DBEM ~ 03

Chapter – 03

In her dream, Seolhwa met Hee-yeon.

“My dear,” the older woman said with a gentle smile, opening her arms wide. “Are you having a sweet dream? It’s time to wake up now.”

Seolhwa collapsed into her embrace, burying her face against her chest.

“Teacher… I don’t want to wake up.”

“I just… want to rest.”

If she could stay here forever…

Perhaps this exhausting life would finally become a little easier.

“You’ve suffered so much, haven’t you?”

At Hee-yeon’s quiet question, sorrow surged through Seolhwa like crashing waves.

She bit down hard on her lip to keep herself from crying.

Her life had been unbearably exhausting.

Her father, once hailed as a genius film director, had been left paralyzed from the waist down after an accident on a movie set.

After that…

He fell apart with frightening speed.

He drowned himself in alcohol.

And the resentment he felt toward his ruined life…

Was directed at his young daughter.

“You worthless girl who killed your own mother the day you were born! Everything is your fault!”

Believing all of the family’s misfortune was her fault, Seolhwa grew into a timid, withdrawn child.

The first person to reach out a hand to her…

Was Hee-yeon.

“Sweetheart, would you like to become an actress?”

“I think you’d be wonderful at it.”

At first, Seolhwa acted simply to escape her father, even if only for a little while.

Later…

She acted to earn money for his hospital bills and support their struggling household.

The one who embraced her like a mother through it all…

Was Hee-yeon.

As gentle fingers slowly stroked her hair, Seolhwa nodded weakly.

“Please…”

“Don’t let me wake up again.”

“What are you talking about, Jeong Seolhwa?”

“You need to act again.”

“But this time…”

“Not for your father.”

“Not for your man.”

“Act for yourself.”

The kindness in her voice finally broke Seolhwa’s resolve.

“Hic…”

Tears slipped from her pale eye, rolling down her brown cheek.

Had Jeong Seolhwa ever truly lived for herself?

Had she ever acted for her own dream?

First, she’d acted for her father.

After his death…

She devoted herself entirely to supporting Gi-beom.

People said you only realized it had been spring after the flowers had fallen.

Only after her face had been destroyed and acting became impossible…

Did Seolhwa realize how deeply she had loved being an actress.

She realized it only when nothing could ever be undone.

“I can’t…”

“I can’t act anymore.”

“How could I stand in front of a camera looking like this?”

“Everyone would treat me like a monster.”

Hee-yeon sighed sadly as she touched Seolhwa’s scarred cheek.

“It’s my fault.”

“I should’ve searched harder after you disappeared.”

“Who could’ve imagined that beautiful face would become like this?”

“No.”

“It’s all my fault.”

It wasn’t Hee-yeon’s fault.

It was Seolhwa’s.

Or rather…

The fault belonged to the naïve twenty-four-year-old who had believed too easily.

She remembered his sleepy voice introducing himself as a film student.

The worn screenplay he had placed into her hands while asking her to star in his independent film.

“Jeong Seolhwa…”

“You’re my muse.”

“You make me dream.”

“I wrote this script while thinking of you.”

“Someday…”

“I want to create something with you.”

She had been enchanted by his elegant words.

She had wagered her entire life on a man’s love—

A love that changed as easily as the passing seasons.

Her greatest mistake…

Had been believing Jeon Gi-beom was her dream.

She acted only to make him into the greatest film director.

If only…

Time could be turned back.

“I feel like I’m nothing but a burden to you.”

“Someone like me would help you more by dying.”

“Congratulations in advance on winning Best Actress.”

“Take care, Seolhwa.”

If…

On the night she had been nominated for Best Actress…

She hadn’t answered Gi-beom’s drunken phone call after his script had been rejected…

Would her life have changed?

“Where are you?!”

“Gi-beom, where are you?!”

“I’m going to drink this… and die.”

“Maybe jumping into the ocean won’t hurt as much.”

If she’d ignored him…

And simply attended the awards ceremony…

“Gi-beom! Don’t!”

If she hadn’t run toward him when she found him standing atop a seaside cliff holding a container of acid…

If she’d calmly talked him down instead of trying to wrestle it away from him…

If it hadn’t become a desperate struggle…

“Let go!”

“Please stop… Aah!”

Would everything have been different?

“Everyone will look at you like a monster now.”

“The only person who’ll ever love you is me.”

“So stay here.”

“Live with only me.”

Would she have avoided the cruel ending that awaited her after spending three years trapped inside that tiny apartment, believing those words like a spell?

Clinging to Hee-yeon, Seolhwa silently mourned every mistake she’d made.

Then…

Hee-yeon gently stepped back and looked into her eyes.

“Seolhwa.”

“Remember this.”

“None of this was your fault.”

“So from now on…”

“Live for your own dream.”

“Not your father.”

“Not Jeon Gi-beom.”

“Do you think…”

“…someone like me can really do that?”

“Of course.”

“You have to.”

“Only then can I finally close my eyes in peace.”

“My greatest regret is failing to keep the promise I made to your father until the very end.”

