Chapter 2

I received a haunting message one evening. I doubted the message but there was a photo attached to it, showing V with an unknown woman. They were entering a hotel. They had their arms wrapped around each other, big smiles and laughter. My stomach hurt and I couldn't breathe. I let out a curse and kicked the seat repeatedly before I grabbed the aluminum bat from the floor of the van.

Ignoring the barrage of questions from my teammates and their demanding me to stay inside, I slid the door open with a loud bang and stormed my way out. I was on a stakeout near the hotel, and I was about to bust his nuts. I walked to the front desk and showed my badge. 

"My husband is here with another woman," I said. "His name is V. Tell me his room number."

The woman manning the desk was apologetic and gave me a spare key. I went up to the room, fury bursting at the seams. It hurts to admit it, but I felt disgusted by his actions. I felt like I was meaningless like I was nothing to him that he could cast me aside so easily. Was I nothing to him? Were his vows to me mean absolutely nothing? Were his proclamations of love and compassion just empty words?

The pain inside my chest hurt so much that it was excruciating to breathe.

God help me.

My heart was in my chest as the lift doors opened and I walked down the carpeted floor - counting down the door number under my breath - the card was poking in my palm as I squeezed my hand tightly. My boots sank slightly underneath the carpet and I felt like I was floating.

The corridor was dark and muted and I didn't care about anything other than finding the correct room so I could bash his head in. It felt long and winding, but I eventually found the room. I double-checked the card and tapped it on the lock, seeing the red light turn green.

Slowly, with bated breath, I entered the room.

The bathroom was on my left and I heard them first. Loud music was being played and I hear them fucking. My husband was grunting and the bitch was moaning, begging for "daddy to impregnate". I swore I could've vomited in my mouth at how heart-wrenching it was to hear such disgusting shit in front of you.

Despite my initial desire for violence, I took out my mobile phone and started recording. Video evidence was the best against such folly. I walked up to them, with my phone trained on them. There they were, on the bed with his bare ass showing and the bitch's legs wrapped around his torso.

I took a two-minute video.

That was all I could withstand. 

I cleared my throat. "I didn't know you had a side chick, V," I said loudly. "I thought you said you were at home with your parents. I didn't think this was considered so."

A high-pitched scream and their fucking stopped at an abrupt end as they stared at me with mixed expressions. My skin crawled upon seeing another woman beneath him when I knew it was supposed to be me. Not her. He was supposed to hold me only, kiss me only, and make love to me only. Only me. But there was another woman. I was replaced.

This was the fifth one.

I felt absolute crap.

His dick was still inside her going soft and he quickly pulled out, both of them springing apart as if they got burnt. The woman grabbed the quilt to cover herself up, cowering to the side of the bed as if waiting for the consequences to happen.

"Leave before I crack your skull open," I warned.

She sucked in a breath and left without wasting time. As she hurried to dress up and grabbed her bag, I watched the man who was my husband. I was thinking about what I ought to do with him. The pain in my chest was still aflame, and I couldn't bear to hold it anymore. The betrayal that I felt was eating me alive, and all I wanted to do was to drop to the ground and cry.

I wanted to cry, wanted to wail, wanted to release the pain inside my chest but I didn't want to let him see me break. I was a stubborn bitch, and I wasn't about to show him how much pain I was feeling. His betrayal broke me, the one person whom I trusted with my life. 

"If you wanted to be free of me, you could've filed for a divorce," I said. My voice was soft, exhausted. I have no energy left. "Why would you betray me? We … we've been through everything together. You promised."

He said nothing. 

He couldn't say a thing.

"And you got a son waiting for you," I said, a frown flitted onto my forehead. I couldn't hide the pain from my voice. I pointed the metal bat at his face. "How dare you betray him? How dare you?"

"Q, honey please let me explain," he said.

I cracked my neck. "There's nothing to explain," I said flatly and swung the bat.

…

I woke up with an aching back as I slept on the floor. The nightmare left a stain on my tongue and tugged on my heart. I let out a groan as I stretched, muttering curses under my breath as I straightened my back. The apartment was empty as my furniture was outside and I needed the time to bring them in. After I washed up, I called the precinct, asking the boys to come to help me carry in the heavy furniture. 

The apartment that I had gotten was a shared one, and the landlord was a little old lady named Takahashi Akari. She owned a fishing business in town, and I got the rent at a cheaper price thanks to me being a helpful little turd. The space was adequate for one person, there was a kitchen, space for a dining table and an attached bathroom. A living room and an enclosed space for my bedroom.

It was quaint.

I loved it.

While I was busy installing curtains in my living room, I got a surprise visit from Haruto-san who came by carrying trays of food. He entered my apartment without a word, placed them on the dining table, and announced that there was food. I turned to stare at him in surprise. 

"W – what are you doing here?" I asked.

He was not alone. There was a group of men behind him, and I saw the three boys from the precinct amidst the group. They greeted me cheerily as I climbed down the ladder and I greeted them awkwardly. I was not expecting company, and I certainly was not expecting a big group.

"We know you're moving in," Haruto-san said. "So we're here to help you unpack, organize, and lift heavy things."

