Part II: The Morning After

Chapter XIV: Kaede's Past

It was barely dawn and Douymouji Kaede was already working in her office. She sat behind her home desk in London. She was looking at the disturbing information in front of her. There were the obvious signs that the executives in Germany were planning a takeover. Every once in a while this happened. It was inevitable with a large company.

The phone by her desk rang. She picked it up absently, still thinking on how to solve this problem.

"Kaede, up so early as always, how have you been?" Kaede stiffened. She hadn't heard his voice in almost a year. They avoided attending the same charities and other parties. The last time she saw him was at the Doumyouji annual executive party where they were both required to show up. "What's wrong? Don't remember me?" the man asked when Kaede didn't respond.

Kaede forced herself to relax. "What do you want?"

"You don't waste time with trivialities. That's what I like about you."

"You're arrogant and conceited that's what I hate about you."

"Now is that any way to talk to your husband?"

"What do you want?" she repeated impatiently.

He swallowed his disappointment. Every single time he tried talking to her she was always rude and curt, why did he think this time would be any different? They've been doing this for over a decade. "I want to let you know that I want Tsukasa to start dealing with mergers and company issues

"Tsukasa?" Kaede couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Tsukasa just started learning about the company. He's nowhere near ready to handle a problem of this size."

"It seems like you don't know much about your son. What happened to your great information network?" he said bitterly.

Kaede tensed at what he was referring to. During her pregnancy with Tsukasa she suspected that he was cheating on her. He was always away with meetings outside of Japan and there were times he wouldn't be home for weeks. When she asked how work was, he was always evasive. She wasn't an idiot. She didn't work when she was pregnant but that didn't mean she didn't know what was going on in his company. She knew there wasn't a lot of work, just the usual, so there was nothing to justify the large amounts of time he spent there. She knew she couldn't ask him straight out, he'll say no. She hired a private investigator. It didn't take longer than a week to have her worst fears confirmed. She couldn't believe how unbearably hurt she was, and to think that she loved him. He was just another man who couldn't keep his pants zipped. When she confronted him, she expected him to deny it, to try to prove his innocence even though it would be a futile effort. She wasn't going to believe anything he said, especially words of love that he probably said to countless other women. She still remembered their confrontation like it was yesterday.

She was waiting for him on the couch. He came through the door with a smile on his face. "Kaede, I brought you something." He revealed a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. "I know I've been busy, neglecting both you and our baby, will you forgive me? Look, I also bought you this." He showed her the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. It was dark green and made of velvet. She took her eyes off the dress and the beautiful blue orchids. She was determined not to fall for his charms.

"You think these things will make me forgive you?"

"I know they're not much. You can get them yourself but-"

"How many other women have you given these things to in the past month?"

"What are you talking about? Just you. I haven't bought anything for other women since we married."

"Stop lying!" Kaede shouted. She tossed him the pictures.

He didn't even have to pick them up. He knew what he was seeing. "You had me investigated?" he said coldly.

He was good she thought bitterly. He was pretending to be insulted, putting her on the defense. "What did you expect me to do when you weren't telling me anything? You're barely home. I tried to call you in your hotels but you were never there. What did you expect me to think?"

"I expected my wife to trust me."

"Don't say 'my wife' to me in that tone. You don't know the meaning of the word."

"Just answer me this. Do you or do you not trust me?" Kaede didn't say anything. He left without a backward glance.

The following months were the roughest in her life. She lost her will to live. She didn't feel like waking up every morning and she never had an appetite, but she knew she had to eat for the baby. It was her duty to give birth to a son, the Doumyouji heir. She knew it was her responsibility when she married into the Doumyouji family, but why did he have to make her fall in love with him. She was prepared to give him a son and then go about her life, but he started romancing her, and before she knew it –she had fallen hard. In the end, he had proven to be another man who thought with his dick –just like her father.

And he wasn't there when she went into labor, not that she would've felt any better if he was. After she gave birth to Tsukasa she gave him to someone else to breastfeed. She didn't want to look at him. He was a miniature replica of his father. During the last few months, she came to the conclusion that her husband had cheated on her because she was going to give birth to his heir. It was no longer necessary to pretend to be a loving husband.

