Every relationship would have its ups and downs. Nothing was perfect; smooth running and we would bound to have fights; arguments or even break-ups along the way. My relationship with Wheein was going through some rough patches lately.

 

We have been together for almost 3 years. We had the best of everything during the first 2 years; everything was smooth and loving; filled with affection and happiness but of course, life was such a . The obstacles in life were challenging and we almost lost ourselves amid our hectic working schedules.

 

I work as an investment portfolio analyst. I swear, it was not fun right from the beginning, but I didn’t have much choice. It was the only thing I like to do in this world of business. Wheein got it better; she got a job as an Auditor at KPMG and now, she’s one of the partners. She’s paid a lot more than I do for sure.

 

We decided to stay together. We bought a penthouse in the business district of Seoul. It cost us a fortune, but we love the place so much. Wheein was the sole interior designer of the house; she decorated the place and I let her do it. Even down to the appliances in the house, I allowed Wheein to dictate everything.

 

We moved in shortly; about 2 months after the renovation was completed. Moonbyul and Hwasa were envious of us; and I was happy that we would be starting a life together. We had a housewarming party, and everyone attended including my sisters, my family and her family too. Oh, I told Dad my preference choice for my life partner. He was disappointed that his youngest baby is also gay, but he supported me somehow. To him, his daughters’ happiness means so much to him; so, it didn’t matter to him who we chose to be with.

 

My mother was fine with me too. She said she already knew that I would be different than Yonghee unnie. And she respected that. Again, my happiness is more important than anything else.

But it was different for Wheein. Wheein’s parents were disappointed with her at first but somehow, they got around it. Mr Jung met up with me once; just me alone. We sat down at the bar and he started opening his heart to me.

 

“Wheein is my only child; my only daughter and my only baby. No doubt I wasn’t with her when she was growing up but she’s still my flesh and blood. I might not be the perfect father for her, but I just wanted the best for Wheein. Of course, I would prefer if she settles down with a man and has a family of her own.”

 

He started drinking profusely. I knew a little about Wheein’s father because apparently, her parents divorced when she was just a baby. She hardly sees him around too. Thus, her relationship with him wasn’t splendid. She’s closer to her mother.

 

But seeing him like this, my heart ached. I mean, no matter what, I believe Wheein’s father must have loved her as much as her mother does.

 

“Wheein is not close with me. She talks to me on random basis, but we do not have that close relationship just like how you and your father does.”

 

“She told you?”

 

“She said she’s envious of your relationship with your father.”

 

I nodded. Wheein witnessed the closeness we share as a family. My family often meet for dinners no matter how busy our schedules could get. Sometimes I bring her along with me; well, my father fell in love with my girlfriend for some reason.

 

“Yongsun ah, Uncle has nothing much to offer. I just wanted you to know that I’m leaving Wheein in your hands now. Please take good care of my only baby. Don’t make her cry; don’t break her heart; don’t let her go even when the going gets tough.”

 

I promised him that I wouldn’t. She means the world to me so there was no way I could let her go.

 

-

 

But promises were meant to be broken. Wheein started out as an Auditor for KPMG. She was already busy then; came home around wee hours in the morning and left for work around 10 plus in the morning. I hardly see her during the first 3 months of her job.

 

And I understood the complexity of her job. It was the same reason why I didn’t want to work as an Auditor. I was given a chance to be an analyst instead. But my job was equally demanding and taxing; sometimes I stayed in office to work overtime till late in the morning.  Initially, we would meet up for supper before heading home. Our offices were quite nearby to each other.

We even had lunches together – just spending time as much as we could.

 

But slowly, Wheein was promoted to Senior Auditor and she had to attend overseas business meetings. She would go for days and then return for a day before leaving for another meeting. In a span of one month, she would be travelling for at least 2 weeks. Soon, our time spent was decreasing and I hardly see her around anymore.

 

At first, I didn’t say much about it. Because I understood her work would be tougher than mine. And she must handle 3 underlings which took up most of her time as well. Wheein looked tired all the time. And sometimes she just spent the time more in the office than heading home because it would be easier for her to grab any files for the next meeting.

