(Sorry for the interruption but I just wanna let y'all know that it's Heal Me's 1st birthday (14th September) today! This one year was a literal ride in every way. I never thought I would be writing such a long story and get so much love & support from the readers. Thank you so much who's been with this story from the start (or has joined later) and who's been supporting/reading it until now! This story was and would always be very special for me since I'm emotionally attached with it from the very start. I hope you guys keep loving it till the end even though the ride gets a little bumpy from here. Thank you again! And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to HM! ❤   

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Munhee had no idea for how many minutes she stood there gaping at the man in front of her. His eyes were doing a great job in keeping direct contact with hers. 

"Oh you're already here?" Chen's cheery voice finally managed to hinder the silent but inwardly chaotic eye to eye communication in between her and the male. "And looks like you've already found the most important person of today's party!" Chen mused, patting the male's shoulder in a friendly way before turning to Munhee, "Hey there, Munhee. Happy birthday!" He casually wished her.

Munhee had a hard time finding her voice, so she opted for giving a feigned smile at Chen. Her eyes constantly going back to the person standing just at a little distance, but he was close enough for her hands to reach him. Thousands of memories invaded her mind, memories that the two of them had made, memories that the two of them had shared. They were all good, sweet, heartwarming even. But at this moment, she could only focus on his eyes. Even though his face looked calm as always, she knew him better to be deceived by his peaceful stature, she could swear she could see there was no calmness in his eyes.

Munhee was glad that she didn't just collapse then and there when Baekhyun and Kris also joined them, it was a miracle she managed to give Kris another tight smile when he had wished her.  Naturally, Baekhyun stood next to her, reaching out to hold her by her waist, keeping her closer to him. Staying in Baekhyun's hold like this had given butterflies in her tummy throughout the whole evening, but not now, not when the other male's eyes seemed to secretly blaze at the direction where Baekhyun's hold rested on her sides. "You okay?" Out of habit, Baekhyun dipped his head closer to Munhee so that he could softly ask her. 

Munhee slightly shuddered having her husband this close while someone was boring his gaze into their every movements. Munhee gave her husband a silent nod, not able to make any eye contact with him as she was dreaded that it wouldn't take him much time to figure out that something had changed in her face, that something wasn't right.  

"Since you're already here, let's just introduce you all to this handsome young man. This is Oh Sehun, one of the rising models in America. He has a crazy busy schedule, but I finally managed to induce him for being Moonlight's brand ambassador for this year. This is my gift for your birthday, Munhee!" Chen declared cheerfully, while Munhee felt like the roof was breaking on her head, when she thought things couldn't turn any more messy, she was proven damn wrong. "Oh, my bad, she is Munhee. Byun Munhee, My korean business partner and good friend Baekhyun's wife." Chen continued the introduction. "And this is Byun Baekhyun himself."

Being the host of the party, Baekhyun was the first one to offer Sehun a handshake, exchanging some 'nice to meet you's and 'looking forward to work with you's. This had to be most nerve wrecking handshake for Munhee to ever witness. Two men, two most important men in her life, whom she had sworn to never let them meet each other, at present she had no clue why did she even want it in the first place? Who was she trying to protect? Baekhyun? Sehun? Or her own pathetic self? They were standing face to face, talking to each other, it was as if the scariest nightmare of her had come true. 

Lost in her storming thoughts, she didn't notice Sehun and Baekhyun's formal handshake being over and now her ex-boyfriend had offered his palm towards her for a handshake. She didn't want to do it, despite knowing it was just a simple handshake, she still dreaded it since she couldn't get over the look in his eyes. Munhee cast a wary glance at Baekhyun and the male nodded at her, urging to do the handshake. Feeling trapped in front of all those pairs of eyes, she mustered up a convincing fake smile on her face, she wasn't sure whether it looked anything like a smile or not, and forwarded her clammy hand to accept Sehun's. 

Sehun didn't waste any time in sealing the handshake, "Hello, Mrs. Byun, it's nice to finally meet you. I must say, you're more gorgeous than your pictures." Sehun said in a calm voice, that serene smile on his face etched till now, but it somehow gave Munhee the feelings that it was just the calm before the strom. And the way he talked, it looked like he tried to act like they didn't know each other. Shouldn't she be relieved that he wasn't trying to do anything funny by mentioning their old relationship in front of all these guests? But why was she feeling nothing but apprehension regarding this whole setting? 

