Dara planned to just take a cab to bring her back to the house. She didn’t really expect Jiyong to follow her or stop her. Okay, maybe she did expect him to do that but there was no sign of him. Upon stepping out of the function hall, she suddenly took a step back. She forgot about the press people already! Her mind suddenly worked double time as she thought of a way to leave without getting notice. She was still in the process of thinking when an arm suddenly went around her and pulled her away from the lobby.

“Let’s use the side door,” Jiyong’s familiar voice filled her ears.

“I can handle myself,” she told him fiercely, squirming away from his hold but she was unsuccessful.

“Stop squirming if you don’t want me to cause a scene by throwing you to my shoulder!” he gritted.

“I can walk!” she gritted back. “You don’t have to assist me and hold me like I’ll fall down anytime soon like some grandmother. I’m not old!”

“I know you’re not old.”

“Then you don’t have to assist me!” she hissed ferociously.

“You said you’re having a terrible headache that’s why you wanted to go home. Unless of course you just want to get ME home so you can-”

“I’m not bluffing when I said I’m having a terrible headache!” she exploded. She wasn’t that worried anymore since there was no one around.

“Okay, okay,” he said. “I’m sorry. Now, let me get you home.”

“I’m not going home,” she stiffly said. “I’m just going back to your house.”

She turned away from him sharply and started walking on her own. She just walked and walked, all plans of taking a cab disappeared. She didn’t know how long she’s been walking but she didn’t really care. Out of nowhere, a car stopped in front of her, the window going down.

“Get in,” he said without looking at her. Dara just stood there and was about to keep on walking when Jiyong suddenly got out of the car. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to the passenger’s side without heeding her protests. Roughly, he pushed her inside and didn’t even apologize for his rudeness. He bent down and secured her seatbelt before closing the door and walking back to the driver’s side. She could tell he was angry through the way he banged the door closed and the way he sped down the road but she refused to cower away. “Care to tell me what’s going on?” he asked.

Dara just looked to the side and didn’t answer.

“DARA, I’M ASKING YOU!” he suddenly shouted.

“I don’t want to fight with you while you’re driving,” she sighed. “We might end up in a car accident.”

“Fine!” he gritted. “But we’ll talk when we reach home.”

“When we reach YOUR HOUSE,” she corrected. She then closed her eyes and tried to ignore the heavy pounding of her heart. Jiyong fell silent too but she can feel the tension charging off him. She wanted to cry but the lack of a rational reason for doing it stopped her. She can’t even understand why she’s suddenly being this vocal about her feelings. She wasn’t usually like this, especially in front of her family. Maybe she was just being this vocal to Jiyong because his opinion didn’t matter to her. Maybe she was just being like this because the thought of him being disappointed with her didn’t bother her at all. Who was he anyways? She doesn’t have any reason to please him in any way, well maybe except in bed but that’s entirely a different matter.

And so, the long and silent journey went on. If one was hoping that silence would somehow bring them peace, they were mistaken. Instead, it only intensified the tension between them.

What seemed to be a long and endless journey finally came to an end. Dara’s eyes flew open the moment she felt the car stopped. Upon realizing they finally arrived in his house, she quickly got out of the car and went inside without waiting for him. She went straight to their room and kicked her heels off. Her earrings soon followed and were set aside.

“Okay, start speaking,” Jiyong’s demanding voice came in.

“What do you want me to say?” she returned hotly.

“Tell me why you’re acting like this!” he wearily demanded.

“Where do you want me to start?” she asked, facing him.

“From the very core, of course,” he answered and leaned one shoulder on the doorframe while his arms came across his chest.

“Okay,” she heeded. “Why did you bring me into that event when you already got a date?”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Yuna!” she burst out. “Kim Yuna, you liar!”

To her surprise, Jiyong smiled. “You’re jealous!”

“Ugh!” she groaned. “No, I’m not! I’m not jealous. I’m far from being jealous. I’m pissed, angry, humiliated, insulted, betrayed and disrespected. You could have just told me about Yuna. You didn’t have to bring me there and shove to my face that our marriage didn’t mean a thing to you! That our marriage is nothing but some freak show to uphold my family’s name!”

He was frowning, a real frown that is. “What happened between me and Yuna are all in the past, Dara. I didn’t mention her to you because I didn’t think it’s necessary. It’s in the PAST already.”

“Liar!” she grunted. “If she’s in the past, then why did you tell her about the truth in our marriage? Why did you have to speak of ill things about my family to her?”

“I didn’t tell her anything! Tonight’s the first time I saw her after a long time! I’m as surprised as you are!”

He’s lying! Dara’s mind screamed. “How did you two split up?” she then asked.

Jiyong fell silent. After a while, he sighed wearily. “She broke up with me.”

At least there’s still some honesty left in him, her mind went on. “I’m sorry if I’m causing you and Yuna some inconvenience. I didn’t want this. . . this involvement of ours myself but since it’s already here, I can’t do much anything about it. I don’t really have a choice but to stay married to you for a while. If it’s not too much to ask, please don’t go out telling the public about you and Yuna yet. Wait ‘til we’re finally divorced. I don’t want my family to think that I’m. . .” she trailed and heaved a big sigh.