 

It went on for a couple of months and when she was promoted to a partner in her firm; that was when things got awry. I got tired of her excuses whenever I asked if she wanted to spend time with me at home. And she has been spending so much time with her new partner at work – Lee Sunmi.

 

-

 

I woke up to find Wheein on the bed next to me. When did she get home? I looked at the time; it was close to 7am. When did she come in? Nevertheless, I was just glad that she’s home now. I turned to my side and looked at her.

 

My poor girlfriend. She has grown thinner from the last time I saw her. I mean, I saw her from time to time, but this was my first time I had a good look at her. Her cheeks have sunken; her V-line was getting sharper than before.

 

I slowly traced my index finger; outlining her V-line before caressing her lips carefully. When was the last time I kissed her? It was probably a month ago. She was sleeping soundly; peacefully and the tranquility of the silent night set in. I smiled as I reeled her in closer to me. I kissed her forehead softly.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

She suddenly spoke up; sounded irritated.

 

“Oh? You’re not sleeping?”

“I was sleeping until you disturbed me.”

 

“Oh, sorry. I just miss you.”

 

She finally opened her eyes and turned to look at me. She was glaring at me; probably pissed. I don’t know. That feeling I got from her was a little intimidating.

 

“I’m sorry. I was just tired from the jet-lagged.”

 

“It’s okay. I understand.”

 

“I need to sleep for at least 2 hours. I’m leaving again in the afternoon later.”

 

“What? Didn’t you just get back from your last flight?”

 

“Yeah, but I have another meeting in KL later.”

 

My mood immediately changed. It turned sour by the seconds because I barely had time to spend any moments with her. I sat up and then pulled my knees closer to my chest. She was watching me all the time.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“This is the fourth time you have been gone. I hardly see you nowadays.”

 

“Baby, I’m sorry. I have been busy with work lately. And because of my recent promotion and projects, I’ll be running here and there.”

 

“Then what’s going to happen to me? Am I going to be alone for the longest time?”

 

Wheein finally snapped her eyes open. She sat up immediately. She was exhausted; it was clear in her eyes. But I got overzealous and I couldn’t let go of this bitter feeling in my heart.

 

“Unnie, what do you want me to do then?”

 

“I don’t know. I’m just tired of waiting for you at home. And I can hardly see you. I mean, I know you have work commitment, but this is taking too much of your personal time.”

 

“Do you want me to quit my job?”

 

Wheein was pissed. I could hear from her harsh tone.

 

“I don’t mean that.”

 

“Then what is it that you want from me?!”

 

She raised her voice. For the very first time in our relationship, Jung Wheein raised her voice at me. And she was glaring sharply at me.

 

“I’m so tired today. I just touched down and got home as soon as I left the airport. I didn’t wake you up because you were sleeping so why did you have to disturb me then?”

 

“I just wanted to see you. I miss you so much.”

 

“And then what? Did you have to find fault with me now?!”

 

“I’m not finding fault with you. I was just saying how I felt.”

 

“Forget it! I’m sleeping in the guest room. I cannot be with you in the same room right now.”

 

She got out from the bed and made her way out. She slammed the door hard and I was left stumped on the bed. Did I do something wrong?

 

Was it wrong for me to say my mind? Or was I too overzealous that I couldn’t understand her? This was insane and I was left crying on the bed alone.

 

-

 

The next morning, I made breakfast as usual. My eyes were red and swollen. I think I cried too much last night. I went to the guest room to check on Wheein. She was still sleeping. But I didn’t dare to go in. I was afraid that she might get annoyed further. So, I closed the door and left a note instead. I left the house with a heavy heart. And I never liked this feeling at all.

 

I made my way to the office. I had to wear my sunglasses because I looked like a freak with swollen eyes. I looked like a toad somehow.

 

“Yongsun ah!”

 

. Moonbyul, my best friend. She would be asking why I wore this. She knew I never liked to act pretentious with my sunglasses.

 

“What’s with the sunglasses?”

 

“I got sore eyes.”

 

“If you have sore eyes, you should be visiting the doctor. Not coming to office.”

 

“I’ll see one after work.”

 

“Wait, you don’t sound good either. And your voice is very shaky. What’s wrong?”

