Two weeks.

He kept coming back for two weeks, in the hope of finding that mysterious woman again. He can't sleep well, he can't eat properly, and he was distracted all the time. It was like as if his old life came back - which was when he was clueless on what direction to go.

Taec was a wasted man before.

And he was being wasted again.

"Taec!"

Taec looked around. Taeyeon slammed the cab door shut and glared at him. She was wearing an elegant, white and formal laced dress with black heels.

*Oh yeah. I forgot about the exhibit.* Taec thought and he mentally face-palmed himself. Taeyeon stopped in front of him and said in an icy voice.

"Don't tell me you forgot about accompanying me with that art exihibit??"

Taec looked away from her. Guessing the answer, Taeyeon closed her eyes and took a few, deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She did not want to lose control at an important event like this.

"I was just... busy." he replied.
"You call this busy?!" Taeyeon shouted slightly, waving an irritable hand at him. "Standing in front of your old school's gym, looking like an idiot, waiting for nothing, is what you call busy? Then you're a jerk Taec. Screw our lunch dates and shopping, but not this! You know how much fan I am to Painter X!"
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry." he said sincerely. "Just... calm down, ok? Then we can go to your exihibit. We aren't still late, right?"

Taeyeon studied his face before checking her wrist watch. She nodded timidly.

"Good. Get in." he said, gesturing to his car. He entered the driver's seat and put his seatbelt on when he noticed that Taeyeon was not joining him in. He frowned and went outside the car again. "What's wrong? Do you want to be late?" he asked.

Taeyeon nodded to his car.

"Open the car door for me." she said.

Taec raised his eyebrow. "What? Why would I do that?" he asked blankly.
"Because. That's what a gentleman does."
"And I'm not a gentleman." he said in a "that's-very-obvious" tone.
"Then start being one. Go on, open the door." she said, pouting her lips.
"Are you bossing me around Kim Taeyeon?" Taec asked dangerously.
"Yes. Yes I am Taec Lee. Now go, I don't want to be late."

Taec fought the urge to enter his car and leave her alone, but he was being unfair to Taeyeon already. He missed their lunch dates and he missed her shopping times, but Taeyeon kept on being patient to him. Unwillingly, he strode around Betty and opened the passenger's door for her.

Taeyeon smiled triumphantly and hopped in. "Why thank you sir!" she said, giving him a small salute in a lady-like fashion. Taec did not bother to hide his annoyance and shut the door close. After a few minutes, they drove towards the main city to attend the prestigious art exhibit of Painter X.

Who was Painter X?

No one really knows. He/she never revealed himself/herself to the public. One thing was sure though, with or without face, he/she was extremely popular, gaining a lot of fans and being able to establish art exibits on different countries.

They arrived half an hour later on The Galleria. Taec parked his car first and went outside. Again, Taeyeon did not join him in.

*What now Taeyeon??* he thought exasperatedly. He knocked on the heavily-tinted car windows and Taeyeon rolled it down for him.

"What are you still doing there? Let's go." he said irritably.
"You forgot to open the door for me." she said.

Taec gritted his teeth and opened the car door for her. She smirked widely and put her arms around his.

"Perfect! Let's go!" she said excitedly. They walked inside the entrance gate. The lobby was filled with a large red carpet that rolled from the entrance to the gallery hall. Taec and Taeyeon marched gracefully, looking like two prominent celebrity couples together. Media men and photographers were not allowed inside the exihibit hall so they waited outside instead, taking photos of the new arrivals, hoping that they can finally get their scoop. When Taec and Taeyeon came nearer, one reporter approached Taec and asked in an ambush interview.
"Excuse me sir, you are Taec Lee of Lee Firms and Designs. Co., right?" the reporter asked.

Taec ignored him. He and Taeyeon continued walking. The photographers barred their way and started clicking their cameras towards him.

"...Rumours said that you're not accepting your inheritance, is this true?"
"...Is it also true that Lee Firms are losing their foreign investors?"
"...What can you say about Song Designs Mr. Lee?"
"...Who's the woman with you? Is she your girlfriend?"

Taec closed his eyes angrily. The last thing he wanted right now is publicity. Thankfully, the guards arrived and removed the reporters and photographers away from Taec and Taeyeon.

"Come on Taec." Taeyeon pulled him inside and she gave their passes on the attendee at the entrance. The attendee bowed respectfully at them and showed the way inside. There were numerous of known-people inside already - politicians, artists, celebrities... almost everyone who belonged on the different categories of high class was here.

They examined the first painting - it was a colorful mixture of abstarct colors, giving them a vibrant feeling of heaven.

