It’s been a week since that dinner with the four of them. Everything rolled back to normalcy again. The mistakes, shortcomings and all were forgotten or set aside since it will do them no good anyways. Kris had made sure that he would always come home on time and minimize on questioning his wife’s whereabouts. It made the female one feel great.

That day, she was left at home with Xiumin since she has no schedule for the day so she asked for a break from her manager which the lady gladly granted. The moment she wakes up, she helped Kyungsoo do the breakfast and tends to her husband as he prepares for work which all of them found weird and ‘hair rising’ according to Chen.

She just got out of Luhan’s room after tidying it up. She took a few more steps before reaching Xiumin’s room in which his door was ajar. She can hear the clinking of things at the kitchen which means that the guy is indeed at the kitchen. When she got inside, the room can be compared to a helper’s quarter since it’s quite small. A small, single door cabinet, his bed, a side table and a small bookshelves near the side table. ‘Why is this so small?’ she thought as she steps outside to check the wall that separates the room from Luhan’s. It’s about four meters far from it and Luhan’s room runs wide on the left side, so it made her wonder what houses this certain block of the house.

She went inside and let the door as it is. The room was clean and neatly arranged except for the cabinet door which was slightly opened. She sighed and reached for it when something inside the cabinet caught her eyes. She pulled the door and was startled to see a small passageway. The curios side of her took over that she moved to get inside, following the passageway. When she finally reached the end, she was surprised at what she saw.

On the wall opposite her is a series of computer screens. Six small ones arranged into two columns of three rows on both side of a large screen with four more atop the large one creating a semi circle panel. Below it is a glass table with a three keyboard below each computer screens. Another long table is situated at the right with some things atop it which looks like something is being assembled. On the left is a small table and a large white open cabinet with various items and books were placed. There’s also a curtain at the corner of the room which looks like a small changing room. The sight somehow scared her.

She stepped forward to get closer to the screen. On the right panel of six computer screens features the rooms inside the house. ‘CCTV’s around the house?’ she thought upon locating her room. Each camera was placed on the most convenient place where you can see the room in full view. Her breathing interval slowly picks up pace as she looks on the other panel on the left and images and live feeds of places she did not know flashes on the small partitions of the screen. The four atop the large in front of her has data and some complicated words she can’t understand. The large screen shows a 3D blueprint image of a building. Her finger moves to click something from the keyboard but she stops.

Her eyes roamed on the screens and saw Xiumin moving to get into his room. With panic and fear crawling over her, she got confused and all on where to hide. Seeing the curtain built on the corner, she ran to get to it and closed it to hide herself. Sooner, she heard Xiumin’s voice getting nearer.

“Yeah, I already installed it on her room. No need to worry. Maybe I will just have to check on some more things to completely monitor her. So how was the eavesdropping on your phone?” Xiumin stopped for a while.

“You mean you heard her speak to Changmin, again?”

Her eyes widened upon hearing that phrase. ‘Eavesdrop on my calls? Through what?’ she thought as she waits for Xiumin to talk again.

“I told you that couple phone I customized is really cool. Next time, I’ll probably sell some designs I have to earn more for my things,” Xiumin chuckled.

‘My phone has a tracking device? He can hear my conversations during calls?’ she thought in disbelief as more things get unraveled with her mind getting to work its gears.

The next phrase which Xiumin stated made her think and gets confused again.

“You’re grandmother haven’t made any move as of now. The last attempt was a failure. But don’t be too confident. Remember that the sea is always calm before a storm.”

She stayed frozen on where she is, unable to believe just what she had heard. Everything is so confusing already. Tears starts to rim her eyes as her breathing slowly quickens at every second that pass.  She felt anger, frustration, sadness, betrayal and all that she has to cover to stop herself from sobbing out loud.

“Oh, I forgot my watch at the kitchen. I’ll hung up first and get it. I will call you later,” then Sooyoung heard his steps leaving. Once she was sure that he is already outside, she follows, running straight to the bathroom at the end of the hallway which bears no hidden camera.

Kris surely needs to explain a lot when he gets home.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Kris had called earlier that day that he will be home late. But despite that, Sooyoung stayed up to wait for him. When the moment she had been waiting for arrives, she stood up to meet him by the front porch, closing the door with her as she saw him get out of his car.

