* * *

Jessica stayed there ­– in that position with Sunny – for a long time, letting all the grief and sorrow be poured out of her heart.  Sunny did not move a single inch either. What else could she do for Jessica but to stay there? After a while or so, the woman with the longer hair seemed to be calming down a little bit. Only then did Sunny dare to loosen the muscles of the arms she used for hugging her.

“Where’s Tiffany then? How’s she?”

Jessica cleared and calmed herself down a little more. “She’s still in the hospital. When we first heard it she… I couldn’t describe her at that time, Sunny. The doctor had to give her an anti-depressant shot to put her to sleep otherwise her condition would only be worsening”

“Why aren’t you there with her now?”

“I will. I need to take some documents for the hospital’s administration. That’s why I came home. At first I wanted to just head straight back there, but… When I arrived home, I just wanted to break down, Sunny. I needed to let it all out first”

“I understand”

Jessica wiped her face with the last piece of tissue on the floor and then forced a weak smile. “I am sorry for calling you. Were you sleeping?”

“Yes I was. But I wasn’t at home”

“Then?”

“I was in the hospital with Taeyeon”

“What happened to her?”

“She fainted. I don’t know the details but she had a high fever before she was brought there. Luckily, the baby is fine, though”

Realizing what she had just stated, Sunny faced Jessica with panic. “I – I am sorry, Sica. I didn’t mean to…”

Her best friend put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine, Sunny. You don’t have to say sorry. It’s true – she is lucky that she is still going to be a mother”

“Jessica…”

“No, no, really, it’s okay, Sunny. Tiffany and I will get better over time. We can try again. The doctor didn’t say that Tiffany couldn’t try for a baby again. So, yeah... It’s okay”

There was still a crack and deep sadness in Jessica's tone, and even without looking Sunny knew that she was almost breaking into tears again. She grabbed Jessica’s hands tightly and rubbed it while her eyes were showering her best friend with support and empathy. “I wish I could do something to cheer you up. You always do that to me”

Jessica stared at her deeply; her mind seemed to be thinking of what to say. “If you want to cheer me up” She began. “The only thing you can do is to promise me to take care of Taeyeon. Don’t let what happens to us happens to both of you”

The two friends shared a deep look before the shorter glued her eyes to her feet, giving herself a moment to think.

* * *

Taeyeon stared at the random bird which happened to drop by the tree outside her room, and witnessed the blinding light of the sun slowly overshadowed it and waited until everything became silhouettes. Another day had passed, but she was still thinking of how she left the hospital a week ago without telling Sunny anything. Well, Sunny had probably known by now that she had been at home by then, but there was no sign of her coming to Taeyeon’s house and that made Taeyeon frustrated. Maybe what she had been doing all this time was no other than torturing herself, she thought.

Suddenly, the door knob was opened and she turned her head only to find someone uncalled for. Baekhyun had been staying in her house after her passing-out incident as an order from her father. Even though the boy did not usually talk to her about anything in particular, still, his presence in the house disturbed the woman to a great extent.

“What do you want?” Taeyeon fixed her eyes back to what she was looking at before.

“Still acting as if I was a wild tiger trying to attack you?” Baekhyun chuckled before smiling bitterly.

“Just tell me what you want”

“Well okay if you’re that straight-forward” The guy took a seat on the bedroom’s sofa without any permission. “You know that your father wants us to get married soon, probably not long after the baby is born”

Upon that, Taeyeon did not respond anything.

“So don’t you think we need to at least get closer? You don’t even allow me to talk to you, let alone touch you”

“Don’t you ever dare” Taeyeon finally gave him a look, a not really nice one.

“Whoa, whoa. See?” Baekhyun straightened his back. “I haven’t even mentioned anything that sounds offending. Why are you so defensive to me?”

