"Aaah..." The soft moan made Lucas, who was treating the wound on Vivi's temple, stop immediately. He turned his eyes to Vivi, who was beginning to regain consciousness, and slowly opened her eyes."Here, drink this first," Lucas said as he handed Vivi a glass of water.Vivi, who was still not fully awake, obeyed Lucas' order and drank the water the man gave her. But after drinking the glass and regaining consciousness, Vivi was surprised to find herself on the bed with Lucas sitting beside her."What are you doing here?" Vivi asked frantically."Don't you remember what happened to you?" Lucas asked back, and Vivi, who couldn't remember anything, just shook her head."I don't know when you came. But when I went out this morning, I found you unconscious in front of my door."Lucas' explanation made Vivi frown. But as her memory began to clear and she could recall what had happened to her last night up until now, the confused expression on Vivi's face slowly faded and was replaced by a
"Oh my God, Vivi... What happened to you?"Like Lucas, Bryan's first reaction to seeing Vivi's condition was shock. Bryan had seen her as a goddess the night before at his party, Darren had turned her into this miserable woman in just one night."I'm fine now, so you don't have to worry," Vivi said."What's fine? Look at you!" Bryan looked at Vivi's swollen and scarred face with concern. "Vivi, if Darren did this to you, you should report him to the police–“"No matter where I go for justice, I won't be able to beat someone like Darren. You know that," Vivi said, making Bryan sad because he realized what she said was true."How is Darren now?" asked Vivi."He's still furious, and his emotions are out of control,” Bryan replied. He took out a thick brown envelope and placed it before Vivi. "You can use this money for a while. Tell me what you need, and I'll give you more money–""No, Bryan. I don't want to ask you for money," Vivi refused and pushed the envelope away. "I have my own mo
"Oh, is it done?"Sitting outside Vivi's room, Bryan was quite surprised when the door opened. Darren walked out with a blank stare while Vivi's crying could still be heard from inside the room."What's wrong?" Bryan asked as he held Darren's arm and made him stop walking. "Vivi's still crying. Are you just going to leave her?""It's done," Darren said in a weak voice while his eyes looked at Bryan with a look that still seemed blank."What's done?" Bryan asked, confused because he didn't understand what Darren was saying."Our marriage. I'm getting a divorce." Darren said, which made Bryan's eyes widen. Even though what had happened with Vivi was very bad, Bryan had not expected them to make the decision to divorce so quickly."Hey, why all of a sudden– Darren! Are you just going to leave?"Darren ignored Bryan's words and walked away, leaving Bryan calling out to him to come back and talk about it properly.But Darren felt that there was nothing left to talk about with Vivi. Everyth
"I fell in love with the only person who visited me in that apartment. My contract husband, who paid me to cover his secret relationship, I foolishly fell in love with him from the beginning of our marriage and was heartbroken the whole time." Vivi's explanation certainly surprised Lucas. All this time, he had been completely unaware of it. Whether it was because Vivi was very good at hiding it from him or because he was insensitive, Lucas didn't expect Vivi to have such feelings for him. When he thought about it now–about how often he talked about Freya or how he always praised her to Vivi–Lucas felt that he had become very cruel to Vivi. "I really don't know," Lucas said. He was filled with regret and guilt at the thought of how much pain Vivi had endured during their marriage because he had been completely insensitive to her feelings. "If I had known earlier, I would have–“ "I would have ruined everything." Vivi interrupted Lucas' speech with a faint smile. "I was paid to cover
"Vivi..." Darren called his wife's name in a weak voice full of regret and pain. He missed Vivi as if he hadn't seen her for years.Darren wanted to take a step towards Vivi, to embrace her body and release his longing. But her cold look made his legs seem glued to the ground. He couldn’t move, even though he tried his best to get to Vivi."You promised me all that, and I trusted you. I trusted you with my happiness and future, but look what you have done to me..."Vivi stuck to her words and managed to make Darren's tears flow again when he saw what had happened to the woman.Darren saw his tie, which Darren used to bind Vivi's hands when he punished her, slowly begin to bind Vivi's hands.Wounds, swellings, bruises, tears, and blood all slowly coming out of Vivi's body. From the places where Darren's hands had injured her.The slap marks, the whip marks, the messy hair, the lips bleeding from the bite. Darren sees Vivi crying in pain, but the sound of his crying is even more painful
"Welcome, Mr. Hart. It is truly an honor to receive you here."Darren's arrival at the clinic of one of the best psychiatrists in Europe is warmly welcomed, but Darren still feels a nagging sense of unease as he steps into this place.His ego felt like his pride was being trampled when it came to asking a psychiatrist to help him with his mental problems.But Celine, the middle-aged psychiatrist who would treat Darren, seemed to realize that because she said, "It must have been difficult to decide to come to this place. But now that you're here, you've taken the first step, which is good for you.""I don't know what kind of turmoil to tell you about. I don't know where to begin. Because when I think about where all this guilt comes from, it feels like my birth was a mistake," Darren said."How about you tell me about your childhood first? About the biggest fear you had and how you overcame it. You can tell me anything."Darren was silent, letting his memories take him back in time. To
"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
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