A gentle hand woke me, shaking my shoulder lightly. I flipped over to face Isa, my cheeks still sticky from crying. The room around me had been stripped of all of Huijins stuff. I shot up in the bed, looking around frantically.
"Where is all her stuff-Did she leave?" I questioned, panicked.
"No. She had me move her stuff to the guest room. She wants her own space now." Isa explained.
I laid back down, creasing my brow. Last night was blurry to me. It was hard to believe it even happened. I dragged my hands down my face. Looking over at Isa and patted the bed.
"Sit. I don't want to be alone right now." I directed.
The girl sat deftly and looked over her shoulder at me.
"You hate me though." She reasoned.
"You're right, I do." I replied.
She scooted closer to me, tucking her legs under her behind.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.
I shook my head.
"I do have a question, though." I inquired.
"Hm?" She started.
"How did Huijin make a move on you? What did she do?" I questioned.
Isa sighed deeply, as if it pained her to say.
"She started with small touches, you know? Putting her hand on my shoulder, my hand, my knee...my thigh. I ignored it until one day she just straight up tucked a hair behind my ear and kissed me." She paused. "I didn't mean to kiss back, but it's been so long since someone thought of me that way." She finished.
I inhaled sharply, glaring down the girl. I reminded myself it was not her fault. It was Huijin's. Groaning, I sunk into the bed.
"Listen, I'm sorry about last night." We both started at the same time.
My eyes widened, confused.
"You don't need to be sorry, I was the one that blew up and grabbed you." I explained.
She sighed again.
"I could go for a smoke since I'm a bit stressed and annoyed with your wife, want to join me?" She offered.
I never really smoked much, save for teenage years in the mafia, but I hastily nodded. I got up and slipped on a shirt before I began to follow Isa to the doorway. The woman started digging in her pocket for cigarettes, while walking to the front door.
"I thought we were going out for a smoke, where are you going?" I asked.
"We are, on the roof." She replied.
I trailed after her, following her to the elevator of our apartment building. The door closed as we started going up. Stiff silence surrounded the small room. I couldn't think of anything to talk about as we waited.
"Do you have work today?" She asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah, unfortunately the company won't run itself." I add.
"What's it like being the CEO of your construction company?" She asked as the doors opened.
Walking out, I started to answer.
"Boring, stressful, and obsessive. You have to be dedicated and sharp to run everything." I responded.
"Hmm." She hummed.
"What's it like for you?" I questioned.
"Long days, little pay, and I do everything for your wife." She huffed.
"Like what?" I asked, intrigued.
"Um, I answer her calls, schedule her appointments, sort through her paperwork, do her paperwork, hold meetings for the marketing team, meet with clients, read complaints, clean her office, and a couple of other things." She pondered.
We walked up the stairwell to the roof and opened the door.
"Really? She just sits there and lets you do everything?" I ask, confused.
"Pretty much, you want a cigarette?" She offered.
I nodded as she pulled out two from the box. Reaching out to me, she offered the fragile object. Brushing hands, I took the cigarette from her. Getting her lighter, she lit the tip and put it in the middle of us.
Both of us leaned down, our cigarette tips lit, and we pulled away. I puffed in and coughed.
"Damn, you smoke the strong stuff." I coughed out.
The petite woman pushed her braid off her shoulder and smirked. She puffed out a ring of smoke and chuckled.
"I'm not a lightweight, you know. I grew up smoking much stronger stuff." She giggled.
"Really now?" I laughed.
The two of us sat in comfortable silence, enjoying the smoke. Isa blew another ring of gray smoke, the mist disappearing into the air. The conversation reminded me of my work day, which I was already late for. Taking a final puff and putting out my cigarette on the concrete, I stretched.
"Well, I have to go to work." I exclaim.
"Same." Isa replied, putting out her own with her finger.
"Doesn't that hurt?" I asked, concerned.
"Not anymore. I've got scar tissue from that on my fingertips. Plus I'm used to the feeling." She explained.
"You do this all the time?" I added.
"No, my father's friends used to put out cigarettes on me." She stately bluntly.
I stiffened up at the comment.
"I guess our fathers' both had real shit-friends." I cringed.
