Taeyeon was ready to comment back to Jessica but then a familiar face came into view. The girl left Taeyeon breathless. Like many years before, this girl always made Taeyeon feel the same way, but why? Even after all the things the girl did to her, why did her heart always react the same way?

“Earth to Kim. Ms. Kim?”

Taeyeon broke from her gaze when she saw Jessica waving her hands in front of her, “Huh what?”

“Were you really spacing out on me?”

Taeyeon returned her attention to the girl beside her, “No I wasn’t…just thought I saw someone I knew.”

“You should play with me. I am bored cause I don’t know anyone here.”

Taeyeon was in no mood to play with the girl let alone move from this spot, “Can’t you find someone else to bother?”
“You are much nicer in the office.”

Taeyeon sighed knowing that she was starting to become unprofessional but with the appearance of the girl a few moments ago made her lose her cool for a while. However, luck was on her side again. She finally spotted Sooyoung, “I have to greet Sooyoung and her fiancé.” Jessica watched Taeyeon leave in defeat. She could do nothing but watch as the only person she knew walked away in haste like she was a parasite to be around.

“Soo!”

“Tae! So you did make it? I thought you would skip out on me the last minute.”

“No no. Not every day my friend gets engaged.” Taeyeon gave her brightest smile towards the happy couple.

“It is nice to see you again Taeyeon. I hope you aren’t working my wife-to-be too hard before the wedding.”

“Oh I would never dream of it Kyung Ho. You just make sure to take care of her well.”

“You know I will.” The man smiled making the couple look even brighter. In fact their smiles together were blinding. This couple was always this way. Jung Kyung Ho met Sooyoung when she was in college and begged to go out with her for several years until she finally agreed. It was funny because here they are now preparing to spend their lives together. This engagement was bitter sweet for Taeyeon because after the marriage, Sooyoung won’t be her secretary anymore. She took the job as Taeyeon’s secretary to help her start up her clinic but in reality she was to take over her father’s business once she was married. Sooyoung’s parents were in fact very rich but Sooyoung didn’t want to use their money and influence to get by in life but she knew she had to take over the business eventually. Until now she was just having fun working for Taeyeon but with a new future with her husband, she was forced to change careers.

“Sooyoung?” Taeyeon’s heart stopped when she heard that voice again. Why did she have to come and greet Sooyoung while she was still here? Avoiding her the whole party turned out to be impossible. “Taeyeon is that you?”

Taeyeon slowly raised her head to face the demon that haunted her past, “Hey there Tiffany.” Sooyoung stood there looking at her two friends while biting her lower lip. She could feel the tension that was surrounding both of them but she was hoping with time they already settled their differences.

“Hey Tiffany! I am glad you could make it!” Sooyoung wanted to break the tension because it was getting too much for her, “This is my fiancé Kyung Ho.”

Taeyeon relaxed a bit when she saw Sooyoung diffuse the situation. Thinking this was a great time for escape, Taeyeon started to slowly back away but a hand caught her arm, “Wait…Taeyeon. Can I talk to you for a bit?”

No…no…no….How come Taeyeon couldn’t say that simple word? “Sure…”

The two made it to a quieter place in the in the home which happened to be Sooyoung’s bedroom. Taeyeon took a seat on the bed which she waited for the girl in front of her to talk. A talk she never wanted to have while facing the girl she never wanted to see again.

“Wow this room really hasn’t changed. I remember spending lots of time here in high school.”

Taeyeon wanted her time with the girl to end, “Tiffany, what did you want to talk about?”

Tiffany gave Taeyeon a sly smirk which didn’t go unnoticed by Taeyeon. It was the same look Tiffany gave her many years ago after stomping on her heart several times over. Like she has some sick satisfaction in making Taeyeon’s life miserable. “I just wanted to ask how you were doing. We didn’t leave off on a great note last time.”

Taeyeon saw Tiffany taking the chair by the desk and taking a seat near Taeyeon. It was weird how this party was making her face all the people that wronged her in the past. I mean this conversation started off very similar to the one she had with Sunny earlier, but unlike Sunny’s she had nothing to be sorry towards Tiffany. She broke Sunny’s heart and got slapped for it but Tiffany broke hers and Taeyeon did nothing about it. Does Tiffany deserve forgiveness? No…not really but could Taeyeon lie her way out of this situation?

“Umm Taeyeon…how are you doing?”

Taeyeon finally had the courage to face Tiffany, “I am doing well.”

“I see you changed a bit. You look nice tonight.”

“It has been 4 years…” Taeyeon said in an almost inaudible mumble.

“It has…I heard from Soo that you are a psychologist now?” Taeyeon knew Tiffany had something up her sleeve but she chose to play along with Tiffany’s little game for now.

