Chapter 31

Leaning against the frame of the threshold, Tiffany gazed at her parents. She bit her bottom baby pink lips, hesitating at her next move. She had came a long way to tell them the bad news but yet, she wasn’t ready. How would two parents react at such news? Shock, grievous, she can picture it all. The only way to get it over with was to tell them.

She still had her other job to deal with. Her plan was to tell them after the period of the one month was over but knowing her parents, they would hold her. Going to the bill graham civic auditorium theatre & watching a live performance of shakespeare’s literature had already been checked off her list. Knitting a blanket with her mother had already been done. Working halfway with her father on his successor on being a new entrepreneur had been an accomplishment. The only thing left was to tell them. She closed her eyes & leaned her head against the doorframe, hugging herself closely. The room temperature was warm but she felt a bit chilly.

He was out there waiting for her, she knows. His planned with Yoona were still on the loose, just waiting but she’ll let them wait. Whatever they were planning, she was ready.

“You mother & I need to speak to you.”

She came back to her senses, staring at her father’s back. He spoke but his whole attention was on the paper in front of him. With a sigh, she pushed herself away from the doorframe & walked around the sofa. Her mother sat on the rocking chair near the hearth. She took a seat on the stone, hands open out near the fire for more warmth. She waited for them to break the small silence but nothing was broken.

“Mom, what are you reading?”

“A historical book your father bought for me this afternoon.” Mrs. Hwang flipped the page with two trembling hands. Tiffany frowned, reaching out to grab the wrinkled hands. Her mother looked up. With a small grimace, Mrs. Hwang pulled her hands away & tucked them under the book.

“What’s wrong, mom?”

“Nothing.”

Tiffany frowned at the sharp reply. Never had her mother ever raised her voice. Worried, she turned to look at her father. Her eyes met his, glittering. She parted her lips, “What is it, dad?”

He wasted no time, reached behind his back & took out two objects, half slamming them onto the table. Tiffany groaned inwardly, eyes fixed tightly on the inhaler & bottle of capsule.

“Care to explain what these are?” Mr. Hwang asked, his tone added with a sharp note.

“Where did you get those?” Tiffany asked instead.

He looked up from his papers, eyes impatient with a dark look, “On your desktop but that doesn’t have a matter in this subject. I want to know how you got these.” He made a rough sound under his breath & not giving his daughter a chance to answer, he continued, “I went to the hospital today. Lung cancer. These pills are only used for people who have lung cancer & you, as my daughter, do not have lung cancer. Tell me that these are not yours.”

Tiffany closed her eyes, looking away, “I’m sorry, dad, but it is.” She had expected more than silence. The flakes of fire cracked one by one at a second’s length. The grandfather clock chimed at an hour of five. Pressing her lips together, Tiffany stood still, looking at her father.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” He asked, tone sharpening at every word he spoke.

She brushed her hair back & held the locks of hair in place in her fist, “I found out just weeks ago. I was going to tell you & mom sooner or later.”

“How long do you have?”

She groaned inside at the question. It had been years since he had spoken like that & to hear it again, pierced her more than ever. He had always been an observant man, careful at his every question & answer but today was different.

“About two months.” Tiffany replied, voice encouraging.

“& now you just wait to tell us?! Do you really think that it’ll make us feel any better?!” He shouted, standing up & throwing the pen onto the table, “We could have helped you.”

“No, you couldn’t. I can’t have a lung implant, dad. It’s too late now & it was late before, too. About eight months ago, I couldn’t breath but I thought it was just an ordinary feeling that everyone receives once in a while.”

“& who have you been caring for?” Mr. Hwang threw a look at his wife, “& what have you been doing, Ae Cha, while I was in prison? Have you even taken care of our daughters? You married my Stephanie off to an inconsiderate family & finally, she have her killed. Were you not satisfied with that? Now it’s Tiffany. Do you…”

“Stop it, dad!” Tiffany slashed out, throwing out her arms. Surprised, her father angled with a sharp move. He narrowed his eyes at her. Fists balled up, she panted out, “It’s not mom’s fault. You’ve always seemed to blame everything on her. You were the one never cared about Stephanie & me. Worst, you never cared about mom. This is my fault for having lung cancer. Don’t blame it on mom. I never told her because I didn’t want her to worry over me. Mom had always knew that I was allergic to cigarette smoking but you never cared. This is my body. I’m the one who’s having lung cancer & the one who will be dying soon. You don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself. I’m a big girl. I’m not your little brighter than jewel Tiffany anymore.” With a red faced, Mr. Hwang placed his fist over his mouth. Tiffany raised her chin, absolute confident. As a hand touched her shoulder, she looked back. Mrs. Hwang shook her head, “Don’t say that, dear.”

“But mom…”

“You’re right.” Tiffany turned her head quickly to look at her father. His face stiffened as he continued, “I shouldn’t worry. It’s your disease. Maybe I should have never brought it up. Your sister had died without me knowing it. Maybe you should too, without informing me.” He brought his hard look over to his wife, clenched his jaw & walked out of the living room without another word.

Tiffany sighed, closing her eyes. She pressed her lips together tightly, not letting out a small, crying sound escape.

“Honey.”

