Taeyeon wasn’t usually impulsive. She made decisions based on facts and research. It was one major quality of hers that made her so trusting. Billions of dollars were invested in her company, because her investors knew that she could run her business and never go bankrupt.

Somehow in these past two days, Taeyeon had done nothing but make impulsive choices. Yesterday was asking and contractually making Tiffany her fake girlfriend, and today was inviting Tiffany for dinner with her family.

“I didn’t realize when you asked me to join you for dinner that it would be with your family.”

“When I asked if you had dinner yet, you told me no. Are you no longer hungry?”

Tiffany turned to the window and let out a soft sigh. “I was hungry.” She then mumbled to herself. “I’m just not up for tofu and vegetarian food today.”

“I’ll ask the chef to whip us up some steaks. My mom doesn’t expect us to put up an act just for her. She can eat all the veggies on her own.”

Tiffany’s shoulder tensed, realizing too late that her boss had heard her. Her cheeks flushed red as she smiled awkwardly. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Taeyeon smiled back as she leaned into the leather cushion, waiting for the most uncomfortable dinner with her family. Just don’t kill me when you realize who’s also joining us.

When they finally arrived, Taeyeon had walked ahead of everyone to announce her arrival to her family.

“Taetae!” Taeyeon’s mother squealed as she threw her arms around her oldest and most thoughtful daughter. “I loved the chocolate by the way. Was there bits of hazelnut inside or macadamia nuts?”

Taeyeon’s face remained stoic despite her confusion. What chocolate? She immediately turned to Tiffany whose eyes blinked innocently.

“Hazelnut, just as Ms. Kim had instructed me to order.” Tiffany answered for the thoughtful daughter.

“Oh, I love hazelnut. How did you know?”

“Of course I knew, mom. What kind of daughter would I be if I didn’t know?” Taeyeon said as she secretly glanced at her secretary. She was pretty sure she had told Tiffany to not send anything to her parents since she was still annoyed with them. However, she couldn’t be upset with her after witnessing the tiny droplets of tears at the corners of her mother’s eyes. “I’m sorry for yesterday. I shouldn’t have behaved like a petulant child.”

“I’m sorry too. Let’s just forget it all happened and enjoy a night as a family.”

Taeyeon nodded as she tucked her chin in the crook of her mother’s neck. Her mother’s words were comforting, but hopefully, bringing Tiffany along would prevent the subject from ever coming up again. The time to reveal her ‘relationship’ with Tiffany would be too early if she did it now. They would need to undergo some trials to get their imaginary stories straight since her family was the nosiest family of all. Their details had to be precise and their act would have to be perfect.

“Oh, by the way, did you also receive my message about your sister?”

Taeyeon’s entire body stiffened in reaction to the airy gasp from her right. There was no doubt that Tiffany had heard it and was not happy with the news at all.

“Yes, I saw it. So she’s back for summer break?”

“Yes, she just arrived this morning. Hayeon, come downstairs, please. Taeyeon’s here.”

Instead of asking about the sister that she hadn’t seen since attending school abroad a year ago, Hayeon decided to be an ungrateful nineteen-year-old and asked, “Did Tiffany come with her?”

Mrs. Kim chuckled and shook her head exasperatedly while Tiffany inhaled sharply through her nose. “Yes, Tiffany is here also.”

“What?! Why didn’t you say that from the beginning! Jeez, mom! I look like a wet, shaggy dog right now!”

“You do know Tiffany can hear every word that you’re saying, don’t you?”

There was a long, awkward silence before the pitter-patter of footsteps made its way through the hallway. A neatly-combed miniature version of Taeyeon appeared at the top of the steps before gracefully descending down from them. She had walked past Taeyeon and her mother and then stopped directly in front of the secretary.

“Hello, Tiffany. I’ve missed you. Did you miss me, my love?”

Tiffany’s eye involuntarily twitched. It was apparent that the teenager’s five-year crush was still going strong. Absence did indeed make the heart grow fonder, one-sidedly of course.

“Yah, knock it off, kid. Stop harassing my secretary.” Taeyeon commanded as she wedged herself between the two. She felt it was her responsibility to protect Tiffany, after all, she was the reason that Tiffany was here in the first place.

“Excuse me? Kid? How am I a kid if I am taller than you? Wouldn’t that make you the kid?” Hayeon smirked at her now nose-flaring and shorter sister.

“Don’t make me hurt you.” Taeyeon growled, ready to tickle the socks off of her younger sister.

“Knock it off, you two. Let’s eat up already. I’m sure Tiffany is hungry.” Their mother interjected.

“Oh, yeah. Tiffany, you can sit by me. I’ll give you all my peas.” Hayeon offered thoughtfully before whining in pain as Taeyeon pinched her hip. “Dearest Mother, restrain your least favorite child this instant!”

“You mean you?” Mrs. Kim joked, eliciting laughter from everyone besides the youngest Kim, even Tiffany was laughing, as they walked to the dining room table.

The table had been set up for five with Mrs. Kim at one end and Mr. Kim, who joined a few minutes after, at the other. Tiffany had the pleasure of sitting between the Kim’s daughters who were both currently her least favorite people.

“My love, do you need help in cutting the steak?”

“I’m sure I can manage, thank you,” the secretary smiled politely as she forcefully dug her steak knife into the thick piece of meat with the precision of a butcher, attracting the attention of both Taeyeon and Hayeon who shuddered involuntarily.

“Here, have some of my peas. I know how much you like them.” And how much Hayeon despised them. Hayeon grinned as she prepared to scoop them onto Tiffany’s plate.

