The union of two souls is supposed to be a harmonious and peaceful time in one's life. However, for Amias Richardson Lee, it had been two years of constant nagging, disapproval, shaming, and alienation. Why? you may ask, simply because of his origins. His family had migrated from Busan, South Korea to America when he was ten years old. Growing up, his mother had worked two jobs, one as a cleaner, and the other as a home hairdresser. His father worked in a convenience store, but suffered from alcohol addiction throughout his childhood. After, years of saving up and sacrificng, his parents were able to put enough money together to send him to Harvard University. In return, he worked hard and managed to graduate both institutions with honors. He recalled those days fondly as he placed the shards of the broken and overly expensive vase he had been cleaning into a dustpan.
The train of thought he was in the middle of died when a tall shadow and malevolent came over him. His wife, Serenity Miller, stood in front of him wearing a pair of black fluffy heels whilst adorning a short, tight and blood red dress that exaggerated her generous chest and hugged her wide hips too hard causing her resemble a tightly packed sausage. There was a frown firmly planted across her foundation caked face as Amias blinked up at her. She skipped any pleasantries and got to the point,
"How did the vase break? You know that my parents are coming over later and if they see shards then they are going to think you are an even bigger clutz than usual." she chastised, acid in her tone.
He nodded refusing to look into her eyes,
"Sorry dear." he muttered.
"You can be sorry all you want, just be careful. Those vases are expensive and it is not like you have to pay for them – or anything else.” she stated, before turning around and strutting off upstairs.
Once the metallic clacking noise of her stilettos seized, he raised his head remaining on his knees, his anger on the verge of exploding. Getting up, he gathered the shards into his hands, before heading to the kitchen.
Walking the hallways, he could hear echoes of his wife's shrill voice yelling at one of the staff who worked for them. He needed to pause in his tracks, his anger clawed at him, begging for him to release it but he denied it, he wasn't a violent man. Levelling his breath, he took shallow inhales and exhales, his mind wandering to the Eden like garden he created within the hollows of his mind when he needed to escape the most. In an expansive lush garden he towered over the fields of endless flowers, violets, daises, periwinkles, and bluebells which were all swaying placidly in the gentle spring breeze. Inhaling, he could feel the pollen tickling his nose but the picturesque sight in front of him made the discomfort worth it. The fluffy cotton like clouds above him were straight-out of a painting. He allowed himself to be absorbed in the moment until something soft hit his shoulder. With his reverie now shattered he discovered the maid who was spouting an apology, before running off as tears streaked down her reddening face. He tightened the hold he had on the shards as they unzipped his skin causing blood to flow down his palm. His hazel eyes burned with untameable fury as he stomped to the kitchen.
He tossed the now blood-stained white shards into the trash repressing the urge to break something. Preferably, his wife's neck. The harsh treatment she dished out the staff made him hate her that little bit more. He understood that maids anguish a great deal. He worked like a dog, scrubbed every floor, fixed every broken piece of furniture that got destroyed whenever his 'precious' Serenity decided to blow a gasket and take her fury out on either himself, the staff, or the furniture. In the past, he had tried to get her therapy, had tested out different relaxation techniques, and such but she would always quit after, an obstacle popped up or as soon as she made any progress. She had grown into a cold person, nothing like the woman he had met three years ago.
Her smile made him quiver in a pleasurable way the first time he'd seen it during an economics lecture. Other women had never affected him in a such a profound fashion before then. She would sit in the front of his classes, an obedient student and conscientious. The occasional flirtatious gestures she would send him with her eyes and smile drove his senses absolutely crazy. After, weeks of this back and forth, he cornered her outside of their economics class to see what was up. That is when she confessed to having a burning attraction towards him and wanted to be his girlfriend. He gladly returned her affections with a confession of his own. From that day onward, they spent every moment that they could together before, between and after classes. His love for her blossomed gradually into a gut-wrenching need to be with her.
He proposed to her, before they graduated from college. He had a degree in economics, and she majored in business. When she had burst into tears and proclaimed her love for him, he had believed that he was with his true love and that it could only get better from that point onwards but he had been gravely mistaken. The shift in her behaviour had occurred a week after they had returned from the honeymoon when she received a phone call informing her that she had obtained a high ranking position in a fancy, multibillion dollar, tech company.
