Taeyeon’s POV

I have been waiting for Jessica outside her school for like one hour but I don’t even catch a shadow of her. She hasn’t been replying to my text as well. I am worried. I am more than worried. I am like, panicked. Weren’t we good last night? Is she avoiding me or something bad has really happened to her just like what I had sensed it before I left her last night?

My head is spinning and I can’t seem to focus. People are rushing in and out of the school gate but there is just no sign of my girl. I can feel my knees weakening as time passes by. My palms are getting sweaty and lips are quivering. I punch in her number on my phone quickly but every call is directed to the voicemail. I am screwed.

“Excuse me!” I call out when I see the girl who is always with Jessica. She looks at me in puzzlement and I run up to her. She is shocked when I grab her by her shoulder blades, then I soften my grips when I realise what I have done. “I am s-s-orry. But have you s-seen Jessica?”

She frowns and shakes her head, “no, I have been calling her but she doesn’t pick up her phone. She isn’t replying to my text as well. She isn’t in school today anyway. I suppose you don’t know her whereabouts too?”

“Needless to say. I’ve got to go. Contact me if you can get through her. Here’s my number.” I say and just grab her phone and type in my number. I don’t even care if I appear to be rude. Jessica is in danger now. I can sense it. Something is just not right.

“o-okay. Please let me know too IF SHE CONTACTS YOU!” she shouts the last few words as I am already running towards the bus stop. I don’t bother to reply her and just board the bus in time when it comes.

I am going to her house.

Krystal’s POV

“unnie… please wake up…” I whisper and rub the back of my sister’s hand gently. She has been unconscious for the past 19 hours. The bruises on her cheek are so visible and it pains my heart to see her like this.

How could a mother be so cruel to her own blood daughter? “Unnie… I’m scared. Can you wake up now?” I beg softly. Before I know, my tears come streaming down my face and they drop onto our entwined hands.

“Miss Krystal, Miss Jessica’s medicine.” A nurse that my mother has just hired passes me my sister’s medicine and I have to feed her since I don’t want anyone to touch my sister. She’s in pain and they don’t care because she isn’t related to any of them.

“Please leave,” I say and wipe away the tears on my face. She bows lightly and leaves the room. “Unnie, it’s time to take your medicine again, wake up…” I say even though it is no use. I push her up gently and feed her the bottles of medicine. They stink, I wonder if my sister can taste them when she is unconscious. She wouldn’t like the smell.

As if she had heard my pleading and cries, her finger moves a little when I lay her down again on the bed. She winces when my arm leaves her body. I guess I have hurt her back. I quickly put down the spoon I am holding and check on her, as if I know just what to do.

My eyes are b with tears when I can see her eyes through a tiny gap. Then she blinks for a few times to adjust to the brightness and groans when she tries to move. “Taengoo..” she calls out softly. She has no energy to even speak but the first person on her mind is Taeyeon.

“Unnie… thank god that you’re awake. Thank god.” I mumble and grab her hand again. She looks at me and gives me a weak smile before her eyes search around the room. I know who she is finding but that person is forbidden.

FLASHBACK

“Krystal Jung, you better commit the same sin as your sister. You saw what happened, so you better not learn from her. Do you understand me?” my mother said in her coldest voice ever. I nodded meekly but kept my eyes on my sister who was already unconscious on the ground.

“aren’t you going to call an ambulance and bring her to the hospital?” I asked.

My mother laughed at me as if I was insane. Her eyes narrowed, again, and waved me off. “I will just call a doctor to give her a check-up and a nurse to take care of her. You don’t have to worry so much. She just fell, that’s all.”

I was more than angry. I clenched my fist and flexed my jaws. “You’re her mother! How can you do this to her!”

“Krystal Jung! I am your mother! How can you speak to me in that tone of yours! Did she teach you this? You are going to America as well! And get married with Jonghyun’s brother! You two are unappreciative good-for-nothing!” she hissed as she threw the kettle on to the ground.

The kettle broke into millions of microscopically small pieces, just like our family. She has torn this family apart and there is nothing to save us back. “I will always remember this, mother.” I snapped back calmly and went to my sister even though that evil witch had been calling me continuously.

“Remember, do not let that filthy girl step into our house. If not, I will kill her. I mean it.” She warned me through her vicious mouth.

Taeyeon’s POV

“Let me in! I am her friend!” I explain again but the guards just pull me away from the front gate again. I am getting annoyed. They don’t talk and all they do is just push and pull me away.

“Sica! Let me see you sica!” I shout with all my might. I struggle when one of the guard grabs me by my arm and pulls me away again. My feet go kicking in the air and the other guard glares at me when I kick his colleague. “Let me go! Bastards!”

They must be deaf. “Sica!!!!!!! Please let me see you! Tell me you’re alright!!!” I scream for the last time. The guard pushes me by the shoulder and I wipe away the beads of perspiration on my forehead as I stare at them.

My face lights up when the front door opens. But it isn’t Jessica. It is an old man who is dressed in suit and he waves the guards off. I look at him carefully, just in case he would chase me away again. But he didn’t. He smiles at me warmly and amiably. “You must be Taeyeon, right?”

