THIN SHAKY LEGS

"i'll sign them"

thinning shaky legs and eyes bloodshot from all of the endless sleepless nights of crying herself to sleep, it took a lot of courage to finally make her way to jeongguk's office after three more days.

standing across jeongguk's desk, jiho wasn't up for games and as much as possible, she wanted to get out of the putrid place—

this place is making me feel weak.

—the very place where her beloved husband and mistress did all the ungodly acts behind her sorry back.

"i—ji . . ji—"

squirming at the mention of that endearment rolling in the tips of his lips, tears threatened to fall in the corners of her eyes. shifting uncontrollably, countless of images ran through her mind. everywhere she looked, an image of jeongguk and lilia being intimate in this goddamn room sickly made her stomach flip.

"sit down, ji—"

ignoring jeongguk, jiho didn't respond and instead let out a shaky sigh, gazing down. instinctively wrapping her arms on herself, she seeked for a drip of peace, wanting calmness to seep through her skin.

"ji—"

"don't. just please stop calling me by that name"

"i—i'm sorry"

Sorry?

finding jeongguk sickly amusing, she let out a sarcastic laugh. "i can't clearly see how sorry you are"

"i—, ji. i mean, jiho, i—"

"i'll sign the papers on one condition"

"what?"

jeongguk's voice came out as a series of muffled voice, shock was written on the edges of his face and even without looking at him, jiho could sense his anticipation.

"i'll sign them for one—"

"i heard you." jeongguk paused "but what is it?"

"fourteen days from now, you have to carry me out of the house every day"

"carry? but—"

"jinyeon has an upcoming test in a week's time, he's a candidate of ending this school year with flying honors and i don't want him to fail, he doesn't want to, he's too precious for this mess and i don't want to scar him"

jiho kept her head hanging low, biting the insides of her mouth every now and then to stop herself from crying.

don't breakdown.

don't let him see how weak you are.

a long silence ran between the two but jeongguk broke it to her.

"why fourteen days?"

sighing, she pinched her skin to ease the tears that wanted to fall. "fourteen days from now would be our 10th year anniversary — 3 years of dating and 7 years of being married. on that day we dated, married and i want to get divorced on that day as well" poisonous words coming out of her lips, jiho tried her best to keep a strong face.

"but, wh—why the carrying?" jiho sensed the uncertainty of jeongguk's voice as he asked those words.

do you really want to know, now?

tired eyes finding the courage to meet jeongguk's confused ones, "you carried me into that house"

pausing, she let out a painful smile before speaking.

"you can carry me out as well"