July 25,2019

Ari had the day off. Hwan was gone and she took advantage, stuffing what she could fit into a suitcase of her essentials.

She had caught him cheating, again, but this time she was not going to take it anymore. She couldn't take it anymore and she didn't want to.

She would spend a few days with her friend Mae until she found her own accommodation. She gripped the suitcase tightly and headed for the door, determined not to look back.

Her phone rang just as she was locking the door. She looked at the name and immediately picked up, pulling the suitcase towards the elevator.

"Hey Jin, what's up?" she asked, trying to sound cheerful. "Ari, can you come?" Izeul cried on the phone and she was immediately worried.

"Sweetie? What's up baby are you okay?" she asked as she waited for the elevator. "Hey Ari, I know it's your day off, but Izeul won't stop crying and..." Ari sighed and cut Jin off. "Coming right now!" she said and entered the elevator.

Ari put down the suitcase and spread her arms. Izeul threw herself on her neck and buried her face in her hair, crying. Ari frowned, pulling her back slightly.

She touched her forehead and her eyes widened. "Ari, I'm really sorry…" she cut Jin off. “Call her doctor, let him come, tell him Izeul has a fever” unconsciously, her voice sounded commanding.

Arie picked up Izeul in her arms and carried her to her room as Jin was already dialing her doctor, his eyes fixed on the suitcase Arie had promptly forgotten.

"It's going to be okay sweetie, tell me, does anything hurt?" Ari asked, removing Izeul's clothes to lead her into the bathroom. "My throat is bothering me" cried the little one and Ari nodded.

However, the moment she walked into the bathroom with Izeul in her arms, Ari gasped, looking at her chest. "Shit…" she muttered and looked down at her legs and back. "Oh honey, this is going to itch" she sighed.

"I called the doctor.." Seokjin interrupted her thoughts. "Tell him not to come, there's no point" Ari cut him off. "You go out too, warn the others, Izeul and I will be quarantined for a few days" Arie finished and Seokjin looked at her questioningly.

"It's chicken pox" Ari explained quickly and Jin started backing away in horror. "I….I'm leaving if you need anything…" she motioned for him to come out, trying to bathe the protesting Izeul.

Ari took the thermometer out of Izeul's mouth and looked at him, sighing heavily. She unbuttoned the pajamas slightly on her chest and smiled.

Izeul was erupting rapidly, which meant the temperature would soon begin to drop. Ari put the thermometer on the locker and rubbed her neck, trying to loosen the tightness in the muscles.

It had been 48 hours since she came and the two were locked in Izeul's room. The little one slept almost continuously, for which Ari was extremely grateful.

Izeul stirred in her sleep and Ari rested her hands on the edge again, resting her chin on them, staring at the child. Something she had been doing for two days now.

A knock on the door made her look up. She got up and approached the door, opening it ever so slightly. "Is everything alright?" Hoseok asked and Ari looked back at the sleeping Izeul.

"Yeah, still has a fever, but it's coming down. Will be able to have visitors soon" Ari smiled. "Good, because we can barely contain Namjoon" he grinned and she shook her head.

"Did he have chicken pox?" Ari asked and this time Hoseok shook his head. "I don't know, to be honest." he replied and Ari smiled slightly. "Tell him if he's driving he can see her but if he's not I'll kill him" she winked at him and he laughed. "I'll pass it on to him, they'll bring you food in a bit" he said before waving her off and walking away.

"Ari?" she turned and hurried back to the bed. "Hey, sweetie, how are you, honey?" Ari asked, snuggling up next to Izeul.

"I fell asleep" Izeul cried and curled up against her chest. "Sleep, sweetie, I'll be here" she kissed her forehead and Izeul sighed, clenching her fists on Ari's stomach.

Ari relaxed as well. She had hardly slept for the past two days. But as she watched Izeul sleep, thoughts of Hwan were running through her mind.

He had called her several times, but she didn't answer any of the calls. She had nothing to say to him, and she knew what he wanted to say to her.

She smoothed Izeul's hair, resting her cheek on her head. She should have left him when she discovered his first infidelity, but being the real fool that she is, she forgave him.

Then he started hitting on her and she continued to forgive him, covering up the beatings. She really was a soft-spoken fool.

Drifting off, she continued to berate herself for her weaknesses, realizing only now that she had forgotten that her suitcase was somewhere in the kitchen.

"Ari" she slowly opened her eyes and sat up rubbing them. "Hey, sweetie, how are you?" Ari asked sleepily and the bed began to shake.

"I'm hungry!" Izeul stated cheerfully and Ari smiled trying to smooth her hair as the little one bounced on the bed humming to herself.

"Let me see" Ari sat up and Izeul fell into her lap allowing her to unbutton her pajamas. "Aww, look at that!" Ari exclaimed in satisfaction and Izeul looked at her chest.

"What is this" asked the little one, looking at the countless pimples on her chest. "That, sweetie, means we can change and go down to the kitchen and make some strawberry chocolate pancakes and have a cup of tea!" Ari grinned and Izeul immediately jumped off the bed.

"Don't be in such a hurry, change your clothes first" Ari laughed. "And wait for me!" she added walking into the bathroom as the little one was already heading to her closet.

