“Mr. Liu……………………………………. Young Master Jeremy is here”

***                                                                                                             

Mr. Liu walked down through the stairs hesitantly. He could see someone was waiting for him down there, he was sitting on the sofa while smoking. He knew that guy, and every time he saw that guy, his chest became so hurts. It hurt him so much seeing his son became like that. Mr. Liu thought that he wasn’t good father for that guy, if only he could turn back the time, he would take care of him better, so that he could be a better person just like his older son.

“Father…”, the guy named Jeremy greeted his father, “long time no see, huh?”, he smirked.

“Don’t smoke in my house”, Mr. Liu said coldly.

Jeremy chuckled, “fine… fine…”, he stubbed out his cigarette then.

“Listen, I’ll call the police if you do something an…”

“Hahahahahaha”, Jeremy interrupted his father’s words, “Calm down Father, I just wanted to visit you guys. Uh, where are Amber and my niece in law?”

Mr. Liu glared his son, “………don’t pretend like you care about them”

“Oh come on Father, you should introduce Amber’s wife to me, right? But because of you didn’t introduce her to me, so… I looked for the information about her by myself. And guess what I found, Father?”

Mr. Liu glared at him.

“Father… Father… Father… You know, Amber is your one and only grandchild, the only one heir of Liu Company, and……my only one fake nephew, right? So… you should pick someone carefully to be ‘his’ wife. I know I know, the situation was urgent so you picked a girl from random place, right?”

Mr. Liu smirked, “you know nothing about her, she’s even more precious than you”

“Me know nothing about her?? Really?? How if I say ‘you know nothing about her’, father?”

***                                                                                                             

Krystal POV

I couldn’t stop stare at Amber, she was driving and I was sitting beside her, staring at her. I didn’t know why, but I wanted to see her face more and more, it was like I wouldn’t see her face tomorrow.  I raised my hand, and I touched her face, I it gently. I saw she smiled, she put her hand on mine then.

“Why are you so handsome”, I whispered.

She chuckled, I could see her cheeks turned red slowly.

“Hey… did I say something annoying?”

“No… just… this is the first time you say that to me in romantic way”

I smiled, I felt my cheeks became hot then.

“Soo Jung…”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t wanna go home”

I frowned, “why?”

“I don’t know, I have bad feeling, or…………I still want to spend this night with you? don’t know, but I don’t wanna go home”

“Don’t say like we can’t be together at home, you cheesy Amber”

She smiled, “I’m cheesy because of you”

“Yah…stop blaming me…”

She giggled, “We’re here”, she said then.

We finally arrived home and we got off the car, Amber held my hand and we walked hand in hand toward the main door. As we arrived in front of the main door, the bodyguards approached us, one of them opened the door for us then. Honestly I felt a lil bit strange since usually there was no bodyguard in front of the main door.

“Why are you here?”, Amber asked one of them.

“Mr. Liu is having a guest, Young Master”, he answered.

“A guest? This late?”, Amber frowned.

“Yes, Young Master”

“Umm… Okay, thank you”, said Amber.

We stepped in then.

“Long time no see, Young Liu”, suddenly a voice greeted us. I looked up, and I was frozen as I saw a guy was sitting with………grandpa. The guy was…………………………… Amber’s uncle. I felt my heart stopped beating as I saw him, I couldn’t believe that, my fears had come.

We were in silent for a moment, I felt Amber held my hand tighter.

“Hey… why are you standing there, kids? Just come here… we’re family”, he smirked at grandpa then, “right, Father?”

Grandpa just looked down, didn’t show any react.

“Everyone is so silent tonight… huh…”

Suddenly Amber pulled my arm, “Let’s go, Soo Jung”

“Stay”, we were frozen when we heard that voice, it was…………………grandpa’s. I couldn’t move, my heart stopped beating. Suddenly I felt my eyes became so hot.

“Amber, obey your grandpa, okay?”, Amber’s uncle said.

Amber glared at him. She held my hand tighter and pulled me again, “come on, Soo Jung”

“I SAID STAY!!!”

Grandpa’s voice was like a thunder for me. He frightened me so much. I saw he came toward us then.

“Answer me”, grandpa said coldly, “who is this girl”

Grandpa pointed me, I didn’t have any courage to look at him, I just could close my eyes, tried to hold back my tears.

