Chapter 54

“Jejung, where are you going right now?” Yunho called after him, rushing to keep up, “The recording for the song is done so I’m going to leave early to spend a little more time with my wife.” Yunho smiled, “Being a husband seems to have done you well, Jejung. You appear a lot more happier these days & it really shows in your singing.” Jejung sighed contentedly, “Yeah, you really should give marriage a try. It’s a wonderful thing.” Yunho nodded, “I have to admit that I didn’t really believe in holy matrimony until you & Tiffany. You guys really made it work despite all that you have gone through & the complications that you still have in your life today.”

“Yeah, she’s always like a...a breath of fresh air.” Yunho laughed, “Okay. Well, go & find your breath of fresh air now. She’s waiting for you at home, right?” Jejung shook his head, “No, she’s at Anglican University convene right now, sharing her experience with people who have also newly acquired the loss of sight.” He spoke of her with so much pride in his voice that people around him who heard his revelation couldn’t help but smile. The women around him swooned, wishing that they could have a great guy as Jejung, “I’m going to surprises her & take her home myself today.”

“Okay. Well, the producers for your music video just called & told me that the editing is all done. When would you like it to be broadcasted on television?” Jejung shook his head, “No, don’t broadcast it yet. I will tell you my planned for it later okay?” Jejung checked his brown fossil dean chronograph leather watch & started walking even more faster, “I’m late. See you tomorrow.” Yunho nodded, “Okay & give my regards to Tiffany.” Jejung smiled widely & looked back at his manager, “As always.”

Jejung called Sunny to let her know that he was going to go pick up Tiffany today in her place & then he set off for the university. By the time he got there, Tiffany was still not out yet. There was still half an hour left until class was over but he had planned it that way. He walked inside the university & headed for the main office, “Hey Jejung, picking up Tiffany today?” Cha Youngae, Tiffany’s own braille teacher, asked as she saw Jejung walk through the door, “Hey Youngae, it’s great to see you again. I was hoping that I might bump into you today before Miyoung’s class ended.”

“What can I help you with?” Youngae asked, walking over to where Jejung was.

“I was wondering if you could teach me how to read braille? Is it that hard?” Youngae smiled, “You are so sweet. Tiffany sure is a lucky one.” Jejung pursed his lips, “I’m really worried about her right now. I have actually been doing some research on how to read braille online but it’s not as good as having someone teach you physically.” Youngae nodded, “Okay, tell me what you have learned & I will help you tweak what you don’t know as well into something more clear.”

“Thanks Youngae, you are a lifesaver.” So, they spent the next half hour going over some braille & by the end of the session, Jejung was skilled enough to read & comprehend what most braille letters were, although more slowly. Youngae had to leave right after to get to her own class for the day & left Jejung to sit in the hallway of Tiffany’s class who was still busy inside, answering some after class questions. Jejung sat down on the floor & pursed his lips. He finally decided to reach inside his black coed long sleeve hooded sweatshirt pocket & take out the notecard he had taken from Tiffany earlier. He closed his eyes & felt the bumps from the braille. He lowered his head & buried his grief stricken head on top of his knees, “Why didn’t you tell me, Miyoung?” He said softly, with a cracked voice.

Tiffany came out of the classroom, waving goodbye to the students as they were escorted out by their family & friends, “Tell you what?” Tiffany asked, with a smile after hearing her husband’s voice. Jejung slowly got up from his position. His expression still hadn’t changed. He walked over to Tiffany who immediately placed her hands on his face. Her smile disappeared as she felt the frown lines around his mouth, forehead & eyes, “What’s wrong, Jaejoong Oppa? Why are you so sad?” Jejung brought his hands to her face & leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips, “Why did you keep this away from me?” He put the notecard in her hand. Tiffany gasped loudly as she felt it & it dropped to floor softly. She shook her head, “No, you can’t possibly know what it says on that notecard?” She backed up against the door, “How did you get it?” She shook her head again, tears forming in her eyes.

“Come on, let me take you home.” Jejung said. His cheerful mood of the day was destroyed by the notecard. He picked up the fallen notecard & shook his head. Lips pursed, he took her hand & led her out without letting her object to it. Tiffany could just imagine his face right now, angry & sad at the same time. When they got to the car, he opened the door & helped her in but it was all done in silence. He couldn’t bring himself to talk to her for her foolishness in keeping something this big from him.

