SHACKLED

CHAPTER SIX

Mrs Casser sat in the quiet room, feeling the weight of emptiness. Her life had become meaningless without him. He was not just her partner, he was her family and her friend. But she had to let him go, for the sake of love. This, in her mind, was her way of expressing her love by freeing him.

Casser was approached by Charlie, who told her about their plans and how she had overruled them. Casser hesitated at first, but when she saw the flight ticket and the business card in his wallet, she knew she had no choice.

She decided to let him go. She decided to let him live his own life, but deep down, there was pain, anger, and a struggle she couldn’t ignore. Her love for him was overwhelming, and now, she regretted her decision. To justify her actions, she told herself it was for his own good.

As she sat in her room, she remembered how her boyfriend had left her, and how other clients blamed others for their failures. But Charles was different.

“I’m relieved that you’re admitting it. Yes, it’s all your fault, Casser,” Andrew, her ex-husband, said before storming out.

“Everything was my fault. I was the reason we broke up,” Casser muttered, frustrated.

Client One’s husband: “How is that my fault?”

Client Two’s wife: “How could it not be?”

“Everyone's the same,” Casser thought.

“Everyone says it’s not their fault, even those who admit to it still blame someone else.”

“Whenever I see them, I feel like I’m killing him in my mind, repeatedly, even though he’s already gone.”

Charles, as a client: “I didn’t do my duty as a husband. My wife is a great woman. If we didn’t meet, she wouldn’t have gotten divorced,” Charles once said in one of his trials.

Judge: “If not, why not negotiate with your wife? I will take responsibility for this and also give up my portion of the combined assets.”

Casser had never gotten over those days, and then he returned again.

“It’s all my fault. I hope I didn’t ruin her reputation,” Charles said.

“He ended up getting divorced in my courtroom eight times in two years, and every time, he took responsibility. He was a strange man, and I became curious about him.”

“That’s how things started with Mr. Charles,” Casser recalled.

She stared at the divorce papers before her. The papers said: RESIDENT / RESIGNATION CARD – CASSER NUNMAN.

“Tomorrow will be Mr. Charle’s 15th divorce. This time, he might not claim responsibility,” Casser thought to herself.

Later that evening, Casser decided to investigate how Mrs. Susan had died. Armed with Mrs. Susan’s photo from the police station and a paring knife, she stepped outside.

When she reached the fire escape, she began piecing together the puzzle of how the woman had been stabbed.

Amelia, who lived upstairs, heard the noise and came down to investigate. She was terrified when she saw Casser holding a paring knife and the pictures of the dead woman.

Amelia ran inside, locking her door, thinking Casser was a serial killer.

“Should I call the police?” Amelia asked, shaking with fear.

“No. How can a celebrity like me report a case?” Casser said, her voice tinged with panic. “No, I can’t do that. It’s a legal action. What if she comes for me? I’m so scared.”

She couldn’t sleep that night, overwhelmed by the fear of being attacked.

By the time Charles arrived, Amelia was already feeling insecure. She feared she might harm his first love, so she decided to take a bold step.

Casser waited for Charles when she overheard voices outside.

“Your wife is dangerous. I saw it myself,” Amelia warned. “You need to stay away from her before she comes out.”

“I couldn’t sleep because of that. You need to believe me,” Amelia said, her voice trembling with fear.

Casser opened the door just as Amelia dragged Charles behind her to protect him.

“Honey, I’m hungry. Come inside, let’s eat,” Casser said bluntly.

She stormed out but paused when she realized their hands were locked. She stared at Charles intensely, and he quickly pulled his hand away.

Amelia, afraid of Casser’s approach, spoke in a shaky voice. “Let me ask you straight: what kind of person are you? I saw the pictures of the dead woman... the knife...”

Charles watched in disbelief, confused.

“Aren’t you a serial killer, or an assassin, or something like that?”

