"P-Pardon, Mr. President."
Ryuchen looked at the time, he saw that it was almost five in the afternoon so he quickly got up.
"I have to meet my wife at six, so I have to leave now." he said to his assistant while putting on his coat.
"Mr. President..."
"What?"
"Y-You have dinner with... Ms. Lyka together with her friends later at... six."
Robin was terrified when his boss looked at him sharply, and was surprised by his reaction.
He knew he have no right to question his boss decision, he just wanted to let him know about his previous plan. And the reason why he did that was because he didn't want to talk to Lyka to informed her that his boss canceled their plan, because that woman is a pain in the ass. She can do whatever she wants in the company and with the employees because of her relationship with the President, that why almost every employee in the company wants to get her favor.
Robin doesn't understand either when his boss suddenly announced his relationship with Lyka after he got married to his wife, as if he did it on purpose to show condemn against their marriage. But he couldn't deny the fact that Lyka was important to his boss either, because even he himself had witnessed several time that his boss chose to believe in her rather than his own wife.
"Wasn't what I said clear?" his boss face darkened.
"I-I understand, M-Mr. President."
"And don't arranged any appointment with that woman anymore." his boss said like a threat. "Don't let her get into the company either, especially in my office, you understand?"
"Yes, Mr. President."
Ryuchen hurried out of his office and went to the elevator, at that moment he wanted to get to the restaurant quickly.
He was excited to see his wife and talk to her.
"Ryuchen!"
Ryuchen's eyebrows met in an instant when Lyka suddenly appeared in front of him when the elevator opened.
"Done with your work?" she asked while smiling and hugged his arm. "Let's go, my friends are waiting for us in the mall."
He immediately removed his arm from her embrace, and took a deep breath to calm himself. He couldn't stop himself from being irritated by what she was doing, he had already talked to her that they would stop pretending but why didn't she seem to understand that.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Didn't Robin call you?"
"H-He did, but... I didn't answer because I was already here." she said then tilt her head like she was confused of something. "Is there something wrong?"
"Yes, I canceled your appointment." he said firmly.
"What?!" Lyka couldn't believe what he said. "Ryuchen, my friends have been waiting for this dinner for so long because you said you were busy, how could you cancel our appointment?"
"I have no reason to meet your friends Lyka, and didn't I tell you that we should stop pretending that we're lovers."
"Did you expect me to tell my friends that we broke up all of a sudden?"
"Yes."
"Is that what you really wants to happen?"
"Yes." he said in an instant. "I want to be with my wife, and you don't have any reason now to come here in my company either."
"R-Ryuchen..."
"I have to go."
Ryuchen left her stunned, only now did he noticed that Lyka was selfish. She listen to no one but herself and do whatever she wants, and he couldn't blame her completely because he knew that he was also responsible for why Lyka became like that.
-----
Chloe felt her heart was about to explode when she hung up, her hands was sweating and could feel the strong beating of her heart up to her ears. Her whole body was cold but her face surprisingly hot, too hot.
She wasn't used to Ryuchen's soft and gentle voice, that seems full of excitement that she couldn't understand. Her heart soften when a suddenly thought occurred to her that perhaps he had changed, that he had finally decided to love and cherish her.
But Chloe immediately slapped her cheeks to bring her back to her senses.
"No one changes overnight."
Perhaps the two of them, her husband and Lyka, just planned all that and pretended that he was worried to hurt her, so that in the end she will decide to leave.
But they didn't have to do that because she had already decided to leave him.
She looked at the brown envelope on the table in front of her
"You already made a decision, Chloe." she said to herself.
Chloe loves Ryuchen and she was so happy to have him as her husband, but she choose to love herself this time. She's tired of being miserable, tired of chasing someone who doesn't care and tired of loving someone who doesn't love her. So she decided to divorce Ryuchen, and live a peaceful life away from both him and Lyka.
After the kidnapping and the incident happened in the villa, she realized that she will never live a peaceful life in the country. So she finally decided to leave and start a new life in another country, find a job and make a lot of friends so that she could forget all the things that happened to her life.
Chloe noticed that Ryuchen was upset at her before their marriage, she tried to asked him about the things he was upset about but he didn't told her. She thought he was upset because of their marriage, but she just ignored it because it was the decision of his family and he will accept her gradually. She loves the idea of being his wife as well, because she had a crush on him since they were kids.
Their marriage was a secret because that was the only way Ryuchen will agree, and only few people attended. But right after they got married, he suddenly announced his relationship with Lyka to the public. The next day, she asked Lyka about the news if it's real when she unexpectedly saw her in their villa, but she didn't answer. Instead, she just smiled at her and threw herself down on the stairs and was shock that Ryuchen witnessed what happened as well.
And her miserable life began.
-----
Ryuchen arrived at the restaurant thirty minutes before he and his wife would meet and reserved a private room where they could see a beautiful view of a Japanese style landscape.
He often had dinner there with his father and grandmother, and he knew that his wife will like it as well. The ambiance is quiet and relaxing, and the food they serve is delicious.
One waiter knock and came inside to asked him what his order will be so they could prepared it in advance, but he said that he will order later because he was still waiting for someone. Earlier, he was shaken by the thought that he didn't know anything about Chloe, he didn't even know her favorite food that's why he wants her to order their food.
