Bitter Revelation

Chapter Sixty-Five

"You cannot have Rielle because she is my wife." Hyun-Ki continued, "she can never be yours, Akio Hinode because she IS still my wife!"

That Sunday night came, and Rielle prepared herself for the dinner meeting. She was choosing the right dress for the occasion. Then her doorbell rang. She flinched and looked at her watch, it was still early, and Kio was already there to fetch her. She came down immediately and was talking to him, thinking it was Akio, but when she opened the door, it was Fernan, Akio's chauffeur.

"Miss Rielle, Mr. A asked me to bring this to you for this evening's occasion. She opened the vanity bag and smiled.

"Thank you, Fernan. Tell him I am already getting ready," then Fernan left. Rielle then went upstairs happily. She carefully took a costly perfume Akio wanted her to wear from the bag. After putting on her dress, she sprayed the fragrance all over her; it smelled so heavenly that it exuded all over her. A few moments away, Akio was already by her door, a bouquet in his hands. Rielle made Akio come in, placing the smell in the vase. As Rielle was placing the vase on her center table, Akio took something out of his suit's pocket and opened it for Rielle.

"This is what I want you to put around your lovely neck, babe," Akio brought out from the box a necklace with a heart surrounded by rubies and sapphires. Rielle removed her half-moon necklace, placed it in her bag, and Akio replaced it with his gift and kissed her neck. Besides the chain was a pair of dangling earrings filled with rubies and sapphires. Akio looked at Rielle admiringly and kissed her forehead.

Meanwhile, at the Shizukesa Hotel, where the dinner meeting will take place, Hyun-Ki and Hwan Chul were assisted by the hotel receptionist and were led to a table close to the garden patio. The two brothers were chatting as they sipped their wine when Akio arrived with Rielle.

Hwan Chul's eyes widened while Hyun-Ki was stunned. They were both speechless when Rielle appeared before them. Simultaneously, Rielle was surprised as they. Akio held Rielle's waist and introduced her to the Han Brothers, pretending he didn't know Rielle was once Hyun-Ki's Executive Assistant.

"This is Rielle, my girlfriend." Boastingly introduced Rielle as he assisted her to her seat. The brothers felt uneasy, and Rielle felt the same, too. The shocked Hyun-Ki spoke:

"We knew Rielle already, her being my Executive Assistant. How did you meet?" asked Hyun-Ki, curious but frowning.

"Rielle was my Executive Secretary and part-time real estate agent." Akio lovingly stared at Rielle, his hand clasping Rielle's hand. Rielle couldn't glance at either Hwan or Hyun, and both Hwan and Hyun-Ki couldn't remove their eyes from Rielle. Akio felt uneasy about how the Han brothers stared at Rielle, so he broke the ice.

"I was glad you accepted my father's offer for investment, so I guess we will often meet," Akio said.

"I would be glad if Rielle would always be there during our meetings," Hyun-Ki, still staring at Rielle. "Or better if you let Rielle return to her former position as my Executive Assistant," he said, nearly agitated. Hwan Chul cut in and changed the subject talking to Rielle.

"How's your work as a real estate agent, Rielle?" chirped Hwan. Rielle was about to speak when Hyun-Ki suddenly talked about the villa, making them know about his visit.

"What about the villa --- Rielle, you never mentioned Hyun-Ki coming to the villa," Akio was curious. "Was he in that red sedan I saw yesterday?" asked Akio.

"I was; we talked ---" Hwan Chul tapped Hyun's shoulder to stop him. "What are you trying to do, Hyeong?"

"What? It is right that Akio should know," Hyun-Ki was getting irritated. Rielle stood up and asked them to leave, but Akio held Rielle's hand and pulled her to sit.

"What should or must know, Hyun?" dared Akio. Hwan Chul was restraining Hyun-Ki from speaking up. Rielle felt nervous and was nearly in tears when Akio caught her. The more his curiosity became extensive. With his stare fixed at Rielle, Akio prompted Hyun-Ki to talk. Hyun-Ki seeing Rielle stressed, stopped. Hwan Chul cautioned Hyun-Ki and advised they better get going, forget the dinner and talk sometime when all of them were at ease. But Akio, already angered by Hyun-Ki's statement, prodded Hyun-Ki to talk.

