Cold, distant, stern, serious. That’s how every other big CEO would describe Im Jaebum, he was the imposing CEO of the Def corporations. Young and owner of an empire. 

His father was a big investor, had given him the money to open his business when he was 13 and had it as an assesment of school. And since that day he never stopped working for his own company.

He was admired from many other entrepreneurs. Your father being one of them. 

Luckily for him the Im patriarch had a liking for your father’s business and after meeting with your family a few times decided that his son should get married he was at the age of it, and you happened to have exactly the same age as the man.

Been raised at the finest, gone to the most expensive training schools and just graduated from the best business school in the country. All your education had been focused on making you a good wife, the minimum interactions with the male gender, all girls schools your whole life. 

You had always done what your parents told you to, even felt ashamed to question the order in your mind. 

You felt like you had to make up for your sister. She was wild, talked back to your parents, misbehaved, did everything you were trained not to do. She was older, and the walking nightmare of your parents.

When they had the chance, they had gotten her married with the son of a big CEO, she was only 19. 

The bullet came out the wrong way, she fell madly for her husband in the same way he was for her. He treated her like she was his world and all that mattered to him. 

He took her everywhere with him, shower her the world and his love, making time for her and his busy work. 

But your husband, he was nothing but scary to you. Six months after getting married you were still scared to look his way.

The few words he would direct to you were always short, hard and cold. Like if he detested you and you didn’t even know why.

You had seen him laugh once, it was during the wedding party, while he was talking alone with his friends. Never to you.

He always left to work even before you woke up, you only knew he had slept home, because every day he would come around 8 and sit on his home office to work until the very late hours. 

You didn’t share a room and you were glad about it, just by being in the same room as him it made you shiver and sweat cold from fear.

In the last few days he had arrived home a little earlier, but with some company staff to work with him. You never bothered him, he didn’t close the double sliding door of his office. His assistant was always the last one to leave the house.

It was almost past midnight when you walked to the kitchen to get some water, the light coming from Jaebum’s office caught your attention and you walked over, he was sitting on his chair, paper on his hands, as he stared down at them like they had cursed at him.

His glasses resting in the middle of his nose bridge as his assistant quietly said something to him, standing by his side, her hand resting on the back of his chair, her lips close to his ear. Her full s almost coming out of the low cut of her dress while she bended to point something on the file, the action allowing you see parts of her body you didn’t even know a body had. 

Biting your lower lip you felt an unpleasant wave of jealousy, maybe it was of how close and confident she was to be around the scary Jaebum or was because he was married to you and you could see that her actions were more than just helpful but offered.

Jaebum’s small and fierce eyes looked up from the business file between the space of his glasses frames straight into your trembling fearful soul, he held your gaze freezing you rotten in place, with that uninterested and bothered expression he would always look at you. He drifted his gaze back to the paper as he replied something to the women as quietly as she had talked to him.

With quiet steps you went back to your room, trying to shake the image out of your head.

Caressing the short hair of your nephew you looked at your sister, her four months old baby bump making her unable to host her own son up in her arms while walking. She was pushing his empty pram around the mall as you carried her three-years-old.

Both of you were looking for some baby items and probably more clothes that could fit on your sister. Your In-laws were going to throw a huge party in celebration of their company 40th anniversary and she had yet to find something to dress. Her baby bump made it hard since the type of dress she was looking for were never made for pregnant women, what frustrated her. “What is the problem of making a dress that can fit a pregnant woman? Don’t they know that pregnant also go to parties?” She complained while walking out of a store with you.

Holding your giggles and being careful to not wake up the kid sleeping on your arms you tried to find a solution for your sister “maybe you should get one done for you, you know? Get someone to make a design and do it, that way it won’t be too tight when the party comes around and it can be just like you want it.” You suggested.

“That could be a good idea, I would have to keep on trying it on every week until the party what is not ideal, but it’s better than not finding anything or have to squeeze inside something" 

"I hope you know you can just give one of your pregnancy’s excuses to not go, even more because you’ll be close to your delivery date” you warned her.

“Do you think my in-laws and husband would let me miss this party? Do you know your father-in-law is one of the biggest investors in many different fields all over Asia?” She questioned you.

“They will understand, and if you don’t go they won’t question about me having kids!" 

"And what’s the problem? You want kids and all kids love you too, you’ll be a great mother I’m sure of it! You are the only person I’d trust my kids with closed eyes” she affirmed.

Stopping in your track you glared at your sister “We are not like you and oppa! We barely talk!” You said chewing on your lip.

“Oh my god! Please don’t tell me- oh my god!" 

Another late night working seemed to be Jaebum’s fate, he had already missed diner at home and had to fool his stomach with some instant ramen from the office kitchen. Being the owner and CEO, was hard. Even more when he couldn’t forget that someday, he would need to assume his family’s business. If he worked hard enough he could maybe carry both companies side by side without any loss on their standards. For now he just worked hard on his own business. 

