Author's Pov
Ever since she was a child, Aya dreamed of having a simple and happy family of her own. When she was 8 years old, she would spend all day in the kitchen to watch their house chef cook her favorite dishes. She promised to herself to master all those dishes, so that when she gets married, she will cook for her husband. When she was 12 years old, she would secretly bug their housemaids to let her help them on doing some chores. She said that when she will have a family of her own, she wants to serve them and make 'cleaning' as a bonding. That's all she wanted, to be a good wife and mother, and to have a wonderful family with the man she will marry. But sadly, things didn't go as she thought it would.
Now in her mid-twenties, she didn't expect to have this kind of life with her husband of two years. She was arranged to marry him, like the usual reason, for money and to strengthen both companies. Aya's family owns a Real Estate Business while her husband's family owns an Airlines Company. It so happened that Aya's family business was nearly bankrupt and the only way to survive was to offer their daughter for marriage. However, she didn't know that she will marry a heartless monster in the name of Kim Namjoon.
Kim Namjoon is the only son and heir of his family's company. He is tall, manly, and handsome. He is also one of the youngest businessman in the country with a high IQ of 148. He has a very warm yet sophisticated sense of fashion. Without a doubt, any woman would love to be in Aya's place right now, but if only they know what kind of husband he is. Ever since they got married, Aya never felt like a wife to him. He never acknowledged her on how delicious she cooks the dishes, on how clean the house is whenever he gets home, and on how she treats him with respect and care. All he did was, get up early and be home late in the evening. He would skip breakfast with Aya and would always come home to see her sleeping on the sofa while waiting for him. There are even times that he would come home drunk and stinking in woman's perfume. At first, Aya was hurt but because on how frequently Namjoon does that, she grew immune to it. Yet, the respect and care she has for him never left.
Just like being said, it's already 12:30 am yet Namjoon is still not home. She's currently fighting her sleep while waiting for Namjoon to come home. Even though she wants to call him, she knows that it will only cost an argument. One thing Aya learned was to never call Namjoon and ask what time he'll be home. He hates that, because he said that he feels suffocated. And after a few minutes, Aya heard the familiar car outside the house. Namjoon's home. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her limbs before going to the door to welcome her husband. However, when Namjoon entered, the strong smell of whiskey with a mixture of a woman's perfume hit Aya's nose, making her cough a little.
"W-Welcome home, love." She timidly greeted, slightly tiptoeing to kiss Namjoon but he avoided it. "Uhm, let me help you with your things." Aya was about to reach for his bag but he slightly pushed her away.
"I told you to never wait for me, remember? Why do you kept on doing that?!" He exclaimed, causing for Aya to lower her head.
"I'm sorry. I'm just worried—"
"I never asked you to worry about me. Stop with this act, Aya, I know that you're only doing this for money." He spat out before leaving her at the doorway.
She just quietly locked the doors and went to the kitchen. Looking at the dishes she cooked, a sigh left her lips as she starts to put them on a container. It's always like this. She then placed them in the refrigerator and told herself to just heat it up tomorrow. After making sure that things are settled in the kitchen, she went upstairs to their shared room. It seems like Namjoon immediately went to bed because his smell is still the same, also leaving his shirt, socks, and coat on the floor. Aya picked them up and put them on the laundry basket, but a kiss mark on the collar caught her attention when she folded the shirt. She just tried to suppress her tears as she continue. After that, she went to the bathroom to get a basin with water and a little bit of body soap, alongside a small towel to use. She went on Namjoon's side and stared at his sleeping form. He looks peaceful whenever he sleeps, and Aya sometimes admire how handsome he is. If only his attitude is different, maybe it won't be hard for Aya. Exhaling sharply, she started to roll down the blanket from Namjoon's body and his toned torso welcomed her. Not wanting to anger him, she started to fondle his hair to wake him up.
"Love, can you please wake up for a moment?" She softly asked, slowly waking him from his dreamland.
"Hmm?" He groaned, flickering his eyes open until Aya's sight was seen.
"I will just clean you up, is that okay?" She asked, and Namjoon nodded sleepily while he starts to sit down.