“She’s my wife”, Amber answered shortly.

“What she was before?”

“……………………………………”

It hurt me so much hearing grandpa’s question.

“Answer, Amber!”

“………………………her past isn’t…”

“JUST ANSWER ME AMBER!!!!”

I couldn’t help it anymore, tears were flooding on my cheeks.

“……………………………………She was a e, grandpa. But as you see now, she’s even better than us!!! Past is past!! And now…”

“SLAPPP!!!”

My eyes became wider as I saw grandpa slapped Amber.

“Grandpa! Please don’t…”, I tried to protect Amber, tears were flowing harder on my cheeks.

“Don’t call me ‘Grandpa’!! You’re nothing for me!!”

My heart ached as I heard that.

“Bodyguards!!”, grandpa shouted, and the bodyguards came toward us, “Bring Amber to Jim’s room, and lock it!”

“GRANDPA?!! WHAT ARE YOU SAYING??!!! NO!!!”, Amber shouted, but the bodyguards arrested her. “NO!!! LET ME GO!!! SOO JUNG!!! NO!!!! I SAID LET ME GO!!!”, Amber mutinied, but they didn’t let her free, they brought Amber away then. I was just frozen, I closed my eyes, I couldn’t see My Amber like that.

“And you…”

I opened my eyes and I saw grandpa glared at me, “I don’t wanna see your face tomorrow”, he said coldly and leaving then.

There were just me and Amber’s uncle. I was still frozen, I could feel nothing but pain.

“Don’t be sad, Krystal”, Amber’s uncle came toward me, “that old man is an evil, you’d better leave this hell”, he smirked.

I ignored him, I didn’t care what he said, I was in blank.

‘Amber…… Grandpa……’, I felt my knees became so weak, I became so numb, so numb.

***                                                                                                             

The night had changed to morning, and I didn’t realize it. I was busy with my tears last night. I got up and walked toward the window, I opened it, the scent or the wind was so different with yesterday, and the sun looked so pale.

I exhaled, I needed to pack all my belongings, I needed to get out of Liu’s house. I opened the wardrobe and grabbed some clothes, honestly when I came to Liu’s house for the first time, I just brought some clothes and a pair of sneakers, so I just packed them.

Suddenly I eyed something on the couch. I stood up, and walked to the couch slowly. I grabbed ‘that something’, and hugged it tightly,

“You’re smart and you’ve studied diligently. I’m sure you’ll pass the exam tomorrow, go Soo Jung! Fighting!”. Yes, I hugged the teddy that Amber gave me before my final exam, and I could hear her recorded voice from the teddy.

Tears flowed again, “Amber…… I miss you”, I sobbed on the teddy’s back.

***                                                                                                             

“Give us your belongings, Miss Soo Jung”, a servant said.

I gave him my suitcase, the teddy, and the llama doll then.

“May I see Mr. Liu and Amber before I leave?”, I asked.

“No, you can’t, Miss”, a bodyguard said.

“Please, or I just want to say the farewell from outside the door…”, I bent my knees, “please… please…”

I walked to grandpa’s room with two bodyguards followed me. finally the bodyguards let me say the farewell to Grandpa and Amber, but they didn’t allow me to meet them, I just could greet them from outside the door.

“You have one minute, Miss”, a bodyguard said as we arrived I front of grandpa’s room’s door.

I came closer to the door. “Mr. Liu… I know you’re there. You always wake up in the early morning and enjoy a cup of tea before breakfast time, right?”, I said with bitter voice, “Mr. Liu… … … I… I…”, it was really hard to speak, it was so painful, “I want to thank you for everything you gave me…”, I started crying, “I know, I’m nothing for you now, but for me………… I won’t forget you as my grandpa. And please, remember your promise, please remember that I love this family so much, please…”

“Miss Soo Jung, come on”, the bodyguard reminded me.

I wiped my tears, and we went to the room where Amber was. We arrived in front of the room then, it wasn’t really far from grandpa’s room, they said, it was Amber’s father’s room.

“Amber…”, I leaned my head on the door.

“…………………………Soo Jung……”, I heard her voice whispered, I could feel the pain from her voice, “Soo Jung?!”, her voice became louder.

