✘✘✘✘✘✘

Harshly bitterness, gloomy darkness  and heaping resentment. All of those negative emotions collided made myself depressed and had anxiety which helps draining the last left hope inside my heart.

I didn't go to work. How would I if my mind is going crazy thinking where probably my wife now? If she's fine, eating or even alive. Either Jin look for her but her existence becomes elusive as if Ash was hiding in purposed. I already file to the police about her disappearance, I asked Mr. Davids to hire investigators to find her. And me...

I am here in my small apartment staring at my cellphone screen with her photo as wallpaper not letting it drained off battery. Checking from time to time to see if she will send me even blank message.

Yes. I did clean the house from time to time. Wash my hands, clean myself, pulling myself  back to the old useless me. But then, memories of her that lingers in this very place reminds me how she wanted me to become a better person. How she nag me if I were about to take a bath again. Her, telling me how I had improve and she really love to see me getting better. Her touch to my tense muscles when I feel restless and cannot stop tapping my fingers on the keyboard. When she snatch the plate from my hands because I can't stop scrubbing it.

Ash has become my cure and I won't let her feel disappointed when she gets home and gone back to the untouchable man that what only knows is to isolate himself from everyone.

Four days. This apartment feels very empty, my heart too. Yet, there is something in myself cheering me up.

I look down on the dining table that I arrange for me and her. It's truly crazy idea to prepare a plate for her but this is my way to cope up, this is my passage of telling myself that everything will be okay and she'll be here one day and occupy that empty seat.

I cannot eat, I don't have a strength to chew and swallow any amount of food but I am forcing myself because how will I be able to find her if I am not healthy? I am in the middle of chewing yet not tasting the food when my phone rang. I quickly get the glass of water and drink it down to swallow the food while gazing at the screen. My heart suddenly pounded too fast like it's sound reaches my sensitive hearing.

I did not waste any second and answer the call. I automatically furrowed my brows when all I could hear is a buzz sound.

"Hello! What going on? Talk to me!" I panicky thrown him questions and next thing I heard is a sigh.

"I found her." After hearing that good news. My energy seems all go back. My longingness replace with excitement. A happy hopeful smile curve into my face.

Without second thought. I get my coat and car key that I hang behind the door and get out the apartment.

"Where is she? I'm going there now." I asked. While walking towards my parked car.

"We are at the hospital. I will send you the address. Are you sure you can come here?" My steps take into a halt yet my courage sprang like it's a normal thing that usually happened and continue to walk and hop in the driver seat.

"Of course, for my wife."

✘✘✘✘✘✘✘

"How... Why do you know Mr. Austin?"

Emphaty sprout out from my heart but the confusion is way more formidable and I wanted to get answers.

Mr. Davids look straight to my turbid gaze and he blown out a sigh. His shoulder were so down as if he's been carrying that burden since then.

"I'll tell you everything. No more truths hidden. But swear you'll help me. Please?" Mr. Davids plead. It seems like he's leaving me with no choice but, he needed me. I should be the one asking for payment but this lawyer knows how to turn tables. Therefore, I have my rights to say no.

"I cannot promise you that. You have to prove me first that I should help you." I answer instead and his eyes somber out of sadness. It squeezed my heart especially the fact that Mr. Davids is not just a person I know but someone that had major role in my husband's life.

"My wife and son is in hands of you father." He started. Tears molded in the corner of his eyes and flee like they waited for that chance to escape. They drop continuously like mist on rainy days.

"What? My father? How come your family became his hostages?" I asked again. Now, I started to have doubt at him too. Yet, his warm hands touch mine, asking me to understand the horrific situation.

"I never betrayed Min long before your father targeted my family and take them as his hostages. I've been working for him through one or two years now. Please, help me save my family and fight your father." He explained himself with his eyebrows almost meeting and his occasionally sniffing soften my heart yet why should I have to help this man who betrayed us?

"What kind of reason motivates you that I will help still after hearing your betrayal towards us?" I made sure I sound sarcastic. I know his family is in the line and he loves them but, he is a fucking lawyer. Why can't do a thing for it?

