Chapter 2

A Messy Case

 

 

 

Italics = Thoughts

 

She cleared before she spoke.  There was an awkward silence.

 

“What can I help you with, Miss?” She walked toward her desk, gesturing her client to sit on the chair across her desk.

 

Her client was slightly disappointed at how fast the lawyer discarded their intimate relationship and moved onto the business right away. It made her feel insignificant, but her business needed attention. She talked about her new discovery, ignoring her awkward feelings.

 

“I came back after discovering very important information regarding my family.”

 

“Take a seat.” She sat on her chair across her client, “Which is?”

 

She took a seat in front of the desk. “As you may know, I was ‘adopted.’ But that wasn’t the entire truth.” She sighed at the memory. “Do you remember the big scandal involving the death of Jung’s Shipping Co. owners? Those last 10 years of lawyers in courts fights?”

 

“You’re referring to the one the Jungs were poisoned? And they have a 5 year old daughter who disappeared without any trace?” She took a breath. “Those discoveries made the fiscal lose his case because the case was already closed. It was a big thing; I mean insiders talking about how Jungs were hiding works with people that couldn’t be trusted and-” she pause a moment, she was saying too much about a case she studied in her 3rd year of college. She took interest in it because it was a big mess and scandals were appearing in every file of the company, something was very fishy about it and the big information could win the case come out after the judge decide to close the case since they were running in circles, there were still a few mysteries that needed be solved,.

 

“Yes, that one. The lawyer in charge of the Jung’s case became obsessed with the case. He continued searching for the truth, as you may know that case was very complicated; lies everywhere and almost every testimony was already brought by the defense. A lot of witnesses were passing away in weird accidents or vanishing from the area. It was a miracle that the lawyer didn’t die soon after the case was closed.” Suddenly the room became silent, then she continued. “Anyway, making the long story short, my adoptive parents were the ones who killed my biological parents, they tried to send me away to reclaim my heritage. Since they still don’t know I’m back in town, knowing these facts, I want to take back what is mine.”

 

“How do you find this information? Is this information valid? The sources are not corrupted?”

 

“The old lawyer hid this information, I got tons of files that can expose my adoptive parents and their associates. This big move wasn’t only them, there were other underground companies that helped to do this move. Having a shipping company with a big name as my parents had, with that reputation, you could export and import everything without being caught by any federal or international police, it makes quite a lot of money for underground business. Don’t you think?”

 

She took her time to answer.  “Yes, indeed. What are you planning?”

 

“I want them to pay for what they have done.”

 

“Do you realize what you want right? If is true about the underground business, it will be a mess you are going to unleash.”

 

“Yes, that is why I'm here talking to you, besides I trust your sources.”

 

She knew the meaning behind those words, but decided to ignore it for now. “What sources are you talking about?”

 

“Well in the past you were good with these types of things, investigating and doing what you know best.”

 

“Which is?”

 

“Protecting what you care for.” She observed Hyoyeon’s reaction and took it for granted the she was going to help her, but she wasn’t too confident since they hadn’t seen each other in years.

 

“Let me see what I can do. Wait a moment” she left the room.

 

She went to Seohyun desk and told her to keep company her client, and explained what she was going to do in her few minutes of absence. Seohyun followed every instruction Hyoyeon gave her.

 

Hyoyeon saw Yuri walking in the office and stopped her. She told Yuri she need to talk to her and her follow investigators, Sunny and Yoona, and she will meet them at the office conference room in five minutes. Yuri noticed Hyoyeon a little far from her usual self, but decide to ignore it momentarily. Hyoyeon dismissed Yuri so she could find Sunny and Yoona, and went to Jessica’s office.  

 

She knocked the door and waited until Jessica let her in.

“Can we talk for a minute?” Hyoyeon was quite serious and Jessica could notice something was going on. She gave her a glare making obvious she was with an important client, and she couldn’t attend Hyoyeon’s pranks at the moment.

 

“I’m with a client in this moment as you can see, can it wait?”

