3 Years Later (3rd Person POV) [Kyoto, Japan]

It's been three years since you got married. Since then, you and your wife have chosen to move to Kyoto to avoid the hussle and bussle of Seoul. Even if Kyoto is still a large city, you live with your wife and daughter in a large house along the outskirts of the city. Since moving to Japan, you've become a wealthy investment banker with the assets you recieved from your grandfather. You're still the CEO of SM Entertainment, but you've left the majority of your work to the contemporaries you have in Seoul so that you could spend more time with your family. 

Now, you're sitting at the table eating your breakfast and drinking your coffee. As you sit, your wife comes up behind you and gives you a kiss on the cheek.

Wife: "You're up early."

You: "I have some work to do in the city. Is Ava awake yet?"

Wife: "No, not yet. What time will you be back?"

You: "Oh, maybe six to seven? Well, make sure you're dressed for dinner tonight when I get back home."

Turning to you, she smiled with the smile you've grown to love so much.

Wife: "You remembered..."

You: "How could I forget the day I promised you forever?"

Getting up, you kissed your wife and thought about all that has transpired in the last three years...

Flashback: 3 Years Earlier (Your POV) [Paris, France]

Wow, she looks absolutely marvelous as she's walking down the aisle. Her father's looking at me with eyes of both sadness and trust in me. He trusts me, even when I don't trust myself. I'm not going to lie, I do love Taeyeon, and I have grown to love her more and more everyday. I still have feelings for Jessica, that much is true. I may still love her more than I love Taeyeon, but he still trusts me. Taeyeon trusts me, for that, I will promise to never betray their trust.

As she makes her way up to the altar, I take her hand and bring her next to me. Looking at her father, he nods and whispers something to me as he hands his daughter to me.

Her Father: "Take care of my daughter for me..."

You: "Sir, it would be an honor."

The wedding ceremony went underway and I was lost in my happiness. I have to admit, I had cold feet when Keito asked me if my decision was right, but I hope I'm getting this right. If anything, this isn't for me, it's for Ava, that's what makes this correct. As I'm lost in my daydreaming, the ceremony has really progressed, I was only brought back to Earth when the priest spoke up.

Priest: "Sir, it's time for exchanging the vows."

Looking into her eyes, I didn't memorize or write anything before hand. I wanted to do this from my heart, and that's exactly what I wanted to do.

You: "Taeyeon... I've played this moment in my head over and over again. Each time, I can only imagine being with you at this crossroads of our lives. This is the end, the end of our old lives as individuals and the beginning of our new lives as one. I know that things haven't always been clear or positive in our relationship, but I know that this decision is the best one I've made. You lift my heart up, even when the rest of me is down. You and Ava are the small rays of light in the pitch dark that is my life. I feel so enamored with everything about you and it's an honor to be able to marry someone as beautiful, inspiring, caring, and strong as you..."

Taeyeon began tearing up after I said that and she just looked into my eyes. She stared straight into my soul everytime she did that, and she knew that full well. I looked at her bridesmaids and all of them showed some type of emotion. Tiffany was smiling, Sunny was tearing up as well, and Seohyun also smiled giving me their approval. Suddenly, Taeyeon began her own vows. 

Taeyeon: "Oppa... I've never been very good at writing speeches or expressing myself through just words on a paper. I'm a singer, that's what I am. So, I'm going to say my vows the way I know best...

Is that music in my ear?

It's like I've heard nothing for a thousand years

My eyes were closed, locking in my tears

I'm so surrounded, but still all alone

Great big house, but so far from home

How'd you breathe life in this heart of stone?

It's like I can feel

It's like I can breathe

It's like I can live

It's like I can love

For the first time...

She went on to finish the song and brought all of us to tears. I felt the emotion in her singing and I think everyone else did too. Even if she didn't write the song, she made it seem like she had. She put every last ounce of her love in her singing, and I respected that. I would grow to love that. I just smiled at her to give reassurance that I felt everything she was giving me, and I'm more than willing to give her everything, all of me.

As we smiled looking into each other's eyes, we faced the priest once more and he began to finish the ceremony.

Priest: "Do you, sir, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

You: "I do."

Priest: "And you, ma'am, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Taeyeon: "Without a doubt."

Priest: "You may now kiss the bride."

Turning to face her, I found myself captured by her gaze once again. As I stared, I felt something nudging against my arm and I looked down to see Taeyeon poking my hand. Looking at her, I was confused as to why she was doing that. Understanding my look, she quickly started explaining. 

Taeyeon: "Oppa, you're supposed to kiss me..."

You: "I know... I'm just taking a second..."

Taeyeon: "Oppa, you've been staring at me for two minutes..."

You: "Oops..."

