"Life is about give and take; you know this better than anyone; the deal is clear, either you take an in, or war it shall be.
"It's indeed give and take, so why do I feel like the only one who gives without receiving anything in return?"
"Because th...
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When you woke up and took care of yourself after a long time of neglect, you didn't expect the house to be in such turmoil. Silence was a currency Taehyung sought, and you cherished that quality. In it, you found a refuge from the chaos of a life you didn't choose. A kind of stability, and over time, you realized why Katarina had fallen head over heels in love.
But this morning was different. Voices of people you didn't recognize filled the silence with an intrusion you didn't like. As you walked down the stairs to the living room, your eyes scanned the place. Taehyung stood in the center of the living room, surrounded by two women measuring his arms and chest. Another man was taking down the numbers the women were dictating. He stood on a tailor's step riser, the sunlight casting shimmer over honey-glazed skin, chest buffed, and broad shoulders cloaked by a piece of fabric held in place by a few pins. A project for a gilet while the vest was still in the making.
"Start with the black one, please. I need it for a special occasion coming up. The rest can wait."
The assertive voice with which he kindly inquired what he could have ordered instead made you give another reason for Katarina's nosedive. Made you pity her case. It must have been painful to say goodbye; must have been hard to accept the loss. And as you halted your steps on the last flight of stairs, you found yourself wondering, had the situation been different, would you be considered lucky to have what she lost? Would you be appreciative? Happy?
Such thoughts called for other, more tangible, but of the same caliber. Thoughts of how he placed his palm on the small of your back in front of his father and deepened the kiss a little so that you could feel the details of his lips as he captured yours before they could escape. How his forehead rested on yours and the way he looked into your eyes before uttering a fake "I missed you too" with a genuine smile that made you think maybe his words weren't a lie. How he intertwined his hand with yours and walked you to his car in front of everyone, as if the discussions you shared were about your undying love and not about the schemes you were plotting against people as fake as your marriage.
Yeah, such thoughts you needed to be ridden off if you wanted to accomplish your plans. For they were fake. Just like his smiles and your warm touches.
"Good morning," you greeted as you walked inside the living room, drawing his attention to you before the others. "What's going on?"
"She's here; tell the designer we're short on time." He informed the man who was writing down his measurements as he got off the stool and walked towards you, collecting a white envelope that was lying across the dining table before he reached you, "Good morning, Doctor. Did you sleep well?" And before he could hear your reply, he handed you the envelope and turned to the staff, "Could you please tell him she wants to see samples of the fabric as well? She won't have time to go to the boutique. It would be better if we get this done today."
You needed no further explanation when you had the invitation in your hand. It was written in cursive script. Ink as majestic as the designers and tailors working around you like busy bees. But Taehyung felt the need to elaborate a bit more. "My old man wants to spruce up his image. It's going to be a big party. A lot of political figures are coming. Figured you'd need a revenge dress. Right, Lady Di?"
