A/N: Again, I'm going to make the note first before the chapter starts. This chapter will reveal everything [well, i think not everything? haha.] and all my questions for you guys will be answered [partially]. I hope you're ready. I won't be telling you who got it right from the comments, just read it and be shocked~ LOL. Reading your comments made me wanna update right now. Haha. I'm still supposed to update tomorrow but I got a little itchy becuase I enjoyed reading your comments.

I'll give you guys something that none of you was able to point out. Remember at an early chapter, Jessica asked Tiffany, "Why are you adopting kids when you can bear a child yourself?" [or something similar to that. kinda lazy to look back. LOL.] That's one of the closest hints about Tiffany's past.

As for the JungLi's part, most of you got it right so I won't be saying much now. Haha.

Well, this chapter is kinda long so please bear with it. haha.

ENJOY!

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Chapter 12 Opening Closed Doors

 

Everyone has an untold story hidden behind those closed doors. Whatever’s hiding behind these doors shall be known and shall never be kept locked up forever. Surely, these closed doors hide deepest and darkest secrets of the past or one’s true colors but one shouldn’t live protecting that one closed door for the rest of their lives. Someday, sometime, somehow, someone will take a step forward to open it and everyone shall be blinded by the reality behind it.

 

It’s one another day at the Jung’s mansion but definitely not an ordinary and its typical one. Upon waking up to meet the sunlight that was once absent in the past few days of nothing but heavy rainfall, the youngest Jung forced her lazy body be up so early in the morning. Krystal set her rumbled mind the moment she got out of her own room to start her day but she failed to do so. As she opened her phone after a day of completely shutting it down, numerous calls and messages met her half-opened eyes.

 

“All from Sulli, huh?” Krystal sighed as she saw all these missed calls and unanswered voice messages. “Whatever…” She then groaned all deleted all those unread messages at once as her heart is still stoned but a little cracking now after the afternoon she met with Amber.

 

By the ride side near the swimming pool, there Krystal administered her sister together with her secretary talking with such serious and dark faces painted all over their morning faces while eating their well set breakfast served by the maids. The curious younger sister decided to walk towards them but as she got closer, Yoona noticed her presence and immediately stopped talking while her sister just exhaled loud, more of a frustrated breathe from her.

 

“Did I disturb something?” Krystal awkwardly asked. “I’m sorry. I just woke up and saw the two of you talking so serious so I got a little carried away.”

 

“No, it’s nothing.” Yoona assured with her smile whose lips were once frowning before Krystal came to them. “We’re just talking about the gathering that will take place here later. I’m doing some final check with your sister that’s why we were a little serious.” She then explained.

 

“Really?” Krystal nodded but by just looking at her sister’s frowning lips, she knew something’s fishy and that her secretary somehow covered up for her.

 

“Anyway, I’ll go check the backyard for the venue unnie. I also have to make an urgent call to our other guests for their confirmation of attendance for this get-together.” Yoona said and left the sisters alone.

 

“Jess won’t get this frustrated over a simple gathering. They must be talking about something else.” Krystal thought, still on her stand watching her sister taking a sip of her morning tea to release her apparent anxiousness.

 

“Have a seat.” Jessica offered as she noticed Krystal glaring down at her and so the younger one complied, occupying the seat that Yoona used moments ago.

 

As she took a huge bite on the French toasts from her sister’s plate, Krystal inquires, “So, you’re meeting Tyler Kwon today?” And Jessica silently nodded while she pretentiously reading the newspaper on her hands. “How about Tiffany-unnie then?”

 

Jessica looked up from reading and glared at her sister, “Why is Tiff mentioned out of nowhere here?” She questioned.

 

“Well, she looks so troubled when she first heard about Tyler from dad last time.” Krystal said. “I was just thinking that she might be against it or something.” She then continued as she took a glimpse of how her sister would react, checking out if her expression would change a bit from her usual cold one into caught off guard one.

 

Since Jessica is way more professional than this young one, she swiftly dodged her queries as she diverted the topic from her to her sister. “You should be worrying about yourself first before us.” She sighed as she rolled her eyes. “Have you fixed your problem with Choi Sulli yet?”

 

“H-hey!” Krystal was the one who got taken aback, opposite to what she has expected. “S-so it reached you too? Did Vic-unnie tell you about it again?”

 

“Kai told me about it.” Jessica glared at her sister’s nervous gazes. “He called me yesterday night asking about you. He said you’re not picking up your phone so he called me instead. I forced him to tell me what happened because he sounded so anxious. That kid is way too nice to lie; you shouldn’t confront him soon after this.”

