Chapter 7

Exposure Aftermath

"If this feels right, why do I have to leave?"

He hauled her a cab. A few seconds later, a yellow Toyota arrived in their direction; the driver clicked open the lock. Kitty looked back, smiling. Her smile met Kai's as he waved her goodbye. She turned around and locked the cab door, and the driver drove off to her apartment.

Kitty leaned back on the cab's cream synthetic leather back seat as she hugged the tote on her lap. She looked out the window; the city lights were starting to come alive. Her gaze was locked out the window. The airconditioning was brushing on her forearm; the cab driver was silent as the radio played a random pop song in

She had a lot on her mind with what happened today- today was a lot. She stole a red lipstick that wasn't her shade, and she might not open the packaging or used it.

On her way home from work, she took a detour when a complete strange tried to blackmail her into being an accomplice. Being used for her turmoil, she let Leah sidetrack her to a police station outside her usual routine path, and she did nothing there. Kitty got herself all worked up for nothing; she didn't even enter the station. On top of that, Kitty was thinking of ways to show up to work tomorrow. She made sure she wouldn't get caught today, but who knows what will happen then.

Outside she could see a couple walking out of a coffee shop holding hands. They walked on the dust-covered pavement towards a nearby bus stop to wait for the incoming bus. Kitty blushed, remembering Kai.

"Today wasn't all bad."

She lit up her phone. It was 5:30 pm, no messages.

Kitty immediately thought of the quickest thing she could prepare under twenty minutes. She unlocked her phone, and a message popped open on her phone. It was from an unknown number.

"Hi. I'm on my way home. Take care of yourself. -Kai :)"

A grin was on her face; after catching herself, her smile faded. Innately she saved his number.

"After being blackmailed by your sister, you're out befriending me," Kitty told herself.

Kitty thought twice if she would reply, but she didn't want to seem rude.

"You too, take care! -Kitty :)"

Kitty stared at her phone until the system delivered her message. She turned her phone screen off and clutched it to her chest. Her heart was beating ecstatically. She wondered why. Why was her chest feel that way?

Ever since Kai saw her balling her eyes out in front of a coffee shop by the police station, she felt drawn to him. Kitty never understood it, but something about Kai was familiar and charming that deep down, Kitty craved attention.

Even if it was a thirty-minute chat with a random stranger in the afternoon, Kitty enjoyed it. She would have been too self-absorbed not to know that Kai was comfortable listening to her as they sipped their brewed beans. What she liked was-he knowing that she was married and respected that, but unlike Kenneth, Kai listened to her. He asked her to tell him so- if it was okay with her. He always asked for her consent and gave her his opinion. Kitty felt delicate to him, which she somewhat didn't like.

Whatever is inside Kitty, she wanted to be handled roughly by him. In the middle of their conversation, Kitty wanted to be touched. She wanted him to feel her with his big hands and kiss her with his thin-plump lips. She wanted to be felt and needed by this stranger.

Before he hauled her a cab, Keanu asked Kitty for her number- which she gave without a second thought of her being married. Kitty's entire system screamed at her to deny him, but she didn't, and she didn't know why on earth did she do it.

Kitty remembered Keanu kissing the top of her palm and thanked her for the time. She thought it was weird, but now alone, she thought of it as cringy good. Even at this moment, at a random cab, going home, she could feel her face burn up.

"Oh god, you are so stupid, Katherine! So stupid!" she thought, biting her drying lips together.

The cab came and parked at the foot of Kitty's apartment complex. She handed him an extra tab and made the driver keep the change. Kitty then went straight to the elevator and up to their apartment.

Kitty reached their unit; Kenneth wasn't there yet. She didn't change; Kitty kicked her shoes and went straight to their kitchen dining room. Kitty had everything planned out.

She had little time, so she thought of making spaghetti. She ran the electric kettle for the noodle water and opened a can of crushed tomatoes from the cupboard. Twenty-five minutes later, dinner was ready.

Kenneth arrived five minutes after she was done cooking and had already changed. Ken greeted the hamsters and fed them before he got ready for dinner. They were hungry and barely talked about anything at the dining table. When they were about to finish their meal, Ken's phone kept beeping.

Irritated, he checked his messages. It was Dina; she had been sending him inappropriate photos of her legs, neck, and cleavage. He has been tolerating her, but he never gave in to her advances.

"Is it serious, dad?" Kitty asked, wondering why her husband had a stern look on his face.

"It's nothing, don't worry, mom," Ken smiled, exited his messages, and placed his phone on the table, screen up. Kitty smiled back and finished her meal.

In the bedroom, there was no interaction. No kissing. No touching. Ken kissed Kitty on the forehead and closed his eyes; that was it. He slept, leaving Kitty awake and still thinking about the day. She thought about Leah, Kai, and the red lipstick, now hidden in a box in her cabinet. As Kitty watched Ken sleep, she slowly dozed off. They just lay there facing each other, their routine.

The following day was the same. Ken left her to work at West Enterprises, and Kitty left for her part-time job two hours later. The day went like clockwork. Kitty was a little gear in a big machine called life. She knew her life was dull and lonely, but Kitty was somewhat thankful.

"Things will get better," she told herself.

---

It was 1 pm on her watch. It had been four since she clocked in at the supermarket. The day went as usual. Kitty's station was at the produce-cutting up fruit and printing out sticker tags with prices.

Kitty was on high alert that morning, but it looked like the staff didn't change their tune. She expected them to come at her and drag her out of the store to the same police station she had been to yesterday, but they didn't. Her boss and co-workers were pleasant, and it was business as usual. They were busy with customers, so Kitty let her guard down and worked hard.

"Here you go, take care now," Kitty chimed, handing a newly wrapped tray of chopped melons to a teenage boy.

She went to clean up her station, rinsing the knife she used at the station sink and placing it on its rack. She soaped the chopping board and tossed the melon husk in a trash bin under it. While Kitty was busy, she could hear the click of heels headed in her direction.

"Can I have this sliced into cubes?"

"Sure, coming right up" Kitty looked up; it was Leah.

Leah smiled at her; Kitty glared at her. Leah wore a yellow and white striped dress with dark blue rattan wedges and a brown shoulder bag. She was pretty. On her hand was a squash; Leah handed it to Kitty, who began skinning it for her.

"I heard you ran into Kai yesterday-"

"Don't imply anything on me," Kitty snapped.

"I'm not, don't get defensive. Kai told me why I mentioned it," Leah laughed as Kitty blushed. "Don't worry; I won't tell a soul."

"I'm not like you, and I don't plan on it," Kitty told her.

Kitty stopped; she leaned forward towards Leah, "Cheating is wrong," she whispered to her. Leah replied with a giggle.

"You know it's just fun, right Kitty?" Leah hushed, a stern look in her eyes. Kitty looked at her nervously. "Besides, what do we women do when our husbands leave us alone? Aren't we allowed happiness? "

"Yes," Kitty managed to say, "we also deserve happiness."

Leah smiled, pleased. "I knew you'd get it."

"Don't let your husband take charge of you; you mean more to yourself," Leah continued.

"I mean more to myself?"