Round Seventy-Three

The late evening was as dark as night but street lamps illuminated the path that she was walking along. All was quiet except for the occasional insect call.

Right here. It was here that they had fought. It was here that she had shed tears over him. It was here that she discovered just how much she liked…no, loved him. She had fallen for him without truly realizing it but their love was cemented that night. That night…of passion. How did things end up this way?

She didn’t know what she would do if he didn’t want her as his wife anymore. Where would that leave her? She had never loved anyone quite like him before. Her boyfriends had always been the opposite of what Yul was like. The kind of boyfriends who weren’t good for her. She realized that now. Yul had gotten under her skin in ways…more than one. Yul…where was he? What was he doing? Was he thinking of her? Was he hurting just like she was? Maybe she ought to look for him. Good idea. She didn’t have to wait for his call. She could go to him. She would do that. She wasn’t going to let him go.

She spun around on her heels to go but stopped short at what she saw. She wasn’t alone. Hara was standing behind her, staring spitefully. A shiver zipped down her spine and she stepped backwards instinctively. “Hara? What are you doing here?”

The younger woman merely smirked and stepped towards her. She stepped back instinctively yet again and gasped as two sleazy looking men stepped out from the shadows and stood behind Hara. What was going on?

“I hate you, Jessica Jung.”

Jessica almost flinched from the hate that was spewing out from Hara’s mouth and she knew that she was in trouble. This didn’t look good at all. Yet, she knew, by instinct, that she couldn’t show any fear. She was Jessica Jung. She would always be one step above Hara Goo. She wouldn’t be intimidated by this girl. She braced her shoulders, lifted her chin and replied as coolly as she could, “What’s new?”

“I’m not letting you get away this time.”

“I don’t need to get away from you.”

“Arrogant . You need to learn your lesson tonight.”

“Who are you to do that. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“I don’t care. Don’t bother threatening me with what you’re capable of doing. I’m destroying you tonight.”

Jessica scoffed in spite of herself and glared at Hara with all the animosity she could muster. “You can’t destroy me.”

“I can.”

“Even if you do, you’ll still be the same old Hara. The Hara that needs to grovel for attention.”

“And why are you the one who gets it all? Why are you the one that boys go crazy over? I have bigger eyes than yours, hair that is longer, straighter and silkier than yours, a body that is ier than yours.” Hara flashed a bitter smile. “In the end, they all came to me. You lost all of them to me.”

“And I should thank you for picking out the trash for me.”

Hara seemed to get even more infuriated at her words and her heart skipped a beat. Perhaps she shouldn’t be agitating Hara any further. She couldn’t help herself, however. She wasn’t going to back down. Not while she was Hara’s nemesis. No, she wasn’t.

“You are going to regret saying that.”

“Why would I regret speaking the truth?”

“You…You and your father think you’re so high and mighty but really, you’re just arrogant jerks, the both of you. You don’t even know how to be sorry!”

“I have nothing to be sorry about.”

You don’t?! You don’t?!” Hara looked as though she was about to explode. “You have plenty to be sorry about!!!”

Jessica barely raised an eyebrow as she said, “No, I don’t.”

Hara’s nostrils flared. “You treat me like crap! Your father treated my father like crap! The two of you destroyed my family!”

“What are you talking about? My father saved your father from going bankrupt, ingrate!”

Hara laughed like a manic at what she said and she began to look around her for possible escape routes. Would she be able to outrun Hara and her men? “Your father only lent my father the money because of my mother!!! Bastard!!!”

Jessica was shocked into silence. She knew that her father wasn’t the most faithful husband in the world but…Hara’s mother?!

“Your father has no conscience!!!”

Jessica’s mouth ran dry. Hara’s mother was a ravishing beauty. And now that she thought about it, she remembered a few instances of Hara’s mother visiting her home with Hara… “I’m sorry.”

Who’s voice was that?! Was it…her own voice? Hara was looking at her strangely. Why was Hara looking at her like that? Did she just apologize to Hara?!

“Are you girls ever going to fight or what? Me and my bro have got better things to do,” said one of the men.

Hara seemed to snap out of her trance and her look of utter malice was back. “Get her,” Hara said, in a stone cold voice.

It was now or never. Jessica turned and ran. The men shouted at her as they chased her and all she could do was run faster. She thanked her personal trainer profusely in her heart. All that body toning and fitness training was coming into play as she sprinted. She never liked to run. She thought it to be rather unbecoming of a lady like herself. At this moment however, being a lady was the last thing on her mind. Staying out of harm’s way had top priority.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t outrun the men. She felt a tug and a yank. And the next thing she knew, she was in the hands of the two men. “Let me go!”

She struggled in their clutches as Hara caught up with them. The stone-faced woman came right up to her and swung her arm dramatically. Before Jessica realized what was happening, she found herself jerking to the right with a stinging left cheek and gasped in shock. The men held her arms tightly, stopping her from falling from the impact.

“That! That was payback for the slap you gave me in the hotel.”

You deserved it for trying to steal Yul away from me.Yul…where are you? Do you still love me?

At that thought, Jessica’s eyes welled up with tears.

“Just one slap and you’re crying. You’re not so great now, Jessica Jung…Your father isn’t here to save you and neither is that boyfriend of yours. No one is here to save you, Jessica Jung…”

Yul… Jessica almost cried out in pain as Hara slapped her again.

