Jeongyeon’s POV

Yoo's Manor

Momo rushed into her room, she hastily locks the door and rested her back on it. She’s heavy breathing and her heart is running a mile per minute. She can’t seem to get enough oxygen in her, she’s hyperventilating. She had to calm herself down. ‘Please … be calm … be calm … breathe’, she spoke to herself as she clutches her heart through her shirt. She looks at her reflection in the vanity mirror. Her face is red and her eyes are bewildered … her body felt foreign. She curses Jeongyeon for making her feel this way, she’s on the verge of crying. When she gained her strength back in her legs, she walks to the bed and lays down. It’s hard to sleep when your mind refuses to listen to your voice. ‘Stupid Jeongyeon … STUPID JEONGYEON’, this becomes Momo’s mantra throughout the night. It got louder and louder in her mind, trying to replace the feeling of Jeongyeon’s lips on hers a few minutes ago. Eventually, her body tires itself out and she manages to sleep.
 

I wake up to the morning sunshine. Damn … I forgot to close the curtains last night. Is it 9 in the morning? So early … I shouldn’t have done what I’ve done last night. I should apologize. Did she leave already? I walk out of my room as fast as I can, hoping Momo hasn’t left yet. I open her bedroom door and to my luck, she’s still there.

“Yoo Jeongyeon!”, well, she’s angry … understandable. She looks beautiful just putting mascara on … FOCUS JEONGYEON!

I close the bedroom door quietly and walk tentatively towards her. But also keeping my distance, so she won’t be aggravated by my actions “I would like to apologize. Last night I wasn’t in my right mind, I don’t know what came over me, I shouldn’t have done what I did … I’m sorry!”, does that sound sincere enough?

She remained silent, she continued to walk around her room, finishing whatever she’s doing before I interrupted her. Looks like she’s packing to go to my aunt’s farm. She’s grabbing her jacket and bag before she finally looks towards my direction.

“It’s okay … I shouldn’t- … we shouldn’t speak of this again …”, she ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. A simple action could make my heart jump. She’s so damn … captivating. I couldn’t look her in the eyes, I avoid eye contact, and try looking at anything else. I got distracted by her desk. More specifically I’m drawn to what is on top of it.

“Did ... you draw these?”, I lightly brush my fingers on top of scattered papers on her desk. I’m in awe of her drawings, they were sketches of dress designs. I’m skimming through each and every one of them. They’re amazing! simple yet elegant, bold yet stylish … she’s so talented. I suddenly see her hands swiftly grabbing the paper from my hands and the ones on the desk. She frantically opens one of the drawers and stuffs them in. Hiding them from sight. I’m so confused …

“You’re so talented. Does my father knows?! He can hire you at our company”, the Yoo company is one of the leading fashion company in East Asia.

“... he knows”, why does she sound … disappointed? She walks away from me to leave, I grab her hand before she can. I look into her eyes … is she holding back from crying? I can see her eyes start to water

“Let me drive you there”.

She chuckles at me, “did you forget? My mother hates you … you did break her daughter’s heart”.

… I forgot her mother was coming to Seoul. That woman was a menace, she wasn’t too kind to me when she saw Nayeon running and crying into the house. I still shiver just thinking about her disapproving stare when I met her for the first time … or the time when she caught Nayeon and me… ah … well me with my hands hiking up her daughter’s skirt in their family’s home library … during one BORING family dinner … Yeah, I want to be far away as possible from her. However, Momo … is a whole different story. I nod at Momo, I notice my feet involuntary walk closer to her. I feel her hand slightly pull back from my grasp. She’s wary of me.

“I really like your perfume”, I see her ears have gone red with my voice and breath.

I step back to admire my work. She pulls her arm from my grasp and stormed off. She’s too easy. I laugh a little hearing her shoes stomp loudly with each step on the stairs, then the banging of the front door. I watch her angrily drive off through the bedroom window. Teasing her is … entertaining. I’m not going to stop. No one can reject me, even if you are my stepmother.

Days pass

I may not go with them to my aunt’s farm, but from seeing dozens of pictures on Seungyeon’s facebook account, I might as well have been. She documents everything like she’s on one of National Geographic’s documentary. I don’t mind, I get to see Momo and my niece and nephew.