Taeyeon gritted her teeth, feeling her heart beat quicker due to her anger. “I am sorry but I think you heard by yourself that I shouldn’t be stressed for the meantime”

“I am not trying to make you stressed!” Baekhyun stood up and kneeled down in front of the woman who used to be his girlfriend. She tried to avoid him, but he used his hand to make her turn to him and look at him. “If you’re not acting like this then we would be just fine! We used to love each other! We even did the out of love. And now after you’re having my child and met that girl, suddenly everything just changed! You love that girl, but if you are becoming mean to me because you love her, that’s not fair, Taeyeon! You have been brainwashed by that !”

That sent Taeyeon to her limit; with no doubt she flew her palm to the boy’s cheek and slapped it hard.

“Don’t you dare talk about Sunny that way” A single tear flowed to Taeyeon’s cheek.

“Fine” Losing his patience, Baekhyun stood up once more. “You’ll regret this later”

Taeyeon watched his back as he left the room, trying to get her stabile emotions back. She laid on the bed right after that. The sun had set behind the window and the room was slowly getting darker. She waited a few more minutes in a hope that she would fall asleep somehow, but she did not. Sunny was crossing her mind when she suddenly felt a kick coming from inside her tummy. Surprised, she put one hand on the stomach and it gently. Another light kicks followed after and it made her smile.

“It’s been a while since I felt your kick” She said. “I’m sorry. You must want to see your mommy happy too, right?”

With that, she sighed and closed her eyes.

* * *

It was almost midnight when Taeyeon heard the sound of the door opening once more. She had been asleep for quite a while, but she was still conscious enough to realize someone had stepped inside and was now sitting right next to where she was laying down.

She quickly opened her eyes, turned her body with all she could to see the person’s figure. With the help of the moonlight coming through her window, she managed to recognize him – the same guy who made her cry earlier. She was about to yell for one more time when his hand moved first to close .

“Ssshhh” Baekhyun whispered. “Just be nice if you don’t want anything happen to our child”

He drew back his hand from Taeyeon’s mouth and replaced it with his lips. Realizing what he would do, Taeyeon used all her strength to push him away, but her efforts came to no result. Baekhyun had gripped her neck to stop her from moving. Their lips were a few centimeters apart when Taeyeon could turn her head a bit at last.

“Ooh, I understand now” Baekhyun continued; Taeyeon could sense his smirk even if she could not literally see it. “You don’t want me to touch your lips, you just want me to touch your body, don’t you?”

“B – Baekhyun. Please don’t” The woman on the bottom trembled greatly.

“Oh, c’mon. I know you’re longing to be touched as well. Don’t hold back, Taeyeon-ah” Locking Taeyeon’s arms under his own, Baekhyun quickly traced Taeyeon’s neck and shoulders with his wet lips.

“Baekhyun, please stop!” She shouted, trying her best to fight against the strong lock on her arms.

“Ssshh… I told you to shut up if you don’t want to get hurt” This time, he made Taeyeon’s eyeballs fix at him, giving her a serious glare. “Now just let me be inside you like I once was”

He let go of his grip from the woman’s arms and used the same hands to touch her s. Knowing that her arms were free by then, with all her might Taeyeon used them to help her escape from the bed. She ran to the door and quickly attempted to find the knob. Unfortunately, however, the boy behind him had caught her wrist once more before she could even touch it.

“You come back to the bed with me! Right now!” He pulled her furiously and when they were once back to the bed, he strongly pushed her until a loud bumping sound was heard.

Taeyeon was groaning in pain, but it did not stop him from continuing his actions. He climbed the bed and for one more time he locked Taeyeon by the wrists. Then, without hesitation he satisfied himself by planting kisses all over Taeyeon’s chest, and ended it with a on her neck.

“Please stop, I beg you” Taeyeon cried, almost yelling . “I don’t love you anymore. Please understand that. I promise I won’t be mean to you again, but I cannot force myself to love you once more. Please, let me go”

All her words vanished into thin air for Baekhyun, since he was now proceeding on taking off Taeyeon’s pajama pants. His action revealed Taeyeon’s private part covered by underwear and her beautiful thighs.

“Oh, how I miss this” Baekhyun his lips.