"Nice to meet...you too." Munhee replied, grateful that she didn't stutter like a fool or it would've been obvious to her husband that she was having some sort of trouble. After saying that she waited for Sehun to leave her hand, but much to her horrified astonishment, he held onto her hand and raised it near his lips to plant a gentlemanly kiss at the back of her palm. She could feel Baekhyun's hold tightened on her waist at Sehun's action.

"If you'd excuse us, we have to attend some other guests." Baekhyun politely let Sehun know and Munhee took the chance to slip her hand away from Sehun's hold, she fisted her kissed hand into tight ball as it started shaking miserably. When they walked at some other direction, safe distance from Sehun, only then Munhee dared to glimpse at Baekhyun's face, he had a frown in his face which might indicate that he didn't like what just happened as he was always so protective of his family. Munhee found it really hard to even be there with him. Honestly, what she wanted and needed at this moment was the comfort of her home,  where she could hide from all these heedful feelings. So she stopped, making her husband stop as well.

"What happened?" He asked gently, no trace of any disturbing thoughts in his voice.

"I'm thirsty. And I need to check the kids as well." She made up some instant excuses, returning home wasn't possible at this moment so she had to find some other way to get away from Baekhyun, none of the excuses was false though, did feel extremely parched due to nervousness and she should also feed the kids something before they get busy with the main events of the party. 

"Oh okay. Shall I get you a drink first?" Baekhyun asked attentively. 

"Uh no! I will get it on my own. You need to attend the guests, not me." She mumbled, trying to make her voice as lighthearted as she could so that his keen eyes wouldn't get a whiff of her messed up head. All she wanted to do was to stay away from both men. Otherwise, she might end up saying or doing something that would ruin the party. 

"Okay. Just give me a call if you need anything. I'll be here." He told her with a small smile and patted her cheeks softly before going to join with a group of businessmen. 

True to her words, she did went to fetch herself a glass of juice, hoping that it would wash down the bile rising inside . She was thankful that she didn't shriek in shock when the person she wanted to avoid the most, had invited himself to stand just beside her, looking like he was also interested in getting a drink. 

"I have missed you, Munhee." Sehun spoke, lifting his eyes from the glass of his drink to stare directly at Munhee's shaky pupils. 

The girl only managed to keep her half filled glass back from where she took it, thankful that it didn't get disbalanced and fall down on the ground. Her heart beating loudly, definitely not in a flattering way, she took a step back as the distance between them seemed to be narrowed by every passing second. "I...I'm s-sorry. I have to go to m-my babies." She excused herself after much struggle and practically rushed away from there. She wasn't sure for which of the many reasons she had uttered those words of apology in the first place. 

The rest of the party went in similar inward ruckus for Munhee. The chain of events felt like stretching for forever and she couldn't wait to just do heck with everything and go back to her home. The most dreading part for her was the way she could feel Sehun's eyes on her throughout the whole time. She couldn't even focus on Baekhyun when they cut the cake together with the babies, not even when Baekhyun fed her the cake with one of his sweetest smiles plastered on his face, not even when the launching event had started and eventually ended.

It was to the extent where Baekhyun had finally noticed her unnatural face and sort of tensed figure, but she somehow managed to tell him that she was just nervous because this was the first project that she had worked on and that's why she was getting antsy during all the formalities of it's launching. He seemed to believe her words and gave her some words of encouragement, told her that it would work fine. 

Munhee had no more willingness to move even a single finger when Jongin, the undeclared emcee for the party, announced the start of dancing session of the party. It wasn't helping her at all as being the host of the party, her and Baekhyun had to start the session with their own couple dance for the first one or two minutes and later the other couples would join them on the dancefloor. Baekhyun held out his hand at her, her heart melted at the charming smile he delivered at her when she accepted his offered hand and both of them walked towards the center to start dancing. She could hear her babies cheering for them before the music started. 