 

“No.” A simple answer was all she could say, she didn’t want to argue in front of a client and disgrace the firm.

 

“Excuse me, sir.” They left the office and stayed outside. Hyoyeon waited until Jessica closed the door.

 

She explained that she will be a little late to their dinner, but she will meet her there. Hyoyeon didn’t give her reasons why and left her standing at the door. Jessica felt something was wrong and couldn’t lay a finger on what was it. She had a client waiting and that could wait for later on.

Jessica was never fond of when Hyoyeon was mysterious. Something bad was bound to happen. She hoped it wasn’t bad for her or Hyoyeon, deep down she hoped Hyoyeon could trust her a little more. She took a deep breath and went back to her office to continue the private meeting.

 

~~~

 

“Hello Miss Jung; I'm Seo Juhyun, Miss Kim’s Secretary. Want any coffee, cookies, donuts?”

 

“Water will be fine, Miss Seo.”

 

“I will be right back, Miss Jung.” She went to the office lounge to get the water and came back.

 

“Here, Miss Jung”

 

“Please call me Nicole.”

 

“Yes, Miss Nicole.”

 

“Can I ask you a question?”

 

“Go ahead, Miss Nicole.”

 

“How long you have been working in this office?”

 

“A year and a half.”

 

“You like it?” No, she wasn’t here.

 

“Yes.” She drank her water quietly.

 

~~~

 

Hyoyeon went to the conference room and saw the trio, she closed the door and sat at the head of the table, the others followed suit. She explained the situation and they were shocked with the new case.

 

“I'm still considering taking the case, but before I decide what I should do, I want you guys to dig a little.” She scratched her head in frustration.

 

“But wait a minute, Taeyeon knows about this? Wouldn’t this affect the company?”

 

“No and yes, I think it will. The ones that will be working in this case will be involved in a lot of dirty stuff, I mean if I take this case they will dig my past and use it against me. Including my client and partner, and other things will happen too, but let’s not get to that point yet. Lets dig if this information is true, I want this information early tomorrow. All of you will work together; do not get too noisy, this is very sensitive case, don’t attract attention.”

 

“Well this is new, I mean we haven’t had a dirty case in such a long time, this should be interesting.” Yuri spoke with a large grin on her face.

 

“Yeah! Lets do this, it shall be a reward at the end of the digging right??”

 

“No.”

 

“You are not fun Hyoyeon.” She stuck her tongue out.

 

“Now now, go to work and this is confidential so keep your mouth shut, understood?”

 

“Yes ma’am.” The three of them said in unison and left the conference room.

 

She took a deep breath and left the room. She went to Taeyeon’s office, and asked the secretary if she was busy. Lucky enough she wasn’t with someone there but she had an appointment in few minutes.

 

“Taeyeon, I have a request.”

 

“Shoot it.”

 

“I will need tomorrow off.”

 

“What’s this about? You have some meetings, right?”

 

“Yes, but I need to do something more important than that, could Seohyun or Sooyoung cover for me?”

 

“It’s fine by me but the shinskin will ask for food to repay that favor, you know?” She laughed at Hyoyeon’s luck with the shinskin.

 

“Argh, I know. There goes my paycheck.” She laughed along.

 

“See you tonight?”

 

“Yea, I may be a little late, but I will be there for sure.” She left the office before Taeyeon could say anything.

 

She went to Sooyoung’s office with few donuts in her hand. She was going to start giving her food to distract her.

 

“Hey, Soo.”

 

“Hey Hyo. How I can help you?”

 

“Replace me tomorrow in a meeting?” She gave the donuts to Sooyoung, she kindly accepted and took a bite.

 

“Why? Trying to evade another girl?”

 

“No, I need to do something out of the office, take Seohyun with you.”

 

“So, hiding something? Every time you do that it’s because something bad happened, and why I have to take Seohyun with me?”

 

“Remember that Seohyun has an internship. It’s good for her to go she could absorb new information. I'm not hiding anything at all. Geez, so paranoid at this time, the hunger is hitting you already it’s not even dinner time!” She hit the table dramatically, in a joking manner.

