the window. I ordered a coffee and sat across from her. “I’ve wanted to come here with you since it opened, and now we finally did.” I didn’t answer. I had wanted to come here with her too, but I never imagined it would be like this. “When’s your flight?” “The 25th.” “That’s soon. Get ready well and stay healthy.” There was a hint of warmth in her voice. “Thanks for putting up with me all these years.” I don’t know why, but thinking that our 12-year bond was over, those words just came out. Her 20s were so bright, and at our wedding, I vowed never to let her spring end... I probably wasn't a perfect husband either. Regardless of what happened, I wanted to acknowledge her hard work. She looked down for a moment and said, “I’m sorry. You’re a good person, so I hope you meet someone good and live well. You deserve it.” I just nodded. It wasn’t that I agreed or disagreed; I just had nothing left to say. We didn’t talk about the past or the future. “I’ll get going first.” She grabbed her bag and walked out. I watched her back as she moved away for a long time, then stood up, leaving my coffee after only two sips.

I spent the day before they left with my child. We didn't have any special plans. We just had a normal day before our short goodbye. We walked in the park, played at the playground, and ate the burgers my kid loves. My kid was the same as usual—talking about kindergarten, friends, and random stuff. But since this time was so precious to me, I imagined my eyes were camera lenses and pressed 'record' on every moment. I listened to my kid’s stories longer than usual. I nodded and let them say everything they wanted without interrupting. What the kid needed wasn't a goodbye, but the belief that tomorrow would be just the same. My kid fell asleep in the car on the way back. I carefully carried the sleeping child and handed them over to her. She told me to call whenever I wanted to video chat. I wanted to say, ‘Dad’s going now. I’ll see you soon,’ but I thought it was better to let the day end while they were still asleep. I watched her carry our child into the bedroom and closed the door to my in-laws' place. Before getting on the elevator, I looked back one last time. I hope you'll be happy. Truly, I hope you'll be happy.

떠나기 전 날엔 아이와 시간을 보냈다. 아이와의 특별한 계획을 세우지도 않았다. 그저 평범한 시간을 마지막으로 아이와 짧은 이별을 맞았다. 집 근처 공원을 걷고, 놀이터에서 놀고 아이가 좋아하는 햄버거를 먹었다. 아이도 평소와 같았다. 유치원 이야기, 친구 이야기 그리고 별거 아닌 이야기들. 하지만 나에겐 이 시간이 너무나 소중했기에 눈이 카메라 렌즈라고 생각하고 꾹꾹 눌러 담았다. 아이의 이야기를 평소보다 조금 더 오래 들었다. 고개를 끄덕이고, 아이의 말을 끊지 않고 하고 싶은 말을 다 하게 두었다. 아이에게 필요한 건 작별 인사가 아니라 내일도 똑같을 거라는 믿음일 테니까. 아이를 데려다 주는 차에서 아이는 잠들었다. 잠 들어있는 아이를 깨지 않게 조심스레 안아서 아내에게 넘겼다. 아내는 영상통화 하고 싶으면 언제든지 말하라고 했다. 아이에게 ‘아빠 이제 간다. 금방 올 게.’ 라는 말을 하고 싶었지만 이렇게 보내는 게, 차라리 잠든 상태로 하루를 끝내는 게 아이에게 더 좋을 것 같았다. 아내가 아이를 안고 침실로 들어가는 뒷모습을 보며 처갓집 현관문을 닫았다. 엘리베이터를 타기 전에 마지막으로 뒤를 한 번 돌아봤다. 네가 행복했으면 좋겠다. 행복했으면 좋겠다.