"I've never seen him like this. He just... I don't know... I can't believe it's the same Rihito, he's different..."
"And?" Ai looked on.
"The fake demeanor of the playboy is starting to crumble down, I can't believe all this time he had been hiding behind the playboy, the happy-go-lucky guy face, behind that there is a scared innocent child, he really makes me want to hide him from the world, protect him from whatever he fears, I honestly won't mind spending my entire life in one room with him, away from rest of the world so no one could touch him or scare him. I really want to heal the scars he's been burdened with."
"You're really like a guy. A strong, reliable husband?" Ai smiled at her.
"It has nothing to do with being a guy or a girl, it's just how I feel. But the problem is, he won't share it with me. he would entirely dodge the question or because he doesn't want to be dishonest so he just replies with his only honest feelings 'I Love you' that's how he gets away with answering and I'm also scared that if I push him further I may lose him entirely, it's like I'm walking on a thin rope." She sighed reminiscing the morning's incident.
They spent the entire morning cuddled up in bed when she went to make the breakfast he followed her and kept hugging her the entire time, "I didn't know you're so clingy." She laughed when he didn't let her go even for a second, entirely restricting her movements. "Is that bad?" He asked loosening his grip. "No." She replied immediately as his dejected voice scared her. "I like it." She added.
"It feels like he's testing me. What's he so scared of? I fell for him despite he was a flirt, a playboy, he even blackmailed me into a fake marriage, I didn't leave him then, why would I leave him now? How can I help him when I don't even know what's bothering him?" She hit her head on the table.
"Now? What do you plan to do?" Ai asked.
She pondered over the suggestion Ryouma had given her, "You have two options 1. Beat the truth out of him. 2. Wait until he comes around by himself. Honestly, I prefer the first one, waiting is pointless in his case. I waited for like years for him to come and tell me until one day, I and Aaron beat the shit out of him then he blurted out."
"I plan to wait," She nodded, "for now... well until my patience runs out." She added.
***
A few days later
"Yes, yes, I'm leaving. I'll be there in 15 minutes." She replied to her husband on the call. They had a movie date.
"I know you're still stuck with the work, so stay there, finish it before those 15 minutes, I'm on my way to pick you up." He answered.
"Okay, deal." She hung up the call and immediately threw herself on work. She ran out, "Here, these designs need some modification, I've written up here on this note." She passed on the files to her assistant.
She ran back inside and sitting on her chair she pulled out her phone from her bag, she turned on the front camera as the mirror, she let her hair down and put on some makeup, just then she heard a knock on her door, "yes?" She looked up.
"You have someone searching for you outside." Her assistant replied.
"So soon?" She peeked at her watch.
"It's your mother-in-law." She added.
"I know... wait, who?" She frowned.
"Your mother-in-law." Her assistant repeated.
Rina froze for a moment. 'The infamous mother-in-law' She thought for a moment, then replied, "make her sit, I'll be there right away."
After the girl left, Rina took her phone and dialed the number. "Yes?" The person on the other side answered. "Customer service?" She bit her lips. It was kind of like a code word they came up with in case he was busy, the word would alarm emergency.
"Just a second," He replied. She heard a few rustling sounds and then he replied, "What happened?"
"Apparently, my mother-in-law is here to meet me at my workplace." She answered.
"What the f*ck is that woman doing over there?" Ryouma shouted.
"I just told you, she's here to meet me," Rina replied.
"You're not actually planning to meet her, right? You heard Aaron, you're to completely avoid her," he warned her.
"that's why I called you, I want some information on her before I confront her." She bit her lips.
"Didn't I tell you to ask your husband about it?"
"Okay then, he's on his way here, we'll both greet her together." She shrugged.
"Oi, you can't let that happen! Keep him away." He yelled.
"then give me some hint so that I can finish off my conversation with her before he arrives."
***
Her so-called mother in law had been waiting at the cafeteria, accompanied by her assistant, when Rina reached the place, the girl left them to have their talk.
"Hi, dear." The woman greeted her with a smile.
"hello." Rina passed a nervous smile in return.
"I always wanted to meet you, you're lovely. Have a seat." She gestured.
Rina nervously took the seat, she was prepared to have some spat with her but here the woman was treating her way too sweet. If she hadn't talked to Ryouma, she would've fallen for it, but now that she knew what she is, she should just cut the chase, she thought.
She started clearing her throat, "Let's leave the fake sweet talk and why not get to the point?"
The woman raised her brows in surprise but soon took off the mask, her face instantly changed from loving to menacing look.
Wow, that was fast. Rina tilted her head.
"Did his faithful dogs train you?" She questioned.
"excuse me?" Rina frowned.
"Ah, those annoying friends of his. They always get in the way, I was just here to have some friendly talk with my daughter-in-law but you're not real anyway so why waste their breath on you? Your marriage is fake, isn't it? I heard you were forced to play along. Using your brother, ah, my son can be mean at times. Sorry about that." The woman smirked.
She wasn't sorry about a thing, she was just showing she knew things. Rina's eyes widened in surprise, I bet even Grandy wouldn't know that. But this wasn't time to get intimidated.
"Even I heard a few things about you, abandoning your child, coming to ask for money more like extortion of money from your own son?" She clicked her tongue. "Not good, mother-in-law." She shook her head.
"I see you've got a tongue, a sharp one." She laughed. "So, how's the bastard doing?"
Rina tilted her head in confusion.
"My son. If only he had answered my call, I wouldn't have to reach out to you." She sighed. "he seems to have grown fond of you."
"Anyway, here." She fished out her phone and clicked the camera, "Say, cheese." Rina was totally taken by surprise, seeing the picture she clicked her tongue, 'you closed your eyes, but this will do, seems like he needs to learn his manners again, this should give him a scare?" She smirked. "What kind of expressions will he wear? Fascinating. I bet he'll come home crying after this." her face lit up at imagination.
Rina's blood boiled, she was reminded of Rihito's vulnerable self which she clearly didn't like, say what she's going to make who cry? She rolled her eyes and then glared at her. The woman was too busy in her fantasy world that she didn't notice Rina's hands approaching, the woman exclaimed when her phone was snatched, "Too bad, the phone's gone." Rina dropped the phone down on her hot cup of coffee.
"And dear mother-in-law, you must have missed a point on me, I don't look like it but I have quite a temper and I'm quite good at martial arts too, I heard others are letting you off for your son's sake but I, for his sake, I won't care, my hands may slip here and there and trust me, the crushed bones are hard to heal in old age." She threatened.
"thank you so much for taking your time to come and see me, I'm sorry about your phone and sorry for ruining your plans. I am a very busy person so I'll take my leave, let's not meet again, for your own sake." Rina stood up and walked away stamping her feet.
"She's an interesting one." The woman narrowed her eyes in her direction.