"Wow, it's all spicy food today," Vivi said after looking at the boxes of food Lucas had brought for their dinner." Can you eat spicy food like this? I see you rarely eat spicy food.""I don't like spicy food, but I can still eat it. This is your favorite food, right? I used to see this box of food in the trash in our apartment," Lucas said."Yes, that is my favorite restaurant. I can order food from this restaurant three or four times a week. The food is delicious," Vivi said as she placed the vegetables she had taken out of the box on Lucas' plate. "This salad is so good."It had been a week since Vivi had moved into her new apartment. And since the first day of moving, she had never had dinner alone. The apartment building was on the street where Lucas used to work, so the man came by every day with food to eat with Vivi."Ah... I'm so full. I can't remember the last time I ate this much," Lucas said as he patted his stomach, which felt very full after he finished his meal."It's g
"My decision will never change. I hope you'll take care of the divorce soon so our relationship doesn't continue to hang like this," Vivi said."Even if I change?" Darren asked."You may change, but you always return to your true character in the end. I've given you many chances, and it's always the same. It always repeats," Vivi said."I'm really going to change, Vivi!" But Darren didn't want to give up so easily. "I visited a psychiatrist in London and had regular therapy. It's nothing compared to the pain you endure while being treated for what I did, but it's..."Darren hung up and closed his eyes. Because just remembering what he went through during his visit to the psychiatrist could make him very sad."I had to dig up all the bad memories I had buried under years of ego and hubris just to cover up what had been buried," Darren said. "I was hypnotized back to a childhood I never wanted to remember. A time when I desperately needed love, but no one gave it to me."Vivi didn’t inv
After returning from Vivi's house, Darren could not sleep all night because he was too worried about what kind of decision she would give him regarding their marriage. Even though they had made out last night and Vivi had slept in his arms, Darren was unsure if Vivi would accept him back because she told him to go home.According to Darren, if Vivi wanted to return to him, she wouldn't tell him to leave. Just like him, she would like to stay by his side and never want to be separated again, not even for a moment.And the bad feeling Darren felt was proven when he received a message from Vivi this morning. A message that strangely didn't surprise him at all because he already had a feeling for it, but it still broke his heart into a million pieces."Vivi..." In the luxurious room that witnessed how Darren and Vivi had gone through various things in their relationship, from the sweetest to the hottest, Darren's body collapsed on the floor because he could not bear the burden of pain att
"Can't you please give him another chance? Because look at you now, Vivi. This breakup has only made you as broken as Darren."Vivi didn't react to Bryan's words and stared at the man. Eventually, tears fell from her left eye, followed by others that quickly trickled down her face."Oh, Vivi..." Bryan reached out and took Vivi's body into his arms. Seeing Vivi crying silently with a look that clearly showed how broken her heart was, Bryan regretted saying everything to Vivi."I'm sorry," Vivi whispered."No, Vivi. I should be the one to apologize. I could only see everything from the surface without knowing what you feel in your heart. I'm sorry that I dared to tell you all this and make you sad again," Bryan regretted."I love Darren. I'm really in love with him," Vivi said in a stammering voice because her crying had not stopped. "And if we stay together, the fear he gives me will eventually make me hate him. I don't want that, Bryan. I don't want to hate a man who has loved me so m
"Over there! Vivi, let's hurry over there!"Vivi, who had been walking casually while looking for an empty spot, was surprised when Lucas suddenly grabbed her hand and made her run toward the empty spot. But seeing how eager Lucas was to get the empty seat, Vivi unconsciously let out a smile."Well, we finally got a seat," Lucas said as he sat on the grass. "Every Friday night, this park is crowded because of a free movie. We're lucky because tonight's movie is the latest romantic comedy.""Do you often take Freya here?" asked Vivi, which immediately stopped Lucas' hand movement."She doesn't like things like this. She only wants to date in a private and luxurious place," Lucas said. The sad tone in his words made Vivi realize she had misspoken because mentioning Freya's name in front of Lucas was so easy."Oh, sorry. How could I say it so easily in front of you," Vivi regretted, which made Lucas laugh as he waved his hand."It's okay. It's in the past and doesn't hurt me as much as i
"Hello?""Vivi... Vivi..."Darren's hoarse voice calling her name repeatedly and his sobbing made Vivi's eyes widen in shock."Darren, why are you–“"Vivi, why are we like this?" Darren interrupted Vivi's speech. He spoke in his drunken voice, which sounded like a rant, while his sobs, which got louder and louder, seemed to show how much pain he was feeling right now."We love each other. We love each other, don't we?" Darren asked, sounding like a dagger cutting into Vivi's heart. "We should continue to love each other happily, but why do we have to suffer now because of this separation?""I'm not happy, Darren. How can I be happy with a marriage that causes me so much pain and trauma?" Vivi spoke in a soft, shaky voice, making Darren's cries louder."I promised everything to change, but when you refused and still wanted to separate, I gave in, even though it broke my heart. But why..." Darren stopped speaking, seemingly struggling to continue as his sobs became so uncontrollable tha
