Chapter 3

With a kick of the pale sand with his bare foot, Jaejoong sighed. The sounds of waves were heard crashing along the boulders. The night was clear with a dark sky. Only the moon stood from above, watching every move he did. As the water touched his feet, he stopped. Cold, it was & yet it had awakened him. He had headed to the beach after parking his black BMW car in the lot. The whole house was asleep, except for the servants. He had much to think about. The only time the beach wasn’t full of people was late at night. That was what only gives him peace.

Jaejoong brought up his cigarette & took a puff. He had begun smoking just not three years ago. She had half destroyed his life. Then his ear began to burn again. He brought his hand up & touched it. Someone was still cursing him. He swore again, that if he knew who that person was he’ll...

Footsteps? He turned around quickly; nobody spies on him but what he saw had almost knocked his head out. Was he seeing dead people? There was his Hannie, walking up to him with that y smile he loves but he didn’t remember her having a hair cut. Nor did he remember the khaki effortless linen sina shirt & platinum denim sea blue skimmer she was wearing. The cold water wasn’t waking him up like it usually does. Surely, he was dreaming.

“Hannie?”

She shook her head as the y smile disappeared. Walking up closer, she stood a foot from him. He glanced down at her with a lonely but confused frown.

“Tiffany.” She said slowly, pronouncing the syllables with each smooth motion, “Stephanie’s dead. Do you not remember? You killed her silently.”

His frown disappeared. Suddenly, as if he had awakened, Jaejoong murmured, “You came.”

Tiffany rose a cute brow, “Is that how you greet your dead wife’s sister? You got to do better, Jae Oppa, or else everyone will trust the rumor that you had killed her.”

He cringed. So, she was the one who had been cursing him. He should have never forgotten that Hannie had a sister, a twin sister. He should have never forgotten about anything but who had told her about Hannie’s death? & why the hell was she saying that he had killed her sister?! It was just a rumor.

“Hi.” He finally uttered, “I didn’t know that you were going to be here.”

“How could I not be here?!” She asked, with her own snap, “Stephanie’s my sister & a disgusting thing like you had killed her!”

“I didn’t kill her.” Jaejoong said quietly. He wasn’t at all surprised. Rumors were rumors.

Tiffany grunted, walked around him & faced the sea. Just looking at his princely face had given her the spooks. Eyes like eyes, she could swear that Stephanie had seen a bad side of him. No wonder her sister had killed herself. She had waited up for him & knew then what Stephanie had meant. The man had been out with his lover. His calvin klein blue extreme slim fit dressing suit was all ripped up like a madman. Half the buttons were missing from his blue 2-ply cotton pinpoint oxford straight collar dress shirt & his light blue houndstooth tie was hung loosely around his neck.

“Explain that to my mother tomorrow morning.”

He sighed, “I would love to.”

“But you didn’t have to cheat on Stephanie.”

“Fany, I…”

“Don’t call me that!” Tiffany snapped bitterly. It was the name he had always called her when they were in good terms, that was when Stephanie had still been dating him, “I have a name & it’s Tiffany.” Jaejoong sighed, raked his short blonde hair & took a huge intake of his cigarette while closing his hazel brown, almond-shaped eyes, “If you don’t mind.” He opened his eyes at the sound of her voice again, “Please don’t smoke. I’m allergic.”

“Oh.” Jaejoong murmured, throwing the cigarette onto the white sand & stamping it out, “I didn’t know.”

“Of course not.” She turned back around. Her eyes had suddenly grown red in the dark, though he couldn’t see, “I didn’t know you smoke.”

“I know. Started three years ago.”

Tiffany raised a non-surprise brow, “I see.” She resisted the urge to rub her itchy eyes. The smoke had reached its core before he had even noticed her, “I hope you don’t mind my mom & I taking a rest here until we leave.” He shook his head, “Of course not. Stay however long you want.”