She turned around, threw her arms around her mother’s neck & buried her face into her warm shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, mom. I really am.”

“It’s not your fault. Your dad didn’t mean it.”

Tiffany shook her head & mumbled, “It’s not your fault either. I don’t know why dad is blaming this stupid disease on you but I hate him for it!” She stiffed, “Maybe he’s right. Maybe I should die without letting him know.”

He took a sip of his coffee, eyes so careful on her every move. With the San Francisco newspaper covering his nose & downward, he gazed at her without alerting anything that was going on about her. She seemed undisturbed & minding her own business as she took a bite of her strawberry & lime cheesecake. Once in a while, she would look over at the magazine she was reading, lying on the table & not once did she look up, even when the waitress came by.

“Sir.”

“Yes?” Jaejoong asked, angling to see a waitress looking down at him.

“Something for you.” She handed a tiny piece of folded paper over. He stared at it for a while & finally took it without saying anything. his lips, his fingers gently but with a rush opened the note, “You’re a strong guy for a strong bullet.” Jaejoong quoted. Then with an annoyed look, he turned around quickly! She was gone, “!”

Jaejoong stood up quickly, throwing a few bucks onto the table before running out of the cafe. He looked around as people walked by. A black calvin klein belted trench coat; she was wearing a black coat. He bit his bottom lips, cursing once again. Standing on his tip toes, he looked over the crowd walking by him. His eyes sharpened, seeing her with a sly smile leaning against a pole at the corner of the cafe. She turned around, causing him to push through the people. His eyes were still on her as she turned around an alley. He groaned. It was getting dark already & he had yet to return back to the hotel.

It was now the mouse chasing the cat & he hated being the mouse, such an annoying trait for one tiny rat! He turned around the corner & ran down the darkening alley. Turning several more empty alleys, he stopped to catch his breath, “Damn, you little thing!”

“Why are you calling me the little one when you’re the one who’s been stalking me for a week now?”

Jaejoong averted quickly. Her hands were on her hips, too much of a dangerous pose for a y woman. He straightened up, “Then why did you run away? I don’t want to call you a chicken, darling.”

She stiffed with an annoyed look! “I was trying to see how fast you can run.”

He laughed, shaking his head with an arrogant smile! “Now that, I know but I was talking about you leaving my house without my permission.”

“Oh, so now I need your permission to leave your house?” Tiffany raised an eyebrow. She looked at his chest, the smile disappearing slightly from her face.

“Not likely.” He began walking towards her, stopping three feet away. As she looked up to stare at his face again, he simply smiled, “It was a really nice shot, very close to my death, too. One inch down & you would be the murderer of my dead body.”

“You’re not making any sense in trying to scare me, Jae Oppa. I was defending myself, of course. Besides, I did tell you to let me go. I warned you first before I had even shot you.”

“I’m not trying to scare you. I just never thought that you would shoot me. Very brave for a little lady.” He smiled as she made a smuggling face, “Have I ever told you that I adore your brave heart very much? & I have to admit, I want to kill you so much for shooting me.”

“You had the chance to shot me when you had the gun pointed to my cheek, Oppa. Why not just turn me in now? I’m sure you’ll love to see me suffer.”

He smiled & quickly dropped the corner of his lips downward, “I like to do the suffering myself.”

Tiffany scoffed, “It’s been really nice chatting with you but I have to go now.” She tightened the peacock turquoise collection eighteen striped infinity scarf around her neck, “Please don’t be stalking me again. I don’t like the feeling at all.” She turned around, walked five stepped & was jerked against the wall all of a sudden. Blowing the hair around her face away, his smiling face popped up. She narrowed her eyes at him, “What do you want now?”

“A kiss probably?”

“You’re ridiculous. Let me go now, Oppa. Or do you want the hard way around? Make a wise choice. You know how it feels to be shot by a woman already. Try being kneed.”

He gave her a weird look, glanced down at her pale pink lips & then pulled back with a huge sigh, “I’ve been kneed before.”

“& I bet it wasn’t the best feeling.”

“You bet it right.”

Tiffany brushed her pink smocked-bottom embroidered cut-out tank top straight & turned away, hiding a smile, “Don’t follow me & I don’t want to see you again.”

“At least let me walk you home.” She stopped in her tracks & after a pause, she turned around. He gave her a small smile, “It’s getting dark & I’ve been to San Francisco before. It’s not really nice.”

“Don’t try to convince me.” Tiffany said slowly. She tucked her hands into the pocket of her neutral destructed jeans, “I’ve lived here for my whole life. I’ve experience more than you had.” She looked down at the cracked concrete road, “Bye.”

“Wait.” She didn’t stop. A grimace on his face, he followed her from behind, “You didn’t go to his nightclub after you shot me, did you?”

Tiffany slowly came to a stop. She bit her bottom lips, closing her eyes briefly, “Why would have I shot you for then? I told you, Oppa, she’s my sister. Nothing can stop me.” Tiffany looked over her shoulder, “Don’t try to stop me.”

As she walked away, Jaejoong cursed. He kicked the wall, biting his bottom lips. Hands against the wall, he looked down with a huge sigh. He won’t stop her but he wasn’t going to let her go alone.