Chapter 78

He hesitated for the third time as he reached out for the phone & with his eyes still on the woman standing in front of him. He dialed his wife’s work phone number. It rang three times before she picked it up. Her voice melted his ear.

“Yul, I’m sorry but I can’t make it for lunch today. I have to take care of something.” Jaejoong knew that was a distasteful lie but he couldn’t make up another excuses.

“It’s fine. I have papers to fill out anyway.”

He grimaced. She always make up excuses for the things he couldn’t come to & to make him think that she have important things to do with his absences, “Alright then. I will see you later at home. Bye.” He waited for her voice again, but she hung up without any further words. Since that day, they had never exchanged more than five words per minute when together. With a sigh, he hung up & turned his attention back to Jessica.

She was nervously playing with the strap of her pocketbook. Jaejoong sighed again, & rubbed his mouth. He knew she was here more then returning back his handkerchief or else she wouldn’t be blushing so much, “Jessica, what’s the matter?”

She moved her eyes up to him, “I know I’m really a bother but my parents are here.”

Jaejoong frowned. She wasn’t getting to the exact point & why would her parents be in town? They wouldn’t be in Korea, except for business, “They are visiting you?”

She lightly shook her head, “They want to see you.”

“For what?” He asked calmly.

Her pale pink bottom lips trembled but she quickly bit it. He waited patiently. After a few seconds, she was back to answering, “I explained to them, Jae Oppa. I really did but they wouldn’t listen or get me.” She strongly for the first time kept her tears in, “I told them why you canceled the wedding & everything that you had told me.” She paused, “They are here to talk to you about the wedding.”

“What wedding?”

“I don’t know. They want you & I to get marry. I…”

“I’m married already!” Jaejoong interrupted rudely. As he recognized his loud voice, he calmed down, “I’m marry with my wife Yul.”

Jessica brushed her short dark brown hair back with frustrated hands, “I know you are but...my parents wouldn’t listen to me. They are going to be here any second, Oppa.”

“What?!” He exclaimed, a bit over his normal voice, “They never cared about our wedding when we were about to have it but now they are back to talk about it?! I...I don’t get it, Jessica! All I know is that there will be no wedding talk with your parents! I will be happy to meet them again, but I’m married!”

She winced at his response, “My dad’s being sued of stealing another company’s copyrighted school textbooks & misprinting them. All the textbooks haven’t been sent out yet until next year but many schools had already ordered them. His business is going down & his whole company will be disown in less than a month.”

Jaejoong shook his head, “I don’t get how that’s got to do with us, Jessica.”

“Don’t you get it? He’s looking out for money & he wants you to marry me & get the money from you.” “Money? I’m just a lawyer, Jessica, not a businessperson who deals with production.”

“Exactly. You are a famous lawyer with more than money. He thinks you can help him & scare away the company who’s suing him & with your money, you can help him get his company back in its place.”

“I can help your father, Jessica, but I can’t marry you.”

“I…”

“There you two are!” A rich femininely voice called out. Jaejoong looked over Jessica’s shoulder & saw Mrs. Jung. Her husband was right behind her. They placed a wet kiss on Jessica’s cheek & sat down, “Hello, Jaejoong. It’s so nice to see you again.”

Somehow, he forced a smile on, “Same goes to you, Mrs. Jung.” She distraught her eyelashes twice.

“So, when is this wedding you are having with my daughter, young man?” Mr. Jung asked. His utterance was strong, even though after the harsh surgery, “We are so happy for both of you.”

Jaejoong’s smile became invisible lightly, “I’m sorry, Mr. Jung, but there is no wedding between your daughter & I. Our relationship had been over since three months ago. I’m happily married with my wife for more than two months now.”

“How now?” He laughed out loud, “I’m sure my Jessica here didn’t mean to do anything stupid for you to break off the wedding. She loves you very much & I’m sure you love her the same.”

He gave the inferior father a stern look. How could the man think like that of his own daughter? “Jessica didn’t do anything to break off the wedding, sir. I, myself, broke off this wedding & married another.”

As if Mr. Jung had suddenly heard the words married another, his laughing stopped. He turned to give Jessica a rigorous look & turned back to Jaejoong, “You are married with another woman so fast after breaking up with my daughter? Jessica never told us.”

“I’m sure she did, sir. You never did pay much attention to her nor your other daughter.”

Mr. Jung shored up & lifted his chin in abashment. Jaejoong gave him a discontent look. The middle age man just now realized that until someone spoke up. His wife, somehow, turned pale & started to laugh softly.

“Sure we do, darling.” She said to Jaejoong, “We pay much more concentration to them than ourselves. Now, about that wife of yours, I’m sure you can divorce her & marry Jessica. How hard can that be?”

Jaejoong colored with anger but he held his temper down. He didn’t skip lunch with his beloved just to listen to two reckless adults. He looked straight at Jessica. She blushed & looked down at her hands. With a harsh inhale & exhale, he remarked, “I married my wife for reasons.”