Unlike their practice sessions, Munhee couldn't have it in her to hold him by his nape, so she relied in keeping her hold on his shoulders. She made a huge mistake to look over her husband's shoulder and locking eyes with Sehun, something in her shattered at the look he gave her, something akin to a look of hurt and betrayal. She forced herself to look back and focus on her husband instead.

Their steps changed a bit and Baekhyun twirled her a few times before holding her into his chest. Munhee closed her eyes to forget every single horrific thoughts that were constantly ruining every good moments of this big day for her, and she rested the back of her head on Baekhyun's broad shoulders while he rested the side of his face on the crown of her head, his arms holding her in a sort of back hug while they softly moved with the calming music. Munhee was so abashed when Jongin had instructed this particular dance step to them for the first time, as it had felt intimate in a different way. But right now, it worked as a calming gesture as Munhee could shut her eyes and rest herself in her husband's arms, she wanted to stay in the protection of his soothing presence like this forever.

 But nothing lasts forever, so her peace didn't as well. The music changed and they had to change their position, going back to their initial state. Other couples also joined them this time. "Hey, will you tell me what's bothering you?" Baekhyun asked in his gentle voice, his eyes looking down at her tenderly while they kept dancing. "If you're not feeling well, we can go back home." He added, his fingers rubbing comforting circles where his palms rested, as he seemed certain that she was not having a good time as the both of them had expected. 

"We're the hosts of the party, Baekhyun! We can't go home before our guests." She reminded him, her voice equally soft but audible enough for him to hear.

"Then I'll tell Jongin to take you home and I'll stay back here to bid the guests. All the main events are over anyway." He changed his offer. His eyes filled with concern for her, melting her heart like wax over and over.

"No, Baekhyun. It wouldn't look good. We...we'll return home together." She told him firmly. Part of her knew why she didn't want to leave the party before Baekhyun even if she was dying to get out of here. Perhaps the fear of Sehun and Baekhyun encountering each other in her absence and Sehun spilling the truth that he used to be that boyfriend of hers whom she had been trying so hard to keep a secret from her husband.

"Fine. But if you need rest or something is worrying you, you will tell me. Right?" He urged. If everything wasn't hard enough already, then his caring gestures were literal torture to her liar and coward self.

It was so damn hard for her to suppress everything inside her when he was practically tempting her to throw up all the worrying thoughts out. Realization dawned upon her that telling Baekhyun about Sehun's identity must be the right-est thing to do if she didn't want any unnecessary chaos. Though she had no clue what that chaos can be, or what would be Baekhyun's reaction on the information. 'It wouldn't even matter to him, right? Why am I getting worked up for nothing!' She bitterly thought to herself. 

"There you go, you are lost in your thoughts again. You can't not be yourself and expect me to believe that nothing is wrong." Baekhyun again tried and Munhee inwardly groaned. 

"It's nothing serious! I think...I'll be having my period anytime. That's why I am worried!" Finding no other way to be saved from his word traps, Munhee gave him a viable excuse that would never fail.

His face morphed into more concern, "Damn! Didn't you have your period like just two weeks ago? Anyway..what should I do? I think the hotel staffs could help us.." 

"Don't worry, I..I've come prepared." She delivered and bit her inner cheeks. She didn't like lying to him, but fate was playing a humorless joke on her and making her tell lies after lies nonstop. 

"That's a relief! Let's just stop then. You mustn't be feeling too well to be dancing." He gave her an understanding smile and took her out of the dance floor. "Do you want to sit down for a while?" He asked when they stood beside a group of guests. 

"No, I'm fine here." Munhee reassured him for the nth time and prayed that the party would be over soon. Amongst all this messes she almost forgot her plan to confess to Baekhyun. Now she was in dilemma whether to first confess and then tell him about Sehun, or do it vice versa? Or just choose to do any one of the options. Busy in her inner battles, she didn't notice someone coming towards her direction. Only when he crossed past her, slightly brushing his arms with her and secretly pushing something into her fist, Munhee realized with a shuddering heart that it was him, Sehun. She tilted her head to the side and saw him walking away and eventually leaving the party. Munhee couldn't even be relieved seeing him finally leave the party until she checked whatever he