I won’t be home until midnight. Just go to sleep first, don’t wait up for me.

Ji Hyun stared at her phone. She didn’t know what to feel. She didn’t know what was this feeling. She always knew he would not come home early tonight, just like any other night for the past few months, but each time reading this text, an indescribable feeling still appeared inside her heart. She wondered if he just opened the old texts and forwarded same words to her each night, not even bothering to make new ones, or he actually taped these words to her at exactly 7:30 each night.

Alright.

And that was also her frequent reply to him.

Sighing, Ji Hyun picked up the chopsticks and started her lone dinner. The other set at the opposite of the table was still there, untouched, just like any other night. Taking a spoon of the soup - his favorite, Ji Hyun swallowed it with difficulty. The quietness around her upset her mood, Ji Hyun suddenly saw everything with blurred eyes.

----

The bedroom door creaked open slightly, a dim light slipped into the dark room. It clicked closed, some other shuffling sounds, until the bathroom door opened and closed. Ji Hyun opened her eyes, glanced at the bedside clock. It was 2AM.

The bed was dipped slightly, he just got in. Slowly, he turned, his back to hers. Ji Hyun closed her eyes, finally sleep could come to her.

----

“How was your day?” Ji Hyun asked while pouring milk into his glass.

“Great.” He answered nonchalantly, didn’t take his eyes off the magazine.

“You should sleep more. What time you came home last night?” She looked at him intently, taking in how gorgeous he looked, as always.

“Past midnight.” Still that emotionless voice. “It’s fine. I have things to do today. A lot.” He turned the page.

“Will you be home early tonight?” She tried again. “Do you have something special in mind? I will go to the supermarket today.”

“I don’t know yet. I’ll let you know later.” He folded the magazine and put it on the table, taking his phone and stood up. “I have to go now.”

And just like that he left, without even looking at her for once, the glass of milk she poured for him was untouched, too. The door clicked closed seconds later, and Ji Hyun was left with the quiet house.

----

“It’s Ji Hyun!”

“Is she shopping for G-Dragon?”

“Why is she alone?”

“He must be busy, you silly!”

“The things she took, they are his favorite I guess?”

“Maybe, she is his wife after all.”

Ji Hyun ignored all those stares and whispered, calmly strolled the pushchair through the next section. She took some beef. Maybe she should try again, in case he decided to come home early tonight.

“Are you Jiyong oppa’s wife?” A young girl, maybe just teenager, asked her timidly.

She smiled a bit. “Yes.”

The girl and her friends gasped, making Ji Hyun frowned. “Is something wrong?”

“You look so much prettier than on TV or magazines.” The young girl said with admiration, making Ji Hyun blush.

“Thank you.” She smiled at them.

“Are you shopping for Jiyong oppa?” Another girl spoke up.

“Yeah….” She trailed off, looking around. “We run out of everything.” She said absentmindedly.

“Mrs. Kwon!” Some people with camera and hand-note and pen suddenly appeared in front of Ji Hyun, pushed those young girls away. “What are you doing here?”

“Err shopping?” Ji Hyun eyed those reporters with a frown. Sighing, she adjusted her sunglasses, taking steps towards the cashier. She was nearly done anyway.

“Is it true that there is something wrong between you and GD?” One of them asked.

Ji Hyun just ignored him and started loading her things. She glanced up at the securities outside, and they noticed the reporters.

“Hey hey get out! You don’t allowed to film here!”

“Mrs. Kwon, having no child after 5 years of marriage, is this the reason for GD to find another woman? Do you know he’s cheating on you?” Another one, this time was a woman, spoke to Ji Hyun.

Ji Hyun stopped her movement, turned her head and asked sharply. “What did you just say?”

“This….” The woman hold a picture in front of Ji Hyun’s eyes. “...is what we took last night, at a secluded restaurant in Gangnam. This girl is rumored to be his ex-girlfriend, before he married you. What do you think about this?”

She glanced at the girl at the cashier. She was too into gossiping to do her job. “Miss, please be quick.” Ji Hyun reminded her.

The girl was snapped out of her daze, quickly taking Ji Hyun’s order.

“Mrs. Kwon, this picture was taken last night….”

She said in a threatening voice. “We are fine, thank you for your concern.” She quickly paid and left the place, leaving the reporters to struggle out of the securities’ hold.

-----

Ji Hyun’s grip on the wheel shook slightly.

That was Eun Hye.

They were dating for nearly 5 years, and that was Ji Yong’s longest relationship. Jiyong even asked her for marriage, but her family disapproved him - as a scandalous star - to be their son-in-law. They thought he wasn’t compatible to their superstar daughter. They broke up, and Jiyong broke, too. Until Ji Hyun came. At least that was what Ji Hyun knew from Young Bae - Ji Yong’s best friend. Ji Yong never told her about his past relationships, Ji Hyun never bothered to ask, too. To her, the present was what mattered.

