Chapter One:

Of Future Plans, Surprises and Failed Ones

“Who do you think that I should invite on my side?”

Tiffany happily asked her fiancé Jasper, who is silently staring at his cup of coffee for the last hour.

“How about on your side of the family? What do you think, sweetie?”

“It’s all up to you.”

Jasper tiredly answer to Tiffany but the young woman is too happy to even notice the somber mood of the man.

They were currently planning their engagement party to be held really soon and three months later they will be planning again and it will be their wedding they’ll be planning about that time around.

And Tiffany was really beyond feeling ecstatic about everything. She feels like she's walking up in the cloud every day since Jasper asked her.

Tiffany met Jasper Cho at the company they are currently working at, Jasper is also Korean born America like her that made them instantly friendly to each other the first time they met at the company’s opening ceremony for the new employees, he’s one of the newly hired junior staff in internal audit at the accounting department while Tiffany was hired as a junior marketing consultant on the marketing department.

They worked a  few floors apart but that didn’t stopped them from getting to know each other become close friends at the beginning before Jasper finally had the courage to formally ask her out for a date.

And now that they’re of right age and have a steady income from their jobs and as they slowly stepping up on their own field of works, Tiffany just can’t help but to feel really ecstatic about their upcoming engagement party. For her, it feels like everything was destined to happened right at this very moment of her life.

"Actually, I've already listed everyone in our family and all our close friends. I just hope I didn't miss anyone!"

Tiffany's happiness still hasn't subsided even for a little bit as she continue talking to her fiancé.

"Hmmm..."

"And if ever I did, I'm sure I'll be able to remember them before the date of the engagement party arrives!"

"Yeah...”

But at this point, Tiffany finally noticed the lack of enthusiasm that she was expecting from her boyfriend. She silently looked at the Jasper with a slight wrinkle on her forehead and when she still didn’t find any response from the guy, Tiffany finally decided to speak up directly to him.

“Are you okay, sweetie?”

Tiffany gently asked, she didn’t forget to lace her voice with a hint of worry just to make sure that she’ll get her boyfriend’s attention much quicker.

Jasper gave her a small smile but Tiffany instantly caught the hidden tiredness laced on it.

“I’m fine, sweetie. Just a little tired though. I think I overworked myself at that new account our department is currently handling but other than that, everything is good.”

“Awww, my sweetie is tired…”

Tiffany cooed as she gave her boyfriend an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry for being such an inconsiderate girlfriend… I even made you come here after work without even asking how you are feeling… I’m sorry.”

“Nah, its okay… I want to see you too…”

Jasper guiltily looked at his girlfriend and couldn’t resist the urge to pull the girl closer into his arms, and so he did, he gently pulled Tiffany into him and placed her head in top of his chest.

“Let me hold you for a while…”

Tiffany finally let out a sweet smile when she heard Jasper deep soothing voice right on top of her head and went to snuggle even closer into his broad chest. This is one of Tiffany most favorite gesture from her boyfriend. All those moment that Jaehyun would suddenly pull her close and engulf her into a tight hug like he never want to let her go ever again.

But Tiffany felt something was quiet off at this moment. The way Jasper was hugging her… it’s seem powerless… like the guy had really drained all his energy.

“Sweetie… you look really tired. Are you sure you’re really okay? Why don’t you just go back to your apartment early tonight and have a rest? I don’t want you to get sick right before our engagement party.”

Tiffany felt the hold of his fiancé slowly loosen up a bit before she was finally release slowly from the hug.

“Thank you, Tiff. I’ll make it up to you next time.”

Tiffany felt a soft kiss landed on top of her head and in a blink of an eye, Jasper was already  on his feet and was about to pick up his jacket and suitcase that is on the other side of the couch. Tiffany could only silently watch him ready himself to get home and could only silently walk him out of the door but before totally leaving, Jasper pulled her again into his arms to give her his usual goodnight kiss.

Jasper carefully cupped her cheeks and leaned in to capture her lips in a slow kiss, Tiffany could utterly feel the carefulness in Jasper’s kisses and Tiffany doesn’t know if she should be glad that her fiancé is treating her with such care or should she feel worried because somehow the kiss feels like being weighted carefully by the man.

Jasper had probably sensed the growing uncertainty within Tiffany’s kisses as the man suddenly made an abrupt change and turn his kiss into a much deeper one after a few seconds, Tiffany just allowed her fiancé to slipped in his tongue into , she allowed him to kiss her deeper and touch her in some places but amidst the seemingly passionate act, Tiffany somehow felt it was undoubtedly powerless again, like something is quite missing from the full of passion and love kisses they always share.

‘He’s probably must be really tired, Tiffany.’

Tiffany shook off all the negative thoughts her mind suddenly created and just send off her boyfriend off to his car. Tiffany closed her front door and securely locked it before finally letting go of the sigh she’s been trying to hold in for the last couple of minutes as she keeps on thinking of that good night kiss Jasper had given her.

She just can’t really help but feel slightly disappointed about it though and felt… worried, perhaps? As she can no longer feel that warm feeling she always felt whenever Jasper would kiss her, even the slightest one.

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Tiffany had just come home from work and was about to go to the kitchen to get herself a glass of ice cold water when she suddenly heard her cellphone ringing, with a soft grunt Tiffany went back to living room to get her phone inside her bag. She frowned when she saw an un-registered number flashing into her screen and couldn’t help but to think twice of she should answer the call or not.

Tiffany sat down and reached out for the box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates Jasper had given her earlier today and took one and lazily open it’s wrapper before biting half of the round chocolate into while letting the poor cellphone to just continue ringing.

When Tiffany had already swallowed her first bite, the call was still connected and it’s really getting into her nerves, she let out an irritated sigh before finally sliding the accept icon on her cellphone screen.

“Hello? Who’s this?”

“Finally! You picked up!”

“Who's this?.”

“You still haven’t changed, still not answering unknown numbers calling on your phone. You better change that habit of yours, what if there’s an emergency or something…”

Tiffany felt more irritated with her unknown caller who speaks like she knows her a lot, when Tiffany can’t even recognize her voice.

“If you’re not telling me who you are, then I’ll just be dropping of this call. Bye.”

“Waitttt! OH MY GOD TIFFANY! I should really feel sad right now! You don’t even recognize my voice? Did I lose my accent already because I stayed in Seoul for such a long time already?”

Tiffany went quiet on the other line, trying to think of if she knows anyone from Seoul. Then she suddenly remembers a particular person. Her bestfriend, the very first person she became friends with since she first came here in Los Angeles when she was just seven years old.

And even with a few years of age difference, it never stopped them from being close friends when they were younger. Yelena and her first met when the latter saved her from a bunch of bullies from their old elementary school and from then on, Tiffany had stick to her. Yelena had become a big sister she never had, her ultimate protector and her very bestfriend at the same time.

“Oh my god! Is that you Yelena?”

“Finally!”

“Oh my god! It’s really you? Where are you? When did you get back here in LA? Where are you staying?”

Tiffany bombarded her long lost bestfriend a lot of question that made the other woman chuckle at her silliness.

“Chill… Tiff. I’ll answer all your questions, okay?”

“Oh my god! I’m sorry! I’m just really excited to hear from you again!”