The mind, when wounded, does not always fracture cleanly.
Sometimes it breaks like glass dropped upon marble—shattering into sharp, unpredictable pieces that reflect the past in distorted angles.
Han Sooah's memories had become exactly that.
Fragments.
Shards.
Moments appearing and vanishing without warning.
And the most terrifying part was that she had begun to realize it herself.
The Fear Inside Her Mind
At first Sooah tried to behave normally.
Even when memories slipped away, she maintained the composed calm that had made her one of the most formidable young leaders in Hanseong Holdings.
But slowly, the cracks began to show.
Because something about waking up repeatedly in unfamiliar moments is deeply unsettling.
Imagine opening your eyes and discovering that time has moved forward without you.
Imagine people speaking to you as though years of shared life exist between you—
when your mind insists those years never happened.
That was the reality Sooah faced every day now.
And it began to frighten her.
The Stalker
The first time she reacted violently happened three days after the diagnosis.
She woke suddenly in the hospital bed.
Her breathing quick.
Her eyes scanning the unfamiliar room.
Then she noticed the man sitting beside the bed.
Tall.
Sharp features.
Dark hair slightly messy.
Watching her with intense concern.
Sooah's heart began racing instantly.
"Who are you?"
The question came out sharp.
Daehyun immediately leaned forward.
"It's me."
She stiffened.
"What do you mean 'it's me'?"
His voice softened.
"Sooah—"
"Don't say my name."
The command cut through the room like a blade.
Her eyes filled with sudden suspicion.
"How do you know my name?"
Daehyun froze.
"It's okay. I'm your—"
Before he could finish, she grabbed the water glass beside the bed and threw it.
It shattered against the wall beside him.
"Stay away from me!"
Minjun, who had been sleeping in the crib nearby, began crying loudly.
The sound only made Sooah more alarmed.
"Why is there a baby here?!"
Nurses rushed into the room immediately.
Daehyun stood frozen as they tried calming her down.
But Sooah kept staring at him with growing fear.
"That man has been watching me."
Her voice trembled.
"He keeps saying we're married."
The words twisted painfully inside Daehyun's chest.
"He's lying."
The Boardroom Disaster
Despite the doctors' concerns, Sooah insisted on returning to work.
At least for a short time.
She believed maintaining normal routines would help stabilize her mind.
For a few days, things seemed manageable.
But the illusion collapsed quickly.
Inside the towering headquarters of KGI Group, a crucial joint strategy meeting had been scheduled between the two companies.
Executives filled the room.
Financial projections lined the walls.
Sooah entered with her usual composed stride.
But Daehyun sat in the back of the room quietly.
The families had insisted he attend now—just in case another episode occurred.
The meeting began normally.
For the first fifteen minutes, Sooah spoke with her usual sharp precision.
Then suddenly—
She stopped mid-sentence.
Her eyes moved slowly around the room.
Confusion spreading across her face.
"Why… am I here?"
The executives exchanged uneasy glances.
One director cleared his throat.
"You're leading the meeting, Director Han."
Her gaze snapped toward Daehyun at the back.
And the fear returned instantly.
"You again."
Several executives looked confused.
Sooah stood abruptly.
"You've been following me."
Her voice rose.
The room went silent.
"Security," she said sharply.
Daehyun's heart dropped.
"Remove him."
The Families Intervene
That night both families gathered at the Kang estate.
The atmosphere was heavy.
At the head of the long table sat the chairman of KGI Group, Kang Jisung.
One of the most powerful men in Asia.
Across from him sat Sooah's parents—the leaders of Hanseong Holdings.
Their expressions were grave.
Sooah herself was not present.
She had been sedated earlier after another panic episode.
The room remained quiet for several moments.
Finally Sooah's father spoke.
"This cannot continue."
Kang Jisung nodded slowly.
"The boardroom incident today nearly caused market rumors."
Daehyun sat silently near the end of the table.
He felt strangely detached from the conversation.
Like someone observing his own life from far away.
Sooah's mother spoke next.
"She must step away from work."
No one argued.
It was obvious.
Her father continued.
"The public cannot know the truth."
Of course.
Corporate empires were built on stability.
Weakness invited predators.
Then Kang Jisung's eyes shifted toward his son.
"Which leaves only one option."
Daehyun frowned slightly.
"…What option?"
The Impossible Decision
Kang Jisung spoke calmly.
"You will take her place."
Silence filled the room.
Daehyun blinked.
"I don't run companies."
"You graduated from Harvard University with an economics degree."
"Barely."
"You understand the structure of KGI."
"I've never led anything."
"That will change."
Sooah's father added quietly:
"Until she recovers, you will act in her position."
Daehyun stared at them.
"You want me to run Hanseong?"
"Temporarily."
"And attend board meetings."
"Yes."
"And negotiate corporate deals."
"Yes."
His voice rose slightly.
"I don't know how to do any of that."
Kang Jisung leaned back in his chair.
"You will learn."
The Hardest Part
Daehyun rubbed his temples.
"This is insane."
But Sooah's mother spoke gently now.
"There is another condition."
He looked up.
"What?"
Her voice softened.
"She cannot know."
The words landed heavily.
Daehyun frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"She cannot know she has been removed from her position."
"Why?"
"Because if she realizes how severe her condition is… it may destabilize her further."
The room fell quiet again.
Which meant—
Daehyun would have to secretly run her company…
While pretending everything was normal.
While his wife sometimes believed he was a stranger.
And sometimes believed he was a stalker.
The Man Who Was Never Meant for Power
Late that night, Daehyun stood alone in the empty office that once belonged to Han Sooah.
The top floor of Hanseong headquarters overlooked the vast lights of Seoul stretching endlessly into the distance.
Her desk was spotless.
Her chair untouched.
Her presence lingered everywhere.
Daehyun sat down slowly.
He had spent his entire life avoiding responsibility.
He had been content staying home.
Playing with Minjun.
Living quietly beside the woman who carried the weight of the world.
But now that world had fallen onto him.
And he had absolutely no idea how to hold it together.
He leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling.
Somewhere across the city, Sooah slept peacefully in the hospital.
Unaware that her life was slowly collapsing around her.
Unaware that her husband—who she sometimes feared and sometimes forgot—
was now trying desperately to hold together the empire she had built.
And Daehyun realized something terrifying.
He had never been afraid of failing before.
But now—
If he failed…
He might lose everything she had ever worked for.
And perhaps even lose her forever.