Married life is pretty hard.
It's harder when the other person is trying to kill you.
Lee Areum was quite unfortunate.
Her parents died when she was young.
Her aunt sold her off into a contract marriage to a gang leader.
Gang leader… of sorts.
Cha Doyun was Lee Areum's husband. On paper at least.
Doyun hated Areum. It was a common fact known in the house they had lived together in for two years after getting married.
There was no affection or love in this marriage.
Areum was just a pawn for Doyun. A thing he had to take in return for the benefit of having the Lee family name.
Areum had lived two years confined in the lavish house. She was forbidden to go out and forbidden to interfere in the house.
She had learned to become invisible. It was the only way she could keep Doyun pleased. Or oblivious that she too existed in the house.
To Areum, her husband's attention was nothing more than trouble. Every single time Doyun had noticed Areum, it was because of her inadequacy and lack of confidence. And as expected, he treated her like a nuisance.
But today, on their 2nd marriage anniversary, Areum's hands trembled as she picked up a paper that had fallen out of Doyun's files in the study.
Usually, the househelp arrived as soon as Doyun left for work. But today, she called in sick. So, to keep his study spotless as usual, Areum decided to clean.
But the paper clearly looked like a death certificate. But alas the person it was for was currently holding it. It was her death certificate.
Lee Areum (27 August 2001-26 June 2026) was plastered on the paper.
Areum shook her head. No way it was possible. It wasn't even June yet. It was mid February. So how could it be that… And suddenly it snapped inside her head.
It was a premade certificate for her. Why?
Because she was going to be killed on 26 June 2026.
Areum gasped as she crouched down while holding the paper.
Doyun was going to kill her in four months.
Why?
Why?
Why?
I tried so hard.
Areum asked herself. But it was of no use now.
If she wanted to survive, she needed to leave. For good.
"What are you doing here?"
Areum's heart dropped. It was a very familiar and scary voice.
It was Cha Doyun's voice.
Areum crumpled the paper and threw it under the desk before standing up.
She looked up at the 6ft man, tall and handsome. No one could guess that such a face could evoke so much fear in someone.
"I asked you something," he said, stepping closer.
"I… I was cleaning," Areum said.
Doyun trudged to her. Standing in front of her, he looked down at her with his black eyes. He snickered.
"Are you a maid?"
Areum felt her face flush red with embarrassment.
"I'm sorry!"
She shouted before making a run for it.
She was caught mid way by her arm and flung against a wall.
"What did you take? You took something, didn't you?" Doyun said, awfully close to her ear.
Areum trembled, covered with goosebumps, she yelped a 'no'.
Doyun stood there for a moment, looking down at her, trembling and struggling to free herself from his grasp.
He sighed and left her arm, only to throw a flower pot at another wall.
"Fuck!"
"Why even come here if you're just going to shiver and tremble?"
There was anger in his voice.
"Leave."
Areum was frozen stiff in her spot. The broken pot pieces seemed to tell her she was next.
"Leave! Goddammit!!"
Areum just bolted at the second order and locked herself inside her room. She checked the lock again and again.
Then, as panic eased, grief set in. She collapsed to the floor and sobbed.
Where did my life go wrong?
What did I do so bad?
Why am I being punished like this?
As she sobbed herself to sleep, something strange happened. A voice was heard.
'You need to hear it. Hear it well, Areum-ah.'
She slept like a baby that night after that.
But that didn't mean the morning didn't come. Dreadfully enough, Areum woke up.
As she sneakily went outside her room fishing for coffee, her husband still discovered her.
Areum gasped as Doyun popped up behind her as she closed the fridge door after taking the milk.
In shock, she dropped the milk box and it all spilled down on the floor. Areum immediately dropped down trying to clean the milk.
"Seriously, this early in the morning, do you have to be like this?" Doyun's cold voice echoed in Areum's ears.
Areum trembled, then started crying.
She had never cried in front of Doyun before. She held in her tears with all her might. She believed crying in front of him would make her even more miserable.
But a weird thing happened contrary to all her expectations.
Doyun crouched down, looking confused. He looked at her face with an expression he had never made before.
"Why are you crying?" He asked, confused.
As his awkward fingers touched Areum's face to wipe away her tears, Areum could hear it all.
Cha Dojun's thoughts.
Huh? What is wrong with her?
Why is she crying?
Her eyes were swollen already.
It's the first time I've seen her crying.
What should I do?
Damn, she looks so pretty while crying.
I wanna bite into her cheek.
She'd probably run away if I did that though.
Why is she wearing such a cute pair of pajamas?
I want to kiss her so bad.
But how do I stop her from crying?
It kind of feels bad to see her crying.
Maybe if I lift her….
Areum pushed her hands on his mouth as if to stop him from saying anymore.
But his mouth was never speaking. They were all his thoughts.
Eyes wide open, Areum was red from head to toe.
What's wrong with him?!
Why's he thinking such things?!
Doesn't he hate me?!
Why does he want to bite my…?!
What do i do?!
"Are you insane?" Doyun said as he held and removed Areum's hands from his mouth.
Uaaaah!!!! She touched my mouth!!!! My heart is beating so fast. Am I dying?! Does she finally like me?!
Areum could clearly hear what was going on in his head too.
The stark duality hit her like stone on the head.
And Areum realised something on the day after their 2nd marriage anniversary.
Her husband was an idiotic romantic who was too dumb to express himself.