Leena’s dream that night was the same one she’s had every night for the past month. She was pregnant; her signature white sleeping gown stretched over her small belly. Choi Seung Hyun had her wrapped up in his arms, holding her closely much like he did when they first started dating. The two of them were encompassed in a dream world, existing outside of space and time. It was as if they were floating in an empty white space.

Choi Seung Hyun was overly affectionate. His hands roamed her back lazily; every once and while he cuped her buttocks and gave it a loving squeeze.  His lips grazed her forehead and traced her jaw line with tenderness. Only in this dream world did Leena allow herself to remember just how much she missed being held in her husbands arm.

“I love you.” Choi Seung Hyun whispered in her ear. The low sound sent vibrations down her spine and made her shiver slightly.

“How much do you love me?” She asked him playfully.

“More then words can possibly express.” Choi Seung Hyun responded before taking her lips in a sweet kiss. Leena missed his lips.

“Why do you love me?”

Choi Seung Hyun stopped all movement of his hands. His fingers applied a slight pressure that would be measured a notch above squeezing. Slightly uncomfortable.

“ I love you because you make me look good.” Choi Seung Hyun said slowly, “Even your dark skin next to my paleness is a beautiful contrast.”

Leena looked up at him, her face bunched giving her wrinkles beyond her age. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. You are the perfect trophy wife.”

“I’m not a trophy, Seung Hyun. I’m a person.”

“You are my woman. And this baby you are carrying is mine. You know what that means?” Choi Seung Hyun fingers gripped tighter. It felt as if he were applying pressure just to make sure she imploded.  He continued, “ It means you are mine forever.”

“Please stop. You are hurting me!” Panic crept into Leena’s voice.

“You are going to quit your job at as a buyer at that no name boutique.”

 Leena didn’t think it was possible, but he squeezed harder and pulled her closer.  Her belly was smashed in between them.

Leena’s eyes started to tear, “ PLEASE! NOT MY BABY! PLEASE NOT MY BABY!”

Choi Seung Hyun acted as if he didn’t hear her. “ Soon you’ll be nothing more then I want you to be. A house keeper and a humping post.”

“LET ME GO! THE BABY, YOU ARE HURTING THE BABY!”

Leena shouted over and over. She tried to push away from him. She kicked and screamed in his face. She pleaded over and over. She punched him in the side of his ribs. Anything to let her go.

Her struggle was for nothing.

“I’M NEVER LETTING YOU GO.” Choi Seung Hyun’s voice boomed, “ YOU BELONG TO ME!”

Then it happened. It always happened, no matter how hard Leena tried to stop it. He squeezed her so tight his nails dug into her back. The air in her lungs rushed out of in a quick whoosh.  The fight left her body as her vision started fade at the edges.

Then…

POP!

She felt her belly deflate like a balloon, and the blood of her unborn baby splattered like paint all over the white void.

Leena woke up screaming.  She threw the blankets back and gripped at her white gown expecting to see it stained red. It took her a few moments to come back to reality, but by then she was already experiencing a full on panic attack. He chest constricted and she gulped for air much like a fish on land.

Choi Seung Hyun came into the bedroom in a rush. He stood at the foot of the bed staring at her unsure of what to do. Should he touch her? Was this one of those moments when you have to slap someone? Did he just leave her alone and hope whatever it was that had gripped her into hysteria would fade away?

“BREATH!” He shouted at her as he moved to her and started shaking her shoulders. “You aren’t pregnant anymore. It was just a dream. Stop crying!” It was more of a command then it was a plea. It made Leena freak out further and she slapped him hard across the face before moving out of his grasp. She huddled into a corner and did her best to take deep breaths.

                                                        _                                                                        *                                                                                   _

Choi Seung Hyun nodded at the waitress in a silent thank you and rubbed the place on his cheek where Leena had smacked him. Even hours later it still hurt. The waitress gave Choi Seung Hyun a sideways glance, very aware of whom he was, and took the dirty dishes off the table before wiping it down. Choi Seung Hyun took a napkin and wiped down the table again once the woman’s back was turned. Once it was to his satisfaction he sat back in his chair and relaxed.  Jiyong took a sip of water. His brows knit together as he tried to process what his hyung had just told him.

