Chapter 4 Vociferation

Kier is venting his anger at his employee.

“And the way you present is inappropriate. Did you all prepare? You all like, you rush your reports!”

He looked at his secretary, standing beside him.

“Heidi, schedule my meeting with the investor."

"Sir, we followed the format that you 've provided." One of the reporters said.

Kier's attention shifted to one of the reporters when he interrupted them.

"Talkback again, and I’ll get fucking fire you!" Kier warned the last man standing.

Everyone and each one of them gets scolded and embarrassed. The employees felt like Kier called them to vent his anger towards them.

Kier has a headache with their reports and the written word format; it didn't meet his standards.

"Heidi, did you inform them well?" Kier turned his attention to his secretary a bit calmly.

"Uh, U-uh. Yes, S-sir," Heidi nervously answered and couldn't look straight into her boss's eyes.

"All of you, get out!" He roared as he massaged his forehead. He’s just tutoring himself if he continues this meeting. What employees he has!

"MIA, WHO'S WITH YOU?" I asked my friend, Mia. She's here.

It was so sudden that she visited me.

I don't know why she's here. I was just coming down the stairs when the doorbell rang.

She held my hand.

"Frenny, can we stay here for a while?" She asked gently, and she awkwardly smiled at me.

I look at the woman she's with, smiling at me, so I smile back.

I nodded at Mia.

"Hmm. I'll ask Ken first," because this is not my house; even though we're married, I won't take this as mine since this is just an arranged marriage. I need his permission too.

"Please, tell Kier not to tell Lee that n-I'm here." She held my hand tightly. She looks nervous.

She bit her lower lip. I looked at her confusedly.

"Do you two have a problem?" I hesitate to ask. I don't want to interfere, but I sense something is not correct. I guess?

"Uhmm. A-ah. Eh, yeah, we fought again. I don't want to see his face!" Her eyes became sharp as she talked and remembered what had happened.

"He's an asshole!" She added, and she looked annoyed.

If they both have a problem, why is she with another friend where I'm here? I am her friend too, and who is she? I never saw her.

"By the way," Mia pulled me closer to the woman she was with, and that woman was smiling at me genuinely.

"She's Yunnie. Yunnie, this is Selena, my friend since grade school." Mia introduced us to each other.

"Hello." She greeted and smiled at me widely; I didn't have any wrong impression of her; she also waved her hand at me. Friendly, huh?

"Hmm. Have you had dinner yet??" I asked them. I just woke up, and I'm hungry.

After Layla called me, I fell asleep again.

"Call your husband first, so we'll know if we can stay here."

I followed what Mia told me, and I called Ken. He didn't pick up my first call, so I called him again.

He answered the call, and I heard him sigh.

"Yes, wife?" He calmly asked. Is he having a bad day? I sense in his voice that he's stressed and tired.

"Hi. Hmm. Mia is here." I looked at Mia.

"She's with her friend. Can they stay here?" They looked at me as if they were also waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, sure." He answered quickly and didn't ask why Mia was at home and why she wanted to stay in our house.

I'm about to end the call when he asks me.

"Have you eaten?" Kier asked me gently, and I heard him snuff.

"I just woke up."

I heard his secretary in the other line saying something about work.

"Okay, can you wait for me? I'm meeting with an investor; I'll buy dinner after this.”

"I'm hungry," I told him the truth. I can't wait any longer.

"Yeah, I know; I'll end this very quickly. Wait for me, wife. I wasn't able to cook before I left."

Yeah, he cooks here at home; sometimes, we order food when he doesn't have time to cook.

"Can you buy me, uh?" I pulled my cell phone away, covered the speaker, and looked at the woman in front of me. They look at me as if waiting for me to end the call.

"Do you want to eat something? Ken will buy dinner for us. You can tell me what you want to eat." I ask the two.

"No, We're fine." Yunnie is the one who answered me.

I looked at Mia to see if she wanted something. She smiled at me as she understood what I meant by that look.

"We're fine." I just nodded at Mia and went back to the call.

"I want juice salad and roast chicken," I responded to Kier.

I looked at Mia as I answered and bit my lower lip. She smiled at me.

