Tiffany has been in this family for almost a week already, and she could almost get used to the stares she frequently got from others. The first day she followed Taeyeon to the company, the moment she stepped in, the whole bustling office immediately quietened down, with everybody stopping in the midst of whatever they’re doing.

Feeling awkward, she had sneaked a glance at Taeyeon, but all she saw was irritation on Taeyeon face. Tiffany didn’t know why, but she felt that behind those cold pair of eyes, there was some sad and painful story hidden there.

“Get back to work.” Taeyeon had told them in a cold voice, and the staff immediately resumed their work.

Instead of saying she was a personal attendant; Tiffany would rather say that she was a personal attendant plus secretary. She had to plan Taeyeon appointments, screen her calls, typed her reports, in fact, she’s doing whatever a secretary is doing.

Yoona: “What are you thinking of?”

Yoona asked from behind, when she saw Tiffany staring at the sunset in silence, lost in her thoughts at the balcony.

Tiffany: “ Can I ask you something Yoona? ”

Yoona: “ You want to ask me why is everybody staring at you with weird looks from the first day you stepped into this house? ”

Tiffany ( staring at Yoona dumb folded, filled with admiration ): “How do you know?”

Yoona ( laughed ): “ It wasn’t difficult to guess. If I were you, I’ll feel uneasy too. It started a long way back, with a romantic, but yet painful story. Are you sure you want to know?”

Tiffany ( smiled, nodding her head ): “ I love stories. "

---

Yoona had left Tiffany thinking, after telling her the story. Tiffany couldn’t use words to describe her feelings now. All she felt now was shown by the tears creeping up into her eyes. It was no wonder she always felt a sense of pain and sadness whenever she was with Taeyeon. Now, she finally understood why Taeyeon was so cold to almost everybody other than her family. Taeyeon heart was dead after 'Stephanie' death. Although Taeyeon was still physically alive today, spiritually, she had died along with Stephanie three years ago.

~Flashback~

Three years ago…

“Will you marry me Stephanie?” Taeyeon asked, going down on her knee, presenting her with roses and a sparkling diamond ring, while she just stared down at him with disbelief, her eyes widened with shock.

Stephanie: “Get up Tae. Get up!” She had whispered loudly, for Taeyeon had just gone down on her knee in the middle of the streets. People were starting to smile and whisper to each other, circling around them, encouraging her to accept Taeyeon proposal.

Taeyeon (stubbornly ): “I won’t get up unless you promise to be my wife.”

Stephanie closed her eyes with embarrassment.

Stephanie: “You’re doing it on purpose. You’re making it hard for me to refuse aren’t you?” She asked, while the crowd roared with laughter, while Taeyeon smiled innocently at her.

Taeyeon ( whispered ): “You know how much I love you. So would you let me put this ring on for you?”

Stephanie ( nodding her head, her tears threatening to fall ): “I love you.” She whispered to Taeyeon when she got up and hugged her later, with the crowd cheering them on.

They were so happy, so blissful, but God just had to take it away from them. Take their happiness away from them. One month after Taeyeon proposed to her, Stephanie fell terribly ill. So ill to the point that she was unable to get out of bed. Whenever Taeyeon visited her, Taeyeon heart would ache with pain when she saw how pale Stephanie face and lips had turned. Day by day, Stephanie hair got lesser, and she got thinner. The doctors called it leukemia, and that it was in the final stage already.

Everyone didn’t know how Stephanie got the illness, even she didn’t know, but she had told Taeyeon, that this might be God’s plans, and that it was all fated, all predestined. They made each other the promise that they would fight together for their future, their happiness.

However, another month later, they met their first failure. Stephanie had fought to the point that she had no more energy left in her. That was when everything fell apart for Taeyeon. Taeyeon was left alone to fight, and never did she give up, not even when Stephanie coffin was laid into the ground, not even when they tried restraining her from jumping into the grave with her.

Since then, Taeyeon turned back to her old self. Her old self before Stephanie entered her life. Taeyeon was the old Taeyeon once again, not caring about her surroundings, but lost in her dark and lonely world. She was like a child curled up in a dark corner, snapping at anyone who offered her concern. It was only when she met Stephanie, then did she managed to convinced her to forsake that old shell of her's, but now that Stephanie was gone, she had went back to that shell in search of comfort.

~Flashback end~

---

Tiffany was so affected by what Yoona had told her that she just couldn’t stop her tears from falling. Wiping her tears with the back of her hand, her heart just went all out to Taeyeon on hearing the story behind those cold and lonely pair of eyes. At that moment, that second, Tiffany felt a great admiration for Stephanie. Stephanie bravery and courage towards her illness and towards her love forTaeyeon was so great that Tiffany felt that it was something she was yearning to do all these years. To be able to pluck up your courage to love someone so freely and deeply was not what everybody was able to do, and that was what Tiffany has been aiming to do.

Smiling as the wind blow across her face softly, Tiffany smiled and whispered, “I just feel that I like you so much Stephanie.”

---

Taeyeon leant against the wall, taking in all that was said, as if what happened three years ago was replaying right before her eyes. Closing her eyes, she clenched her fist tight against the wall when she was reminded by the pain that followed endlessly her around like her shadow. She saw Yoona walking away from Tiffany, and was about to walk away as well, when she saw her tears rolling down her face silently, and she was hastily wiping away the tears. At that instant, Taeyeon felt her heart skipped a beat and stirred, as if her heart had been asleep for a very long time already.

Taeyeon knew that they were two different persons in this world, but Taeyeon can’t help but feel that Tiffany resembled Stephanie in many ways. It was as if Stephanie’s soul lived in Tiffany’s body, for many times when she talked to Tiffany, she felt that she was talking to Stephanie instead, even without looking at her face. However, one thing she know for sure, Stephanie was still Stephanie, Tiffany is Tiffany. They’re just two different people.

Later that night…

Taeyeon: “You told her didn’t you?” ( standing at the doorway of her sister’s room )

Yoona: “ Told who what? ” Yoona looked up and asked, applying moisturizer onto her hands.

Taeyeon: “ You told Tiffany about Stephanie. ”

Yoona: “ She will know sooner or later. It is as well that I explain things to her instead of her hearing a twisted version from others.” Yoona shrugged and said, while Taeyeon looked at her, thinking, before turning around to leave the room.

Yoona: “ Don’t you have another question to ask me? ”

Taeyeon stopped in her tracks before turning around to look at her straight in the eye, waiting for Yoona to continue speaking.

Yoona stared at Taeyeon for a moment, before turning away from her gaze and looked at her reflection in the mirror, brushing her fingers through her hair

Yoona: “ I didn’t tell her that she looked like Stephanie because I was afraid that she would start developing feelings for you. ”

Taeyeon ( in a quiet voice immediately, shooting Yoona an accusing look) : “ What do you mean? ”

Yoona: “ I don’t want her to get hurt, to be somebody else’s replacement. Not when you haven’t recovered and when you’re still not ready yet.”

Yoona stand up to leave the room, leaving Taeyeon behind to digest her words.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

*Do note that Tiffany and Stephanie are two completely different people in this story.*