He took the folder with papers he didn’t put on his suit case and walked out of his office, his assistant was already waiting by the elevator for him. After all this problems were solved he was going to have to raise her payment and sent her on vacations, she was working as much as he was.

The car ride was short as the usual, they discussed the documents while on the back sit. Once they walked to very much known house all lights were off already, a signal that it had already been called a night on the place.

Jaebum walked to the living room of the house instead of going to his private office as he always did. Telling his assistant he needed to relax a little so they would work on a less professional setting for that night.

The hours of work stretched long, she had her shoes off and legs folded underneath her body on the couch. He had his tie loose his top buttons undone and his suit long forgotten. They had hit a wall, worked all they could, but found no ways to solve that one problem. Tension and stress all over his body.

She got up and stood behind him on the couch, she started to massage his shoulders and neck, telling him to relax, stress wouldn’t solve his problems. 

Jaebum moaned as the knots of stress started to come undone under his flesh. Soon his eyes fell shut and he slept.

Tiredly you sighted after you walked into your house. Not caring about etiquette or appearance you took your heels off, and left your bag by the small table at the entrance hall. You weren’t planning to take long. One of the many employees came to greet you and you asked her a strong drink. "I don’t know whatever drink Jaebum and my father drink when he comes around” you said and passed you fingers through your hair. 

It was a nervous habit, your mom hated, but drink at the early hour of the morning wasn’t a habit but you were doing out of stress. After what had happened at the day before.

She came back quickly with a cup of whiskey and you dismissed her with all politeness you could muster. You had your route ready in your head when you heard a voice in the living room.

Taking light and careful steps you made your way to the noise.

Jaebum was leaning against the back and the arm of the couch, his dress shirt half open his pants undone. His assistant, kissing and on his neck and ear, she was on all fours, his hand on top of her , her dress open, the skirt pulled up to show the almost non-existent she had. The collar of her dress slipping off her arms her s jumping out of her bra and he hand was caressing inside his pants.

You threw the hard and heavy glass on your hand against the floor making it shatter in a million pieces. The loud noise getting the attention of both, in the couch. Jaebum jumped startled and scared to be woken up like that. His assistant almost feel from the couch.

“Good morning for you two!” You spat glaring at them.

The female tried to fix herself up as the male looked between both women trying to understand what was happening. “Have you gone crazy?” He demanded looking at you sitting up to a better position and feeling his body sore from sleeping on the couch.

“If I have gone crazy?” You retorted with a humorless laugh “I arrive home, to see this ty scene in my living room and you ask me if I have gone crazy?" 

"What?” Glaring at you he stood up and fixed his pants “did you say you just got home?” He asked lowly and with a dangerous tone to his voice.

“Yes, I did! But don’t you try to spin this around and make me look bad when you are the one with a hoe in the living room!” You spat at him and he looked at his assistant, seeing how she was fixing herself and how he looked he knew you weren’t wrong on your thoughts.

“If you did your wife role as you should maybe this wouldn’t happen!” He attacked.

Your hand connected with the side of his face even before you could think about what you were doing. The shock look in his face and the string on your hand were what made you realize what you had done.

The first time you both exchanged more than just a couple of words with each other without someone else intermediating and you had gone to a limit you never thought yourself capable of. 

The fire in his eyes had you taking steps back out of fear. Jaebum dropped his hand of his face in shock and tried to soften his voice. “Why are you getting home just now?" 

Frowning at his sudden change of posture you took another step back and flinched "I called you yesterday, your phone, your office, a million times, your mom too, everybody was looking for you!” You cried out as the memories of your reasons came to your mind again.

“You know my numbers?” He asked genuinely surprised by your statement.

“Does it matter? If you can’t be reached? If I, your wife, can’t walk into your company to talk to you? Does family even matter?” You asked with tears filling your eyes.

“What are you talking about? Why are you asking me that? Did you go to my company? Why?” He demanded.

“Nobody could reach you, so I did what could but I wasn’t let in. Why don’t you ask your so useful for all types of work assistant? After all she’s the only one who can reach you” you said the last part with venom and walked away to go to your room. You needed a shower and a bandage on your feet before going out again.

Jaebum couldn’t tear his eyes of you as you walked away. He was surprised at how you had faced him strongly and stood up for yourself. You didn’t look like the submissive and scared girl he had believed you were since the first time he saw you. The way his parents talked about you always made you seem like one of those family girls that were raised to be a good wife and fill that role but never be someone besides that role. But he always believed, that was because they didn’t know you.

Thoughts of asking for the marriage nullification has crossed his mind more than just a few times. He had accepted an arranged marriage, that was because he knew he would spent most of his youth working for himself and wouldn’t be able to go out and find love. So he hoped that marring someone blindly would give him a chance to build love and be somehow happy like his parents.

