You Make Me...Angry - 6. Chapter 6

Chapter 7 – You said you wouldn’t leave me…

His jaw hurt where Andre had punched him. He touched his jaw, peering into the mirror with a sigh. He hadn’t seen that coming. Jaehan had let his bandmates borrow his van, and disappeared after the concert. At the accident scene, he’d rushed to the van expecting to actually touch and help Jaehan, but instead he’d found Junghee and Andre. He had run away from the scene leaving the innocent eighteen-year-old boy he’d paid to drive the car.

“You’re an idiot,” Kim Jaesun said behind him. “What were you thinking?”

“I thought you didn’t care what I did,” he said meeting Jaesun’s gaze in the bathroom mirror. “That’s what you told me when I asked you to introduce me to Jaehan. I’ve gotten this far on my own.”

“Jaehan is still out of your league.” Jaesun shrugged and folded his arms against his chest. “He has tunnel vision, you know. The people close to him are limited because he doesn’t trust easy. He hates change, and ignores new faces. If you want to get close to him you won’t reach him acting like a crazed fan.”

“Why did he reject you?”

An ugly sneer graced Jaesun’s features. “Do you want my help or not?”

He scoffed. “What are you getting out of this?”

Jaesun shrugged and leaned on the bathroom door.

“I’ve told you. Jaehan owes me a debt,” Jaesun said.

“Are you angry that Rebellion is making more money than you?”

“I have a wider audience,” Jaesun said. “Money is not an issue here. Jaehan smiles harder with every venue they play. Rebellion is living happily without me. I can’t stand it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said with a sigh and turned to face Jaesun. “I don’t want to hurt Jaehan. I just want him to see me.”

Jaesun smiled. “You’re already working at Jade Entertainment. All you have to do is become relevant.”

“How do I do that?”

Jaesun studied him. “If I give you this, you have to bring me something big enough to make Rebellion look for me.”

“That’s not what I want.”

“What you want is Jaehan. I thought you wanted him for yourself,” Jaesun argued.

Well, put that way, he smiled. “Fine, now help me…”

***

Jae wished he could act for Junghee, but he couldn’t. The drama production was running behind, what with one of their main actors in bed. The director had decided to film scenes that didn’t require Junghee first, but they were running out of time.

“I can stand,” Junghee said, holding on to the bedside table. The bruise on his left temple was fading, but there were dark shadows under his eyes.

“Sit,” Jae said, leading Junghee to sit in the armchair beside the hospital bed. “They can wait for you two more days.”

“But the schedule,” Junghee said, already sinking into the chair with a grateful sigh.

“I’ll talk to the director.” Jae smiled. “I’m sure we can promise him something…”

Junghee sighed and sat back. Dressed in an oversized white jersey and grey sweat pants, he looked too pale.

“Your brother is coming over,” Jae said, straightening Junghee’s bed. “Kang Sang went to the police station to handle the charges on the punk who ran you off the road.”

Junghee watched him make the bed. “I don’t think that punk was alone.”

“What?” Jae asked finishing with the bed.

“There were two people at the accident,” Junghee said. “The guy who opened the driver’s door was different from the one arrested. My memory is still not as clear, but I swear the guy who was arrested is not the one I saw.”

“Did you tell the police that?” Jae asked perching on the side of the now neat bed.

“Yeah, but they haven’t found proof there was another man.”

Jae nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“That again?” Junghee asked.

“I can’t help it.” Jae fluffed the pillows and placed them at the head of the bed. “The van—

“I’m the one who borrowed the van,” Junghee cut him off. “I knew about the stalker before you.”

“Jung,” Jae said in surprise.

“I found out before you came back from your vacation with Dan. I saw the pictures in Harry’s office. He said they were handling it.” Junghee shrugged. “Don’t blame yourself, Hyung.”

“Harry has known that long?” Jae frowned. “Why didn’t they tell me sooner?”

