It's been so heavy lately... *sigh*. Well, I promise you this is a light one. Enjoy! ^^

Tiffany POV

*10th-November-2016-HGC-Office*

Coffee has been my friend for the past two weeks. Actually, it has become my best friend over the past three days. From last week of every hour of drinking, I consume coffee for like every half an hour now. *Sigh*. I think I'm having a withdrawal now. Yup, here I am again, drowning myself with the hot beverage from our vending machine in my office floor's pantry.

"She really is so pretty." a male staff of mine said as she came inside another colleague in the pantry. They had themselves situated behind the door, peeping outside.

"I know, right. She's even waaaaaaaaay hotter and ier than Sunny Lee. You know, that y star who happens to be Miss Stephanie's friend?" the other one answered.

"Ohh~ the sweet Sunny Bunny. But, yeah, you're right. That woman over there is waaay sooo hot."

"Oh, and that blonde one's pretty too."

"Hmm. That blondie looked familiar. I think I saw her in the news just days ago."

"Wait. Oh freaking sweet lord! It's the most famous and richest young businesswoman of our country to date! I forgot her name, though."

"Damn it. She's pretty and rich. She's basically a real damn sweet 'for-your-eyes-only' gem."

"Like Miss Stephanie."

"Yeah..."

"Damn, their boyfriends are soooo lucky."

"Now, I wonder how on Earth that Mister Taeyeon guy from SKY is acquainted with those really hot, rich, y and beautiful girls."

"Yeah... Maybe we could ask Mister Taeyeon for the number of that dark-haired and blondie girl. Maybe they're both singles."

"Well, if only Miss Stephanie's single, I would have asked her out too."

"Whoa, whoa. So you're saying you're gonna ask out our boss? Isn't that kind of... uhhmmm...awkward?"

"Well, she's hotttt~"

"Hmmm... Yeah, you got a point."

I butted in, "Well, too bad Miss Stephanie's taken."

"Yeah..." they both uttered. Then, immediately, they realized something. They looked at each other's widened eyes in real horror.

"Miss Stephanie!" they both said and quickly bowed at me in respect.

I chuckled, "Relax, guys. I'm not gonna report you to human resources."

They stood back straight, with their heads lowered as if avoiding my gaze. I went near them. "Well, I can't guarantee if I wouldn't think of a salary cut or a demotion for you two, though."

They looked too scared as their faces became pale. I chuckled again, "Relax, I was just kidding."

They faked chuckles. "You got us there, Miss Stephanie."

"Anyway, what are you guys snooping on?"

One answered, "Uhhmmm... There are three visitors in front of your office, Miss Stephanie. One's from SKY, that Mister Taeyeon who went here last Monday, plus two hot girls."

The other added, "Maybe, they're here for another business proposal or something."

I peeped outside too. I then responded, "Hmmm. Yeah, probably." Then, they just stared at me weirdly. It's like they wanted to know or clarify something. I sighed and continued, "They're my friends, by the way."

"Really?!" they both asked excitedly with a glimmer in their eyes.

"Err-yeah. That blondie's Hyoyeon. In case the both of you are not watching much news, she's in a relationship with Choi Sooyoung, yup, the CEO of Choi Conglomerate."

"Oh..." they uttered sadly. Then, one asked, "How about the dark-haired one?"

"Hmmm... Her name's Jessica."

"Is she single?!" they both asked excitedly.

Suddenly, Hyomin opened the door widely and snapped at me, "Ma'am Stephanie, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

"What's up?"

"Your friends are here, ma'am. They said they wanted to talk to you."

"Okay, thanks."

Hyomin and I are about to head out when the two male staffs of mine halted us, "Wait, Ma'am!"

I looked back, "Yes?"

"So, is Miss Jessica single???" they asked in puppy faces.

I sighed, "Don't get your hopes up. She's engaged. Remember the guy who went here with Taeyeon last Monday? The owner of SKY? That's her fiancé." Yup, that one, yes.

The three of them looked at me in full of disbelief. It's more like them looking so ridiculed about that fact. After few moments of them just staring at me weirdly, Hyomin finally snapped out, "That woman's Mister Kwon's fiancé?!"

"Yup."

"And she's your friend?!"

"Err- actually, she's my best friend."

"Oh my God." She covered with both of her hands.

One of my male staffs snapped, "Miss Stephanie, wasn't that SKY owner your ex-lover or something?"

The other added, "Yeah, isn't that kind of over-the-line for a best friend to hook up with your ex?"

I looked at both of them in disbelief and, of course, in shock. I glared at Hyomin, "How on Earth did that information reach these two? Don't tell me you freaking blabbed about it all over the office?!"