At this moment, Tiffany wished that she could see him & comfort him. She wanted to look into his eyes & tell him that everything was going to be okay, that she hadn’t received any physical threats yet, “Oppa? Please say something? I can’t stand it when you are all quiet.” Jejung smirked, “What do you want me to say? To ask you how your day was? Okay, fine, I will do that. How was your day, honey? Did anyone try to kill you yet?” He asked sardonically. Tiffany’s pale pink lips trembled at his tone. She reached out to touch him on the shoulder, “Are you mad?” Jejung smirked again, “What do you think? Why do you think I would be mad?” He kept his eyes on the road, unable to face her.

“Please don’t be mad, Oppa?” Tiffany pleaded with him, tears forming in her eyes. He saw the tears from the corner of his eye & silently bashed himself for making her cry right now. He couldn’t stand it when she cried, it always cut deep into his heart but he bit his lips & stayed firm, “How could you keep this from me, Miyoung? Why didn’t you tell me about these threats? Don’t I mean anything to you? How could you be so selfish & keep it to yourself? If something had already happened to you & our baby, what am I going to do?” Tiffany wiped her tears away, “I didn’t want you to worry. I know that you are really busy right now with your new record & everything. I didn’t want to bother you with this kind of news. It’s not really that big of a deal.” She lied. They arrived at the front of their house, “Not a big deal?! You are being sent letters written in braille that talk about killing you & seriously harming you! How can that not be a bit deal?!” Tiffany winced at his yelling, her sensitive hearing caught every syllable & it was like someone hit her eardrums. Jejung saw her wince & lightened his tone a bit. That was overly insensitive of him to yell like that but still, he couldn’t shake his anger off at her for not telling him about those poison pen letters which the culprit had expertly & cunningly typed in braille so that only Tiffany, out of her circle of family & friends, could read it, “Just how long have you been receiving these letters? How long has this person been threatening you?” Tiffany muttered an answer under her breath. Jejung strained to listen.

“What did you say? Speak louder please.” Tiffany grudgingly spoke louder this time, “I have been receiving them five times every month since eight months ago.” Jejung wanted to swear underneath his breath but he stopped himself, “So, you have been keeping this from me for eight months? What were you thinking? What is in that mind of yours right now? Seriously, I thought you were smarter than that.” Tiffany’s heart broke at his words, “I just didn’t want you to worry.”

“You not telling me what was going on until now worries me even more. If I hadn’t found out, something might have happened to you already & I would be even more miserable right now but I guess you didn’t stop to think about that.” Tiffany couldn’t stop more tears from flowing down her cheeks, “But the most important thing is that I’m okay now & nothing has happened to me. It might just be from some fan of yours that hates me because I’m your wife. They are probably just part of some prank done out of jealousy.” Jejung froze. It never occurred to him that that could be it. It might very well be because of him that she was put in this dangerous position but still, his anger still didn’t recede, “Don’t try to blame this back on me. I’m not the one who kept secrets like this from the person I love. I wasn’t the one who lied.” He ran his fingers through his hair, agitated from all of this, “I need some time alone. Go inside the house.”

Jejung looked up to see Yuri, their housekeeper who they hired to stay with Tiffany when Jejung was gone, waiting by their car. He signaled her to come open the door for Tiffany & help her inside. Tiffany heard the car door open, “Oppa, please don’t hate me?” She said, wanting desperately to talk things out with him some more, to comfort & console him, “I need to be alone now.” Yuri took a hold of Tiffany’s arm & eased her out of the car, “Come on Mrs. Kim, let’s get you inside the house.” Once Tiffany was out of the car, Yuri closed the door & Jejung revved up the car engine & started backing out of the driveway & onto the road. He didn’t look back, not even when Tiffany broke free of Yuri’s grasps & started running towards his car. Carrying her big pregnant belly made it really tough for Tiffany.

Without knowing just what was in front of her & what direction she was really going, she didn’t see the pebbles on the road. She let out a slight yelp as she tripped on the pebbles & fell to the ground on her hands & knees, “Mrs. Kim!” Yuri cried out. She had ran after Tiffany when she saw her running after Jejung’s car. Crouching down beside her, she saw that the skin on her hands & elbows, knees & legs were badly scraped in some places. Blood was trickling down from the deeper cuts where the sharp ends of the little rocks bit into her skin but Tiffany didn’t really notice it. She didn’t see it. All she pictured in her mind was Jejung leaving her & tears fell on her legs, mixing with the red drops of blood.