Chapter 11

Jaejoong turned his head & opened his eyes at a leisurely pace. He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. A plane attendance paused by & just as she was about to opened to speak, he shook his head with his finger on his lips. She smiled with a nod & averted to serve other passenger. A heavy feeling was lying upon his heart as he gazed peacefully at her. If she knew that he was staring at her, there’ll be war.

A charming smile tilted up his lips. It was a smile that she had never seen, at least since eight years ago. Maybe he loved to stare at her because she was his wife’s twin. Maybe he loved to stare at her because she was a beauty. Or maybe he just wanted to stare at her. She was, after all, quite different from his wife. If it weren’t for Kyuhyun, nothing would have happened to her. Stephanie had changed after those three years. To compare the two faces together again, they wouldn’t at all look alike. He remembered the bruises & scars on her face every night on those Fridays. It pained him, though she would never let him touch them. The huge, purple bruise on her cheek, he could still see & he could still remember that Friday night, the week before she killed herself.

*Flashback*

He had come home on the usual late hour & she sat at her makeup table, adding more red to her lips. He threw his briefcase onto the bed & took off his olive ralph lauren double-ed trench coat. She glanced up carelessly & continued to outline her lips. A small smirk tilted up her lips. Straightening her back, she capped the red outliner & placed it carefully back into the container.

“It’s good to finally see you this week.”

Jaejoong cast a small glance at her. He then moved forward & settled on the bed, taking off his black alfani proud bike toe oxfords shoe. She turned around on the small, wooden bench & leaned her back against the table, “You were out to see Yoona again?” She crossed her legs with a small giggle, “No need to answer, I know, but I do wonder why you didn’t spend the night at her apartment. Doesn’t she have a big, nice, comfortable bed?” She pretended to gasps as he threw a warning look her way, “Boy, she’s worst in bed then me, isn’t she?”

“A sock in your mouth would do me good.” Jaejoong ignored her draping mouth & stood up. He walked over to the shoe stack & placed it carefully in its place. Unexpectedly, a lipstick clashed into the wall next to it. He gritted his teeth & averted sharply.

“Tell me where you’ve been.” She had stood up from her place at the mirror & held a brush & compact in each of her hands. Her face, not so sweet anymore since their years of marriage with difficulties, was bruised at the cheek. Her long shiny brown hair with a touch of pink was curled up into a loose knot. A strand fell down the bruised cheek & her lips curled in a way he detested.

Walking forward, Jaejoong dodged the brush & compact as she flung them at him. He stopped before her & tilted her chin up. He touched her bruised cheek, “He hit you again, didn’t he?”

Stephanie jerked her face away from his hold, slapping his hand, “Don’t touch me like that.”

“I’m your husband.”

“So?” She pushed past him, hitting his shoulder, “It was just that stupid contract your father made my sister sign!” She turned back around & stared at his back, “You weren’t any good at anything, not even in bed.” “That wasn’t what I had heard on our wedding night.” Jaejoong veered to face her. He took a few stepped forward, “I don’t want you near him anymore, Hannie. I had repeated that more than I can remember & I don’t want to be violent about it.” He narrowed his eyes, “I don’t want to tie you down either.” He took three more stepped forward & touched her cheek again, “Let me put some…”

“No. I can do it myself.” She slapped his hand away, “You don’t need to act so caring. Nobody’s around anymore.”

“Even if you don’t care about me anymore, Hannie, please think about our baby.” She stepped back as he reached out to touch her belly. He bit back the pain, “You’re five months pregnant & I’m just asking for you to stay away from him until the baby is born.”

“Oh, so now you care more about the baby than me?” She swung her arms out, “Don’t worry, Jae Oppa, our baby would be perfectly fine.”

“I mean it, Hannie.” Jaejoong gritted through his teeth, “I don’t want you going near him anymore. I will tie you down if I have, too.”

“Ha. As if you can.” Stephanie made a rueful smile & walked pass him. Just as she opened the door, he slammed his palm against it. She jerked her head around to face him, “Let me through, Oppa.”