“BUKK BUKKK BUUKKK”

“Soo Jung!!! Open the door!!! Soo Jung are you there!?? Please open the door!!!”, she shouted with husky voice from inside.

I couldn’t hold my tears when I heard that, “Amber…… listen to me please… please…”

“You should listen to me Soo Jung! Please open this door!!!”

“Amber… Amber… I can’t open this door, and please, listen to me… I beg you…”

She finally became silent then.

“Amber…………… I love you so much… and I will always love you, remember that……………… okay?”

“Are you saying farewell huh?? NO!! You won’t leave me will you?”

My heart ached, “I love you…”, I whispered.

“Come on, Miss Soo Jung”, the bodyguard said. And I followed his steps by perforce.

“NOOO!!! SOO JUNG PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!!! PLEASE SOO JUNG PLEASE!!!”

“BUKK BUUKKK BUKKK!!!!”

I just closed my eyes, and continue my steps.

***                                                                                                             

Author POV

“JGRGG”, the door opened, Luna stepped inside with a tray of food on her hand. She closed her eyes for a moment, tried to hold her tears when she saw that weak body on the floor.

“Young Master Amber…”, she said gently. Luna put the tray on the floor then she tried to help that weak body to get up. “Young Master, you need to eat”, Luna said.

Someone that was called Amber moved her eyes to Luna slowly, “………where is Soo Jung…”, she asked with low voice. She looked so weak.

“Young Master, you need to eat, okay?”, said Luna. She took the food and tried to feed Amber then.

“Go away”, Amber said.

“But, Young Master…”

“I SAID GO!!!”

***                                                                                                             

“We’re here, Miss”, the driver had stopped the car, but Soo Jung was still spacing out, “Miss?”, the driver said again.

“Uh?”, Soo Jung finally realized.

“We’re here”, the driver said.

“Uh? I… I’m sorry”, Soo Jung said. She got off the car and took her belongings then.

“Follow me”, said the driver, Soo Jung followed him then.

Finally they stopped in front of a small house, but even though it was just a small house, it looked so comfy.

“You’ll stay here until our Young Master sign the bill of divorcement”

“I know”, Soo Jung said with low voice.

“Look. There is a bakery next to the house, the bakery is belong to Choi family, just tell them if need any help, okay?”

Soo Jung just nodded.

“So, can I leave now, Miss?”

She nodded again.

“Excuse me”, the driver said the he left then.

Soo Jung grabbed her belongings and started to step toward the house, but suddenly…

“Miss!”, a guy called her.

Soo Jung turned her body and she saw a man was running toward her, “Miss… Are you Miss Soo Jung?”, the man asked.

Soo Jung nodded.

“Uh… I’m sorry I’m late! I’m Mr. Choi! I’m the keeper of this house, I also have a bakery next to the house, and I live there with my wife and my son”

Soo Jung tried to smile, “nice to meet you, Mr. Choi”, she said politely.

“Yah! Appa!!”, suddenly a young man came toward them.

“Aissshh this Kid…”, Mr. Choi mumbled.

“I’m going to meet my friend so I can’t…”

“I SAID YOU CAN’T GO!!”, Mr. Choi shouted to the young man.

“Yah…Appa…don’t need to shout…”

“Aiiissshh… this Kid!”, Mr. Choi muttered, but suddenly he realized that there was Soo Jung there, “Uh… I’m sorry, Miss Soo Jung, He’s my son, and let’s just ignore him. Uh…let me bring your suitcase”

And finally the young man realized that there was a very pretty woman was standing next to him, and he was carried out by her beauty for moment.

“Uh Appa… I think I can help you now!”, the young man said suddenly, “Let me help you to accompany this Young Miss, so you can stay in our bakery, okay”, the young man snatched the suitcase from his Father’s hand. “Come on, Miss, follow me”

The young man put down the suitcase, he walked to the corner and opened a little box, he took a key from the box then.

“Here. Open it by your self”, he handed the key to Soo Jung.

“Thanks”, Soo Jung took it, she opened the locked door then. As the door was opened, Soo Jung could see a very minimalist design of the house.