Looking into the crowd, I saw anticipating eyes wondering what was taking me so long. Turning to my groomsmen, Keito, my father, and Nick were all looking at me. Looking to the bridesmaids, they also just stared at my supposed hesitation. Finally, my eyes landed on Ava. In the stands, she was sitting on Yoona's lap and smiling. Smiling at the sight of my daughter, I became reinvigorated. Turning to Taeyeon once again, I gave her a kiss. In it, I sent her the best message I could give her.

You may not have all of me now, my dear wife...

But I promise...

Until the day I die, I will try, I will try to love you more than I loved her...

Even if it kills me...

Back To Present Time: 7 Hours Later (Your POV) [Your House, Kyoto, Japan]

After I finished my business in the city, I made my way back home. Upon entering the house, I was greeted by a little girl elated to see her father home. Smiling, I lifter her up and heard her wail.

You: "How's my little girl doing? Did you miss daddy?"

Ava: "Yes! Me and mommy missed daddy a lot!"

You: "Mommy? Where's mommy?"

Putting her down, she led the way as she ran to the kitchen. Following after her, I saw Taeyeon in the kitchen wearing a kitchen apron. Going up behind her, I gave her a back hug and started talking to her.

You: "Did you miss me?"

Taeyeon: "Of course. Ava missed you so much, she insisted that we bake cookies for you."

You: "Oh, that's sweet."

She turned and kissed me. We started getting more intimate and our passion was abruptly interrupted. By a little girl complaining. 

Ava: "Mommy! Daddy! Stop! I'm only four!"

Turning to her, Ava was covering her eyes with her small hands and standing right in front of us. Looking at each other, Taeyeon and I burst into laughter.

Taeyeon: "Well, if you're four..."

You: "That means you're old enough to be tickled!"

Ava: "No! Daddy! No!"

Running towards her as she tried to run away, I quickly caught up to her in the living room. Grabbing hold of her and lifting her up, I took her to the couch and started tickling her.

Ava: "Daddy! hahhaahahahahahah! Stop! hahahahaahahahahah!"

You: "What was that? I can't hear you!"

Ava: "haahahahahahahahhaahha!"

​You: "So, how old are you now?"

Ava: "Mommy!"

As if almost on queue, Taeyeon walked into the living room. Ava's face surely lit up when she saw Taeyeon walk in, but it was all for waste. Sitting next to us on the couch, Taeyeon asked Ava to be handed to her. Just when Ava thought it was safe, she stuck her tongue out at me. Then, Taeyeon began to tickle her and Ava was caught by complete surprise and shocked by the sneak attack.

Ava: "Mommy! I thought you were on my side! hahahahahahaha!"

​Taeyeon: "Well, I was until you were mean to daddy!"

Ava: "I wasn't mean to daddy! hahahaha!"

You: "Well, both mommy and daddy think you were mean to daddy!"

We continued to tickle her. At the end, we were all laughing on the couch having a great time together. Checking my watch, I saw that Taeyeon and I had about an two hours until our reservation in the city. Hugging both of them, I smiled at my family.

You: "I love you, both of you."

Taeyeon: "We love you too!"

Ava: "..."

Taeyeon: "Ava? What do you say when daddy says he loves you?"

Ava: "I guess I love daddy... When daddy doesn't tickle me..."

You: "Well, whether you love daddy or not, daddy will always love his baby girl."

Two Hours Later (3rd Person POV) [Restaurant, Kyoto, Japan]

After getting ready, you and Taeyeon left Ava with her babysitter and made your way to the city. Dressed in some of your best clothes, the two of you went to the best restaurant in the city. After recieving your orders, the both of you spoke over the food. 

You: "I can't believe it's been three years already..."

Taeyeon: "Time sure flies doesn't it?"

You: "Undoubtedly. Yet, I'm glad that time did fly while I was with you."

Taeyeon: "You know oppa, you were never this sweet when we first got married. You sure have gotten a lot softer since we've met, and even more so since we've gotten married."

You: "Is that so? I think I'm losing my touch."

Taeyeon: "You know, I still remember our honeymoon..."

You: "Don't remind me..."

Flashback: 3 Years Earlier (3rd Person POV) [Rome, Italy]

After the wedding, you and Taeyeon went on your honeymoon across Europe. Leaving Ava with your father, you were able to enjoy your honeymoon without worrying about her. Today, the two of you are in Rome and have just gotten back to the hotel room after a day of sight seeing. As the two of you enter the suite, Taeyeon sat down on a chair as you poured two glasses of wine for the both you. Standing next to her, you offered a toast. 

You: "Here's to us. And a happy future with our daughter."

Taeyeon: "Yes, she's our daughter now."

As the two of you drank the wine, each of you overlooked the wonderful view of Rome from your hotel room. She didn't say anything, but you knew that she was thinking deeply about something. 

Taeyeon: "Hey, oppa, let's move."