I nod sceptically. How does he know my name when I haven’t even seen him before? “Who are you?” I ask

“I am the housekeeper. Please go home, little girl. You’re putting your life in danger here. I don’t wish to see a girl like you getting harmed because of this stupid thing called love.” He explains to me like as if I am a three year-old kid who doesn’t understand what algebra is.

“I just want to see her. I want to know that she is safe.” I say stubbornly. I can feel tears welling up when the firm look on his face doesn’t change in the slightest way.

I keep looking at him even though I can feel my tears threatening to fall down. I hate it when I am so weak in front of a stranger. What if he tells Jessica that I am too weak to protect her because I cry for the slightest thing?

“Okay. You have 10 minutes. Just 10 minutes. Mrs Jung is coming home at 5 pm and it is 4 30pm now. I don’t want anything to happen. But you have only 10 minutes. Go now.” He urges me and orders the guards to open the gate for me.

“thank you sir, thank you! Thank you!” I keep thanking him until he is somewhat annoyed, then I run into the house in full speed.

“Sica!” I call out when I reach her room. I see her lying on her bed with Krystal beside her. She doesn’t look well at all. “What happened, love? What happened to you?” I ask in both fear and concern as I approach her.

“taeyeon oppa… unnie.. she… that evil witch did this to her.” Krystal says and balls up her fists. I look at her incredulously and she adds on, “after she reached home last night, that evil witch pushed her onto the ground and hit her.. s-she found out about you and unnie…”

My eyes widen in horror. I can’t believe that a mother will do this to her own daughter. “Sica… baby are you alright?” I whisper as I her hair lovingly. I want to let her know that I love her a lot, a lot. She opens her eyes weakly when she feels my touch.

“t-taengoo…” she calls out weakly. I nod and kiss her gently on the forehead. When I pull away, a tear trickles down her face as she looks at me. Her eyes are so lost but she looks like she has a lot to tell me. “taengoo..” she calls out breathlessly again and I nod. “I-I am s-sorry…”

“No you’re not, baby. Don’t apologise. Don’t. I will save you. I will. Give me some time. I will save you out of this hell crap. Please, be strong for me. I can’t let you suffer like this.” I say in my trembling voice. I swallow the huge lump in my throat and keep her hair as I look at her in the eyes. It is as if we can communicate just by looking at each other.

After a while, she seems too tired to even open her eyes, she smiles at me weakly and I lean in to kiss her on the lips. She reciprocates it weakly and the closes her eyes. There, my love drifts off to sleep once again. I know she is too weak for anything but she still managed to keep her eyes open for the past few minutes just to look at me. We don’t even know when is the next time we will be looking at each other that way.

I have 2 minutes left.

“Taeyeon-oppa…” Krystal calls out. Her tears stream down her face and I pull her into a hug. “Unnie.. she broke her spinal cord. I-I d-don’t even know i-if she could w-walk again.” She sobs in my embrace. I pat her on the back and nod.

“don’t worry. I will find a way out.” I say even though my heart really hurts a lot. I look at the girl lying on the bed and grimace as I can do nothing about it now. “Please take good care of your unnie in the meantime.”

Krystal pulls away and nods like a lost child. “O-oppa. Unnie and I are going to America next week.. and that crazy witch is going to marry us off to the Kim’s family sons.”

My world comes crashing down. She’s leaving next week and she’s going to get married with who? “who are they?”

“T-they are my mother’s business friend’s sons. I don’t like them oppa. Unnie doesn’t like them too oppa. Please, save us. Save her. She loves you a lot.”

I nod blindly and push her away gently. “take care of your sister, and yourself. I need to leave now.” I say and walk toward the girl I love. I plant a soft kiss on her lips, as if this would be the last time. I don’t want to pull away. My tears finally roll down my face and fall onto her cheek. I use my thumb to wipe away my tears on her cheek and kiss her endlessly for another few seconds before the housekeeper urges me to leave soon.

“Thank you sir. I will be back.” I say to him and he shakes his head at my stubbornness. He sends me to the front gate and I beg him before I run off, “please take good care of her. Don’t let her mother hurt her. Please sir.”

He takes my hand and pats it a few times as he nods firmly. “ Don’t worry child. I will do my best. Go on. She’s coming back soon. Anyway, if you need to come again, contact me.” He passes me a name card and pushes me to run.

I ran and didn’t look back. I can’t bear to look back as the images of Jessica lying on the bed helplessly would flood my mind and I might just run back to her. But why didn’t I run back to her? Is it because I am scared of what her mother would do to me? Isn’t the power of love great enough? Or is this not love at all?

Questions keep pounding my brain and they’re hurting my head. I lie on my bed once I reach home and pull out the name card that the housekeeper gave to me. “Jung Yong Hwa.”

Are you the housekeeper of Jung's family? I am Taeyeon

Very well kid. I am not the housekeeper. I am their uncle. But I can't bear to see them this way. Meet you in your school tomorrow at 2pm. We will talk about it then.

Is he actually serious? Nonetheless, I send a text to Krystal, hoping that Jessica would see it through Krystal.

Sica-ah... please hang in there. Please stay strong. I will do something, please don't give up yet. I am not giving us up. You don't have to worry, I will find a way out. I love you, always. -Taeyeon oppa

TBC. Comment :D