The clock on the wall ticked with every passing second. Two maids silently stood at a corner. Forks and spoons softly clanged against the plates. No other sound filled the room. Silence. Just like any other morning for the past six months, there was no exchange of words between them. The mansion had always been just a big space filled with expensive furniture housing two people who were nothing more than strangers.

Suzy slowly put down her spoon and fork. She dabbed the napkin to her lips before pushing back the chair as she stood up, gathering her bag and laptop afterwards. She was turning away from the table when the man labeled as her husband spoke.

“You’re done?” His deep voice stopped her from walking away. There was this friendly tone to it that made her cringed inside. She could almost hear the smile in it. “You haven’t even finished your food,” he pointed out.

Suzy momentarily closed her eyes and pursed her lips as she took in a breath and sighed. She turned around to face him; her visage bearing no emotion. “I’m full,” she replied monotonously before turning around again.

His chair screeched against the floor as it was pushed back when she walked away. “I’m done too then. I’ll drop you off.” He stood up buttoning his suit jacket.

Suzy stopped in her steps and had to hold the urge to grit her teeth before she turned to him. “Chanyeol,” she sighed and raised her eyes to him, “let’s not do this.”

The wide smile across his face turned into a small one as he lowered his head. Chanyeol lifted his head again giving her that smile. “Alright.” He nodded. “By the way,” he continued as he sauntered to where she was, “the friend I told you about will start working for you today. I told him to come to your office right away.”

Without even much of a nod, Suzy turned and started for the door. The last thing she needed was a bodyguard, but she could not deter her husband’s wish nor was she willing to waste her energy on arguing with him. If only the kidnap attempt last month did not happen, she would not have to deal with Chanyeol’s worry.

Once out of the door, Suzy flinched when she felt warmth wrapping her hand. She looked up and stared at Chanyeol coldly while he smiled in return. “Be careful,” he told her.

She pulled her hand away from his and entered the car before her chauffer closed the door for her. She did not even spare a glance for her husband through the window when she told the chauffer to drive. 

She wasn’t stupid. She knew Chanyeol had somehow developed feelings for her and was trying to have an emotional connection with her. However, she had made it clear from the start of their marriage that she did not wish to have such thing with him. 

Suzy was not one who thought of matters of the heart. One’s heart can lead to brokenness, she learned. Love? That was just an absurd idea to her. The mind? Now that was a different matter! One’s mind can lead better and can protect a person from unnecessary heartbreaks. The brain is what controls every part of one’s body anyway.

The heart is weak. The mind is powerful.

That was what she had always believed in.

Besides, what could her heart do?

Suzy wouldn’t have married Chanyeol if it weren’t for her father’s requirement. She was determined to take over the family’s company knowing her father planned to retire soon. But her father did not trust her despite three years of working for him. To him, she was just a girl. With her persistence, her father finally agreed to consider her as his successor, but only if she married the man of his choice. Yet, even though she now had been married to Chanyeol, she was only promoted as the head of a department. And even that she had to wait for three months after her wedding.

Once she was safely confined in her office, she plopped down on her seat and buried her face in her hands. Chanyeol was the last person she wanted to think about, but his recent actions toward her were starting to bother her. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

No. She wasn’t going to let Chanyeol distract her. He could feel whatever he wanted, but she was not going to fall for him. Or anyone, for that matter.

Knocks on the door made her lift her head.

“Come in,” she told as she her laptop.

A young lady, not older than her, entered and bobbed her head. “Someone is here to see you, Ma’am.”

Knowing the guest to be Chanyeol’s friend, Suzy nodded to Hyejung, her personal assistant. “Let him in.”

Hyejung nodded in return before opening the door for the guest. A fairly tall lean man stepped in and gave Hyejung a dimpled smile.

“You’re Chanyeol’s friend, right?” She asked when they were left alone.

“Indeed, I am.” Standing in front of her desk, he smiled and bowed. “I’m Zhang Yixing,” He extended a hand for a handshake and smiled. “But you can call me Lay.”

Suzy didn’t take his hand. She scrutinized him before her eyes landed on his dimpled smile. For someone who was going to work as a bodyguard, he looked way too cheerful. And certainly way too friendly, she thought. His somewhat droopy eyes made him look gentle too. In short, he didn’t look like one fit for the job Chanyeol had given him, and she wondered if anyone would be scared to try kidnap her again if her bodyguard looked like this. 

Upon hearing his soft chuckle and seeing him retreated his hand, she tore her gaze away from him and cleared . She leaned back on her chair and crossed her arms. “You don’t look anything like a bodyguard,” she stated coldly. “I can’t fire you even if I want to though unless I want to end up arguing with Chanyeol. So, you can start working today as planned.”

Weirdly, Lay smiled anyway despite her coldness and nodded. “Okay.”

The smile on his face was starting to annoy her somehow. “Is something funny?” 

He looked puzzled for a moment before he shook his head. “I’m just glad Chanyeol finally met someone like you.” He softly chuckled. “That guy used to be wild, he needed someone to put a leash on him.” He grinned and it annoyed Suzy even more.

“Has Chanyeol briefed you on what to do?” Suzy diverted the topic not wanting to talk or even think of her marriage.

“Yes.”