 

She reached out for my glasses and pulled it down. This damn woman. Why must she know me too well?!

 

“Did you cry last night?! Your eyes are puffy!”

 

I kept quiet. I couldn’t say much. I just sighed and then walked away. She followed me from behind and caught up next to me.

 

“Unnie, what happened?”

 

I ended up telling her everything. Whatever happened last night and honestly, I was still confused with Wheein’s actions. She listened attentively before she gently squeezed my left shoulder.

 

“She must be exhausted.”

 

“I know she is but it’s tiring for me too. Byul ah, I really miss her so much. I haven’t seen her for weeks now.”

 

“But you know, it’s because of work commitment, right?”

 

“Yes, but I have my needs too.”

 

“I understand what you mean, Unnie. But you could have waited until she has settled down nicely. Not when she’s like half asleep from a long flight. If it was me, I would get annoyed too.”

 

I gave a thought and maybe Moonbyul was right. I chose the wrong time. I admitted; maybe it was indeed my fault.

 

“Now, don’t think about it too much. Give her a call later.”

I nodded.

 

-

 

I was busy the whole morning but there was no single message from Wheein either. So, I tried calling her, but it went straight to her mailbox. She must have checked in to the airport. I sighed. I looked up at the clock; it was almost 2pm.

 

Just then, Moonbyul texted me.

 

Unnie, Hwasa said Wheein is flying off at 1pm today. Did you manage to contact her? She’s going Malaysia. You can try calling her tonight. Wheein is extremely busy these few days. Don’t think too much.

 

Fine. I’ll wait till tonight then.

 

-

 

I got home shortly after 6pm. I didn’t have the mood to do anything. My mind was filled with Wheein and I was really upset with myself for not treasuring my morning with her earlier on.

 

Why did I have to pick a fight with her? But I was extremely disappointed that the breakfast I made this morning was left untouched. She didn’t even drink the coffee I made.

 

Was she still mad at me? She didn’t even text me telling me that she was flying off. I learnt about her flight from Hwasa and Moonbyul. Was she punishing me for being pushy this morning?

 

My heart felt so much pain. It was difficult for me to apprehend Wheein’s recent changes. But I took Moonbyul’s advice and dropped her a text.

 

Baby, text me when you reach KL.

 

-

 

I waited for the longest time. I was losing my mind too. And I was all alone. Ggomo and Jing were around but they had their own agenda. I wasn’t in the mood to entertain them either. I stared at the phone; Wheein didn’t reply.

 

The flight to KL wouldn’t take more than 6 hours. It was almost 11pm but there were still no signs of Wheein. I didn’t contact Moonbyul either. I didn’t want to cause more trouble than it was already. And Wheein would probably be mad at me if she knew.

 

I slipped under my blanket; grabbing Wheein’s pillow tightly in my arms. Tears were pooling in my eyes and I felt like my heart was going to burst. It hurt. It hurt so badly.

 

BEEP!

 

A text message came. I quickly grabbed my phone from the side table. It was from Wheein but her reply was rather cold.

 

Hi, I’m in KL now. I’m busy with meetings. We talk when I get back.

 

No baby, no love, nothing. It was like as though she was texting some stranger she met or her business partner or whatever.

 

I didn’t bother to reply either. I just threw the phone on the bed.

 

I need to clear my mind before I start finding fault with her again.

 

-

 

The next morning, I woke up with nothing from Wheein. The cold text message was her last one. I had a bad feeling about this, and I didn’t like it at all. I must talk to her. I needed to know why she was acting this way or why she was giving me the cold shoulder.

 

I grabbed my phone and dialed for her number. I checked on the time different too. She should be up by now. The phone got through. It took her 3 rings before someone answered.

 

“Hello!”

 

That didn’t sound like Wheein. I was frowning away.

 

“Hi? Wheein?”

 

“Oh, Wheein? She’s in the bathroom. Who is this calling?”

 

There was another woman in the room with Wheein. And she was answering the call for Wheein.

 

“Who are you?”

 

“I’m Sunmi.”

 

Sunmi? Lee Sunmi? I have seen her before. I went for Wheein’s company dinner and was briefly introduced to this lady. She’s Wheein’s superior. They have been spending so much time together.