 

“Well that’s what happens when my brain works too much.”

 

“Working on what? You are just reading some comic book, I know it.” She turned around the monitor, “Jackpot!!” She knew at that time Sooyoung wouldn’t be working at all.

 

“Not cool to expose me like that, anyway what are you hiding?”

 

“Nothing, just working on something dirty, so deal?”

 

“Deal what?”

 

“Meeting tomorrow?” She tried to smile.

 

“I don’t know Hyo, I have a lot to do,” She dramatically moved the papers in front of her. “Look, these reports I need to finish them before the little chief kills me”

 

“Well I was thinking of cooking this delicious di-“

 

“Deal!!”  No matter what was the deal was Sooyoung always took it if Hyoyeon’s cooking skills were involved.

 

“Remember you are in charge of Seohyun, you are such a great pal!” She left the room before Sooyoung could respond.

 

Before she entered the room, she made a quick phone call. The person she was calling didn’t pick up.

 

She went to her office and called Seohyun and told her the plans for tomorrow. She needed to cancel all the appointments for that day and follow Sooyoung almost all day. She left to continue working in her desk and Hyoyeon went inside to continue the conversation with Nicole.

Hyoyeon ask her for more time to think since she didn’t want to risk her friend’s carriers nor wanted a tragedy to happen, she knew what would come from that. She told her to call when she had the answer.