“Babe, why are you still up? I already informed you that I will be late, no need to stay up and wait,” he smiled, moving forward to kiss her, but she stretched her arm forward, motioning him to stop.

“I want to ask you something,” she looked at him, “Why are you tracing and eavesdropping every call that I make?” she asked which made him stop short.

“Sooyoung, what are you talking about?” he looks back at her, confusion written all over his face.

“Don’t play dumb in here, you are tracing my incoming and outgoing calls right?” she asked again, still fixing her gaze into him.

“I am tired from work and I believe this is not the time to talk about that. Shall we do that tomorrow?” he sighed, looking so tired already.

“Don’t change the subject or try to leave without explaining. Now explain why you are doing that.”

“Does that even matter?” he suddenly looks mad.

She scoffs at him, “You are even asking me that? Why does it even matter?” she tried to laugh, but ends up glaring at him instead.

“It DOES matter since it’s my privacy which is at stake in here! Are you not even satisfied that one of the boys should be with me wherever I go? That I inform you of every detail regarding my schedule to the point of avoiding having a photo session with a partner not unless you approve of it? That I would always explain myself whenever I failed to come home on time or does something? That I would swallow every bit of pride I had just for you to forgive me of my mistake? Kris I had been doing whatever you want me to do being your wife, but to the point of tracing my calls? Where are your manners? Where’s my privacy? Do I even have to tell you every person I call onto and messages everyday so you will be satisfied? Tell me, why you can’t trust me?” she breathed heavily after her long speech full of suppressed anger.

“I did that to protect you,” was all he could reply.

“Protect me? From what? From whom? Why is there a need to be so over protective to the point of choking me huh?” she counters back.

“It’s complicated.”

“Complicated? Just like that? Kris you are so childish and completely ridiculous! I don’t understand you anymore. Just what would I do so that I could earn your trust?” she sounded like she is already begging.

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, defeated as well.

“Sorry? It was you who said that sorry will not fix everything. And your sorry don’t sound sincere anymore. It’s already an overused word.”

“Why can’t you just understand that I am doing this to protect you?” he looked at her, getting consumed by their lengthy argument.

“I will never understand until you tell me where you are protecting me. From whom or from what? You are scared that I might do what I did before with Changmin? Well, if that’s the case; you would not spill anything then might as well look for someone who can make me understand of the reason why you are so like this,” she heaved.

“Don’t you dare,” he glared.

“Why? What would you do? Trace my calls as usual, even my messages? You don’t have to; I can even do that in front of you, just like how I did it with Siwon oppa which you wrongly accused me of cheating. Surely, that Chinese ex-fiancée of yours is lucky to just cut out ties with you. You are so damn selfish, too selfish that it already chokes me to death. Self-centered – “ she was not able to continue what she was to say. She had touched a nerve that he hits her across the face out or reflex or probably anger and to silence her.

Almost instantly, he regretted it upon seeing her turned head, her cheeks probably burning from the force of the impact. “Sooyoung, I – look – I’m … “ she motioned him with her hand to stop.

“I guess, I am never worthy enough to be your wife,” then without turning around, she ran inside, her steps echoing as he crumples his hair in frustration.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

He was so tormented by what he had done to her that it made him so uneasy the whole night. He was wrong by hitting her, but then he is also enraged by her words and how she came to know about that ex-fiancée of his. Yes, she had done all those things she said; informing him about almost everything she does and will do. But that part is something that should be kept in the past. It is something he will only share when he is ready. But then who told her about it?

Setting aside those mattesr, he thinks of the way to ask for her forgiveness but his mind is too consumed by many things. The company which is still in a struggle, the shareholders threatening to pull out their shares and here comes her story to add more to what he is already trying to carry in his back. Something about their current situation scared him. The gut feeling that something bad will happen racks his mind making him crumple his hair again in frustrations.

The next thing he knew, he is already inside her room. He stood near the bed, watching her sleep like he is some kind of a ghost. He wants to move and touch her but he stopped short when he noticed a small cut on her face. He checked his fingers and there goes his ring accessory which she had given him right after they had reconciled after her sister’s wedding. It was a gift she bought in Jeju.

He took a deep breath, finding it hard to just stand there that he moved forward to trace that faint small cut on her cheeks. ‘I’m so sorry, but I have to do this to keep you. This is the only way I know on how to keep you safe away from them. This is the only way to protect you,’ he thought as he housed her hands on his after bending down close to her bed.