Decoupled • KTH ✔

Chapter 40

Taehyung

Me:
I'll meet you tonight for dinner

Maya:
Sure, Taehyung

Maya:
I just reached home. Staying off from work today.

Me:
Rest well, Maya.

Me:
I have a lot to tell you.

Maya:
I will. I'm always here to hear out and help.

With that, I toss my phone aside and get ready for work. After more than three days of grieving in an empty house, I have finally managed to shave and groom myself and also take a much needed shower. I feel a lot more human today.

I haven't met my daughter in almost four days now, and this is the longest I've been away from her. It's killing me from the inside, and what's worse is that I haven't even been able to talk to her. Jang-Mi isn't allowing that to happen. Even when I tried to pick her up from school yesterday, she somehow managed to pick up our daughter before I arrived.

Life is depressing, but I'm hoping to get some positivity from Maya today.

Heading out of the house, I suddenly realize that I would have to meet up with Jang-Mi and attorney Cha on Sunday, which is the day after tomorrow. The thought of attending another fruitless mediation session makes me squirm.

Giving up on Areum is definitely out of the question.

I quickly decide to meet Maya right away and spend some time with her and also pour out everything that has happened. Together we would surely be able to decide what's best for everyone. Without second thoughts, I drive straight to her house and park my car a few blocks away.

It isn't wrong, yeah?

Yes. It isn't wrong.

I'm nervous, there's no denying that, and I don't even know why. In fact, I'm more nervous than I've ever been in my life, so much that my hands are so clammy and trembling right now, and they are struggling to find a proper grip of the steering wheel.

Making choices is hard. Talking about your problems is hard. And thinking about what Maya might say or how she would react to this situation is already giving me anxiety attacks.

I sit at the edge of the seat, tightly clutching the steering wheel at two and ten, as I press my forehead over the leather casing that encapsulates the steering wheel; my eyes squeezed shut and my heart beating at an unsteady pace.

It isn't wrong. Not when we both want it.
The divorce isn't wrong, and the love that I feel for Maya isn't wrong too.

I hope Maya doesn't give up on me.

Raising my head from the steering wheel, my eyes lift to look at her house which is surrounded by a pretty garden—definitely not as pretty as her mesmerizing eyes—filled with neatly arranged patches of various colorful flowers.

I definitely need this. I need her.

Shaking my head lightly, I hope to shake off the doubts in my mind as well. My hand loosens the necktie that's seemingly choking me right now, and I also undo the collar button of my shirt before I pick up my phone from the passenger seat and drop an email to work that I wouldn't be coming in today.

Turning my phone to mute and placing it inside the safety of my briefcase, I glance at the wedding band on the ring finger of my left hand, one which I don't even understand why I'm still wearing.

It is unbelievable how such a small piece of adornment can completely upturn a human life into such a mess as mine.

This ring means absolutely nothing to me at this point, it's just a piece of metal that I shouldn't be allowing to take control of my mind and emotions.