“W-what. . .? What are you doing here? How did you find me? When. . . when did you arrive? Why. . . .?” Dara stumbled on her words as she pulled away from him.

 

“Let’s talk everything out over lunch,” he said.

 

“I don’t want to talk to you!”

 

“I know you don’t but we need to talk,” he calmly said.

 

“I don’t. . .” she choked and before she could stop herself, she started crying. Taecyeon pulled her in his arms again.

 

“Dara. . .”

 

“I hate you!” she cried. “You left me! Why? Why did you leave me? We’re supposed to be friends! You said. . . you said it’ll be alright but you left! I thought. . . . I hate you. . . . you left me!”

 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry. I’m a jerk for leaving you just like that. I regretted it.”

 

“It’s too late!” she burst out, pushing him away. “You’re regret’s too late! I’m already married to someone else!”

 

Taecyeon’s face went dark. “Yeah, I heard about that,” he said. “But don’t worry, you won’t be tied with him for long. I’ll help you file for divorce.”

 

- - -

 

Jiyong stopped dead. Mixed emotions filed his heart upon seeing Dara with another guy about to enter the restaurant he’s just about to leave. And the guy she’s with wasn’t just another guy. It was Ok Taecyeon. He recognized the other from the photos on the papers and television. He had a talk with Yuna. Just like what she did to him before, he threatened that he’ll file for a restraining order against her if she won’t stop bothering Dara, him and his marriage. He longed to touch Dara and feel her warmth in his arms but at the same time, he felt. . . jealous.

 

“Jiyong, you can’t just-” Yuna’s voice came.

 

Tension suddenly charged in the air as silence enveloped the four of them. Dara’s worst fear just materialized in front of her. If not for Taecyeon’s hold on her elbow, she would have ran away or collapsed right in front of Jiyong and Yuna.

 

“Dara,” Yuna greeted. “I didn’t expect to see you out with. . . another man. I didn’t know Jiyong’s not the only unfaithful party in your marriage. I presume he is your lover?” she mocked as if she does not know who the other guy was.

 

“No, he’s not Dara’s lover,” Jiyong ushered tightly. “He’s Ok Taecyeon, MY WIFE’s EX-fiancé.”

 

“That’s right,” Taecyeon smiled. “I’m her ex-fiancé BUT soon to be husband.”

 

A nerve in Jiyong’s temple pulsed. “That’ll never happen!”

 

“Oh yeah?” Taecyeon sneered, his towering height hovering over Jiyong. But even if that was the case, the latter seemed unperturbed.

 

“Taec,” Dara mumbled. “Let’s just go inside. I’m really hungry. I haven’t eaten anything yet since last night.”

 

“You’re not going inside with him!” Jiyong gritted, grabbing Dara’s wrist.

 

“I’ll do what I want to do!” Dara gritted back. “I’m not allowed to go inside and eat while you’re allowed? Don’t you think that’s a bit unfair?”

 

“Why? Why would you want to go inside with him? Is this what you really want or what your FAMILY wants?”

 

“This is what I want!” she told him and tried to pull her wrist back but his hold was just too tight. “Let me go!”

 

“Not a chance!”

 

“She said let her go!” Taecyeon joined. “Didn’t you-?”

 

“Yeah, let her go Jiyong. Let’s just leave,” Yuna butted.

 

“Shut up, both of you!” he angrily said. Then, Jiyong focused his eyes on the other guy. “Don’t meddle with this. I’m still her HUSBAND and I’ve got all the right to do what I want with her!”

 

“Jiyong, you’re being-” Yuna.

 

“Snap out of it, Yuna!” he snapped. “It’s long over between us!”

 

“Let her go!” Taecyeon butted once again, pulling Dara’s wrist from his grasp but Jiyong’s patience was spent up already. Not minding that they’re currently in a public place, Jiyong landed a punch on Taecyeon’s face.

 

“Taecyeon!” Dara gasped but even before she could ask the guy if he was alright, she was already being pulled away by Jiyong to the parking lot. “Jiyong! Let me go!”

