sex therapy :: 08. bad blood
chapter tags/warnings: misogynistic! naoya. mentions of pregnancy. classism. family drama. strong language. manipulation undertones. sexual frustration. degradation. humiliation.
word count: 3.0k
notes: enjoy meeting the zenins! likes, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated. xoxo
fic masterlist | 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.
On the first Saturday of every month, Naobito Zenin gathered members of the Zenin clan for lavish dinners.
A ‘simple family gathering,’ your father-in-law had once described to you. Yet, truthfully, these events were nothing short of full-fledged extravaganzas.
For such evenings, the Zenins booked an entire top-floor restaurant to themselves, featuring aunts and uncles and cousins and cousins of cousins. Tonight, of course, was no different. Stepping into the fine-dining establishment, you were immediately welcomed by the venue’s lavender redolence, pastel colors, and melodic harmonies. For a restaurant transformed into a private venue, everything simply gleamed with affluence, with power, and with money. Lots and lots of money.
Although you grew up with such exorbitance yourself, there was still nothing more striking than to surround oneself with the true business changemakers of Japan, your very own in-laws who already were—or would soon be—various executives in the Zenin Corporation. That man with the blue Bulgari tie? He alone managed the conglomerate’s entire technology arm. The woman in the embroidered dress? She singlehandedly turned the Zenin Corporation into Japan’s largest private foreign investor.
And who could forget your husband, the CEO of this all?
Next to you, Naoya walked into the room with a dashing smile. All heads—as subtly as possible—turned to you and him upon the entrance. As the heir to a business empire, Naoya was the clear star of the Zenin kingdom. Then you, of course, were the Cleopatra to his Mark Antony, the Kate to his Will.
And no one could keep their eyes off of the Zenin’s newest couple. No matter what, their gazes were deeply jealous of you and your CEO husband, their lips—however—pressed into inauthentic grins.
“Assholes,” you heard Naoya suddenly mumble under his breath.
He was undoubtedly annoyed by his chattering relatives, and he placed a strong hand behind your back with one hand. Firmly, he guided you into the opulent area and pressed his lips against your ear.
“Hey,” he started, ignoring the distant cousins vying for his attention. “You were looser than usual tonight, wifey.”
Oh yeah, how could you forget about the way Naoya pinned you to the mattress the moment he stepped into the apartment earlier tonight? There was nothing like a man who was desperate to stuff his ovulating wife with babies.
“Looser? Was I really?” you asked to which your husband nodded.
Despite the prying eyes, Naoya lowered his head and nipped at the cartilage of your ear. “Your pussy felt extra different,” he laughed quietly. From the way he pressed his upturned lips against your temple, you could feel his ego going through the roof. “Why was that, hm? Was the sex good tonight?”
“I’ve had better.”
Naoya quirked a brow as he stopped you at the empty host’s table for tonight. “Oh?” he chimed, oblivious to your scandal that had unfolded behind closed doors. “Why do you say so? Did you like the slower pace from last week?”
“Maybe.” Or maybe not. Whatever helped him sleep at night.
How could you ever admit, for your own dignity (and perhaps even your husband’s), that Toji had plowed through you just two days ago?
That your sex therapist had a cock so much girthier than your husband’s that Toji had essentially reshaped your pussy for good?
No, you couldn’t ever tell Naoya the truth. Your past forty-eight hours had been plagued with so much remorse that, aside from hiding your ripped sundress and Toji’s hoodie, left you mopping the floor and wiping the windows over and over again. Therapy appointments from now on, you had instructed Toji, could only be platonic from now on.
Your therapist as your sneaky link? To preserve your own self-pride and sanity, your solid 'no' was probably for the best.
At least, for now.
“Naoya, your dad’s at the fondue station looking for you,” a voice suddenly grumbled from behind.
You and your husband turned around to see the twins of the household—Mai and Maki Zenin dressed in Fendi jumpsuits for the night. Easily, you recognized them from their attendance at your bridal shower. But, even then, who wouldn’t be able to recognize perhaps the most iconic duo in Japan’s aristocratic circles?
Both outside and within the Zenin family, Mai and Maki Zenin were well-known for their intelligence, beauty, and grace. At nineteen, they were bold and independent, traits that you greatly admired from afar.
Compared to the few times you'd encountered them before, something was off about their mannerisms, though. The twins approached the table with stiff smiles, eyeing their CEO cousin while occasionally glancing at you. This was the first time you were seeing your husband and the twins in the same vicinity, yet from body language alone, there was an undeniable irritation that settled in the area. Had something happened between them before?
Naoya, with eyes that flickered with intrigue, tilted his head to the side once the girls stopped two steps away. “Well, if it isn’t my two favorite baby cousins.”
Just as he reached to squish Maki’s cheeks, the younger twin swatted his hands away. “Shut up,” she warned, the scorn plentiful in her tone. “We know you hate us, and we hate you too.” Unexpectedly, she walked to your side and linked your arm with hers.
Your surprised gaze turned from your connected elbows to the girl herself. “Maki—?”
Meanwhile, Mai smiled beside her sister. She sauntered over to the other side and then cradled your other arm. “Hurry up now, cousin. Your precious daddy’s waiting for you.”
