Perfumes and Prayers

Vida la Vida

Ji Yeon paced helplessly around her room. Fighting back the tears threatening to fall off and trying so hard to ignore the lump in her throat.
She took paced breaths trying to put two and two together. Trying to convince herself it wasn't true. That Min Jun loved her and he'd never hurt her.

It was a slow gradual process. Ji Yeon came from a very prestigious family in Seoul. They strictly married for allegiance and class. Her marriage was simply a business arrangement but she loved Min Jun . She tried to be a good wife. She felt foolish to think he even loved her. He had always been dry and plain to her. The hits started not too long after their marriage. First it started with him going to America for business trips. He'd constantly go there, rarely called, barley looked at her let alone touch her. Her heart ached that he'd find all that comfort in another woman.

When she tried to complain to her mother, her mother hit her hard telling her to shut up and suck it up. This marriage had to work. It had to be intact for their family to survive. Divorce wasn't an option.
Her mother Inlaw was a bit kind.
"That's how men are..." she'd often say.
"You're his wife... no one can take that away from you." And that is how things had always been. The cheating, the hits and how he'd tell her he was only human. She'd forgive him afterwards...she always did.

He honestly thought she was plain compared to his mistress. It wasn't until they had started going to that she finally realized who this mistress was. He couldn't seem to get his eyes off this young woman. Her white gown accentuated her cleavage and curves. Her slim nature driving Min Jun crazy. Her long brown hair was permed and curled this time. He loved the way her honey brown skin would glow at times.
His family would frown at the kind of girl he had chosen and taken to his liking but Min Jun didn't care. He loved her too much to care.

The poor girl didn't even know what was going on. Min Jun he always thought he'd make an amazing lover. He was such a sweetheart and was always spoiling her with all the luxury a girl could want. Min Jun had a lot of flings and cheap thrills but this one....she had seemed to hook his attention. He was madly obsessed with her.

He'd stare at her endlessly daydreaming about them finally being together. For now, she thought he was just a friend. But Min Jun  obviously wanted something more. Ji Yeon remembers a specific award night they went to. How Min Jun couldn't even sit with her for five minutes until he was off with another woman. Ji Yeon should've gotten used to this, but her heart ached each time he did this to her.

Ji Yeon wasn't allowed to go into Min Juns home office. She wasn't allowed in a lot of places. However, she found her legs taking her there a specific morning and the view she met wasn't pleasant. Pictures of a particular young woman were all over the walls. Her name written with all kinds of cliché love sick phrases over and over.

Vida Louis....the love of my life.
Vida Louis and Kim Min Jun together forever.
VL + KM

A beautiful black lady she was. She was younger than Ji Yeon was different pictures of the young lady were all over. She walked out of the office tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. She'd go to bed seeing the young lady. The way the red lipstick looked on her nice plump lips in one of the pictures. The memories of the writing still fresh in her memory.
She would not, could not confront Min Jun about this, she knew a nice sting in her cheek would follow. She would stay silent. She would love  Min Jun only for him to never love her back.

She was up a certain night, she'd hear his deep smooth voice, she'd envy the way he spoke to her. He'd speak ever so tenderly. She hated it. Hated the way he'd compliment her for the bare minimum. Hated the way he'd laugh and smile at any thing the young lady said. Hated the way he'd smile the whole time they were on the phone together.
"Min Jun, I've told you...you don't need to go all out for lil old me." Vida would say with humor lacing her tone.
"Darling...you deserve the best of the best."
Then they would laugh in sync as Min Jun would shower her with more praises.

One night, she heard him complimenting the way Vida's new hair cut looked. She went to his office knowing he'd hang a picture up. She took a picture of it on her phone and got the same hair cut. The next morning, he looked at her funny, but said nothing.
The other day, he'd praise Vida for how fast her hair grew back, and Ji Yeon would pay heavy prices to get her hair longer.

It was so unfortunate that Min Jun caught her in the home office once, Ji Yeon's  woeful cries filled the whole house, he beat her to a pulp before waving off at the maids to get her to the hospital. That night, at the hospital, Ji Yeon did not think of her beaten up bruised body. She thought of Vida's red lipstick, the writings on the wall, and the synced laughter she'd share with Min Jun.