365 Days of You

Chapter 1 - Part 2

Nayeon's eyes flutter, expecting to see a flock of blonde hair under her chin. Her hands search for the warm body that usually gives her comfort.

Her eyes fly open when reality descends on her.

Mina is gone.

Like all other people in her life.

Nam-ji, Seok and now Mina.

The house is eerily quiet as she walks into the kitchen.

There is no excited puppy running around and no beautiful blonde laughing and playing with the said puppy.

She makes a toast and brings it to her lips. It's burnt as usual.

Her face twists as she tries to eat it. She recalls how Mina ate them, never making a face, always pretending she enjoyed those burnt toasts, for her benefit.

She puts the toast down. She isn't hungry anymore.

Boram calls her to confirm the appointment with their lawyers.

Today, it's going to be officially over.

She takes a shower and puts on a grey coat, black shirt and jeans.

It is almost time.

She looks around searching for something.

Where are the damn keys?

"Mina."

She calls, out of habit.

And then freezes when reality strikes.

Mina isn't coming back. She never wants to see her in her life again.

Her throat constricts painfully.

This feeling of emptiness, which she thought has disappeared when Mina entered her life, slowly creeps back up.

She drops to the couch letting the void consume her.

Every single person in her life has only increased the darkness. All but one has offered light, brief and short lived, before she too went out leaving her in an all encompassing darkness.

This is why she hated letting people in. She has been happily living her own miserable, pathetic life.

Why did Mina have to come in, show her what real happiness looked like, only to cruelly snatch it away in the end?

She feels an irrational anger bubble up in her chest.

Why is she letting some contract marriage, some contract wife get to her?

She is Im Nayeon. She is strong, independent and doesn't need anyone. She will never let anyone bring down the walls she has carefully built.

They had good sex. That's all this is about. It is normal to miss physical intimacy. She just needs to get laid to get over this.

I don't want to see you in my life again.

Mina's voice ring in her ears.

Like she gives a fuck. Their contract is up and she doesn't want to see the younger girl again either.

Nayeon can hear her heart beat, every single pound in her chest.

This great pressure on her ribs, the hammering, she can feel every single one of them.

Is Mina feeling as miserable as she is? Or is she happy that she is finally free from this hell?

Her heartbeat echoes in her chest, the hairs on her arms stands to attention as she opens the door.

She walks into the room and finds Boram  and her lawyers around.

Mina isn't there.

As if on cue, the beating in her chest stops, dies even.

"We have a situation."

"Fuck." She curses as her hand gets trapped in the door of a kitchen cabinet.

She withdraws her arm carelessly ignoring the bruised skin and continues rammaging through the shelves for alcohol.

Why the hell has she not stocked them?

Mina, that's why.

She has given up drinking for the Japanese girl.

She kicks the cabinet as Boram's voice plays in her head.

"Mina already sent in her signed papers. We'll file for divorce tomorrow. You can appear in person or we can send a lawyer on your behalf. In twelve to sixteen weeks, you'd be called for a hearing at the court. "

"Will she be there tomorrow?"

"No. She'll come directly for the hearing. She prefers that I deal with the legal process until then."

That's the situation.

She kicks the cabinet again. Mina has really meant when she said that she doesn't want to see her again.

She starts her car and drives to the store.

She desperately needs a drink.

The clicks of camera are more so than usual as she steps out of the store, bags full of alcohol.

Nayeon-ssi is Mina is asking for a divorce?

Nayeon-ssi, Nayeon-ssi can you wave at the camera.

Why are you calling it quits?

She ignores all of them.

Nayeon-ssi, is it true that your wife cheated on you?

She stops and growls at the reporter.

"Are you talking about your wife oppa? I'm sure my wife doesn't do that."

Ex wife. She bites her tongue.

But she has faith in the tabloids to write her in the worst possible way and only publish the first part of her rant.

She pushes her way through the crowd and opens the car door.

She kicks off her shoes when she gets to the empty house, and drinks straight from the bottle.

She lets the whiskey burn her throat, the sour and vile taste distracting her, stealing her away at least for the moment from the harsh reality.

She looks around the house.

Mina's shoes where it normally lay on the rack is not there.

She takes another drink off the bottle.

The whiskey quietens her thoughts, steadying her heart, giving it the strength to to on.