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The words burned into Sunghoon's mind like a mantra, a desperate shield against the storm raging within him. The echo of Iseul's voice confirming his worst fears reverberated in his ears, each syllable a blade twisting deeper into his chest.

She had played him. The tenderness in her smile, the warmth of her touch, the promises whispered between stolen moments—it had all been a lie. A carefully orchestrated revenge to leave him broken and humiliated.

He stormed into their once-shared home, slamming the door so hard the frame trembled. The walls seemed to mock him, adorned with memories that now felt like cruel illusions. The laughter that once filled this space was nothing more than a ghost, haunting him with every step.

With a guttural roar, he grabbed the first object within reach—a crystal vase she had chosen—and hurled it across the room. It shattered against the wall, fragments scattering across the floor like pieces of his heart.

One by one, he wrecked everything within reach: anything that remined him of her.

He stumbled to the bar and poured himself a drink, his hands trembling. The amber liquid swirled in the glass, reflecting his distorted reflection. He downed it in one gulp, hoping the burn would numb the ache, but it only fanned the flames of his anger.

His mind replayed the words he'd overheard. The pain was relentless, cutting deeper with each repetition. You were nothing but a game to her.

"No," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "I won't let her break me."

He slammed the glass onto the counter, shattering it beneath his palm. The sharp sting of pain grounded him momentarily, but the flood of emotions surged back just as quickly.

Breathing heavily, Sunghoon leaned against the wall, his chest heaving as the weight of his emotions crushed him. Rage turned to sorrow, and sorrow gave way to a gnawing emptiness. He slid down to the floor, burying his face in his hands.

He had been here before—this abyss of despair. The same darkness had consumed him during their divorce, pulling him into a depression so deep he thought he'd never escape. He couldn't let it happen again.

Not this time. He wouldn't allow himself to be the broken man Iseul left behind.

"No," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "Not again."

As the tears streaked down his face, his resolve hardened. If she wanted to play games, he would show her the cost of betrayal. He had loved her with everything he had, but now, love had turned to ashes. He would protect himself—build walls so high she could never scale them again.

Dragging himself off the floor, Sunghoon reached for his coat. His mind was made up. If Iseul wanted to hurt him, he would hurt her back. He would take the shards of his broken heart and wield them like a weapon.

He buried his face in his hands, his chest heaving with the weight of it all. "I can't do this again," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I won't let her do this to me."

A new resolve hardened in his chest as he stood up, his jaw clenched. He wouldn't be the victim this time. If she wanted to play games, he would play too—but on his terms.

He glanced at the clock. It was late, but he didn't care. He grabbed his keys and stormed out of the apartment.

Sunghoon's hands gripped the steering wheel with such intensity that his knuckles turned white. His breath was shallow, his heart pounding in his chest as his mind raced through a whirlwind of thoughts. His eyes were bloodshot, fueled by a mixture of anger, confusion, and the ache of betrayal.

The sound of the engine roared in his ears as he pushed the car to its limits, his foot pressing harder on the pedal with every passing second. The city lights blurred as he sped down the road, his surroundings nothing more than a haze of motion.

He ended up in front of a mansion—the very one that felt like the last place he should be. The sleek black car slid into the driveway, its tires skidding against the smooth pavement.

Without thinking twice, Sunghoon exited the car and made his way toward the backdoor, the cold night air doing nothing to calm the storm inside him.

As he stepped into the expansive garden, the sharp scent of fresh flowers did little to soothe his agitation. His eyes quickly locked onto the figure sprawled on the floor, her sobs breaking the stillness of the night.

Rena.

Without a word, he walked toward her, his heavy footsteps cutting through the tension that hung thick in the air. As he approached, Rena looked up at him through tear-streaked eyes, her expression one of confusion and surprise. She wiped at her face, trying to compose herself, but the weight of her emotions still lingered.

"Sunghoon... Why are you here?" Her voice was hoarse, still trembling from the tears that hadn't stopped falling. She was trying to make sense of the situation, but nothing about this felt like it could make sense. Not now.

He didn't give her time to process the question, his mind made up and his heart racing with an urgency he couldn't shake. His gaze fixed on hers with a raw intensity. His voice was steady, but there was a weight to it—one that seemed to shift the very air between them.

"Rena," he said, his words deliberate, cutting through the chaos of everything else. "Marry me."

The words hung in the air, suspended between them like a bomb waiting to explode. Rena's eyes widened in shock, her mouth opening as if to speak, but no words came. The world around them seemed to stop, as if even time itself couldn't understand what Sunghoon had just said.

Rena's mind spun, her emotions warring within her. But she couldn't process it—not right away. The confusion overwhelmed her, clouding her thoughts. Was this real? Was this a desperate plea from a man she had been chasing for so long? Or was it the broken result of his own pain?

"Tomorrow, we'll announce it to the entire company."  he said, his voice unwavering, each word like a command that hung in the air with authority.

Rena's eyes widened, a flicker of surprise flashing across her face before she masked it with a slow blink. "Are you serious? Where is this coming from?"

Sunghoon's gaze didn't waver; his stare was intense, cutting through the tension that clung to the room. "It doesn't matter," he replied, his tone colder than before, sharp as a blade. "Do you want to or not?"

A smirk curled on Rena's lips, her eyes glinting with something darker, something almost triumphant. She stepped closer, closing the distance between them with deliberate slowness, the air between them thickening.

"Of course, I'll marry you," she purred, her voice laced with satisfaction, as though she had already won the battle.

Sunghoon's expression remained unreadable, his features frozen in a mask of indifference. "Good. Be ready tomorrow." His voice had softened just slightly, a cool detachment settling in.

Without a moment's hesitation, he turned on his heel and walked toward the door, each step echoing in the silence that followed.

And with that, the door clicked shut behind him, the sound resonating like the final note of a song—quiet, final, and irreversible.

The night air was cool as Sunghoon stepped outside, but it did little to soothe the fire raging within him. He leaned against his car for a moment, staring up at the sky. The stars were hidden behind a blanket of clouds, their light obscured—much like the hope he once held for a future with Iseul.

But hope was a dangerous thing, and he had learned his lesson.

Tomorrow, everything would change.

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Since we're already in Act 2 and I've made Sunghoon seem like an irredeemable jerk, I want to take a moment to explain his character. It's understandable if you don't sympathize with him right now—everything is told through Iseul's perspective. Let's go back to where it all started.

Sunghoon always knew he couldn't love anyone but Iseul. After their divorce, not understanding why she left made him bitter. When she returned after his success, he assumed it was for his money, even though he worked so hard to prove himself worthy of her. 

He's terrified of letting her shatter his heart again. Despite this, Sunghoon begins to soften as he realizes Iseul is starting to confront her feelings.

But their relationship was always doomed. Both carry deep scars from their failed marriage, and neither has fully addressed the truths or insecurities that drove them apart. 

This fragile trust shattered when Sunghoon overheard Iseul agreeing with Chaeryoung's words about making him pay and breaking him. It hit his deepest insecurity, reopening wounds he never healed from.

Sunghoon's actions aren't motivated by revenge, but by self-protection. 

It may seem out of character at first, but his behavior is rooted in the trauma he experienced during the divorce and the abandonment he felt. Only he truly understands how muhc it took on him to pull himself out of that darkness. When faced with the slightest threat of Iseul repeating the past, he instinctively takes drastic steps to protect himself. He still doesn't feel secure enough in her love to believe it will last, despite everything.

so yea he's still an asshole for doing that tho(well its me since I wrote it...)