 

“Did he… say something weird?” Krystal hesitantly asked as she thought of that kiss that her ranging emotions did to him. “I mean like… uhm… about when we were together… after what happened at the university…”

 

“Oh my God!” Jessica gasped and cupped her sister’s face with her two slender hands. Then she asked with an utmost caution, “Did he, by any chance… did he score? Did he k-k-kiss… you?” Her eyes are as wide as she anticipates for a direct response while holding her breath with left half-opened.

 

Since Krystal can’t possibly hide anything from her sister, she shyly nodded. “Five seconds? Maybe?” She admitted.

 

“I knew it!” Jessica released all the air she inhaled as she puffed loud from exasperation. Going wild on her seat, the older sister hysterically snapped, “So that’s why he was asking me to tell you he’s sorry for something he did. Oh my good Lord, my Krystal’s lips were touched. What should I do? Mom will kill me if she finds out! I promised her that I’ll let her meet your future lover first before he can touch you!” 

 

“Unnie, please stop. Kai isn’t my lover in the first place and it was a mistake, okay? I wasn’t thinking straight and right that time. I don’t even want to remember it so please stop that unnie.” Krystal begged with her voice so low under her breath, indicating that she doesn’t want to talk about him further.

 

Realizing this, Jessica stopped from mumbling prayers and sat up properly as she cleared . “Anyway, forget about that incident with Kai for a while and you should fix your problem with Sulli first. It seems like Tiff doesn’t have an idea about what’s happening to Sulli so I didn’t tell her anymore. It’s just a simple problem with a simple solution and you can’t even decide on it.” She said as a critique.

 

“It’s not that easy unnie!” Krystal whined. “It might sound simple for you but it’s not for me!”

 

Jessica flicked her eyebrow up as she continues on criticizing, “Wow, here I am thinking that you’re a strong woman but I guess you’re not, huh? My defiant and rebellious sister can’t even go forward and face a single woman. You’re disappointing me...”

 

“T-then, how about you unnie?” Krystal questioned back for she got nothing on her sleeves to fight back with her sister’s criticisms. “You keep on following dad’s orders just because he said so. You’re criticizing me and yet there you are who can’t make a choice by yourself. Is it that hard for you to say no to him?” She confronted her sister without holding back her tone that’s getting higher at all.

 

Jessica raised her eyebrow higher than before, offended of how Krystal just countered. Krystal didn’t retreat though, as she returned the same amount of enraged expression to her sister, raising an eyebrow with her arms crossed. Like it eventually turned into a staring game, the older one knew she couldn’t win with this persistent and sturdy younger sister of hers thus broke the eye contact first and gave up without saying a word.

 

When Krystal grasped that Jessica chose not to say a word more, she goes on saying, “If it’s Tiffany-unnie, are you going to make a decision without dad? Can you make a choice on your own? If she asks you to do so, can you? She’s worried for you Jess, especially your relationship with Tyler.”

 

“Shut up.” Jessica quickly replied with a vexed hiss which surprised Krystal on her seat. Because of her mind that’s also restless like her sister, Jessica made a stand then she stared down at her sitting still sister saying, “I’m aware of it, that Tiff is worried. And as I was telling you a while ago, you should be worrying about yourself first before worrying about me and quit involving Tiff all the time.”

 

“W-wait, where are you going?” The stunned Krystal asked her sister who’s striding away from her.

 

“I’m going to prepare for the gathering of course. And for you little one, let me tell you this. I won’t in to your problem with Choi Sulli even if you ask for my help for even I am bothered these days.  You can’t possibly rely on me all the time. Go fix that yourself and stop slacking off.” Jessica said last before leaving her sister at their table, staggered and speechless on her position of what just happened on such an early morning of her day.

 

“Then don’t ask about it when you won’t help be in the end.” Krystal sulked and finished off her sister’s leftover breakfast.

 

Meanwhile, the busy secretary has always been so active and energetic with her work. She’s checking the gathering’s venue which happens to be at the Jung’s mansion’s backyard that’s expansive enough to lodge hundreds of expected visitors. From the lunch’s menu to the set-up, from its arrangement and number of confirmed people to attend, Yoona is taking notes of all of those. This one industrious secretary sure never failed to exceed Jessica’s expectations, and this trait of her is just one of the reasons why she was hired for such a highly trusted position.

 

“Ma’am, please stop that! Ms. Jessica will scold us if she sees us letting you work.” A servant was heard arguing with someone from the garden filled with flowers that was initially damaged by the heavy rain.