"Huh?"

"We're different from the city dwellers," he said. "We won't ignore a neighbor in need."

"Err.. okay."

Haruto-san was smiling so widely it hurt. I didn't know where to look, I felt like I was brought back to my younger years. I pushed the glasses that were sliding down the bridge of my nose and climbed down the ladder to take a look at the food he brought over.

"I … I just wanna thank you for what you did yesterday," he started speaking and avoided eye contact as he wrung his hands. He sounds soft, shy, and awkward. "Watanabe-san is usually aggressive when he's drunk."

"Is he … a bi or something?"

"Bi?"

I looked at him. "A bisexual," I said. "Someone who likes both men and women."

He turned red with embarrassment. Judging from his reaction, I knew it wasn't the first time he experienced such an unfortunate and uncomfortable situation with the landlord. I glanced away, muttering curses under my breath. There was one thing about a man being adorably cute and shy, and there was another thing in taking advantage of such a man.

"You can report him for sexual harassment," I said quietly. "I'll get you a good lawyer if you plan on doing it. You don't have to be afraid of him or his wife."

As soon as I said it, he burst into hysterical tears. Surprised at his reaction, I dragged him to my bedroom quickly, away from the eyes of the other men who were busy setting up my sofa and coffee table. I slid shut the sliding doors, giving him some privacy as I went to the kitchen to get him a canned drink.

"Hey, where did Haruto-san go?" Eichirou asked.

"He went to the bathroom," I lied and headed into my bedroom, seeing him sitting on the floor hugging his knees.

Wordlessly, I handed him the canned drink and told him to drink up. I looked away as he sniffed, rubbed his eyes, and took a sip. I never had anyone – stranger or not burst into tears so easily in front of me. I was taken aback by his tears, and it made me angry. How long had he suffered under the hands of the landlord?

"Do you feel better, Haruto-san?" I asked.

He nodded as he sniffed, his eyes were red from crying. I scratched my hair, not knowing what to do. "Sorry for that, Q," he said quietly. His voice wavered. "I never had anyone tell me this before and I'm so relieved."

"You're just too pure for this world, Haruto-san," I said quietly.

He laughed. My heart. 

"You just stay this way, okay?"

He nods.

…

Later in the afternoon – 

I was walking about when I heard raised voices along an alley. There was a crowd of aunties ganging up and as I neared the group, I saw Haruto-san in the middle of it. I didn't know what they were arguing about but he looked like he was close to tears. My heart did a little leap, not knowing why and I stood there trying to get a gist of what was happening.

It seems that he was asking why one of the aunties was selling at a more expensive price as opposed to the sign stated. They were berating him for being a numbskull, not knowing how to read or understand the situation and he was quiet, keeping his head down. I frowned, is he just going to take all of their abuse quietly? 

He's such a gentle soul.

Seeing a tear running down his cheek, I interrupted their chiding. "Scamming people at this age and day can land you in jail," I said loudly as I approached the teary man, offering a piece of tissue to him. "And it's a petty way to have that on your record, don't you think?"

"W – what are you talking about..?"

"We didn't scam him!"

I sighed as I took out my wallet, peeling the exact amount out before I placed it on the table. "You got a new detective here," I said, eyeing the four aunties with disdain. "Best not to do this kind of thing in broad daylight." I grabbed the item and his hand before I dragged him out of there.

He was sobbing quietly as we walked down the alley and I brought him toward the ocean so he could calm down. Making him sit down, I wandered a few ways away to get him a drink and watched him from afar as he stared ahead with a pout. 

"Did Haruto-san get into a fight with the market aunties again?" the ice cream uncle asked curiously.

"Do they always bully him?" I asked as I handed the coins over to him.

"Yes," he replied as he handed my change back to me. "They said he's an unlucky child. He was abandoned by his mother, and he has no family. He's been alone all his life. Despite everything, he's still kind, gentle, and all-around a good guy. He just wanted to make an honest living here."

I was taken aback. "Ah," I said. "That's not good."

With a heavy, sinking heart, I made my way back to Haruto-san and handed a canned drink over to him quietly while I sat down next to him munching on a chocolate ice-cream cone. 

"Did you not buy me any ice-cream?" he complained. He sniffed as he sipped the drink.

Quietly, I handed the plastic bag over to him, there was an ice cream cone inside. He beamed when he saw it and accepted it happily, humming as he opened the wrappings on the ice cream cone so he could eat it. I watched him light up like a little boy and I wondered how old he was. I stayed quiet as we ate, admiring the ocean ahead.

"I'll pay you back for the rice cakes," he said eventually.

I handed the plastic bag filled with rice cakes to him. "What are you going to make?" I asked. "I thought you sell alcohol and stir-fried pork belly."

He sniffed. "I thought of evolving the menu," he said. "And I felt like eating rice cake today."

"Do you feel better now?"

"I'm sorry for making you help me all the time," he said.

"You're okay like this," I said. "And it's just twice. It's no big deal. I help people for a living, it's in my nature. You don't need to feel obligated or burdensome."

He stared at me.

"Quit staring," I said. "Eat your ice-cream."

He obliged.

…