“I’m sure you did for the reason of a son, right? Now that I remembered what our dear Jessica said, darling. Jaejoong canceled the wedding just to remarry a woman that was pregnant with his son. What a shame for you that you didn’t remarry her for love like you would had our Jessica. I’m now content that you can divorce her…”

“I think that’s enough rude talking of my wife & son!” Jaejoong hissed, with his face coloring up again. He gritted his teeth as Mrs. Jung placed a hand on her chest as if having a heart attack from his outbursts. He would have shouted it out if only they weren’t centered in the middle of a restaurant. Nobody talks about his love ones like a barbarian, especially about his son & wife, “I’m sure the misunderstanding is now clear. There is no wedding between Jessica & I. I understand your problem, Mr. Jung, & I’m sure I can help you without the prattle of my family.”

The man nodded with his face blushed, “Jagiya, why don’t you & Jessica go take a walk?” His wife unrestrictedly opened to reject but with a vicious look from his face, she obeyed & stood up with Jessica. As soon as they disappeared, out of eyesight, Mr. Jung cleared his throat & said, “I’m sorry about that. My wife & I can get carry away sometimes.”

“I’m sure of that.” Jaejoong agreed.

Mr. Jung turned red with embarrassment, “About my problem, I’m guessing Jessica had told you before we came & made a scene.”

“She had being a sincere daughter. I can help with the money but about you being my client, I need to know about the details first.”

He looked nervous, “The details I can give. I couldn’t find a trustful lawyer in San Francisco but you were my daughter’s ex-fiance & about the money, how much are you willing to give in until I can pay you back? It’s going to be much though.”

“It depends on what you are going to need it for.”

He affirmatively answered quickly, “I thank you then. I will send you the information as soon as I can.” He pull on his alfani red mini-gingham skinny tie as if he couldn’t breathe, “Since you are going to be my lawyer, I hope my daughter won’t be a problem.”

Jaejoong compressed his brows, “Why would she?”

“She still loves you. I can see it in her eyes. I’m sorry to say this after all of what my wife & I had caused but if ever you & that wife of yours get a divorce, Jessica will still be waiting for you.”

“We would never get a divorce, I assure you.” He saw Mr. Jung flinched at his strongly said voice, “You & your wife had never paid Jessica any attention when she was to get marry so why now? You didn’t see the tears she had wipe off each time she try to convince you two to come to the wedding. Did you even try to comfort her when she wiped her tears after a canceled wedding?”

Mr. Jung coughed tautly, “I was busy that day.”

Jaejoong grimaced at the man’s lie. He stood up while taking out a card at the same time, “This is my business card. I may not be available at all time for the cause of cases but leave a message with my secretary & I will call you back.”

“Thank you.” He said, taking the card, “Why don’t we schedule dinner some time?”

Jaejoong nodded, “With my wife, that will be pleasant.” The older man’s face endowed with color & he looked away uncomfortably. Jaejoong smiled grimly. He knew the man was out to ruin his life with Yuri & place him with his daughter. Mr. Jung doesn’t have a heart, “I will be heading back now.” He made his way out of the restaurant & stopped at his car to take in some fresh air. As he got into his car, Jaejoong took out his cell phone & punched in Yuri’s office number. It took only one ring before she picked the phone up, “Hi Yul, how was your lunch?”

“Great.” She didn’t sound so enthusiastic. All she had for lunch was some beef kimbap.

“There’s another banquet tonight. I’m sorry that I forgot to tell you earlier.”

Yuri dropped her pen & rubbed her throbbing temples, “I have to chaperon at a school dance tonight. I can’t go.”

“Oh.” He said, discontented “What about Hyunnie? Mina’s got her job to worry about & we can’t set her up for babysitting.”

“I…”

“Never mind. I will just cancel it. It’s no big deal.” He pretended to look at his seiko kinteic two-tone stainless steel bracelet watch, “I have to go now. Bye.”

“Bye.”

“Wait.” Jaejoong quickly said, before she can hang up. He had made up his mind, “Yul, I need to tell you something after you get home. It’s important that you should know.”

She slightly frowned, “I won’t be home to change but stay in the school until the dance begins.”

He exhaled, “Oh, maybe tonight then? I will wait up in bed for you, even if it’s late.”

Yuri didn’t decline. Jaejoong hung up after a click from the other line & inclined back. He had lied enough & he needed to tell her what had been happening before something coincidental happens. It always tends to happen at the inappropriate time. Much more, he hates to lie to her.

He had intended to spend more time with her but it wasn’t working out as he had wanted it to. She was always so busy but he will find a way to spend time alone with her & amend the things he had done in the past. He started the car just as Jessica & her mother turned the corner. She quickly caught a glimpse of him. He smiled thinly & waved a little goodbye. She smiled with a nod. He sighed & drove off. Jessica was still deeply in love with him.