Red veins streaked the whites of her eyes emphasizing her crazed appearance. Working a glare into her eyes, she asked, “What are you doing?”

“I didn’t know you were awake.” Sehun removed his hand.

Namjoo straightened. The shadow of the house slanted over her enhancing the mean in her glare. She resembled a cat in hiding, yellow eyes peeping through darkness preparing to pounce.

“Why are you out here?” she asked, tone menacing.

Glancing at the empty bottle, he commented, “You drink a lot.”

“You’re just a measly worker my husband employed.” Namjoo hissed. “Step out of line one more time, and I can fire you.”

His eyes narrowed. He nearly gagged at the thought of having dinner with her and her husband, but she was such a that sharing the table with her just to tick her off sounded an utter victory for him.

“Your husband is home,” Sehun narrowed his eyes the tinniest.

She was his boss. He would let her have that, but he wouldn’t let her control his fate here. Sehun had struggled to land this job. There was no way he would lose it just like that. He needed to build up the savings in his bank. He was only lucky to be given the backhouse to stay. He had no home. His family was too embarrassed of him. The village he’d grown up in too ashamed to accept him back.

His old life was no more welcoming than here, but at the Suh manor no one knew him. That was enough of a fresh start as he needed for a new life.

Sehun was going to fight tooth and nail to keep it. Even if he had to let Jineol’s pitiful wife push him around.

“He said you should go in for dinner.” Sehun finished.

Realization flickered across her face. Namjoo appeared almost serene; surprise softening the glare in her eyes when she looked around, as if finally realizing how dark it was getting. Completely left in silence, Namjoo pushed herself up and tottered past.

Heaving a tiresome sigh, Sehun stared at the drained bottle. Snatching it he crossed the yard back to the garage where the garbage disposal was separated into bins of recyclables and waste. Saving her , he thought, because she was god-freaking pitiful.

The front door had been left wide open either by carelessness or on purpose. Sehun couldn’t determine, but he closed it after him to block out the chilly night air. Slipping out of his shoes he walked through the empty foyer toward the sound of voices.

A housekeeper was setting down and arrange entrees on the long rectangular dining table. Jineol sat at the head of the table; proclaiming his spot as the head of the household. Generously smiling, baring an entire row of clear white teeth. His voice was indiscernible as Sehun approached. It was Namjoo whose eyes drifted from her husband, happy smiling vanishing when she noticed him. Then her expression went grim.

Totally expected.

“Ah…yes, you’re here?” Jineol followed his wife’s gaze. Speaking to the young housekeeper, “Please bring another plate for our guest.”

“Guest?” Namjoo’s face scrunched with disgust.

Ignoring her, Jineol invited, “Please, sit down.”

Sehun did just that. Sitting right across from the madam. Her eyes grew stern on him and Sehun couldn’t help but muster a discreet smile to show her his giddy presence.

She wouldn’t be able to get rid of him so easily.

“What is he doing here?” Namjoo demanded.

“Why? What’s wrong?” Jineol asked without concern and picked up his utensils to begin digging in.

“He shouldn’t be at the table!” Namjoo expressed her disagreement.

“He had a long day at work.” Jineol neverminded her and took a bite of his food. Speaking as he chewed, “He performed really well today. I want to reward him. It’s none of your concern. Look, it’s your favorite today. Eat up. You’re losing too much weight these days. What is grandmother going to say when she sees you?”

“She’s coming?” Something wary flashed across Namjoo’s face. Sehun caught something unusual in her tone. Like perhaps anxiety.

“No, she’s not.” Jineol answered. “But what if she stops by? You should be careful. Eat more.” As if he was finally looking at her for the first time, he asked, “What’s wrong with your eyes?”

Blinking, Namjoo lowered her head, “Nothing.” Touching her brows delicately, “Just not enough sleep.”

Drinking, she meant.

It was amazing how sorry Sehun felt for her in that moment. Did Jineol even know anything about what his wife did when he was gone?

“Take better care of yourself. You need to gain some more weight.” Jineol said and he sounded like the ever-concerned husband caring for his wife. Too bad he wasn’t.

