Home / Romance / Til Death Do Us Part / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of Til Death Do Us Part: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

124 Chapters

1

“Jyeon, take her hand.” Jyeon’s mother picks up his hand by the wrist and forces it into mine, stopping me from venturing into the open doorway of the ballroom where she’s standing guard for our arrival. I squirm, hating that we are always forced to interact this way, pushed together, and made to act like young sweethearts. My face flushes with heat and I chew on my inner lip.“Yes, mother.” Jyeon does as he’s told, his blank tone and non-reaction, sliding my tiny hand into his and holds it loosely. His obvious coldness in his manner, like always, since we got into our young teen years, and my heart sinks. His skin contact and warmth don’t remove the chill from the air between us and I look away from him, gazing at my feet in downhearted depression. I cannot remember the last time he looked upon me affectionately or gave me any kind of kindness even though I’ve known him since I was

2

Til Death Do Us Part/L.T.Marshall

“You all look very nice tonight.” Mr Park saunters to us and pats his eldest son on the shoulder. He’s an intimidating, tall, and muscular man, who doesn’t look like he’s in his fifties, but more of a handsome thirty. Jyeon takes after him fully, with black hair that looks nice styled up, or messy over his forehead and somehow boyish, deep darkest brown eyes, and sallow skin.He stands like he’s the master of the universe, with a perfectly straight posture, and has an intimidating quality about him, especially when dressed in a black tux. If Jyeon ends up like him as a full grown man then OLO Corporation needn’t worry about having a commanding CEO at the helm to continue our family’s joint legacy. Smart, with killer instincts, and despite the classy and smooth appearance, Mr Park is known as a demon in business and should never be crossed. Jyeon is his mini me.W

3

Til Death Do Us Part/L.T.Marshall

“I’m so sorry, Sohla.”The familiar man’s words fall on deaf ears, and I stare blankly at the pictures set up on the flower altar, consumed with nothing but numbness and emptiness, as though I have lost all sense of everything and exist only in a black hole. There’s no oxygen in this space, no air, or breeze, no sensation except stifling heat, and oppressive, claustrophobic surroundings. It could be a bubble for all I know, a lifeless and empty bubble holding me prisoner in this atmosphere-less existence. Not hearing him, I continue to look ahead. Fixated. Taking in the rows and rows of white flowers of every kind, laid out perfectly to nestle their images so respectfully on top. A wall of white to counteract the darkness of the room. Candles burning to each side of the loving faces, illuminating subtle smiles with ethereal glow, and yet it all feels so ugly and wrong. They shouldn’t be here.I don’t respond, unabl

4

Til Death Do Us Part/L.T.Marshall

“Don’t say things like that. We’re only able to hold it together because we still have you. They wouldn’t want you to be gone like they are. They would want you to go on and live your life as intended.” Jyeon continues cradling, swaying, patting, and holding me, but nothing eases the agony. It’s growing so big I feel like I might die.“Sohla, please listen to Jyeon and come with us. I think my mom is going to pass out if she stays here any longer. You need to lay down and you need to eat. I’m really worried about you.” Yoonie’s voice breaks into my hysteria and I push my face up in the crook of Jyeon’s arm to see him. The now handsome fifteen year old, leaning over his brother’s shoulder and looking so devastatingly like him while retaining all the cute and sweet that is so Yoonha. He reaches out to stroke my hair as he moves close, and I can see his face is tear stained too. Pale and worn out. He’s

5

Til Death Do Us Part/L.T.Marshall

“Valerie, I asked for those files on the Nexo product line ten minutes ago, where are they?” I hold the intercom button on my phone on my desk, for my secretary. My tone harsh and snappy. Irritated that even after five years as my assistant she doesn’t understand how much her slowness annoys me. She’s efficient in so many ways but when it comes to moving with speed, she is aggravatingly snail like. Maybe it’s time I switch her out for another because I have no patience the older I get and my last was fired for a similar reason.“I’m sorry, Vice president Park, I’m right on it.” The waver in her voice calms my inner anger, knowing that she is easily intimidated by me, and I exhale heavily and slump back in my seat. Spinning around to view the city skyline from up here and facing another grey and wet day that covers most of the buildings in smog. My mood is so so, like any day of my existence these past years and I stare bla