"No, of course, I didn't! Ma'am, have you forgotten after your meeting with him, you freaking ran after him, cried hard, and shouted stuff on him over the elevator hall? Everybody just presumed he was your ex-lover or something. Besides, everyone else witnessed your drunken state a few hours after."

I closed my eyes and covered my face with my hands. "Oh. Goddamn it." I sighed and looked at them. "Stop interrogating my personal life anymore, okay. If ever I hear anyone from this office gossiping about me, I'll surely fire every one of you. No exceptions."

They all chuckled. Hyomin then uttered, "Oh. No. You'll never do that."

"OH. YES. Make me."

Hyomin then ignored me as she peeped out and glared over my friends. "I hate her."

"Who?"

"That best friend of yours. I think she's a ."

My male staff seconded with the other one nodding, "Yeah. I think I don't like her anymore too."

I looked at them boringly, "Snap it out. That's my best friend you're all bad mouthing."

They looked at me disbelievingly. They shouted in unison, "And how could you still treat her as your best friend?!"

"How? It's none of your business, people!" I rolled my eyes and sighed loudly. "Just get back to work!"

Before I could hear their respond, I headed out. Hyomin then eagerly followed me behind. As soon as I gotten near my office, my three friends stood up. I greeted, "Hey guys. What's up?"

And they're looking at me weirdly.

Taeyeon responded, "Hi, Tiff. We just wanted to visit uhmmm..."

Hyoyeon continued, "...And talk to you."

"Okay sure." I glanced over Sica. Apparently, she looked too saddened and tried her best to avoid my gaze too. I then snapped at my secretary, "Err- Hyomin, why don't you prepare beverages for our guests?"

"Right away, Madame." she responded. Then, when she walked and about to pass by my best friend, she shot her deadliest glare. Jessica seemed to have gotten weirded out by her and looked back at the former in confusion.

I sighed and snapped, "Hyomin, stop glaring over my visitor."

"I am not glaring. This is just my normal way of staring at people, Miss Stephanie." she said in her forced-iness way.

"Then, stop staring at her."

She groaned, "Arrghh- Fine!" She rolled her eyes then walked away, stomping.

I snapped, "Sorry about that. Hyomin's not a hospitable type. Err-- anyway... why don't we head inside?"

---

And the awkwardness continued...

Apparently, for about ten minutes, the four of us did nothing but shared an awkward silence in my office. Well, Hyoyeon and Taeyeon are just staring at me meaningfully while my best friend's head is lowered down, again, trying her best not to look at me.

I sighed as I broke the ice, "Just say it. What makes you three visit me during office hours? You know you can all just call or text me to hang out later after work."

Hyoyeon then answered, "Well, we just wanted to know if you're doing okay?"

"Hmm. I am okay."

Then, they all looked down as if guiltily.

I sighed again, "Alright. Spill it. What do you guys really want to talk about?"

Hyo continued to ask, "Are you not mad at us...?"

"..."

"Tiff...?"

I redirected my focus on my laptop.

"I just... wanted to tell you how sorry I am, Tiffany." she continued and started to sob. "I know, I've been a very bad friend to you. I should have told you the moment I found out he's alive. B-but--- b-but-- he stopped me. Yuri said it's better for you not to know."

"..."

"That's basically the main reason why the three of us couldn't drop the information on you. We were not allowed to."

"..."

"We're really so sorry, Tiff. We really didn't mean to hide it from you."

I looked at her. "Since when did you know...?"

She looked away and answered, "I just knew when I met him personally last November or December of 2013. It was months after I won the lottery jackpot of the same year. Miss Sara Shin brought me to him."

"2013, huh."

"Yes..." Tears continued to fall from her eyes.

"That sure is wayyyy three years ago."

"..."

"And you haven't even blabbed it on Sooyoung too?"

"Yes..."

"Wow. Really, a wow."

She broke down completely and cried so hard. She covered her face with her handkerchief.

I looked at Jessica, "And you, Jess?"

"It was only August this year when Taeyeon and I met up again."

"Wow."

"Bestie, I never really meant to hide it from you. It's just---"

I cut her out, "We'll talk later, Jessica. ALONE." I redirected to Taeyeon, "And you... Since when did you know...?"

"March..."

"March what?"

"March 31, 2013..."

"..."

"The date when Jessica and I parted ways at the airport to leave the country..."

And thoughts have consumed my mind which made the tears that were already accumulated in my eyes dripped down. I looked away, turned my chair sideways for them not to see my face. I quickly wiped my tears.

He continued, "During that time, Jessica told me we should part ways and that shouldn't insist on following her to wherever she'll be going. So, when I agreed and was about to go home, Seohyun saw me and asked if I wanted to go with her. Well... I agreed since I have nowhere else to go. She brought me to California and I found him there..."

I went back to composure and asked, "So, you just agreed to come along with Seohyun just like that? That easy?"