“Jae—

“I’m tired of the secrets. I wish I could read Dan's mind." Jae combed his fingers through his hair and stared at the floor.

“What secrets?” Junghee scoffed. “He's doing his best to protect you.”

Jae got off the bed.

“Don’t listen to me,” Jae said with a small laugh. “Relationships, I suppose they don’t get easier just because you love someone to death.”

“Stop boasting about your love life, hyung.”

Jae glanced at the door when a soft knock came. The door opened slowly to reveal Jinho.

“I brought lunch,” Jinho said.

He entered Junghee’s room carrying a tray with covered bowls. Jae pulled the bedside table closer to Junghee, fixing it so that it was the right height to eat. Jinho placed the tray on the table with a flourish and smiled when Jae opened the dishes to reveal spicy beef soup, fruit salad and green tea.

“More soup,” Junghee complained.

“There is meat too. Meat is good for you,” Jae said taking the spoon and holding it out to Junghee. “You need your strength back, especially if you insist on working despite your health.”

Junghee sighed and took the spoon. “It’s not like I have a disease. My head was banged, and my arm was cut. I can still work.”

“Yeah, and what happens if you don’t take care of your arm and can’t play your guitar?”

Junghee grumbled and dipped his spoon into the soup. “I’m eating already.”

Jae nodded in satisfaction, moving to sit on the bed again.

“Your schedule won’t take anymore delays,” Jinho said his gaze on Jae. “You’ve delayed five meetings with songwriters working on the album, and the music producer working with JE on the Drama Project.”

“I’m not leaving Jung alone.”

“I’m not alone,” Junghee said his mouth full of food. “Are you forgetting the team of nurses and doctors outside the door?”

“They’re not family,” Jae said.

Jinho gave a dramatic sigh and Junghee smiled at him.

“Jinho sorry, our hyung is really soft inside,” Junghee said. “He is not making things hard on you on purpose.”

“Are you sure?” Jinho asked.

Junghee smirked.

“Jinho, if you can figure out how to make work come to me, I’ll do what you want,” Jae said.

“Really?” Jinho asked.

“Really,” Jae said with a nod.

Jinho gave him a short bow and rushed out, his phone glued to his ear.

“You’re torturing that poor man.”

Jae pointed at the fresh fruit salad. “Make sure you eat some of that. Fruit is good for your immune system.”

***

“Jae won’t leave the hospital.” Dan stared at the change of clothes in a bag on his desk. “He has everyone going to meet him at the hospital.”

Harry chuckled. “Are you jealous?”

Dan scowled at him. “I’m worried. He is blaming himself for the accident.”

“It’s expected. Jung and Andre were in his van.”

“Has that idiot confessed?” Dan asked, unable to keep his irritation at bay. Since the accident, Jae hadn’t come home. Not even to take a shower and rest, no, it was all about Junghee now.

“Thanks to Junghee’s statement, the police checked traffic cams,” Harry said, scratching his chin. “They have confirmed there was a second man, but the kid in custody insists there was no one with him.”

“He saw the stalker. Find leverage on that kid, do what you need to.”

“And Jae?” Harry asked. “You’re going to need to pull him out of this. He’s not writing music and he doesn’t trust anyone to do it for him. At this rate, we should expect Rebellion’s second album next year.”

“I’ll handle it.”

“Like you’ve handled this stalker business?” Harry asked.

“Don’t start.”

“Yeah,” Harry sighed. “I’m just telling you that you need to reconfigure your priorities.”

Left alone in his office, Dan stared at the black bag on his desk. He’d packed it at five o’clock this morning, after sleeping a restless two hours. He hated sleeping alone in that house. He always woke up reaching for Jae only to find an empty pillow and that terrified him.

Wiping a hand down his face, Dan sat back in his seat and stared at the ceiling. Truth was loneliness scared him. He scoffed wondering at that thought. He had Jae in his life now. How could that fear still remain?

Loneliness: the crazy, insanity-driving type of loneliness that developed when someone didn’t have anyone to confide in, to depend on for support. He’d felt that loneliness before. He’d not been alone at that time either.