He took out his necklace from his shirt and showed it to Akio.

"Familiar with this? She had the other pair, and I gave it to her after our civil wedding, after our honeymoon." Hwan Chul was furious. "Oh, Hyeong? Seriously?" Akio recalled the necklace Rielle was always wearing, which he also replaced with the chain he had gifted her.

"You cannot have Rielle because she is my wife." Hyun-Ki continued, "she can never be yours, Akio Hinode because she IS still my wife!" Rielle stood up, about to leave, but Akio was fast to grab her hand, and they walked out together, pulling Rielle forcibly toward the elevator, with some guests getting their attention.

"What have you done, Hyun? You put Rielle in deep waters this time, and if something happened to Rielle tonight, I should never forgive you!" said Hwan Chul with a steady voice. Hyun got worried that he would follow Akio and Rielle to the elevator.

While the two were in the elevator, Akio could not accept what Hyun had revealed. He was facing the elevator wall, his hands on the handrail, and hitting his head on the wall. Rielle was fearful and sobbing, she wanted to touch Akio, but she couldn't, and when the elevator reached the topmost floor, the Penthouse, he pulled Rielle without a word into the open sky space. At the same rate, Hyun-Ki watched for the elevator to reach its destination and then took one elevator to the Penthouse.

"Do you see this, Rielle? I had this terrace arranged for both of us tonight after the would-be dinner with the Han brothers, and I was about to propose to you!" Akio was weeping. Akio started to hit the table, kicked the chairs, and destroyed the decorations around it while shouting in anger. Rielle was crying nervously and asking Akio to stop.

"Please, Kio, stop it! Stop it, please!" implored Rielle.

"Why did you fool me, Rielle? Why?" Akio was fuming in desperation. Rielle could not speak; she was bewildered and confused as she cried profusely. Akio grabbed her face and roughly kissed her, so hard that her lips bled. And Akio was not satisfied; he started to move on her, holding her body tight while kissing her roughly. Rielle was fighting him, trying to get loose, but Akio was powerful and released her.

"I respected you, Rielle. I never touched you because my intention for you was pure. But you fooled me! You played me; I couldn't believe this!" Akio was lamenting his dismay. Rielle couldn't say anything but continued crying. Akio grabbed her hand and forcibly pulled her out of the terrace, bringing her toward his Penthouse. Hyun-Ki met them by the doorway of the deck and grabbed Rielle.

"You have no right to hurt her much more violate her, Hinode," Hyun-Ki said, and both struck at each other, punching each other's face while Rielle was crying and yelling, begging them to stop! Akio fell at the last blow from Hyun-Ki, grabbed Rielle, and walked briskly to the elevator. Once inside, Hyun-Ki took off his coat, wrapped it around Rielle, and offered her his handkerchief, which Rielle accepted, both saying nothing.

Akio pulled himself up and went to his Penthouse. He took a bottle of wine, flowed it into his glass, then, still furious, he threw the wine into the glass window. He sat on the floor, weeping, feeling pity for himself, repeatedly calling out Rielle's name and asking 'why.'

In a while, Hyun-Ki brought Rielle to his car, where Hwan Chul was waiting. He drove the car and asked Rielle her home address, but she was not moving, as if in shock. Hyun-Ki then decided to bring Rielle to his home.

When they arrived at Hyun-Ki's residence, Rielle started crying heavily. She was pounding Hyun-Ki's chest out of anger, slowly weakening to breakdown and fainting. Hyun-Ki carried Rielle to the guest room of his house, laid her on a couch, and asked for a cold towel. A maid fixed her bed, and Hyun-Ki laid her on the bed while the maid was removing her shoes. Hyun-Ki asked to be left alone with Rielle.