"Well... Yeah... I don't know what came to my mind that time. I thought she hypnotized me or something."

"You do know you can easily be kidnapped for being gullible, right?"

"Wow. Look who's talking? I do remember enough you agreed on living with Yuri seven years ago despite not knowing him completely back then. And, also, you agreed on living with Taecyeon too. You even marked him out as creepy before that happened yet, you agreed."

"Well, the past Yuri looked trustworthy enough, I vouch for the same with Taecyeon." But, if ever the Yuri will be the one to ask me to live with him before, I will really kick the hell out of him. Oh. I think I'll even file a case of ual harassment against him.

He responded, "Well, I find Seohyun trustworthy that time too!"

I chuckled, "Yeah, right. Despite knowing she's the mastermind from my kidnapping six years ago and also the one who helped out the past Yuri on his escape from prison four years ago then afterwards, earned his death. Hmmm... At least that's what we were all aware of during that time..." That, he's ing dead. And that didn't even give a damn on not telling me nor anyone at all.

What's that supposed to mean, then? Did that guy connive with Seohyun to manipulate mine and Yoong's feelings? So, they just decided to leave out the original plan on meeting up and instead, what that guy really wanted is to run away with my kidnapper? Why? Is he really that sadistic? He can just run away without getting my hopes up for our reunion. Why still need to hurt everybody's feelings? He freaking made no sense at all. And if ever I'll try to ask him about it, he's just going to be an . I need answers but I doubt he'll give me some. Oh, I bet he will just give me nothing but idiotic retorts instead.

"Uhhmmm, Tiffany?" Taeyeon called, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I continued, "And yet, you still agreed on coming with her?"

"Well... We were all devastated by his 'death' that time. And I think why I agreed is that... I was aware she's part of the prison escape plan so, maybe, coming along with her might give me answers. And yeah..." He looked away. "It did..."

"I see..."

He suddenly broke down in tears. "I'm sorry, Fany-yah. I know I am the one who sinned the most on you. Believe me, I don't want to hide it from you. I just got no choice. I was never allowed to spill the news on you. They cut out all my possible communication links with you. I was being monitored too."

"Wait. They???"

He looked at me in horror. Then, immediately, he avoided my gaze.

"Who were they?"

"Seohyun and..."

"Yuri?" The ?

"Errr--- yeah? And, also..."

"Also, who???"

"..."

"Damn ing hell, Taeyeon, just freaking tell who it is. I don't want any more secrets from you."

He quickly answered, "Miss Sara Shin!"

"And who the hell is she? What's her relationship to him or to Seohyun? Or even to you?"

"She's... She's Yuri's mother."

"Wh-what?"

"..."

"You mean, real mother or adoptive mother or--?"

"Real mother."

"But, wasn't Boa Kwon his real mother?"

"..."

"Don't ing tell me, that Sara Shin is Boa Kwon...?"

"..."

"Taeyeon, answer me!"

"Yes!"

What the ing hell... Yuri's mother's alive? My mom told me she died so many years ago. I think it was around fifteen years passed. Now, what the hell is this? Is she freaking alive too?

I asked, "Did my mother know about it? Or did Miss Boa ever tell anyone she's alive? Her past friends, I mean to say."

"She never did tell anyone at all."

Damn it... How is my mom going to take this news? Oh dear... my goodness... Why are dead people coming out alive this week? Is this because of that silly Halloween party my father threw out?

So many problems, freaking so many problems... I don't know how to tell my son about him. I don't know how am I going to tell my fiancé about him... Now, my mom added up. Her beloved best friend in the whole world is alive and she didn't even know?! And now, I'm the one who will spill the news on her too?!

"Uhhmmm… Tiff?" Jessica snapped.

"Yes?"

"Can you not tell anyone of Aunt Boa being alive?"

"So, you mean to say I should hide that fact from my mother?"

"Y-yes… Aunt Boa specifically told me not to spill the beans. Yes, I did not, but Taeyeon did. But, yeah, that doesn't matter anymore. Can you not tell Aunt Elise about it?"

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess that's their thing? We're actually uhhmmm… out of that issue, I guess?"

Great. Now, I have to lie on my mother too. And we are all freaking aware I'm a big bad liar. Mom totally sees through me too.

I answered, "Alright. I will. But, I cannot guarantee she won't find out. I'm a bad liar and you all know that."

"Th-thanks…"

I redirected the topic, "So… anyway… did he know?"

"Wh-what?" they all uttered in question.

I repeated, "Did he know…?"

And they looked at me sympathetically. Hyoyeon answered for them. "No, he never knew."

"Then, let's leave it that way..."

"…"

"…"

"…"

I sighed deeply, "Alright. Taeyeon, Hyoyeon, you don't have to worry. I understand why you two