Vivian slowly opened her eyes and looked at the wall before her, reflecting the light of the sun from the window. At first, she was confused, but then she realised she wasn't home anymore. She remembered what had happened the previous.

So, she spent half of her life loving someone who hated her?

'Had I known about this before then I'd never fall for you. Because I'd rather be heartless than heartbroken. But look why you did.'

She didn't want to move from the sofa but she realised that just laying around won't solve any problem. Maybe if she acts nice, Kirito would eventually fall for like in those romantic movies. She got up and rubbed her eyes. She stretched her arms and yawned.

Kirito had left for office already. The entire room was of the size of her house! Atleast she got money if not a good man! She decided to explore the house and walked out of the room in her pyjamas. So, it wasn't a hotel but actually the Hiomi family's accommodation? But it resembled a five-star-hotel. She felt rich just by breathing the air around her.

As she walked, the halls began to widen until they formed a huge cubical with a swimming pool in between. It reminded her of her home. The lake where she and Betty used to bath looked just pike this!

Believing that she was the only one there, she removed her pyjamas and jumped into the pool. She thought how nice it would be if Betty was there. She was just floating on the water when suddenly something huge fell inside the swimming pool from a height; splashing all the water aside.

"Tsunami!" She shouted as she splashed water towards the person.
"Aughh!" It was a young man who too, wasn't expecting to find someone at the pool. When she stopped splashing the water, they looked at each other.

The guy had brown hair and black eyes and he did a double-take as he looked at Vivian.

"What? Never looked at a girl in an expensive swimming pool? I know I'm rich~" Vivian flaunted in German and did a fake laugh to emphasise her sophistication while floating half naked inside a pool that didn't even belong to her-- Well, not completely.

"What?" The guy said in Japanese. You see, naturally he was confused since he wasn't used to greeting guests in the pool. "Who are you and how did you get in here?"

Vivian realised that he didn't know German and decided to play along.
"What?" She said in German "If you don't want me to call the police, get out of here."

"Excuse me," He said in English "You are at the wrong place."
"Huh?"
"Excuse me but get out!" He shouted in Japanese.
"How dare you order me around in my own house, you peasant!" She slapped him on his head.

He had triggered him but attacking his pride as a man. She was so unlikeable by him! Freak! He pulled her hair "Who do you think you are?!"
She looked fiercely into his eyes and splashed water into them. He left her hair immediately and rubbed his eyes. She ran into the water out of panic.

"He is a rapist!" She shouted. He held her feet and pulled her towards him "Come here, you little shit!" He shouted. She turned towards him. His eyes were red with anger.

"Aughh! Ugly!" She shouted as she kicked his face with her another leg but he held her ankle and she fell into water with him still holding her legs. She shrieked as she frantically lashed her hands on the surface of water.

"What a moron."
"What's going on here?" Mrs Hiomi asked as she stood in front of them.
"Mom, how the hell did this woman got inside the pool"

"Mother-in-law!" Vivian shouted.
"Eh?" He was shocked and left her feet immediately. She fell and got up again.

"Oh my! Vivian, what happened!" Mrs Hiomi asked as Vivian walked out of the pool in her lingerie.
"Wait-- She's brother's wife?"
"He harassed me!" Vivian shouted.
"What the fuck!"
"Aoi, we should talk--"
"Fuck no!"

Mrs Hiomi decided to take both of them Mr Hiomi and tell him about the incident. He laughed his guts out

"What is this, dad! She looks nothing like when I saw her on the wedding day! Plus, she's a flasher!" The guy shouted.
"I'm not! I didn't think anyone would be there!"
"If you know Japanese, can't you just speak that?!" He shouted.
"You're fun to irritate."
"Go die!"

"Maybe, it was makeup? So, why don't you say hi to each other?"
"I'm Aoi Hiomi, your brother-in-law,"
"Hello, I'm Vivian."
"Yeah whatever,"

'He is short-tempered but cute!' Vivian smiled.

"How old are you?" Vivian asked
"Twenty."
"I got a cute little brother!" Vivian petted his head but he moved away.
"Don't touch me!"

Aoi helped her unpack and adjust her stuff. In the evening, Vivian decided to cook something for Kirito. She had a plan to test something out.

Around 8 in the evening, Kirito returned back home. Vivian had learned that it was called an apartment and not a "room". And it was their new home. A king-size bed occupied the centre of the room with a television in front of the bed and a sofa on its right corner.

"I'm back," Kirito removed his tie.

"Kirito-chan! See, I made something for you!" Vivian shouted as she brought a black mass in front of Kirito.
"What is this? Coal?"
"Crepes!"
"This doesn't look like crepes at all"

"But it tastes like them!"
"You don't have to tell me if it's edible-- I can see very well how edible it is. Either ways I'm not hungry."
"You are saying no to food?"
"Dog food."

"But dogs are cute," Vivian looked at the burnt, black mass.
"Why am I even having a conversation with you" Kirito lay on the bed.

