Episode 15

Days pass by so swiftly. Today was supposed to be a joyous day for Aozora, but it turned into the day she loathed the most. Instead of her, Tsania was the one getting married, a woman whom Aozora could never see as a sister.

"Zora, you'll accompany mom to Dimas's wedding reception tonight," Amber mentioned as they relaxed in the living room.

"Mom, I'm so sorry, but can I just stay at home? Because I have—"

"I won't have anyone else with me, Zora. You're my daughter-in-law. You have to be there for me!" Amber's uncompromising tone left no room for argument.

"Fine, Mom, if you insist!" Aozora sighed with resignation. "Ugh, I really don't want to see them all! But, oh well, I can just act like I don't know them, right?" she whispered to herself.

"What time are we leaving, Mom?"

"The event starts at 7, so let's leave at 6!" Aozora suddenly glanced at the wall clock, which shockingly showed it was almost 5.

"I'm going back to my room then, Mom. I need to clean Arsen's body," she stood up from her seat.

"Wait! You bathe Arsen?" Amber's eyes widened with surprise.

"Yes, why?" Aozora furrowed her brow.

"How long has this been going on?" Instead of answering Aozora's question, Amber probed further.

"It's been a week, Mom. Ever since I became Arsen's wife. And it was Daren who asked me to do it. He said Arsen needs to be cleaned twice a day, just like taking a bath," Aozora explained, nervously.

Amber's mouth hung open for a moment, shocked, but then she couldn't help but chuckle. Why? She was imagining how tormented her son must have been this past week.

"Is Mom laughing because she finds this funny, or is she having weird thoughts about me assaulting Arsen?" Aozora mused silently, biting her lip.

"Mom, I swear I haven't taken any such opportunities while bathing Arsen..." Aozora trailed off, uncomfortable discussing intimate matters.

"Why are you scared of that? If you ever did, it wouldn't be an issue. He's your husband, after all," Amber said, trying to suppress a laugh.

Knowing the meaning behind her mother-in-law's expression, Aozora excused herself, red with embarrassment.

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There came a noise from the door as someone was about to enter. Arsen, who had been occupied with checking some work on his laptop, quickly hid it under the bed and lay down, pretending as usual.

"Welcome to my torment!" Arsen thought to himself. He was certain Aozora was entering, which meant his mental anguish was on its way.

"Hey, still feel like lying down? Get up, why sleep all the time? Aren't you tired?" Aozora didn't immediately grab the materials to clean Arsen. Instead, she climbed onto the bed and sat next to him.

"Would you get up if Hanum were here?" Aozora's voice was soft.

"What? How does she know about Hanum? Did she hear it from Mom, Niko, or Daren?" Arsen was taken aback that his wife knew about Hanum, the woman who still held a place in his heart.

"Are you that in love with Hanum? She must be beautiful, for you to be so smitten. But, if she comes back, will you throw me away like Dimas said?"

"Damn it! So she knew from Dimas," Arsen cursed inwardly.

"Since the beginning, I've had one dream, to get married just once in my life. So, I'll always strive to be the best wife, even if you never come to love me. But, if one day, you decide to return to Hanum when she comes back, I can't stop you, because no matter how hard I try to keep you by my side, it's pointless; Hanum is your soulmate. I can't force someone's heart, right?" Aozora said with a bitter smile.

"Perhaps it's my fate to be someone who's discarded," she added. Unable to hold back her tears, they started falling and unknowingly landed on Arsen's hand.

"She's crying? Why do I feel so conflicted? Would I be heartless to leave her? If I do... that would make me a terrible man. Argh, please stop burdening my heart with your sad stories! If I leave you, I'll always feel like the vilest of men," Arsen grumbled inwardly.

Meanwhile, Aozora glanced at the wall clock. Her eyes widened in shock as it was past five. She suddenly jumped off the bed, causing a slight jolt on Arsen.

"What's bothering her now?" Arsen murmured, curious.

"Oh, no, I forgot! I have to clean you up quickly; Mom and I are going to that jerk's wedding," Aozora exclaimed before dashing to the bathroom.

"Great, more torment coming up!" Arsen groaned, watching the bathroom door.

Soon enough, Aozora was out and began cleaning Arsen. Though used to Arsen's physical reactions, she couldn't help but feel a shiver each time.

With Arsen cleaned, Aozora fetched his clothes from the wardrobe. She quickly finished her task.

"Okay, you're all fresh now. I'm going to shower!" She walked to the bathroom.

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Aozora didn't take long to shower as she was in a hurry.

"Hmm, which dress should I wear?" she pondered, eyeing rows of beautiful dresses in her closet, gifts from her mother-in-law.

"Maybe this one," she decided, pulling out a sleeveless ivory cocktail dress. It was a simple yet elegant design, perfect for the event.

Aozora looked stunning even without makeup on.

It didn't take her long to finish her makeup as it wasn't a challenge for her. She glanced at the clock again.

"I still have 15 minutes left; I should be able to do a quick hairdo," she thought, reaching for the curling iron she'd heated beforehand.

"Finally done!" she sighed with relief, admiring her nicely done hair. The look made her even more beautiful.

As she pondered her choice of shoes, she eventually selected heels that elevated her entire ensemble.

Arsen had been watching her get ready without her noticing, his eyes open and attentive.

"She's so beautiful. But why wear a sleeveless dress? Is she flaunting her skin, or is she trying to make Dimas fall for her again?" Arsen pondered sourly.

"Why am I this irritated? Didn't I used to get upset when Hanum dressed like that? Why am I also annoyed seeing her in that dress?" Arsen's confusion and irritation mingled, leaving him in a muddled emotional state.

To be continued

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