 

“Don’t worry! I’ll tell her if that happens. Besides, I feel bored doing nothing in this mansion and planting is my specialty.”

 

Yoona found where the arguments are coming from, and it’s from the numerous servants trying to stop their guest Tiffany Hwang from giving a helping hand. But the persistent Tiffany keeps on insisting and there’s the servants sighing as they couldn’t do anything to stop her from doing things that they’re supposed to do.

 

“Unnie, what are you doing? You’re all dirty.” Yoona giggled as she asked at Tiffany’s dirty mudded face.

 

After wiping clean her face with her hands, Tiffany flashed her eye smile and replied, “I was just trying to help them restore this wasted garden but they keep on pushing me away. Don’t you think it’s rude to refuse a help Yoona?”

 

“It’s not like that Ms. Tiffany. We’re just afraid to disobey Ms. Jessica’s orders of not letting you work while you’re on your stay here.” The servants carefully clarified to the sulking childish Tiffany.

 

Yoona laughed loud at them, “Sorry unnie but I’m taking sides to the servants.”

 

“But why?” Tiffany pouted.

 

“Really, it’s Sica-unnie’s orders not to let you work inside the mansion. Have you seen her getting mad?” Yoona asked and Tiffany wiggled her head. “You wouldn’t like it unnie. I’m telling you now; she’s like a dragon on a period if she gets mad. I’ve seen it before and I wasn’t able to sleep for days though it wasn’t me who got scolded. So please understand these servants, it will be hard for them too if Sica-unnie sees you here.”

 

“But… I want to work…” Tiffany still insisted and went back on picking up those fallen pots on the Bermuda grass.

 

Having no other choice, Yoona signaled all the servants to leave the two of them for a while and so they all walked away obediently without questioning further why. As Tiffany isn’t paying much attention to them, she hasn’t realized that it’s only her and Yoona left in this garden filled with hybrid plants and grasses. For Yoona, looking at this woman filled with nothing but eye smile and positivity while knowing there’s sorrow massively wondering around her heart, somehow, she didn’t like this sight in front of her.

 

“I’ll help you out unnie. It would be better if there are two of us here in case Sica-unnie sees you.” Yoona put down all her folders and papers then she stepped forward to help the older woman on work.

 

Tiffany looks to her side to ogle at Yoona’s face and to examine her expression methodically. Compared to when she first met her at the office, Yoona seem to be more disturbed this time for her eyes can’t help itself but to take occasional glimpses to Tiffany who never failed to catch those uneasy peeps. Moreover, Yoona’s once calmed hands and stance is nowhere to be found as her cold tensed hands just can’t seem to relax from picking up the fallen plants.

 

“What’s wrong? You keep on stealing glances on me. It’s uncomfortable, you know.” Tiffany finally decided to ask and took over the pot from Yoona’s hands and positioned it properly herself.

 

Yoona breathed and closed her eyes for seconds as she’s regaining her composure to properly face this doubtful older woman. It didn’t take long nonetheless when she found the nerve to ask directly, “I want to talk to you for a while unnie, can you spare a time for me? Please, there’s something I wanted to ask you.” She begged with her hands clasped.

 

“Y-yeah, sure.” Tiffany was forced to agree.

 

As they walk around the backyard with servants running in and out from the mansion, Tiffany started to get uneasy, but not the same feeling she got when she was alone with Yuri. This time, she feels so overly conscious with this easy-going secretary because she doesn’t know and can’t read what’s flowing into Yoona’s mind, unlike Yuri whose intentions are so evident with just that one devilish smile of hers. Yoona really is a firm woman, making it hard for Tiffany to determine what that expressionless face of hers means.

 

“Unnie…” Yoona finally opened and this startled Tiffany a little for her remark came out of nowhere while they keep on pacing around. “You know what the event today is, right?” She then asked.

 

“It’s Tyler Kwon’s arrival and welcome party. He’s Jessi’s business partner in promotions.” Tiffany briefly answered and they stopped by the edge of the water fountain located at the middle of mansion’s backyard.

 

“You’ve heard of it unnie.” Yoona breathed as she leaned on the guardrails. “Are you aware of their father’s plan of pairing them up? I mean, obviously for marriage purposes, did you know that?”

 

Tiffany frowned and as if she loses all her energy for a second, she let her back dropped on the rails too, joining Yoona while they view the gathering venue from a distance. “I know but I’m against it though nothing’s been confirmed and hasn’t been decided either.” She lowly responded.