You: "To where?"

Taeyeon: "I just want to escape the tumultuous life in Seoul. I just want to have a simple life with our family somewhere as far away from the trouble of the outside world as we can get."

You: "Sounds like you'd like for us to become rural farmers..."

Taeyeon: "If that's what it takes to be with you and the kids, I'm willing to endure..."

You: "Kids?"

Taeyeon: "Of course. Ava needs siblings, doesn't she?"

You: "I guess so... Well, the outskirts of Kyoto are pretty calm..."

Taeyeon: "Kyoto? I don't think I've been there yet..."

You: "Then I'll have to take you there, won't I?"

Taeyeon: "I'm looking forward to it... Until then, how about we do some work?"

You: "Work? I think I'd rather not..."

Suddenly, she got up and seated you in her seat. Coming up behind you, she started massaging your shoulders and began whispering in your ear. 

Taeyeon: "Silly boy, I meant we could get to work making brothers and sisters for Ava."

Aroused by her teasing, you consented to her teasing. Getting up, you picked her up off her feet and carried her to the bedroom. Laying her down on the bed, you held yourself above her. Kissing her lips, you were enamored with everything about her at this point. Suddenly, she grabbed onto your neck and rolled over. Now, she was on top of your pelvis and staring down at you.

You: "Being more aggressive than usual?"

Taeyeon: "You haven't seen anything yet, boy."

She reached down and began ing your shirt. Getting it off, she started feeling across your shirt. Her touch was like ecstasy, you were absolutely lost in your lust. As she continued feeling, she leaned into you and started nibbling on your collarbone. While rather weird, it felt magical. In your excitement, you started to show your approval of her touch. 

Reaching your heart, she caressed your chest muscles.

Bring the love baby, I can bring my shame...

I've got my heart right here. 

As she moved lower, she reached the scar you had from being shot.

Be the drugs baby, I can bring my pain...

I've got my scars right here

You: "Jessica..."

No, you didn't just say that.

She heard it and it was obvious that she didn't want anymore of this interaction. Getting off of you, she started to make her way out of the room. Once again, you had a choice of chasing after her or staying behind. This time, you chased up to her. Running up behind her and giving her a back hug, you held her tightly as if the world were ending.

Taeyeon: "Oppa... stop. I don't feel like it anymore..."

You: "I'm so sorry, Taeyeon. I didn't mean it."

Taeyeon: "Stop it oppa. I know you still love her."

She began to start pulling away from you once again. Squeezing tighter you made sure that she couldn't escape from you before you said what you had to say.

You: "Taeyeon, I know that Jessica is my past, but you are my now and you are my future. I'm sorry that I had that slip up, but you can be sure that I do love you. I may love her too, but be sure that I love you Taeyeon. I promise it won't happen again, so please don't let this get to you, okay? I'll give all I have because I need this, Taeyeon. I need to care for you, I need to know that I can love you. I need to know that I will love you more than I loved Jessica. You're my wife now, you and Ava are all that matters now. So, please forgive me?"

Taeyeon: "Oppa..."

You: "What is it?"

Taeyeon: "Just tell me you love me."

You: "I love you, Taeyeon. And there's no one I'd rather be married to..."

Taeyeon: "Stop lying oppa."

Back To Present Time: 2 Hours Later (3rd Person POV) [House, Kyoto, Japan]

After finishing your dinner date, you and Taeyeon went back home. Dismissing the babysitter, you went up to your daughter's room to see if she had already fallen asleep. Getting there, you noticed that she was in her bed, but she had been sweating and shivering. Going to her side, you woke her up to ask her how she felt.

You: "Ava, honey, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

Ava: "... Daddy, mommy needs to wake up..."

You: "What's that honey? Mommy? She's downstairs... She's been waiting to see you, but we thought you were asleep already."

Ava: "But in my dream... Mommy wouldn't wake up... mommy was asleep and we couldn't wake her up..."

You: "Baby, it's only a nightmare, okay? Now, come on go back to sleep daddy's here. I promise everything's going to be alright. If you need me to, daddy's going to hold you so that the nightmares don't come back."

Ava: "Can you do that?"

You: "Of course..."

Laying on her bed with her, you hugged her as she slowly fell back into her slumber. As she fell asleep, you were extremely bothered by what she had just told you. Your mind tried to wrap itself around the return of one of your greatest shames and demons.

She couldn't possibly know...

How could she have found out about Jessica? She said she wouldn't wake up, she said mommy wouldn't wake up. Was she talking about Taeyeon? 

It's been 3 years, since that day Jessica went critical. I don't even know what happened, they just took her away from my care and I never heard of what happened. I assumed that the worst had happened, I had always been told she was dead. There was no funeral, it was just a sudden disappearance of hers. The public was told that she decided to retire and live as far from society as possible. She's supposed to be gone, but Ava talking about her brings back so many ghosts from my past...

