~ Sungmin POV ~

“eomma! Why don’t you eat something?” asked Sunghyun, my eldest son.

“I wanna wait your appa first, dear.”

“but now is already 10pm, eomma!”

“I know, Sunghyun my sweet angel... but, I can’t eat anything before I see your appa’s face.”

“you will get sick, eomma...” begged him.

“why don’t you help eomma check your sister and brother whether they have slept or not? Then you should sleep too! Tomorrow you have to go to school, right?” I protested.

“I will sleep after you eat something!” insisted him.

Sunghyun is really close to me. He even feels closer to me than his appa, generally a son will be closer with his appa. But he really hates his appa who always makes me wait every night. Yeah, my husband is a workaholic. That’s why he always comes home late at night, but since five months  ago he became worse. Although he always home so late, he would be here at least before 10pm because he knows I’ll be waiting for him to have dinner together. And since a year ago he seldom home before 9pm. He also sometimes doesn’t come home. I trust him, so I don’t feel jealous or suspicious about his job or if he has any affair. He’s the kindest guy I ever met. He hasn’t hurt me and will never hurt me. He’s too kind to hurt me. That’s why I only feel worry. Not because of his late at home, but because of his health. I’m worrying what he eats and if he has enough rest or not.

“eomma! I said I won’t sleep if you don’t eat something!” suddenly Sunghyun’s voice was realized me and made my soul back.

“alright, alright! I will eat a slice of bread. Enough?” I answered. I can’t win against my children. I love them too much, hehehe...

“enough, eomma!” Sunghyun smiled. He’s only 13 years old but his character is already mature.

“and now you should help eomma to check Minkyu and Minhyun! Arasseo?”

“neh, arasseo.” Sunghyun went to his younger brother and sister’s room. Minkyu and Minhyun is a twin and they are looked really similar. My children are really cute and sweet. They never make me bored.

One hour later...

I kill the time with reading, watching, writing, or knitting. I already knitted since two months ago and now it’s already long enough to be a scarf. I’m happy because I don’t want my husband to feel cold when winter comes.

~ Author POV ~

“eomma! Wake up!” said Minhyun.

“huh? What time is it?” asked Sungmin.

“it’s 6am now.” answered Minhyun.

“really? Oh my God! I have to make a breakfast for you all!”

“appa didn’t come home last night, did he?” asked Minkyu.

“has Sunghyun waken up?” asked Sungmin as she tried to change the subject.

“no, he hasn’t. so he won’t know that you slept here last night. But, you have to answer my question. Appa didn’t home last night, right?” Sungmin inhaled a deep breath. She tried to be looked okay and smiled.

“no, sweety. He was here but he had to go to his office so early today. That’s why after giving him a breakfast, eomma felt so sleepy and fell asleep here.”

“I can’t smell any dish.” said Minhyun. Sungmin’s twin children are really smart and almost genius. She’s really proud of them, but sometimes she wishes to have such a normal kid who can be manipulated.

“you can’t lie to us.” added Minkyu.

“okay, but don’t tell your brother and wake him up now! After that you should take a bath and come here to have a breakfast. Arasseo?”

“neh, arasseo.” answered both of them at the same time. They were looked really cute with that similar face, expression, gesture, and same answer at the perfect same time.

“eomma...” said Minkyu who turned back her body and let her brother go upstair first.

“yes?”

“saranghae...” Minkyu looked at Sungmin’s eyes directly. It made Sungmin felt like stabbed.

“saranghaeyo...” answered Sungmin with a very forced smile because she wanted to cry at that time.

“hangbokhaeyo, eomma! I wanna see your angelic smile every time. So, please be happy!”

fortunately, Minkyu didn’t wait her eomma’s answer and went away because in fact, Sungmin couldn’t answer it. She tried so hard to hold her tears. Her daughter was still too young to know how hurt she felt. Having a husband who never cares to her made her really desperate. But, the only medicine for her is her children’s laugh. So, she will keep it with all of her soul.

A week later...

Sungmin was sleeping when suddenly her husband’s cell phone vibrated. She picked it and saw it was a message. Her husband was in a fast sleep. She opened the message. Actually she never did that before, but she didn’t know why she really wanted to read that.