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Namjoo lifted her head. “You should take care, too, dear.”

Sehun could feel his stomach coiling up as the mood at the table shifted. He hated dinner with them. He may reject any invites in the future.

“Of course.” Jineol innocently replied, busily shoveling food into his mouth. Famished from his earlier ual envoy with his mistress. “I’ve been behind work lately, so I’ll be at the office late tomorrow.” Sniffing, he took a gulp of water and grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth. “I couldn’t do everything today because of an unexpected meeting with another manager. Someone misplaced important accounting files. You understand, right?”

Damn he was smooth with his lies.

Sehun barely managed not to choke on his food when Jineol asked, “He waited for me all day downstairs. It must have tired him.”

“Yes, right.” Sehun lied quietly.

Namjoo didn’t even bat him an eye. Her gaze coyly remained on her husband. Propping her chin onto the back of her hand as she placed her elbow onto the table like she was listening to a fascinating story being told. A tiny smirk splayed her lips.

“Don’t wait for me and eat dinner first,” Jineol continued. “I have a conference out of town this weekend, so if you have time tomorrow pull out my suitcase for me. I’ll pack whenever I come home.”

“Yes, certainly.” Namjoo said. “You really put so much effort into your job.”

“I appreciate it. Thank you.” Jineol didn’t even look at her once. Namjoo’s smirk grew intense. Malice lit her pupils.

She knew Sehun knew.

Pushing his chair back, Jineol threw his crunched napkin onto the table. “I’m going to shower and take a rest. Take your time eating.”

Namjoo eased her smirk into an adoring smile when Jineol looked at her. Then he turned to go and the smile disappeared. She waited for a door to close down the hallway before removing her arm off the table.

Dropping her hand onto her lap, she called out, “Miss Han.”

The woman scurried into the room on two quick feet.

Bending slightly with hands in front of her skirt, she asked, “Yes, Madam?”

Rising to standing, Namjoo looked down at him through narrow slits, “I’m done. Let him have the leftovers.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“I want my wine now. Bring out my glass.”

“Yes, Madam.” Miss Han’s head bowed before she scurried away.

Namjoo’s stare lingered for several seconds before walking off with an irritant hiss. Definitely, Sehun thought, he was never going to eat with them again.

He fully stuffed himself to his heart’s content before departing. Grabbing a change of clothes when he reached the backhouse, Sehun showered until the bathroom became a sauna. Steam filling up the small cubicle. Then he turned the lights off and dropped onto the bed stiff as a box.

Sadly, Jineol requested Driver Lim’s assistance the following day leaving him behind. Sehun prowled through the nearby toolshed following directions left by the elder driver. Driving out the lawn tractor to trim the lawn. Jineol favored the grass even and short. His complaints would have no end if the grass grew too tall making the home looked rugged and uncared for.

Wearing hearing protection headphones Sehun spent the morning driving around the house on the tractor. Finding a peace in the job unbothered. Beneath the beaming sun it was nice spending time outdoors doing a menial task without the bother of either Jineol or his annoying wife. If he spent the day like this, he wouldn’t ask for much.

Sweat rolled down his nape in droplets. Sehun mentally scheduled a shower after he finished this chore. Then he’d sit in front of the television for an hour with a bag of chips nearing expiration date on his counter. By afternoon he’d dig through the toolshed again and trim the bushes around the house. He didn’t know why he had to do it, but it was on the task list. Sehun wouldn’t argue. At least it gave him something to do outside the house. He aimed to stay far away from the family as possible today.

Rich families had too many internal problems. Sehun still couldn’t decide whether it was a hobby for them or not. Maybe it was a curse that ran down through the generations.

Rounding the corner of the house Sehun’s attention veered toward the garage where the madam was staggering. Turning the engine off, Sehun watched Namjoo stumble toward the car. The keys in her hand missed the keyhole by an inch stabbing the side of the vehicle.

Sehun rolled his eyes. The damn woman was drunk.

Removing the headphones and letting them hang around his neck he remained sitting. Watching her struggle again before crouching forward. Swearing under his breath when she slumped against the vehicle.

