𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 ✓

Chapter 27

MAL lightly giggled as she quietly closed the door behind her, putting the phone close to her ear to listen to her brother's voice.

"I know that, Rajwan," she replied, "I just don't know how to prove it to his parents. And if I'm being honest, I need reassurance too."

Rajwan nodded, playfully rolling his eyes.

"I know that too."

He paused for a few moments, then let out a noise of realization while his eyes widened.

"Oh, I know!" He began, shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth. "Check the security cameras! Your house is filled with them, and you have a security room."

It took her a few moments to absorb the words.

And when she did, she allowed her eyes to widen as well. She covered her mouth to suppress a gasp of surprise at the suggestion.

"Holy- why didn't I think of that before?"

Rajwan shrugged, a sly smirk creeping over to the corner of his mouth.

"I don't know," he replied, "but you should thank God that you have a brother like me to remind you. Aren't I a genius?"

She playfully rolled her eyes. "I don't need your genius ideas to thank God that I have you, silly!"

Rajwan softly smiled at the sentence.

"Yeah... I'm glad I have you too."

Mal nodded and glanced at the empty hallway she was standing in. She knew that her husband was sleeping in a different room, and so did her obnoxious in-laws, and yet she couldn't bring it to her heart to wake them up with the movements she made. She had already felt terrible that her in-laws were treating Hyunjin badly, and she couldn't afford them to hit him in the morning once again because they woke up cranky.

She rolled her eyes as she slowly passed by the room her in-laws were sleeping in. She was met by the overwhelming silence while she passed by the room, and soon enough, her husband's room.

Good. They were all asleep.

She put the phone close to her ear once again, this time speaking in a quieter tone to the other end. She took quick, quiet steps out of the hallway. Soon enough reaching the security room at the end of the gigantic floor.

"Hey, can you stay with me while I check the cameras? I need someone with me right now."

He muttered an immediate reply of agreement, shifting in his seat on the couch and sitting up straight.

Soon enough, she took her seat on the leather chair that sat by the big, plasma screens. She put her hand up and set the phone down on the counter beside her, then began pressing on a few buttons. It took a longer duration than it should because she didn't go into the security room more often.

Which she was beginning to regret by that point.

"Anything yet?" Her brother's voice jolted her out of her silence.

"Not yet..."

She pressed a few more buttons and sat back to watch what played on the screen. The footage of that fateful night.

"Okay, got it." She spoke to the phone beside her. "I'm going to watch it now."

Rajwan nodded and muttered a reply, then threw one popcorn into his mouth.

The silence was deafening. It was all they could hear for a few moments beside the chewing of the popcorn, and the slurping of the Pepsi Rajwan was drinking.

"Oh my God..." Mal began, covering her mouth with her palm after a moment of watching the footage.

"What's going on?" Rajwan sat up straight in his seat, his heart dropping to the stomach in anticipation.

Her eyes began to fill up with tears. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest and the hand that was covering her mouth a few moments before was now over her chest, feeling her racing heartbeat.

"Mal, what's happening? Are you seeing the footage now?"

Tears began to pour down her face. Sobs escaped her mouth, which caused Rajwan to question what was happening and untangle his legs from its current position.

"Mal?"

"Rajwan, she-"

She was interrupted by her own sobs. She sunk her head through her palms and broke down into violent, heartbroken sobs.

"I failed to protect him..."

Rajwan listened to her sobs, words forming on the tip of his lips but failing.

"Mal, what's going on..?"

Mal shook her head and rested her head against the keyboard.

"I didn't protect him, Rajwan!" She sobbed out. "I'm the worst wife ever!"

Rajwan shook his head and bit his lower lip, not knowing what to say.

"No- hey, you're not! Just tell me what's going on."

She gulped her saliva and turned around, getting up from her seat. She wanted to be near him—anywhere but there.

"I'm going to go see him now, okay?" She spoke through the phone. "I don't want to be here anymore."

Rajwan frowned, and eventually nodded.

"Okay, whatever you want."

Mal nodded her head before reaching for the phone to hang up the call.

And hurried towards her husband's room, wiping away the stream of tears down her face.

She knew that she had to make that right.