Chained by Expectations | Park Sunghoon

Four

Haneul arrived home late that night and was met with a penthouse shrouded in darkness. Her footsteps echoed softly on the polished marble floor as she made her way to the kitchen, her weariness evident in each step. The silence engulfed her as she prepared a simple bowl of ramen, the only sound the soft hum of the microwave.

As she sat at the kitchen island, her thoughts drifted to the events of the evening. The tension between her and Sunghoon still lingered in her mind, leaving a bitter aftertaste. She ate her late-night meal quietly, trying to distract herself from the complexities of her new life.

"I wonder how long before we can get a divorce?" She whispered to herself in between bites.

Eventually, she finished her ramen and ventured upstairs to her new room, her snacks and a small package meant for Sunghoon in her arms. Flicking on a warm bedside lamp, she surveyed her surroundings. Her new room was surprisingly comfortable, similar in size to her room back home but adorned with a soothing blend of white and beige. It was a refuge within the imposing mansion, a sanctuary to collect her thoughts.

Sighing, she began to unpack her belongings, but the clock on her nightstand only discouraged her, displaying a daunting 2:00 in the morning. Haneul decided to give up on organizing and slumped onto her plush bed. Her eyes drifted to the bag of snacks she had picked out for Sunghoon, and a mixture of irritation and disappointment surged within her.

"Jerk," she mumbled under her breath, "He doesn't derevre all these yummy snacks after what he did." She angily continued to mumble. If not for Jake's kindness, she might still have been wandering the dark streets trying to make her way back. Haneul stood there examining the snacks in the bag.

"He acts like this stupid marriage was my idea...I hate it just as much as him...." she continued to mumble as she selected a small chocolate bar and retrieved a sticky note from her backpack. In bold black marker, she wrote a single word: "JERK." 

Gently, she opened her door, tiptoed across the hall, and slipped the sweet offering beneath Sunghoon's door.

Returning to her room and shutting the door, she let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding in. "He can have the rest once he stops acting like a jerk." She said finally getting herself ready for bed. The exhaustion from the day's events overwhelmed her, and as she nestled beneath her soft blankets she found herself drifting off to a deep slumber.

Next Morning

The following morning Haneul got up really early. The previous night as she ate her late night ramen she thought to herself that she would not give Sunghoon any reasons to hate her as a wife. Sure he already hated the idea of them being a married couple but she would still try to be a good wife to him because that's what would be expected of her right? So, she made sure to get up early enough to make her and Sunghoon breakfast.

Sunghoon, meanwhile, had just finished getting dressed for the day, his crisp attire befitting his business persona. As he strode toward the door of his bedroom, something on the floor caught his attention. Bending down, he picked up the small chocolate bar and the note beneath it. He unfolded the note, revealing a single word written boldly in black marker: "JERK."

A soft chuckle escaped him, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes at the cheeky gesture. With a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, he tossed the chocolate bar into the drawer of his nightstand, almost as if savoring the word's playful sting.

He made his way down the stairs only to find  Haneul waiting for him, seated at the kitchen counter.

"You're up." She stated as she turned to him.

"I made you breakfast so you can eat before you leave for work." She exclaimed offering him a warm smile.

"Throw it away." He said coldly, "I don't eat breakfast." He continued as he started making his way towards the door.

"But-"

"Listen," he said cutting her off "I know we're legally husband and wife but you don't have to act it okay? I don't have to be loyal to you just like you don't have to be loyal to me. We can see who ever we want and we can do whatever we want. This..." He said motioning to between the both of them "is not real." He finally said his words hitting her like a brick wall.

"But, we have to at least act it in public, my dad said reporters are alrea-"

"Who cares? who cares what anyone has to say?" He exclaimed frustrated at her. 

"Look, I know we started off...not on the best terms...but can we at least try to get along? We can be friends, this can help us at least be a little bit comfortable." She proposed.

"Not a chance." He said turning around as he made his way out the door.

She huffed in annoyance. "Fine...I'll just never cook for him again." She said as she sat and ate her breakfast alone.

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Sorry, pretty short chapter!