6

Til Death Do Us Part/L.T.Marshall

“Not today. I have plans.” It’s a curt and cold response and despite not shedding a single tear since the day my parents died, I feel one rise up and clog in my throat like a sharp boulder that threatens to choke me. I know he avoids today and maybe it still hurts him after four years, but I can never tell if it’s grief or hatred. He still blames me for it, and I know it’s where any possibility of us was completely destroyed. Just another notch cut out of my heart, along with the dozens of other times when life blew us apart so cruelly.“Right. I guess I’ll eat with them. I’ll have the housekeeper keep yours warm.”“Don’t. I’m staying out overnight. I won’t be back.” Again, another quick, cold reply to cut me off and make it clear that today of all days is not one he will ever spend with me. Whether it makes him sad or mad, it won’t ever be in my presence.My face aches wit

7

Til Death Do Us Part/L.T.Marshall

“Sohla, eat with Yoonha tonight. I have plans.” Mother meets me in the lounge when I arrive home from work, passing by in the process of me coming in and her going, and I paste on my bright smile. She’s oblivious to what day of the week it is, let alone the date, so she’s at least one person who won’t acknowledge today. Thankfully.“Something fun?” I ask and stop to adjust her collar of the coat she’s pulling on. Admiring her beauty even at her age. She’s not aged a day in the last decade and is still as pulled together as she was when I was a girl, when she’s dressed up like this. It’s easy to forget everything and bask in how happy she seems.“Bridge with the girls. I shouldn’t be home too late. Yoonha is in the dining room already.” She pats me on the cheek with a loving smile. Elegantly dressed and poised as the picture of

8

Til Death Do Us Part/L.T.Marshall

“I’ll start over with you. We can make it work. We were always closer than you and Jyeon…he doesn’t love you, but I do. I’m not a kid anymore.” His words stop me in my tracks, and I mentally count to five and try and reel in my internal reaction. Breathing slowly as my hands start to tremble and I stop the impulse to yell at him that he still behaves like one.The wounding pain of knowing that, no, Jyeon doesn’t love me, and I’ve known it since forever, but I still don’t want to hear it. This isn’t the first time he’s said these words to me, and it angers me that despite telling him not to say it anymore, here we are again. I don’t want to hear them; I don’t want the burden of his feelings on top of me along with everything else I carry every day and I don’t need his reminder that his brother married me out of duty and never once felt more than resentme

9

Til Death Do Us Part/L.T.Marshall

“Stop thinking and go to bed.” I chastise myself loudly, wavering and push it all back down. Taking slow deep breaths and reminding myself that from time to time I feel this way. I get scared and I momentarily think the worst and yet he’s never yet done anything. He’s too upright and solid to hurt his family name or OLO with something dirty.Impulsively I pull out my cell and dial his number before I can stop myself, otherwise I might go crazy and imagine the worst and rip my brain to shreds with the fear of the unknown. It rings three times, and he picks up. Something that despite our years of strained interaction that he’ll always do. He never ignores my rare calls. No matter how mad he is at me. Texts, calls, emails… Jyeon always replies to me within minutes.“What is it, Sohla?” he sounds pissed off, his tone low and husky and I can tell he’s had a dri

10

Til Death Do Us Part/L.T.Marshall

I tap my nails on my desk in agitation as I watch the hands of the clock tick on and on in what feels like slow motion. It feels like this morning is dragging more than a month in a jailhouse, and neither Yoonha nor Jyeon has shown up for work at all yet. I’m listless, I can’t concentrate or focus and nothing I do is easing the tightly wound ball in my abdomen that I know is stress. It’s after ten, and I’m pissed at both of them for this impromptu AWOL behavior when we have so many things going on before lunch.I have a pile of documents six inches thick that need both of their signatures next to mine, and we’re supposed to have a strategy meeting with senior staff in under an hour. We run our own departments and we need to regularly bring one another up to speed. They never miss them and now, more than ever it’s important we stay on top of it with all the new investments these few months.I’ve resisted calling Jyeon to find ou

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