“Are you mad? You’re actually going to let that woman stay in the same house with you? You’re the legal wife, she’s just a former lover,” Eve uttered in a high pitched tone.

“I am going to kill that girl. How could she possibly demand that you leave the house? She’s just crazy… and you’re seriously crazier than her since you didn’t even put up a fight for your man,” Karin said harshly.

Muko lowered her head. She didn’t have the strength to talk and argue with her friends. She just accepted everything they said without any protest. It was better that way and it was faster to let all the tension die away

“Karin, you’re being too cruel. We’re supposed to be on Muko’s side. We shouldn’t be angry with her or having a fight with her,” Eve started to lecture her friend.

Karin pouted her lips. “Fine. Sorry, if I was too hard on you Muko. But you really got me so high… you do know that I have such a bad temper right?” she uttered in an apologetic tone.

“It’s okay guys. I really do understand why you are all acting that way. But please also try to understand that I was just doing what I think was right at that moment. She needs a place to stay and I am more concerned about the baby, so I offered to leave so she would stay,” Muko tried to explain.

Yuuki sighed heavily and then shook her head. “Let’s just stop this conversation okay? This is beginning to be so irritating. How about we just change the topic? We can deal with that girl and her baby later. We are supposed to have fun tonight… not war.”

Ah Sang nodded her head in agreement. “Yuuki’s right. Let’s just forget about that girl for the time being then we can think of what to do with her… tomorrow. We can do a meet-up again tomorrow in Muko’s place.”

Muko’s eyes quickly became wide in horror. “What? No, no… you can’t. You can’t possibly be thinking of going to Micky’s apartment. I don’t want any trouble please,” she started to beg, with tears already appearing in her eyes.

“Hey, whoever said that we’re going to cause trouble? We’re just going to visit you in your new home. There’s nothing wrong with that right? And besides… what can we possibly do to that girl specially when Micky’s going to be there too. We just want to take a look at your current situation and make sure that you’re not being taken advantage of,” Kumiko said while trying to assure her friend.

Muko shook her head in disapproval. “I already know what all of you are thinking even before you finish thinking about it. I won’t allow you guys to come to our house. I don’t want Nan-Hee to feel threatened.”

Syaira gritted her teeth in anger. “You’re really hopeless. Now you’re even protecting the woman who’s trying to steal your husband? Muko, wake up dear. You’re being too kind. Not everyone in this world is a saint like you. You need to open your eyes and see the evil around you.”

Muko stared at Syaira. “Please just leave the current situation to me. I will handle it. And please don’t tell my sister. Hikaru will surely blow up when she learns about Nan-Hee. She’s sick. She needs to rest and I don’t want to add more problems.”

Tantan lovingly wrapped her arms around Muko. “You do know that we love you right? We’re just looking out for you. We don’t want anything bad to happen to you. When you got married to Yoochun, we thought that you were finally saved from your hopeless ambition of being a nun. But given the current situation you’re in, you can’t possibly expect us to just sit and watch while some girl tries to make your life miserable.”

“We have always looked out for each other ever since we were young. And that is what we are doing right now… please don’t take that right from us,” Nitoome added.

Muko sighed heavily. “Honestly I am confused too. But my heart tells me that what I am doing is the right thing to do, so I am just following it. But… if you guys really want to help… then I won’t argue anymore,” she said in defeat.

Tantan smiled with an evil look in her eyes. “Good… and now that is settled… what time are we going to visit?”

Muko felt a sudden chill as she heard her friend’s question. She knew that more trouble was coming her way since her friends were now going to get involved too. But right at that moment, there was happiness in her heart. She was happy that her friends were still the same old friends that always looked out for her whenever she was in trouble. She was happy that even though she could not tell Hikaru about her problem, her friends were still there and were willing to help her.

Sadness quickly filled her heart as soon as she suddenly remembered Hikaru’s condition. “What do I do now? It seems God is trying to punish me now for turning my back on him,” she mindlessly uttered.

“Hey, don’t think that way. God is not punishing you. It’s just a coincidence,” Anam said with a smile.

“You shouldn’t think that God is punishing you because you fell in love. Love is one of God’s gifts to man so he gave you a gift that you should learn to cherish. You should try to take care of it and learn how to protect it,” Eve said with a serious tone.

“Thank you for all your advices. I promise, I will protect the love God gave me,” Muko uttered with a smile.

“That’s our Muko… Fight… and protect your love… We will always be here to support you,” Alexa announced. “And with that… let’s all get our glasses and make a toast.”

Anam laughed out loud. “She’s just trying to get back to drinking.” But she also took her glass and made a toast. “To Muko’s marriage…. and to the despair of Muko’s enemy,” she jokingly shouted.

Muko was about to say something when she suddenly stopped and just laughed out loud. She knew her friend was just joking and that she didn’t really need to add more fire to that topic. She just gulped down the content of her glass and tried to drown away her fears.

*************

Micky was looking out the window. He kept on looking from left to right, as if trying to check if he missed the thing he was looking for. A voice suddenly spoke and interrupted him.

“It’s late Micky. You should go to bed. If you’re waiting for Muko… I think you’re just wasting your time,” Nan Hee said with a low voice.

He quickly turned to face her. “I’m worried. I have tried calling her but her phone’s turned off. I want to call her sister but I’m afraid I might add more problems if I suddenly call her and ask her if she’s seen Muko.”

Nan Hee sighed and then sat down on the bed. “Maybe she’s out and partying. Just go to sleep. She’ll come home when she’s finally done.”

“She’s not like you,” Micky suddenly snapped back with irritation.

