Stephanie knocked on her mommy’s door and opened it to see her mommy in her wheelchair looking at the garden from the balcony. Stephanie placed the tray of water, snacks, and medicine on the side table and joined her mommy outside on the balcony.

 

“How are you feeling Mommy?” Stephanie asked as she put her hand on her mommy’s wheelchair handle.

 

“Oh, I’m doing fine Stephanie. I’m just out here enjoying this beautiful day,” she said in a very weak voice.

 

Stephanie did all she could to look strong in front of her mommy. For the past few months, Stephanie watched as her mom became weaker throughout the weeks and the maids and butlers were doing their best to take care of her. Stephanie tried to help, but her mommy insisted that she not make a big fuss over her and just relax. She was anything but relaxed as she continued to see her mommy having more coughing attacks and body spasms.

 

It was so painful to watch, yet all Stephanie could do was show her mommy support. The doctors didn’t have a clue to how to cure her. She heard from the maids say she had something called lupus. Stephanie didn’t know what that meant, but she hoped she would get better soon.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

Stephanie turned her head to see one of the maids and one of her mommy’s doctors at the doorway.

 

“I’m sorry to bother you Miss Stephanie, but it’s time for the doctor to give your mommy her checkup.”

 

She didn’t want to leave. She wanted spend every second with her mommy in her time of need. Her mommy turned towards her little girl and petted her head.

 

“It’s okay sweetie. The doctor is just going to check to see if I’m getting better. You go play in your room, okay? For me?” her mommy asked very meekly.

 

Stephanie nodded her head in sadness.

 

“I wanna come back after your checkup,” Stephanie muttered before kissing her mommy on the cheek and running out of the room. She looked back at the room before walking down the hallway.

 

This was starting to be too much for Stephanie. She was only six years old, yet she kept having all of these thoughts about what’s going to happen if her mommy died. Who was going to take care of her? Who was going to tuck her in at night? Besides the maids and butlers there wasn’t anybody else who could even come close; especially the tall man in front of her whom Stephanie hasn’t seen in months. She looked up from her thoughts to see the man who did nothing to help the family.

 

“Oh. Hello Stephanie. Have you seen mommy?” Stephanie’s daddy asked looking through some papers in his hands.

 

Stephanie took no effort in answering him and instead motioned her head towards the room behind her.

 

“Okay, that’s good to know. I only had an hour to spare before I need to fly back to Hong Kong. I have a lot of business things that need to be taken care of.”

 

After months of absence, Stephanie couldn’t believe this man had the nerve to show up now out of all times. He wasn’t there when her mommy had all of those seizures, nor was he there when Stephanie witnessed her mommy having a and it took a lot of courage to call 911 and the maids for help. After everything her mommy has been through, he has no right to be here.

 

Mr. Hwang was about to walk towards the room when Stephanie walked in front of him with one of her eyebrows arched.

 

“Where were you Daddy?” Stephanie asked, looking directly into his eyes.

 

“I just told you honey. Daddy had to go to different places to help the family business. Now if you don’t mind I need to go see Mommy.”

 

He tried to head towards the room again but he felt his daughter cling onto his shirt.

 

“Really Daddy? After all the time Mommy has been sick, you want to visit her now?” Stephanie said in a rude tone.

 

“Now look here young lady. I’ve been very busy with work and I made sure the maids and the doctors were taking extremely good care of her,” Mr. Hwang tried to reason.

 

“And do you know how much good care Mommy has been in these past few months?” Stephanie’s blood began to boil as she glared at her daddy. “You weren’t here Daddy! Mommy has been hurting for so long and I was the only one who was there when she needed care! Where’ve you been?!”

 

Mr. Hwang’s clenched fist was shaking because he was at a loss for words. He never expected his daughter to say hurtful words.

 

“Now Stephanie, you listen to me. I’ve been working very hard to earn the money to hire the doctors that GET MOMMY BETTER! Your mother and I understand that I need to be out there running the business or else we’re all gonna end up in the streets. Do you want that Stephanie? Do you want to end up on the streets?” Mr. Hwang defended.

 

Stephanie just shook her head. “It shouldn’t matter as long as you’re with your loved ones when they need you the most,” Stephanie said flatly.

 

Mr. Hwang’s face was on the verge of turning purple. He raised a shaky finger towards the end of the hallway.

 

“Go to your room now Stephanie or you’re gonna get a spanking,” Mr. Hwang threatened.

 

Stephanie stared at her daddy with teary eyes.

 

“It’s because of you mommy’s gonna die!”

 

She ran as fast as she could back to her room; her sobs echoing throughout the finely furnished hallway as Stephanie felt nothing but loathing for her daddy.

 

I hate him

 

I hate his stupid work.

 

I hate his stupid suit.

 

I hate that he doesn’t even care about Mommy.

 

All he cares about is work as if money was more important than family.

 

I really hate him.

 

I wished I never had a daddy at all.

 

***

 

“I hate him Jessi! I wish he’d in die!” Tiffany was seething with anger.

