CHAPTER XVIII

“Daddy?”

Jiyeon came downstairs while rubbing her eyes who just woke up from sleep. Rosé hurriedly run towards Jiyeon and kneel in front of her, holding her shoulders.

“Jiyeon, go upstairs okay. Mommy have something to talk to this uncle,” Rosé persuade Jiyeon to leave.

“But he is not uncle, he is my daddy,” Jiyeon cried pointing at Jungkook.

Jungkook slowly walks towards Jiyeon and kneels beside Rosé.

“Jiyeon-ah,” Jungkook called out. He softly pulls Jiyeon into a hug. Rosé sighed and stood up. “I’m sorry for not recognizing you and Mommy all this while. I’m sorry for not telling you I’m your Daddy,” he said, rubbing Jiyeon’s back head. Jungkook tighten his hug.

“What do you mean? Mommy keep your photos in her purse all the time. Mommy won’t allow me to call her ‘Mommy’ and said not to call you ‘Daddy’ when I met you. I can call her ‘Mommy’ now so I can call you ‘Daddy’ right?” Jiyeon said.

Jungkook loosen the hug. He looks at Jiyeon, then turn looking at Rosé. Rosé looks away from looking at Jungkook, folding her arms over her chest.

“Jiyeon-ah, go upstairs first okay? Daddy will go to you later. I need to talk to Mommy,” Jungkook persuade Jiyeon. She pouted and nods slowly.

Jiyeon runs upstairs, leaving only Jungkook and Rosé at the living room.

“Can we…”

“We can’t,” Rosé cuts Jungkook off before he could finish his whole sentence. She knew what he was going to propose. He is going to propose her to be with him for the sake of Jiyeon.

“Chaeyoung-ah,” Jungkook called.

Rosé ignores him. She continues folding her clothes to pack up.

“Please give me a chance to redeem my mistakes. Give me a chance to make you and Jiyeon happy all over again. To fill in the empty spots in your heart and to raise Jiyeon up,” Jungkook pleads.

Rosé stops what she was doing and looks at Jungkook.

“I gave you a lot of chances before. But did you care? You didn’t even blink an eye. Why don’t you give me chances to live my life the way I wanted now?” she said. “I am happy. I don’t have any empty spots left in my heart. And I can raise Jiyeon up on my own. I can do it five years ago, I can still do it for another five years or even another 50 years,” she continued.

Jungkook bites his lips.

“Why did you lie to her? Why didn’t you tell her that I don’t know she is my daughter? Why did you keep my photos in your purse?” Jungkook asks non-stop.

Rosé keep silent.

“Why did you name her Jiyeon? Her initial J is from my name right? Yeon came from your name because it sounds similar with Young. Right?” Jungkook asks again.

Rosé sighed.

“Yes!” Rosé throws hard the cloth in her hand on the couch. “I didn’t tell her because I don’t want her to feel sad because his Daddy did not recognize her! I don’t want her to think that she doesn’t have a father! I keep your photos because you used to say that even if you were far away one day, I will always feel close to you if I put your photo in my purse and I wanted Jiyeon to feel that her daddy is always close to her even if he doesn’t know she exists. Little did I know, you really went far. Far away from me and my heart. I put her name Jiyeon because you once told me in high school that when you have a daughter you wanted to name her Jiyeon. But did you remember all that? No. You don’t,” Rosé shook her head slowly.

Jungkook couldn’t lift up his face.

“And you still have the face to ask me for another chance?” Rosé questioned him.

Jungkook closes his eyes. He regrets everything he had done all this while.

“Then…” he silently said. “Let me cherish you and Jiyeon for the last time tomorrow. Let me bring you and Jiyeon somewhere. I won’t ask more than this,” he pleads.

“You can’t,” Rosé answered short.

Jungkook lift up his head, facing Rosé. He frowns.

“We’re leaving tomorrow,” she tells him.

Jungkook’s eyes widened.

“Where?” he asked.

“Australia.”

“You’re not coming back?” Jungkook anxiously asked.

Rosé shook.

***

“I’m sorry, Chae. He begs me. I ignored him and even chased him out of the boutique but he kneels down in front of the main door for 3 hours. He didn’t even move a bit,” Jennie apologizes to Rosé.

Rosé exhaled heavily.

“Never mind. What’s done is done. Besides I’m leaving tomorrow,” Rosé said, calmly.

Jennie nods.

“By the way, did Lisa tries to escape herself? She’s part of the plan and she’s not even come back home to apologize to me?” Rosé jokingly said.

Jennie chuckles.

“She had to meet her client after meeting me just now. Maybe she’ll be back later,” Jennie told her.

“Is everything okay? What were you two talking about?” Jisoo then asks and took a sip of her coffee.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I told him I’m leaving for good. And won’t come back. So, I ask for his understanding. At least I’ve cleared out everything. My heart feels so light,” Rosé slightly smile.

“Mommy…”

Jiyeon came down from upstairs and standing at the corner of the stairs while holding her pink teddy bear. Her eyes are teary. Rosé frowns. She puts down her cup on the coffee table.

“Why, honey? Come here,” Jennie called her.

Jiyeon wipes her tears and walks slowly towards the three of them. She lay down her head on Rosé’s lap. Rosé her head.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, kindly.

“I don’t want to leave. I want to stay here,” Jiyeon sobs.

Rosé looks at Jennie then Jisoo. Her eyebrows furrowed.

“Jiyeon-ah, what happened? Why so sudden?” Rosé asks concern.

“I want to stay here. Here I have mommy Nini, mommy Lili and mommy Jichu. I also have Daddy,” Jiyeon silently says. “If I leave, I only have you.”

Jennie and Jisoo looks at each other. Rosé sighs.

“Okay then. You stay here okay?” Rosé says.

Jiyeon lifts up her head on Rosé’s lap immediately and look at her mother. Her eyes widened. She gasped.

“Really?”

Rosé smile and nods.

“But I’m leaving,” she says.

Jiyeon sigh and pouted.

“I want you to be here as well,” Jiyeon said.

Rosé shook. “I can’t Jiyeon-ah,” Rosé said. “I promised my mom and dad to go back,” she tells her.

“Your parents?” Jisoo asked, shocked.

Rosé nods.

“This is my promise to them. I went to apologize to them for what had happened before I came looking for Jungkook three years ago. I can’t being thrown like that. I love them. They said they can accept me back if I give up waiting for Jungkook. But I ask them to give me three years to prove them that Jungkook will come back to me again. Not even three years, I got dumped in just less than three months during that time. I stayed here because I am too embarrassed to meet them. But I guess its time to leave now,” Rosé told Jennie and Jisoo.

“But he wants you back now,” Jisoo says.

Rosé shook.

“I don’t want him. I’m fine with my life as it is now,” she said.