Once outside her room, Izeul was irrepressible. She ran around as if untied, laughing and enjoying her freedom.

Ari watched her with a smile as she made the pancakes. "What do I see!" Izeul squealed happily and threw herself into Jimin's arms, who looked at Ari for permission and when she nodded, he held the little girl to his chest, spinning her in the air.

The intercom growled and Jimin answered, still with Izeul in his arms. "Ari …" she looked at him smiling. "I think they're looking for you" he said with a frown, leaving Izeul on the ground.

"Me?" she wiped her hands on her apron and approached, glancing at the intercom. “He's been coming a few times already, but we didn't let him go because of Izeul” Jimin said quietly.

"I suggest you make up with your boyfriend before Namjoon finds him at the portal" she nodded, removing her apron and walking towards the door. "Ari, if you need help…" she looked at him and shook her head, smiling.

Hwan grinned when he saw her. "Honey, here you are, come on, let's go" he reached for her as she stepped out of the portal, but Ari jerked her hand away.

She looked at the two men standing in the booth, pretending not to be watching them. "No" Ari replied shortly and Hwan gaped at her in surprise.

"How come not?" he asked and she looked at him boldly. "I'm not coming back, it's over between us." Ari said calmly and turned to go back to the mansion.

Hwan took her hand and turned her towards him again. "Nothing's over until I say so!" he growled. His demeanor completely changed.

His mouth twisted into a wicked grin and his eyes darkened with anger. "I said you were coming with me and end of conversation!" Hwan hissed and pulled her hard.

"And I said it's over, what are you going to do, hit me?" Ari asked, pulling her hand out and side-eyeing the two guards.

"Don't challenge me, honey, you won't like it!" Hwan reached for her hand again. "Don't touch me!" she hissed and took a step back.

As if on cue, a large black car pulled up next to them. Before Ari could react, the back door opened and her eyes widened in concern.

Namjoon looked at Hwan and then at a startled Ari, approaching her. "Is everything alright?" he asked, standing next to her.

"Who is this, is it because of him that you are leaving me?" Hwan shot angrily and she bit her lip. "I left you because you can't keep your zipper up and your hands where they belong." she looked at Namjoon apologetically, but he didn't seem bothered by her ex's behavior at all.

Hwan laughed evilly. "Come on, honey, we both know you like me unzipped and my hands out of my pockets. This one here can't satisfy you like I can!" he arrogantly looked Namjoon up and down, then looked back at her.

Ari looked at Namjoon again, who was looking at Hwan with raised eyebrows and slightly tilted head. His jaw twitched menacingly, but it clearly didn't work on the other.

"Plus, what do you find in him? Just look at him, if it's not the suit and the money, he's not much!" for some reason, Ari was the one who felt insulted.

She stepped forward and stood in front of Namjoon, who towered behind her. "If you call three minutes of puffing between my legs satisfying, I assure you, he does it much better and much longer!" Ari growled and Hwan gaped at her in surprise.

"And beating a woman isn't very manly, if you understand me, cheating doesn't make you a man either!" Ari continued, pouring out all the anger she had been building up for the last few years.

"I'll kill you!" Hwan growled and stepped towards her, his hand coming up and he strengthened it. Ari flinched and stepped back, bumping into Namjoon's chest.

Namjoon reacted spontaneously. One of his arms slid around Ari's waist and he pulled her close as he grabbed Hwan's arm with the other.

"No one hits women in my presence, least of all my woman!" Namjoon said coldly, but calmly, and Ari looked at him, surprised that he had reacted at all, his words completely freaked her out.

Hwan gritted his teeth and tried to pull his hand away, but Namjoon held him back effortlessly. "If you go near her again, if you try to talk to her, if you even think about her, I'll be the one to kill you" Namjoon tightened his grip around Ari's waist and she blinked at him, amazed at the strength in his voice and at the same time the calm tone with which he threatened.

"This is not the end!" Hwan hissed and jerked his hand away again. Namjoon let go and squeezed Ari even harder, almost knocking her air out. Her hand instinctively slid over his and he looked down at her.

It was the second time the two had seen each other and she was in his arms again, but this time to protect her. His body tensed at the feel of her pressed against him.

Her hand pressed against his, her eyes focused on him, his gaze fell on her slightly parted lips and to his surprise, he wondered what it was like to taste them.

A loud growl made them both look at Hwan, who angrily spun on his heel and walked towards his car parked across the street.

Ari breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling free. Or almost, the hand on her stomach still pressed hard, his thumb caressing it, but he didn't seem to realize it.

For his part, Namjoon was lost in his own thoughts. The last time he had felt this warmth and such tension was in Binna's arms. The memory of his wife hit him and he jerked back, causing Ari to flinch at the unexpected movement and he wrapped his arms around her again to hold her.

"If I see him around the mansion again, I will indeed kill him!" Namjoon growled, trying to hide the fact that he was suddenly uncomfortable and let her go, getting into his car.

Ari gaped at him. This guy had a serious problem, one moment he was protecting her and the next he was being rude to her. She shook her head in bewilderment and walked back to the mansion, staring after Namjoon's car.