“Good.” She uncrossed her arms and put her hands over one another on her lap. She stared at him hard, wanting him to know his place. “Chanyeol may be your friend, but you’re still working for me and you’re not my friend. So I expect you to follow these simple rules of mine. Don’t meddle with my personal matter. Don’t joke around with me.” She paused before she curtly added, “And don't smile too much, especially when you’re around me. It’s annoying.”

Lay had to purse his lips to hide another smile from curling on them as he nodded. “Noted- umm- Mrs. Park? Or Ma’am? Sorry, how should I address you?”

Suzy sighed, holding the urge to roll her eyes. “You don’t have to address me anything because you don’t have to talk to me. You’re here only to guard me, not to chat with me.” She wanted to smirk when she saw him lightly gulped. He finally looked like he knew whom he was dealing with. “Clear?”

“Yes.” He firmly nodded.

She turned her attention to her laptop, not minding him anymore. “You can wait outside now.” She dismissed him.

“Very well then.” Lay bobbed his head before leaving her alone.

Once the door was closed, Suzy heaved a breath. “Annoying,” she muttered before proceeding to work.

Half an hour later, Hyejung informed her that the CEO, her father, had summoned her to his office. With much reluctance, she rode the elevator up to her father’s office. As much as she wanted it, Suzy knew he didn’t call her to announce her promotion to replace him. She still had to work harder to prove herself worthy of leading the company.

Entering his spacious office, her eyes settled on the man behind the desk reading some papers. His hair was turning grey telling his age, but he still looked like the same CEO the employees had feared and respected for years.

She clenched her jaws as she strode toward his desk. It had been more than a month since she last saw the man. And she did not regret it for one bit. The only thing she was thankful of for her marriage with Chanyeol was being away from her father.

“You called?” was her greeting as she sat down across him.

The man looked up from his paper and scoffed. He signed a paper and closed the folder before opening a new one. “We will have a family dinner tomorrow,” he informed without looking up.

Suzy rolled her eyes. Family. Strange, to her, how that word sounded coming from his mouth.

“Tell Chanyeol to invite his parents too,” he told her.

She lightly scoffed and gritted her teeth. Sitting down with the people known to be her family was the last thing she wanted.

Her father raised his eyes to her and cocked a brow. “Have you no mouth, girl?”

Suzy pursed her lips before sighing. “Yes, I’ll tell him. Is that it?”

Her father snorted as he finally leaned back on his chair. “You haven’t changed for one bit, I see.” Propping his elbows on the armrests, he eyed her with narrowed eyes. “How’s Chanyeol?”

“Don’t beat around the bush, Father.” She crossed her arms. “What do you really want to ask?”

“Okay. I’ll cut to the chase then. You’ve been married for half a year. Have you tried to have a kid with him?”

Her eyes grew wide by a fraction, but she tried to control herself. “No,” she shortly answered.

“Why? Don’t tell me it’s just because you don’t love him?”

Suzy nodded. “I don’t love him, that’s true.” Her lips curled into a smug smile. “But yes, that’s not the reason. I never make a decision based on that kind of useless emotion. We haven’t tried because I don’t see the benefit of having a child. It’s tiresome.”

Her father surprisingly laughed. “You’re so much like me, I see. Direct and logical.” He almost sounded proud.

As much as she wanted to deny it, Suzy knew that he was right. She took those personalities from him.

“Yes.” A little smirk curled on her lips. “Because I’ve learned not to be like Mom who had to spend her life with someone like you.” She felt triumphant when she saw her father turning serious again clenching his hands into fists.

“I’m not like any other girl,” she continued. “When are you going to trust me to lead the company? I’ve hold up my end of the bargain. When are you going to hold yours?”

Her father scoffed to the side. “You and your obsession.” He shook his head. “I cannot just hand the company I’ve built with sweat and blood for years to a girl even if she’s my daughter. You are still a girl anyway. You may put up a front of being strong, but girls will always be girls.” He held her gaze as he leaned forward propping her elbows now on the table. “Sure, there are a lot of women who lead companies, but they usually falter in the end. Girls are weak. That’s what I’ve learned throughout my life.”

His words suddenly pricked her heart. Suzy rarely let her heart feel anything, be it pain or happiness, but her father always had a way to hurt her. Yet, she wouldn’t show it no matter what. “Did you learn it from the women you’ve slept around with?” She taunted; her tone was filled with disdain.

His palm landed loudly on the table. “Watch your mouth! I am still your father!”

Suzy wanted to scoff so badly, but she was not going to give her father the pleasure of seeing her angered. Thus, she kept shut and her countenance calm.

“You are weak,” he spat out pointing a finger at her. “I heard you passed out again last week. Have you even checked yourself to the doctor?”

The invisible walls she built around herself almost crumbled down at that. For once, she had the urge to agree with her father. Tears stung the back of her eyes, but, like what she had been doing, she held them in.

“Tell me now, how am I supposed to pass down the company to a weak girl like you?” Her father raised a brow challengingly, but she didn’t reply. “Go now.” He waved a hand to dismiss her before focusing back on the forgotten papers on his desk. “Seeing you exhaust me. Go.”

With one last lingering hateful stare, Suzy stood up and slowly turned and walked away from him. 

Her heart was clenched. Her strong walls almost crumbled down. She hated this. She hated being seen as weak. She hated her heart.

Deep breath, Suzy. She told herself when she closed the door behind her. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she told herself again, Deep breath. You’re not weak. You own yourself. You’re strong and nobody can tell you otherwise.

So that's the first chapter. What do you think about it?