“There were just a dining room and kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom here. And here on the downstairs, are the kitchen and the dining room”, the young man said while stepped inside, “Come I’ll show you the rooms on the upstairs”

Soo Jung followed the young man to the upstairs then. As they reached the upstairs, they stopped in front of a door, the young man opened the door ten, “here is the bedroom. Let’s go inside”, he said. They entered the room then. “I put your suitcase here, okay?”

Soo Jung nodded, “Thanks”, she said.

“Umm… over there is the bathroom”, The young Man said while pointed to the left direction.

“Okay”, Soo Jung answered shortly.

“Umm… I’m Minho, Choi Minho”, he smiled at Soo Jung.

“Soo Jung”, Soo Jung said.

“Soo Jung? Beautiful name… nice to meet you, Soo Jung”

Soo Jung just responded it with little smile.

***

A week later…

“She need to sign this soon, or I’ll announce about Soo Jung to the media!!”, Jeremy shouted to his father.

“She’s hospitalized, Jeremy!”, Mr. Liu said harshly.

“I don’t care, Father… I don’t in care!! She should sign this… NOW! And tomorrow she should announce about me, the new owner of Liu Enterprise. Got it??”

Jeremy left the room then. Mr. Liu closed his eyes for a moment, he felt so tired, he was too old to face such trouble. Mr. Liu grabbed the phone, he pressed some numbers then.

“Good afternoon Mr. Liu”

“Victoria. How’s Amber condition?”

“……still weak”

“…………………I’ll be there, thank you, Victoria”

***                                                                                                             

Krystal POV

It was a week already, they threw me to a small town, sent me away from Amber. It was so hard for me to live my life without her, everyday I spent my time by crying, and hugged the llama doll, or listened her voice from the teddy. I missed her so much.

As usual, I was sitting on the terrace while hugging my llama doll. Suddenly I saw Minho came toward me, he was a son of Mr. Choi, the house keeper. Minho oppa—I called him that—was very nice to me, everyday he always came to my place to greet me. He also helped me a lot.

“Morning, Soo Jung”, he greeted me.

“Morning”, I said with smile.

“May I sit beside you?”

“Sure”

Minho oppa took a seat beside me then.

“You like that doll so much don’t you? You hug it every time”

I smiled, “Yeah. I love this doll so much, I can’t live without this doll”

He frowned, “really? There must be a story of this doll…”

“Umm… yeah…kind of”

“Can you tell me about the story by the way?”

“……No, I can’t tell you”

“…… Fine… does it have name by the way?”

“………………………….…Josephine… its name is Josephine…”

***

Next day, I still couldn’t stop thinking about Amber. I remembered the first time we met, on the following days she came to me again and again, she asked me to accompany her. Then she found me at the club, she threw her money just for bring me away from the club, she rescued me from the bad guys, she gave me her jacket or her blazer to cover my body. She always treated me like a princess, she always gave me her best smile every morning, she always touched me gently. She always gave me piggy ride back when I was tired. How I missed her, how I needed her.

“NOOO!!! SOO JUNG PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!!! PLEASE SOO JUNG PLEASE!!!”

I remembered she shouted my name, my heart ached every time I remembered that, tears came through my eyes again and again. “I’m sorry, Amber… I’m sorry…”, I whispered.

“Uh…… excuse me”

I immediately wiped my tears as I heard Minho oppa’s voice.

“Minho oppa?”, I stood up and came to him.

“I… I’m sorry”, Minho oppa said awkwardly.

“Nah… no problem. What are you doing here?”

“I… uh… do you mind if I ask you to hang out with me?”

***                                                                                                             

“How is it?”, Minho oppa asked me. We were in an ice cream shop. Minho oppa asked me to go with him, and I said yes, cos I was so tired, I didn’t want to cry anymore. Minho oppa said the ice cream shop was the most famous ice cream shop in the city. But honestly, I couldn’t enjoy it at all.

I just nodded to Minho oppa, tried to being polite.

“Soo Jung… can I ask you something?”

I nodded again.

“Since you arrived here, you always seem so sad. I’ve tried to make you laugh, but I think it didn’t work”, he chuckled.

“I’m sorry Minho oppa, I didn’t mean to ignore you”

“I know. It’s okay, Soo Jung. We just know each other about a week ago. But……… can you tell me what can I do for you? I don’t wanna see you sad anymore”

I smiled, “Thank you, Minho oppa, you’re so nice to me. But I don’t even know what should I do now…”

“Ahjumma… can you turn loud the sound of the television please?”

