FLASHBACK From Chapter 16:

Eun Jae opened the door to her home and was about to enter when a text message was sent to her. She opened it up and it was Tiffany telling her it wasn’t too late and that she wanted to meet her now at the jogging side of Han River. Eun Jae sighed and closed her door and made her way.

She was there pretty early. The barrier between the jogging area and the river itself wasn’t enough to keep Eun Jae from crossing over and sitting on the edge, her feet dangling. No one was around to see what she was doing. Eun Jae contemplated on whether or not she would consider jumping over the Han River, die, rot and every inch of her be washed away by water and she’ll forever be known as the woman that was found dead in Han River whose identity will never be known.

“What are you thinking about?” a familiar husky voice spoke and Eun Jae felt her breathing settle. For some reason the sound of his voice had calmed the irritation that was riling her insides and fuming every inch of her blood cell. “You saw the message didn’t you?” Eun Jae asked and Jaejoong sighed. “You lied to me.” Jaejoong said and Eun Jae closed her eyes. Her tears began to fall.

“You bi-“ Jaejoong covered his mouth. He didn’t have the guts to call her out. Eun Jae immediately stood up, her feet by the edge and her hand on the barrier. “Go ahead! Say it! Just say it! You know you want to say it! Why can’t you continue?! I’m a what?! A what?! A ?! Yeah I am!” Eun Jae yelled out the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.

“Maybe you should have just jumped.” Jaejoong said and Eun Jae scoffed. “You don’t need to tell me. I know what I did was wrong and that putting Tiffany through this crap is a total move but-“ Eun Jae breathed in air. She looked the other way. “If you read the message. I meant it. I don’t want to interfere anymore. Jaekyung is happier with her dad. I’d rather have her spend the rest of her life with you and Tiffany, to have two parents that are together. Two parents that will love her and assure her that she will be fine.” Eun Jae said and rubbed her eyes.

“You didn’t even let me speak.” Jaejoong said and Eun Jae shook her head. “You don’t need to. I already know what you’d say. Let’s just leave it at goodbye.” Eun Jae said and Jaejoong looked through the river. He watched at how calm the river was flowing, meanwhile his insides were fuming heavily. “Goodbye Jaejoong.” Eun Jae said and turned to face the river.

Jaejoong just stared at her. He wasn’t panicking. In fact, he felt calm. More calm than ever.

Eun Jae let go of the barrier and allowed herself to fall in the river.

Jaejoong continued to stare. It seemed like nothing to him. He didn’t bother to move a step to grab her hand or ask her to not jump. He just watched and that was all he did. Jaejoong closed his eyes and began to remember the first night they met.

Jaejoong turned to face the woman and she seemed surprise. Her lips were still quivering. She felt really hopeless. Jaejoong felt bad. This was partially his fault. If he didn’t stare at her and scare her then maybe she wouldn’t be like this. Jaejoong pulled the woman’s arm and they headed outside.

“I’m sorry. Please, stop acting like that, you are scaring me really.” Jaejoong said and the woman raised her head and she was now crying.

“.” Jaejoong cursed to himself and she looked back down without hesitation.

“What’s your name?” Jaejoong asked.

“Lee Eun Jae.”

He remembered how her sudden spark of confidence had shined.

“Let’s go to your house.” Eun Jae said out of the blue and definitely out loud. Jaejoong turned to look at her and gave her a curious look. His mouth was about as he was about to say something Eun Jae then pointed at the stop light and said…

“It’s green! Go!” Eun Jae said and Jaejoong took a left turn and headed to his place.

And the feel of her touch…

Jaejoong just gently grabbed the back of her neck and pushed her towards him for a sweet soft kiss

“.” Jaejoong cursed and jumped over the barrier, going after the woman he really loved.

Under all the water, he didn’t need any light to even find her. He knew his own hands would find her.

And when his hands touched her,

He wasn’t going to let go again.

CHAPTER 17: FEAR

Jaejoong sat at his house, a damp towel on his head and his mind elsewhere.

About an hour ago he was at the hospital, assuring that Eun Jae was taken care of. He had the doctors make sure that only his signature could allow her discharge from the hospital. After that he fell silent and went home. By the time he got home Tiffany was sleeping beside Jaekyung. His phone was no longer working due to the fact that he jumped at the river to save Eun Jae.