The front gates open at approximately 6 pm, I wait to greet them at the front door. My niece, Jiwoo, ran to me. I crouch down to her level and open my arms to carry her and give her a warm hug. She just turned 6 years old. She’s showing me her missing tooth, apparently, her loose tooth fell off when one of my aunt’s dog pounce of her, the dog was too excited seeing Jiwoo running to him to give him a hug. She’s adorable, both of Seungyeon’s children are adorable. Yejun, the youngest, is only 7 months old, he’s sleeping in my sister’s arms. Since he’s sleeping I carefully kiss his forehead. They both took after Seungyeon’s good looks rather than her husband’s genes. I question sometimes if he’s really the father … he is sadly.

“What about me?!”, my sister whines, she’s like a second niece, even though she’s a lot older than me, she still acts like the youngest. I smile at her and side hug her to keep her quiet.

“Stop whining babe”, he looks at me, “Jeongyeon only shows her love for the people she cares about”, Jonghyun, my brother-in-law, mocks me.

I don’t have a good relationship with him.

I shake his hands, “welcome back oppa”.

I see my father behind him, already talking on his phone. Sounds like office work.

“Hey~”, I wave at him, but he waves me off and walks straight inside, probably to his office. I sigh, I rarely see him nowadays, a lot less than I used to. Growing up he doesn’t spend as much as I like for him at home. Not that I complain growing up, his compensation for being away was to give me everything I ever wanted. But, it would’ve been nice to see him on some birthday’s or parent’s day at school. Everyone knows Yoo Chaemin, the great CEO of the Yoo company, every time a parent is expected to be present for school, the school board excuses my father because well … he’s one of the biggest donors of my and Taejun’s schools. The main reason why I don’t want to work. He’s too consumed by his company and forgets about what’s most important, his family.

“Heiingg~”, the hell was that? I turn to see Momo whining.

I rush to her, I’m a little too late, her bag fell on the floor. I kneeled to pick up her bag.

“Welcome ‘bag’”, I give her a grin.

She looks at me funny, I thought it was a funny play on words, “get it ‘bag’ and ‘back’, almost sounds the same … and your bag fell … get it?”.

She shakes her head but smiles regardless, “thank you”.

We both walk in the house. I walk close to her on purpose.

“Did you like my aunt’s farm, Momo?”

“Nae, I had fun. I rode a horse for the first time. My mom even enjoyed herself”.

“... awesome … I stayed at home”.

“I don’t believe you”, she slaps my arm jokingly.

She’s acting so casual with me … too casual. I don’t know if she either forgot what had happened between us … or she’s just repressing it? … I didn’t forget. I never can. She enters her bedroom and I walk into mine.

“Damn … how can she be so cute and frustrating at the same time?”

“Who?”, Seungyeon popped out of nowhere.

“OH G-!”, I jump back in surprise, HOW DID- WHERE DID SHE COME FROM?! I clutch my heart, “Tae … Taeyeon! From Girls Generation! Her latest post! Acting all cute but teasing her fans … you know”, luckily I’m holding my phone so my lie can be believable.

“... riighhtt … I think you have a problem Jeongyeon”, well … I wouldn’t call it a problem … I may or may not be a little infatuated with Taeyeon … I carried around her photocard in my wallet when I was younger acting like she was my girlfriend … BUT WHO WOULDN’T?! “ANYWAY! I bought you these, take a look”, she hands me a bag.

“AWW! Thanks unnie”

Unnie and I spent some much-needed quality time together, I do miss her. I did a mini fashion show with the clothes she bought me. She knows my style very well. Seungyeon left to tend to her motherly things. I hug her and played on my phone on the bed. IT’S 7 ALREADY? I hastily wear my black hoodie and slide down the stairs to the dining room. Everyone is already sitting in their seats. Everyone's eyes are on me. I casually walk towards my seat, besides my father and in front of Momo.

“Late as always Jeongyeon”, Jonghyun smirk at me. .off Jonghyun.

“It’s quite alright Jonghyun, at least she’s here. We can eat now”, I smile at Jonghyun, to say ‘ that’.

Father always defended me when it comes to Jonghyun. We share a deep hatred towards Jonghyun. When Seungyeon and Jonghyun started dating, he got her pregnant really young. He asked Seungyeon to have an abortion, she immediately told father and me. I never wanted to kill someone with my bare hands before Jonghyun came into our lives. Seungyeon wanted to keep the baby, but Jonghyun refused to be there for her. BIG MISTAKE. My father found out, he forced him to marry her. When Jonghyun found out who he knocked up and seeing THE Yoo Chaemin standing at his doorstep with 2 bodyguards, he … well one, peed his pants, (so I’ve heard, probably true though) … two, he jumped at the chance to be wealthy. Father gave him a job at the company. He is so immature and greedy. Greedy of our wealth and name. Seungyeon is oblivious to this, of course, she’s so in l