"Painter X is really awesome. I wish I can know her.. or him." Taeyeon said admiringly.

Taec examined the photo as well. He was in a bad mood earlier but as he looked at painting, he started to relax. There was something familiar on that painting but he can't point his finger on where.

They walked around the room, commenting here and there on different paintings in front of them. For others, it was a boring thing to do, but not for Taec and Taeyeon, who obviously loved arts.

The grand masterpiece was placed at the center of the gallery hall, but it was still wrapped in a soft silk cloth. Usually, the unwrapping was done by the master itself, thanking everyone for coming and even giving them a small champagne toasts.

"I wish the unwrapping can be done soon. I'm really excited to see who is Painter X!" Taeyeon exclaimed, her eyes shining in excitement. She turned around and suddenly stumbled sideways, clutching her chest. Her weak knees gave away and she almost collasped. Luckily, Taec caught her just in time and steadied her. Taeyeon was breathing heavily.
"Taeyeon, are you alright??" Taec asked concernedly.

Taeyeon inhaled shallow breaths and nodded, trying to smile.

"I-I'm fine Taec." she whispered weakly, but her face was turning pale.
"Stop lying. I know you. Let's go." Taec straightened her up carefully and led her outside the gallery hall. Remembering that there were reporters outside, they turned back and went towards the exit instead.
"Noooo. Don't! I want to see Painter X." Taeyeon pleaded, but her chest was still aching painfully.
"No." he said firmly.
"Okay, I'll take a rest outside. Then when I feel better, let's get in again. Please??" she asked.

Taec looked into her desperate and hopeful eyes and sighed defeatedly. "Fine." he said. He led her outside the exit door and they rested on the bench for several minutes.

"I'll go get you something to drink. Did you bring your inhaler with you?" Taeyeon nodded.
"Always." she replied, taking out her inhaler from her beaded hand bag. 
"Ok. I'll be back." Taec nodded and ran, searching for the nearest store to buy her water. After another long minutes, he returned. He saw that Taeyeon was feeling better. Her face had more color now than earlier, and he was thankful for that.
"I'll check if the masterpiece was unwrapped now. If it was, then you can go inside again. For the meantime, take a rest" Taec said. Taeyeon nodded and replied in a very weak voice,
"Please be back." she said.

Taec entered the exit door again and went back to the gallery hall. People inside where cheering and applausing. The masterpiece was unwrapped now, but he did not see the painting because its back was in front of him. Everyone started to leave - the exhibit was over.

He walked around the artwork and stared at the masterpiece in front of him.

It was a painting of a girl in her side view, slightly hidden by a red curtain, revealing only her right eye (which was looking down), her pointed nose, and half of her red lips. It showed thousands of emotions and words that expressed only love, love and love. Taec stared open-mouthedly at the girl in front of him. The girl somehow looked similar to the artwork he was staring at a year ago, back to that exihibit where he met Taeyeon before.

He felt that the unknown painted woman in front of him was someone he knew for a long time. 

"Painter X was genius, isn't he?" an elderly woman beside him piped in.

Taec looked around and raised his eyebrow.

"He?" he asked.
"Yes, he dedicated that to his girlfriend, and looked how it touched every heart in this room! Ah, if only I were younger, I would love to replace her on his heart." she said, batting her eyelashes cutely.

Taec snorted at how silly the elder woman was, trying to still act cute despite of her age. 

"Did Painter X showed himself?"
"No, he didn't." she answered sadly. "But his girl friend took his post for him."
"Girl friend? Where is she?"
"Uhhhh..." the woman looked around the hall. Taec looked around too. His eyes immediately landed on a woman's back dressed in a golden gown. Her hair was arranged in an elegant tight bun, exposing her alluring neck. She was being surrounded by a number of politicians, congratulating her. Then, the politicians waved at her and left, and she bowed at them to show her respect.
"There she is!" the woman pointed at the girl in the golden gown.

The woman turned around ......... Taec's heart literally dropped. The woman waved and smiled at a random people, before sparing a glance at Taec, who was standing just a few meters from her only. When their eyes met, Taec almost fell on his knees, frozen at those captivating, beetle-black eyes.

"No..." he muttered softly. He blinked. The woman was still in front of him.
"Nooo.." he muttered again. Disbelief, relief, fear - different emotions surrounded him all at once. "No... No. You're dead."

Amber looked away from him and turned her back. 

"Am-"

Someone offered a helping hand on Amber and she accepted it elegantly. They were walking outside the hall now.