She suffered from postpartum depression (depression after giving birth). She started hating herself. She was moody, irritable and tired. Her parents died a month after she gave birth to Tsukasa. She was the only child so she inherited everything – all the debts. It turns out her dear old dad borrowed heavily to finance his extravagant lifestyle– over four million - and the hotels were in the red. She had money from her trust fund and various accounts and bonds, luckily her dad couldn't touch that. She liquidated what she could and paid back the debts. She spent the next year changing the company from the bottom up. She knew it was the Doumyouji name that paved the way, which she resented, but it was due to her hard work that in less than two years she was already making a substantial profit.

"Tsukasa started learning about the company since he was in junior high. My executives told me he was looking at company data - past and current investments, account books and executive employee records." Kaede couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he lying to her? She wouldn't put it past him, but she couldn't think of any reason he would lie about this. "I think Tsukasa can handle this problem. I'll be watching from the sideline."

"How could you have let things get so far? In a couple of months, it won't be easy or quiet to resolve the problem."

Doumyouji Taisuke resented the implication that he was incompetent. "I can't know what every single branch is doing. I hire people to do their job. I don't constantly look at what they're doing. Besides when have you ever cared about the Doumyouji Corporation? You're only worried about your hotels." Taisuke regretted his words the moment he said it. He wanted to tell her how proud he was that she succeeded on her own. Damn why did she always seem to bring out the worst in him.

Kaede winced at his words. Why, after all these years, does he still have the power to hurt her? He's a liar and a cheat. He shouldn't matter to her. "Why should I care about Doumyouji Corporation? It's yours, not mine." She was lying, she did care, and that's why she knew about the problem in the Germany branch. Irritated at herself and at him, she curtly said, "Fine, you can do whatever you want with Tsukasa. I'm not going to be responsible if he messes up." She hung up before he could reply.

Kaede closed her eyes as she leaned back on her chair. She suddenly felt so tired, and it was barely past dawn.

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Rui paced around Ayaka's front gate. He went home last night but he couldn't sleep - a first for him. He lied in his comfy bed for a couple of hours and all he could think about was her. He couldn't get past the pain he saw in her eyes out of his mind. When it was 5 in the morning, he gave up the pretense of trying to go to sleep. He got out of bed with the intention of walking off his mood. Before he knew it he found himself by her front gate. For over an hour he had been trying to tell himself to leave. After all he didn't want to be with her in the first place, so last night was a perfect reason to leave her alone. She wouldn't call him, not after last night. But he couldn't leave it be. He didn't want it to end like this. Their kiss last night was too hot for words. If he hadn't opened his big mouth, he wouldn't be as frustrated and unhappy as he was now.

Ayaka walked out and saw Rui with his head down pacing back and forth. She walked the other way. It was a good thing Rui heard her footsteps and looked up. "Ayaka, wait." He grabbed her arm, turning her around to face him. "I'm sorry about last night. I really didn't mean it. I brought you something to show you how sorry I am." He took out a jewelry box and opened it for her, showing her a beautiful glittering sapphire and diamond necklace.

"So what? You're paying me now? Like a whore? Who the hell do you think you are? Contrary to popular belief, money doesn't mean that much to everyone."

Damn it. Why wasn't she responding like he thought she would? He expected her to be happy about the necklace. All women loved jewelry…didn't they? "NO! Not like a whore. I'm sorry for last night. I really didn't mean it like that. It's just that, damn it." Rui ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Ayaka took pity on him. He sounded as unhappy and miserable as he looked. He wore the same clothes as yesterday and it looked like he didn't sleep much, if any. "I didn't give you these because I think you're loose. They're a peace offering."

"Don't you think that's a little too expensive? Hell, I don't even think we're friends."

Rui winced. He knew he didn't think they were friends, but he didn't expect it to hurt that much when she said the actual words. "I want us to be friends. No, that's not it –I want us to be more than friends."

"Why?"