But after the wedding the days started to pass, he just felt awkward, you didn’t talk much, was always hiding away from him, never looked him eye to eye and your voice was just above a little whisper. Today you had showed him you did have pride and a voice for yourself.

But also proved him that you were scared of him. He knew he had fault at it, after the first few awkward days he didn’t try anymore, he was busy with work and the days became weeks and then six months had already flown by. And he didn’t try to get to know you or let you get to know him truly. And he just discovered that maybe his hope of build love with you had just been thrown out of the window by his tired and sore temper.

When you are out of sight he turns around with his sharp glaring eyes at the woman that had the answers he wanted. She had too much to explain and he wouldn’t let her hard work take her off the hook.

“What were you doing to me when my wife walked in?” He asked in a hard voice, she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. “When did she call and why didn’t I get a memo about it? When was she denied to walk into my company?" 

His voice and demands grew as he walked close to the woman, he could feel his blood rush with growing rage, if there was one thing he didn’t admit, it was people making decisions on his behalf when he didn’t say they could do so.

She fixed up her clothes and tried to look more composed before speaking "I-I was helping you relax sir! You have been very stressed, and just like you mentioned, she is not doing her role as a wife!” She smirked and bit her lower lip in a seductive way.

“When did she call? Why wasn’t her call passed to me? When did she go to my company?” His voice raised at every question as his fury reached his limits.

“Jae-Jaebum!” Her voice team led as she called him by the name. Using the fact they had been classmates in university to try to easy his anger.

“When?” He screamed as he stood right in front of her.

With a shiver running down her body and a groan she replied “yesterday, I don’t know what time but you were very busy in the call with the director of finances and it was something very important to the company! I think she did come, I don’t know! I was very busy with all those file and calls that have been coming in!” She complained trying to look upset “I also have been working a lot, I’m also tired and stressed okay?” She cried out in her defense.

“Why did she call me? Because your main job as an assistant is to get the calls and the reason why they are calling” he asked rigid trying to control his voice.

“She said your mom was calling and couldn’t reach you, she wanted to say something about your dad and a hospital, of course nothing important because what would her, have of so much importance to talk with you? How her nail broke?” She rolled her eyes.

Clenching his hand on a fist to control his own temper he glared at her “Even if it was to talk about a broken nail, I am the one who decides what is important or not, and she is my wife, so she is always important!” He spat at her “now gather your things and leave, you may take the day off to think about it, is not like I can’t work without you.” He turned his back on her and walked upstairs going to his room.

“Where are you going?” Jaebum asked walking down the stairs. His assistant long gone.

You had taken a shower and asked one of the maids to help you do a small bandage on your feet, to protect the small cut from stepping on the shatter glass. He also took a shower and got dressed up, not like he normally would to go to his company, after the oddly stressful morning he decided to take it easy and work from home, that’s why the view of him wearing a pair of jeans and a hoodie throws you of guard.

“Ja-Jaebum?” You ask feeling dumbly confused, looking at the man you have never seen without his formal clothes on.

“Hm, yes? I asked where are you going?” He walks down the few steps left and go towards you, his hair still wet from the shower and not pushed back, with the hood on and his hands on the connected pocket in front of the hoodie making him look much softer than he has ever, while in front of you. 

“I-I… I’m going back to the hospital” you said still surprised but never forgetting how he had acted earlier.

“Hospital?” He looked at you closing the distance fast, the worry clear in his voice. “Why?”

Sighing and mustang all the courage you could you put your hand over his arm as you tried to somehow comfort him. “Your dad had an heart attack yesterday, had to had an emergency surgery, one of his veins was clogged.” Under your hand you could feel him shaking, and see the blood drains out of his face. “He is fine now, the surgery went well, he is recovering well, just need to stay at the hospital for a few more days to make sure his body won’t reject the implant.” You said caressing his arm, seeing that there was no response from the man in front of you. “Do you wanna come with me?" 

Looking like he had just got out of an hypnosis he nodded his head, no voice coming out of his mouth as he nervously open and closed it, all your words making sense to him now. The terror of what happened running through his body as he felt quite numb while following to your car.

The ride felt like forever to him, his mind forgetting about all his problems as he waited you drive the way around town to the hospital. He tried his hardest to focus on your words that said his father was recovering well, but he fear of almost losing his dad being too much.

He looked at you driving, you had a simple light yellow shirt, and he could remember that it was a gift from his father to you, the man liked how bright and pretty you looked on his favorite color. You had a pair of light blue jeans and yellow flats to match, that one bracelet you always wore, the diamond ring he put on your finger on the wedding day, and the diamonds on your ear, giving by your father.

