6

Miyoung watches as her boss drowns herself in work. She takes slow steps out of the office after delivering the necessary files to the Tigress. She finds Soojung sitting on her desk, reading a children’s atlas. Everything seems normal until the office phone rings in urgency.

Miss Lee picks it up and frowns upon hearing something from the other line. Curiosity makes Miyoung stop beside her desk as Miss Lee connects the call to the CEO’s office. An outburst rings through the doors and Soojung stands from her seat in surprise. The little girl side steps Miyoung and rushes into her mother’s office. As the little one disappears past the double doors, Miyoung looks to her senior for answers. She is about to speak when the double doors burst open with a distressed Sooyeon walking past them followed by a confused Soojung.

“I have a family emergency, Miss Lee. Please cancel all of my appointments and meetings for today. Call me when something important comes up.” Sooyeon orders as she ambles towards the elevator with Soojung following closely behind. Miyoung stays frozen in her place as Miss Lee replies with a hasty, “Yes, Miss Jung.”  

The mother-daughter pair disappears down the hallway and into the elevator before Miyoung could blink. ‘Something’s wrong,’ Miyoung ponders as she turns to Miss Lee for clarification. The secretary only gives her a helpless look as she resumes her duties. Not satisfied with the unspoken message, Miyoung asks aloud, “What happened, Miss Lee?”

The older lady sighs before she gestures for Miyoung to come closer. The apprentice settles back to her work station and turns to her senior. “The call came from Kim Standard Enterprises…” Miss Lee clears , looking intently at Miyoung and the latter nods in understanding. “Something must have happened. I could not pry longer for it was the older Mr. Kim who was on the phone and he told me to directly connect the call to Miss Jung.”

A frown forms on Miyoung’s face as she thinks of the possibilities. Miyoung shakes her head and Miss Lee empathically smiles at her. “Let’s stay positive for Miss Jung, Miyoung. She will need us more than ever now.” Miyoung nods as they go back to work, but at the back of her mind, she worries for the welfare of the family she has come to know for a short span of time.

+++

“Are you sure it was his plane, Dad?” Sooyeon recalls the earlier phone conversation.

“We have confirmed it, Sooyeon. It was the plane he was on. It crashed in Jeju. Rescuers are still trying to find survivors.”

Sooyeon tightens her grip on the steering wheel as she assumes the worst. Despite her tight grip on reality, her skin pales and every fiber of her body feels cold. Her hands are clammy and in Soojung’s point of view, Sooyeon is trembling.

“Mommy…” Soojung breaks Sooyeon from her dark and distant thoughts. Sooyeon stops the car at a red light, eyes shifting to her concerned daughter, “Yes, baby?” Sooyeon tries to keep her voice steady. She has to keep a strong front for Soojung. The little girl pouts at her, clearly worried for her well-being. A hand reaches over and lands on Sooyeon’s shaking arm, “We’re going to be okay.”

And in that moment, Sooyeon cannot take it anymore. When the light turns green, she pulls over at the roadside and puts the car to park before she removes her