 

“No!” he stubbornly said.

 

“You’re hurting me!”

 

“Well you’re hurting me too!” he returned. “That would make us equal wouldn’t it?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Stop playing dumb and innocent with me, Dara!”

 

“I’m not playing dumb and innocent! How could you call me that?”

 

Jiyong chose not to answer. Upon reaching his car, he opened the door on the driver’s side and scooped Dara up, making her yelp in surprise. Getting inside, he threw her over the passenger’s side and banged his door closed. He reached out to secure her seatbelt first before starting his car to life.

 

Somewhere along the highway, Jiyong made a call to his secretary. “Cancel all my meetings for this week and next week. Reschedule them. . . yes, ALL OF THEM. I don’t care. . . do something about it. If my father looks for me, tell him I’ll be gone with my wife for a while.”

 

“Y-ya! Wha-? YA!” Dara stuttered but Jiyong ignored her.

 

After ending the call, he made another one. “Prepare the yacht and tell the others. No, not the whole crew. . . yes. . . I’m on my way already, with my wife.”

 

“YA!” Dara screamed now. “What was that?! Y-you. . . you. . . where are you taking me! You can’t just take me anywhere you want! That’s kidnapping!”

 

“Yes, I can!” he loudly said back. “As your husband, I’ve got all the rights to do so. I can take you anywhere I want!”

 

“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!?” she shrieked. “Why are you making everything harder for me?”

 

“Is that. . . ?” he croaked. “Is that all you ever felt while being with me? Just hardship?”

 

No. Dara wanted to say no. The time she spent with him could be listed on her HAPPIEST MOMENTS LIST but ever since Kim Yuna returned, reality hit her. Their marriage wasn’t founded on love or friendship. It was founded by fear and compromise that circumstances set upon them.

 

“I’m just so tired of everything, Jiyong,” she finally said.

 

“Would it make you feel better if you’re with Taecyeon?”

 

“Maybe,” she answered.

 

The journey went on with deafening silence. Silence – it’s their constant companion. Everytime it envelopes them, it neither bridge or gap the unspoken words of their hearts, leaving them frustrated than they already are.

 

Upon reaching their destination, Dara felt nervous at the sight of the yacht moored along a port. She started sweating. She needs to escape NOW. She quickly unbuckled the seatbelt. As Jiyong stepped out of the car, she grabbed the opportunity to escape from more heartaches. Stepping out of the car, she started running. But before she could even put an impressive distance between her and Jiyong’s car, two unbelievably and impossibly strong arms encircled her waist and the next thing she knew, she was being carried like a sack of potato over his shoulder.

 

“Gah, Kwon Jiyong put me down now!”

 

“And what? Give you the opportunity to run away from me? No way!”

 

“Put me down! Put me down!”

 

Jiyong crossed over the lot to the yacht stealthily.

 

“Put me down! Put me down!”

 

“Hi sir,” a voice said.

 

“Put me down! Put me down!”

 

“All clear?” Jiyong asked.

 

“Put me down! Put me down!”

 

“Crystal clear!” the other grinned.

 

“Put me down! Put me down!”

 

“Oh, this is my wife, by the way.”

 

“Put me down! Put me down!”

 

“Nice to meet you Mr. Kwon Jiyong’s wife.”

 

“Put me down! Put me down!”

 

The guy chuckled. “I hope you have a blissful second honeymoon!”

 

“Put me – what? What honeymoon? Ya! YA! PUT ME DOWN NOW!!!”

 

“We better get going. My wife’s pretty excited already.”

 

“Put me down! Put me down!”

 

“Don’t be too impatient, I’ll be putting you down in bed in a while.”

 

“GAAAAH!” she screamed. “This is kidnapping, you. . . you. . . argh!”

 

Jiyong rolled his eyes. “Nonsense!”

 

“I’m telling you, Jiyong! If you don’t put me down NOW, I swear I’ll – oof!” Dara gasped when she was suddenly thrown to the bed carelessly. “Ya! Why did you do that?”