Casser closed her eyes, trying to control her anger before responding. “Since you forced me to explain... I sometimes eliminate someone from society.”

Charles's face went pale, and terror seized him.

“This is what I’m talking about, you lunatic!” Amelia exclaimed, pointing at Casser.

“A serial killer? You can say things like that because it’s all make-believe to you. But for someone who deals with these things in real life, it’s rude,” Casser said aggressively, stepping toward Amelia, who retreated.

Casser reached for Charle’s hand, but he pulled away, clearly terrified.

“What do you mean, face them in real life? Who are you? Are you really a murderer?” Charles stammered.

Feeling disappointed, Casser shouted, “You keep twisting my words.”

“Call the police! I’m sure she’s hiding bones or something, I saw everything, okay?” Amelia said, shaking Charles.

“I’m a public official, a judge at the Family Affairs Department, No. 12 of Seoul Family Court. Is that enough?” Casser said calmly, her voice sharp.

“A judge?” Amelia scoffed. “You think I’m stupid? Why would a judge have pictures of a dead woman and a knife? I saw everything at the fire escape!”

Casser took a deep breath. “A woman died during a divorce due to domestic violence. I was concerned for her because she was terrified of her husband in court.”

“The husband said she was killed by her boyfriend. The scars on the victim’s body had signs that could indicate the killer.”

“So before I sent the documents to the criminal division, I wanted to take a closer look,” she added, her tone softening slightly as she exchanged glances with Charles.

“I never caused you any harm. So stay away from me,” she said, bowing before grabbing Charl’s arm to go inside. But Amelia grabbed his arm angrily.

“You disappear late at night, come back after two days, and then disappear again. What are you?” Amelia demanded.

“Well…” Charles stammered, unsure of what to say.

“That’s our private life. Why do you need to know about it?” Casser snapped, glaring at Amelia.

Amelia, confused and angry, went back to her apartment. She had planned not only to expose Casser but also to get closer to Charles.

He had been her first love since childhood. Amelia had witnessed Charles reject the Ganin family’s offer to marry their first daughter for fame. To her, Charles was a hero who had refused to choose fame over happiness.

Seeing him with Casser was a threat. Amelia believed Charles belonged to her and her alone. She had longed to meet him, but her efforts had been in vain. Now that she had finally seen him with Casser, she couldn’t let it go. Casser was in her way, and she planned to eliminate her.

"Let's go in, honey, the food will be cold,” Charles said, putting his arms around Casser and smiling. He kissed her forehead, trying to keep his nerves in check.

Charles was lost in thought, hugging her tightly as they walked inside. Once inside, Casser's sudden reaction caught him off guard.

“Get off me!” Casser shouted, pushing him against the wall.

“I’m sorry,” she added, running off.

Charles stood there, surprised and unsure of what to do, before walking away, feeling used and holding his head.

Charles prepared the food as promised, but Casser wasn’t happy. The kitchen was a mess onions were carelessly sliced, flour was scattered across the floor, and the utensils were a disaster. She stared at the mess, realizing she would have to clean it up.

“So you’re a judge. I’ve always been curious, but I never asked. I thought your hobby was studying. It’s strange that I didn’t know this after five years,” Charles said casually, though she wasn’t paying attention to him. Instead, she was looking at the mess.

“Why are you standing? Why don’t you just relax?” he said, pointing to the dining table.

“Hmmm… because I’m bored,” Casser replied.

“Just relax, I’ll clean up everything,” Charles said, trying to help.

Ignoring him, Casser grabbed a sack and started cleaning the table and floor.

“This is our last dinner. Bon Appétit,” she said, bowing before sitting to eat quietly.

“By the way, why did you do that earlier?” Charles asked with a smirk.

“Do what?” Casser replied, taking a sip of her drink.

“Honey, I’m hungry. Come inside, let’s eat,” he said, smiling.

Casser, still in shock, coughed awkwardly, trying to avoid the question, but Charles stared at her intently.