"No matter how much I try to think only about you, Darren always appears and occupies my mind."Lucas didn't know how to react to what Vivi was telling him, and for a while, he could only remain silent while looking into her eyes. And Vivi's eyes, which showed her feelings much better than her words, made Lucas realize how much of a dilemma Vivi was in."I'm sorry," Lucas said with a regretful tone. "I didn't want you to face this alone because it must be hard. I had no idea that me being by your side would burden you like this.""No, it's not a burden," Vivi denied. "I... I'm just sorry that you've been so good to me while I can't stop thinking about other men when I'm with you.""It seems like you're burdened because you feel like I'm too good to you," Lucas said. "I don't want to burden you anymore, but I don't want to let you go through this alone. I really don't know how to help you, Vivi.""I don't know how good I look in your eyes that you treat me so well. But..." Vivi paused
"Darren..."Vivi looked very surprised to find Darren back in her small apartment without any warning, but Darren did not wait for Vivi to get over her surprise and immediately entered the apartment without asking Vivi's permission."What are you doing?!" Vivi asked frantically as she stepped back while Darren approached her with a sharp stare that seemed to go straight to her heart."Stop, Darren! I don't want you in my house!" Vivi warned Darren in a high voice, while her eyes, which returned Darren's gaze, clearly showed how much fear she felt just because of Darren's sharp look, which could make her legs feel weak."Da-Darren..." Vivi became even more panicked when she saw Darren starting to take off his tie. Darren didn't say anything, he just continued to remove his tie without taking his eyes off Vivi, who seemed to be on the verge of tears."Darren, stop..." And Vivi finally really cried when she saw Darren taking off his belt. Because what the man was doing reminded her of wh
Bang!"Oh, my goodness!" Lying on the bed and playing with his phone, Bryan jumped in surprise when the door to his room suddenly opened. And he immediately glared at Vivi as he saw the woman with the big belly walking toward him while ruffling her waist."What? Where are your manners, huh? Why did you just barge into a virgin's room?!" Bryan snapped."Where are you hiding him?" Vivi asked with an annoyed look."Hiding who? Can't you see I'm busy, huh?" Bryan argued as he was busy with his phone again."Seriously, Bryan! I don't have much time. The plane is leaving soon!" Vivi raised her voice in an annoyed tone, but Bryan just shrugged."Then hurry up and get going! Why are you lingering in my room?" snapped Bryan–who could comfortably call one of the rooms in Darren's house 'my room' due to the number of times he stayed there and used it."You don't want to tell me?" asked Vivi, and Bryan shrugged again. "Just watch out if I find him here!"Vivi turned to leave Bryan, causing the ma
Lucas put his cup down on the table after taking a sip. It hadn't been ten minutes since he'd sat down in this cafe to meet Vivi, but he'd almost finished his coffee before Vivi arrived. Unconsciously, the nervousness he felt was making him thirsty.Lucas didn't know why he felt so nervous. But the feeling came only after Vivi, whom he hadn't heard from in 5 months, suddenly contacted him and invited him to meet.Since Vivi returned to Darren, his relationship with Vivi, which was once intense, has been severed. He never hears from Vivi again, and even Bryan, who is still on good terms with him, never mentions Vivi or Darren in his presence.Lucas was very worried and wanted to contact Vivi at least once to check on her. But Lucas tried to suppress his curiosity for fear of putting Vivi back in a bad relationship with Darren. He assured himself that if there was no news, everything was okay because if something happened to Vivi, he would hear about it from Bryan."Have you been waitin
"Because there is a childhood wound that I want to heal.""What wound do you want to heal?" asked Vivi."My wounded heart from parents who never loved me at all," Darren says, causing Vivi to fall silent as she remembers Bryan's story about Darren's mother killing his father."As a kid, I wanted a lot of trivial things. But because I was afraid of my parents, I never said it and grew up without ever feeling those things. Now that I can get everything easily, I will no longer feel happy. So I want to heal the wound my parents left in my heart by giving my future child all I never had in my childhood," Darren explains."This child is so lucky," Vivi said as she gently rubbed her belly. "I am so jealous that he has a dad who loves him so much because I never really felt my parents' love." "Why would you be jealous? This baby's daddy is your husband. He's all yours," Darren said."I like this kind of feeling. Feeling happy without much effort. Just being in your arms and chatting without