 

“I’ll get you something to eat,” he simply said and left her alone.

 

“Hey! How dare you turn your back on me?!” she demanded, following him. “You can’t just-”

 

The rest of her words were left unheard when Jiyong suddenly turned around, grabbed her face and kissed her on the lips. Her eyes grew wide in surprise. She blinked a few times and she was about to close them when Jiyong broke the kiss.

 

“If you keep on ranting like that, you’ll get more than a simple kiss from me, got that?” he hissed. “Now, go back to that room and behave yourself”

 

“Why, you-”

 

He kissed her again. “If I hear another sound from you Dara, we’ll both end up in bed with your stomach grumbling!”

 

Dara backed away and clamped closed.

 

 

It was a while later when Jiyong came back in the room with a tray of food in his hands. His features softened upon seeing the sleeping figure of his wife. He set the tray aside first and sat at the edge of the bed. With gentle hand, he caressed her face. And even if her lips looked pale, he can’t seem to stop the stirring deep inside him. Shaking his dirty thoughts away, he shook her gently. As much as he wants her to take more sleep, she needs to eat, too. After a few more shakes, she finally opened her eyes.

 

“You need to eat,” he smiled gently at her. “Come on, sit up.”

 

Dara sighed and pushed herself up.

 

“Okay, open your mouth,” he requested.

 

She glared at him.

 

“Come on, let me feed you,” he gently said again.

 

She was really hungry that eventhough she didn’t really want to, she opened and let him feed her. Okay, maybe she DID want him to feed her but only a teeny weeny bit.

 

“Do you have any idea how worried I was when I suddenly found you gone in the middle of the night?” he started. “I almost had a heart attack. Then, the next day, I just found you with your ex-fiancé about to enter a restaurant!”

 

“At least he made efforts to find me,” she mumbled, pouting a little.

 

“I SEARCHED for you, too,” he emphasized. “He just found you first”.

 

“Of course he found me first,” Dara snorted. “He didn’t go to a LUNCH DATE with anyone, did he?”

 

“It wasn’t a lunch date, Dara.”

 

“What then? A lunch meeting?” she sarcastically came.

 

“Yes, it was a meeting,” Jiyong said, his teeth grinding against each other.

 

“Oh yeah?”

 

“I met up with her because I wanted her to stop bothering the both of us. I told her that I’ll file a restraining order against her if she won’t stop doing so.”

 

“If that’s true, then why did you give her the painting I liked at the auction?” she half whined and half sobbed.

 

“I didn’t purchase that painting for her. I bought it for you,” he said. “I knew you liked it, it was pretty obvious. The way your eyes sparked was remarkable.”

 

“Liar!” she hissed. “Yuna called me and told me that she received the painting. She even asked me to thank you for it!”

 

“Dara,” he sighed heavily. “All the items sold at the auction are due to arrive at the recipient’s residence a week after the event. So what you’re saying is impossible or should I say, what Yuna told you was a lie. I already asked the organizers to hold it for a while for me since we’ll be away.

 

“A w-week?” Dara repeated, mentally counting how many days it has been.

 

“Yes, a week. You can call them if you want.

 

“B-but. . . b-but. . . you. . . . a week. . . I-I don’t understand,” she said incoherently. “You. . . purchased the painting for me?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“But why?”

 

“Why?” he scoffed. “You’re seriously asking me that?”

 

“If I knew why, I wouldn’t ask!” she heated up.

 

“God, Dara! How could you be so blind and insensitive?”

 

“Look who’s talking!” she exclaimed. “I’m not the one being blind and insensitive here! You are!”

 

“Me? ME?!” he shouted. “Why, do you even know that I love you?”

 

“W-what did you say?” Dara breathlessly asked.

 

“See? You don’t even know my feelings for you so who’s blind and insensitive now, huh?”

 

“What did you say again?” she whispered.

 

“I love you, Dara.”

 

A heartbeat passed.

 

“I don’t believe you,” she said.