Jinho and Cha had finally returned home to the Philippines, slipping back into the routine of their daily life.
With everything back to normal, Cha woke up early to prepare breakfast and organize Jinho's things for the day.
"Wow..." Jinho murmured, sneaking up behind her and wrapping his arms tightly around her waist while she plated the food. "My wifey is taking her wifely duties very seriously, huh?"
"Come on, eat up before you're late for work," Cha said, chuckling softly.
"Yes, my Queen." Jinho pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead before sitting down to eat.
Once Jinho left for the office, Cha was left alone in the quiet condo. Boredom quickly crept in, so she threw herself into deep-cleaning the apartment and running errands at the local market.
Yet, as the quiet hours dragged on, her mind began to wander into dangerous territory. Toxic, nagging thoughts began to bubble up—What if some woman at his office is flirting with him? What if he grows tired of me one day? What if he changes?
"Argh, no!" Cha muttered aloud, shaking her head aggressively. "What am I thinking? Erase, erase!"
It was late in the evening when Jinho finally returned home, smelling faintly of alcohol.
Cha raised an eyebrow. "Jinho... have you been drinking?"
"Ah... just a little bit, wifey," Jinho stammered, holding up his hands. "The guys coaxed me into a quick drink after work. Don't worry, I didn't overdo it."
Cha gave him a stern, unreadable look.
"Are you mad at me? I'm sorry... please don't be mad," he pleaded softly.
"Fine... just don't make a habit of it."
"Promise, my Queen!"
Without even bothering to change out of his suit, Jinho collapsed onto the bed and passed out instantly. Cha stood over him, releasing a heavy sigh.
The next morning, Jinho woke up groggy with a throbbing headache. Sensing Cha's cold silence, he tried to play cute, pouting like a child as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Oh... my wifey... I'm really sorry about last night..."
Cha kept her face blank, refusing to smile.
"Are you going to look at me like that until I leave?" Jinho whined softly, pulling her into a warm hug. "I won't be able to focus at work if you're like this."
"I just don't like seeing you drink," Cha muttered softly into his chest. "Though I know it's hard to avoid sometimes."
"I promise it won't happen often."
"Okay... eat your breakfast so you won't be late."
Jinho smirked teasingly. "You sound like you're rushing me out the door just so you don't have to see my face."
"I am not!"
After Jinho left, the apartment fell dead silent once more. Cha sat at the dining table, lost in thought. The isolation was getting to her. She wanted to work—to have something of her own to focus on instead of waiting around all day. She resolved to talk to Jinho about it the moment he got home.
That evening, Jinho arrived home late again, though completely sober this time.
"Why are you so late?" Cha asked as he walked through the door.
"We had mandatory overtime, wifey. I'm sorry I kept you waiting," Jinho said gently, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Have you eaten yet?"
"No. I was waiting for you."
"Wifey, if I'm running late, you need to eat first so you don't starve yourself, okay?"
Cha pouted, crossing her arms. "How am I supposed to have an appetite when I'm eating alone without you?"
Jinho's eyes darkened playfully. "Don't pout like that! You're making it impossible for me to stay civilized. I might do something bad right now."
"So...?"
Before she could finish her sentence, Jinho grabbed her waist and pulled her down onto the sofa, hovering directly over her. They stared at each other, their breathing uneven. Just as Jinho leaned in to capture her lips, Cha pushed his shoulders away.
"A-ah! Let's just eat first!" she gasped, her cheeks burning as she scurried away.
Jinho chuckled softly, following her into the kitchen.
As they sat down, Jinho scooped up a spoonful of food and held it out toward her mouth.
"I can eat by myself..." Cha murmured.
"Please? I'll be hurt if you reject me."
Cha sighed and accepted the bite. Jinho was endlessly sweet, pulling out every trick in the book just to get a smile out of her.
"What if one day you stop being like this to me?" Cha asked softly, gazing at him.
"That's never going to happen, wifey."
"How can you be so sure? I'm not with you 24/7, and no one can control the future."
Jinho took her hand across the table, his dark eyes steady. "Just trust me. Okay?"
"If you say so..." Cha took a deep breath, gathering her courage. "Anyway... can we talk about something?"
"Sure. What is it?" Jinho grinned playfully. "Are you ready to make a baby now?"
"N-no! It's not about that."
"Then what is it?"
"Jinho... can I get a job?"
Jinho's smile instantly vanished. His brow furrowed into a deep, stern line.
"Why would you need a job?" his voice turned guarded. "I can provide everything for you. I earn more than enough to give you whatever you want."
"I know that! But I want to contribute too," Cha explained softly. "And honestly... I get so bored staying home alone all day."
"That's unnecessary, Cha," Jinho replied firmly. "If you're bored while I'm at work, go hang out with your friends or visit your relatives. But you don't need to work."
"But Jinho—"
Jinho stood up, cutting her off completely. "No 'buts'. My decision is final. End of discussion."
Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked into their bedroom, slamming the door shut.
Cha sat alone at the table, her chest tight. She knew he was furious. Wanting to give him space, she went into the bathroom to take a long shower. When she finally got into bed, Jinho was lying with his back turned to her, stiff and silent. Knowing his mood was ruined, she stayed quiet and turned the other way.