Dan closed his eyes thinking about Justine locked away in a sanitarium. He wanted to blame her, but he’d been at fault too. His ambition had led to her condition…he hadn’t noticed she wasn’t well in time. When he had noticed, the scramble to make it up to her had driven them both insane. If it weren’t for Harry, he’d still be living with Justine, hurting her, and slowly losing his mind.

Now there was Jae.

Jae’s smile filled his thoughts. He missed seeing that smile. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Jae’s smile. Was it during that trip to Chamonix? That evening, with Jae writing away in his notebook…it seemed ages ago. Jae’s smile had disappeared. Buried under schedules, fights, scandals, silly arguments…stalkers…Dan sighed.

Most of all, he hated the fact that Jae seemed to be moving further away from him.

Dan sat up fast. He couldn’t have that. No matter what, he wouldn’t lose Jae.

***

“Oh,” Jae rubbed his stomach, his eyes closed.

Damn what had he eaten?

His stomach hurt, and sitting on the toilet wasn’t helping. Shaking his head, he wondered why he was suffering and he was in a hospital. He’d ask one of the nurses for help.

The hot tall guy who came in for the afternoon shift. Reaching for the toilet paper, Jae finished up and was buckling his belt when he saw the camera phone appear above the door. The flash blinded his eyes. The embarrassment of being caught in a bathroom froze him for a second, and then anger took over. He jerked the door open only to be assaulted by another flash.

Jae grabbed the phone out of the owner’s hand and hurled it to the ground. When it didn’t break, Jae ground the heel of his black boot into the dark screen.

“Yah!” the man screamed staring at the damaged screen in horror.

Jae was disappointed when he recognized the cute nurse he was going to approach with his stomach problems. He stomped on the screen on the phone one more time for good measure and went to the sink.

“Oh my god,” the nurse knelt on the floor and picked up his precious phone. “Are you going to replace this? You really are crazy. How can you go around killing people’s phones?”

Jae ignored him and washed his hands. He wanted to do more than kill that phone, like rearrange the bastard’s face. How many pictures had he taken before Jae noticed? There was no way to tell. Was he the stalker?

“Yah, Kim Jaehan,” the nurse held up his phone. “Aren’t you going to take responsibility for this?”

Jae dried his hands and started for the door. The nurse rushed him, grabbing his shoulder; Jae swiped that hand off his shoulder, his right hand in a fist. He turned to punch the nurse, but Ken blocked him, stepping between him and the nurse.

“Go, I’ll handle this,” Ken said.

Jae breathed out his anger, and dropped his right hand, his fingers still clenched in a fist.

“Go,” Ken said again, nodding to the door. “Jung is waiting for you.”

Jae sighed and reached for the door handle.

“He can’t leave. He owes me a cell phone,” the nurse complained.

Jae left the bathroom. Disappointment weighed on his shoulders. He couldn’t believe he’d been betrayed by the cute nurse. Pressing his right hand into his stomach, he frowned.

What was he thinking?

Betrayal?

What betrayal? Only crazy people took pictures of people in bathrooms.

Cute nurse was crazy.

“Aish…” Jae glanced back at the bathroom door with a scowl. Ken should have let him punch that guy.

Shaking his head, he continued down the corridor to Junghee’s ward. Damn, he wanted to leave this hospital. He had never spent time in a hospital before, but this stay was driving him crazy. Seeing Junghee in that bed, taking pain medicine, and looking so weak worried him, he hated it.

Dan called him every other hour to check in. He hadn’t been home since that evening they’d spent by the fireplace. He missed Dan’s warmth. He missed their bed. He missed normal worries.

Normal being problems to do with work, Jae thought.

He preferred problems that he could solve: writing good music, making a great performance, handling critics, planning how to sell Rebellion’s music…he was equipped to fight when it came to work.

Jae’s frown deepened.

