He slump to his knees the moment he close the door behind him. His eyes were wide with fear, fear of being left alone. She had to do this, he whisper to himself, why? His hand curled into a fist, anger in him surge forward. Tears of frustration and hurt flows down his cheeks, his chest heaving up and down till he was a sobbing mess on the tile.

Why? Why? Why? Why! His mind scream as he cries, hugging his knees to his chest in foetus position and at that time he wish he is one. He wishes for the protection of his mother’s womb that’s keeping him safe from the harsh reality. But that didn’t happen, ever since he was born into the cold world. His cries could be heard throughout the small apartment and the two occupants in the safe compartment could only look at each other with worry.

It took hours until his cries turn into harsh breathing, his body felt tired and sick with what had happen. Slowly he drags his body to the bed and lies down onto the soft mattress, not caring about wrinkling his clothes and pulls a pillow closer. He ignores the soft knock on the door followed with a ‘Zitao, come and eat please’ knowing that he cannot face anyone just yet. He just wants to be alone. His sleep came a lot sooner than expected but the dry tears is there, reminding of what he had done for the last past hours.

The only thing in Zitao’s mind is - why, Soojung?

“You have to eat Zitao. It’s been three days”

He hears Kristina says and he smiles at her sadly. The woman look at him with worried eyes and Tao hates it when he makes her sad. She had been the one who had raise him even when his own mother neglects him and he had always been grateful to her. Now she’s sad and it’s all because of him, Tao feels like dying. He feels like he wants to take a knife and stab himself multiple times so that no one not even the doctors can save him. He wants to be relieved from this pain. He wants to be dead.

“Zitao please. She’s not worth it”

Kristina says as she place her hand on his. “I love her. I love her so how can he she not be worth it?” he exclaim in anger and Kristina looks taken aback with his reaction. She retracts her hand slowly from his and looks at the food her husband had made for them. Tao knows he had hurt her feelings and he can’t help but felt sorry for her. “Then I have to do this. I hope you’ll forgive me” she whispers, her eyes b with tears before she pulls out an envelope, sliding it to his direction.

“What is this noona?”

He ask, sceptical as he look at the envelope in front of him. He sees Kristina squirm in her place, uncomfortable, and guilt in her eyes. She didn’t reply to him but instead got up from her seat and leave the dining room in silence. He heard the main door thud when it close and Tao knows she left him to fend on his own, for now. He looks again at the envelope and hesitate but then took it. Slowly he open it and took out the content.

There was a loud cry a moment later and Kristina lean against the wall just beside the door to Zitao’s apartment. Tears run down her cheeks in anger at the woman who had done this to Zitao. She knows she shouldn’t show him that envelope but she knows she should. Slowly she got back to her feet and staggers to the elevator while taking out her phone from her bag.

“Myun? Can you come and pick me up? I don’t think I can drive back home and Myun, I think Tao’s going to do something stupid”

“Open the door!”

Tao shouts when he arrive at the apartment where Soojung live. His fist banged onto the white door loudly, hoping that the occupant would come out and face his rage. “Jung Soojung, open the door!” he shouts again, his fist come into contact with the door once more and now Tao doesn’t even care about what the neighbours would think of him. “ing open the door before I crash it open!” he shouts once more and the door was yanked open, Soojung standing there only wearing a shirt.

“What the do you want? I already told you, I’m breaking off our engagement!” she shouts at him and Tao feels anger towards the woman in front of him. Just as he was about to say something, a man came from behind her and he glares at Tao. He notes how the man is only in his boxers and it clicks in his mind. His eyes hadn’t deceive him.

He wants to lash out at her. Go berserk on her. Bash her head onto the wall and throws her off the building so that there is no chance for her to survive. But he restraint his anger and all that came out is “why?” Soojung look at him like he was mad and she scowls again. “What do you mean why? Why do you think I break off our engagement just few weeks from our wedding? Why do you think Zitao?”

“How the should I know? All I get is a text message from you telling me that you don’t want to marry me anymore. I thought you love me! I love you with all my heart and what more do you want?” he shouts in anger and Soojung’s face is red in anger. She scowls very hard at him before jabbing his chest.

“Your time”

She merely says and Tao taken aback with her answer. “W-what?”

“Our relationship is boring, Tao. You’re always with your work. You don’t have time for me. You’re always at work and you never remember anything about me. You never see me and you never remember our anniversary. , I thought I could handle it because I love you but then I realize I can’t. You can’t expect me to marry a man like you”

Tao almost collapsed onto his knees the moment he heard her say that. “Y-you know I’m always bu-busy with w-w-work, right?” he stammers, his eyes clouding with tears but he blinks them away, not wanting to look weak in front of them. Soojung scoff. “Tell me Tao, when was the last time we actually had ?” she ask and Tao was once more taken aback. “You don’t even remember”

“That doesn’t give you the right to cheat on me!” he shouts, his mind remembering the pictures that he had seen, the pictures that Kristina had given to him. Pictures of Soojung with other man, the same man currently standing by her side. He staggers backwards, looking at them with anger. “Dude” the man says, wrapping his arms around Soojung, “She says she doesn’t want you anymore so back off. She’s mine now”

He scowls hard at them and finally made a decision. “You know what? I’m glad. I hope both of you go to hell” he spat before turning onto his heels and walks away. He ignores how some of the neighbours were looking at him, eyes cast downwards onto the floor and tears streaming down his cheeks.

Fine, he thinks in his mind, I’ll make them pay.

“I knew it”

His mother says when he broke the news to them. Both of his parents doesn’t even look surprise and he wonders if they knew what Soojung did behind his back. His father continue to read his newspaper while his mother sips on the tea that was served this morning. Kristina and Joonmyun sat beside him, Kristina bustling around Joonmyun’s tie. “What can we do now, mama, baba?” Tao voice out.

His father soon let out a sigh before he close the newspaper and put it on the table. The whole table is quiet as they wait for the head of the house to give his final say. He look at Tao before he nod. “The wedding will go on” he says and Kristina widen her eyes. Tao wasn’t shock with his father’s decision, however.

“Uncle, who will Tao marry if the wedding will go on?” she ask looking at the man and he smiles at her. “Tao will marry whoever we choose for him now that the woman he choose left him” he merely says and Kristina gasp, looking at her cousin sitting beside her. “Is that okay, Tao?” his father ask looking at him and everyone look at him too. He slowly nod, knowing if he refuse, he would only bring shame to the family. Mr. Huang nod, satisfies with his son’s choice.

“Alright” he says before turning to his wife, “Then we have to meet President Lee. He has been wanting to marry Tao to his daughter”