Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Haruto’s Cracks (Haruto POV)
Everything was supposed to be better here.I stared at the glowing screen in my office at Nexus Dynamics, the clock on the wall showing 8:47 PM. Another late night. The promotion I had worked so hard for — the one that was supposed to give us a better life — now felt like a cruel joke.I rubbed my tired eyes and looked at the framed photo on my desk: Yuna and me on our wedding day in Tokyo. She was smiling so brightly, her natural black hair flowing down her shoulders. My perfect wife.Lately... that smile was gone.I packed up and drove home through the glittering LA traffic, my mind replaying the last few days. Yuna had changed. At first I thought it was just the move — culture shock, new environment, loneliness while I worked long hours. But it was getting worse.When I finally opened the door to our apartment, the lights were dim. Yuna was sitting on the couch in one of my old shirts, legs tucked under her, staring at her phone with an expression I couldn’t read."Hey babe," I said softly, forcing a smile as I set my bag down. "I brought your favorite strawberry cake from that place in Little Tokyo. Thought we could watch something together tonight."Yuna didn’t even look up at first. When she finally did, her eyes were distant."I’m not hungry," she said flatly. "You can eat it alone."The words hit harder than they should have. I walked over and sat beside her, reaching out to touch her arm. She subtly pulled away."Yuna... talk to me," I pleaded, my voice cracking slightly. "You’ve been so cold since we got here. Did I do something wrong? Is it the long hours? I know I’ve been working a lot, but I’m trying to build something for us. For our future. For... the family we talked about."She finally looked at me. For a moment I saw something in her eyes — guilt? Annoyance? Pity?"I’m just tired, Haruto," she replied, her tone sharp. "The gym takes a lot out of me. I need space."The gym.She’d been going every single day. Sometimes twice. Coming home flushed, sometimes with marks on her neck that she claimed were from "intense workouts." Her body was changing too — her ass looked rounder, her breasts seemed fuller. She looked... incredible. But not like my wife anymore.I swallowed the lump in my throat."Okay," I whispered. "I understand. I love you, Yuna. More than anything."She didn’t say it back.Instead, she stood up and walked to the bedroom without another word, closing the door behind her.I sat alone on the couch, staring at the cake I bought for her. My hands trembled as I opened the box. The sweetness suddenly tasted like ash in my mouth.What’s happening to us?
I thought about our life in Tokyo. The quiet nights. The gentle lovemaking. The way she used to moan my name so softly. Now she barely let me touch her. When I tried two nights ago, she turned away and said she was sore.Sore from what?A dark, nauseating thought crawled into my mind — one I immediately pushed away.No. Yuna would never. She loves me. She’s just adjusting.But the doubt was there now. Like a crack in glass slowly spreading.I opened my laptop and mindlessly scrolled through social media. Then I noticed something strange — Yuna had been on her phone constantly, smiling at it in a way she hadn’t smiled at me in weeks.I shook my head violently.Stop it, Haruto. You’re being paranoid. She’s your wife.I walked to the bedroom door and pressed my ear against it gently. I could hear faint sounds — soft moaning? Breathing?My heart clenched.I wanted to open the door. I wanted to ask her what was wrong. But I was scared. Scared of what I might see. Scared of breaking the fragile thing our marriage had become.Instead, I went back to the couch, curled up, and tried to sleep.Tomorrow will be better, I told myself. I’ll take a day off. We’ll go on a date. I’ll remind her why we fell in love.But deep down, in a place I didn’t want to acknowledge, a terrible fear was beginning to bloom.Something was very wrong.And I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to face it.
To Be Continued