 

~~~~~

 

It was a nice new restaurant that Taeyeon insisted to come since she knew the owner, and he had a great reputation in the culinary business. Since she was going to pop out the big news to her closest friends, why not do it big. She was one to  appreciate her old friends, for the good and the bad. It was funny how she asked the question to her girlfriend.

 

**

Flashback

 

They were fighting about how they will make time to go to vacation, as a workaholic Taeyeon is, she said that will be at the end of the new case they had, but as stubborn Tiffany is, she wanted to go before Christmas of the next years come.  The fight was getting worse when Tiffany started talking about their time together and how it wasn’t like before. Both focused in their work more than the other one. Tiffany accused Taeyeon of cheating since she was a little distanced with her. The fight went for every aspect Tiffany could find to incriminate Taeyeon of cheating on her, until Taeyeon went to the walking closet and took out a crystal box. She giggled at the short memory of Tiffany’s face when she saw the box. Taeyeon kneeled and gave the box to Fany. When Fany took the box in her hands all her anger went away. She opens the box with teary eyes, thinking about the question she had been waiting since they move together will pop up.  

 

No matter how bad the terms between them were, with few actions of Taeyeon, Tiffany would come back to Taeyeon’s arms and vise versa. That is how much they love each other, inseparable some said to them.

 

When she opens the crystal box, she was slightly disappointed with what was inside.  It was a little business card of Taeyeon, she turn the card to find a question. “Will you care to join me on a dinner tonight?”  She accepts the offer not before Taeyeon convince her with kisses and lame jokes. She gave in, with just a simple ‘I love you’ from Taeyeon.

 

The dinner was in a private roof of a new restaurant, owned by Taeyeon’s friend, he was new in the industry of restaurants. The area was covered by red, pink, white and blue petals; the table was for two with a candle in the middle of it. The atmosphere of the rooftop was romantic and comfortable. They had dinner in peace, chatting and laughing. Taeyeon romancing Tiffany again, it was like their 3rd date all over again, when Tiffany found that Taeyeon was the owner of her heart. All those years of friendship to try to be more than that, since they were founding with each other every time they spend together. Taeyeon always had her romantic side, and she knew how to show it in a big way. Tiffany always been surprised at how Taeyeon magnifies her with her actions, she only gives in because it when it is for Taeyeon.

 

Taeyeon was sweating cold, she knew it was the moment of truth. She wanted Tiffany to be hers, to be in love with her, to give in to her. She gave Tiffany her heart long time ago, and wanted to spend her rest of her life with the woman she loved with her soul and heart completely. Tiffany, for her, was the thin air and the water she drank every day. It was her everything and wanted the world to acknowledge that. But in a way Tiffany would love. This was planned but the words that needed to be spoken couldn’t come out properly, because her feelings couldn’t be explained with words, only with actions. In actions she will mean to do every day for her rest of her life if Tiffany is prepared for this huge commitment in their lives. There had been good and bad moments in their lives, and their love was, and is, and will, be strong to continue this difficult path together.

 

Tiffany noticed Taeyeon a little weird and she asked her if she was alright but Taeyeon answered with a question. “Am I important in your life?” Tiffany answered it with all the reasons why she loves her and shiny eyes. Taeyeon stood up and kneeled in front of Tiffany, asking her to marry her. Tiffany shed tears and nodded at the question, Taeyeon took the ring out of the box and put it on Tiffany’s finger. Tiffany kissed her tenderly and passionately, a breath taking kiss.

 

“Now to let the world know you are mine”

 

End of Flashback

 

**

 

They sat almost at the end of the restaurant, in an exclusive area since Taeyeon reserved hours before.  They were waiting for Hyoyeon since she was late like she said she would be. The ordered wine and bread sticks were on the table already, chatting to help the time pass.

 

A waiter came in with a woman behind.

 

“Hyo! Finally you are here, these two were torturing me, it was horrible. Now that my buddy is here I can be safe from the tigers.” She hugged her missing friend dramatically, the other two rolled their eyes dramatically.

 

“Drama queen.” One of them said.

 

“Well you can’t judge a girl to be afraid of two crazy Americans talking about shopping spree. Beside you guys go to the extremes. Last time we, and I meant me and Taeng, went to the car 3 times because you couldn’t stop shopping; and that day we went in separate cars!!” She still remembered that day, her feet hurt, she couldn’t go to dance practice and she was hungry for 2 hours since they didn’t want to go eat. It was a nightmare. The next day she woke up sore, because the entire bag holding.

 

“Come on you liked it, we brought you stuff too.”

 

“I don’t know why are you whining TaeTae you liked what I bought, didn’t you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You are so whipped, buddy.” She patted her friend’s back feeling sorry for her.

 

“I'm not whipped.”

 

“Denial is bad, Taeyeon. Admit you are whipped.”

 

Tiffany was smiling at her friends’ tactics; it was fun to see Hyoyeon tease Taeyeon.

 

“Now leave her alone, shall we order food? We are starving”

 

“Whipped.” Hyoyeon added before she opened the menu.

 

“So how did you find this place?” Jessica asked.

 

“He is an old friend of mine, he used to work on a little restaurant. I used to go with Fany when we were friends, so I encouraged him to open his own since he was the best chef in that place.”

 

“Hope the food is good. It’s on you tonight, right?”

 

“What the… Sooyoung’s favor cost you two of your paychecks?” She laughs.

 

“Well, she didn’t mention it actually. She was saying something about a report she needed to finish and all that so she forgot. Besides I mentioned I was cooking something and she said deal, so it was a cheap favor.” She laughed at her old trick.

 

“What favor?” Jessica asked.

 

The waiter interrupted the question and took their order.

 

“We want to tell you something”

 

“Fany, are you preggo?” Hyoyeon asked in her serious tone. “I can’t file in a divorce for you if a child is involved, you know me. Kids are my weakness.” She eyed the two of them before she laughed.

 

“Ha ha, very funny Hyo. Why would she divorce me? I’m a piece of gold.”

 

“Your size won’t pay for her shopping spree, Taeng. She will be in debt before you know it.” She laughed again and her best friend followed suit. It was entertaining to tease them. Both of them went red knowing there was some truth to those words.

 

They waited until they stopped laughing.

 

“I have something to say.” She cleared and held Tiffany’s hand.  

 

“I have done some thinking for awhile and decided to take the big step with Miyoung.” She continued and received a hit from Tiffany. She winked and continued talking. “I asked her to marry me, and she said yes.”

 

It was big shocking news, Hyoyeon’s eyes light up, she jumped and hugged her friends very tightly. Jessica stood up excitedly and hugged her friend gently. Hyoyeon couldn’t believe her friend was going to get married, they weren’t that young for not considering the option since they were in a relationship since young age. Hyoyeon was very happy for them.

 

Taeyeon’s smile illuminated the table, she was proud of her choice and Tiffany’s eyes smile shone more than before.

 

“Oh buddy you made it! Score!!” She hugged her friend and high fived her.

 

“Congrats buddy I'm proud of you!”

 

“Tiff I want to know all the details, how she proposed, where, when, let me see the ring.” The other two girls were spazzing with the breaking news. It was a happy moment for the four of them. It was an important day for them.

 

Each duo had their own conversation, Tiffany telling Jessica how everything happened and how she felt, and Taeyeon telling Hyoyeon about her new case. Hyoyeon started laughing at the situations the case brought since is was just comedy here and there. Taeyeon felt stupid handling that case and telling Hyoyeon was going to bring more teasing.

 

Tiffany excused herself to go to the bathroom and Jessica followed suit.

 

“Did you tell her?”  Tiffany asked as she was fixing her makeup.

 

“No, she doesn’t need to know for now.”

 

“Are you sure about that? What you will do when she finds out?”

 

