‘There’s a restaurant in Rosè Hotel, near Hwang Corp. Building. I’ll make a reservation so meet me there, 8p.m sharp. Tell the workers my name. - Stephanie Hwang.'

Sent.

Tiffany exhaled the breath that she had held in due to being too nervous to face the girl. She wasn’t so sure why she was so afraid to meet the person that had ruined her marriage. She had decided to confront that Kim Taeyeon girl to ask about her husband. About their relationship. She sighed as the thoughts of being cheated on clouded her mind. She still couldn’t come up with any reason on why Dongwook would cheat on her. Maybe he just didn’t love me enough.

Her thoughts were disturbed when a ring came from her phone. It was a reply from Taeyeon. ‘Alright. Please inform me anything about your outfit later, it’ll be easy for me to spot you.’ She read. What should she wear? She thought of an outfit that could make her look strong, but it wasn’t really her nature to look like so. After a moment of thoughts, she finally decided to go with her simple pastel pink suit. ‘I’ll be wearing a pink suit later.’ She wrote as her reply.

In just a minute, another reply came from Taeyeon. ‘Okay. I’ll wear a baby blue hairband to help you identify me. I’ll see you later Mrs. Lee.’

Tiffany didn’t reply. She looked at her watch and she still had hours before she could meet her husband’s mistress, though she didn’t feel like going home. It would only remind her of her cheating husband. She didn’t want to hurt her heart even more, so she settled with driving to the town. I should walk back home and take my car.

When she was home, she took her car keys and went to her car immediately. In the garage, her white Porsche was parked perfectly like it owned the place. She smiled at the sight and sighed lightly, ”It’s been awhile since I last took a ride with you.” She said. Getting in her car, she started the engine and it roared loudly. “Perfect. Let’s go to town, baby.”

She drove to the town slowly since she was nowhere in a rush. Her destination was somehow far from her house. It took her approximately 40 minutes to arrive there. Arriving at the town she had came to love so much, she parked her car near the Tteokbokki stall. She went out from her car and saw the owner of the stall. Oh how she had missed the owner so much. The owner, an old lady, basically treated her like she was her own daughter. She thought of grabbing herself a full meal there, so she went in and greeted the owner. “Aunty!” 

The owner turned to her way and smiled widely, “Tiffany! I missed you dear. Here for a meal?” Tiffany grinned in return. “I missed you too. Of course, nothing could beat me from having a full meal from you Aunty.” She said excitedly. The aunty nodded her head and went to the kitchen to prepare Tiffany’s meal. After a delightful conversation and lunch with her favorite aunty, she paid for her meal and went out from the store. She took a deep breath of the fresh air and started making her way along the busy street.

The street was beautiful despite having so many people on it. Although Tiffany found the street to be better during the night, she still enjoyed walking around, looking at customers smiling and talking to shop-lots’ owners. While walking, she stumbled upon a flower shop that had varieties of flowers displayed outside. She took a step into the shop and my oh my, it was rather a huge flower shop. The flowers are so beautiful, she admired.

“How I wish life could bloom as beautiful as these flowers.. but I guess not for me.” She sadly said, while her eyes longed for the flowers before her.

“Flowers don’t always bloom beautifully.” A voice rang through her ears. She quickly turned to the voice owner and gasped loudly. “Why do you keep gasping when you see me?” The voice owner said in confusion while Tiffany still couldn’t believe her eyes. “It’s you! The pretty girl!” She said in utter shock. “Am I not? I’m guessing you had a bad day?”

Tiffany suddenly looked down, and nodded lightly. “Why can’t happiness bloom like flowers?” She turned to the girl beside her, head still down. The girl sighed softly, smiling while she looked at the dejected Tiffany. Her hand went to touch the flowers, before she started with, “Happiness is actually indeed, like a flower. Like a flower, it only blooms when it reaches a certain point. Like a flower, it wilts too. A flower does not always require intensive care for it to bloom beautifully. The flowers on the street, they bloom after episodes of crying clouds.”

Tiffany became silent, and the girl continued. “What differs, are the ways of the flowers to bloom. Either on their own, or with help. Either after a series of storms and rains, or daily shower bath from people who take care of them. Like happiness, it blooms in different ways too. Having to face such circumstances like yours now, doesn’t means happiness won’t be there for you. Give it some time, and it will.” By the time the girl ended her short speech, Tiffany was already crouching down on the floor with her head buried in between her knees. The girl heard faint sobs from Tiffany and thought that Tiffany was somehow cute.

The girl crouched along and slowly patted Tiffany’s back, “There, there. Let it out.”

Her sobs became even harder, but it stopped after awhile. Tiffany wiped her tear stains with her sleeve and shyly looked up to the girl who still had her hand on Tiffany’s back. “Thank you.” She said, and the girl simply smiled as her respond. Just then, Tiffany realized that crying probably made her look ugly. “Do.. Do I look terrible?” She asked the girl with a low tone, voice still hoarse from the crying earlier. The girl giggled and suddenly stood up, “Wait here.” She said to Tiffany.

Tiffany waited as she was told. The girl came back then, holding a white flower in her right hand. “Stand up.” The girl said, and Tiffany obeyed. A hand came to her vision and before she could register it, she felt the hand brushed her strands of hair on the left side of her face to the back of her ear. Shivers. The girl’s touch brought shivers down her spines. So soft.

Just then, Tiffany felt the girl tucked the flower she was holding earlier over her left ear. “What’s the flower for?” She asked over curiosity. The girl brought her hand down but not forgetting to brush Tiffany’s brown locks. “That flower on your ear is called a White Camellia. It means you’re adorable.” The girl said and smiled sincerely.

The White Camellia only enhanced the pink tints on Tiffany’s cheeks. “You look beautiful even when you were crying.” Tiffany thought the girl would be the death of hers, since she felt her cheeks and ears growing warmer. “Ah. I must have taken too much of your time. Do you not have any place to be at now?” The girl asked Tiffany.

Oh. Tiffany remembered about the meeting with Kim Taeyeon. She checked her watch and it was already 4p.m. 4 more hours to go, I should get ready. She nodded her head to the girl to confirm the latter’s question. The girl then said, “Then what are you waiting for? Go. I’ll see you around. The flower is on the house, by the way.” 

Tiffany smiled to her ears in return. “Thank you, flower girl.” Her smile was so real that her eyes formed crescents. The flower girl, as how Tiffany had called her, was stunned to look at Tiffany’s smile. Tiffany took a step back and waved a little before making her way out from the store. “Bye bye!” Tiffany turned to the flower girl to say her good bye. The flower girl said the same and Tiffany was finally back at the street. She made her way to her parked car, and drove back home.

____________________

She was ready. She had took a shower, dressed herself in the pink suit and dried her hair. She even did her hair splendidly. To say she was stunning was an understandment. She still had atleast an hour before her assigned time with Taeyeon, but she knew her husband would be back home real soon. She still refused to face Dongwook. She knew she would break into tears when she does, so she wrote a note on going out to meet her ‘friend’ to Dongwook and left it on the dining table. S