Chapter 07

"If I let you go, you can't scream or make a sound, got it? I don't want my wife to know I'm down here with you," the man instructed, his breath against her ear, fanning the rage inside of her. 

Kyunghee was furious, but she bit her emotions and nodded obediently. First things first, she had to get away from him. 

He let her go and she whipped around on her heels, her eyes narrowing into slits at the man standing in front of her. He was an inch taller than her. Not only that but he was on the chubby side and his breath always smelled like garlic. Honestly she didn't give a flying fuck about what he ate for dinner, but she hated dealing with him and his wife every time he paid her a so-called visit. It always meant trouble. She tried to avoid him, but it was hard because he lived in the unit directly above hers. 

"What the fuck do you want, Minjoon?" Kyunghee snapped, outraged by the assault. Wasn't it already bad that she endured a traumatic cab ride tonight? Wasn't it already terrible that she was held hostage and was a hairsbreadth away from accompanying the Grim Reaper? Why was everyone out for her today? She had no patience left. 

"Why are you being so feisty tonight? Had a bad night huh? I can help make it better." Minjoon took a step forward, his eyes gleaming sinisterly. 

She took a step back, although that was quite impossible because the door was behind her and there was nowhere left to go. Kyunghee was inevitably cornered. 

A sly, perverse smile drew across his face as he reached up to touch her cheek. She jerked her head the other way before his hand could make contact with her skin. She didn't want to be touched by the filth in front of her. 

"Why are you being so coy?" His disgusting breath hit her face. 

She held back the nausea. She wanted to vomit all over again. 

"Although I love it when you play hard-to-get. When you're mad Kyunghee, you look hot." 

Yeah, she definitely wanted to vomit. 

"You make me sick." 

He grabbed her chin. There was perverted excitement in his eyes as he violated her with his look. "I think about you every night, Kyunghee. I think about your pretty eyes, that sexy body of yours…" This woman was so much prettier, so much younger than that old hag of a wife he had. He could smell the sweet, intoxicating scent coming off her. He swallowed his saliva. 

Kyunghee clenched her jaw, burning hatred into his soul. 

"I think about you on your knees in front of me, sucking the cum out of my—" 

She slapped his fingers off her face and pushed him backwards. "Fuck you. Don't touch me with your filthy hands." 

Minjoon stumbled backwards, managed to catch his balance and looked at her angrily. "Filthy?" There was an incredulous look on his face before he burst out laughing. "Who are you to be calling me filthy, whore?" 

"Even if I'm a whore, I'd never want to be touched by you. I've seen better. I've had better. Who the hell do you think you are?" Giving him a purposeful once-over, Kyunghee snickered with distaste. He was an ugly man through and through. 

His mouth curled into a frown and his eyebrows snapped together. Obviously she had hurt his male ego. "What the hell are you snickering about? How many men already had their ways with you? You're but a cheap whore that anyone can buy for a good fuck, so don't give me attitude. Aren't you short on cash these days?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of bills, throwing it at her face. "Enough money for you, bitch? Get on your knees." 

She flinched when the money hit her face, but only looked at him with condescension. "Aren't you afraid your cute, little wife will find you here? Oh, I can't imagine how grounded you will be," she retorted with mockery. "Have you asked for her permission to be out of your room?" 

At the mention of his wife, he snarled and rammed his body into her, his pelvic pressed up against hers. She grimaced from the pain and discomfort of her personal space being violated. "Shut up! I can do whatever I want without having to ask her for permission. She doesn't own me!" 

"Get off me!" Kyunghee demanded hotly, pushing with both hands but the more she tried to push him off, the more adamant he was. 

For a wimpy bastard, he was surprisingly strong. She gasped when she felt his hand crawled under her mini-skirt, touching where he had no business. She was indignant with fury. Kyunghee punched him harder in the chest, but he didn't budge. 

"Fuck off, you asshole!" She raised her voice, yelling now, hoping the volume would wake up the neighbors. 

"Everyone in this building knows what kind of person you are," Minjoon taunted, with a repugnant smirk before he stuffed his face into the hollow space of her neck. She cringed when he licked her exposed skin. 

Her body trembled, from disgust, from fury, from the injustice and pain of prejudice she couldn't get away from no matter how hard she tried. 

"You strip for money. You sleep with men for money too. You're a slut, so act like one. Don't pretend to have dignity or principles. Whores like you are a dime a dozen. The faster you spread your legs, the faster you get paid right?" 

As revolting as his words were, it struck some truths, poking at the insecurities she had hidden deep inside. 

Dignity and principles. 

Perhaps she had none. Like a worthless pebble on the street that people kicked around for fun. And when they had enough fun with the pebble, they abandoned it on the road and go home to where their family were, to where their kids were and to where their life were. They would move on and find entertainment in something else. People like her weren't meant for keeps. A person like her was only good for a passing distraction in a damp, dark alleyway. 