“Television? Uh… here the remote. Is there a good news?”

“Look. Liu Enterprise has a new owner, it’s a big company you know, my nephew works there kekekeke”

I couldn’t believe what I heard. ‘Just he said about Liu Enterprise? New owner?’. I threw down the spoon and I immediately came closer to the television.

“I’m here to announce about the new owner of our company, Liu Enterprise”

 I covered my mouth, I couldn’t believe what I saw, Amber, it was Amber… The one that I wanted see so bad. She looked so pale, she was sitting on a wheel chair, and her left hand was linked to an infusion.

“The man beside me is Jeremy Liu. He’s a brother of Jim Liu, my father. He was busy with his own company before, but as you see, I’m not in good condition now, so he decided to help me here, in Liu Enterprise”

“No…No…”, I shook my head. Again and again, tears came down on my cheeks. My heart ached as I saw her condition. ‘She is sick, she is sick… what should I do…’

“Soo Jung? Are you okay?”

“…Uh Minho oppa, I need to go home now”

***                                                                                                             

Author POV

“The man beside me is Jeremy Liu. He’s a brother of Jim Liu, my father. He was busy with his own company before, but as you see, I’m not in good condition now, so he decided to help me here, in Liu Enterprise”

The sound of clapping hands was echoing in the hall as Amber announced that.

“Hi, everyone. I’m Jeremy Liu, and I would like to……”, the guy named Jeremy Liu started to give a speech as a new owner of Liu Enterprise.

“Vic Nuna”, Amber called a long haired woman beside her.

“Yes, Amber?”

“Get me out of here”, Amber said with low voice.

***                                                                                                             

“Here”, Minho handed Soo Jung slice of tissue.

Soo Jung couldn’t hold her tears, “…th… thanks”, Soo Jung said while sobbed.

They were in silent for a moment.

“Do……you know him?”, finally Minho spoke.

Soo Jung didn’t answer him.

They were in silent again.

Minho held Soo Jung’s hand then, “Let me help you, Soo Jung, please…”, he begged.

“………………………………………he’s sick…”, Soo Jung called Amber as a ‘he’ since Minho was a stranger, “I want to call him… I want to know his condition… I want to ask him to eat well”

Finally Minho found the answer. He had crush on Soo Jung since the first time he met her, but now he knew that Soo Jung’s heart was taken by someone.

“Just call him”, Minho finally said.

“…………I can’t…”

“Why?”

“They know my number, they won’t allow me to talk to him”

“……Here…”, Minho handed his cell phone to Soo Jung, “They don’t know my number”

“Minho oppa…”

***                                                                                                             

“Let’s go inside, Amber. The wind is so high here”, Victoria said. But Amber didn’t say any single word, “Amber, please, don’t be like this, okay? We need you now”

“………need me for what?”, finally Amber spoke, “everything is messed up already, and it’s all my fault”

“Don’t say that, Amber…”

“………but I’m telling you the truth. I destructed the company, ……………………………even Soo Jung, I hurt her”, Amber’s eyes became teary as she remembered Soo Jung, “she doesn’t deserve to be hated, unnie”

“……I know, Amber, I know”

Suddenly Victoria’s cell phone rang, she grabbed it then, “who is this?”

***                                                                                                             

“Here, it’s Victoria unnie’s number”, Soo Jung showed the number from her cell phone.

“Wait…”, Minho said, he pressed the number then, “Done. Here”, Minho handed the cell phone to Soo Jung.

Soo Jung took it and placed it to her ear.

“Hello?”

Soo Jung needed a few seconds before, “Vic unnie…”, she spoke finally.

“………………………………So……… Soo Jung………………I’m…I’m sorry but we can’t tal..”

“Vic unnie please don’t hang up, please… if you with Amber right now please let me talk to Amber, please unnie… ”, Soo Jung started to sob.

The phone became so silent then, but suddenly……

“……hello……”

Soo Jung heard the voice from the phone, the voice that she missed, the voice that she just could hear from the teddy lately.

“………Amber……”

“……………………………………………Soo Jung……"