"What did yours do to you?" She asked, cautiously.
'Hit me. Scare me. Beat me. Rape my sister.' I thought.
"Just... Awful things." I hesitated.
"I won't press on it. We need to get ready for work." Isa replied.
And just like that the woman's smile was back as she trotted along to the stairway exit. Pressing her keycard to the lock, she tugged the handle. The door unlocked as a gust of air conditioned air blew out of the stairwell.
"You coming? She asked.
I nodded, following the petite woman through the doorway. The walk back to the apartment was silent as Isa fixed her hair and I fidgeted with my fingers.
"Are you nervous about something?" She asked, looking at my hands.
"No, your presence is just stressful." I chimed, returning back to my normal attitude.
"And I thought you were going soft on me." Isa teased, unlocking the door. Opening the door, an annoyed Huijin stood angry, fuming.
"Isa, we're late for work." She snarled.
"I know, Mrs. Park. I was taking a smoke with Mr. Park." Isa explained, nonchalantly.
Huijin rolled her eyes.
"Well hurry up, and I told you to call me Huijin." The older woman added.
"Well, you see Mrs. Park, I think that addressing you by your first name is disrespectful, and with our relationship being strictly professional I think I should still use formalities." Isa emphasized.
Huijin froze in place, her eyes widening. Her eyes darted between Isa and I.
"Kaden knows about what happened, doesn't he?" Huijin questioned, stone faced.
Isa nodded as Huijin sighed.
"Why did you tell him?" Huijin asked lowly.
"I-" Isa started.
"Did you tell him you kissed back with just as much vigor? Or that you didn't deny my antics?" Huijin crudely hissed.
I tensed. I already knew, but it sounded so much worse coming out of my beloved wife's mouth. Small tears welled in my eyes as Huijin rubbed salt in my fresh wound.
"Yeah, she did." I reply, coldly.
Huijin's eyed widened, surprised by my lack of response.
"That's it? No blow up or attcking Isa? Why the hell did you do that last night, but not now?" Huijin snarled.
"Why are you asking? Do you want him to attack me?" Isa adds.
I roll my eyes, tired of this conversation.
"I don't have to tell you. We clearly keep secrets from each other, Huijin. Respect my privacy and I'll respect yours. I'm going to work; you should too. And keep your hands off of Isa, that attention is unwanted." I chime.
Huijin's mouth remained open, speechless. Scrunching up her face, and souring her beautiful features, she huffed.
"How dare you talk to me that way- I let you take my last name, Kage." She growled.
I froze in place, my eyes as wide as dinner plates.
"You're not allowed to say that name. It's too dangerous-" I start, extremely worried.
"What are they gonna do? Attack us, Kage?..." She starts, using my given-hidden- name.
"Kage?" Isa asks, confused.
"Well since he's trying to screw our marriage I may as well screw his life." Huijin reasons.
"Kage's not normal Isa, he's a coward hiding in witness protection." Huijin sneers.
I slap my hand to her mouth, frantic.
"You can't talk about this, what is wrong with you!?" I scream.
I shook in place. Didn't Huijin understand how secret this was-How she was endangering herself and her assistant with this information? I looked over to Isa, who held the same look of franticness and glanced to my wife.
"Mrs. Park, I have no idea if what you say it true, but do you know how stupid it is to tell a uninvolved civillian about it?" Isa raised her voice.
Huijin bit my hand and freed herself of it's silence.
"I'm feeling reckless this morning, Isa. But don't you know, you're defending a murderer?"
"I'm not proud of what I've done. Stop trying to fuck up this situation!" I yell.
Isa stared at me in shock, before her features turned stern. She processed the information and opened her mouth to talk.
"Stop talking, both of you!" Isa exclaimed.
"I don't know if any of this bullshit is true, so shut the fuck up." Isa turned to Huijin. "You-I'm mad at you for giving up on your marriage and trying to make a move on me as a married woman." She turned to me. "Stop yelling at each other!" She huffed.
"I'm going to work." Isa finished, coldly.
The latina woman trotted off to her room, grabbing her coat and purse. The frutrated woman sighed as Huijin and I watched her leave. Before shutting the door, Isa turned back to us.
"Settle it yourselves." She muttered