“You’ll have to go through me first. You’re not going anywhere with my baby. You’re staying in this house until I give you permission to leave. After the baby is born, we’ll have a divorce. How about that?” He added a disheartened smile.

“Why don’t you go to hell?!”

“I will, with you along.”

Her lips opened & closed in anger. Her breathing lifted. She took some stepped back & pointed her black & white pinstripe manicure fingernail at him, “I...I hate you. You’re a monster. A devil. I hate this baby. I hate you.” She turned around, walked to the bathroom & slammed the door as hard as she could.

*End of Flashback*

Jaejoong sighed. A lock of hair fell down Tiffany’s right eyebrow, getting his attention. He felt the urge to remove it but decline against it. Maybe it was best if he doesn’t touch her at all. She was angry just a few hours ago. He let out a small chuckle at the memory. It came to a stop as she flashed her eyes open & glared at him. He blinked teasingly.

“If you would just stop staring at me, maybe I could fall asleep.”

“I’m sorry.”

Tiffany narrowed her eyes at him, “I wasn’t the one who wanted to come along.” She turned to face the front. Her eyes glared at the plane attendance as she stopped at her side.

Jaejoong chuckled, “I’m sorry about my friend. Would you please get us a glasses of orange juice & water? Thank you.” His smile disappeared as the woman turned around to pour the drinks, “Be nice, would you?” His smile came back on as the woman turned around to hand him the drinks. Eyebrows raised, Jaejoong handed the orange juice to Tiffany as he drank his.

“No thank you.” She lifted her chin, “Calling me your friend is quite unreasonable. I’m now employed under you.” She narrowed her beautiful eyes at him, turned to face the front & started to flip through a magazine, “Then what I suggest for you to do, Ms. Hwang, is to follow my orders.” The slowing down of pages flipping came to a stop. A charming smile, along with a small smirk, lifted up at the corner of his lips, “Not so clever with your words, huh, Fany? I suggest we get along with each other soon. I want us to collaborate in this together. I know that your mother doesn’t know the real reason why you’re so stubborn as to stay under my roof & not accompany her back home when the funeral ended.”

Tiffany turned sharply to land her gaze on him. His lips thinned at her aggressive look, “What is my literal reason then, Mr. Kim?”

‘Dammit!’ Jaejoong cursed, within his thoughts. He wasn’t ready to let her know that he had figured out her real aim of why she was in Seoul. He still wanted to see how far she would go to get the folder. The only purpose he wanted to drag her back to San Francisco was to let her escape the hope of finding the folder while he was gone. An uninteresting play. Though he knows she will never find it in the cabinets, he does know how far she would go.

“I would rather keep that to myself.” Jaejoong clenched his teeth together as she smiled with a secret answer he knew so well.

“Never wager against someone when you know you’ll lose.” Her face stiffened, “I’m going back to Seoul.”

“Who says that you’re not. Remember? You work for me now. You’re employed under me.” Jaejoong empathized his last word as if it was his life. A satisfactory over the little battle, he sipped on her glass of orange juice but not before giving her a rueful truce that squeezed her heart aggressively. His chance of taking over the unfolding battlefields will be more like it.

Tiffany threw her black ebags exo 2.0 hardside 24” spinner suitcase onto the bed, stretched & grimaced. Home. One word she disliked of this house. Chin Ho Kim had cruelly dumped it in front of their faces as if they were peasants on farms. It was one they couldn’t refuse, for all they have then was nothing. Two floors but such a small house, it was worth it to have a roof over their heads.

She walked over to the drawers & pulled the top one out. Cases of letters were neatly organized all about, all from Stephanie. Picking a blue envelope up, her thumb soothed the rough paper. Tears threatened her eyes. Taking in a huge deep breath, she placed the envelope back into its place.

“Are you okay?”

Tiffany pushed in the drawer, jamming her fingers, startled. She let out a soft curse & turned around to face him, “What are you doing in here?”

Jaejoong turned around; then looked back at her, lost. He pointed a finger at his chest, “Me?”

She gritted her teeth together from the pain of her jammed fingers & his acting, “Whether my mom let you stay in this house or not, you have no right to come into my room without my permission.” She folded her hands together behind her back. Her nails pinched into her skin as he smiled, “The door is behind you.”