Jaejoong now sat there in his living room, thinking about Eun Jae and only Eun Jae. The scene from earlier kept playing in his head. He couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Eun Jae’s face, how angry and sad she was. But somewhere underneath all that he could see a glint of bliss in her face. She could picture the splendid joy that was never showing but lurking around her.

And when Jaejoong saw this, he had never felt more at ease.

Jaejoong called it in for the night and when the sun rose the smell of bacon was surrounding his house. Jaejoong’s eyes opened and the sunlight from the living room was spread across his penthouse. Jaejoong slept on the couch. He sat up and from his view he could see Jaekyung and Tiffany talking and eating. Jaekyung looked at Jaejoong and greeted him. Tiffany simply looked.

Breakfast was awkward, and Jaejoong barely ate anything. He didn’t really have an appetite.

“I’m going to play!” Jaekyung began to yell as she ran from the kitchen table to the other room. Jaejoong stood up and grabbed his plate, placing it on the sink. Tiffany didn’t know what to do. She was being cautious about all her movements. She slowly stood up, and with this the chair was dragging and the screeching sound echoed throughout the silent home.

“Oppa…” Tiffany began and before she could finish Jaejoong turned and show her his hand, telling her to stop. “No. It’s okay I already know.” Jaejoong said and Tiffany had a surprised look on her face. Jaejoong simply nodded his head. “I’m so sorry!” Tiffany said and tears began to well up once again. Jaejoong suddenly felt a tinge of guilt. He approached her and embraced her tightly. “It’s okay it isn’t your fault I’m sorry too.” Jaejoong blandly said.

He felt no emotions whatsoever but he wasn’t mad at Tiffany for what happened. “I’m so sorry oppa, I wanted to tell you from the  beginning so badly!” Tiffany said and Jaejoong forced a smile on his face as he brushed away the hair on Tiffany’s face. “It’s okay. You should go home and rest some more.” Jaejoong said and Tiffany looked at him for a mere five seconds and pushed in for a hug once more.

It was too tight, she didn’t want to let go.

And Jaejoong’s guilt had begun to spread.

-

Eun Jae opened her eyes and the bright lights of the hospital room blinded her, forcing her to close her eyes. She slowly began to open them and she looked around. She was now in a hospital gown, in a white room that was obviously a hospital. Her things were on the chair, now dry. She looked around the room and there was nothing. Her clothes were on the chair, dry and neatly folded.

“Why am I here?” Eun Jae asked herself but she couldn’t even find an answer. She moved to the side of the bed, her legs swinging down the bed. She gently pushed herself off the bed and grabbed her clothes. She headed towards the bathroom and began to change. As soon as she was done and went to her bag and shuffled for her phone.

Obviously, it couldn’t work anymore. She cursed and sighed, heading towards the door only to be stopped. “Oh, Ms. Lee you’re awake.” A male  doctor entered the room. “You shouldn’t be getting up, you aren’t really well yet.” The doctor said but Eun Jae wasn’t going to stay there even for the last second. “I need to go home.” Eun Jae said forcefully but the doctor wasn’t going to comply. “Ms. Lee please… Besides, the only way you’ll be able to leave is-“

“If you get my permission.”

A voice from behind spoke and the two had their eyes focused on who it was.

Jaejoong.

He stood by the door, his eyes determined and somehow anxious in a certain way, he had a bouquet clutched tightly on his left hand. “Mr. Kim I’m glad you are here I was just about to read Ms. Lee on her current status.” The doctor said and Eun Jae froze on the spot. She felt a certain alienated feeling of fear. She wasn’t sure why.

Hours ago she somehow felt dominant but now it was just different. Jaejoong closed the door behind him and walked pass the two. He set the flowers down and sat on the chair next to the bed. “Well?” Jaejoong said expecting the two to return to their former roles. Eun Jae found herself complying and lying back down on the bed. Jaejoong’s eyes were glued on her every move, from how she got back up to the bed to how she fixated her position.

“She seems all fine, though she’ll need more rest especially since she just had a near death experience. You’ll be fine really, just more bed rest since everything was just so sudden. I can have you discharged any time, as long as it complies with Mr. Kim.” The doctor said looking at Jaejoong, who simply nodded his head in agreement. Eun Jae felt like she was being trapped in a prison cell. She wanted out.