She hid a sly smile. Good, he had given her permission, however long she wants. That was all she needed for now. Taking a huge breath in, she exhaled, saying “I’m not so sure when we’ll leave. Maybe one or five days after Stephanie’s funeral. I promise we won’t get in your way. Though, Oppa, I do hope my sister’s funeral will go well tomorrow. No press allowed in, that is.”

“I have that one done already, Fany. Don’t worry about it.” He smiled sweetly as she glared at him for the name, “Your sister had really missed you during those three years. We were busy with things. Problems had been happening with the company.” His smile slowly disappeared, “I’d been to San Francisco during the summer & had planned to visit you & your parents but time caught me. I hope you understand.”

Tiffany shrugged carelessly, “I do.” As she said that, a bit of anger boiled inside of her system. He had been to San Francisco, California. She saw him with that woman.

He studied her, then smiled again, “It’s really good to see you again. You look different.”

She shrugged again, “You see my sister everyday. I don’t look much different from her. Surely she haven’t change much.” She narrowed her eyes at him, “Or does it hurt you too much to even take a look at her after each night away from home? What was her name Oppa? Let me take a guess. Yoona Im.”

“How do you know about her?”

Tiffany crossed her arm & took a step forward. Tilting her head to the side, she uttered, “A good guess I made after all, huh?”

“We’re just long lost friends.” Jaejoong said, shaking his head.

“Right, & Stephanie & I are long lost twin sisters.”

“Fany, whatever you…”

“I feel as if I’m talking to a murderer.” She raised her chin, “The funeral is tomorrow. I’ll see you there.” She walked pass him but he quickly grabbed her arm. Turning her head sharply to meet his gaze, she jerked her arm back, “I don’t want to be the next one laying beside my sister. Seeing her murder face to face is bad enough.”

“I didn’t kill her, Fany.”

“& your father didn’t sent my dad to jail, did he?” Her eyes glittered, not from the smoke that had caused it earlier but from the memories. She turned her body back, walking closer to him, “I would love to meet your father again, Oppa.” Her voice was harsh, though she tried her best to keep it from trembling, “& I would love to kill myself for signing that damn contact! I was a fool.”

“You weren’t a fool, Fany. You were doing what’s best for your family.”

“Ha! Family?!” She choked out, laughing mirthlessly, “There was no family left after what your father had done, Oppa. He sent my father to jail.” She poked her index finger at his muscular chest, trying to let out her anger, “He destroyed my family.” She poked him harder, “& you, not him.” She tripled the strength at the third poke, “Destroyed Stephanie’s happiness.”

He caught her finger & somehow, the grip was harder than he had anticipated for it to be. The woman tried & had finally unblocked his anger. He took the last step to match his body with hers & as he looked down at her, his eyes narrowed with fire.

“Listen, Fany, I’m not a person who gets mad easily but you had pushed me way too far. For the last time, I didn’t kill your sister, let alone my own wife I love dearly. Think & say whatever you like but say it far away from my hearing. Hannie had just died. I’m too frustrated to think about anything else.” Jaejoong took in a strong, shaky breath, letting go of her finger. He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them back up, she looked nonetheless the same.

“For what I had thought of you eight years ago, I was stupid to!” She said, smiling sarcastically, “I accept your apology for touching me without any consult of a yes. I feel sorry for my sister for she had married a man of betrayal & injustice.” She blinked lushly, averted & took a few stepped away before turning back around to face him again, “Don’t forget, my sister’s funeral is tomorrow morning. Don’t try to kill yourself.”

It wasn’t a sarcastic tone from her. She had really meant it. Once again, he watched as she walked up the slope on the pale sand. Her s-line shape changed so much like her self-confidence. Her figure disappeared, so much like his Hannie.

Jaejoong closed his eyes, looked down & kicked a small rock. He took in a deep breath of the ocean breeze & opened his eyes back up. A passion of unlikeness burned in his eyes. She doesn’t know about the baby.

With her fading shades on, Tiffany still squinted her eyes to locate Jaejoong. She cursed every minute under her breath. The man has to be somewhere not far. One second she had looked down at the closed coffin, he was gone the next when she looked up again.