“I know.” Yet, Jaejoong made no sign of getting out of her room. Instead, he walked forward & looked down at her. Butterflies flapped their wings inside her stomach. She slapped the feeling away, cursing at such things. He smiled thinly, “There’s a weird distant relationship between us.” She frowned, “I.” He hesitated & turned around. He took five stepped away & veered back to face her, “What I meant is, Fany, we’re suppose to be joking around like brother & sister in-law but we’re not. You’re.” He hesitated again, “You’re rude to me.”

A sensational feeling erupted inside of her. She felt the urge to burst out laughing, yet she didn’t. Did he call her rude? Narrowing her eyes at him as if she was asking a question, Tiffany took the remaining stepped & stopped before him. Definitely, a teasing but serious smile tilted up at the right corner of her red lips, “You’re calling me rude?” He nodded his head. She straightened her spine & leaned back at a small angle. Was the man for real? Shaking her head, Tiffany swallowed a laugh down & said, “You lost me there.” “There’s…”

Tiffany held up her hand. Was the man trying to be nice now? Hell, he was acting out a play! “I don’t have time for jokes, Jae Oppa. It wasn’t my idea for you to stay in our house. You & I know very well that there’s a five-star hotel waiting for you somewhere out there. I wouldn’t give a…”

“I know, but if I go, you have to go with me.” He smiled; then added as she frowned, “You work for me.”

“I don’t give a…”

“I know, that’s why you should give up trying to argue with the boss here.” Jaejoong said, smiling ever so charming.

“You’re wrong there. I don’t give up on anything.” He raised a brow as she raised her chin, “You’re the one who’s being rude now, Mr. Kim.”

He shook his index finger at her as if to a child, “I prefer to be call Jaejoong or Jae.”

Tiffany gritted her teeth together, waiting to bite off his finger so badly. Hell, she would do more than that if possible for now! His handsome face looked as if he really needed a slap. Wrong, he needed two, one on each side. He talked as if all were a joke. Damn the untamed man! If he wanted to teach her a lesson, she would be more than grateful to teach him a lesson on how to treat women like her & right that is. When was she going to start seducing him?

“& I prefer to be call Tiffany, thank you very much.”

He smiled that charming smile again, “Anytime.”

Hell! Where were her smart words? “You’re being too nice.” Tiffany looked down & when she looked up at him again, her eyes gave a look of flirt. A betraying feeling stabbed the very soul of her heart. Stephanie. She smiled but gritted her teeth within. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t.

Tiffany brought her hands to his chest but didn’t push him away. Her gaze was still on him. The rhythm of her heartbeat bumped wildly within her chest. Her hands trembled, though either he nor she noticed. Her lips parted slowly. She noticed the small lump in his throat as he swallowed heavily.

As Jaejoong brought up his right hand to tangle it into her hair, she gasped softly. He looked calm & peaceful. She closed her eyes as he leaned down. A small cry came out between her lips as his covered over hers. Her eyes squeezed together tightly as tears threatened to fall down. He pulled her close, body touching body. Just as his tongue made its way in between her lips, she turned her face with closed eyes. His lips touched her cheek. The side of her chin touched his right shoulder.

Tiffany breathed heavily; yet she tried to control herself. His hands were on her hips. She felt him loosing his hold but didn’t let go just yet. Her eyes slowly opened.

“What was that, Tiffany?” He whispered huskily, while his lips brushed her cheek, “Why did you looked at me as if you were attracted to me?”

“Did you think I was Stephanie?”

A silence, “Of course.”

Tiffany took in a shaky breath; then said something she would regret for the rest of her life, “I was looking for a no.” She angled her face to look up at him, “Had you ever figured it out that I loved you before everything had ever happened? I was the one attracted to you eight years ago.”

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

i will be reposting my YunRi fanfic 'A Marriage On Paper' tomorrow so if you guys are interested, please check it out too :)
if you guys want me to repost my other fanfic and don't remember the name, check on my wall because i have it listed down and write to me on my wall and i will do my best <3

- butt3rflyl0v3r