“Kyuhyun oppa, you know I love you too from deep of my heart. I was so happy when you said you love me. But, I know we were doing wrong! We can’t be like this anymore. I love you and you love me, but we both have our own world which is untouchable. We have our own family, we have our own kids, and we have a lover in our own house. We should stop this and back to reality. We have to go back to our own world. I know I will never love my husband as much as I love you. But I like him, I don’t hate him. He’s too good for me. He’s so kind that I don’t have any heart to hurt him anymore. My son saw us yesterday and he cried so loud that hurt me so much! I don’t wanna hurt them anymore. So, please forget me.”

Sungmin tried to find the outbox message and found Kyuhyun’s message to her.

“Seohyun, my only love. You are the one for me. You know I never see my wife as a woman herself. I mean, she’s my partner. I love her but it’s different with my love for you. I marry her because I don’t have any confidence to take a risk to wait my true love. And now I feel so sorry that I can find you later. If I were more patient, we can be together now. But now it’s already too late. We only can be like this for the rest of our life. You will never have my body, my time, and my things. But my heart, my love, and my mind are belong to you only. Sorry for being in love with you, baby.”

Sungmin cried silently.

If you, if you could return

Don’t let it burn, don’t let it fade

I’m sure I’m not being rude

But it’s just your attitude

It’s tearing me apart

It’s ruining everything

And I swore, I swore I would be true

but honey so did you

So why were you holding her hand?

Is that the way you stand?

Were you lying all the time?

Was it just a game to you?

But I’m in so deep

You know I’m such a fool for you

You got me wrapped around your finger

Do you have to let it linger

Do you have to, do you have to

Do you have to let it linger

Oh, I thought the world of you

I thought nothing could go wrong

But I was wrong I was wrong

If you, if you could get by

Trying not to lie

Things wouldn’t be so confused

And I wouldn’t feel so used

But you always really knew

I just wanna be with you

(The Cranberries – Linger)

~ Sungmin POV ~

Kyuhyun is my best friend. We have been together since we were really young. I even cannot remember how long I have known him. This is the first time I feel like I don’t recognize him, I’m his wife but I feel like a stranger. I never know that he never loves me like the way I love him. I put the cell phone on a table. I lay my body on the bed. I turned my back so if he awake he can’t see my face. I’m crying like a fool. I’m such an idiot.

Three hours later...

I’m waken up because of my alarm. I turn it off and wake my husband up.

“hubby, wake up! You have to go to the office.”

Kyuhyun wakes up and gives me a kiss on my forehead. Then he goes to the bathroom.

This is the first time I realize that he never look at me when he wakes up. Yeah, this is not his fault. Maybe I’m the worse wife ever. I always get angry easily and complain about everything. I blame him that I have to quit my job because he wants our kid to be raised up by our own hand. I force him to earn more money because I can’t live without prosperity. Now I realize that he had never been a workaholic before. Yes, he’s not a workaholic. He worked very hard because of me! My selfishness makes him suffer. Oh my God, I’m so sorry now. I really feel sorry. I always ask him if he can be a better husband but I never try to be a better wife! What should I do to make him love me anymore? No! I know I won’t ever can make he loves me, because he never loved me before. He did everything just because of the obligation. God, please tell me what’s your plan for me...

~ Author POV ~

Since that day Sungmin tried to be a better wife. She smiled more, she helped more, and she doesn’t complain anymore. Sungmin kept silent and pretended not knowing her husband affair. Her husband also being nicer to her. Not because of the obligation, but because of he felt more comfortable. He seemed more natural.

One day...

“eomma! You looked pale!” said Minhyun when Sungmin came to pick him and Minkyu up from school.

“that’s okay, dear. I only need more sleep and meat.” Sungmin smiled as she held herself to be looked alright.

“eomma, you should go to a hospital.” said Minkyu.

“no, I have to take you two to your course.”

“eomma, we are not a kid anymore! We can go there by ourselves. And you don’t have to pick up us anymore.” said Minhyun.

“he’s right!” added Minkyu.

“okay, I promise to stop treating you like a kid. But let me do this for the last time! I swear I will never take you there or pick you up from school anymore after this. Deal?”

“deal!” Minhyun and Minkyu smiled. Their smile looked like Kyuhun’s smile, it made Sungmin smiled too. Suddenly Sungmin’s head really felt hurt and she fainted.

“eomma!!!” Minhyun screamed and Minkyu only cried. Minhyun and Minkyu felt so afraid and didn’t know what to do.

Then a stranger came to help them. Sungmin was taken to a hospital.

“ahjussi, gomawo!” said Sunghyun to the stranger. Minkyu called Sunghyun before they went to the hospital. Minhyun tried to call Kyuhyun but he couldn’t talk to his appa because he was in a meeting.