After arriving at the hospital, both of you were surrounded by security and reported wanting to know about your father-in-law health situation, you held on Jaebum’s arm while been lead to the elevator that would take you both to the floor you were to visiting.

Once reaching the room Jaebum’s mom ran to her son’s arms telling him how worried she had been for him, how scared she was. Also telling the man off at how he wouldn’t answer his cellphone, and how unreachable he was.

You spent your day keeping company to both, making sure to get food and water to both, every couple of hours, give them reassuring words, even after your father-in-law had woken up and the doctors had given their words about his wellbeing. You had almost dragged your mother-in-law out of the room and to her car so she could go home and shower, at least.

When the night fell and she was back. After much insistence of her and the doctors Jaebum accepted to go back home with you. Saying his goodbye to his father and mother, and wishing his fast recovery both of you headed to the car.

Once again the car ride was quiet, he had his head resting against the window and eyes outside. You had no words to tell him, the last few times you’d been on the hospital was to visit your sister when your nephew was born.

Arriving home, Jaebum just dragged his body upstairs and to his room with no words. Biting your lip and feeling sorry for him you walked to your room.

Another shower was needed, to wash away that hospital sadness that was stuck on your body. Taking your time on the shower you washed your hair and body, once out you dried yourself and went on, on your beauty routine before going to bed, using the hydrations to your skin and blow drying your hair just enough to not sleep with it wet.

When you walked out of the bathroom towards the bed in the room you jumped with a shriek scared of seen Jaebum by the door of your room. He had a pair of dark sweats and a matching shirt, once again looking oddly ordinary but also extraordinary for your eyes. You could outline his broad shoulders and build figure, nothing too much.

"I didn’t want to scary you.” He looked down to his feet apologizing, to what you just shook your head, your hand still over your chest as your breathing even out.

His eyes roamed the room, he had chosen the color, the furniture, everything. But it looked so different, it had your touch to it, you gave it life. Small details, photo frames and books around the room, your small jewelry boxy by the dressing table, your perfumes, and hair accessories. Some bags displayed like work of arts. It felt very different. When his eyes landed on you he could see that same ordinary beauty you displayed every day, but you had a different glow on you. 

He couldn’t pin point what it was, maybe it was the care you had with his parents, making sure to wear a gift they had given you for the visit, know it was a small gesture, his father had complemented your when he saw you had the silk shirt on. Maybe was how even after he had been rude and stupid with you, you still had been careful when telling him about his father, or how you paid attention to his mom, making sure she was eating and taking care of her health.

He shallows the forming lump on his throat and shook when he tried to talk again, looking down at his feet his tears started to fall and his cold, stern and serious image crumbled down.

Taking quick steps you pulled him into your arms, his face hiding against your neck, his hands wrapping around your waist, as you caressed his hair and back. 

The pain in his sorbs hurt your heart. All your fear of him did not stop you from wanting to comfort him, didn’t stop your heart to ache in pain with him. 

When he calmed down and his sorbs stopped, his body felt heavier than I had before, he retreated from you, drying up his tears that didn’t want to stop, his hand tried to dry up your neck and shoulder where he wetted with tears.

Taking his hand you guided him to your bed, opening the sheets so he cold lay down. You walked around it to the other side and climbed on, crawling until you reached his side, he laid his head on your lap, caressing his hair once again you just tried to comfort him.

“I-I am sorry!” He said in between deep breaths “I didn’t want to scare you! I never did!” He closed his eyes tightly and breathed hard trying to calm himself “I just don’t know what to do, you are always so quiet, and always hides away from me… And I didn’t know what to do, how to get closer, how to be a good husband. But I never wanted to scare you, I was so broken when I looked at you and saw how afraid of me you were, how you were scared of me hitting you.” He let a sorb and shook his head under your hand. “I would never hurt you like that, I never wanted to hurt you, I wanted to be a good husband, so we could get to know each other and build something, maybe a family, maybe love. But I ruined everything! I was so busy and worried with work that I didn’t look at your, I’m so sorry!” He pleaded against the fabric of your pajamas shorts.

Thrilling a strand of his hair on your fingers, you lowered your head and gave him a light kiss on the hair. “The only thing we can’t fix is death, everything else we can try to make it better and start again tomorrow.” You said with a short nod when he looked up at you. “We can try again, with a little more effort from both of us, we can be a family and build love, know each other and complete one another." 

With a swollen face from crying and pouted lips from his sadness he nodded slowly to your words, a new wave of tears coming to his eyes because of your kind words and your unspoken forgiveness. 

Lying down by his side you kept caressing his hair and watching that strong imposing man be just a scared boy, that needed to be loved and protected just like you. He fell asleep tired from all emotions and calmed by the love you wanted to give away. And you felt asleep by his side, giving him some of the love you once dreamed of feeling for someone.