“So she just hauled off and slapped you?” Jiyong said, his hand coming up to his own cheek to sooth the sympathy pain. “What did you do?”

“ I didn’t do anything.”

“She just woke up screaming, struggled through a panic attack, and then slapped you as you tried to calm her down?” Jiyong recounted the story. Choi Seung Hyun left out the bit about him shaking her and yelling at her like a drill sergeant, but Jiyong got the gist.

Choi Seung Hyun looked out the floor to ceiling window. From where they were seated in the café, they could see out over the Han.  People walked passed the window occasionally, following the footpath to more cozy places much like the café. Off the footpath sat a dock and a parked yacht. Choi Seung Hyun had inquired about the dock when they got there; apparently it’s for the wealthy and famous to park their boats as they dine. The best part of the café was that the window was one sided; the people in the café could see out, but the people outside couldn’t see in.  The place was seemingly built for celebrities just like Choi Seung Hyun and Jiyong and their dates.

“Maybe you did something to her in her dream.”

“Or maybe she was just looking for an excuse to hit me.”

“You did say she has been testy lately.” Jiyong nodded.

“Testy is an understatement.”

“Has she been having this dream often?”

“How would I know?” Choi Seung Hyun tapped his fingers on the table; his agitation at Jiyong’s questioning started to manifest itself.

“Aren’t you her husband?”

“Yes, but I’m not home when she wakes up usually.”

“Well then where are you?”

“I’m working. With you. With Young Bae.”

“Working?”

“Yes, Jiyong. Working.”

Jiyong took a sip of water, but never took his eyes off Choi Seung Hyun.

“Hyung… I saw you.”

“Excuse me?” Choi Seung Hyun said. For the first time in their conversation he looked at Jiyong.

“I saw you. Outside of that model’s house getting in your car.”

Choi Seung Hyun stared at him for a moment. Jiyong didn’t waiver under his stare though. Instead he just took another sip of water and then placed the glass on the table with a dull clunk.

“I don’t know what you are talking about?” Choi Seung Hyun said slowly.

“I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.” Jiyong responded quickly leaning in to him. “How could you, hyung?”

Choi Seung Hyun, “ Leena won’t let me touch her! Life has gotten hectic what was I suppose to do, Jiyong?”

Jiyong leaned back shocked. “ You mean you really are cheating on Leena?”

“Wait…you said you saw me…”

“I was lying. I just wanted to get you to admit what I already suspected.”

“But you said model…”

“Hyung, when aren’t you dating a model? The only person you dated that wasn’t a model was Leena. And you found her  cause you were hitting on her model friend.”

“Is it really that obvious? I mean that I’m seeing someone else?”

Jiyong blew air threw his nose and shifted in his chair. Complete disgust was written on his face.

“Don’t you judge me on this, Jiyong. Leena has been a complete to me in the last year. Of course I’m gonna find someone else.”

“You mean like how I drove my dream girl away. You mean like how she went after Youngbae?” Jiyong said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s not the same, Jiyong –“

“Hyung! How is this not the same?”

Choi Seung Hyun said nothing and turned his attention back to the window.

Jiyong leaned in once again to try and recapture his attention. “ I was no more good when I found out that Youngbae was with my woman. I was no more good when she sat there and let me propose to her in front of the most popular restaurant. Nine years later, Hyung, and I’m just now getting over it. Nine years later.”

Jiyong took a beat. He wanted to see if any of this had sunken into Choi Seung Hyun’s head or see if he was just wasting his breath.

“She’s already broken from loosing her child, Hyung. Don’t do this to her too.” Jiyong continued.

Choi Seung Hyun stood up and pressed his face against the glass. Jiyong looked at him as if he lost his mind. He stood up and followed the older man to see what he was looking at. Jiyong’s eyes scanned the footpath for a moment then he saw it too.

There was Leena walking on the footpath looking absolutely stunning with an equally beautiful man walking next to her. The beautiful man held his hand out and escorted her as the two walked the dock and boarded the very expensive looking yacht Choi Seung Hyun eyeballed earlier.

“She can’t be but so broken.” Choi Seung Hyun said as he watched Leena disappear under the deck with the mystery man.