She worked late, but what really started putting nails in the casket that held their marriage together was when he had been laid off from his job as a stockbroker. Her attitude along with her parents attitudes towards him did a one-eighty. Instead, of their beloved son-in-law it was now that useless son-in-law bum who cannot even keep a job. He had been hurt quite badly the first time they had addressed him like that. Then there was his own parents. They had been against his nuptials from the start. His mother especially, had warned him that Serenity is a devious snake wearing an angel's wings. He brushed it off as his mother being overprotective, but as time passed and the cold shoulder from his wife became pure distain mixed with hatred, he realized that his mother was indeed correct.
Looking back, he realized that she indeed had put up a sweet act in order to obtain what she desired at the time; a handsome piece of man candy to impress mommy and daddy. He felt used by her, he is a uniquely handsome man, over six feet tall, black silky locks, with a sixpack where a crescent moon birthmark sat on the upper half of his left pectoral. His skin had a glass like quality to it and reflected darker objects. He often received stares from other woman when he went out to cater to yet more of his wife's demands. Albeit, he never returned the gestures. The temptation was there, but if he acted on it then he would be no better than his wife. He refused point blank to ever stoop to her level. A ringing sound caught his attention making him groan when he remembered that it was about the time her parents had agreed to come over for dinner.
As he had feared, dinner went as badly as can be expected with Mr and Mrs Miller giving him dirty looks, making snide remarks, and bringing up the empty space where their daughters beloved vase used to sit, and of course Serenity just could not wait to mention the fact that he had broken it, omitting the fact that the vase was already damaged. He found it difficult to finish his meal with nausea stabbing at his throat. He decided to help the cook with the piles of dirty dishes. Any excuse to be as far from his “Family” as possible. They eventually left to his relief, and Serenity had taken a bottle of Sangria up to her private bedroom, before calling it a night. This left him to his own devices, so he decided to clean up. He had been cleaning up the Livingroom, feeling frustrated but also browbeaten when he caught a glimpse of a K-Drama on TV. It was as if the idea had floated down from the heavens themselves. He would go to South Korea, train as an Actor, and then become the most successful as well as wealthy Actor on the planet. Thinking it over, he liked this plan more and more. If he went to Korea to train then he’d be super far from his wife and her obnoxious parents, but it also meant that he’d get to see his other relatives who he had not seen for over a decade. With that in mind he set about enacting his plan as his wife lay drunk, and passed out upstairs.
Zipping up his navy-blue suitcase, the corners of his lips curled up subconsciously as sapplings of joy started to grow within his heart. He double-checked the room to ensure that nothing would be left behind, before he left. The orange burning sun rose over the horizon, a car passing on occasion. Happiness filled him the further away he was from that wretched mansion. One thing he knew for certain, size did not equate to fulfilment. Fortunately, for him he managed to book an early flight for today last week. He spent this week on his best behaviour anticipating today. He’d managed to get in touch with one of his old college buddies who worked as the CEO at one of the biggest entertainment companies in the country; QX Entertainment. They had produced the biggest pop groups, actors, and models that existed in the country so he fi
Arriving at the apartment had proven to be a straightforward endeavour. He did his best to remain emotionless since the neighbors were giving him weird stares. He put his key card through the slot and entered the apartment. He then closed the door entering a security code. The smell of fresh wood met his as he walked into the hall. The inside looked clean, and exactly like the picture he had seen online. He placed his suitcase onto the floor of the hallway. He cautiously walked in further, it was perfect for his needs. Going from room to room he tested the switches ensuring that the power worked. Now that he was satisfied with that, he decided to check each room to make sure that there were no cracks, leaks, damp, and such. Everything looked normal with no noticeable issues just fresh white walls that permeated the air with a varnish sm
His heart stopped at who he saw in front of him. "Amias?" the voice repeated as the man stepped forward. "Taehyun? what are you doing here?" he said as he picked up the fallen clothes, placing them onto a nearby couch before facing his friend."I work here as a model nowadays. I can see that your English has improved since we last talked." he teased causing Amias to roll his eyes."It's only been three years. Plus, only one of us was actual born in Korea, Mr California."