"No dinner?"
"We are supposed to go to a party tonight," Kirito looked at the ceiling above him.

"A party? There must be like- a lot of people there, right? And beer and--"
"It's not a German village gathering," Kirito got up from the bed and looked into her eyes "It's a place where only businessmen and sophisticated section of the society is to be,"

"Rich people?" Vivian asked.
"Very rich. Richer than us too,"
"What we have is enough," Vivian smiled. Kirito looked into her eyes and passed right through her.
"You have fifteen minutes. Get ready,"

Kirito waited in the balcony, looking into his phone when Vivian suddenly knocked at the window. He turned back and examined her outfit. She was dressed up in a yellow long frock with light brown boots.

"Trash," He said instantly.
"What?"
Kirito pressed his temples. Vivian looked at him.

"Nevermind, let's not go,"
"But why?"
"Why? Look at you! You're such an embarrassment! It feels so awkward to carry a country girl around-- It's embarrassing!"

Vivian looked at him for a while and pressed her ring on her chest
"But I'm your wife..."
"Yeah and that's my fault now! Everything is my fault- Look how bad am I-- And you are the good one! You never do anything wrong!"

"You cannot hate your wife," Vivian held his hand "We are married--"
Kirito slapped her hand and pushed her away.
"I shouldn't but I can't help it. I need to feel nothing! Nothing for anyone. Not you not my parents. Just work. Because you can't give me what I want,"

"What do you want?"
"I want to be free,"
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know. And it's too late anyways,"
"It's never too late, Kirito,"

"Oh yeah? Sounds good to hear-- Then, can you undo our marriage and my vows to you?!" He shouted.
"You never raise your voice," She whispered as she moved towards him.

"Can't you understand-- We don't click and we will never," He stood before her and looked away while she looked at him.
"But I... I want to click together,"
"You only hurt me, it's like you exist to hurt me,"
"I'm sorry. I didn't wanted to hurt you-- I just want to be with you,"
"And that hurts me,"

"So, should I just go away?"
"I'm afraid it's not possible anymore. My parents won't let me file you a divorce."
"But it's your life. You should control it, not them."
He looked at her and shook his head. He walked out of the apartment and slammed the door.

Vivian sat on the floor, crying to herself. She knew she loved him and that made her sad. Because she would rather die than hurt the person she love.

Kirito walked towards his car and unlocked the door. He sat inside and looked ahead. He pressed his head on the steering wheel and closed his eyes.

"She doesn't know anything." He looked aside and looked at his reflection into the mirror of the window aside.
'And how is that her fault?' He head a voice inside his head. He got up and walked out of the war. Vivian had washed her face and was ready to change when Kirito suddenly opened the door.

"Kirito, you must bring Vivian along," Mr Hiomi's words into his head.

She looked at him.
"Kiri--"
"Let's first get you a proper dress" He grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the car.
"Where are we going?" Vivian asked.
"To the mall. I'll be getting something decent for you to wear."

They sat inside the car.
"Kirito you can drive?" Vivian asked.
"Put on the seat belt,"
"How do we put it?"
"Are you serious?"

Kirito got up from his seat and kept his knee between Vivian's thighs. He locked the seat belt while Vivian looked at him.
"That's sexual harassment," She said.
"Makes no sense but okay." Kirito sat back on his seat and looked ahead.
They stopped in front of a mall and people came running towards their car. They all greeted them as they came out if his car.

Vivian looked around-- Mesmerised by everything she saw. The entire staff of the mall was lined up and everyone bowed as they passed through. Vivian just stared at them in awe and then bowed to them.

"You're not supposed to do that, you idiot." Kirito grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

They picked up a black dress for her and decided to directly go to the party venue from there. The lady at the cosmetic store did a good makeup job on Vivian's face.

When they reached the party, Vivian stepped out of the car and fell on the ground. Kirito ignored her and walked towards the party lawn. She held the heels in her hands and ran behind him.

She lost Kirito into the crowd and searched for him. Everyone was staring at her as she stood awkwardly in the midst of the small groups of people. A waiter walked towards her with a tray in his hand. He various drinks in that tray.

"Ma'am, would you like a drink?" He asked. Vivian kept her heels aside and took the tray from him. She didn't know she was supposed to puck one. The waiter stared at her for awhile and quietly walked away.

It was nothing like the parties they had in Germany! Instead of gawky country music-- It was classical music everywhere and everyone was so dressed up. Everything looked very intimidating and very formal. She immediately thought of all those stereotypical British people she had heard of in German. How they love rules and order.

It was not a party-- It was just a random collection of people which a old taste of music. Classical music was good but only when it was heard at special occasions-- Like a date or a wedding. A party was not included into Vivian's list of special days.

She sat at one of the tables, staring at people while drinking the whisky. She was alone. But not for very long.

-To be continued

Kirito Hiomi
My Heart Hates Me