When it came to life: everyday life…like how to fix the number of times him and Dan actually ate meals together. Or knowing what Dan was thinking when it came to their life together, or how to handle a stalker dogging his every minute, or how to make Dan trust him.

His footsteps slowed as he approached Junghee’s door.

He had no clue. No clue and it scared him. It seemed as though Dan had always been in his life. Always fixing everything in the background, now it felt like they were standing on the edge of a cliff, with unseen hands threatening to push them over into a deep ravine.

Apart from Jaesun, he’d never had another relationship so he had no idea what was right or wrong. He and Jaesun had damaged each other too much. He couldn’t compare any normal relationship to what he and Jaesun had together. The pain, the guilt, the backstabbing, the hate, the fights…all because of music and money, Jae sighed. Jaesun had broken him into tiny pieces.

Dan had healed the wounds Jaesun had inflicted and given him a clean slate. Yet now that they were together, Jae wondered where they were heading.

He had eight sisters, seven of them married. Their married lives scared him on most days. His older sisters led such quiet, tame lives: working, and taking care of their children, and the endless normal social activities they carried on…jeez, he didn’t even try to understand them. He could never base his life on those relationships. His sisters were so normal, so acceptable…it was hard breathing around them.

Then there was So Jin, his favorite older sister…she’d yet to make a commitment. Jae worried she’d live alone all her life. It scared him when she looked to him for relationship advice.

He scoffed. So Jin was clearly in more trouble than he was.

Okay…Jae stopped in the middle of the corridor.

No one to come to the rescue, he thought, rubbing his stomach.

Were they to continue like this, flailing their arms in the dark?

“Kim Jaehan?”

His name was said in a soft singsong voice.

Jae turned around to find a woman standing a few feet away. She was pretty, her long hair flowing around her. She wore a simple pale green dress with white dots. Her arms wrapped tight around her waist, as though she were feeling cold.

“You are Kim Jaehan.”

Jae dropped his arms to the side. She didn’t feel like a stalker. She looked too frail to threaten. Was she a patient who'd gotten lost?

“Who are you? How can I help you?”

Her smile was startling. She held out her right hand in greeting and he took it. Behind her, he saw Ken coming toward him and he felt a wave of relief.

“I’m Justine.” Her smile widened and she took a step closer. His gaze dropped to her feet and he frowned. She had no shoes. “Justine Suk.”

“What?”

She was clearly crazy. Justine Suk...he scoffed, funny.

“I saw Dan in the T.V. He had his arm wrapped around your shoulders. I saw it and knew he was taking care of you now. So, I wanted to meet you.”

Jae stared at the woman in shock. Who was she? Dan’s sister? She was too young to be Dan’s mother. Besides, Dan had said his parents were dead. Was she Dan's aunt?

His gaze dropped to her bare feet.

“Justine,” he said. “Where are your shoes?”

“Shoes?” She frowned and he pointed to her feet.

She looked at her feet. He was surprised when she giggled.

“I left them.” She looked up and laughed, her face lighting up. “I was in a hurry, I forgot. That’s what I forgot.”

Jae chuckled and glanced at Ken who’d reached them.

“Do you remember where you forgot your shoes? My friend can go get them for you.”

“Where?” Justine stared at him, her gaze going to Ken, then back to him.

“Oh.” She pointed a finger at Ken. “He was there too…like a big bull.”

Justine lifted her arms, making it look as though she was going to punch Ken and grinned.

Jae laughed and looked at Ken’s unimpressed face.

“What…she’s funny, Ken,” Jae said when Ken frowned at him. “Should I call you big bull from now on?”

Ken shook his head no. “Miss?”

“Justine,” she said. “My name is Justine. Not miss.”

“Justine,” Ken said. “Where did you leave your shoes? I’ll take you back there.”

“No, don’t take me back,” Justine shook her head, wrapping her arms around her stomach again. “Don’t…I want to stay with Kim Jaehan. I want to stay with him.”

