Breaking the Ice

Eto Iguchi has just arrived from his room after a session that turned into a debate. Some politicians were trying to raise the current tax for sin products like alcohol and cigarettes but other politicians were against it. Personally, Eto was in favor, because although he drinks alcohol, it is just very moderate and occasional. He doesn't smoke cigarette, though he did when he was in high school and peer pressure led him to try it. He hated the first stick, and never smoke again.

He looked at the time, it is almost lunch. He took out his phone to look for a picture, it made the crease on his forehead soften. It was the picture of Ivy that he secretly took when she was putting his son to sleep. She has a very warm and soft expression on her face that made his heart skip a beat.

If only I can make her mine....

He leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes, filling his imagination with the image of her gentle face and warm body...

The knock on the door made him open his eyes, and he did not recognize his own angry voice when he said 'come in'. He was just interrupted in his blissful reverie.

His personal assistant, Maki, felt uncomfortable at the obvious glare that his boss gave him, not to mention the angry tone of his voice. Eto Iguchi is seldom angry, but when he does, Maki shivered at the thought.

"Senator, your father is here to visit you. May I let them come in?"

Eto straightened his back on his chair, a corner of his mouth lifted. He has a vague idea why his father came, but he was secretly hoping that it won't be what he thinks it is.

"Yes, please." Eto's expression returned to its normal, calm and calculating.

His father, Eiji Iguchi was also a former member of the diet, and served twice his term. Even though he is retired, his former position could still be seen on how he carries himself with discipline and elegance.

Eto stood from his chair when his father entered the room, he noticed quickly that he was not alone. Just a few steps behind him is a pretty lady, walking, no, more like gliding as she walks. Her movement was very fine and sensual.

Eto looked at his father, and he bowed. Eiji Iguchi nodded his head and acknowledgment and introduced the lady with him.

"This is Yuki Nakamura, she will become your bride."

Eto was not surprised, as he had been expecting his father to resort to this kind of action. From the moment his parents visited him in his house and asked him about his marriage plans, he has been thinking that it will only be a matter of when and who before they introduce a possible wife for him. He cast a glance at the lady, who has lowered her head.

Is she pretending to be shy and ladylike for me? Eto thought with a smirk.

"Why don't you sit down for a while, Father, Miss Nakamura?"

"No, I have to go back. Your mother is on the car waiting for me. We are going to Australia, to your aunt. I will leave Yuki to you for now. She has not have lunch yet."

With those words, Eiji left the two newly introduced people to themselves. Eto was appalled at how his father could be so indifferent with this kind of set-up. It's a marriage after all, not just a date.

He cleared his throat, looking at the lady who is still looking at her shoes.

Well, is her shoes more good-looking than me?

Eto was a bit disappointed. He is not narcissistic but he knows that he is physically attractive to the opposite sex. Women always cast a second glance at him. But this lady..

She's just pretending to get my attention.

"Miss Nakamura, right?"

It was the first time that the lady met his eyes, and she has indeed beautiful eyes, doll-like round eyes.

"That's right, Mr. Iguchi, " she said in a well-modulated tone. He could tell that she is used to giving lectures with her voice, and she could carry a tune.

"It's nice to meet you. How about we get to know each other over a nice meal?" Eto was trying to act civil and friendly, as he would with any other woman.

"Yes, why not, " Yuki Nakamura replied, and she started to walk towards the door.

Eto was frozen for a while, as he was expecting her to wait for him to open the door. After all, women like gentlemen, right?

He walked faster and reached the door before her, and as he opened it, he flashed her with one of his best smiles, knowing that it always worked with countless of women before.

"Thank you, " she replied indifferently without meeting his gaze, and he looked at her, disbelief written all over his face.

He suddenly wiped his face, thinking that there is something there that she might not like looking at. But his face was clean. He shook his head, unable to accept the fact that a lady just seemed so uninterested with him.

There's always a first time, he thought.

At the thought, he again remembered Ivy. Indeed, he could say that Ivy is the first lady that he wanted so much but knew from the very beginning that he could never have her. Although on that particular night, Eto could swear that she saw a flicker of attraction on Ivy's face towards him, but she was so quick to hide it. It only showed how much she loves Hiro Yamamoto. He faithfulness to her husband attracted him the most.

