The Invisible One
The man had changed after I fell ill. He had never shown disdain or contempt when he looked at me. Now he looked right through me as if I didn’t exist.
He treated me like a ghost. I would have felt better if he’d shouted or showed real hatred. Instead, the silence was scarier. It made me wonder if I had become completely unimportant.
“……”
Had I really messed up? Without any memory of the pain, I kept doubting whether I’d done something wrong. Since there was no one to ask, I started watching his eyes more closely than ever.
On top of that, I knew he had dinner plans with another woman. I kept wondering if he’d treat her as well as he’d treated me. It only fueled my jealousy.
Not me. Not someone unworthy enough.
The corners of his mouth turned up in a bitter smile.
Then another change happened. My stepmother started bringing meals to the house every single time.
Even when I told her I was fine, she insisted I eat. I could feel her dislike through every movement. Why bring food if she hated me so much? Why not just skip it?
Every time she set the dishes down with an annoyed face, I felt uneasy.
I sighed, checked the time, and nearly jumped out of my seat. I had almost missed him leaving. I ran outside immediately, but the way my chest heaved made me feel like it was about to burst.
Haa. Haa. Bending over, I gulped down the rough air. Fortunately, I spotted him stepping out of the family home.
He noticed me and made a face. That was better than being treated as invisible for days. My heart had been aching.
I clasped my hands and bowed my head. He walked past me without a word.
My chest stung, but I followed him anyway. Then he climbed into the car.
“May I… come with you…?”
He turned toward the car, but instead of staying away, he approached me. The words got stuck in my throat. My eyes widened as I looked up at him.
He stood there staring at me in silence. What was he thinking? Curious, I opened my mouth.
“I’ll tell Secretary Kim to arrange everything. Go for a check-up at the hospital before this week ends.”
“…Yes? Why? Why?”
He was staring at me with eyes that looked ready to explode. Then he adjusted his tie with an exasperated sigh.
“Why would I give you a reason? If I say do it, you do it.”
“Ah, no. I’m really fine.”
“Haa……”
A sigh escaped him, sounding almost exasperated. He even let out a short laugh.
“You really are something else. How did you endure it before?”
His low voice carried the weight of how much he truly hated me. It sounded like he was saying I’d always gone along with his orders without complaint.
“I’m sorry……”
I tried to apologize, but my mouth clamped shut. I bowed my head deeper. Under his cold gaze, my fingers fidgeted as I spoke.
“Actually, I’m not sick at all. I’m completely fine.”
Getting a check-up because he wanted was simple. But I couldn’t let him find out about my worsening right ear. One side was already damaged, and if the other started hurting too, he would fire me on the spot.
“Do as you wish.”
I watched his back as he turned away, my eyes aching. My fingers felt like they had been cut as I clenched my fists.
“May I… come with you?”
As always, he ignored my words and climbed into the car. I stood there in the cold wind until the vehicle disappeared from sight.
I hesitated.
Then my knees buckled and I collapsed.
“Ah, Father……”
I quickly bowed my waist to greet him. The company car carrying my father had stopped. The driver rushed out and opened the rear door.
“…May I come with you?”
I offered a greeting that was impossible for him to answer. But,
“Go ahead and take your time.”
He didn’t even say anything. He only gave one short remark. Or rather, he completely ignored me.
Instead of the expected response, he said “Take your time” and climbed into the car. My throat grew hot. I bowed deeply as the car pulled away.
I blinked rapidly to clear my stinging eyes. Every time I was ignored, one kind word made me want to scream. But I held back and went inside.
I could cry as much as I wanted later after he left. Tears were a luxury I couldn’t afford.
I took off my shoes and headed to the living room. Song’s aunt was already setting the table with a meal.
“Hello.”
I’d once had casual conversations with Song’s aunt. It felt unreal, like a dream that had just ended.
Of course, there was no reply. I rubbed the corners of my eyes and sat down in the chair. I wasn’t hungry at all, but I forced myself to eat at least for her sake.