“And that! That’s payback for all the times you looked right past me as though I were invisible.”

“YUL!!!” Jessica screamed. She longed for him to appear to save her even though she knew that it wasn’t going to happen.

“Yul?” Hara cackled like a witch and threw her head back to laugh. “Yul isn’t coming, . Yul isn’t going to save you.”

“Hara, we’re getting tired. Are you done slapping her? We want our reward,” said one of the men.

Upon hearing that, Jessica struggled even harder, thrashing about as they held on to her. Hara stepped nearer and she tried to kick the woman but the men pushed her down onto the ground and immobilized her entirely.

“I’m done with this piece of Jung trash. Do what you want with her,” Hara sneered.

Panic had caught up with Jessica by this time and she was well and truly crying in fear. “Yul…Yul…”

“GET AWAY FROM HER!!!” a furious voice ordered.

A wave of relief washed over her instantly, even as her brain tried to cope with the absurd reality of hearing his voice when she had least expected to.

“Unnie!”

Krystal?! Was that Krystal?

“Guys, taking advantage of a girl in a park is too uncool. Losers.”

Yo…Young?!

She felt the hands on her loosening their grip and took the chance to fling them off. She kicked out at them wildly and one of them groaned in pain. And the rest…was a mess of scuffling, loud groans and shrill shrieks.

None of that was any of her concern, however. The arms that she longed for had engulfed her and she snuggled into them as she cried like a baby. His scent. She could smell him. It was simply the smell of his aftershave lotion but she loved it more than any other scent in the world. Soft lips impressed themselves upon her forehead and she was infused with a sense of comfort and security.

“Yul…”

“Baby, everything is going to be fine,” he whispered.

She nodded and snuggled even closer to him, turning to rub her nose against the little bit of bare skin at the top his collar. “Yul…do you still love me?” she blurted without thinking. Her heart palpitated and almost turned cold as she waited for his answer.

“Baby, I will always love you.”

The heavy load rolled off her shoulders at once. That was all she needed to hear.

~~~~~

“I totally kicked their asses, officer. I swear. I was just like Bruce Lee out there. Will I get some kind of award for catching them?”

“Young, stop bothering the officer,” Krystal had the strongest urge to stick her head into a hole—Young was plain embarrassing at the moment.

“Hey, I single-handedly knocked the two of them out cold. Shouldn’t I get some kind of award for that? Like “The Bravest Civilian” or something like that. And you should get an award for apprehending Hara as well.”

“Young, shut up.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

~~~~~

“Miss Jung, I’m going to need you to answer a few questions, is that alright?”

Jessica nodded.

“Can you tell me what they did to you specifically?”

“Hara slapped me twice.”

“What about the men?”

“They held me while she slapped me.”

“Miss Jung, slapping constitutes assault. Do you want to take any further action against her?”

Jessica was silent for a while. For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to press charges on Hara for assault. Why was that? She would never have hesitated in the past. Why was she hesitating now? “Can I talk to her in private?”

“Baby, are you sure you want to do that?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Jessica nodded, feeling determined about something and turned to the police officer. “Officer, can I?”

“Sure, you can. We’ll station an officer outside the room in case she assaults you again.”

“Thank you, officer.”

~~~~~

“Jessica Jung. What are you doing here. Go ahead. Sue me. I’ve got nothing left to lose anyway.”

“Hara, I’m not going to press charges on you.” Hara’s gasp was as audible as a cannonball blast and Jessica felt the inexplicable urge to laugh but she held it in. “I’m here to make a deal with you.”

“A deal. Just like how your father dealt with my father.”

Jessica shook her head. “No. Not like that. I’m here to ask for your forgiveness. In exchange for that, I will not press charges against you.”

Hara was silent for a while and Jessica waited patiently in silence. “You, Jessica Jung…are asking for forgiveness?!”

“I’m sorry. I really am. I suffered because of my father’s infidelity but I never expected you to be a victim of it too.”

Hara’s eyes were about to pop out from their sockets—they were opened so wide. “I’m not dreaming, am I? You are Jessica Jung Sooyeon, right?”

“You’re not dreaming. I’m Jessica Jung Sooyeon.”

“You’ve…changed…”

“I have?” Jessica paused before nodding with a smile on her face. “I guess so.”

“I made all of your boyfriends cheat on you, I got your sister into trouble, I tried to drag your family name into the mud and just an hour ago, I tried to destroy you for good and now you’re asking for my forgiveness. I can’t believe this is happening.”

“I found Yul because all the others cheated on me. Krystal’s relationship with us grew stronger after that scandal. And you tried to destroy me but you didn’t manage to. Yul saved me with Young and Krystal’s help. Hara, don’t you see, there’s no point in being angry and doing all of these things.”

Hara teared and shook her head violently. “No, this isn’t happening. You’re not asking me for forgiveness. Why are you doing this! You’re playing mind games with me, right? You’re trying to trick me.”

“Please forgive my father for what he did. He’s changed. He doesn’t do those things anymore.”

“Aren’t you afraid that I’ll try something again once I get out of here? If you don’t press charges against me, I’m free to go. There’s no telling what I’ll do next.”

“I’m not afraid. You’ve tried so many times but you’ve never succeeded. I don’t see why you will if you try again.”

Hara blinked furiously as Jessica smiled and stood up.

“Let’s end it here. Find a nice man and settle down, Hara. Just like me.”

~~~~~