Jae frowned. She reminded him of a lost child. He stepped closer and wrapped an arm around her slender shoulders. She stiffened and glanced at him in surprise, then she smiled and his heart melted.

“Come sit with me,” Jae said leading her to one of the benches set along the corridor. He sat to her right and she immediately took his left hand and pressed it against her cheek.

“So warm,” she said, her eyes closed. “I see why he takes care of you now. So warm…”

“Justine,” Jae said then, his gaze on her bare feet. They weren’t too dirty, so she hadn’t gone outside. “Did you come to the hospital to see a doctor?”

“No,” she shook her head and Jae frowned. Her eyes opened and she stared at his hand. “I lied. I said I wasn’t feeling well. I wanted to see you…I told you I wanted to see you. So, they brought me here. They always bring me here. I knew you were here, so when we came, I looked for you.”

Jae glanced at Ken. “Check with the nurses. She says her name is Justine Suk.”

Ken gaped then with a quick nod, he hurried down the hall.

Jae spent the next fifteen minutes talking to Justine. She talked like a child would. She talked about her trip to the hospital, how many cars she’d seen, the people on the streets. The nice nurse who had taken her vitals and the doctor who had pressed a yellow smiley face sticker on her arm. She asked him if he liked her pretty dress. A gift she said...from Dan.

Jae felt those invisible hands pushing him closer to the edge. So close to the tipping point, he almost couldn’t breathe.

“Justine,” Jae said. “Dan…who is he to you?”

Justine stared at him, her fingers playing with the ring on his index finger.

“Dan is,” she started.

His heart thundered in his chest.

"He is my husband,” she said, then gave a dramatic gasp. “No…I’m not supposed to say that. No, he’s not my husband anymore. He is—

“Justine?” a frantic older woman came running down the hall. “There you are. Why would you run away like that? Do you know how worried I was?”

Justine clung to his hand, her grip tight, he should have winced instead all he felt was numb.

“Hana, I’m sorry,” Justine said. “I told you I had to see Kim Jaehan, and you wouldn’t let me. You wouldn’t let me.”

“I told you we would ask Dan.” Hana reached them. “Don’t ever do that again, Justine.”

Jae watched Hana put shoes on Justine’s feet. Her actions gentle. She obviously worried for Justine. Jae’s gaze returned to Justine and he wondered if the woman wasn’t really crazy.

There was no way Dan would forget to tell him about a wife.

Jae shook his head in amusement.

Hana got to her feet with a relieved sigh. She looked at him and he frowned when she gaped.

“Kim Jaehan?”

“I told you,” Justine said with a wide smile. “He’s handsome, isn’t he? So beautiful, I just want to hug him.”

Jae frowned, as Hana’s gaze changed to one of fear. She bowed low.

“I’m sorry. Please forgive us. This should never have happened.”

"Don't worry about it.” Jae smiled. “Is Justine okay? Is it normal for her to make stuff up? She seems out of it.”

Hana winced, reaching for Justine’s arm. She pulled her charge to her feet and draped a heavy green sweater around Justine’s shoulders.

“I’m really sorry. Mrs. Suk—

Hana stopped and cursed in a low tone.

“I mean…Justine was here for a checkup. She got away from me. We’ll leave now.”

Jae got to his feet.

“Is she really Mrs. Suk?”

Hana’s alarmed expression was enough to answer him.

Jae sank back on the bench, his knees too weak to hold him up.

This one was beyond. He didn’t know how to handle this one.

Dan had a wife.

Justine was talking to him, but he could barely comprehend what she was saying. Ken came to the rescue, helping Hana lead Justine down the hall. Jae sat on the bench his head buried in his hands as he finally fell over that cliff.

***

Dan thanked the waiter at Jae’s favorite sushi restaurant and took the carefully wrapped package of food. His phone rang as he reached his car. Placing the package on the passenger seat, he slid into the driver’s seat and answered the call on the third ring.

“Yes.”

“You’d better get home,” Ken said.