Taeyeon shut her eyes in sadness. She hated herself from being so weak, from not being able to protect herself, from not being able to prevent anyone but Sunny touch her. By the time Baekhyun tried to pull off her underwear, she could only make her last effort by squeezing her thighs together tightly.

“Baekhyun, don’t do this! Please, stoop!!”

The half- woman had then given up when she could feel her undies were somewhere around her knees already. However, the bright lamp in the room was suddenly and they both turned their attention at the person standing in front of the light switch. Taeyeon’s red, watery eyes found her father’s image and she immediately shouted.

“Appa!”

“Baekhyun-ssi, step off from my daughter. Right now!” He stepped forward, approaching the bed. Even after the boy followed his order, he still used his muscular arms to push Baekhyun to the wall. “Are you crazy!? What were you trying to do to my daughter!?”

“I am going to be her husband so I think I deserve this!” He answered.

“But don’t you think of her condition right now!? What if something happened to her!?” He shot another deadly stare to the younger man. “I am so disappointed in you! I thought you were someone who truly loved her and could take care of her gently. But apparently what inside your mind was whether she could satisfy you or not!”

“Appa” He heard his daughter calling. “Appa, I am okay. There’s no need to punish him”

Even from far away, Mr. Kim could spot the red marks all over Taeyeon’s neck, chest and arms. Her puffy eyes and red wet cheeks were all the silent witnesses of how hurt she was just now. He walked slowly to the bed. Once he was next to his daughter, he lifted her back using his arm, and brought her to his chest.

“It’s okay, appa is here now”

“Appa” The daughter slowly muttered. “I want to sleep with you and mom tonight”

“What has just happened!?” Mrs. Kim arrived at the scene, not holding back her shocked expression when she saw Taeyeon’s state. “Taeyeon! Dear, are you alright!?”

“I will explain later” Mr. Kim answered his wife. “Take Taeyeon to our room”

Obeying her husband, Mrs. Kim carefully helped Taeyeon to put her lower clothing back on. She assisted her daughter to stand up and slowly leave the room. Not wanting to create any more fuss that night, Mr. Kim could only shake his head in front of the ashamed boy before following his daughter and wife behind.

Mrs. Kim gently brought Taeyeon to the king-size bed once they entered the master bedroom of the house and let her lie down. Mr. Kim had been in the room too by the time she tucked Taeyeon in the blanket.

“Do you feel pain anywhere, Taeyeon?” The mother rubbed the tip of her child’s fingers.

“Her arms were quite badly scratched, I think” Mr. Kim inserted his own hands into the pockets. “Take the ointments from the first-aid-kit box and warm water to clean her wounds”

Mrs. Kim nodded and went outside to where the kitchen was located. Meanwhile, Mr. Kim sat on the edge of the bed, right next to where her daughter was lying down.

“Appa” Taeyeon took her father’s hand. “Thank you”

“I made the right decision to come home earlier, didn’t I?”

“Appa” Taeyeon’s gentle voice called again. “You have always been my superhero since I was small. Every time I am hurt, appa will come like a wind to save me. I miss this side of you, appa”

Listening to her daughter’s sudden confession, Mr. Kim’s heart was touched deeply. The flashing images of Taeyeon’s childhood his mind. He still remembered back then, he always took care of her daughter well. Never had he let anyone or anything hurt her. If Taeyeon had to be with someone else when he had some work to do, he always made sure the person would not hurt his only daughter. But at this moment, he knew he had failed to do that.

When he moved his eyes again to Taeyeon, that daughter of his had closed her eyes and seemed to be asleep already. As much as he did not want to admit it, as much as it would hurt his pride as the leader of a well-known family, he had to admit that the only person whom he could trust his daughter with for the moment was maybe no other than Sunny. The only person besides he himself and his wife who could take a gentle care of Taeyeon like he had always done. He breathed out heavily, thinking of what the consequences would be if she let her daughter with that woman in the future.

He blinked his eyes several times, gave Taeyeon one last look, then stood up and made a decision.