Amias became frozen in place as a black BMW came speeding towards him, a womans screams filled his ears as brakes rakes screeched. The car clipped him causing him to be knocked back. His body hit the concrete but fortunately he managed to use the palms of his hands to break his fall. Taehyun quickly emerged from the car looking horrified."Are you okay man?" he shouted whilst walking over to Amias. Amias stared into space not noticing his friends figure approaching him until he felt a firm hand gripping his right shoulder. &n
His other bosses had been straight forward. Amias called their wives to come and meet him at a neutral location to take their husbands but Mr Hua did not have any family that he could contact. So here they were. Hobbling down the streets together. His boss wasted and barely making a sound.Amias sighed, his shoulders were aching and his patience was at its end. His boss was leaning into his side barely concious. It would've been funny if he did not feel utterly exhausted at the moment. He adjusted his boss against his shoulder and walked brisk steps towards the house he resided at. The night was changing into a sea of chills and darkness. He wanted to get home as soon as possible. He needed to get up earlier tomorrow. If he walked in looking exhausted and a mess, it would not go over well with his manager or his team. He yawned, pushing back tiredness, he used the nip of the cold air to keep his mind alert. South Korea was a safe place but like anywhere else, there were cunnini
Cleaning up his bosses room had not taken as long as he had expected it to. Once he had finished and ensured that Mr Hua would be okay, he left. He stepped out into the night, his breath visible as he exhaled and stepped onto the uneven concrete. The streetlights were on at this point, The ugly glow they emitted helped make the streets visible but painted the area is weird looking shadows. Hos feet tapped against the ground as he walked with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He had a lot to reflect upon tonight. His mind was still processing the fact that he was actually here and not in America. Amias felt more at ease here, like everything held a greater meaning to him. America did not give him the same homely feeling. Which brought up another issue. After, he went through with his plans would he stay here or go back to the states. He wasn't sure, his parents lived and were settled in America. He didn't want to uproot them but at the same time, he didn't want to be too far away fro
To say that he had been dead on his feet by the time he had entered his apartment was an understatement. He felt as if his soul had been sapped from his body and he was just a hollow shell wandering the corridors of existence waiting to find an exit and a soft bed. He didn't bother in taking a shower and had bare managed to slipp off his shoes and socks as he flopped onto the mattress. He retreated to the relams of the unconcious and was sleeping happily until the sun was rising over the horizon. A new day was afoot and loud and insistent knocking followed it. He groaned sinking himself further into his soft duvet. The day could wait, tiredness was overwhelming his senses and the orange light beaming through the curtains wasn't helping one bit. The knocking continued until everything fell silent. Amias let out a sigh of relief, that was until a loud click rang out and a few seconds later his bedroom door was knocked opened. He had barely raised his head from the pillow
Once they had arrived at the company building. Amias figured that the rest of the day would be smooth sailing. He could not of been more wrong. His schedule was insane, when he saw the amount of different lessons he had he choked on his drink. Never in his life had he been required to do that much in a day. He went directly to a Chinese language class. This had confused him initially but his managed informed him that actors, singers and such are required to know at least three different languages. On top of that he had to modeling classes and piano classes. Speaking of which, he checked his watch and realized that he was running late for his first lesson.His Chinese language class had went well despite being late, and he had enjoying learning something new with a tutor who was nice and just did their job without complaint. But it was his acting class that had led him to believe that today was just not going to be his day. From the get-go. The rather
Amias had worked his back out over the last few weeks so when a chance for a day off came up, he decided to make the most of it and spend the day exploring another part of South Korea called Busan. He had never been to Busan before so he decided to take a trip today. He dressed up and proceeded to post a picture on his social media account. South Korea had its own social networking site so his wife was not likely to find him or be able to see what he was up to. He felt happy that he could express himself more and not be pushed under someone else's boot all of the time. He fixed his charcoal locks in the mirror, ensuring that they were all tucked in neatly before tucking his phone into his pocket. He double-checked the doors, windows and made sure that nothing was left on before he departed. There were several ways he could get to Busan but he decided that today he would take a bus there, well three buses to be exact but it was an adventure
The first couple of days had been so hectic to the point where he had not had time to eat lunch or take time to get to know his colleagues. That was until today. His coach was sick so his class had been cancelled. He decided to go to a cafeteria. Sometimes trainess would use them if they couldn't afford to buy lunch at a convenience store. Although, the cost was taken out of the trainees pay and added to the debt that they owed the company. He felt fortunate that he only had to clean his friends apartment in exchange.Walking down the stairs Amias continued to dwell on his thoughts. He still felt a sense of surrealness just being here. He found his classes less challenging as he started to get used to them. He yawned, he was annoyingly tired, he was made to stay late the day before. The daily missions he was given by the company had to be completed before he was allowed to leave the building. If he were honest, he thought that this was strange but he could
