“She's been inside her room the whole day”

“Sigh~ she's changed so much”

The days after the conversation with the travelers passed and as the days passed Tiffany changed. The once cheerful girl has turned into a working machine. She takes no rest except for a few hours of sleep and a few bites of anything. She doesn’t go out of her room so much and just focus on work. She doesn’t ignore Jessica but she doesn’t react much to the older girl like before in short, their once close relationship deteriorated with Jessica being clueless about everything.

Mr. Hwang can’t do anything but just watch.

Taeyeon tries to reach out to Tiffany but after receiving a few longing looks and teary eyed stares she became worried and totally clueless.

They tried to talk to her but she won’t give a straight answer.

“What's wrong with you?”

“Everything”

“Are you hurt somewhere?”

“My heart”

“You want to talk about it?”

“No words can explain how I feel”

“Were here for you, Tiff”

“Thanks”

“Tiffany?”

Tiffany came home from work in the evening and found no one home except Taeyeon.

“Why are you here? Where's Jessi?”

“She had a very important appointment in Jeju. Uncle Hwang's with her so they kinda asked me to look after you”

“You sure have so much time on your hand. I'm a big girl”

“Are you really?”

Being tired from work and everything happening in her life she was kinda annoyed with Taeyeon’s question.

“And what do you mean by that?”

“You've been acting weird and everyone's worrying about you. Women, matured adults don’t let people worry about her” her back is facing Tiffany as she fixed their dinner.

“If she has any problem instead of escaping and ignoring, she faces it head on”

“What if escaping is your only choice? What if it’s the only way you won’t be hurt?”

“Ask that yourself. You're escaping but are you not hurt anymore?”

“Why do you care so much about me, Taeyeon? I'm just the cousin of your lover”

“Sica loves you so much, Tiffany”

“You don’t have to worry about me”

“Sigh~ you really are stubborn.”

She then faces Tiffany while crossing her arms.

“That party in New York, I was not supposed to be there. But when I heard that someone from the Hwang’s will be coming, I changed my mind. When Uncle Hwang told me you were not coming I was disappointed”

“You knew about me?”

“I knew even about the promise. Aunt Hwang still called me every now and then making sure I was fine. She also told me stories about you. If... If you did come that night, I would have never approached you but I would still look after you. I'm just glad Sica came though. At least we were both spared from that silly arranged marriage”

“If that marriage continued will you be fine with it?”

“If that did happen... I... I will only think about how you feel”

Taeyeon was blushing red but only because of embarrassment.

“Do you have any regrets on life, Taeyeon? Anything you want to change in the past?”

“I do have some regrets but... I won’t change it. I can’t change it anyway”

“Why won’t you?”

“Because those regrets, those decisions... they make up who I am. If I did not do those things, I will never learn. Yes, they must have hurt us and wounded us in some ways but... If I did not feel the pain I will only become more and more vulnerable.” Taeyeon puts a mug on the table. “Hot chocolate?”

“Thanks”

“Tiffany, everyone's worried about you. Talk it out. We're all willing to listen” she goes to Tiffany and pats her head. “You're like a little sister to me. You can always come to me” and Taeyeon smiled. Taeyeon was about to pass by Tiffany when she immediately walks to the older woman and back hugged her.

“T-Tiffany?”

“Let me”

“... Instead of facing my back. Let me hug you instead” she immediately felt Taeyeon's arms wrapped around her.

“Everything's going to be alright” Taeyeon whispered but right there and then Tiffany knows nothing will be.

Tiffany came around a bit after that. She tried talking to everyone again, including Jessica. She won’t stick out for too long especially if Taeyeon's around and the two will be lovey dovey but she did try. She became closer to Taeyeon, even closer than when they were married. Taeyeon became a friend to her, a best friend even but she won’t tell anyone that. The feelings she had for the latter intensified and it took all of her to not run into those arms she missed dearly.

Taeyeon and Jessica became much closer and bolder in showing their affection much to her dismay. They even spent days together going everywhere and anywhere and Tiffany almost went crazy thinking about where they were and what the hell they were doing. She thought about stealing Taeyeon but she can’t do it, not to Jessica. Also knowing Taeyeon she won’t succeed. Taeyeon's the most loyal person in the world and she knows that what Taeyeon felt for Jessica is real. Fate doesn’t help too. Knowing that the two are fated to be together because of her stupidity stops her too.

Her work life became very successful however. She became well known as the charismatic designer Tiffany Hwang at such a young age. She got almost everything she wanted, almost. Many people tried to court her but they were all wasted effort. She recognized some of them, they were the people she tried to date when she was with Taeyeon but she never gave them a chance, she never should have even before, she thought. The only one she ever wanted will never be hers.

A month before Taeyeon's birthday and she's shopping with Jessica looking for gifts. Jessica looked like a mad woman