"Okay, that's all?"

"Yeah, bye!" I ended the call.

"What does he say?" Mia asked immediately.

I thumb, "it's fine." I answered, and Mia giggled.

"Brother Kier is kind; you're lucky to be your husband!" She flipped my hair.

"You two suit well." I sat down in front of them and turned on the TV.

"I'm sorry, there's not much food, and we can eat dinner later when he arrives," I informed them. The fridge is empty.

Mia looked at Yunnie.

"I told you," Mia said as if she was sure.

"It's fine, Selena; we are not hungry yet." Mia shifted his gaze at me as she answered me.

"Yunnie, did you know that we're back in college she has a crush on her husband." My cheeks turn red to what Mia said to Yunnie.

"Heh! not him but to his best friend, Bryden." I corrected her.

Ken is from another school, and they went to our school once because our school and their school had a sports fight. I can't remember what sports it was, and they won. Even our school mate cheered for them. Yuniie laughed as if she found it funny and cute.

"Yeah! you have a crush on both of them!" She revealed, "speaking of Bryden!" She exclaimed.

"I never saw him. He's not with brother Kier?" They're friends too.

"I don't know." I shrug.

"I haven't seen him since they graduated," they're in 4th year while we're freshmen.

"You're cute," Yunnie said to me suddenly, and Mia slapped her hand, and her eyes hurt, so Yunnie laughed and hugged the other. They're too sweet.

"Sorry, Mia is talkative,'' Yunnie apologized while laughing.

She's teasing Mia; they seem too close, more than us.

"I know, just like Layla." I agree with her.

We talked a lot more and didn't realize that Ken had arrived, bringing our dinner.

When Ken got home, he entered his library; he kissed me on my cheeks and went to the library. The three of us finished eating dinner, and now, they’re in their room.

Ken seems not in the mood. He didn't eat and went straight to the library or his working room.

I haven't bought a laptop yet. I sighed; there's work again tomorrow; I'm getting lazy with all the work that boss asks us to do.

I knocked on the door where Ken was.

"Come in," he sincerely said.

I went in and found that he and the room were in a mess.

He looked in distress. Is he okay?

His working table is so messy, even his hair. What’s with him? He doesn’t like unclean surroundings.

"Uhmm." I’m just looking at him, and he looks damn tired.

He rolled his long sleeve up to his arm, and I now see his strong arm. I swallowed hard in that view; why was he so good-looking in my eyes? He’s too handsome to be my husband. Huh! I should erase these thoughts.

"Yes, wife?" His deep baritone voice.

Lord, you blessed me with such a handsome husband; you love me so much.

I just stared at him; I examined every detail of him. I swallowed when my eyes fell on his chest; the three buttons of his long white sleeve were open. Why does he like to open the three buttons of his polo? That view tempts me. Is he seducing me?

He messed up his hair even more.

"Eyes up," he coldly said. He caught me again, staring at his chest.

"Love what you are seeing?" He seriously teased me.

Why is he so severe that what he’s saying shouldn’t be serious? He doesn’t have humor.

I sat primly, he didn't seduce me, and his actions tempted me.

He sighed. "Can you make me a cup of coffee?" His eyes are pleading.

I nod.

"No sugar but lots of creamers, please." I nodded again.

I made him coffee, and when I entered, he was typing on the laptop, and his working table was in good order. He already bought his computer, so I don't have to buy it for him.

I laid the coffee cup on his table.

"Hmm. Ken...'' I called his name, but he was too busy to notice me. His forehead furrowed, and his typing speed.

"Are you stupid?" He sharply asked. Is he about me? But he’s not looking at me.

He talked and fixed his ear pods. And I noticed I was not the one he was talking to, I'm assuming. I sat on the sofa and heard how he scolded the other line from my seat.

I sniff.

"Achoo!" I sneezed. I pinch my nose. I got a tissue from his table, and we looked at each other, but I was the first to evade it.

"All the files that I lost..." He looks at me again.

"Tell the fuck of them to work overtime!... " He's a deep voice yet dangerous.

"I fucking needed those files... Tomorrow!" He massages his temple in annoyance.