Oh Jessica, I know you're in a better place now. Why can't you stop haunting me? Can't I have the normal life God never gave the two of us? 

But our daughter...

She looks just like you. Her eyes, nose, lips, everything about her is you. Everyday she grows older, she's becoming more and more like an mirror image of you. It scares me, that she'll one day be as beautiful as you were, that one day she'll have the looks that haunt me to this very day.

But her personality...

It's all Taeyeon.

She's the perfect mixture of the both of you. She has that cold look of yours, but it's coupled with the childish mannerisms that Taeyeon has. At the same time, I know that she's going to grow up to be a caring person and a smart young woman, and I have both of you to thank for that...

Jessica, Taeyeon is the perfect mother for Ava. She's raised her like she was her own, and I love her for that. I love her, Jessica. I love her just as much as I loved you, maybe even more...

Just then, as you lay there thinking, Taeyeon walked into the room looking at the both of you. Explaining what happened to her, she nodded and told you to come with her to the kitchen when you were ready. Following after her, she poured two cups of tea for the both of you. Sitting down on the counter, the both of you just talked. 

Taeyeon: "Happy anniversary..."

You: "The happiest one yet."

Taeyeon: "You know... Ava sure does look a lot like her mother..."

You: "Why are you bringing this up?"

Taeyeon: "It's just something that's been running through my mind lately..."

You: "Do you think I still love her?"

Taeyeon: "I don't know. Do I?"

You: "I don't love her anymore..."

Taeyeon: "Good."

You: "Why are you even asking?"

Taeyeon: "Because..."

You: "Because?"

Taeyeon: "I'm 3 weeks pregnant."

Getting up in excitement, you looked her dead in the face and tried to see if there was any sign of lying. Noticing nothing, your face lit up with the biggest smile Taeyeon had ever seen. Looking at her, you gave her a passionate kiss and then started asking questions.

You: "When did you find out?"

Taeyeon: "While you were working earlier, I went to the doctor to get checked..."

You: "So, it's for sure?"

Taeyeon: "Yes, oppa. We're going to have a baby."

You: "I love you."

Taeyeon: "I love you too."

Hugging her in your happiness, you could still feel something in her emotions. There was something bothering her, and you thought it had to do with Jessica. So, you wanted to reassure her that you truly did love her and that she was your world now. 

You: "I don't love her anymore..."

Even though you said that, there was a certain hesitation in her heart. There was so much history in the way you looked at Jessica. The way you said her name. The two of you together had this current. Like an electric charge on the verge of erupting into the perfect storm...

And it was in the way you said the word her-- that told Taeyeon that you felt otherwise...

At The Same Time (3rd Person POV) [Seoul, South Korea]

In a secret facility in Seoul, a person is hooked up to several medical machines but they are just laying on a hospital bed lost in slumber. As this person lays there, two men walk into the room. They come in to check on the patient and see the vitals of the person rising. These two people are none other than Keito and your father. Looking at the person on the bed, they see the heartbeat increasing. 

Suddenly, there's some movement coming from the person on the bed. Slowly, they begin moving their fingers and steadily progress. Opening their eyes, the person's sense of hearing is aroused when your father started talking to the person. 

Father: "It's been a while..."

Moving their eyes around the room, they saw they were in a room. To the surprise of the others in the room, the person began talking. 

Person: "Where's oppa?"

Keito: "Straight to the point. He really has rubbed off on you..."

Person: "Where's my baby? Where's my fiance?"

Father: "Jessica, things are very different from the last time you remember. Your child is no longer yours and your fiance is now someone else's husband..."

Lifting herself up on the bed, she looked Keito in the eyes looking to see if it was a cruel joke. Noticing this, he looked at her and just nodded. Figuring out it wasn't some kind of cruel joke, she started breaking into tears. 

Father: "We're sorry..."

Jessica: "Can I have them back? Is there any way I can win them back?"

Keito: "We don't know..."

Jessica: "I want them back... I want my family..."

Father: "We know..."

Jessica: "How long was I gone?"

Father: "Almost four years..."

Jessica: "I see now...it all makes sense... I can't blame oppa for moving on... it was probably the right thing to do..."

Keito: "He only did it for the benefit of your daughter..."

Jessica: "He also did it because he was broken. When he's broken, he's the type to try to run away from the pain rather than to face it head on... I just want to bring him back where he belongs... I want him back with me..."

Father: "Jessica, in everyone's life, there comes a point of no return where things have been done in such a way that they could never go back to how it was before. We have to come to the realization that there's no going back and we can only move forward from this point."

Jessica: "Would oppa accept that wisdom?"

Keito: "No, he wouldn't."

Jessica: "Then neither will I."