Tiffany walked slowly across the hall, still wearing her tea gown, her eyes stung from crying all night. How ridiculous, she thought, I cried over something I never had, mourned over something that never was mine.

Was she bitter? Absolutely. Hurt? Yes. She felt a part of her heart break at the rejection. She knew why though, she wasn’t naïve. She completely understood, somehow there was a mixed emotion, happy that Taeyeon loved her too, but sad at the same time, for the girl was too scared to jump in with her.

She should have thought more about it before confessing but what can she do? She never felt that way towards anyone before. She remembered the first time she saw Taeyeon, pale white skin, child like features, tantalizing onyx eyes. She was gorgeous. She immediately liked her. . It was dumb, yes, but it was like she knew her, like she was her oldest, dearest friend. The kind of person she can tell anything to, no matter how bad. No wonder it was so easy for her to tell Taeyeon her secret. At first she thought they wouldn’t get along since she was a silent, shy type but it was the other way around. She was intelligent and gentle.

People aren’t always who they seem and Taeyeon was a million times better than she imagined.

Then it got her thinking, at what point does forbidden attraction become love? It happens, doesn’t it? You meet someone you like, a lot. You spend more time together then all of a sudden, they’re embedded in your brain.

Tiffany and Taeyeon emerge from the shrubbery across the lawn. Tiffany wore a wide-brimmed hat and summer frocks with school girls’ black stockings and low black shoes. Taeyeon on the other hand wore a white dress with a collar and a black apron. They spent the afternoon in the garden, waiting for Tiffany’s governess to call them.

They were talking about Hyoyeon, the girl from the Hwang plantation who was left by the man who got her pregnant at such a young age. Tiffany was sorry for her, of course she didn’t know that her man had run off and she was too ashamed to go to her mother. It was a good thing Taeyeon told her, for they were able to help the poor girl, everyone in the plantation was their responsibility.

“Hyoyeon has a job and a home now” Taeyeon said as they strolled along the pathway

“What is her plan?”

“Work until she gives birth, she decided to keep her baby”

“Isn’t she going to get married?”

“Sometimes it’s better not to”

“But how about the townspeople? What would they say?”

“It doesn’t matter to us; it only matters to the wealthy people, a situation like that is not something new for the underclass”

“Oh!” Tiffany said, astonished.

Tiffany wondered if she was protected too much, she didn’t even know such thing existed. She eyed Taeyeon, thinking she might have offended her.

“I didn’t know”

“Of course you didn’t”

“What does that suppose to mean?” Taeyeon shrugged and gave her a sly smile.

Ah! A small dimple, Tiffany noticed, how charming. She flushed and looked away.

“Do you t