When Jennie signed a new lease for their new house, she did not expect to sign up for a disaster. She found this particular home from an online ad with her husband. What reeled them in was the cheap rent in this quiet neighborhood.
However, they failed to provide the details of why this house was so cheap.
Jennie opens the cabinet below the sink and finds the pipe creating a puddle of water. She had contacted the landlord about the issue, but he was no help. All he said was to call a plumber to have them fix it, and when she told her husband about it, he adamantly denied having a plumber over.
Her husband—the most insecure man on Earth—did not want a stranger, especially another man, inside their home. Jennie argued with him that either he fixes it or someone else does. The whole debate ended in an argument that resulted in him sleeping on the couch.
Jennie stomps over to the dining table where her husband sits, eating the breakfast she had cooked for him. He doesn't acknowledge her until his phone is ripped out of his hands.
"What now, Jennie?" He huffs out an annoyed breath.
"Mino, we need to get the damn sink fixed! It's been leaking for the past three days, and super glue won't fix it!"
"It's what the internet said." Mino shrugs his shoulders like he has no fault in it.
"The internet is not reliable!" Jennie shouts.
"Fine, if you don't want me to fix shit around here, call someone!"
"I've tried but you don't want a man to come in here!"
"He could do something to you while I'm gone!"
"The plumber is just going to fix the stupid pipe! And stop being so insecure! If you're here while a plumber is here, he won't do anything to me."
Mino sighs as he throws his fork on the plate. He removes the napkin from his lap and wipes his mouth clean. "I'm going to be late for work." He tosses the dirty napkin onto the plate and retrieves his phone from Jennie's hand.
"Why do you always do this?"
"Do what?"
"When we get into arguments, you always run away! You never want to finish it. Why do you keep running away from your problems?" Jennie accuses.
Shaking his head, Mino goes to the coat rack and grabs his jacket. "I'll see you later. I might not come home for dinner, so don't wait up."
"What about the leaking faucet?!"
"Fix it yourself."
The door slams shut.
Their marriage has been downhill lately. The first couple of years were great. They were young, energetic, and crazy in love. The lovebirds first met in middle school. Then, they became high school sweethearts. They even attended the same college, and shortly after, they tied the knot.
Jennie has been wanting to take it to the next level by wanting children. Mino does want kids, but not right now. He's been saying that for the past three years. He wants to focus on his career more than ever. He claims that he needs to earn enough money to maintain kids because raising one in this economy is expensive. There's a reason why they moved into this house: so they could have more space to expand their family. But there hasn't been any progress.
Nowadays, it feels like a prison.
It feels like living with a stranger. The house is quiet and cold. Their sex life isn't fun anymore. She can't remember the last time she wore her wedding ring.
Jennie doesn't know where it all went wrong.
She can mull over her failed marriage later. Right now, she needs to fix this damn faucet.