“What’s wrong?” Dan started the car. “Is Jae alright? The stalker—

“We met a woman named Justine Suk in the hospital earlier. Jae is not acting normal.”

Dan merged into traffic too fast. The moment Ken ended the call; he dialed Hana, the woman responsible for Justine’s care at the sanitarium. What were they doing at St. Mary’s Hospital?

Hana answered on the first ring.

“Mr. Suk,” Hana said her tone apologetic. “I’m sorry, I turned my head for one moment, and she got away from me.”

“What were you doing at the hospital?” Dan asked. “I asked you to call me before taking her out. You know how she is, right? What has she done?”

“I’m sorry; she hadn’t eaten for two days. I thought a doctor’s check would help us figure out what was wrong with her. She insisted on St. Mary’s, said you always took her there. She ran away from me and found Kim Jaehan in the private wing.”

Dan shook his head. “This should never have happened.”

“I’m sorry. She introduced herself as Justine Suk. I couldn’t keep the truth from him.”

“Why does she do this?” Dan asked. “Why? She knows how important he is to me. Why does she do that? Hana, I’m going to stop coming to the sanitarium. She won’t see me ever again.”

“Mr. Suk,” Hana said with a gasp.

“Don’t call me.” Dan ended the call, pain slicing through him. He shifted gears and increased speed, determined to reach the house before Jae lost his mind.

It felt like an eternity by the time he parked in front of Jae’s house. Leaving the door open, he rushed to the front door, running into the house only to stop when he saw Jae seated on the couch in the living room.

The afternoon sun shone through the windows, lighting up the elegant living area. This place they’d sat together days ago, enjoying the fireplace. Jae sat on that same couch, so still, Dan wondered if he’d heard him come in.

“Jae?”

“Stop,” Jae said his eyes closed. “Don’t talk unless you’re going to tell me your life’s story.”

“Are you okay?”

“Is that what you want to discuss?”

Jae looked at him then.

“Am I okay? Do I look okay to you?” Jae scoffed. “No. I’m not okay. I feel like I’ve been living with a stranger for years.”

“Jae—

Jae wiped a hand down his face and shook his head.

“You know what? I don’t want to think about this right now. I left Junghee in the hospital. He has so many things to worry about. How could I face him like these? I—

Jae stopped and stood up. He looked around the living room before his gaze finally settled on Dan.

“Leave.”

“No.”

“Yes.” Jae swept his hair back, a frustrated gesture. “I don’t think I can handle this right now, Dan.”

“You were never meant to find out this way.”

“When should I have found out?” Jae stared at him. “What have we been doing with each other this past year? I feel like an idiot.”

“I thought it was best, Jae,” Dan said. “Don’t do this.”

“Do what?” Jae asked. “Go crazy? Yell? Lose my mind?”

“We can sit down and talk. I will tell you everything.”

“I don’t want to know,” Jae snapped. “Leave, Dan. I’ll have Ken drop your clothes wherever you choose to stay. I can’t look at you right now.”

Dan took a step closer to Jae only to stop when Jae took one back. The closed off expression on Jae’s face hurt. He didn’t know what to say to make this okay. He wanted to cross over and pull Jae into his arms, hold him tight and force him to listen. He wanted to sit on the couch holding Jae, while they talked about his past. When he was done, Jae would forgive him; they would kiss and make up.

Then, Jae begged in a whisper, “Please leave, Dan.”

He didn’t want to hurt Jae. Never wanted to cause him pain, Dan sighed.

“I’ll call,” he said.

Jae nodded, barely looking at him.

That too stung deep, Dan turned away and left the living room in quick strides. He found Ken outside.

He opened the passenger side and got the package of food. He handed it to Ken.

“Make sure he eats,” Dan said. “I’ll be at Jade Entertainment.”

There was a suite on the top floor he used when Jae was on tour.

“Sir,” Ken took the box, worried.

“Increase security if you need to,” Dan said, closing the passenger door. He walked around to the driver’s side and stood staring at the front door. “Don’t let anyone in, Ken. Keep me updated.”