The tension hung heavy in the air the next morning. Jinho moved around the condo expressionlessly, barely saying a word. Yet, right before stepping out the door for work, he leaned down, pressed a cold goodbye kiss to her lips, and left.
By noon, the suffocating silence drove Cha to call his phone.
— On the Phone —
"Hi, my hubby..." Cha said softly. "Have you had lunch yet?"
"Not yet," came his clipped, frigid response.
Cha's heart sank at his tone. "Why are you being like this to me...? Why are you so cold? Are you really still that angry?"
Her voice cracked, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Hmm... are you crying?" Jinho asked on the other end, his voice wavering slightly.
Unable to speak past the lump in her throat, Cha hung up the phone.
The moment the call disconnected, the dam broke. Cha curled into a ball on their bed, weeping uncontrollably. It was the very first time Jinho had ever treated her with such coldness.
Back at the office, Jinho stared at his silent phone, a wave of sheer panic washing over him.
What the hell did I just do?
For the rest of the day, Jinho couldn't focus on a single task. His mind was entirely consumed by the sound of Cha's trembling voice before she hung up. The moment his shift ended, he bolted out of the office.
Arriving at their building, he discovered the elevators were temporarily out of service. Driven by desperate urgency, Jinho didn't hesitate—he took off running up the stairwell, taking two steps at a time all the way to the 15th floor.
By the time he reached Unit 1502, he was gasping for air, his chest heaving. He unlocked the door and rushed inside.
"Cha?"
Silence greeted him. Panic surging again, he pushed open the bedroom door.
Cha was curled up on the bed, fast asleep.
Jinho closed his eyes, releasing a shaky breath as a heavy wave of guilt washed over him. He stepped softly toward the bed and sat on the edge, gently brushing a strand of dark hair away from her face.
Seeing the dried tear tracks on her cheeks broke his heart. Tears pricked at Jinho's own eyes.
"I'm so sorry, my Queen..." he whispered, his voice trembling. "I promised to make you happy every single day... but I failed you so quickly. We've only been married for a few days, and I already made you cry..."
Cha remained sound asleep, exhausted from crying.
Quietly, Jinho slipped out of the room and headed to the kitchen to cook dinner, knowing Cha hadn't eaten anything all day.
It was past 8:00 PM when Cha finally stirred. Feeling lightheaded and weak, she stumbled out of bed and made her way down the hallway.
As she reached the top of the short stairs leading to the living room, her vision blurred with dizziness. Her foot slipped, and she lost her balance.
"Woah!"
Before she could fall, a pair of strong arms caught her mid-air, pulling her securely against a broad chest.
Cha gasped, looking up to find Jinho holding her tightly. His dark eyes were filled with sheer terror.
"Are you okay?! You almost fell!" Jinho breathed out, his gaze falling upon her swollen, puffy eyes.
A look of intense sorrow swept across his face. He carefully guided her down the steps and sat her down at the dining table, where a freshly cooked meal was waiting.
"Eat some food, my wifey," he murmured softly.
Cha remained dead silent, picking up her utensils and eating slowly. Jinho didn't eat a single bite; he just sat across from her, his expression deeply remorseful as he watched her every move.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Cha asked quietly, breaking the silence.
Jinho's eyes widened slightly, a faint, relieved smile breaking through his somber expression. "Ah... you're finally talking to me. I thought you were going to ignore me forever. Go ahead and eat, wifey. Don't worry about me."
Cha didn't smile back. Once she finished, she stood up to clear the dishes and began washing them at the sink.
Suddenly, two arms wrapped securely around her waist from behind, pressing Jinho's chest flush against her back.
"I'm sorry..." Jinho buried his face in the crook of her neck, his voice breaking.
Cha froze as a soft sob escaped her lips, her tears falling into the soapy sink.
Jinho gently turned her around to face him. Using his thumbs, he wiped away her falling tears before leaning down to press a deep, desperate kiss to her lips.
"I'm so, so sorry, my Queen..." he whispered, pulling her into a tight, protective embrace, holding her as if she might disappear if he let go.
"Are you... still angry at me?" Cha sniffled against his chest.
Jinho pulled back slightly, looking at her with disbelief. "Why are you asking me that? I should be asking if you can ever forgive me for being such a cold bastard to you today... Are you okay now?"
"I'm okay, hubby..." Cha murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I just... I can't handle it when you're cold to me."
"It's never going to happen again, my wifey. Never."
He pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead, then effortlessly scooped her up into his arms and carried her back to the bedroom, laying her down gently on the mattress.
"Rest now, my wifey..."
Cha looked up at him, her eyes lingering on his lips. "Are we... just going to sleep?"
Jinho blinked. "Why...? Is there something else you wanted to do?"
"Umm... nothing..."
A playful smirk instantly spread across Jinho's face. Before Cha could react, he hovered over her on the bed, trapping her beneath his frame. Cha's heart began to hammer wildly against her ribs as he slowly lowered his face toward hers—
—only for Jinho to drop his head onto her shoulder with a weary laugh.
"Wifey... it's already midnight," Jinho murmured playfully against her neck. "I have to get up early for work tomorrow."
Cha blinked in utter disbelief, her mouth popping open in shock.
Jinho chuckled softly, shifting her into a comfortable position and tucking her head under his arm, using his shoulder as her pillow.
"Sleep well, wifey..." he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her crown as he held her close against his chest.
__Chapter7 end__
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