 

Jessica gave her friend a blank stare with her legs crossed. “I know you hate him Tiff. You constantly tell me you hate him like every other week.”

 

“You don’t understand! When Mommy was diagnosed with lupus, that bastard made no effort to come back home and help her! That was five months after the doctors told her she was running on borrowed time.”

 

There was nothing Jessica could say to make Tiffany feel better. She knew Tiffany utterly despised her father with a passion. Whenever Mr. Hwang tried to get in contact with his daughter she’d always hang up on him, ignore his emails, or even downright deny she knew who he was.

 

Thinking about it made Jessica evaluate her relationship with her own father. While she wouldn’t say she was close with her father, she wouldn’t say she hated him; it was more of a mutual respect relationship. Though the occasional pat and kiss on the forehead from her parents was always nice. She knew her best friend envied that.

 

“What really hammered the nail on the coffin was… that day.”

 

Tiffany slouched forward as she clutched her stomach. Jessica know what Tiffany meant.

 

“Tiffany…”

 

The brunette was taking deep breaths in order to control her emotions.

 

“You probably remember when you came to visit, but mommy never got better. She wasn’t eating much, she was always sleepy, and her whole body was just so fragile. It was to the point I was scared to touch her in fear of hurting her Jess,” Tiffany whispered.

 

Jessica stayed silent, knowing it was best to let her friend continue speaking.

 

“Daddy only came to see Mommy twice when she was sick. That so called man wasn’t even there Jess! Mommy was sick for almost a year and he only had the decency to see her twice!”

 

Jessica didn’t want to argue because she knew her friend was very hard headed when it came to her father, so she saw no point in even trying.

 

“And that’s when it happened. The last time I saw her.”

 

***

 

There was no other way of seeing it.

 

Her mommy was dying.

 

For the past few months Stephanie has been trying her best to help her mother; whether it be getting the maids and butlers to always be close by, to getting the doctors to do all they can to cure her mommy. Despite everything she could do, her mommy just couldn’t get any better and Stephanie just couldn’t face the truth.

 

It was one morning when one of the maids woke her up. They quickly told her to change into something nice and go see her mommy. She said she was running out of time. Stephanie knew exactly what she meant and she could feel tears running down her cheeks again, but she didn’t utter a whimper like before. Deep down she knew that despite her prayers to God, there wasn’t anything anybody could do to stop the inevitable. She needed to be strong for her mommy, but her shaking body was showing the opposite. She needed to be by her mommy's side since her pathetic excuse of a daddy couldn’t.

 

Her maid quickly brushed her hair to look presentable. Stephanie quickly wiped away her tears as she followed the maid to her mommy’s room, her head looking to the ground as she slowly walked. When they arrived, the maid knocked on the doorway.

 

“Mrs. Hwang, Miss Stephanie is here.”

 

The maid motioned the little girl towards her mother who was lying in a giant four poster bed with an EKG attached to her; it’s eerie slow beep told everyone that her heart was still beating. Stephanie slowly walked towards her mother. She saw that all of the mansion’s maids and butlers surrounded the bed, most of them with their heads bowed and silently crying.

 

Mrs. Hwang saw her beautiful daughter and did her best to smile.

 

“Hey sweetie. Don’t you look pretty today,” her mommy tried to say as if nothing was wrong.

 

Stephanie was already crying when she approached her mommy. She couldn’t bear to see her like this. She looked so frail and helpless, yet her bright smile would say otherwise.

 

“Everybody, I need to speak with Stephanie in private. Please give us some privacy,” she tried to say in a very weak voice as if she was forcing herself.

 

Immediately the maids and butlers nodded in understanding and all marched out of the room until the last one came and silently closed the doors shut. Mrs. Hwang patted the empty spot on the bed.

 

“Wanna sit next to Mommy?”

 

Stephanie could only nod her head as she couldn’t help but cry her eyes out. She did her best to sit on the bed; she wanted to hug her mommy so bad, but was too scared of hurting her.

 

“Sweetie.”

 

Mrs. Hwang tried her best to sit up from the bed, but her arms were too weak to push her up. The best she could do was to lift her arm and motion her arm towards her.

 

“Come to me, sweetie.”

 

Stephanie cautiously went towards her mommy, being very careful not to hurt her. Her mother’s slender arm hugged her as tightly as her dying body could. Stephanie tried to not push her face too hard onto her mother’s arm.

 

“I’m sorry Stephanie. It’s time for me to see God.” Mrs. Hwang reached her other arm around her daughter in a very difficult attempt to console her daughter.

 

“I don’t want you to die Mommy! I don’t want you to see God yet! I want you to stay with me!” Stephanie yelled painfully into her mommy’s arm.

 

“I know sweetie,” Mrs. Hwang patted her daughter’s head.

 

Stephanie continued to wail into her mother’s embrace for a good few minutes before lifting her head to see her mother smiling.

 

“Please don’t go Mommy,” Stephanie begged. “I can get Allistair to call the doctors again. Maybe they can find a cure this time.”