"Am..." he can't speak her name. His lungs were clamped tightly, unabling him to breathe. Taec was rooted on the spot, still staring open-mouthedly at Amber's retreating back.
"Are you alright son?" the elderly woman asked.
"Amber.... AMBER!!" he shouted loudly. Taec ran outside the gallery hall too and searched frantically around. *No, I can't lose you again!* He just can't believe his eyes that the woman he mostly loved was alive. Amber was alive! He went outside the Galleria and caught a glimpse of Amber who already changed her clothes, entering her y yellow Lamborghini.

Taec hurriedly entered his Porsche too and started the engine. He ricocheted fast, following Amber's yellow car. He did not took his eyes off from it, fearing that he might lose her again if he did.

*If this is really you Amber, then I hope I'm not dreaming. Please don't slap me back to reality. I think I'll go insane if this is just my illusion again.* he thought desperately. Amber veered left, entering Exotic street, and he followed too. They drove for more than an hour, and finally, they were out of the city.

*What's this Amber? You're this far from us?!*

Amber continued driving west. Taec's was growing numb because of the long hours of driving. Nevertheless, his resolve was stronger than before. If this woman was really Amber, he has to know.

Finally Amber stopped in front of a large three-storey American house. Taec stopped too, just meters away from her. He saw Amber went outside her car and opened the gates for herself. Taec did not hesitate - he hopped outside his car too and ran towards her.

"Amber!!!"

Amber turned around. Her eyes widened when Taec pulled her to his chest and wrapped him in a desperate hug, full of longing and love. He hugged her tighter, making Amber unable to breathe properly.

"Amber, you're... you're back." he said happily. He felt like he was going to cry again but he fought against it. He had enough tears for the  last two years already.
"Wh-what?" Amber pulled away from his tight embrace and frowned at him. "What are you talking about??" she demanded.

Taec opened his mouth to answer. Amber was looking at him sharply, raising her eyebrows and her voice was icy, unlike that warm tone that he always used to hear before.

"Don't you remember me? It's me... your Lee brat!"
"My Lee brat??" Amber repeated blankly. "Who are you talking about?"

Taec knitted his eyebrows. Why's Amber being dumb?!

"What are you talking about?? Don't you remember me Amber???"
"My name is not Amber. I'm Amy."

Taec's jaw dropped. What kind of charade was she playing now?

"Is this some kind of joke? The last time you changed your name, you pretended to be a lesbian."
"That's so rude of you! I'm not a lesbian!" she said defiantly.
"I know that you're not. But what is this Amber?! Why are you calling yourself Amy???"

Amber looked into Taec's confused eyes. Then she sighed heavily.

"You must have mistaken me for another woman sir." she said. She entered her car again and drove inside her house.
"What? No! Amber, wait!" Taec followed her inside by foot. When Amber stopped her car and saw that Taec was inside her house, she angrily opened the car door and slammed it behind her.
"You're trespassing now sir. Get out of here before I call the police." she warned.
"No! I'm not going anywhere until you explained to me what happened to you for the last two years!"

Amber gave him a long, hard look.

"I don't think I have to explain anything to you. Please leave." she said, turning her back from him. She opened the door and went inside her house. Taec followed her again.

Amber glared at him and shouted,

"Seriously?! That's it! I'm calling the police!" she flipped her phone and started dialing the police station's number. Taec grabbed it and threw it away.
"Hey! I just bought that yesterday!"
"Listen to me Amber!" Taec shouted desperately. He hold Amber's shoulders and grasped it. "Listen to me.." he pleaded. "Please... tell me, what's happening to you? Why are you rejecting me?" he searched Amber's blank eyes, hoping to find an answer. There was a long silence between the two of them, staring intently at each other's eyes. Finally, Amber broke the ice.
"I can't remember you." she answered quietly. "I'm sorry but I can't remember you. But I do know that my name is Amy, and I have a family with two brothers, and that I have the man of my life with me."

Taec's heart felt a huge twinge of pain. Man of her life?

"Isn't it me?" Taec whispered painfully.
"How can it be you?" she asked in a confused tone. "I don't know you."
"AMY!!!!!" an urgent, male voice rang outside the house. The new arrival banged the door open and stopped, looking at Taec who was holding tightly at Amber's shoulders. The color drained on his face as he saw Taec. Taec, on the other hand, bulged his eyes in an enormous disbelief. He released Amber and turned to look at the new arrival instead.
"Ch- chansung?!" he asked flabbergastedly.
"Chance!" Amber greeted happily. She skipped her way towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She tiptoed a little to reach his cheeks and she pecked it affectionately. Taec's heart ached painfully again.
"What's going on here?!" Taec asked blankly.
"Chance, this man followed me and entered our house. He kept on calling me Amber!" Amber said.
"Tell me what's going on here Chansung!" Taec ordered.
"Do you know this man?" Amber asked Chance. After several minutes, Chance nodded.
"Yes. He's my friend." he grunted.
"Oh!" Amber looked surprised and bowed apologetically at Taec. "I don't know you were Chance's friend! You're really creepy earlier, but please forgive me rudeness!"

