SCENE IX - DAY 3 : HIS RAGE
"jinyeon is happy!"
eyes absentmindedly staring on the work in her screen, her slender fingers immediately stopped moving as the voice of jiho's adorable and sweet son echoed in her ears, recalling how happy yeon was yesterday and today.
"papa, came home early and we even had a sleepover on my room!"
heart churning, jiho couldn't help but feel her heart be eaten with guilt. she remembered the two of them laying on each side of jinyeon on the child's bed yesterday, right at that moment they could've been a picture of the perfect family if only, jeongguk wasn't seeing another woman.
"this is the best day of my life!" jinyeon's voice continued to rang as her heart was thumped with sorrow. yesterday night could've been the best day for her too, if only jeongguk still loved her.
you're a liar, jiho.
her thoughts were screaming at her like a stream, running unstoppable as it flowed in her mind. i am a liar. i am a fucking liar, why are you pulling an act with jinyeon, jiho? you're only making things worse.
how would you break it to your son?
breakup and divorce. thinking of those two things made jiho's heart constrict with pain as a shaky sigh escaped her lips, cupping her face, her thoughts started to consume her. i can't possibly just tell jinyeon like, "hey honey, mama wasn't good enough for papa and he doesn't love mama anymore that's why he's leaving"
mama wasn't good enough for papa.
wasn't good enough.
wasn't good enough.
like a spear piercing her heart, jiho felt a lump forming on the depths of her heart as it made the tears prick on the corner of her eyes once more.
i was not good enough.
the treacherous and painful words echoed in her mind and it was enough to make the droplets of her restrained tears to flow uncontrollably. right at that moment, she imagined the way little jinyeon would respond, mama wasn't good enough? why? why weren't you enough? did you do something bad? why is papa leaving? did jinyeon did something too? why would papa leave mama? he said he loves us! us means you and me, mama. so-
i wasn't good enough for him, that's why he found someone new to love.
"i found someone new to love"
as if on cue, those hateful and poisonous words resonated again in her ears, adding salt to the freshly cut wound that has yet to be healed.
he stopped loving me.
it's all because of me, i wasn't good enough.
i've always been not good enough.
tiny lips quivering, the butterflies that seemed to surround her body started to disappear. jiho found herself weeping once more in the four corners of her office. she knew that she should be working right now and any moment (like before) taehyung would walk in and caught her red-handed but, she couldn't stop.
she couldn't tame the way her heart ached as it cried from the pain of betrayal.
why me? why must he hurt me? jiho questioned, finding no probable answer why jeongguk decided to leave her, stop loving her and touched another woman behind her sorry back. jiho was loving and caring and yet, how?
i gave him everything and yet, yet he cheated on me, he kissed another woman, he became intimate with another woman and is now asking for a divorce as if he wasn't the one who tore our family apart. he promised forever, he promised that i was the only one till death do us part and yet how, how could he do this to me?
has he forgotten everything? every little thing we shared? at that instant, jiho remembered when she wore the prettiest white gown she had ever worn, walking on the bed of a red carpet draped with petals as he, jeongguk stood at the far end of the aisle while a contended smile painted his lips in front of a majestic and aesthetically pleasing altar on their wedding day.
"i promise that you will be my first and last love as forever would be our thing. we'd make the family you always dreamed to have"
was everything you said a series of make-belief fantasies and promises that was meant to be broken? at the foot of that altar, jeongguk promised to take care of her and the family they would make, the ring on jiho's finger as the proof of the eternal promise. but now, skip forward after seven years later and that sealing of promises, the words that came out of his mouth was torn into pieces like a shattered glasses.
you're a fucking liar, you made me believe. you made me believe that i could build a family that i never had and -
jiho's veins were clouded with sorrow with a mix of anger seeping inside of it, she didn't know what to feel as of the moment, she was confused and the thought of how to tell her son that his father was leaving made her heart churn with pain.
-and yet i still love you, so so much.
at the middle of her self-pity, the telephone in her medium- sized office started to ring and she knew for sure that it was time to get herself on track. immediately feeling panic reel on her veins, she started to calm herself from her sudden breakdown.
"k-kim jiho of Vante corporation speaking, how may i help you?"
"jiho" deep and yet warm voice echoing in her ear, she heard the other line heave a sigh before it continued speaking. "as much as i want to ask why you're voice sounds like that-"
"-bring me the papers for the partnership and please clear all my schedule for the afternoon, kindly reschedule it for another day"
hearing the words from taehyung, jiho got back to work as she cancelled the appointed meetings for the afternoon and rescheduled it, she was grateful that the other companies they had appointment to agreed without any conflict. fishing out her bag and randomly picking the document out of the two envelopes that was placed inside, she timidly stood up and head off into taehyung's office.
"here, sir" entering taehyung's office, she marched towards the man's table. jiho's voice came out weak when she handed the brown envelope to her boss. taehyung eyed jiho's appearance and he noticed the way her eyes were red and bloodshot as if she had just cried, he had wanted to comment about it but chose not to pry her as he noticed that she looked so frail.
"you may sit, jiho" taehyung commented as he started to open the envelope and the woman obliged as she stride on the black sofa across taehyung's study table, thinking that her boss might have something to discuss with her after he had read the whole contract for the partnership. fiddling with her fingers, she had hung her head low and focused on the brown carpet that lay beneath the round coffee table on taehyung's office.
"what the fuck?" jiho's ears perked up and she immediately snapped her head on her boss' direction. eyebrows creased, face crumpled with anger and fingers clutching the piece of paper with such madness, jiho couldn't decipher why her boss suddenly had a foul mood.