In that picture, he was smiling at Eun Hye. Sweetly. That was what he didn’t do to Ji Hyun for the a long time.

-----

Tonight, Jiyong came home early.

But Ji Hyun wasn’t surprised. She didn’t check, but she knew the news about her encounter with the reporters at the supermarket were all over Internet now. 5 years, their marriage never laid on a low profile. They were always the topic for every kind of gossip. The only thing kept Ji Hyun out of being stressed over those tabloids was, she never read. Never, ever since she got married to Kwon Ji Yong.

“You are home.” She gave him a small smile, opened the door for him.

Ji Yong looked at her. She could feel he knew what she knew today. He wanna say something, but instead, he just bored that intense gaze to her eyes.

“Come, dinner is ready.” She took his hand and led him to the kitchen. “I cooked your favorite dishes today. You have to eat a lot.” She said, with a too-normal voice.

“Ji Hyun….” He said after a while sitting down the table, watching Ji Hyun preparing their meal.

“Whatever you wanna say…” Ji Hyun said in a small voice, focused on her task to make a nice bowl of rice. “...leave it after this dinner.”

At least let me have another dinner with you.

They ate in silence, minus some few questions Ji Hyun asked about his day, which he replied with a simple yes or no.

Noticing how Ji Yong mostly didn’t touch any dishes aside the soup, Ji Hyun sighed and put her chopsticks down.

“Ok, what do you wanna say to me just now?” She wiped and drank a little of water, inwardly prepared herself.

“Let’s divorce, Ji Hyun ah.”

Ji Hyun looked at his face, taking in the tired yet attractive features of him. He was tired, she could see that. Tired of her, of this marriage. The way he said those words, the way he put his chopsticks down, Ji Hyun could feel how burdened he felt with her, with this house.

“Our marriage, it doesn’t work anymore, Ji Hyun.” She watched him messing his hair. “I know that you knew about Eun Hye today, so, let’s just part here, shall we?” He looked up to her, and once again, she could see his eyes were pleading.

“How long have you been waiting to tell me this?” She asked after a moment of silence. “About the divorce?”

“A couple of months.” He knew that she hated being bushed around and lied, so be honest with her was the best solution.

She could have gasped, but she kept her composure in front of him, still not reacted anything.

“I felt pressured about everything!” He raised his voice, looked at her with a torn expression. “Everyone expects us to have children, and we’re nearly on our 6th year of marriage already. Each time Hee Soo visited Young Bae at the studio, I just couldn’t help but feeling jealous, you know? It’s worse when I visited them at their house, seeing how happy they were with their expected child.” He stood up, started pacing the kitchen. “Then there was Seunghyun hyung. Do you know how it pained me everytime we’re in the practice room, and little Min Woo barged in and ran to wrap those little arms around his legs, calling him “appa”?

“And I cannot bear it, my parents’ gaze. They are old, so old already, yet I still cannot grant them a child to spoil!” He was nearly crying now.

“If you feel that hopeless….” Ji Hyun said, her voice surprisingly calm. “Then what about me?”

He stopped his pace, and they were back with the staring battle. He thought he was the only one felt suffocative? He thought she didn’t feel envious towards Na Young - her best friend, Seunghyun’s wife, everytime she paid them a visit and played with Min Woo? He thought she didn’t feel guilty to his parents, and to her parents?

“Eun Hye is pregnant.”

Ji Hyun gripped the table corner. Suddenly she felt hard to breathe properly. She shakily grabbed the water and drank.

"W-what did you....just say?"

“I know I should have ended things with you first before starting anything with her, but….” He sighed frustratedly. “I’m sorry, I’m a bastard. But, let’s just...end here, can we?”

Ji Hyun slowly stood up, her eyes weren’t seeing things clearly right now. “S-stop.” She said in a quivering voice. “I-I-I will talk to you later.” She quickly left without looking at him. Seconds later, the door was closed, indicated she left the house.

__________

A/N:

Yay, 1st chapter is up!

Let me clear something first for you easier to follow the story. In this story, Jiyong, Youngbae and Seunghyun already married for several years. Seunghyun has a son, and Youngbae was expecting. Other details can be cleared in the following chapters.

The storyline of this story based on a true story happened around my life, a very sad and painful one that I unfortunately had to witness. I think this is a very sensitive aspect of marriage life but happens quite a lot recently to many family. I hope I can write a "sad beautiful tragic" story about this aspect.

Tell me what you think! Please *puppy eyes* I need to know if I should continue or if I should change anything about the writing, the plot...

And thanks for the support, it means a lot to me, really :)

Love from Rosie.