The dang woman had trouble spelled all over her. He wished he hadn’t noticed as he slid off the tractor. Nearing her he recognized her panting and in pain. Her knees drawn up to the level of her shoulders.

She was such a sassy but he wasn’t inhumane. Plus, her family was paying his salary.

“Are you ok?” he asked.

Namjoo jerked shocked at his voice. She grimaced looking over her shoulder up at him. A sneer passed through her almost pale-gray face. She was experiencing cold sweat.

“What do you want?” she snapped. Clenching her teeth, she hooked her fingers through the door handle and pulled herself up with difficulty. Leaning against the door gasping for breath.

Sehun saw her fingers tremble heavily as she tried to insert the key into the keyhole. If she was drunk, she was dismissive of the key fob hanging off the keyring. A press of the button would unlock the car. Obviously, her mind wasn’t with her.

“Where are you going?” Sehun asked. “I’ll drive you.”

Her head snapped toward him. Her eyes were red but missing the puffiness after a crying fit. Whatever was her problem she definitely hadn’t been crying over her husband’s cheating.

“I don’t need your assistance. Leave.” She dismissed him. Her brows dipped as she summoned the effort to unlock the door.

“Oh my god…” he breathed sickened of the difficulty she was having completing a simple task. Snatching the key from her he pressed the button listening to the car beep. Recognizing the sound, Namjoo instantly grabbed the handle opening the driver’s door.

Sehun was quick to grab her arm, “You’re not driving.”

Swinging around she spat, “Let go.”

She tugged so very weakly he was stricken with surprise.

“It’s my job,” Sehun reminded. “I’ll drive. Where are you going?”

Her eyes grew meaner. When she tugged again, he let go. She shivered and clenched her teeth in an attempt to control it. It didn’t work. Stepping away Sehun opened the back door for her.

Crossing her arms to hug herself, Namjoo demanded, “I want the front seat.”

Slamming the door shut he rounded the car to the passenger’s side, holding the door open as he waited for Namjoo to step around the car and slid into the seat. Once he buckled his seatbelt in and started the engine, they were down the road. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed her hunching into the door. Her hands shook uncontrollably.

“Where to?” he asked.

“The general hospital.” Namjoo mumbled.

Sehun made no remark. He sped up racing past traffic as the roads spit him past packed side streets. It took about a good half hour for him to pull into the overfilled parking lot of the hospital. Left with no choice he pulled up to the curb by the front doors.

“Stay here.” Namjoo ordered removing her seatbelt and pushed the door open. Knowing better than to ask a question he watched her disappear through the automatic sliding doors. Heaving a sigh, he blasted the radio and leaned back into the chair.

It took a good forty-five minutes for Namjoo to return to the car. This time, strangely, she appeared more stable. Saying nothing to him as she slid back into her seat and pulled the seatbelt over herself.

Like that he drove them back home. He didn’t even receive a thank you as Namjoo disappeared into the manor.

⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏

The other night Namjoo had lain in bed pretending to be asleep. Waiting for Jineol to get up and sneak out of the room to call that . It was toward midnight when her husband’s weight eased off the bed and he tiptoed out of the room assuming she was in dreamland. Namjoo waited a minute before getting up to open the door a crack. Listening to him sweet talk to the home wrecker.

The remembrance had fueled her rage this coming morning. She had paced the home restlessly after Jineol left for work. Wouldn’t be coming home till after dinner he said. She couldn’t stop thinking.

Everything inside her boiled maddeningly. The negativities throwing themselves one after another into the cauldron inside her so that it was overflowing. Her emotions crackled like thunder booming through a smoky sky then fazing out with a bright spark.

Namjoo couldn’t find the button to stop her imagination from rolling out a film of her husband’s infidelity. Drawing up pictures in her head of things they could be doing right now together. The images flew through her head at such extreme pace Yena and her husband were ghostly hands wrapping around plugging her scream. Namjoo couldn’t breathe. Then she was huffing for breath. The incoming scream becoming trapped at the base of driving her to act impulsively. She bumped the succulent vase in the hall on her way to the bedroom. Unhearing it shattering behind her. Sweating like a fat pig when she pulled her vanity drawer out. Internally losing her as her vision crossed and blurred. The wire in her head thinning as it stretched nearing breakage. She couldn’t hold herself together anymore.

