The Maid | P.Sh

| 2.25 |

In the evening when I had gotten home with the bag of bottles, Sunghoon still wasn't home, as he was supposed to be. So I sat around by the dining table, quietly waiting.

I didn't cook dinner, I didn't order dinner, I just sat there patiently waiting while turning over words in my head, trying to get an idea of how I was going to confront him. 

When the front door opened a bit after midnight my heart immediately started beating faster as I stared harshly at the tabletop. I quietly listened to Sunghoon slipping out of his shoes and coat, letting out a small sigh before his footsteps began moving through the house. Eventually pausing after he had neared the dining room enough.

"Can't sleep?" Sunghoon questioned quietly and I immediately dropped my face into my hands, this was gonna be harder than I thought and it was all because he had asked me a simple question.

"I got a package at work today," I sighed and looked up at Sunghoon, who just looked at me with worry, slowly setting down his bag before rushing over and sitting down across from me, "so now I want you to tell me why you're coming home so late."

"I am not cheating on you," he quickly spoke with raised eyebrows, "I'm at the office all night, ask Jake he can assure you that."

"The package was from Jake," I admitted and Sunghoon quickly went quiet as he just kept staring at me.

Letting out a small sigh I stood up and lifted up the bag Jake had brought me. I placed it right on the middle of the dining table, making sure Sunghoon heard the clinking of the bottles.

"Why?" I calmly questioned as Sunghoon just looked at the bag as if he was gonna be sick, "why would you break your promise? You know this is bad for you. Sunghoon you were hospitalized."

"I'm sorry," he whispered before looking over at me, "Sieun I am so sorry. I tried to stop, I really did."

"I don't care," I almost exclaimed at him, almost, "I worry more about what you don't tell me. There's a reason for why you can't stop, because when I was your maid it wasn't a problem for you to lay off the alcohol... are you stressing at work or something?"

"No..." his answer was so quiet I even doubted if I heard it, "I uhm... I drink at the office and then go throw up before I go home so I won't be too drunk... and so you wouldn't be able to smell the alcohol that clearly."

"I didn't ask you to tell me how you did it, I want to know why," I stated as I paced back to my chair and just sat down in it, "it could kill you Sunghoon," I sighed as I rubbed my face in my hands, "I'd actually rather have you cheating on me," I admitted and it went silent as I slowly realized what the time was, "you drank before getting home again. Are you even in the right state of mind right now?"

"I am," Sunghoon whispered and I stayed quiet as I picked at my lips, trying to avoid being able to see both Sunghoon and the bag, "Sieun, I'm sorry."

"You get a week," I whispered and glanced over at him as he raised both eyebrows in confusion, "sober for a week and I'll help you with rehab. If you can't do that..." Something about saying my thoughts outloud suddenly seemed completely impossible, but I think he understood what I meant.

"Alright," he whispered with a small nod, "I'm sorry."

"And if you go the week through sober, I want you to do a medical exam before rehab," I stated and he frowned over at me, "do you really have any idea how much alcohol can damage your body? You're gonna do a medical exam whether you like it or not."

It was silent for some time while Sunghoon slowly processed what I had told him, giving him my final ultimatum. For once it wasn't a comfortable silence, it felt quite tense and awkward.

"Sieun, I really do love you," he eventually spoke up as I just shook my head.

"Don't," I shortly replied, "I am not gonna feel sorry for you. You still did this well aware of the promise you had given me. I do not feel bad for you," I sternly remarked and he just looked down for the first time in this whole conversation, "now I'm gonna go get my things and move them out on the couch. I am not sleeping in the bed this week."

Quietly I got up from my chair, wandering down towards the bedroom I kept turning my words over and over in my head. Slowly I began regretting everything I just had told Sunghoon, I really didn't want to leave him, but I couldn't force myself into a relationship that wasn't good for me. I deserved better than what this relationship was at the moment, and I need to remind myself that.

I had to pass the dining room once again to get out into the living room. As I walked past Sunghoon with my arms full of blankets he didn't even look at me, he just sat in his chair, looking at the bag in front of me. He truly seemed terrified.

Even the next morning when I passed the dining room once again Sunghoon still sat in his chair, looking at the bag. This time his cheeks were obviously moist, and I couldn't help but ruffle his hair as I walked past him, trying to assure him he still had a chance to make things better. Yet he still didn't even more one milimeter, he just sat there, still and quiet.