Once they had arrived at the company building. Amias figured that the rest of the day would be smooth sailing. He could not of been more wrong. His schedule was insane, when he saw the amount of different lessons he had he choked on his drink. Never in his life had he been required to do that much in a day. He went directly to a Chinese language class. This had confused him initially but his managed informed him that actors, singers and such are required to know at least three different languages. On top of that he had to modeling classes and piano classes. Speaking of which, he checked his watch and realized that he was running late for his first lesson.His Chinese language class had went well despite being late, and he had enjoying learning something new with a tutor who was nice and just did their job without complaint. But it was his acting class that had led him to believe that today was just not going to be his day. From the get-go. The rather
To say that he had been dead on his feet by the time he had entered his apartment was an understatement. He felt as if his soul had been sapped from his body and he was just a hollow shell wandering the corridors of existence waiting to find an exit and a soft bed. He didn't bother in taking a shower and had bare managed to slipp off his shoes and socks as he flopped onto the mattress. He retreated to the relams of the unconcious and was sleeping happily until the sun was rising over the horizon. A new day was afoot and loud and insistent knocking followed it. He groaned sinking himself further into his soft duvet. The day could wait, tiredness was overwhelming his senses and the orange light beaming through the curtains wasn't helping one bit. The knocking continued until everything fell silent. Amias let out a sigh of relief, that was until a loud click rang out and a few seconds later his bedroom door was knocked opened. He had barely raised his head from the pillow
Cleaning up his bosses room had not taken as long as he had expected it to. Once he had finished and ensured that Mr Hua would be okay, he left. He stepped out into the night, his breath visible as he exhaled and stepped onto the uneven concrete. The streetlights were on at this point, The ugly glow they emitted helped make the streets visible but painted the area is weird looking shadows. Hos feet tapped against the ground as he walked with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He had a lot to reflect upon tonight. His mind was still processing the fact that he was actually here and not in America. Amias felt more at ease here, like everything held a greater meaning to him. America did not give him the same homely feeling. Which brought up another issue. After, he went through with his plans would he stay here or go back to the states. He wasn't sure, his parents lived and were settled in America. He didn't want to uproot them but at the same time, he didn't want to be too far away fro
His other bosses had been straight forward. Amias called their wives to come and meet him at a neutral location to take their husbands but Mr Hua did not have any family that he could contact. So here they were. Hobbling down the streets together. His boss wasted and barely making a sound.Amias sighed, his shoulders were aching and his patience was at its end. His boss was leaning into his side barely concious. It would've been funny if he did not feel utterly exhausted at the moment. He adjusted his boss against his shoulder and walked brisk steps towards the house he resided at. The night was changing into a sea of chills and darkness. He wanted to get home as soon as possible. He needed to get up earlier tomorrow. If he walked in looking exhausted and a mess, it would not go over well with his manager or his team. He yawned, pushing back tiredness, he used the nip of the cold air to keep his mind alert. South Korea was a safe place but like anywhere else, there were cunnini
Amias became frozen in place as a black BMW came speeding towards him, a womans screams filled his ears as brakes rakes screeched. The car clipped him causing him to be knocked back. His body hit the concrete but fortunately he managed to use the palms of his hands to break his fall. Taehyun quickly emerged from the car looking horrified."Are you okay man?" he shouted whilst walking over to Amias. Amias stared into space not noticing his friends figure approaching him until he felt a firm hand gripping his right shoulder. &n
His heart stopped at who he saw in front of him. "Amias?" the voice repeated as the man stepped forward. "Taehyun? what are you doing here?" he said as he picked up the fallen clothes, placing them onto a nearby couch before facing his friend."I work here as a model nowadays. I can see that your English has improved since we last talked." he teased causing Amias to roll his eyes."It's only been three years. Plus, only one of us was actual born in Korea, Mr California."
Arriving at the apartment had proven to be a straightforward endeavour. He did his best to remain emotionless since the neighbors were giving him weird stares. He put his key card through the slot and entered the apartment. He then closed the door entering a security code. The smell of fresh wood met his as he walked into the hall. The inside looked clean, and exactly like the picture he had seen online. He placed his suitcase onto the floor of the hallway. He cautiously walked in further, it was perfect for his needs. Going from room to room he tested the switches ensuring that the power worked. Now that he was satisfied with that, he decided to check each room to make sure that there were no cracks, leaks, damp, and such. Everything looked normal with no noticeable issues just fresh white walls that permeated the air with a varnish sm