It startled you to see your husband’s veiny hands balled into fists from violent rage. Despite their biological relationship as blood-related kin, there was no family when it came to bad blood among blue bloods. “Watch your fucking mouths,” he seethed through his teeth, shifting his angry glare from one twin to the other. “I’m older than you two.”
“Then act like it,” Maki retorted.
You bit your lower lip to hide your astonishment. As you expected, the twins really lived up to their reputations as bold young ladies. If only you were as gutsy as them, you would probably have confronted your husband about his thumb-sized dick long ago. (To be fair, Naoya was bigger than that, but still…)
Just as your husband was ready to retaliate, Mai pointed into the distance. “You wouldn’t want to miss talking to your dad especially when Y/N’s father is with him right now, too.”
Instantly, your gaze along with Naoya’s turned to the men at the fondue station who, as they conversed, took turns dipping bread cubes into melted cheese. Their Kiton suits alone told anyone looking that, aside from your husband, they were the most powerful people in the room. After all, your dad was the Zenin Corporation’s Chief Operating Officer who was a company veteran of twenty-plus years, and Naobito Zenin was the company’s current Chairman who ran his family with an iron fist.
At the sight, Naoya visibly held back from saying more. He knew that, if he didn’t want to get replaced by some relative, he should make haste to his father and yours. Under his ombre bangs, your husband eyed you one more time before he sighed and took off.
“Gosh, that jerk,” Maki huffed as she watched Naoya meld into the crowd of other attendees all dressed to the nines. Along with her sister, she looked over to give you her undivided attention. “At least we finally have you to ourselves, Y/N. We haven’t really spoken with you since your bridal shower.”
At that, you grinned softly, flattered that they wanted to speak with you. “Well, I missed you both,” you said and brought their looped arms tighter against your sides. “How has college been treating you two?”
“It’s alright,” the older twin revealed. “Maki got all A’s, though. Can you believe that?” Of course, you could. Maki had always been bright in her own right. “Well, that’s not fair because I did too except for calculus, which I bombed.”
Immediately, your face contorted with disgust. “Calculus? I hated that back in school, too,” you commented, and the girls laughed.
Although Mai and Maki were your cousins-in-law, chatting with them was a rare opportunity since they were busy students. They had recently finished their sophomore year at universities outside Japan—at Ivy Leagues like their cousin Naoya, no less. Mai concentrated in finance at the University of Pennsylvania, and Maki studied real estate at Cornell University. Given that both institutions were the best for the twins’ respective majors, the girls were poised to take on important positions in the Zenin Corporation upon graduation if they so wish.
For now, both were finally back in Tokyo for their well-deserved summer breaks, and there was nothing like reconnecting with your favorite in-laws.
Maki squeezed your forearm in a reassuring manner. “Hey,” she began, her tone suddenly a little more worried than you would have expected. “Everything with the marriage going alright?”
“My marriage?” you chirped, the straightforward question throwing you slightly off-guard. “I mean, yeah. It’s going great.” Not.
Even though you were compelled to simply dump all your emotional baggage right then and there, you knew it would not be fair for Mai and Maki to deal with your crap when both were on their school vacations, and the last thing they should be worrying about was poor ol’ you.
Your relationship, your problem. Easy as that. It wasn’t Mai or Maki’s fault that your marriage did not end up like a fairy tail. Thus, you could never burden them with neither the utter sexual disappointment that was their very own first cousin nor the cheater of a wife that was no one other than you.
Given their perceptiveness, tricking the twins proved more difficult than you imagined. Mai uneasily glanced at Naoya schmoozing with your father executives before turning back to you. “Sure that everything is okay?”
“Yeah.” You concealed your deceit with a smile. “Why? Is something wrong?”
There was some relief in the girls’ eyes when they hesitantly bought your lies. Since you cared deeply for them, there was some comfort in their ignorance. “Nothing,” Maki replied. “You’re our gorgeous in-law, that’s all. I was going to say that you looked rather bothered, but if everything is well, then there isn’t much to worry about, right?”
You exhaled slowly. “…Right.”
The older twin then nodded at her sister’s words. “Even though your dad is the company’s COO, he really cares about you.” Mai was right, your father did love you deeply. Then, she continued. “Mr. L/N would be disappointed in himself if marrying his beloved daughter off to our family turned out for the worse. Plus, Maki and I were also worried about the entire ‘arranged marriage’ thing. Naoya can be a bitch. Like, he won’t even let me text Meg—"
Behind your back, you could feel Maki reach around to give Mai one hard pinch as an indication to shut up. Even you had to raise a brow when Mai, in a moment of realization, slapped a hand over her mouth. Did...something happen?
It only took you an additional second to notice that Naoya was hurrying towards you, grabbing you away from the twins even before you got a chance to wrap up the conversation with your dear cousin-in-laws.
“Hey!” you shouted at him. “What are you—?”
To no avail, you tried to yank your hand away from your husband as he dragged hurriedly you into the nosy crowd of relatives. He didn’t slow down to match your pace. He didn’t look back to even check on you. He only stared straight ahead as he beelined toward your fathers with you in tow.