“I’ll eat up.”
Song’s aunt glanced at me. She wiped her hands, then spoke.
“I’m leaving now.”
“…Yes, thank you. Aunt.”
“Mm.”
When I called her, Song’s aunt’s expression hardened. She probably wasn’t pleased I had summoned her.
“I have plans for lunch. I don’t think I’ll be able to eat.”
“I’ll be on my way.”
A cold wind brushed against me as Song’s aunt turned to leave. Once she was gone, the house fell quiet.
“……”
If I hadn’t gone to meet my father that day. Or if I had told him the truth…… neither of those things would have happened. He wouldn’t have been seeing another woman, and he wouldn’t have hated me so much.
“You are a disgusting woman.”
His words became thorns that scratched my heart again and again. I shook my head, refusing to think about them.
I picked up a large bite of rice and put it in my mouth.
Hiccup. My nose started running nonstop, as if I had caught a cold. The rice felt gritty in my mouth.
Finally, I couldn’t eat anymore and set the bite down. My shoulders shook uncontrollably.
A short while later,
“Sis!”
“Sis!”
I hugged my old friend Sara tightly. Sara threw herself into my arms and rubbed her cheeks like a spoiled child. After months apart, her bright smile made my cheeks hurt.
“Sis, are you doing well?”
“Of course I’m doing well. How about you, Sara? Are you struggling with studies?”
“I’m… having a hard time…”
Sara’s shoulders drooped. Concern welled up inside me.
“Sis, are you all right?”
Sara was a high-school freshman now. She didn’t know the full details of what my father had done. But when I told her I had broken up with him and gotten back together, she had fiercely opposed it.
She seemed to sense my pain, yet I had honestly told her I wanted to live with him.
“You worry too much. You’ve grown up so much, Sara.”
We were half-sisters, but Sara had always followed me closely since she was little.
“As long as you’re happy, don’t worry.”
“I… ate a lot, didn’t I?”
“It’s because I couldn’t sleep well yesterday. Your brother-in-law takes such good care of you. I was worried and made you get a health check-up right away.”
Her worries seemed to fade a little. Sara, who had looked brighter than ever, started chatting about school.
Seeing her so well, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Sis, I’m studying really hard. Today is school opening day, and if you hadn’t contacted me, I would’ve gone to the library!”
“Oh my, did I disturb your studying?”
We locked eyes and burst into laughter. My father, my stepmother, and Jin Yeon-a had made our lives difficult, but they also became the reason my bond with Sara grew stronger.
“Order whatever you want. I’ll buy everything. Tell me anything you need.”
Sara was my special little sister. Thanks to her sharp senses, she comforted me whenever I was sad. Receiving comfort from a younger sibling was new to me. I wanted to give her everything I could now.
“I want carbonara pasta. No, how about aglio e olio? I also want steak…”
“You can order everything. Let’s eat together.”
“Yeah!”
Song’s aunt hated eating out, so we rarely went out. Sometimes when only Jin Yeon-a came along, we would smell delicious food, but she never asked why we didn’t bring Sara.
“…Sis! Sis! Aren’t you listening?”
I looked at Sara, who was reaching out to wave her hand.
“Sis? What’s wrong?”
…What? I touched the hearing aid stuck to my left ear. But nothing was coming through. No, I couldn’t hear from my right ear either.
My eyes widened in shock. My ears felt muffled, as if I were underwater.
“Sis, are you okay?”
I could tell from the way Sara moved her mouth what she was saying.
“Ah… no,” I answered.
Contrary to my worry, the words came out clearly.
“I was thinking about something else for a second. Why?”
I let out a relieved sigh in secret. She had probably missed it because I was tired.
I smiled softly at Sara’s worried face. Then a staff member carrying a slice of bread approached. Like a typical high-school girl, Sara’s face lit up when she saw the bread. I was glad.