Chance's jaw clenched, his fists curled into a tight ball, and he gritted his teeth in anger. He gave Taec a furious death glare while Taec looked at him surprisedly and confusedly.

"Amy, go and change your clothes. Then we can start our dinner later. You're hungry too, right?" He tore his eyes away from Taec and smiled at Amber, his eyes changing expression at once. Amber nodded. She cast a curious glance at Taec first before heading upstairs.
"I'll leave you two together so you can talk.But please don't be gone for too long okay? Because I'm really hungry." she pouted her lips and giggled at Chance. Taec bulged his eyes at Amber in disbelief. It was the first time he saw her acting all cute and bubbly, and she was doing to Chance, not him.

Chance smiled and nodded. Amber continued going upstairs. When they heard her bed room's door closed, Chance turned his back from Taec and went outside the house.

"Hey! HEY CHANSUNG!" Taec turned him around by the shoulder and glared at him. "What the fck is this?!"

Chance shrugged him away and continued walking until they reached the back garden, far from their house. When he was sure that Amber won't be able to overheard them, Chance faced Taec and stared coldly at him, refusing to give him an answer.

"Fck Chansung! Answer me!" he grabbed Chance's collar and leaned on him, until they came face to face. Chance did not tore his eyes from Taec's and continued staring at him coldly.

Taec balled his fists and punched Chance.

"FCK YOUUU!!!!" Taec shouted angrily.

Chance staggered backwards, but he did not fell this time. He wiped the blood on his face and smirked.

"You punch like a girl Taec." he said, echoing Taec's words before. "Here, let me show you how a real man should punch." His face suddenly contorted in rage as his fists made contact on Taec's face. There was a loud thumping sound, a cracking of the nose bridge, and a louder "FCK!" from Taec. Taec clutched his bloody nose and glared at Chance.
"Tell me what's going on here Chansung! Why is Amber with you??! Tell me because I'mvery confused you fcking bastard!"
"Because I love her!" Chansung replied.

Taec stopped pinching his nose and stared at Chansung with open mouth.

"What? You love her?! This is b*llsh*t!!" he repeated. Taec can't believe that he and Chance loved the same woman, and he was too dense to notice that before.

"Is it? But yes." Chance replied through his gritted teeth. "I realized my feelings for her earlier than you did Taec! I knew I love her the moment she slipped her soft hands on mine and squeezed it. I love her every day, every hour, every second, every minute, but it pained me to see that she can't notice how much I care for her, because through all those months... her eyes were looking only at you!" Chance breathed heavily, his eyes burned of pain and suffering. "I'm so jealous of you Taec." he continued. "I'm so jealous of having the girl of my dreams with you, sleeping inside your house instead of mine, dancing under the bonfire instead of me, choosing you over me. It was so hard for me to let her go on that night... painful was an understatement to describe how devastated I was. But on that night too, I promised myself, that if you ever let her go, then I will get her back and never return her to you. EVER."

"So that's the reason why you snuck her out from us?! You're so selfish you fcking ! AMBER IS NOT YOURS TO KEEP!

"SHE DOES NOW!!!" Chance roared. It had been the first time Taec saw Chance burst like this. "AMBER DESERVES SOMEONE WHO WILL LOVE HER ETERNALLY, SOMEONE WHO WILL NEVER LEAVE HER SIDE, SOMEONE WHO WON'T CHOOSE ANOTHER GIRL OVER HER. SHE DESERVES ME!"

"..Did you search for her after she fell? No! I DID! While I desperately hoped that I can still find her, you, on the other hand, shut yourself from everyone and sulked, looking like a complete loser that you always were Taec! Why did you lose hope so easily? I bet that for the past two years, you just continued on blaming yourself. You're a jerk. You're a loser. I know I can be better than you! You.. you don't know how pitiful Amber was when I found her on that fisherman's hut.." Chance's voice faltered. "She was in a deep sleep, she won't open her eyes. She can't move her body as well, and that's when I decided to move out of the coutry with her. She was in a comatose for several months, I thought.... I thought she'll never wake up again." he closed his eyes and fought the tears that were dangerously falling from his eyes. "Then when she woke up, she can't move her legs... and she can't remember me. It was painful to see Taec."