Ken nodded and lifted a hand goodbye when Dan got in the car and started the engine.

Dan drove out fast. He changed his mind about not seeing Justine when he got on the main road. He couldn’t forgive her for this…that clinically insane woman. She wanted to ruin him for good, and he wouldn't let that happen.

****

Jae stood in the living room after Dan left.

What now? What was next?

Junghee was in the hospital.

He should go back. Make sure Junghee ate dinner at least. After that…he stared at the couch where Dan liked to seat. Most times, Jae lay his head on Dan’s lap listening to music, or just staring at the fire. He couldn’t look at that couch now without wanting to run after Dan.

Justine’s smile filled his thoughts and he closed his eyes.

“Ah,” he moaned. “Dan…a wife?”

He shook his head and kicked the coffee table. The small satisfaction had him kicking the glass table again. It cracked, and he kicked it again. This time it gave in and broke.

Jae stared at the broken coffee table. Dan had bought it at a furniture expo in Daegu. He remembered that day because Dan had surprised him during a concert tour. They had sneaked out of Jae's hotel in the middle of the day to walk around the city. Jae loved that Dan liked furnishing their house, buying little pieces and bringing them back.

He stared at the broken coffee table, guilt riding him hard. He cursed and kicked it again.

If Dan had loved furnishing the house so much, he should have told him the truth, Jae thought. Hiding the truth hurt him, hurt the stupid coffee table. Now the coffee table was broken. Where was he supposed to get another one like it?

Jae pushed fingers through his hair, the pain too much.

What was he supposed to do about a wife in Dan’s life?

What was he supposed to do about that?

***

Ken heard glass breaking when he was in the kitchen. Abandoning the food Dan had brought, he raced through the corridor to the living room and entered in time to see a glass vase hitting the wall and shattering to pieces. Jae gave a harsh cry, tears streaming down his face. There was glass all over the living room, and broken wood.

Jae moved to pick up a wooden stool and Ken rushed to stop him from hurling the innocent furniture to the wall. He should have known Jae had been too calm.

He took the stool from Jae, dropping it on the couch, and then wrapped his arms tight around Jae.

“What am I supposed to do now?” Jae asked. “He filled this house, made me lean on him…then he goes and does this. What am I supposed to do? Tell me, what do I do?”

Ken hadn’t liked the look of the woman at the hospital earlier. She’d looked like trouble, even with her innocent face. When Jae had discovered she was Dan’s wife, he’d gone quiet, too quiet…Ken sighed. With Dan gone, it was up to him to keep Jae from hurting himself.

Jae clung to his shirt, crying hard. Ken wrapped his arms tight around Jae when he sagged against him. Lifting Jae from the mess of broken glass and wood, he led him toward the stairs and hoped Dan would figure out a way to solve this mess.

****

“Why did you do it?” Dan asked staring at Justine.

She sat in an armchair wrapped in a heavy blanket. She stared at him with dark eyes that had once held an endearing innocence. He could barely remember the time he’d loved her.

“I saw you two in the news. Your arm around him, so tight, so protective…” she scoffed. “It annoyed me. I saw why you love him. He’s very warm and kind. He worries for people he shouldn’t.”

“We’re not married anymore, Justine,” Dan said.

His lawyer, Mr. Chang, had finalized their divorce months ago. Dan hadn’t wanted to confront Justine thinking it was better not to stir the beehive. It seemed as though his reluctance had cost him. He should have known she wasn’t content to leave him in peace.

She looked away from him, staring at a stocked bookshelf on the wall to his left.

“You must be happy. Being free of a clinical case, you should live happily, Dan.”

“We’re not playing this game, Justine. I’ve done everything possible to make amends, but I’m done.”

“I can call the press,” Justine said. “Tell them all about Kim Jaehan’s lover. How that lover is my husband. It would be as satisfying as seeing Jaehan’s face when I introduced myself as Justine Suk.”