She needed release.

She wanted relief from this agony.

She was going to go nuts!

Her knuckles knocked into the side drawer. The pain vibrated through her hand miserably. Until she touched the bottle and pulled it out the stress eased.

Four pills left.

She mentally screeched but hurriedly unscrewed the lid. Tilting her head back she held the bottle vertically to her lips dumping the pills into . Swallowing them in one gulp.

Falling back onto the bed she stared up at the ceiling. Every shade of color becoming more vibrant by the millisecond. It was weak; her body’s response to the drugs only brought her out of the darkness vaguely. Remorse dripped through her and suddenly she hated everything.

She shouldn’t be feeling anything. Four freaking pills weren’t going to satiate her. Everything inside her felt so heavy like she was carrying bricks weighing a ton. As her breathing grew heavier, she pulled herself up. First feeling her stomach cramp. The acid burned the back of as she started heaving. Pressing an adamant hand to to hold it at bay she ran into the adjoining bathroom. Vomiting into the sink. Gagging and . Tasting this morning’s fish for breakfast, the chili peppers burning the back end of her tongue.

All she thought about was more relief. She wanted the escape from this hell. Namjoo remembered none of grabbing the keys but determinedly going out to the car. She vividly remembered eagerness traipsing through her when the hospital came into view. Then she was inside demanding for Dr. Lee, the family doctor. The nurses recognized her, so she’d been escorted to a private office where the blinding lights worsened her headache, her nausea.

“What took you?” Namjoo spat when Dr. Lee opened the door.

“Sorry.” He apologized. “I didn’t know you were coming today.”

Namjoo prepared to chide his head off for his horrible work, but moved on to the chase. She was impatient. “I need more again.”

Her breathing was choppy. She was unable to contain it or the tremble in her hands. Namjoo knew she looked like considering the concerned expressions of the nurses. Her body felt wrong from edges. She felt detached like her arms weren’t her arms or her feet weren’t with her and she’d somehow flown here. Even the room felt scrambled like she was sitting in a box; the walls shifting around her, floating as pieces broke apart, those pieces transitioning into mismatched puzzle pieces. Nothing made sense. Her mind was all over the place.

Her stomach cramped upset. She didn’t want to tend to it or focus on the pain lighting through her human body.

“I can recommend you to a neurologist,” he offered, “if your migraines continue persisting. Have you considered your options?”

“No!” Namjoo’s face scrunched up. She fought not to curl up or hug her midsection. “I can handle the migraines! I just want more medicine. I can control it. Just…” she heaved for air, “give me another bottle.”

There was a beat of silence of resignation. “Yes, Madam. Wait here.” Dr. Lee exited the room. Closing her eyes Namjoo gripped onto her dress. She just needed to hold out for several more minutes. It would get better.

When the old man returned with a slip of paper and fresh bottle filled to the brim with tablets, Namjoo snatched it from him. “I’ll deposit the money into your account.”

Scurrying out of the office Namjoo discovered a nearby restroom. Her hands trembled so bad she couldn’t open the lid. It took a frustrating cry and a lingering minute for her to finally succeed. This time she downed four tablets and clutched onto the rim of the bathroom sink. Panting, waiting for the minutes to draw out until the release started sinking through her veins. Drowning in the release, the relaxation of her nerves and muscles. An unexplainable calm washed through her.

A depleted sigh fell from her lips as her head drooped forward and she finally looked at her face. Her skin looked translucent, her lips dry and chapped. Dark bags hung underneath her eyes making them look so long and sad. Brushing her dull, limp hair back she leaned over the faucet for some water. Straightening she pressed a gentle hand to her face and the eye bags. She just needed sleep.

It would all be better soon.

***wow that was a boring chapter there will be more next chapter ;D

***Namjoo is so coy and sarcastic with her husband but he hardly notices the double meanings of her words. And to refresh our memories, remember Yena said her mother wanted to have dinner with Jineol? And he said he'll be going away that weekend for business