Aya now started to dampen the towel and wipe his face ever so gently. She usually do this, so she's used to it. She's also glad because Namjoon is quiet and obedient everytime she does this. Meanwhile, Namjoon just stared at her while she wipes his face. He sometimes questions why she kept on doing this, even though he already showed her nothing but rudeness and such.
"Would it be okay with you if I will wipe your body, or you want to do it yourself?" She asked, glancing at him while she squeeze the excess water from the towel.
When Namjoon didn't answer, she was about to ask him again, but Namjoon held her hand that was holding the towel, and place it on his chest. She just nodded and continued to wipe his body quietly. He won't deny that Aya is indeed beautiful. She's the type of wife that any man would dream to have. To be honest, she is not hard to love, and that is Namjoon's problem. He has fallen in love with her from the very start, but he doesn't want to show it because he's afraid that she might take advantage of him. He's aware that they married for money, so he thought that she is just like those who are seeking for money. A gold digger, to be exact. Yet, he wants to love her without any fear of losing her. But guess what? He's doing the opposite of it.
"There, all done." She smiled, "You can now go back to sleep, love. Goodnight." She then pecked his cheek and stood up, bringing back the materials she used, to the bathroom.
Secretly, Namjoon likes it when she calls him by an endearment. She never changed, even though he is getting worse. She never stopped showing Namjoon how much she cares for him and how much respect she has for him. Namjoon thought that maybe, just maybe, it's enough reason to show her what he truly feels. She deserves all the love, and Namjoon has now decided to start showing his love to her the first thing in the morning. After two years, things will finally change.
"Goodnight as well, my love." He whispered before Aya gets out of the bathroom.
He immediately covered himself and pretended to go back to sleep when he heard the knob of the bathroom door getting twisted. On the other hand, when Aya went out of the bathroom, she glanced at Namjoon and made sure that he's asleep before going to the balcony of their room. She needs fresh air and a place where she could let things out. She closed the door and sat on the sofa, now staring at the night sky as tears starts to form on her eyes.
"Am I a bad person to experience this?" She asked, tears now streaming down. "All I ever wanted was a simple and happy marriage, why am I experiencing all of this?" She sobbed, letting everything out of her chest.
She can't help but to hug herself as pity starts to exalt in her. She has been doing everything she can to change things between her and Namjoon, but she's also tired of trying. In between those two years, nothing has improved.
"Please... I-I'm so tired of enduring this pain... I can't take it anymore..." She cried, not knowing that Namjoon heard everything.
When he noticed that Aya didn't go to bed after leaving the bathroom, he checked the room until he saw her silhouette at the balcony. He got curious and quietly walked over, only to see her crying. The door wasn't fully closed, which let Namjoon to hear everything she said. It broke his heart, knowing he is the reason of her agonies.
—
Morning came and Aya was quite surprised when she woke up. She noticed that she's lying on their bed, but she still remembers that she fell asleep on the sofa there on the balcony. She checked her side and saw Namjoon sleeping soundly. Rubbing her eyes as she sits down, she tries to remember how she got here.
"Did I woke up in the middle of the night and went here?" She mumbled, scratching her head.
Shrugging the curiosity, she carefully left the bed and went to the bathroom to do her routine. It's another day to endure. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she went to the walk-in closet to prepare Namjoon's office attire for today. She placed them on the clothesline, where she usually hang his clothes. Now that she's done, she went to Namjoon's side to wake him up. Just like last night, she first fondled his hair before softly calling his name.
"Love, it's time to wake up. You might get late for work." She uttered, occasionally tapping his shoulder to wake him.
It didn't take long for Namjoon to stir up after hearing her voice. He felt her lips on his cheek as she greets him good morning, before leaving his side. When he heard her footsteps getting softer and the door of their room being closed, that's when he stretched his limbs and finally opened his eyes. He checked his phone and a smile formed on his lips while looking at his homescreen wallpaper. It's a picture of Aya while she was sleeping. He had it last night. Namjoon woke up and noticed that Aya was not beside him, so he stood up and saw her sleeping on the sofa. What he did was, he quietly went outside and carried her back to their bed. After tucking her, he watched her sleep for a while before taking a picture of her. He just found her cute that time, and he changed his homescreen that night too. Namjoon started to do his routine as well, but he's planning something else for today. But the question is, what is he planning?