"Why?" Rui repeated blankly. He didn't expect her to ask why. "Well we have similar interests, and you can't deny the chemistry between us."

"I agree on all points, which is why last night I was willing to be with you, and I got burned for it. So if we're going to go out I insist on some ground rules. One –no kissing or intimate touches of any kind when we go on dates. Two –I initiate the first time together."

"Fine, agreed." At this point he was willing to agree to any condition. He pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight. She didn't object. She felt the tension drain out of his body.

She was reluctant to leave him but she had to go to work and told him so. He offered to bring her there but she shook her head. "You need sleep. You look worse for wear."

He felt like it too, Rui thought. So this time he conceded. "We're still on for Tokyo Tower?"

She hesitated. He thought she was still unsure about their tentative relationship. "I promise I won't try anything."

"No, it's not that. Lately I had to put overtime at work, I don't know if today will be one of them. I'll call you if I'll be late." Rui nodded. There was nothing else he could do.

Tsukasa was facing the mirror, putting on his suit and tie. It was his first day going into the Doumyouji building. He had been there numerous times but this was the first time he was going there to work. He knew this day would come but he didn't expect it to be so soon. His dad had called him the previous day and told him he was given the task of seeing through some of the current mergers or rather takeover by Douymouji Corp. His dad also briefed him on what was going on in Germany. He didn't say anything that Tsukasa didn't already know. Tsukasa was still thinking of how he was going to handle it as he got into his limo.

It didn't take long to arrive at the office. He was immediately greeted at the front door by a few of the vice presidents (VPs). He saw a mixture of resentment, curiosity, and boredom in their faces. He tucked away his impressions, showing nothing on his face. He looked around the office. It was spacious and clean. He expected nothing else. He was shown to his desk, the CEO's desk. Tsukasa kicked everyone out. The files he ordered about the current mergers were already on his desk. He spent hours pouring over them. He could've been briefed about the status of the other companies, but he preferred drawing his own conclusions.

He took a break from the merger files. He thought about going out to lunch but decided against it and ordered in. While he ate, he looked over the files for company in Germany. It was obvious that the place was going to undergo an upper level management change. The question was how to replace them. Should he promote from within the company or hire from the outside? By the end of the day he decided to go to Germany to see the condition of the place for himself.

Since the day Ayaka decided to give Rui a chance they went on numerous dates. They went bungee jumping, sky diving, parachuting, and white water rafting. Rui loved each and every one of the activities. What a rush! He loved being with her, but it was hard to keep his promise not to kiss her. He never needed women, not like Akira and Soujiro needed them, but this time he was getting frustrated. He couldn't sleep very well because she haunts him in her dreams. It was a trial to appear serene when he was with her, especially tonight. They went out for dinner. When Rui chose the restaurants they went to high class ones, it was the only ones he knew, while Ayaka showed him to the nooks and crannies of Tokyo. This time it was his choice and the place he chose required formal dress. She wore a dark blue spaghetti strap dress with the sapphire necklace he gave her. Throughout the night he kept envisioning her with just the necklace on, resulting in the most frustrating erection.

Like after every date, Rui took her back to her place. Rui waited until Ayaka opened her door before he turned around and left. But before he could fully turn around, Ayaka slipped her hand in his. "Stay."

"God, I thought you would never ask."

(A few days later)

Tsukasa walked into his office, prepared to go over his notes for the meeting. He sat down and saw the pictures lying on his desk. His body froze in disbelief and cold outrage. It was a picture of Tsukushi with Rui. They were holding hands. He picked up the stack of pictures and flipped through it. There were several pictures of the two of them on dates, in cafes, parks, all blatantly open places. The last picture was the two of them kissing. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. This had to be a lie. Part of him was positive that this wasn't real, Tsukushi would never do this, but the other part laughed at how foolish he was to believe she chose him. This happened before; his brain flashed to the time they were at the beach. She had sneaked out of their room to meet with Rui. The shock and betrayal he felt that night when he saw the two of them kiss was nothing like what he felt right now.

o.O Review! The next chapter will be out soon, it's being written…