“What the ing hell are you talking about?!” he thundered.

Dara’s chin jutted forward. “I won’t meddle with your affair with Yuna. But in return, I’m asking for discretion from the both of you.”

“You think I’m having an affair with Kim Yuna?”

“Isn’t that what’s going on?”

“No!” he spit. “I’m not having a relationship with her and I don’t have any intentions of going back to her, either. So, stop saying-”

“Jiyong, it’s just the two of us here,” she cut off. “You don’t have to lie or pretend that you care about me or this marriage! I’m not stupid so don’t treat me like one!”

A muscle in Jiyong’s jaw jumped. He was angry. He IS definitely angry. He can’t understand why she’s so stubborn to see the truth but so obedient in believing a lie. He can’t understand why she never fails to listen to what her family asks her to do without saying anything while she bravely speaks up her mind in front him but never listen to anything he says. As he watched her undo her make up and hair, angrily, he started loosening his tie angrily himself.

“I know you’re not stupid and I’m not treating you like one!” he broke the tensed silence.

“Oh yeah?” she mockingly asked. “That’s really hard to believe.”

“I told you, me and Yuna are OVER and I don’t have any-”

“She doesn’t seem to think so,” she interfered.

“Well, that’s her NOT ME. You don’t have to-”

“You didn’t push her away when she kissed you, though. I bet you enjoyed it. You didn’t even budge when she linked her arm with yours. You didn’t fulfill your promise of being there for me, either. Physically you were beside me, yes. But other than that, I didn’t feel your presence. You just let her insult and humiliate me!”

“I was ready to stand up for you but when I saw you fought back, I thought you wanted to handle things on your own. Isn’t that what you wanted? To do things on your own? You kept on telling me before that you’re not a weakling, that-”

“Stop making excuses, Jiyong,”

“I’m not making any excuses!” he gritted. “And for the record, I didn’t like her kiss, I hated it!”

“Tell that to someone who will believe you,” she scoffed, hair and make up undone. As she went to her closet and look for something to change into, she was suddenly turned around and pushed against the closet.

Angry lips greeted her. Oh, she protested at first but it soon turned weak until she finally lost strength to push him away. Truth be told, she needed this. She needed to feel his lips on hers; she needed his body pressed against hers. She needed proof that he’s here with her and not with Yuna, she needed to feel that she’s his wife in every way and not just on papers.

“This is what I enjoy doing. And I only enjoy doing this with no one but you,” he said. He started whispering other soft and gentle words in her ear but she was too drunk from the sensation of his hands and lips on hers that her senses narrowed down. The words he whispered sounded incoherent to her. It was always like this. No matter how hard she fights it, she can’t. Jiyong would always bring this mindless and passionate side of her everytime he kisses her or everytime they become intimate. Honestly, everytime her body achieved that coveted release, she always relish in it, not wanting it to end if that was possible.

The peeling of their clothes started and they landed on bed in no time. Mind clouded, Dara just let Jiyong take her away, let the tidal wave of pleasure taker her body away without needing to worry of where the wave would take her. Mindlessly and wantonly, she surrendered all the way, drifting flexibly away.

A few minutes later, Dara pulled away from Jiyong’s arm and rolled to the edge of the bed with her back facing him.

“Are you okay now?” he asked.

“Physically?” she returned. “I’m okay. But aside from that, I’m not. I’ll never be. As long as I’m here.”

“Why not?” he demanded.

“Because I don’t belong here. This isn’t my place – this bed, this house. All of these are just borrowed. They belong to Yuna. I bet you’re thinking of her while doing it with me.”

“Dara, I told you, I didn’t enjoy her kiss a bit. And what are you talking about? This is your home.”

“Really? Then why didn’t you push her away? You didn’t even protest!”

“I was trying to be a gentleman!” he defended. “And I didn’t want to cause a scene!”

“Trying to be a gentleman? Avoiding creating a scene?” she scoffed. “Excuses! And they’re pretty lame, Jiyong! You should know better than that. Why don’t you just admit that after we file for divorce, you’ll be running to her arms?”

“Don’t you even trust me to believe what I say?” he queried. “Why do you believe Yuna more than me? We lived together for six months, Dara! Six months! You just met Yuna tonight so how could you believe her more than me?”

Dara pushed herself up in a sitting position and faced him. When she realized she was still , she gathered the blanket up to her neck, making her anger looked less effective. “Give me one reason why I should believe you and not her!” she demanded.

Jiyong stood up, not minding his . Dara tried her very best to keep her eyes with his and keep her angry look but she knew it was a tough feat. “Isn’t me being your husband enough reason for you to believe me?” he softly asked now that she thought she was seeing his vulnerable side. But she knew better.

“But you’re not REALLY my husband, are you?” she went. “On papers and on bed maybe you are. But aside from those two, you’re still a stranger to me. We’re both strangers to each other.”

“Stranger?” he repeated. “You. . . see me as a stranger?”

“Yes,” she casually said, holding her chin up.

Silence.

“You know what? I’ll just sleep in a different room. Maybe a night away from each other would clear up your mind,” he then said. He went to get himself some clothes before walking out of the room, leaving her all alone in the room.