Zara bit her lower lip, her brow furrowed in confusion, clouding her eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked, drawing closer.
"What if I abandoned you, marrying another girl and having..." he began, his voice low, playful, and teasing. He didn't finish his sentence.
Zara yanked his shirt towards her, her eyes dark and narrowed, her jaw tightened. "I will kill you.... Mr. Lee. Understand, after killing you, I will take my own life too." She murmured; her voice was deep and serious. She dragged his shirt closer, and his breath hitched in after hearing her confession. "Don't.... ever think of another girl..." Her gaze shifted to his eyes and lips, before her lips crashed onto his. "This is mine." She'd released his shirt, leaving him slightly breathless.
Min-Jun let out a deep breath. "Omg, I'm scared. My wife is so serious," he joked, laughter filling the kitchen. The memory faded, replaced by the sting of tears. He wiped them away, opened the car door, and left the check on the seat.
Two years later, Boston, afternoon, 3 pm.
Zara stepped out of the chemical analysis laboratory. She wears a white coat and glows and holds files in her hand, walking in the hallway as her heels click against the polished hallway, mixed with students' murmurs. She entered the staff room as she stopped at the third desk. Her gaze landed on Professor Alex, his fingers dancing across a laptop keyboard.
"Mr. Alex," she called, her voice a professional cadence.
Alex turned, a warm smile softening his features. "Zara, please, sit." He gestured to the chair opposite him.
"Thank you. Professor," she replied with a gentle smile and placed the files on his desk. "The lab report and sample files we tested."
Alex took the files, his brow furrowing slightly as he scanned the report. "Thank you, Zara. Everything is perfect, you may go," he said, and returned to his laptop.
"Thank you, professor," she said, and she left the staff room.
A sigh of relief escaped her as she removed her lab white coat. "Finally. My work was done. "She murmured as she headed towards the DNA analysis lecture hall. Her hand gripped the handle and opened the door gently as she stepped inside the dimly lit room. Inside, the projector cast an ethereal glow, illuminating swirling images of DNA strands. She walked silently into a huge hall; students were listening, slid into the middle desk where her friend Emmy sat, and waved to her with a small smile.
"Where you have been?" Emmy asked, placing her hands on her but her eyes were still fixed on the screen.
"Staff room," Zara replied, her voice low, her eyes fixed on the phone as she checked her mail.
"What about today's party? You are coming, right?" Emmy asked, placing her palm on her Jaw and chewing the gun side by side.
"I want to..., but I don't know anyone except Xavier. " Zara hesitated.
"Yes, who cares? "Emmy dismissed with a wave of her hand as she had written a time on her notes.
"What? Night 9 pm " Zara eyebrows shot up in surprise, a continuous message popped up on her phone display on the desk.
"Yes, night party, be ready before 9, "Emmy confirmed with a playful nudge.
Zara nodded doubt and her eyes fixed on the displayed notification on the phone. "Are you free today, Zara..." Why aren't you replying…? What's wrong with you? she flipped the phone face down and her eyes returned to the lecture.
Time 8:00 pm.
The dim room changed to a glowing white light, the temperature of the room was warm, and luxurious things were well placed; silence was broken by the sharp clinking as Zara cut a piece of chicken on her plate. Dante and Selena were seated stiffly opposite Zara at the vast, rectangular designed wooden dining table.
Selena was serving a hot green steamed soup; the flavor occupied the hall. "How were your studies going?" Dante asked, breaking the plate sound.
"Good, Dad. I have already applied for several internships," Zara replied, her gaze fixed on her food, avoiding her parents' eyes.
"Good. " Dante nodded. "What about Adam? How is he doing?" Dante questioned again, cutting his dessert with a spoon and noticing her half-done makeup and the painted nails.
Zara instinctively curled her fingers inward, concealing her nails as she noticed Dante's pointed stare. "Everything was fine," she said, her voice low.
What's 'fine'?" Dante persisted, his gaze unwavering. "Have you two had any arguments? He hasn't been around lately."
Zara eyes darted on the huge-sized time clock on the wall, damn it it's already 8, my bad, late dinner tonight of all nights, how can I reach the bar on time? Now, Dad was asking the unwanted question, and her mind raced. "Dad... Maybe he is busy with his work, " she offered, with some sort of tension running over her face.
A knowing smirk appeared on his lips; his gaze fixed on Zara. "Busy.... or you are the one ignoring him, Zara?" he raised his voice in anger.
Zara rolled her eyes, a disappointment smirk tugged on her lips, placing her fork and knife on her barely touched plate. "Did that ass*ole say that?" she retorted, a defiant glint in her eyes.
"Zara.... Language!" Selena shouted, her voice sharp with disapproval like a whip across the table.
Dante forcefully pushed his spoon against his plate, the sharp crack of the breaking sound echoing in the sudden silence.
"Shit!!!!! You guys are crazy about what I do, who I speak to, what I wear, and how to speak. Even I don't have any right to pick my life partner." She murmured, pausing to take a steadying breath, her gaze moving between her parents. "These stupid restrictions are making me sick." She stood from the chair and pushed back. "I am enough," she said as she stepped into her room, the click of the closing door echoing downstairs.
"Dante.... Why are you rude to her?" Selena asked, her gaze fixed on the closed door upstairs.
"I am not, She's the one who's been behaving rudely lately," Dante countered, his voice low and dangerous, a flicker of something unsettling in his eyes. "Did she take her medication correctly?"
"Yes," Selene nodded as they continued their dinner.
Inside her room, Zara removed her blouse and speedily pulled a body-hugging black dress with a high side slit from her closet. She struggled to zip her back shoulder, "Shit! I need long hands "her fingers fumbling before finally succeeding. She slipped on a pair of black stilettos, the height adding to her already striking figure. Wearing a small diamond chain and applying red lipstick completed her look, adjusting already combed wavy hair, and gave a final touch with a tiny fragrance spray on her dress.
As everything was done, she let out a deep relief breath, glanced at her mirror, "Everything is perfect " she said as she grabbed her phone watching the screen "What?18 missed calls, 5 voice messages," her eyes wide in shock, her hands immediately called Emmy, "It was almost ten! Xavier is waiting outside the gate," Emmy shouted after attending the call, over the loud background music.
"Okay, I'm coming out now, " Zara replied as she cut the call, took her costliest tiny handbag, and walked towards the door. She paused, her fingers on the door handle, and unlocked it slowly. She pressed her ear against the door, listening for any sounds from the hallway.