 

Mrs. Hwang placed her index finger on her daughter’s forehead and smoothed her eyebrows in order to not make her looked worried.

 

“There’s nothing that can cure death, sweetie,” Mrs. Hwang fought to say to get her point across. She motioned for Stephanie to sit up and pointed at a small wooden box on the bedside table. “Can you get that box over there sweetie?”

 

Stephanie slowly sat up to see where her mother was pointing to and leaned towards the tiny wooden box.

 

“Can you open for it me please?” Her mommy asked weakly.

 

The sad little girl opened slowly only to be confused to see her mommy’s magic pocket watch with the four roses engraved on it. The same watch her mommy always carried around and treasured as if it brought her good luck. She held it up towards her mommy.

 

“Why do you need this mommy?”

 

Mrs. Hwang slowly grabbed the watched and held it up for Stephanie to see.

 

“You remember how I told you this is my magic watch?”

 

Stephanie nodded as she tried to wipe her eyes dry.

 

“I’ve had this watch for a long time Stephanie. This pocket watch has been through all the good times and the bad times of my life: when I received my first diary, when I got my first car, and even when I met the man was gonna marry. Since this little treasure has brought me so much joy in my life, I want you to have it Stephanie.”

 

Mrs. Hwang grasped the silver watch and placed it into her daughter’s palm, in which Stephanie stared at it.

 

“This is a special pocket watch of mine Stephanie and it represents a part of me.”

 

Stephanie wiped her eyes again. “This watch is part of you, Mommy?”

 

Mrs. Hwang nodded slowly. “That’s right. No matter what happens, I’ll always be with you in spirit sweet heart.”

 

The little girl firmly grasped the little watch, but her mother saw that she was shaking again.

 

“I don’t want to be alone Mommy,” Stephanie lowered her head.

 

Mrs. Hwang placed her hand on Stephanie’s head. “You will never be alone Stephanie. You still have Daddy, all the butlers and maids, and even Jessica by your side.”

 

Stephanie still looked down trodden so her mother had an idea.

 

“How about this Stephanie? What if I was to find a very special someone who I think would be perfect for you?”

 

The little girl looked at her mommy confused. “A special someone?”

 

“Mmhmm. Someone who I think will bring happiness to you everyday forever.”

 

“But how Mommy?”

 

Mrs. Hwang thought about it for a second.

 

“I’ll give you a signal through the pocket watch. The watch will probably last before you finish high school, but once the pocket watch stops working, I’ll have chosen a special someone just for you Stephanie. It’ll be the first person you see and you’ll know when you see them. Is that okay? My brighter than gems Stephanie?”

 

Stephanie didn’t really understand at first, but nodded her head anyways.

 

“I want you to be a good girl, okay? Look after you daddy and always remember that II love you,” Mrs. Hwang smiled.

 

“Please Mommy. Don’t go,” Stephanie pleaded as her mommy was getting sleepy. “I’ll change my name to Tiffany. I’ll promise not to cry anymore. Please don’t go...” Stephanie’s voice became weak from total sadness.

 

Stephanie felt her mommy patting her on the head with a delicate smile on her face.

 

“One day you’re going to meet someone sweetie. They’re gonna take my place in reminding you that you’re the most special and the most beautiful girl inside and out.”

 

“Please don’t go…”

 

“With every ounce of my being, I love you so much Stephanie. My pride and joy, my sweet girl, my little Tiffany.”

 

“No Mommy... I don’t want to be alone... You can’t go Mommy!”

 

Stephanie held her mommy’s hand as the EKG machine continued to slow down its beeping until eventually the beeping was flat lined. Her mommy’s hand fell silently from Stephanie’s grasp and gently hit the bed with Stephanie frozen from head to toe. Her mind couldn’t comprehend what she was seeing. Her hands were forcefully shaking and cascades of tears were falling from the corners of her eyes. Her breathing was in short breaths. The only thing she could comprehend was anger and angst.

 

“Mommmmmy!”

 

The maids and butlers heard the EKG flat line and when they burst through the door, they saw the little girl hugging her mother while wailing for mercy.

 

“Nooooo! No Mommy! Please! Don’t leave me!”

 

Little Stephanie was never the same after that day. To see her mother pass away in front of her was too much for the six year old. After her mother passed away, little Stephanie didn’t know what to do with herself. She didn’t know how to express her emotions, nor did she understand why her mommy and not someone else’s mommy instead.

 

She questioned if God really existed, why did he have to take her mommy away from her? Then there were the thoughts that maybe there was no life after death and her mommy was just completely erased from existence.

 

Her little heart ached and none of the mansion’s staff knew how to console her. During her time of anger and doubt, there was only one other person who was there to answer all of her questions and to look after her like Stephanie’s mother did for her.

 

That person who promised to take care of her was none other than Jessica Jung.

 

---

Hope you enjoyed this 3-part chapter. Next chapters will get back to the main story. Since finals are coming up, I'll probably post the next few chapters in the next 3 weeks. I wanna thank everybody who's been leaving a lot of positive comments and I encourage comments on this story. Constructive criticism is always welcome!