Though Chino couldn't find any better clothing, she simply took her previous outfit to the laundromat, deciding it was good enough. The floors might be disgusting, and the washers might smell like mold, but it would have to do for now. She did, however, go out and buy new foundation- the cheap stuff that she could buy over and over again... should Eros' behavior persist. By some miracle, she found $50 on the sidewalk, and hid it in her pocket before anyone saw, along with the other $65 worth of sidewalk money she had saved up. By the time the day was over, Chino had bought her mother's pills, paid for laundry (barely), and managed to get some rice for dinner. She opened her door and froze in her tracks- seeing Eros' shoes in the door. He wasn't supposed to be here. Nausea hit hard as fast as she walked through the house quietly. "Eros?" There was a light tremble in her voice as she gently set everything down, only to hear a distinct click. Chino's heart might as well have stopped in her chest. "Stop. Don't move." His harsh voice snapped, though Chino could only see down the barrel of the pistol he had at her. It was hard to reconcile this cruel man with the man she first met. He was always happy, generous, joking all the time. Now he just glared at her. "Where have you been?" It was more of a statement than a question, rendering Chino silent- heart pounding violently in her ears. She always knew he would kill her, but not like this. "Answer me." "I went to an interview-" "Why?!" It was at her forehead, cool against her skin. "For a job-" His breath reeked of alcohol. She shuddered, gently grasping his wrist and moving it away from her. He was too slow, shooting her front door- right before she pried it away from his loose grip. "Why don't you go to bed, love? You must be exhausted. I'll get you some water." He stared at her, surprisingly silent before allowing her to lead him to the couch and lay down, instantly falling asleep. Some part of her hoped he wouldn't wake up- then immediately berated herself for being so hateful towards him. He couldn't help that he failed at college- that it destroyed him. He had struggled everyday since that day- and she couldn't treat him horribly because of it. Pure terror spiked when she remembered her mother and ran faster than she ever did. The door was still locked. She exhaled a sigh in pure relief, sitting with her back against the door, right before she remembered she had to pay the water bill. + Saizen + One would assume that when someone's job depends on whether or not they are married to someone else, they would be a bit more careful on how they acted in public. Saizen went into the office a bit late the next morning, though no one would dare call him out on it. Just like every time she visits, Airi's presence made him unable to sleep well. Chino was already there, doing something to the filing cabinet in the office she had, and wearing the same thing from yesterday. Typically, he wouldn't make note of such a minute, unimportant observation, however, there was something about this girl that unsettled him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something horribly wrong with her life- from her quiet demeanor, her instinct to flinch. That needed to be fixed... he wouldn't be held responsible for a flinchy employee. Of course, just as he sat down, Airi came to visit. He did what he always did, smiled at her and greeted her- treated her as if she was still his wife, allowing a bit of resentment to show in his eyes. It reflected back in hers, as well, though the whole situation was her fault- but this time, there was barely caged rage in her eyes. "You hired a woman as your secretary?!" She snapped, catching the attention of some bystanders, who raised their eyebrows in confusion. Saizen gave them a charming smile before shutting the glass door, which somehow helped with the amount of sound passing through. "Will you keep your voice down? We aren't supposed to be fighting." He snapped back, all friendliness drained with Airi's loud claim. "I could honestly care less- look at her! Do you expect to make us look normal with that as your assistant!?" She barked, jabbing her finger at Chino- who quickly looked away. "Calm down. This is strictly professional. Why do you think she has a whole office?" "Professional my-" "Airi. PLEASE! You're being ridiculous! Everyone is watching us-" At this point in their not-relationship, even Saizen was shocked when Airi struck him clear across the face. It stung a bit, yes, however, it was more hurtful that she did it... even if they were divorced. This was different. The crack surrounded the office, and apparently was heard outside because there was a clear gasp amongst multiple people. "...Get out." Saizen was shaking with anger, trying his hardest not to lose his temper and his fragile hold on reality. He flat-out refused to harm her back.
He extended his arm, pointing at the glass door. "Please... get out." The 'please' was forced. It was all he could do to not react negatively to Airi- he already dreaded her presence daily, and this only added to it. Good thing phones weren't allowed in the building, or he would be on the news with her purple hand print on his face. He couldn't stop shaking, even after she stormed out. Saizen had to sit down and allow the adrenaline-anger rush to disappear before he could leave the office- Chino was standing at the doorway. She tilted her head at him, eyebrows furrowed in concern as she placed something cold in his hot hands. "Ice helps with bruising, especially recent bruising." She frowned, those soft brown eyes boring right into his soul, "I can arrange for security to not let her come back?" Saizen shook his head. Tomorrow, he would hug Airi, apologize, they would cry, they would make up. All for the Show. "It's fine. She's never done that before." He smiled through the lie, "We'll get over it." Naturally, Chino knew he was lying.