"No need to go to the hospital!" Vivi immediately rejected Darren's invitation in a panic. "It's probably not because I'm pregnant. Maybe... Maybe it's just fatigue or a cold."Darren looked at Vivi worriedly–more worried than ever because Vivi refused his offer to go to the hospital."It's okay if you're not pregnant, Vivi. You should still go to the hospital for a checkup. We can't go home if you're sick," Darren said. He tried to say it softly so Vivi would not feel depressed because she thought he wanted her to be pregnant.Although, in truth, Darren was very upset to hear Vivi's suspicion that she might be pregnant with his child."You looked very happy when I said I might be pregnant." But it seemed that Darren had unconsciously made it clear enough for Vivi to see. "I didn't want you to be disappointed because–“"I told you I wouldn't force it. If you're not pregnant, if you're not ready, then it doesn't matter. But please, you should still go to the doctor and get checked out
"You're just in time." Standing in front of the stove with an apron attached to her body, Vivi greeted Darren's arrival with a warm smile. "I just finished making lunch. Wash your hands and..."Vivi stopped talking when Darren, who was walking towards her, suddenly hugged her tightly. It surprised Vivi that the man hugged her like that without saying anything."Darren?" Vivi called Darren's name softly. "What's wrong?" she asked in a worried tone."I miss you so much. So let me hug you like this for a while until my longing goes away," Darren said, which made Vivi hug him back immediately."Vivi." Darren then called Vivi in a soft way that he only used to call his wife. And after Vivi answered him with a soft murmur, Darren asked, "Are you happy with me?"Vivi did not answer Darren's question right away. She put her arms around Darren so she could see his face. And she felt that Darren must have said something that had shaken Darren's heart to ask her such a question.And without answ
"A- Ah! Shit!"Bryan cursed in annoyance that his gaming fun had to end when his phone suddenly rang. And he was even more annoyed when he saw Vivi's name on the screen."Hel-""What, huh? WHAT?!" Bryan didn't need to hear Vivi finish a word to immediately interrupt her with a yell, which surprised the woman and made her hastily move the phone away from her ear."Why are you yelling-""You don't remember how arrogant you were to me this morning about getting back together with Darren, do you?!" Bryan interrupted Vivi again, still yelling, which surprised Vivi very much because she was being scolded like that."Have you been fighting with Darren again? Did he hit you again? Hah! Enjoy it! I don't care anymore, so you don't have to call me to tell me-""What's wrong with you?" Vivi, who couldn't stand Bryan's incoherent tirade, finally interrupted him. "Are you secretly hoping that Darren will hurt me again?""So he hasn't hurt you?" Bryan asked, lowering his voice, while Vivi only answ
"Why do you look so upset? Is there a problem?" Lucas asked after sitting down in front of Bryan.A few moments ago, Bryan called him and invited him to dinner at a restaurant near his office. At first, he thought that Bryan just wanted to have dinner with him, but when he saw the annoyed look on the man's face, Lucas wondered if Bryan might have some problem."Yesterday, you said you were going to Vivi's apartment, right?" Bryan asked as Lucas nodded. "So it must have been you who beat up Darren so badly?"Lucas didn't answer Bryan's question right away. Because Bryan was so nice to him, he sometimes forgot that he was Darren's best friend since he was a baby. And it made him a little sad to think that Bryan had come to him with such an upset face because he was disappointed in him for beating up his best friend."Yesterday, I lost control of myself and beat him up like that," Lucas said in a low voice that sounded like a mumble.But Bryan's reaction was unexpected. In an angry tone
"Good morning, darling."Since her parting from Darren, Vivi had never seen anything like this, not even in her most beautiful dreams. To wake up from her sleep and to be greeted by a good morning from Darren, and then to receive a loving kiss on the forehead from the man.And the best part of it was that Vivi experienced it directly, not just in her dreams or wishful thinking."Good morning," Vivi answered Darren's greeting with her hoarse voice. She pulled the blanket over her body, which felt cold because it was not wrapped in any cloth. "What time is it?""It's very early. Go back to sleep if you're still tired," Darren said, tucking Vivi's messy hair behind her ear.Vivi turned her head to the window, which made her squint when she saw the sunlight shining brightly."Looks like it's already noon," Vivi said as she looked back at Darren. "Why aren't you getting ready for the office yet?""I'm not going to the office today," Darren replied as he shifted his body to get closer to Vi
"For the last time. If the same thing happens again, I'll let you go myself. Please give me another chance to prove how much I've changed for you."Vivi listened to Darren's plea while looking directly into the man's eyes. And it touched Vivi's heart when she saw how sincere and how much love Darren showed her with his gaze.Vivi had never received so much from anyone else. She had never felt so much sincerity from anyone. But Darren always gave her more than she could bear, whether sincerity, love, or fear. And Vivi felt thrown back into the abyss of dilemma when she couldn't decide if the love Darren gave her was strong enough to overcome her fear of him."You can have any woman you want. Easily, without all this struggle. You can make women crawl under your feet. But why did you go to all this trouble just for me?" Vivi asked about the confusion that had always been in her heart.The question of what exactly Darren saw in her made him willing to give up everything for an ordinary w