"sir-" even before she was about to finish her words, taehyung suddenly stood up, pressing something underneath his drawer before he shakily prepared a chamomile tea for two. jiho was confused, she knew taehyung would only drink chamomile tea if he was stressed and edgy. was there something wrong with the contract? was the other party demanding for so much? before jiho could even make out of her thoughts, taehyung was already seated beside her as he handed her the cup of tea.
"drink" the man had ordered as he sipped on his own cup and without any hesitation, jiho did as she was told, she wanted to hear out her boss. "sir, what's wrong? is there something wrong with the contract? i've read the paper and there was really nothi-"
"jeon jeongguk" taehyung suddenly spoke, the tone on his voice was unfathomable as it came out angry and jiho couldn't help but raise a brow. the man placed the cup of tea on the coffee table as he had faced her secretary and their eyes met. "i need you to answer me truthfully and i trust that you would comply to what i'm going to question you. this conversation is not between a president and secretary but between friends"
jiho's heart suddenly thumped with a mix of unknown feelings. what had suddenly happened? why was taehyung acting this way? dropping the honorifics, she spoke "okay, taehyung"
taehyung sighed, taking a sip on his tea once more before asking. "jeon jeongguk" taehyung spoke and the disgust in his voice was now noticeable to jiho. "jeon jeongguk is your spouse, right?"
jiho's eyes widened and her throat suddenly felt dry. "what's this got to do-"
"you promised to answer me truthfully"
jiho hesitated but answered still, "y-yes" the woman hung her head low as she gripped the cup tight, wanting the warmth from the tea to flow on her skin to tame the coldness she was feeling.
taehyung sipped on the tea but his aura seemed so off than usual, "is that bastard . ." bastard? "the next heir of the corporation we had agreed to make partnership with?"
"y-yes, sir"
"okay. i've got all the information that i need" with that being said, taehyung suddenly stood up before fishing out his coat on the rack. jiho was confused and literally speechless, her boss was spontaneous and she doesn't know how to keep up. what the hell was even happening?
"wait, sir! where are you going?"
"i'll cancel the partnership" jiho's eyes widened and her jaw suddenly dropped, she stood up, grabbing the sleeve of taehyung.
"what!? you've got to be kidding me kim taehyung, why? i mean - no! sir, i don't understand! why?"
taehyung's face were laced with anger. "i was such a fool to make that partnership. it was my fault and now i have to set things right, i have plenty of other companies lined up who'd want to cooperate with me and not some bastard cheating man-slut" jiho's eyes widened as she heared the series of curse words escape on taehyung's lips.
cheating man slut? wait, how did he- eyes drifting on taehyung's desk, jiho finally realized that she had the wrong file and instead of handing the partnership papers to taehyung, she had given him the divorce papers. oh dear, no. "no . . . sir, please" begging, her eyes started to pour tears again as she clutched taehyung's sleeves as if her life depended on it.
"please! don't do this. i'm sorry. i'm sorry, i got the wrong file but please don't do this"
red flashed on taehyung's eyes as he was beyond disbelieved of jiho "why are you still acting that way!? he freaking wants a fucking divorce!" taehyung's voice was deep and laced with a tone that almost made jiho stumble on the ground "i fucking read the words, with my two clear eyes and let it wander over and over as it was written on his reason for separation! he fucking wants a goddamn divorce because he found someone new?! in what the fucking motherfucking hell! he just put the word cheater in a set of flowery sentence but it doesn't hide the fact that he betrayed you! i can't make a partnership with a company that has hurt my workers and most of all, you! of all people, he hurt you!"
jiho couldn't help but break, "why are you making this of a big deal?! this is none of your business!"
taehyung was taken aback and he couldn't believe what had just escaped on jiho's lips and couldn't tame his words anymore. "yes, it is! newsflash jiho cause it is my fucking business! everything about you is my business! you're my sunshine, my mood setter and the light in my dark filled life! i have always adored you for as long as i could remember and i tried so hard to keep this fucking feelings hidden, i tried so hard to tame them and keep them to myself because i know you're fucking married and i don't want to be a home wrecker but!" tears spilling on taehyung's warm brown orbs, the man was red with anger.
"-but seeing that fucking divorce papers makes my blood boil to the depths of hell! you don't deserve that treatment and that motherfucking bastard doesn't deserve the services and benefits offered in the partnership!" the man heaved a shaky sigh, sniffing, weeping and completely weak infront of the woman.
jiho couldn't help but be perplexed at the sudden revelation. "i, taehyung-"
"is that yoon lilia the whore who your bastard of a husband hooked up with?! i'm really going to end the partnership and i don't care if you get . . . get . . ." taehyung pondered, the word seemingly hard to speak "m-mad at me"
"taehyung please, let me explain-"
"no, you can't stop me even if you . . . you . . . get . . get ma-"
jiho couldn't help but feel soft, the tears in her eyes suddenly stopped pouring as she let out a snicker. even if the man was crying and just threw a fit and even demanded an absurd action, she finally noticed the way taehyung struggled to say the words get mad at me, because as much as the both of them denied it, they were already best friends without giving any label on it and whenever there was an argument between the two, taehyung was the first one to give up.
"why the fuck are you laughing?! i'm serious!"
"i understand that you're mad at my cheating husband but - but, i need more time"
"well, i don't need time. god, now, i get it. i get why that man-slut lets that bitch touch him even when he shouldn't let her but, why? why did you let him? god, jiho you deserve better than this! why didn't you tell me anything? you should sign thos-"
"i - i can't"
"why!? fucking enlighten me why?!"
"i need fourteen days for someone"
"but-"
"my son, yeon. i need more time to tell him. he's too precious to get hurt"
"and so are you. you are precious too, can't you see that? "
"taehyung-"
"i know, i'm sorry. i have my boundaries but now that i know about this, i can't help it. please, just let me love you"
"but-"
"please, let me care for you"