“Do me a favor,” he finally said when he realized that he couldn’t keep you in the dark forever. The pace of his feet didn’t halt even for a spare moment, yet he hushed his voice one more octave before he continued. “Pretend you’re pregnant.”
The sudden shock that entered your system rendered you numb on the spot. “You want me to what?” you spat, no doubt creating a spectacle for the other Zenins nearby.
Your abrupt stop forced Naoya to stay in place as well, unable to return to fondue station without you. As your line of sight eventually shifted to him, though, you could see the evident glower on his face. “Lower your fucking voice,” he hissed, his affection earlier this evening gone from his tone. “Want us both to get in trouble?”
Often in the Zenin family’s spotlight, he was aware of the eyes that turned to your directions. Nothing could possibly be more interesting than a quarreling, newlywed couple. However, something about Naoya’s request and determination irked you.
“Why the hell do you want me to—”
Naoya interrupted you with a finger at your lips, the slender digit prodding at your upper lip. “I didn’t know what else to say, alright? Remember how I told you my father wants us to secure the company’s future? That old man just brought up the conversation again, and then I didn’t know what else to do but lie.”
So he’s a professional faker, you thought as you pulled his hand from your face. As difficult as it was, you then met his amber eyes. “But…why would we lie about something like a baby? I’m not even expecting. At all.”
“But you will be soon,” Naoya countered.
The annoyance that crept in your husband’s tone was matched with your own. “You don’t know that. Just because you manifest a pregnancy doesn’t mean that it would happen. Do you understand the pressure that this places on me?”
“And what about the pressure I feel?” Naoya snapped. His eyes aglow, he had mastered the art of scolding you from others’ earshot. “Get your facts straight. First, the entire Zenin family has their eyes on me, not you. Without me, you wouldn’t even be here. So why do you think everything revolves around you, you greedy gold-digger? Second, you’re already blessed with wealth, power, the whole fucking universe. But when my father starts pressuring me about kids, you can’t even do as much as to lie for your husband’s sake as well as your own?”
Naoya’s onslaught of vile insults left your blood boiling under your skin. How could your husband even say such things?
Did he not see how desperately you’d been trying to fix this relationship...this...this entire marriage?
And what did he call you? A motherfucking gold-digger? Not everything in your life was about money. Hell, if the paparazzi didn’t have their eyes on you, if cash didn’t just rain down upon you…perhaps you would enjoy life a little more.
With eyes blown wide from anger, you were about to respond until a familiar voice stopped you. “Y/N?”
Surprised, you quickly turned over. When you noticed your father beside Naobito Zenin approaching you, the vexations in your chest were quickly assuaged by the warm presence of your father. You fought the urge to simply break down, to start venting your frustrations. But, as the graceful person you were, you sucked that all in.
“Dad,” you greeted, welcoming him with a tight embrace.
Most people only knew Daisuke L/N as an influential businessman, someone who started off as a Wall Street trader in the 1990s and now oversaw all 228 subsidiaries of the Zenin Corporation. Only you, as his daughter, could see the conglomerate’s Chief Operating Officer beyond his formidable front.
Ever since your mother passed away in your teenage years, your father was the only real family you had left. He was a strict parent, yes. But it was easy to mistake a strict parent for an unloving one. Over the past decade, your father tried hard to take on the roles both of ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ at the same time. Despite his work demands, he had toiled around the clock to also ensure that his only child had the best resources, the best education, and the best marriage.
Consequently, the last thing you would ever want to do was to disappoint him.
“Heard that you and my wonderful son-in-law have been doing well,” your father chuckled.
Internally, you snorted. You could tell him the truth, but you still covered up for Naoya’s sorry ass by pushing lies through gritted teeth. “We are. He’s the best man I could’ve ever asked for, Dad.” Sick of your own insincerity, you resorted to changing the topic instead. “How have you been, though?”
Your father laughed, something that made your own heart soften as well. “Never been better, my dear daughter.” Then he looked beyond your shoulder. “Right, Naobito?”
You followed your dad to where your tight-lipped husband and nodding father-in-law stood. “We were really excited to hear Naoya tell us that you were expecting.” As the patriarch in the family, Naobito Zenin was difficult to read. But the fact that he even gave you the slightest smile was a good sign. Older generations often get excited by the prospect of their future ones, so you couldn’t blame both fathers’ excitement as they eyed your stomach.
But there’s nothing there, you longed to say. You were trapped in their aimless conversations about their nonexistent grandchild until a ringtone to your left finally took your mind off the misery. Curious, you glanced over at Naoya on his phone only for him to slip the device back into his pocket once he noticed your gaze.
Naturally, your head tilted to the side. “Who’s calling you on your work phone at this time?” Your tone was bitter, not forgetting his vicious words earlier.
Similarly, Naoya did not meet your eyes and toyed with his cufflinks instead. “An investor,” he said in a matter-of-fact manner.
He seemed rather content that you went along with his plans, and he didn’t wait for more questions before walking away. “I’ll just take my call outside...
...I need to get my mind off from here anyway.”
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