“Would you mind leaving us alone now?” Jaejoong requested from the doctor. He nodded and left the room abruptly. A few seconds of silence shrouded the room and Jaejoong sighed, letting out a heavy breath.

“From now on, you will do as I say.” Jaejoong said, his eyes looking elsewhere, but the stance it had was purely intimidating. “What makes you think I’d follow you? I’m not your submissive.” Eun Jae tried to fight back but Jaejoong simply scoffed at her. “You seriously think I’m going to let you have your freedom?” Jaejoong said, now looking at her this time. Eun Jae suddenly felt a feel of fear course through her body.

She fell silent.

“I’m going to have you move to another place. I’ve seen where you live and it’s too far. I need you near, I’m having someone watch over you and I’ll be checking in from time to time. From then on Jaekyung will be staying with you, I think its best when a child is with its mother. Don’t worry, I will certainly drop by every day. Tiffany will be out of the question. I haven’t really spoken with her yet.” Jaejoong said and Eun Jae suddenly remembered Tiffany.

“Will you marry her?” Eun Jae said and Jaejoong didn’t really know the answer. It’s true he still loved her, that he was still willing to marry her but there was just a barrier, something stopping him from crossing the bridge and that was what he had recently discovered. It was unexpected and he wasn’t really sure if he could trust Tiffany. She betrayed him once and it could happen again.

And he knew it was going to take the Mary to get Tiffany to comply with what Jaejoong has planned for Eun Jae.

There was also the matter of how Jaejoong’s feelings for Eun Jae was just everywhere, an unfinished puzzle. Unsolvable. He didn’t know which pieces fit together, it was too difficult for him to finish and he wasn’t sure how he would even start. But he thought keeping her close by would help it, though he was afraid that unwanted feelings might develop and he would end up hurting Tiffany.

It was after all, Tiffany who had somehow been there for him during Eun Jae’s absence and she did fill in the hole that was meant for Eun Jae. “You can’t just hide me from Tiffany. It’s somehow like cheating.” Eun Jae said and sighed. “My business with Tiffany is none of yours. You can’t talk concerns about me with her even if it’s for her well-being.” Jaejoong said and Eun Jae somehow felt jealous.

In his tone she could hear the sense of nobility. The knight in shining armor that was Kim Jaejoong. He was protecting her. From who?

The likes of Eun Jae?

The likes….

It was as if she was a poisonous thing or something that Tiffany feared. Like she needed to be tamed or put down so as to protect the princess Tiffany. She felt belittled, hurt and jealous. She didn’t know how else to really predict how she felt but she knew she felt jealous and little next to someone like Tiffany.  “It’s funny how I look like a mistress even if you two aren’t married yet.” Eun Jae said trying to fill up the awkward silence trying to swallow them in.

“We aren’t married yet.” Jaejoong pointed out. “That’s what I said.” Eun Jae said innocently and Jaejoong didn’t bother to reply. He was feeling angry for some reason. He wasn’t sure why just yet, maybe that the two girls he had cared and loved the most have betrayed him just now, and that it was the two of them together too.

“I’m sorry.” Eun Jae said and Jaejoong’s eyes softened as he looked at her. “Do you actually mean that?” Jaejoong asked and Eun Jae nodded her head. Jaejoong simply scoffed.

“That’s a lie.” Jaejoong said and Eun Jae’s brows creased. “What?” Eun Jae asked and Jaejoong shook his head in what seems to be disappointment.

“I can’t trust you or Tiffany after the stunt you pulled.” Jaejoong said and Eun Jae wanted to speak up but Jaejoong didn’t give her any time.

“Don’t even try to apologize again. I’m not having it. From now on, you aren’t leaving me. I can’t keep your word for it anymore. You’re just a liar.” Jaejoong said and left the room abruptly.

Eun Jae felt guilty, she honestly wanted to cry, she didn’t know how else to feel. The Jaejoong she sees before her isn’t the one she had expected. She felt scared, and she just wanted to go home. To be far far away from Jaejoong.

But now it seemed all too far of a distance, she just can’t reach her goal anymore.

Author's Note:

Hey sorry, it's just a short update but I really wanted to post something already lol so hopefully you enjoyed.