𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐗

11| THE BIRD AND THE TRAP

Ahyun woke up with a start, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked over at her husband, still sleeping peacefully next to her. She let out a sigh of relief, chiding herself for her momentary lapse of suspicion. It wasn't like she had slept with another man, right?

She let out a shaky sigh of relief. Maybe she could sneak in a shower and some damage control before Seojin woke up and demanded answers.

She quietly got out of bed, pulling the sheet to cover her sleeping husband. She quickly gathered her clothes that were strewn on the floor, covering herself as she made her way to the door.

Ahyun frowned and picked up the clock, examining it. The battery seemed to be fine, but the clock still wasn't working properly. She slapped it twice, hoping to jolt it back to life, but it was no use. The clock needed a new battery. She placed it back on the table, feeling a sense of unease settle over her.

She closed the door behind her. She didn't want Seojin to wake up any soon.

Walking over to the sink she splashed cold water on her face, trying to shake off the remnants of her unwarranted suspicion and the sleep that still clung to her. Ahyun cringed, remembering how she had lashed out at Hana the previous night in a fit of paranoia and insecurity.
Unnecessarily slapping Hana, creating the chaos and then Norton. Everything had made her impulsive.

As she tried to grab the nearest towel, she felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped, letting out a shriek of surprise.

"Where have you been?" Norton asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Ahyun spun around to face him, her heart racing. "Why are you still here?" she shot back. "I thought you had left."

Norton chuckled, a cold, mirthless sound. "I can't leave without talking to you."

He tried to pull Ahyun close, but she pushed him away, anger flashing in her eyes. "Don't touch me. I am married."

Norton laughed, a cruel, mocking sound. "C'mon, Ahyun, don't be like this. You know you like it when I'm rough with you."

Ahyun felt a surge of anger, pushing him away roughly. "Fuck off, Norton. I'm not in the mood for your bullshit."

Norton's face twisted in a sneer, the cheap aftershave he wore doing nothing to mask the sourness emanating from him. "Is that so? Well maybe you'd prefer it when that loser of your husband you gave it to you then, huh? Or did you forget sleeping with me before getting married to your husband?" Each word was a poisoned dart aimed to wound, to reopen old scars Ahyun had desperately tried to heal.

Red bloomed in her vision, hot and blinding. Years of simmering resentment, of suppressed anger and humiliation, ignited in a single, explosive moment. Her hand moved before she could think, the crack of her palm against Norton's cheek echoing in the tense kitchen air. The sting reverberated through her own hand, but the satisfaction, sharp and immediate, was intoxicating.

A roar ripped from his throat, animalistic and terrifying. "You fucking bitch! You'll pay for that!" He lunged, his bulk a sudden, menacing force crashing towards her.

Ahyun struggled, trying to break free from his grasp. Sharp nails raked across her forearm as she tried to deflect his grasping hands, the thin fabric of her blouse tearing. She saw Hana out of the corner of her eye, standing at the kitchen door, her face pale with fear. Had she heard everything? Probably. Ahyun's heart clenched. Shame mixed with a surge of fierce protectiveness. This wasn't how she wanted Hana to see her, to see their home - a place of safety, now invaded by this ugly, raging man from her past. But she didn't have time for that.