He had a wife once, and he could say it was only out of his stupidity. He has been dating her for a while, as she was also a daughter of an influential partner of his father. They slept for a few times, until she told him that she missed her period. Eto was 22, and he was not the first man she slept with. He had no intention to marry her, as it was too far from his mind.

But he had to be responsible. His mother would not forgive him also if he got a girl pregnant and abandoned her.

They were married in a civil office, because the girl was just 18 years old. She said she does not want everybody to know that she got married, because she still want to go to the university and finish her studies. He consented to her conditions.

They have been married for 1 month when her period came, and admitted to Eto that she just wanted him to marry her that is why she made up the story that she was pregnant. Eto slapped her, and left her that night in their house. After a month, Eto graduated from the university with a degree in Engineering. His father suggested for him to pursue graduate studies abroad.

He talked about it to his wife, but she did not want him to go abroad. She threatened him with her life if he tries to go abroad. Eto could not believe how close-minded his wife was, Akane. He attributed it to her young age.

But since they are already married, Eto decided to stay in Japan, and started working under his father's office in the government. All the while, he was hoping that his wife would really get pregnant. Although Akane was so impulsive, she can be sweet and charming whenever she wants. Every time Eto would go home, she will always attend to his every needs, and he would always give in to her temptation. Eto wondered how could she be such an expert in bed at her age.

Until his job became demanding. Sometimes he would stay overnight at his workplace to finish what was assigned to him. When he called her one time that he cannot go home, she banged the phone so loud that it hurt his ear. Since then, he would just send messages to her, but she would never reply.

On their 1st wedding anniversary, he decided to surprise her. He arrived home early, at 5:00PM, since he spent the night to finish all his work. The house was silent as he went up the stairs, with a bouquet of flowers in his hand and some bags as gift for her. As he was about to knock, he heard moaning inside.

It was the sound of pleasure coming from a man and a woman during intercourse. He opened the door and he found them on their bed, bodies naked and intertwined.

In their matrimonial bed.

Eto was so furious that he immediately used his gun, and fired.

The man was shot at his bare buttocks, and his wife screamed in fear. He then pointed the gun to his wife, who covered herself with the blanket and stared at him crying. The man on the floor kept on shouting in pain.

Eto walked near, and shot the man's member. The man fainted in shock and pain. Akane could not talk as she walked backwards away from Eto, until he calmed himself and spoke with her in his normal calm voice.

He was dangerously calm.

"You get the hell out of here, or I will make sure that no man would ever want to look at you again."

His words penetrated her whole being like lightning, but her shock and fright caused her to lose her consciousness and fell down on the floor. Eto looked indifferently at the two unconscious bodies. He put the bouquet on the bed and call somebody on his phone.

After a while, two people were sent to the hospital, the house was cleaned, and was put on sale the following day. Eto forced Akane to file for the divorce after 2 days, and their agreement stated that she did not want anything from it. Since then, she never tried to cross his path again.

After then, Eto lost interest in marriage. The next semester, he went abroad to take graduate courses, and he finished his doctorate degree after 5 years. He had innumerable girlfriends, but they were only there to warm his bed. He became very careful not to get any of them pregnant. He has been living his life like that until he got Aki, his little bundle of joy.

Only then he started to think about having a mother figure for his adopted son.

Two weeks after having Ivy Yamamoto in their house, he began to notice how she made Aki happier, and then he took time to observe her. Even with painful movements, she tried to cater to Aki by reading bedtime stories for him, combing his hair, or just look at him while he plays.

He wished that he could keep her, until he found out that Hiro Yamamoto is her husband. A difficult rival indeed. He knew then that as long as Hiro Yamamoto is alive, he cannot have a chance with Ivy.

It was a battle lost before it even began, his first unrequited love.

Note* Ivy and Hiro Yamamoto are the MC in FATEFUL ENCOUNTER and FATEFUL DESTINY. If you want to know how they are related to Eto Iguchi, please read the FATEFUL DESTINY. Thanks. -Elria Cortez