Amber POV.

Beep!

‘Facetime. I have something to tell you.’

I sat down on the porch, overlooking the pool. It’s been five days since I’m back in LA from Germany. Long haul flight a lot. I never liked it. I slept the whole day as soon as I reached home.

Not long after the unfortunate incident between Hae, Soo Jung, and me, dad sold the house. The house is smaller – more family-oriented and a gated Chinese community and it makes mom feels at home. Hae decided to not live with us which I am cool with that. He probably can grow up now that he’s living alone.

I like the new house better. It’s quieter.

I tapped on the Facetime apps on my MacBook, as usual putting on my earpiece and tapped on his username. It doesn't take long for him to answer the call.

“What’s up, Nick?”

‘I sent something to your email. Check it out.’

"Are you facetiming me from the Tower?

'Yep.'

"Show me around!"

Nichkhun stood up, holding his MacBook as he walked from one end to the other. Like mine, Nick's new office is also facing the city. He has few black sofas for his client meet with a long brown coffee table. I did as I was told and indeed there is an email from him. I downloaded it and an e-invitation card showed up. It reads ‘You are cordially invited to Horvejkul & Song Wedding’ in .. “China?”

‘Uh-huh.’

“Why so far, Nick?”

‘My wife is from there.’

“Ah,” I chuckled innocently, as I continue reading the invitation card, “So she’s gonna move in with you to Bangkok?”

‘Uh-huh.’

“Are you coming to the States anytime soon?”

‘I will be there this upcoming Monday. My flight will be on Saturday night.’

“What? You will be here on Sunday afternoon.” I whined.

He rolled his eyes at me, ‘I wanna sleep, Jo. Long haul flight is not as nice as it seems.’

I laughed and we talked more. Honestly, I’ve missed Nick for the time he's absence. We are close during our university years. Like me, he played sport and we are always there for each other when our families are unable to make it. 

*Cough*

I smiled. “What do you have for me, Kris?”

His eyes are looking at me, evident with fear. Kris approached me, carefully with a folder. ‘FYEO’ was written on it. For your eyes only.

I turned to the screen, “Nick, I’ll call you back. See you soon.”

‘Alright, see you bud - !’

I quickly close my laptop screen and swallowed.

“Open this if only you really wanna know who the leaker is.”

Fear clouded me. Kris only being serious on occasion and most of the time his seriousness comes with a scary outcome. I waited until he left, and I stare onto the folder, before letting out a long sigh. I flip the folder through, skimmed the first few pages thoroughly. I read through the IP addresses that were typed out as one IP address was in LA. I frowned when I recognized the most familiar address pops up on the paper.

How can this be?

This doesn't make any sense at all.

I keep on staring at the paper hoping for it to be a lie, but no, this is reality and I guess that's why Kris has been warning me about opening the folder. Rage consumed me. I stood up from my chair, and run as fast as I could and drive to the office and I know she’s gonna be there. After all, that’s where she’s been working now. As soon as I reached and run as fast as I could, pushing everyone that is in my way. I run and run with rage and curiosity filled me.

It is not a good combination.

I barged into her office, and shouted, “It was you?!”

I don’t care about the surrounding. I know all eyes are looking into her office at the time since it was quite loud and it’s window-walled. It’s not even soundproofed.

“S-sorry —”

“It’s okay, leave.” She said, “And, no intruders.” She waited until her PA leave the room, and turned to me, smiling, as if nothing happened. “What can I do for you, Amber?”

It only angers me more. I gritted my teeth and balled my hand into a fist. I breathe in and breathe out, “...It was you, wasn’t it?

“What was?”

“Stop playing dumb, Kang Seulgi!” I slammed my hand onto her desk.

I feel blood rushes to my head, but I still can get hold of myself. The amount of hatred I have towards this woman right now is unbelievably high.

Seulgi looked at me, “...I caught her inside Donghae apartment that day – under the duvet, –”

“Tell me why.”

Seulgi propped her elbow on the table and leaned in, “Because I still have feelings for your brother.”

I scoffed at her reasons, “Then why the did you leave him?!”

“I’m not the reason why your fiancée, oops sorry — ex-fiancée decides to cheat on you.” Seulgi stood up from her chair, stares out the window with her back facing me, “I warned Donghae to come clean about the affair, Am. He chose not to. You can’t blame me for everything.”

“What?”

“Plus, you wouldn’t know about the affair if I didn’t expose them. You should be thanking me.” Seulgi said while poking me on the chest with her index finger.