"C'mon, baby. Let's get this over with." 

Kyunghee snapped out of her thoughts, looking at him as if he was deluded. She rolled her hands into fists, ready to pounce him again, but was shortly stopped by an interruption. 

"Jung Minjoon!" A loud shrilly scream echoed down the hallway ferociously and Minjoon instantly sprang away from her as if she was poison. His smugness and arrogance were gone in a blink of an eye, replaced by fear and apprehension as he shifted uncomfortably on his feet. The space in front of her should have made it easier to breathe, so why didn't it feel any easier? She was still repulsed. 

She craned her neck and saw his wife, Jung Chaerim, running down the hallway baring her canine-like teeth and the eyes of death. 

"Chaerim—Ow! Ow!" Minjoon yelped in pain, cowering when Chaerim grabbed his left ear and twisted it mercilessly in her hand. "I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I promise I won't do it again!" 

It was a pathetic sight. 

A minute ago, he was acting all Alpha Male and the shit, but the roles were now switched. Perverted bastards like Jung Minjoon only had guts to prey on people in vulnerable positions, on people they deemed lower than them on the social and moral hierarchy. Maybe she wouldn't be the only one to burn in Hell. 

"What do you think you're doing down here!? Do you think I won't notice you gone in the middle of the night?! How dare you come down here and talk to her." Chaerim shot Kyunghee a vicious glare. 

If looks could kill, she would have died a thousand times over. 

"Do you think I'm dead?" Chaerim snarled like a tiger about to devour its prey in the most torturous way. Her veins were visible, looking as if it was about to pop any moment. "Even if I'm dead, I will haunt you like a ghost, so don't think about looking for other women. Let alone someone of her kind."

"Chaerim, you're hurting me!" His face contorted in agony. "I can—I can explain," Minjoon pleaded, clasping his hands together to beg, his left ear turning red as the seconds passed. "She was the one who seduced me!" He pointed to Kyunghee accusingly, a sudden 360-degree change in attitude, but she expected no less from a rat bastard. 

Chaerim narrowed her eyes then turned toward Kyunghee, letting go of Minjoon's ear. Minjoon immediately sighed in relief, rubbing his tortured ear then took a step behind Chaerim. 

"She called and told me to come down and meet her here. I didn't want to, but she kept pestering me. I had a lapse of judgment, I swear." 

Chaerim approached Kyunghee with both hands on her hips. There was nothing friendly about Chaerim as she confronted Kyunghee. There was nothing friendly about Chaerim in general. "Don't you have the slightest bit of shame left? Where are your principles, going around seducing people's husbands? There are a whole bunch of men out there if you're that desperate to be screwed but stay away from my husband." 

"I didn't seduce him," Kyunghee responded coldly, yet knowing fairly well that Chaerim wasn't going to believe her words. Time and time again, she had sided with her perverted husband even though the truth was right in front of her eyes. Kyunghee wondered why she even bother to waste her breaths explaining. 

"You're a liar. My husband was a good man until you moved here." The hatred in Chaerim's eyes were burning. Before Kyunghee could utter another word, Chaerim had raised her hand as a hard slap landed on Kyunghee's face. 

The pain stung her cheek. Kyunghee stared at the ground, shocked. For a moment, all she could feel was the pain from the impact but soon enough, the pain grew numb. She balled her hands into fists, raised her head and met Chaerim's venomous eyes directly. 

Although she badly wanted to slap Chaerim—give back what she had given in equal parts—but Kyunghee was not one for physical violence. 

"If that's what you believe—that your husband is a good man, then why do all of this to me? Do you really believe that?" Kyunghee stared at Chaerim with callous mockery. Chaerim was speechless as Kyunghee scoffed in ridicule. "All you have in you is to act like a jealous housewife. No wonder your husband's eyes are always wandering elsewhere. Even if it's not me, it'll be someone else." She paused for added effect and then said, "I pity you." 

With that said, Kyunghee quickly unlocked her apartment and disappeared inside. She slammed the door in front of their faces. She could hear them bickering on the other side for a couple more minutes before they eventually left. Soon, everything was quiet and still again. 

Leaning against the door, Kyunghee slowly slid to the ground as she sensed all the power leaving her legs. Sitting on the cold floor, her eyes trailed to the red glittering heels that was hurting her feet. She reached for it and slowly took the heels off. Even a simple gesture as removing her heels seemed to have taken up all of energy. She slumped against the door, staring absently at the dark ceiling above. 

Wasn't home a place where she could rest her mind and rejuvenate? Wasn't home a place where she should feel welcome and safe? Wasn't home a place she could look forward to every night after a hard day's earning? Kyunghee didn't feel any of that here except for cold shoulders and reproachful looks. 

She was so tired, fighting all these battles herself. 

Maybe it was time to move.