Amber POV

The performance have been finalized and the date of the recital has been confirmed. The date was the day that I dreaded the most. February 14, Valentine’s day. I can’t say that I hate it. It was my most dreaded and unfortunate day. But with Krystal and others, this day would be different. No longer the “alone” me. I have people who adores me and loves me that’s why I decided to tell the truth. I invited Soojung in my apartment since Grandpa and Granma extended their vacation. We are currently at my room.

“So, what is it that you want to tell me? You seem nervous. Is everything alright?” she asked

“I wanted to tell you the truth”

“What do you mean? have you been lying to me the whole time?”

“Its about the real me” I told her meekly

“If this is about your past, I already told you that I will wait. You don’t have to worry about telling me this soon” She moved up to me and hugged me. I immediately get away from her and a flash of hurt can be seen from her face.

“I have to tell you now, I trust you”

“Okay” she sighed

“I am not a fan of Valentine’s day, more likely, February 14 was or is an unfortunate day for me” I started

“okay, I don’t know the connection of this but if you’re saying that you hate valentine’s, I wont for force you to take me out on that day”

“No! That’s not it”

“Then what?”

“That day, February 14 was the day Donghae died. He was my little brother”

Flashback

I was 10 and Donghae was 8. They love my brother, but me? No. I don’t feel anything from them. Sure we’re not rich at that time yet. My dad barely started his business. They’ve always loved my brother. They already had set that my brother would inherit the company. They always bring him to parties to introduce the future heir. You see, my parents are conservative. I was always in the background. The shadow of my little brother. I am not jealous of him because I love him. But the only love that I got was the love the maids and my personal butler gave me. Heck, they were even acting as my parents. When they take Donghae out, they leave me behind, as if I was not their daughter. They barely talk to me. I did everything, topping the ranks at school, so I could atleast show them that I am worth to be a Liu. I would sometimes insist my Dad to be the one to attend the PTA meetings but he always said he’s busy, when it comes to my mom, it was the same. But they would always have time for Donghae. Only my personal mais and butler came to the point that my teachers and classmates thought they were my real parents, when I denied it, they wouldn’t believe me. Dad’s business partners only knew that they had a son, never a daughter, so I can say, I never really had parents. But one day, on February 14, my dad finally asked me, together with Donghae to come with him and buy flowers for mom. That was the first time he asked me to tag along with him. I immediately went with them. But on the way home, I thought he can finally see me as a daughter. I asked that to stop over a cake store.

“Dad, please? Can we stop for a while in the cake store? I’ll be there for ten minutes. I just want to buy something for mom” I begged from the driver’s seat

“I said no Yiyun and that’s final” that was when I threw tantrum. I kept on crying and when dad finally lost it, he left his sight from the road in an attempt to stop me. And when he did, he never saw the delivery coming towards us not having seeing the opportunity to stop in the red light. The back of the car collided with the truck and sent our car rolling. That was when I realized that, Donghae, the exact location where the truck collided.

I woke in a hospital room. Only the butler was there, no parents, no Donghae. He called the doctor and he gave me the ok sign to be released tomorrow. I asked where Dongahe was and my parents and he just shook his head. “Dongahe’s gone, Yiyun. The funeral was held a week ago. You have been asleep for two weeks. As for your parents, they left to mourn. They didn’t say when they are coming back” That was when I realized, my brother died because of me.

End of Flashback

I looked at her with shame and tears in my eyes. She immediately hugged me and told me that it was an accident, that it was never my fault.

“You have to believe that it isn’t your fault, it was an accident” she said.

“ I know but it happened because of me. That time I thought of telling you but you went to US. I waited for you, but you never came back. I stayed in my room most of the time and buried myself with studies.”

“And you don’t know how sorry I am for leaving you like that”

“I forgive you. and I want to tell you the whole story”

“You didn’t have to. I told you I would wait.”

“I need to do this for myself” and she just nodded.