“Just eat your peas, Hayeon. They’re good for you.”

Hayeon glared at Taeyeon. “And what do you know?”

“A lot more than you do.” Taeyeon said, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in her seat with a smug look. “As the older sibling, I have the experience and knowledge to back it up.”

Hayeon snorted as she pushed the peas to the side. “Except in the love department. It seems I beat you there.”

Taeyeon’s eyes narrowed dangerously on her sister. “A pathetic crush on my secretary doesn’t automatically make you an expert on the matter, kid.”

“I’ll have you know that I am not talking about my one and only true love.” She winked at Tiffany. “I am talking about this one girl in my class that I’m seeing. It’s really nothing serious, though, so please don’t be upset Tiffany. It’s just for the experience. Once I’m older, I will come for you, my love.”

Tiffany continued to chew on her piece of steak, savoring the buttery flavor and ignoring the googly, mesmerized eyes directed at her.

“Hayeon, is that true? You’re dating someone?” Mrs. Kim asked excitedly as Mr. Kim shook his head disapprovingly.

“She’s too young to be dating.”

“But dad, would you rather I be in my late twenties and still single?”

Taeyeon squeezed her fists underneath the table. She had felt the words jab into her gut.

“No, but you should be concentrating on school. Once you have a job, then you can concentrate on those things.”

“Dear, it’s Hayeon’s first girlfriend. Just let her have this one.” Mrs. Kim intervened while staring at Taeyeon. “I just hope Taeyeon will find someone nice.”

“It doesn’t have to be now.” Taeyeon reasoned.

“It should be soon.” Mrs. Kim responded sharply as the atmosphere thickened. “You’re not getting any younger.”

“You act like I’m an old lady with fifty cats.”

“Well, it seems like you’re heading off in that direction if you continue to concentrate on work all the time.”

Tiffany had placed her fork down as her eyes went back and forth between Mrs. Kim and Taeyeon. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to help Taeyeon out after being tricked here, or if Taeyeon would be upset if she did do something. It really wasn’t her place to intrude as an outsider, but she knew she’d risk it anyway, because it wasn’t in her to see Taeyeon struggle with maintaining her composure, knowing that this was a touchy subject for her.

“Mrs. Kim?”

All four turned to her, reminded of her presence.

“Where did you get this tea set? It’s absolutely stunning. And the tea is so rich and smooth.”

“Oh,” Mrs. Kim hummed with a broad smile as she picked up her own teacup and took an appreciative sip. “It’s quite good, isn’t it?” She asked, wanting confirmation from the young secretary who nodded her head with mock enthusiasm.

It was so easy to sway Mrs. Kim with compliments that Tiffany wondered why it was so difficult for Taeyeon to do so. Must be that huge, stubborn pride of hers.

“I got it from Taiwan. I’m glad someone appreciates it.” Mrs. Kim said as she rolled her eyes at the rest of her family who were now staring at their own cups with boredom.

“You definitely made the right choice.” Tiffany beamed before gulping down a mouthful of strongly flavored oolong tea.

“So did I.” Tiffany had heard the whispered words from her left and found Taeyeon smiling at her own tea.

***

Taeyeon had decided to use her brother’s car to take Tiffany home since her parents had insisted she sleep over for the night.

“You didn’t have to drive me home. I could have taken a cab, Ms. Kim.”

“I wanted to. Just think of it as a thank you for what you did back there. I was so close to tossing the plate of tofu at the wall.”

“I doubt it.”

“Excuse me?” Taeyeon caught Tiffany smiling as she looked out the window.

“I just don’t think you have it in you.”

“And why is that?”

“Can I be honest?”

“Always.” Taeyeon was surprised at herself, because she actually meant it.

“Well, I’m not a psychologist, but I’m pretty sure you have OCD and you’re obsessed with things being in order, so making a mess would be impossible for you.”

Taeyeon wanted to disagree and show her just how un-OCD she can be, but she knew deep down that Tiffany was right. Nothing set her off more than a mess.

“Fine, I’ll admit to that.” Taeyeon huffed in annoyance as Tiffany quietly laughed at her boss’s puffy cheeks. It was so unlike her boss to look so not-serious and childish.

“Thank you for driving me home, Ms. Kim.”

Before Tiffany could step out of the car, Taeyeon had called out to her. “Tiffany. Call me Taeyeon. We’re not at work, so it’s okay to call me by my name.”

“Oh, okay. Goodnight, T-Taeyeon.” Tiffany bowed politely, out of habit, as she turned to enter her apartment.

Even though Taeyeon knew she should drive away, she couldn’t get herself to push the gas pedal. With the car running, Taeyeon watched Tiffany open her apartment door. She leaned forward as the door widened. A second later, a figure from the inside had suddenly yanked Tiffany in, making Taeyeon’s heart drop to her stomach.

A serial killer. A robber. It was obvious that Tiffany was not expecting anyone, because she let out a shriek before being pulled to her impending death.

Tiffany’s safety was all Taeyeon could think about as she ran out of her car and up the steps to Tiffany’s apartment. The adrenaline pushed through the fear of dying along with her secretary as she entered the apartment in quick strides.

“Tiffany!” Taeyeon called out to her secretary, barely getting five steps into the apartment before the image in front of her left her speechless. She had expected the worst—blood, the sounds of torture, the lifeless body of Tiffany.

But what she saw were two bodies—one was Tiffany’s and the other was a stranger’s—glued together with Tiffany pressed against the wall as their lips collided in a passionate kiss.

I took too long to update. Sorry. School is torture T_T