I grabbed her hand, looking at her in disbelief. “Thanking you? You practically humiliated him and my fiancée —”

“Ex.” Seulgi cuts me off. “Ex-fiancée.”

The door is pushed open, and her husband proudly walks in. He comes closer to us, and wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling Seulgi closer to him. “Everything okay, baby?”

“Yes,” she smirked. “Am here is just leaving.”

I chuckled in disbelief – laughed, even. I walked out of her office, aimlessly. I drove back home, and when I arrived – I stayed inside the car a little bit longer. I gripped the steering wheel until the knuckles of my hands turn pale. How could the only person I didn’t expect to do this betrays and stabbed me deeper than it has to be? How could she do that? I got out of the car, feeling fuzzy and heavy in my chest.

I rubbed the top of my forehead, and somehow my vision turned blurry. The last thing I saw was, a shadow of a person running towards me as I collapsed to the ground.

***

I blinked as I started to hear birds chirping. It is another fine spring morning, contrasting with what I’m feeling. I feel completely horrible. I looked at my hand, only to realize I am attached to an IV line. I slowly get up from the bed and walk down the stairs when I heard a couple of people laughing, and chit-chatting. The headache is getting into me as I reach for the staircase holder.

“Look who’s up!”

I smiled as everyone looked at me. Everyone is there, sitting in the living room. Even my mom and my dad.

“Jo, are you hungry?”

I let out a weak smiled, “I am. What’s for breakfast?”

“Breakfast? Honey, it’s lunchtime. I go get you something.” Mom said and left for the kitchen.

I looked at the time and sighed. “How long was I out?”

Dad looked at me, and his eyes showed worry. “A day and a half. You’re lucky Kris was on his way to fetch me home.”

“What did the doctor say?”

“Stress," Kris answered, without looking at me.

***

It took me another two days to recover – not completely but just enough for me to walk without a heavy headache. Kris made me took the medicine despite his knowledge about how much I don’t like medicine and the bitterness and tastelessness of it.

I jumped into the pool, fully clothed on and sat on the bottom of the pool - holding my breath. For several years now, I find it quite comforting to just be underwater. It was also recommended by my doctor to exercise my lungs.

In the mist of clearing my mind, I could hear the voice of people shouting and screaming but I ignore it. That is until someone grabbed me by the hand and pulled me upwards. The moment my head was out of the water, I grabbed the first breathe of air, panting but upset.

"What are you doing?" I shouted.

“I'm not gonna let you self-destruct, Jo.”

I brushed my hair backward, and pulled myself out of the water,“I'm not self-destructing -"

He also pulled himself out of the water, and snorted "You're not? Then what was that?"

I shrugged, "I don't know - when did you get here, Nick?”

"I don't know, five minutes before you're trying to kill yourself?"

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the pool bench. I just sat there listening to Nick nagging at me, but I wasn't listening to him - I just spaced out. It was until I felt a something being wrapped around me. 

"Why did you do that, Am?"

I groaned, "I was just clearing my mind. What's so wrong about it?"

You got me worried sick for you when Scarlett called and said you fainted.” He sighed. “Does Papa and Mama Liu know?”

"Know what, Hyuna?"

"Jo -"

"Alright, that's enough," Hyuna cuts in. "Scarlett and I are preparing food. The two of you go change into something dry."

***

The dinner was pleasant. It probably the thing I need after the storms. While Nick and Kris catching up with each other, I just sat down opposite them, and listened. I don’t have much to share since my private life was exposed to the media for almost a year.

I swirled the wine glass on the table, and cuts in, “Tell us something about your future wife.”

"Vic is beautiful." He smiled, “I will introduce her to you on our wedding day.”

“That’s not fair,” Hyuna giggled. “We're your best friend but we don’t know anything about her.”

Nick leaned forward, looked at me straight in the eyes, "I will tell if Jo willing to open up to us."

"Oh, come on!"  I groaned. 

He smiled, “You didn’t tell me what happened between you and Soo Jung. You stopped sharing anything anymore with me, Jo. I’m worried. Everyone in this house is worried about you...”

I rolled my eyes, not this again. “It was exposed to the world, Nick. What else is there to tell? I get that you're worried about me but can we please, please stop talking about it?"

“I waited for you, Jo. I waited for you to come to me on your time – but I guess, you rather not –”

“This is bull. I'm out.”

“If you are gonna keep me in the dark, you might as well don’t come to my wedding, Josephine.”

-

Oh, no! Nichkhun and Amber friendship is on the edge.