“May Stephanie Kim rest in peace.”

She turned her head slightly. Her eyelids twitch somehow. A handsome back with a black michael kors coat on, Yunho stood not eighty yards from the rest of the people. Tiffany let out an angry breath. She halted her plan, seeing a movement not from Jaejoong but from in front of him. Her eyes narrowed. He wasn’t alone; someone was with him.

Tiffany angled herself, careful not to get her mother’s attention. A black coat on like Jaejoong, he didn’t look much different from the rest. As he moved, she sharpened her gaze to get a closer look but they were too far away. Jaejoong raked his hair again. She narrowed her eyes. He was irritated.

Tiffany turned away, took a deep breath & let it out slowly. She had been on her position for way too long to know how a person reacts when something was wrong & Jaejoong was more than irritated; he was troubled. She angled back just in time as the man stalked away. Her eyes moved to the blue hyundai nf sonata car parked by the side of the curb before he had even reached it. She focused on his movements as he got into the car, took off his shades & drove off.

Taking in a huge breath, her eyes shifted back to Jaejoong. He was already walking towards the group. She lifted her chin as if to look down on him from far away. Even with those dark shades on, as he walked up & stood across from her, she can feel his eyes on her.

As the priest said the last words, Tiffany looked back down on the closed coffin & threw the first blue roses upon it, her sister’s favorite flower. She took a deep, calm breath & closed her eyes. As she did so, her sensibility sensed all eyes on her. Surprising how much the people of the town didn’t know that Stephanie had a twin sister. Some elders had almost fainted seeing her earlier. She had only smiled warmly but what really burned inside were touching flames. Fortunately, the press wasn’t there.

The crowd began to move but her body stood still. She heard whispering about her, not at all surprise. No tears came from her eyes which were more of the questions from the elders. She had released them long ago last night & she wasn’t willing to cry.

“Are you not coming, honey?”

“No, mom. Go ahead to the car. I’ll be there in a minute.” She heard a hesitation coming from her mother, “Please just go. I’ll be fine.” A sigh again, & she walked away. Tiffany summed up her confidence & opened her eyes. Jaejoong was no longer in sight. She took her shades off & let out a shaky breath, studying the people around her.

Slighting brushing her thick full bangs, Tiffany averted & took small stepped forward. Eyes stared at her but she didn’t care. Taking one more step, she stopped, her heart beating as she heard the mention of her sister’s name but that wasn’t the only thing that had stopped her track, there were more of it.

“Along with the baby, of course.” The hoarse voice of an elder said in a low hushed tone.

“Are you serious?”

“Why would I be lying, Hana? Of course. The woman was five months pregnant. She killed herself & the baby along. Did you not read it in the papers? A picture was shown. She was lying on the bed covered in blood. I don’t even think the baby is his.”

“Is whose?”

“Oh, lord. You are really missing out of the fun, Hana. Her husband, of course. They don’t even.”

Trembling in rage, Tiffany gritted her teeth together. She abruptly placed her shades back on, her eyes looking everywhere, especially for that particular man. She began to walk & at the same time, she spotted him about to get into his car. Her feet paced its speed. Her eyes burned. She blinked just as he closed the door. Her soul flared with rage.

“Damnit!” Tiffany broke into a run. Her black coach sevilla sandal dug itself into the soft ground. Her black lyocell shirt jacket slashes against her body. She flipped her shades away again. The car started, “Damn you!” She stop just as the car began pulling out. More than whispers were heard now. Confused stares gazed her way. She brushed her bangs, spotting her mother getting out of the purple Audi. Calming her breathing & the color of her flushed face, Tiffany began to make her away forward.

“Why were you running?”

“It was an insect.” Tiffany worded, a tear of anger choking . She urged her mother into the car, impatient to get a word with the man. Her head sidetracked towards the driver in a cut. She narrowed her eyes at him as he stared back at her from the rear view mirror. He nodded his head in a question, knowing the heart of his boss & followed the car their suspect was in.