~~~~

 

“I got some doubts with this new case I’m thinking about taking, bud.” Hyoyeon stated.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Remember my ex?”

 

“Slightly, why?”

 

“Do you remember the big case of the shipping company? The one that was 10 years in court people disappearing and lawyer that ended up going crazy and obsessed about it?”

 

“He was one of the best. I heard from my father, he worked in one case with him and he was very direct with his job, I mean he need to know every single detail important or not to work right. But yeah I remember that case what about it?”

 

“What do you think if I have to bring that nightmare back?”

 

“Wait, what? What do you mean?” Taeyeon was confused about where this conversation was going.

 

“My ex is the lost daughter of the dead Jung’s.”

 

There was a moment of silence.

 

Then it hit her. “Wait, What?!?”

 

~~~~

 

“Nothing because she won’t.” Her smile dropped to a furious face. “And I will appreciate that you won’t mention anything about it.”

 

“I will, but trust is important Jessi, just remember that.” She left the bathroom without another word.

 

Jessica stayed a little longer in the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. She fixed her makeup, washed her hands and took another glance at herself; she didn’t like what she was seeing. She left the bathroom.

 

~~~~

 

She went back out of the bathroom and the sight that welcomed her was heartwarming. Her best friend was making jokes and laughing at her own dorkiness, making her friend laugh with her. She loved her friend’s smile. It was one of the reasons she befriended her.

She sat and, as usual, the table became quiet. They ate and chatted for a few until they finished eating.

 

“So when is the wedding? Who is the maid of honor?”

 

“Well we still haven’t decided those things, but you guys will be the first ones to know, that is for sure.”

 

“That’s good to know, or someone will get a beating from us.” They laughed at Hyoyeon’s threat.

 

“Why does everything have to be solved with violence Hyoyeon? That makes me doubt why you are a lawyer, you should be a gangster instead.”

 

Jessica ordered ice cream and more wine. Their laugh was loud and some people were looking at them weirdly. They ate the ice cream while drinking and talking about some ideas for the wedding. Taeyeon introduced them to the owner of the restaurant and thanked him for the great food. He was pleased by all the praising, and welcomed them anytime they wanted to come with clients or personal dinners they will always have their table. They thanked him once again and left the restaurant.

 

~~~~

 

“Hello?”

 

“Its me, you called?”

 

“I will need a favor.”

 

“Anything for you.”

 

“Can we meet?”

 

“Tomorrow for dinner.”

 

“Got it, same place?”

 

“Yes, bye.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

A/N: Oh Hello there I'm very sorry to keep you waiting for this story, I had totally forgot to post it here. Anyway, I wanted to tell you guys that I will kinda late for the next chap, since I left my notes in a file that I cant open T,T
Thank you for you patience, and I hoped you guys had enjoy this chapter.