"Do you think that you're the only one who suffered? I suffered too. I can't bring to look myself at the mirror in shame, that the man in front of me, was the reason why she died! And Torrey, Nichkhun, Wooyoung, Minjun and Junho? They became attatched to Amber too, and they suffered as well! But there's no suffering that can defeat the pain of parents losing their only daughter - Amber's family was the most affected on her death! And you? You're a bastard who did not care for everyone's feelings! You're selfish Chansung!!!"

"I don't care!!" Chance pursed his lips. "I don't care Taec! The moment I decided to leave with her, I started not caring about your feelings." Chance closed his eyes for a long time. Taec thought that Chance will have another outburst when he will open his eyes again, but Chance didn't. Instead, he looked sadly into Taec's eyes and whispered in a soft and pleading voice.

"Taec... I've been so selfless before. I know that Amber will be happy with you, and so I let her go. You missed your chance, and it's my turn to fulfill my promise. For once..... Taec, can't I be selfish too? Can't I be like you, or any other persons around us that only think of themselves? Am I fobidden to think only of myself? Tell me, can't I do that as well?"

Taec looked at Chance's pleading eyes for a very long time. Finally, he turned away from him and walked away.

"Do whatever you want Chansung." he said. "But remember, I will not let you have Amber. I know that her heart will recognize me, even if her mind can't. After all, I'm the man she truly loved, not you."

Ouch.

Chance winced as Taec's words hit his heart like hell. What he said was true thought, Taec was the man Amber loved, not him.

Taec walked farther away from him, until he opened the gates and entered his car. After several minutes, Taec was gone.

Chance stood for a long time alone at the back garden. He did not mind the shivers that he felt as the evening winds brushed against him. When finally, he felt really cold and was not able to hold on longer, he went inside their warm and cozy house. Amber's smiling face welcomed him.

"Oh, your friend's not staying in for dinner?" she asked. Chance shook his head.
"What happened to your face?" she asked again, touching the part where Taec punched him.
"It's nothing." he replied.
"Okay. Come on, let's eat!" she grabbed Chance's hand and pulled him towards the dining table. Their dinner was prepared already, all of Amber's cooking.
"You should have seen how much your fans loves your paintings!" she reported happily. "After the unwrapping of the masterpiece, they all cheered and applauded loudly, and everyone congratulated me - I mean you - I mean us! hehe!"

Chance attempted to listen to her. He smiled at her and nodded. "They did?"
"Yes! And they said too that I was very lucky to have you as my boy friend, and I was like, "good thing you know!"! haha. But of course I did not tell that in front of their faces."

Chance nodded and continued smiling. He just stared into Amber's adorable face.

"..hey Chance! Are you listening to me??"
"Huh?"
"I said, of course I'm lucky, having someone beside me for two years even when half of my life I spent sleeping on my bed and the other half on my wheelchair." she giggled affectionately. "No other man as patient as you will be able to do that. So I'm really lucky to have you."

*No Amber, I'm lucky to have you* Chance thought.

After dinner, Amber decided to sleep early, because of the long day they had. While Amber was snoring on her room, Chance on the other hand, was staring blankly on space in his room. He just can't sleep. Taec's words kept on ringing inside his head.

"After all, I'm the man she truly loved, not you."

Chansung sighe frustratedly. He got off from his bed and went towards Amber's room. He pushed the door very slowly so as not to wake her up. He looked into her adorable sleeping figure, with an amout of drool on her pillow. Chance chuckled at how silly she looked when sleeping. He went over her drawer and picked a cloth, then he wiped her wet mouth using it. Then. he lay beside Amber and hugged her from behind her back.

*I love you so much Amber*

Amber stirred as Chance tightened his hug.

"H-huh? Chance? Why are you here?" she asked groggily.
"I can't sleep." he said. He buried his head on her neck and sniffed her hair.
"Yah! That tickles!" she laughed.

When Chance did not respond, she asked again.

"What's bothering you Chance?"

"After all, I'm the man she truly loved, not you."

"Amy, please don't leave me." he begged.
"What? Why would I??" she asked blankly.
"Just don't. Promise me." he looked into her eyes desperately. Amber searched his eyes too and looked confused, but she replied.
"Silly. Of course I won't." she leaned down on him and kissed Chance's lips softly. Chance closed his eyes, grasping every moment when Amber was with him... because he has no idea... when will this dream end.

I was really happy when a lot of you guessed right about what happened to Amber, who was she with and why did Chance do it. Actually, I did read a comment that spoke the whole chapter. Haha. At least the clues I left for the past three chapters did not went unnoticed. :-D Comment your thoughts, okay? wahaha. XD