 

They went for meetings together; sometimes they spent doing overtime in the office together. And from what I gathered, Sunmi is pretty interested in Wheein too.

 

I hung up immediately. I wasn’t in the mood to do anything anymore. I called in sick and hid in my room. I buried myself under my blanket.

 

The pain was elevating. It was excruciating. Almost 3 years and I faced my utmost fear – fear of losing Wheein to someone else.

 

-

 

“Unnie, did you call me just now?”

 

“Um.”

 

“Why did you call?”

 

“Why is Sunmi answering your calls?”

 

“Huh? Sunmi? Sunmi-shi?”

 

“Yes, Sunmi-shi. I called earlier on and she answered the call.”

 

“Oh, I was in the bathroom.”

 

“Why is she in your room?”

 

“We shared the room together. It’s just the two of us who came for the meeting.”

 

“It has always been the two of you only, isn’t it?”

 

That was an accusing tone and Wheein didn’t appreciate it. She raised her voice once again.

 

“What do you mean by that?! Are you finding fault with me again?”

 

“Why are you raising your voice at me?”

 

“You’re being ridiculous! And I could sense that accusation tone from you.”

 

“Jung Wheein, you’re so far away from me. I hardly receive any calls or messages from you now. You cannot blame me for having this feeling; this suspicious feeling inside.”

 

“Unnie, I’m very tired now. I’m really exhausted. We cannot keep having these arguments all the time!”

 

“Why do you always sound so annoyed with me? Did I really irritate you that much?!”

 

“You know what, let’s forget it! I’m busy now. Don’t call me.”

 

She hung up instantly.

 

My heart broke immediately.

 

-

 

She got home at around 11.30pm. I wasn’t sleeping yet. I was in the living room; staring into darkness. She didn’t tell me anything about her flight either. It was like as though I was no longer hers.

 

She stopped in the hallway; her eyes were on me. Again, she looked tired. But I didn’t bother to say anything. I just let her be. However, she came towards me instead. I thought she was going to console me but no, she did the opposite.

 

“What the hell are you doing in the dark like that?”

 

I was shocked with her sudden outburst, but I just shut my tongue. I didn’t want to find fault with her anymore. Last night call was bad enough.

 

But she didn’t stop. She started accusing me; calling me jealous for nothing. She started the fight and I had to burst too. I endured for far too long.

 

“What the hell are you talking about? You’re with Sunmi-shi all the time! You’re busy all the time! Like as though I wasn’t busy at all!”

 

“Whatever unnie, you know I have been promoted. I had to work hard because I’m the one paying for this house and all our expenses! Without my salary, I don’t think we can survive!”

 

Her words were poison. They killed me instantly.

 

“What are you trying to say now? That I cannot afford this place with my salary? That I cannot pay for the expenses with my salary? You were the one who wanted to take charge of our finances!”

 

“Unnie, you know you cannot afford it if I didn’t take up this responsibility!”

 

That was offensive and humiliating. And I was staring at the calendar. She must have forgotten our memorable date too. Honestly, I had secretly baked a cake for our anniversary. I hid it from her so that I could surprise her tomorrow.

 

But the events from last few nights were unfavorable at all. We had been fighting too much. I cannot take it anymore. I raised my voice and accused her having at tryst with Sunmi. Of course, she got really mad and we started arguing.

 

This was our first time; a heated argument. Profanities and vulgarities came back and forth and then, something happened. Something bad happened.

 

Wheein went amok. She grabbed something and flung across the hall. I couldn’t see what it was, but it went directly into me. It crashed against my face and I fell to the floor with a thud. But Wheein wasn’t there anymore.

 

The moment she flung that item, she ran out of the house. She left me. She left me, bleeding on the floor. My forehead was bleeding profusely, and I couldn’t see clearly. I was blinded by my own blood.

 

What happened? What was happening to us now?

 

Will things end this way?

 

Are you leaving me now, Wheein?

 

I managed to take a glimpse of the clock on my wall.

 

It was 12 midnight.

 

Happy 3^rd Anniversary, Wheein. I love you.