“…Teacher.”

“Never forget the meaning of my final gift.”

Final gift?

What did she mean?

Just then…

A hazy white figure appeared beside Hee-yeon.

Slowly…

She began drifting farther away.

“No!”

“Take me with you!”

“Teacher!”

As Seolhwa screamed—

Rrrrrrr…!

A shrill telephone rang through her hazy consciousness.

At the same time—

Ding-dong!

The clear sound of a doorbell echoed together with the ringing phone.

The noise slowly pulled Seolhwa from her dream.

With great effort, she forced open her heavy eyelids.

Sunlight seeped through the thick blackout curtains.

She had awakened from the heartbreaking dream.

It was already morning.

As her vision gradually focused, familiar sights came into view.

Warm sunlight glittered across shards of the shattered mirror.

The old vanity.

The open bottle of sleeping pills lying on the floor.

Her pale fingers.

It was a cruel reminder…

Yesterday hadn’t been a dream.

It was still reality.

Nothing had changed.

It was another miserable morning.

The morning after she’d grown to despise the face once praised for its beauty.

The morning after she’d lost the only family she thought she had.

“Why…”

“Why am I still alive…?”

Her throat felt glued shut, as though she hadn’t swallowed a drop of water for days.

Just then—

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

The cursed doorbell that had dragged her out of sleep rang again.

Dragging herself upright like a rag doll, Seolhwa staggered toward the front door.

She had even forgotten to cover her face.

Standing before the closed door, she quietly asked,

“Who is it?”

“Express delivery.”

“Please leave it outside.”

“It requires the recipient’s signature.”

The deliveryman clearly wasn’t leaving.

Seolhwa didn’t have the strength to argue with a stranger.

Reluctantly, she opened the door just a crack.

Through the narrow gap stood a young man holding a motorcycle helmet under one arm.

The moment his eyes landed on Seolhwa…

They trembled.

Had her scar frightened him?

Or…

Did he recognize her?

Only then did she hurriedly pull her long hair over the scar.

Avoiding his fixed stare, she extended one hand through the gap.

“Please.”

The young man finally snapped out of his daze.

Perhaps naturally shy, he awkwardly smiled, his cheeks slightly red as he hurriedly handed her a thick white envelope.

It was completely blank.

As she looked down at it, he spoke hesitantly.

“Um…”

“I’m a third-year student at Yeonseon University.”

“I’m only doing this delivery job to earn my tuition.”

“I don’t usually enjoy riding dangerous motorcycles or anything.”

Why…

Was this delivery driver suddenly introducing himself?

For some reason, she was reminded of the stranger who had held the umbrella over her.

His eyes—

They had seemed both empty and overflowing with emotion at the same time.

Without realizing it, her gaze drifted toward the black umbrella still leaning beside the entrance.

It had already dried completely.

An irrational feeling of inferiority crept into her chest.

Does this man pity me too?

“Well then…”

Out of habit, she shook her head, letting her bangs fall over her face before pulling the door shut.

As the door closed…

The young man’s hurried voice called out.

“You’re incredibly beautiful!”

Beautiful?

To a woman whose left face was covered with horrific scars?

He wasn’t pitying her.

He was mocking her.

“Take care.”

Bang.

Unable to hide her displeasure, Seolhwa shut the door firmly.

The fresh air from outside disappeared, replaced by the suffocating atmosphere inside the apartment.

Absentmindedly, she tore open the envelope.

At that moment—

Rrrrrrr…!

The phone began ringing again.

Could it be… Gi-beom?

Maybe he’d left in anger…

And now he was calling to apologize.

Her heart pounded painfully.

Filled with a tiny sliver of hope, she rushed into the bedroom and grabbed the phone from the floor.

“Hello?!”

Without even checking the caller ID, she answered.

A familiar voice came through the receiver.

“Jeong Seolhwa?”

If she remembered correctly…

That distinctive metallic voice belonged to Jang Woo-cheol, the CEO of Jang Entertainment, the man who had debuted her as an actress.

The hope swelling inside her instantly crumbled.

“…President Jang.”

“So it’s really you.”

“Do you have any idea how hard it was to track down your phone number?”

“At least you’re alive.”

His reproach only deepened her despair.

“I suppose so.”

She answered bitterly.

His frustrated voice continued.

“Seolhwa, you disappeared after the awards ceremony.”

“I spent three years searching everywhere for you!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Seolhwa.”

“It’s time to come back.”

“You’ve rested long enough.”

Return?

Standing before the public again looking like this was impossible.

She collapsed into the chair at her vanity.

“President…”

“Thank you, but…”

Then—

Her voice stopped.

Completely.

Without thinking, she’d looked toward the broken mirror.

“…What…”

“…This is insane.”

“Hm? What did you say?”

Seolhwa’s eyes widened.

Reflected in the shattered mirror…

Was Jeong Seolhwa exactly as she had looked before the acid accident.

Her flawless face.

Her beautiful eyes.

The woman she used to be…

Stared back at her in complete shock.