He sat beside her, damping the cold towel on her forehead, staring at her worriedly. He was staring at her, tracing the line of her face, and thought how he missed Rielle so terribly. Hyun-ki took the bedspread below the bed's edge and covered Rielle. He sat on the sofa near her bed and waited.

Rielle woke up after a few hours and saw Hyun-Ki sleeping while sitting on the sofa. She stood searching for her shoes when Rielle's movement awakened Hyun-Ki, and Hyun-Ki touched her hand, and Rielle roughly swayed his hand.

"Where are you going, Rielle?" asked Hyun-Ki sadly.

"Home. I couldn't stay here." Rielle said in an angered tone.

"Please stay. It's very late, and I'll bring you home tomorrow morning. You're in my guest room, so you have nothing to worry about." Hyun-Ki said softly. Rielle sat on the bed, saying nothing. Hyun-Ki watched her closely and then offered her to eat something.

"Our dinner meeting didn't happen, so I asked the cook to prepare us food before you sleep. I promise I'll bring you home tomorrow." Then Hyun-Ki left the room.

While eating their meal, Hwan Chul broke the ice. He started asking questions about her life after they left for Korea. Rielle remained quiet, having no interest in a conversation, then stood up, went straight to the guest room, and locked herself.

She touched the necklace and removed it carefully from her neck, then the earrings. She placed them in the box in her handbag, lay on the bed, and continued weeping. She couldn't remove from her imagination how Akio behaved towards her. His angry face, rough kisses, and near-violent moves on her that she cried the entire night until she fell asleep.

The following morning, it was already 10 am; she removed her clothes and went to the bathroom to wash her face, and when she saw her sad face in the mirror, she wept again, seemingly couldn't get herself from that scene of the last night. She became angrier at Hyun-Ki, blaming him for the trouble he created, and he had already hurt her countless times, which was his last straw.

A knock on her door came, and when she opened it, the maid told her that Hyun-Ki and Hwan Chul were waiting for her at the table for breakfast. She went down to the dining area and found them both. Hyun-Ki gave her a seat but remained standing still; Rielle was silent; after which Rielle spoke:

"I want to annul our marriage, Hyun-Ki," which startled Hyun-Ki, and Hwan Chul. Then Rielle continued, "There's no good reason for both of us to remain married." Rielle said with a strong word.

"Huh! Because you found a man wealthier than me, is that it?" Hyun-Ki replied sarcastically. "Was he better than me in bed, Rielle?" Rielle lifted her hand to slap him, but Hyun got hold of it quickly.

"How dare you insult me! You can never make me change my decision, Han Hyun-Ki!" Rielle angrily stressed. "Say whatever you like, but my decision is final!" Rielle picked up her bag and started to leave. Han Hyun-Ki halted Rielle, and with a stern, loud voice, he said.

"I will never annul our marriage! You will remain married to me, Rielle, that I promised!" warned Hyun-Ki. Rielle, her eyes narrowed fiercely, with her head up, loosened Hyun-Ki's hold of her hand and left.

Rielle went home and was thinking how she could get away from Hyun-Ki. Suddenly she remembered Andrew, so she called her sister, Donna.

"Hello, my dear sister. How's life? How's your pregnancy going? The last picture you sent me was when you were four months on the way." Rielle said anxiously.

"I'm in perfect shape, my dear sister. How's your new job? Are you making more sales now? And may I know why you called? Is something troubling you? I know you very well, Rielle, so spill out!" Donna chuckled. Rielle was in tears now, trying to control it.

"Donna, I need a lawyer. Can Drew help me in my predicament?" asked Rielle hesitantly.

"Rielle, what trouble are you in now? You're making me nervous!" Donna exclaimed questioningly.

"Hyun-Ki was back, Donna; I want to get away from our tie. I need a lawyer to help me annul our marriage; please help!" Rielle felt so troubled. So, Donna kept her sister calm and promised to discuss it with Drew. She advised Rielle to take care of herself, and they will fly to her as soon as Drew was ready.