Nan Hee looked straight at him. “Yes, I know. But she’s still a woman. A woman who’s hurting and in pain… I am guessing she’s still in a bar and drowning herself in liquor,” her voiced somehow suddenly trailed off. She was somehow seeing herself in the same situation years ago. Alone and crying while drinking one glass of wine after another until she suddenly passed out. And that is how her trouble started. It was the time he met him. The man she was running away from.

Micky saw the sudden change in Nan Hee’s expression. He knew that she was thinking of her past. A sharp pain quickly caused his heart to ache. There was no denying that there was still a certain part of him that still cared about the woman sitting in front of him. But that she was already a part of his past and now there was a more important person that he needed to take care of.

“I’m going out,” he quickly said.

Nan Hee stood up. “Hey, it’s late. Where are you going?” she asked with worry while holding on to Micky’s arm. She was somehow trying to stop him from going out of the room.

“I’m going to look for Muko. I’m going to look for my wife,” he answered with a definite point of tone on the last word he said.

Nan Hee’s hand slowly fell and moved away from Micky. “You don’t have to be so hard on me, you know. I know she’s your wife. You don’t have to keep on reminding me. You’re hurting me, you do know that… don’t you?” she sadly asked.

“Sorry. But I have to keep on reminding you since there are times that you seem to forget. Just like now… you suddenly entered our room without even knocking on the door. This is our room, Nan Hee. Please give some respect to Muko. If she was here and you just appeared, what do you think she would say… and feel?” Micky tried to explain.

Nan Hee nodded her head. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I know she hasn’t arrived yet that’s why I didn’t even bother knocking. I know you were alone. So I just decided to enter without asking permission. I won’t do it again, promise.”

Micky nodded his head in acceptance of Nan Hee’s apology. “Just make sure to never do it again. I don’t want any more problems Nan Hee please. I’m already way over my head with problems right now. So please spare me the additional trouble.”

Nan Hee felt like someone just slapped her with the words Micky just said. “Fine, suit yourself. I’m not causing more problems. If you want to look like a fool then go… look for her. I’m sure, she’s in a bar and drinking with some hot guy she just met,” she uttered with a wicked laugh as she was about to go out of the room.

Micky angrily took hold of Nan Hee’s arm and turned her around to face him. “She’s not like you. Don’t you ever compare her to you, do you understand me?” he shouted.

“You’re hurting me!” Nan Hee shouted back at him.

Micky suddenly realized what he had done and immediately released Nan Hee from his grip. “Sorry,” he uttered with a low voice as he quickly went out of the room. His heart was pounding and somehow he couldn’t understand what he was feeling whenever Nan Hee was around him. He knew he was acting strange and he didn’t like it.

************

Somewhere, in a private bar …

Muko stared at the glass of wine that she had been holding for the last fifteen minutes. She again took a quick sip and placed it back on the table.

“Can I ask, what is a beautiful girl like you, doing alone… in a place like this?” a man’s voice suddenly asked that made Muko quickly look up at the man standing in front of her.

“You?” she asked, quite surprised to meet the man again.

The man laughed. “Yes, me… How are you?”

Muko lightly laughed. The effect of the different liquors that she had taken in was already taking effect on her. “Not fine, I guess.. You see, that’s why I’m drinking.”

The man nodded. “You’re drunk already. How about I take you home?”

Muko quickly shook her head. “No! I don’t want to go home. I can’t go home.”

The man looked at her, very much puzzled by her answer. “So what are you planning to do right now? Just stay here and drink until morning? If you do that, then you will just create a big commotion specially when a reporter sees you and recognizes you. You wouldn’t want to end up on the headlines, would you?”

Muko laughed again. “Honestly… I don’t care,” she answered.

The man smiled. “Come on, I’m taking you home. No more arguments, okay.” He then carefully helped Muko to stand up and left a large amount of money on the table.

*********

Micky was already driving his car when his phone suddenly rang. “Hello, Muko?” he said in a rush. He was expecting the caller to be his wife.

“Hello, Micky. This is Shiro Tanaka. You still remember me, don’t you?” the man’s voice greeted with a different tone in his voice.

Micky immediately got irritated. “Yes, I remember you. What do you want? I am kinda in a rush right now? Can I just call you back later?” he quickly said after controlling his temper.

“You’re looking for Muko, aren’t you?” Shiro suddenly asked.

“Muko? How did you know? Did you see her? Can you tell me where you saw her?” Micky asked continuously.

“Let’s meet up. She’s with me,” Shiro answered.

Micky felt like his head was going to blow up. “What the…. Why is she with you?” he angrily asked.

“I am at the parking lot of Cass Bar. Meet me here. You can ask details later,” Shiro said with a serious tone and then he quickly cut off the line.

Micky cursed and banged the wheel of his car. He was so angry. Nan Hee was right. Muko found another man to accompany her. He then quickly turned his car to the direction of the bar.

***********

As soon as Shiro turned off his phone, he suddenly looked at Muko as she sat beside him in the front of his car. He sighed. He could sense that there was something wrong with Muko and Micky’s relationship. He pitied Muko. He knew all about her background. She grew up in luxury and was always provided for. She never faced any difficulties. So she must feel so helpless now that she was facing marital problems.

A tear suddenly ran down Muko’s cheek. Shiro felt like his heart ached after seeing her tear. He carefully brushed away the tear. “Even in your sleep, you’re still crying. I really pity you. If there was anything I could do to help you, you know I would immediately do it without any hesitation. Sleep for now, angel. Rest your mind and your heart,”