“Yea…how about you?” Actually Taeyeon had no interest in what the girl had been doing so far.

“Lawyer.” Taeyeon laughed in her head because it was a job that complimented her cold and unyielding personality. “Also I got married a few months ago.”

There was the real Tiffany. She always had to make sure she added something in to make sure that everyone knew her life was better than theirs.

“Oh? Who is he?”

“Nichkhun…” Really him? Taeyeon knew Tiffany was such a hypocrite. After everything that the girl told her in the past, she choses a guy that smokes, has no college degree, and clearly lives off her money?

“Oh? I didn’t know you kept in contact with him after university.”

“It was funny I ran into him at the gas station he worked at. We kind of got back together after that.” Taeyeon was slightly cheering in her head. Tiffany fell for a guy that was a complete loser.

“How is he doing?”

“He just got promoted to be a manager. So very well.”

“I see.”

Tiffany got up from her chair and started walking towards the door before turning and facing Taeyeon again, “You take care of yourself. You look like crap.” With that last comment, Tiffany left with that sly smirk.

Taeyeon couldn’t take it. She knew Tiffany did this so she could say, ‘Try all you want Taeyeon but you will never be mine.’ Tiffany always had a way to make her lose control. She didn’t know if it was the anger that was built up from her past or from Tiffany’s way of mocking her right now, but Taeyeon lost it.

Taeyeon grabbed the vase that was closest to her and threw it on the floor and was about to flip over the coffee table but a tight grip on her arm was preventing her, “Taeyeon calm down!” Sooyoung said after she heard the vase crash and ran into the room. She knew that she shouldn’t let Tiffany and Taeyeon be left in the same room together. It was a bad idea from the start.

“No! I can’t take it! I just want her out of my life!”

“Let’s talk about this first! Please don’t take it out on the furniture.”

Taeyeon collapsed out of exhaustion while the tears flowed down her cheeks. Sooyoung came up and consoled her, “There there Tae. Everything will be fine.”

Taeyeon leaned into her friend, “How could she do this to me? I wish she never walked into my life.”

“I am sorry it is all my fault. I shouldn’t have introduced you to her and brought her over tonight. It was my mistake.”

Taeyeon looked up at her friend, “Soo...I can’t go out and face her again.”

Sooyoung rubbed the back of Taeyeon’s head, “You don’t have to. I will be here with you as long as you need me.”

Taeyeon nestled her head into Sooyoung’s neck, “Thanks... but you have guests. I can’t take you away from them.”

“I can’t leave you here alone. I don’t trust you leaving my room in one piece.” A small smile made its way to Taeyeon’s face.

“I can stay with her…” The two girls looked to see Jessica in the doorway.

“Could you Jess? I don’t think she can be left alone.”

Jessica walked into the room and sat next to Taeyeon on the bed, “Don’t worry. I will make sure she doesn’t break any more of your stuff.”

“Thanks. I owe you one.” Sooyoung quickly wiped the tears from Taeyeon’s face, “Don’t worry Tae. I will help you so you don’t have to meet her ever again. I am so sorry.”

Taeyeon just nodded before her friend left the room and she was alone with Jessica. Both were in silence again before Taeyeon spoke, “you can leave…I am fine. I am not angry anymore.”

Jessica sighed before putting her hand on Taeyeon’s back, “You know you don’t have to live with this pain alone.”

Taeyeon looked at Jessica in the eyes. How come this girl before her now was the opposite of the uncaring girl that entered her office day in and day out? Why now was she acting this way? “I can…”

“From the looks of that poor vase…I don’t think you can. How about you show me your cards and I will show you mine?”

Taeyeon thought about the proposition. Jessica said she would never share about her senior year but here she is now saying that she will talk to Taeyeon about it. But why under these circumstances? Taeyeon didn’t want to talk about Tiffany but if she didn’t, would Jessica retreat into a ball again and never show her this girl that was sitting beside her right now again? This kinder and gentle Jessica was nice and comforting. She didn’t even retreat when Jessica touched her. If telling her about Tiffany would make this Jessica stay, it might be worth it.

“Alright…but you have to tell me about Hara after this.”

Jessica closed her eyes and sighed. “I promise.”

Taeyeon started, “It is a long story but the whole story isn’t important. It was what happened my senior year of college when everything we built fell apart…”

Author's Note

Oh your author is mean. Looks like she cut it off on an important part again. I guess you will have to wait till the 3rd and final part of Show Me Your Cards. The next chapter you will go into the past of Taeyeon and Jessica. Probably the most anticipated chapter is the next one haha.

Hang in there readers and leave your comments!