Dan had known she would say that, but the disappointment still flooded him. Justine’s specialty was hurting him. She’d mastered the art to the finest detail. She always knew what buttons to push.

Gritting his teeth, Dan put his hands in his trouser pockets.

“Try hurting him, Justine. This cozy life you’re living here in this sanitarium will disappear in a blink. We’re not married anymore now. I choose to keep paying your fees because I’m human, Justine. A human should do humane things, like take care of the weak. That’s what decent humans do. If you ever show up in front of Kim Jaehan again, you’ll meet the part I keep hidden from decent humans. You’ll end up living worse than a stray dog.”

“There is the Dan I know,” Justine purred. “The one who lived on the streets with me, I miss him sometimes, that stray dog that protected me.”

“I protect him now,” Dan said. “Don’t forget it.”

Justine sighed and wiped a hand down her face.

“You tire me out, Dan. I just missed your face. I knew if I showed my face to Jaehan, you’d come running,” she scoffed. “So predictable, your heart never changes.”

Dan looked around the comfortable room. There was a time he’d wished never to have met Justine. The days he hadn’t known she was sick. Those days…he dreaded telling Jae about those days.

“Leave, Dan,” Justine said. “You’re thinking about him right now, and it hurts to see it. You can go now.”

What was with the people in his life today?

Leave, go…none of them wanted to see him. God, it had hurt to hear Jae send him away.

He left Justine’s room in quick strides.

Outside, he found Hana and the sanitarium’s director waiting.

“I’m sorry,” the director said. “She shouldn’t have been able to do that today. I’m hoping you’ll finally agree to sign the necessary documents to enforce absolute confinement.”

“She’s getting worse,” Hana said touching Dan's left arm. “You’re not harming her, or taking away her freedom. You're helping to protect her. I about lost my mind when she wandered off today. She was barefoot, forgot her shoes after her examination. We’re lucky she didn’t go outside. It would be good if she was attended by the doctors here.”

Dan closed his eyes. The moment he signed the papers they were asking for, Justine would be forced to stay in this sanitarium for good. No chance of leaving, or going out on a walk without explicit permission from him. He'd always wanted to leave her options.

“This is not easy. We’re not married anymore—,” he broke off.

“You’re the only family she has,” the director said, “Unless you want the State to take over?”

Dan looked down the corridor, his gaze on Justine’s door. She drove him crazy, but he did want to take away her freedom. If the State took over, they would move her from this sanitarium and take her to a state-run institution. The sight of Jae standing in the middle of their living room filled his head, and he closed his eyes. He’d allowed Justine to hurt Jae. The pain in Jae’s eyes…he turned to the director.

“I will sign the papers you need,” he said.

***

No messages, Jae switched off his phone and leaned his head back on the wall. He sat on the floor in the master bedroom, his gaze on their neat bed. He couldn’t bring himself to lie on it. Where had Dan decided to go sleep? Was he looking for that woman? Was that why there were no messages from Dan?

Jae stared at the bottle of whiskey Ken had brought him earlier. He’d abandoned the glass on the bedside table hours ago. Taking the bottle, he sipped straight from the bottle. Drinking helped; he’d slip into oblivion, pass out, and wake up tomorrow to deal with his life.

A lock of hair fell over his eyes and he reached up to push it back. Did Dan even know he kept his hair this long for him?

Jae scowled and unlocked his phone. He sent a quick message to Jinho asking him to make an appointment with the hairstylist. He was going to cut off his hair. Shave bald, and leave nothing for Dan to play with. Not an inch.

Tipping the bottle to his lips again, he smiled when his phone buzzed.

Jinho, he thought, complaining about change of schedule.

The smile disappeared when he saw the message was from Dan. Sliding his finger over the screen, he stared at Dan’s message.

‘Baby, don’t drink the night away…hmmm…you’ll have a hard time waking up. I’ll call you in the morning, and you have to answer, okay? Love you.’

***