The Other Woman

Playtime

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"Joonmyun!" Soobin's voice echoed throughout the manor. One of the housekeepers turned when she stepped off the last steps of the staircase and humbly bowed in greeting. "Where's Joonmyun?"

"He left early this morning."

"So early?" she asked.

"Yes," the housekeeper nodded. "He said to have breakfast without him."

"And here I was thinking we could finally have breakfast together," Soobin spoke to herself then told the maid, "go back to work."

With another humble bow the housekeeper returned to dusting the furniture. It was to be another busy evening for her. Soobin planned to host a get together for the elderly council for finishing off the quarter with high rates. She wanted to go over with the cook the fine menu she planned to have but as she started toward the kitchen the doorbell rang.

"That must be Joonmyun," she hoped elated and offered, "I'll get it." A smile graced her lips when she pulled the door open, "Where did you..."

"Tramp!" Oh Jina, Haejin's wife, ten years his junior was an intelligent woman, an average beauty in Soobin's eyes and a woman who'd long stopped wearing glasses she looked better with. Though small and slim her strength had Soobin flying back several steps.

"What is wrong with you?" Soobin scoffed finally regaining herself from the surprise attack. Tugging her shirt straight she stared the average beauty straight on, "If you have a problem, talk or else I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I have a long day ahead of me..."

"I warned you," the woman snarled with narrow eyes, her lips a firm straight line, "not to go near my husband."

"Oh," Soobin calmly replied, "the last time we talked you told him to go to hell."

"You've forgotten one thing, widow," the woman hissed, "that man still has my ring on his finger. Why don't you save the last of your dignity and go to your grave quietly?"

"Are you jealous?" Soobin asked.

"What?" she gasped.

Shrugging, Soobin crossed her arms and repeated, "I asked if you're jealous."

"How dare you?!" Jina raised her voice. "You think I'd want to lower myself to become a slut like you? You're shameless! Do you think nobody knows how you got to where you are? You're at the feet of society; no one even wants to go near you but all the men you've brought to your bed! Have you even thought about how you're going to face your dead husband in the afterlife?!"

Eyes cool Soobin continued, "Is it because Haejin would rather talk to me than the wife he's been married to for twenty years? You feel it's unfair because he'd rather have dinner with an outsider than be with his family? You're angry because Haejin feels suffocated around you and you hate him too, but you're too embarrassed to get a divorce. 'My friends will think I'm a failure and I will be mocked by everyone,' isn't that right? You can't stand living like me, alone, yet you're envious because I can make all the friends I want and do anything I please without facing the scrutiny of my husband's relatives, so you hate me even more." Then she mocked with the shake of her head and held a fist to her chest, "So you call me a tramp, oh, how that hurts."

Jina's face nearly reddened from anger before lunging forward.

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"I'll see you later?" Jongin asked after pulling the car to a stop in front of her house.

"Yes, you will," Namjoo grinned and leaned over to kiss him. The grin grew even wider when she withdrew, "Bye, handsome."

After watching him drive off she started up the steps and slowed in her steps when she heard voices shrieking and screaming. Picking up pace she rushed the rest of the way up, stopping in front of the open doors to find some woman sitting on her mother, their arms lashing at each other.