Ryuchen just stares at the scenery while waiting, a lot of questions suddenly came into his mind.
What is her favorite color now, her favorite food, is she allergic to something, what about her hobbies?
Have all her favorites changed since they were kids?
"Ughh!" he suddenly slammed his forehead on the table and took a deep breath.
Ryuchen was ashamed, why didn't he think of being close to his wife back then. They're childhood friends, yet he didn't even tried to understand or trust her. If he hadn't thought about taking revenge on her and making her feel the anger and loneliness he felt when they were still kids, all of that wouldn't have happened.
Revenge? That's too childish, Ryuchen!
Ryuchen suddenly looked at his phone on the table when he received a call, he saw Chloe's name registered on the caller.
"Hello."
"...I just arrived at the restaurant." his face brightened when he heard what she said. "Are you here already?"
"Yes, I'll come and pick you up."
"Ah... okay."
He quickly ran out the room to meet his wife.
As he looked around the restaurant to find her, a beautiful woman suddenly caught his attention. Ryuchen couldn't take his eyes off her, as if she was hypnotizing him. She looks elegant in her simple plain white sleeveless dress and the little make-up she put in also matched her face.
His eyes narrowed and got irritated when he saw one waiter keeps smiling shyly while talking to his wife, as if he was hitting on her. A sudden jealous sensation rushed throughout his body so he quickly ran to his wife, grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him.
"She's my wife." he said and raise his right eyebrow to the waiter.
The waiter looked flustered, there was no waiter in that restaurant who doesn't know him. The waiter immediately bowed his head and apologized at them and walked away quickly.
"...Is there's something wrong?" she asked.
Ryuchen's heart uncontrollably pounded when he suddenly looked at his wife, the beautiful woman who caught his attention earlier is now standing beside him. If only she could see herself through his eyes at that moment, she'd be amazed how beautiful she was.
"..."
He couldn't say anything, his throat was dry because he was nervous, his heart kept pounding loudly up to his ears as he stares at Chloe's beautiful face. His eyes turned hot and his nose become itchy all of a sudden like he was about to cry, he couldn't believed that she's in front of him, alive.
"...What happened... to your forehead?" she even pointed his forehead.
Ryuchen's emotional scene was interrupted when a hot sensation explode on his face when he remembered his forehead so he quickly covered it with his hand and turned his face in another direction. He heard Chloe's chuckled which made his heart melted in an instant, and immediately turned his head back to look at her but he just saw Chloe's wearing her poker face like nothing happened.
"...I have reserved a private room so we can talk properly." he said and lend his hand in front of her. "Let's go."
Ryuchen was nervous when he saw hesitation on her face, but a sudden smile curved slowly on his lips when she accepted his hand and went together to the private room.
Chloe bit her lips to stop herself from smiling, at that moment, the small lump on Ryuchen's forehead still couldn't get out of her mind. It was cute, that's why she accepted his hand.
Just kidding.
She accepted his hand because she wanted to experience being with him and be happy... for the first and last time. Because she knew that after that day they would never see each other again, so she wanted to seize the moment while he's not acting like he usually do.
"Did you wait long?" she asked while they are going upstairs.
"Nope." he said, he looked at her and smile. "I just arrived a few minutes ago."
When they got inside the room, Ryuchen told her that she could order their food so she took the menu on the table placed by the waiter. Chloe knows that he likes seafood, so she ordered most of the seafood dishes that she knew he will like.
Ryuchen couldn't help but be amazed when he heard Chloe's orders, because he also likes seafood and she even chose most of his favorite dishes.
"How are you?" he asked after the waiter left to take their orders.
"I'm fine now."
"Fortunately, there's no scars on your face."
"...Yeah."
"..."
"..."
Ryuchen want to asked a lot of questions, but nothing came out of his mouth. He didn't know where to start, whether to apologize first or explain why he did those things to her.
The whole room was quiet, and all they could hear was the bamboo hitting the rocks from the Japanese bamboo fountain outside.
Why do I find it so hard to speak now that she's in front of me?
"...You haven't answered my question yet."
"P-Pardon?" he was flustered. "...What question?"
"Your forehead..." Ryuchen immediately covered his face with his hands. "What happened to your forehead?"
Ryuchen was relieved and smile behind his hands when he heard her soft laugh like she was teasing him, he removed his hands on his face, looked at his wife and smirked when he saw that she's trying to hide her smile.
"Are you teasing me right now, my dear?"
He burst out laughing when her face quickly turned red, she was the first to tease him but she was the one who looked embarrassed right now. Ryuchen likes the atmosphere between them at that moment, just like a normal married couple who was teasing each other.
"I slipped earlier when I enter this room, and my forehead hit on the table that's why I have this small lump."
"Pff--."
"It's a commemorative lump..." she laugh at what he said but he just continue, like a proud man. "I mean, it's like a remembrance for this day."
Ryuchen saw a bitter smile on Chloe's face all of a sudden, and immediately regretted what he said. As if he's saying that once the lump on his forehead disappear, their memory together will also disappear.