“It’s because I thought she was bothering you. She has that kind of face, according to physiognomy,” Casser said, coughing again.

“Physiognomy?” Charles laughed.

“Eat,” Charles added, his gaze still fixed on her.

“Yeah, thanks for the meal,” she said, trying to avoid eye contact.

They ate in silence for a while, before Casser broke the quiet.

“What will you do when you go abroad?” she asked, concerned.

“I want to date someone. I’ve been married many times, but I’ve never actually dated before. I never had time. That’s why I want to give it a try,” Charles replied.

Casser nodded silently, justifying to herself that she had made the right decision by letting him go.

“Don’t you want to date someone?” Charles asked.

“It’s not my specialty either,” Casser replied bluntly.

“What kind of man do you want to meet?” Charles asked.

“I don’t have a specific type,” Casser said carelessly.

“Don’t be like that,” Charles said, teasing her. “You must have a celebrity or a type you’re drawn to.”

“Well, not really,” Casser responded, confusion evident in her voice.

“But if you really, really, really had to choose…” Charles pressed.

“Why do I have to?” she said, trying to sound satisfied.

“Because it’s fun,” Charles smirked.

“Hmmm… A man who doesn’t judge or blame others, someone who would look at my bare face and say I’m pretty. I don’t even like my bare face,” she added.

“Ah, ladies are always like that. Always the same,” Charles said, nodding.

“No makeup, bare face? But you always wear peach-colored lipstick, natural lashes, and extensions. You cover up the blemishes and pores. It’s full makeup,” Charles teased.

Casser smiled at his explanation, even trying to mimic his expression.

“You’re looking for someone to love you even when you hate yourself. That won’t be easy,” Charles said, trying to brush off the comment.

“What kind of woman do you want to meet then?” Casser asked, leaving Charles to think.

“A woman who can walk around without makeup so I can complement her bare face,” Charles said, staring at her intently.

“Seriously? That won’t be easy,” Casser smiled faintly not realising he was referring to her.

“I’m not good at making friends,” she said, her brows furrowing. “I’m trying really hard, but I wonder if it’s even necessary. But I think it’s nice.” Casser said smiling.

“What’s nice?” Charles asked, noticing her change in expression.

“Having someone who smiles in front of you,” Casser said, a grin spreading across her face.

Charles smiled brightly, his words caught in his throat. He found himself smiling too.

“Time is passing quicker than usual tonight,” he thought to himself as the clock struck 8 PM.

Casser became moody. The lively energy had vanished, and she stared at the clock, wishing she could turn back time.

“Don’t you think the salad turned out really well?” Charles said, trying to cheer her up.

“Yes, that’s true. Should we make some more?” Casser clapped her hands, unable to sit still.

“Yes, that sounds good. I wanted more too,” Charles said, excitedly.

“I’ll prepare it,” Casser said, rushing away to get the plate.

They ate quietly, then said their goodbyes.

“By the way, how did you know?” Charles asked, his mind racing.

“Know what?” Casser asked, tilting her head.

“That I’m traveling abroad?” he said, his eyes blank and glassy.

“Ah… since you’re retiring, I thought you might do that sometime,” Casser replied with a delicate smile, one she had rehearsed many times.

“I see, thanks for everything,” Charles said, his gaze intense.

Silence filled the air. The tension was thick and unrelenting. Then it happened. They kissed not a quick, curious kiss, but a deep, emotionally charged kiss.

Everything around them seemed to disappear. No music, no anger, no guilt just heartbeats, breath, and feelings they had buried for too long.

But as reality slowly crept back, Casser pulled away sharply, her eyes wide. A beat of silence. Then she whispered, “This shouldn’t have happened…”

Before Charles could respond, she turned and ran.

He stood frozen, not angry, not guilty, but laughing. Softly at first, like a breath escaping. Then louder, as he ran his hand through his hair and walked out the door.