"I don't even know where they are. I haven't seen them in person for two years. Only rare moments your father sent me a photo of them. I am doing this to save them. And I want you to do something and end the evilness of that man." His voice raise a bit but remained calm. He clearly has a point. But, what can I do to overpower him?

"He needs you and that child to get everything from Min. At first, I tried to manipulate him by convincing him that the late chairwoman left last request before Suga can obtain the fortune. Therefore, it wasn't only me who look out to us. I have no choice but to tell him that there is a way... And that is you."

I squeezed my fists out of anger towards him. How the hell he got guts to manipulate everyone? Without a warned or any slight sign that we are being used by him. Moving on his palm as he watch us like fools.

"What else I didn't know? Just... Tell me everything and I'll try to help." Finally I decided since it's the right thing to do. For me and Suga, and this poor lawyer's family.

"I didn't know Mr. Austin until I learned that you hired him as your investigator. I warned him about your father and I asked for his help. He actually agreed, the day he told you about the truth is planned too, by your father of course. Yet, I made a move myself. Instead of telling first Suga, I asked him to tell you first to wreck his plan A. But that old man have thousands of substitute plans and as I expected. He still got you that very same day."
He breath for a while and look at me trying to know if I believe him and I nod to give him an assurance that I am.

"However, your situation is a pure surprise for him. He asked me to act like I found you by one nurse who recognize your face, because Suga has been looking for you. Posting your names at every police station, radio announcement and also at television. I did those."

My cheeks heated. It warms my heart to know that Suga searched for me. Unlike what that old man told me.

"How could I help?" I finally asked as I understand everything.

"I will bribe some doctors and nurses here to fake your baby's death. Tell Suga the baby is dead if he learn that you are pregnant. I will send that document to your father." He suggested. It sounds wrong to me. Yet, it's for the best.

"It will hurt Suga so much if he know the truth." I burted sadly.

"We need to do it. I'll give you a week to be with him and after that, you need to go somewhere far. Don't tell anyone where you going except me. I will create a falsified divorce paper of you and Suga. I won't let your father have what Min work hard for. Born the child there and we will conduct the DNA for legal papers. I will secretly passed the fortune to him."

Tears escape my eyes. All I want to do is be with him and create a happy family but because of greedy people, Suga and I needed to be separated for long time. I need to leave him for good. How I wish it will really do good towards him. Especially, he still don't totally cure.

"What if that old man hurt your family when you don't succeed the plan?" I asked. I care about his family too. He's doing a lot for us and the thing we are about to do is very risky for all of us. Each one of us will be affected in many ways.

"He won't. Just go away after a week anytime. When everyone is asleep or busy. That excuse will save my family for a while. I will look for you like I didn't know where you are. Hide well, he might hire other people to search."

I nod my head. I cannot disagree anymore and it feels like his plan is the best one we can do. Yet, I asked him this one important request.

"Just promise me when I'm gone that you'll focus on him. Help him to recover and cope up with life. Teach him how to move on and live a life without me. He still my husband, though will actually divorce for real in future time. Suga will remain the closest to my heart as he is my brother."

I look up to Mr. Davids with my pleading eyes. He wipe his undried tears and smile at me. He grabbed my both shoulders and suddenly, I felt nervous again. His smile has meaning.
"Suga, isn't your brother. You can be his wife forever, Ashley. Trust me with those information. Yet, you cannot tell him that."

I smile and cry again. My hands travel to my tummy caressing my flat abdomen. My shoulder quake out of crying yet I stop when we heard a knock.

I hastily wipe my tears with the white hospital blanket and Mr. Davids help me to lay down my back and fixed the pillow below my head. I shut my eyes acting like asleep.

My heart thump fast as I slowly hear the high pitch sound of the door opening and the trample of the sole of their shoes going towards my bed.

I remain still and try no to move and stop my tears to flee my closed eyes. Suddenly, I sense a cold hand on my forehead caressing it.

"Ash, I'm here."

✘✘✘✘✘✘✘

Update

Raining again. 😭

Mister
❤