Spades & Hearts

The Queen

The clock on the wall ticked with every passing second. Two maids silently stood at a corner. Forks and spoons softly clanged against the plates. No other sound filled the room. Silence. Just like any other morning for the past six months, there was no exchange of words between them. The mansion had always been just a big space filled with expensive furniture housing two people who were nothing more than strangers.

Suzy slowly put down her spoon and fork. She dabbed the napkin to her lips before pushing back the chair as she stood up, gathering her bag and laptop afterwards. She was turning away from the table when the man labeled as her husband spoke.

"You're done?" His deep voice stopped her from walking away. There was this friendly tone to it that made her cringed inside. She could almost hear the smile in it. "You haven't even finished your food," he pointed out.

Suzy momentarily closed her eyes and pursed her lips as she took in a breath and sighed. She turned around to face him; her visage bearing no emotion. "I'm full," she replied monotonously before turning around again.

His chair screeched against the floor as it was pushed back when she walked away. "I'm done too then. I'll drop you off." He stood up buttoning his suit jacket.

Suzy stopped in her steps and had to hold the urge to grit her teeth before she turned to him. "Chanyeol," she sighed and raised her eyes to him, "let's not do this."

The wide smile across his face turned into a small one as he lowered his head. Chanyeol lifted his head again giving her that smile. "Alright." He nodded. "By the way," he continued as he sauntered to where she was, "the friend I told you about will start working for you today. I told him to come to your office right away."

Without even much of a nod, Suzy turned and started for the door. The last thing she needed was a bodyguard, but she could not deter her husband's wish nor was she willing to waste her energy on arguing with him. If only the kidnap attempt last month did not happen, she would not have to deal with Chanyeol's worry.

Once out of the door, Suzy flinched when she felt warmth wrapping her hand. She looked up and stared at Chanyeol coldly while he smiled in return. "Be careful," he told her.

She pulled her hand away from his and entered the car before her chauffer closed the door for her. She did not even spare a glance for her husband through the window when she told the chauffer to drive.

She wasn't stupid. She knew Chanyeol had somehow developed feelings for her and was trying to have an emotional connection with her. However, she had made it clear from the start of their marriage that she did not wish to have such thing with him.

Suzy was not one who thought of matters of the heart. One's heart can lead to brokenness, she learned. Love? That was just an absurd idea to her. The mind? Now that was a different matter! One's mind can lead better and can protect a person from unnecessary heartbreaks. The brain is what controls every part of one's body anyway.

The heart is weak. The mind is powerful.

That was what she had always believed in.

Besides, what could her heart do?

Suzy wouldn't have married Chanyeol if it weren't for her father's requirement. She was determined to take over the family's company knowing her father planned to retire soon. But her father did not trust her despite three years of working for him. To him, she was just a girl. With her persistence, her father finally agreed to consider her as his successor, but only if she married the man of his choice. Yet, even though she now had been married to Chanyeol, she was only promoted as the head of a department. And even that she had to wait for three months after her wedding.