 

Yoona continues on examining, “What’s your standpoint about it unnie, about their marriage?”

 

“It’s futile.” Tiffany said so frank that her voice raised up right there. “I’m against it. Jessi obviously doesn’t love him and what’s worse, she barely knows that guy and yet suddenly talking about marrying him. What is their father thinking? And what is Jessi thinking?” She grated in frustration.

 

“Me too, I’m against it.” Yoona also admitted and Tiffany looked up on her. “But what can I do? I’m just her secretary following her around all day, all night if needed to. It frustrates me too. I honestly hate it whenever I see her following her father’s orders and there she is, accepting it without complains and she turns into a robot.” She forced out a smile to somewhat lighten up the getting heavier mood.

 

“You must be really admiring Jessi, huh?” Tiffany commented.

 

“Yeah, of course. She’s my precious unnie after all. She’s like my guardian angel ever since our college days.” Yoona chortled at the piece of memory that popped out in her mind. But then she reminisced a past that made her laughter disappear, “Remember when I told you a while ago that it’s scary when Sica-unnie gets mad? I’ve seen before, with my two eyes, right in front of me.”

 

Tiffany took a big gulp in tension as Yoona’s tone changed from a jolly one to a thoughtful one. Unsure how to respond and what to say, she just asked, “H-how was it?”

 

“It was the time when Krystal was deciding for her college degree course.” Yoona started off. “I clearly remember that time because I was just newly hired as her secretary. Krystal was at Sica-unnie’s office, asking for an advice on what course should she take. Krystal was so happy telling her sister that she’ll take arts course and that she’ll go to the top-rated arts university in the country and Sica-unnie said she’ll support her if she does. But then, the father came and blocked all her decisions and told her that she was already enrolled for Marketing Management course and that she should follow Sica-unnie’s steps. That’s the first time I saw how Sica-unnie turned so angry and miserable because she wasn’t able to fight for Krystal and again, like a robot, she stated nothing of their father’s decisions. Those burning eyes, those roars she screamed when everyone was out and those curses she growled, there’s no way I could forget those. It was so scary that I vision her like a beast that time.”

 

“Is that so?” That’s all that Tiffany could utter after hearing such remarkable memory from the secretary but her heart crumbled.

 

“That’s the time I decided that I’ll never leave unnie’s side.” Yoona smiled wide as she declared. “And if ever the time comes that she can make a choice by herself or the time when she can finally decide by herself, I’ll support it, whether her decisions are right or wrong I’ll be there and I’m secretly hoping that she could at least turn down her partnership with Tyler Kwon.”

 

“I’m touched with your loyalty to Jessi and I appreciate your hard work Yoona. But… why are you telling me these things by the way?” Tiffany clumsily questioned with a timid smile as she carefully watches at Yoona’s glooming eyes.

 

“I don’t want to see Sica-unnie that miserable ever again, or maybe worse than that time.” Yoona said and faced the muddled Tiffany against the guardrails.

 

“Uhm…”

 

At first, Yoona’s mind resounded, whether to confront his older woman or not but after considering Jessica, of how her boss might feel with all these secrets she’s keeping, she finally came into a conclusion that she should make the first move and end this pointless circling conversation with the truth behind those eye smiles.

 

“Yuri-unnie knows everything about your past, every single thing about you and so am I.” Yoona said so straightforward without seconds of hesitation, no breaks and not even her voice cracked.

 

With this, as if a thunder heavily landed on Tiffany, she let her body arrested on her stand and let her mind get blank from Yoona’s sudden exposure. As much as she wants to meet Yoona’s saddened glares as she’s being looked down in distress, her shocked eyes declined to move and stayed stuck on the bricked ground.

 

“Sica-unnie doesn’t know it, am I right?” Yoona again asked but Tiffany is still deteriorating to utter proper and immediate responses. “I accidentally found out about you unnie. I didn’t intend to invade it, I’m sorry. It was when I met Yuri-unnie at the bar and she was drunk then I saw documents about you. She thoroughly investigated and maybe sooner or later, she’ll tell Sica-unnie about it.” She then went on explaining her side.

 

“I… I…”

 

“Tell her unnie.” Yoona persuaded and shook Tiffany by her shoulders to wake her up from the shock she just received. Yoona then goes on appealing, “Sica-unnie likes you, and I don’t know if you noticed that already. So, tell her while it’s still early. I know that the truth can cut deep and I don’t want these cuts to get deeper. I think it would be better if she finds it out from you, yourself rather than finding it out from anyone, from Yuri-unnie. Please, tell her unnie. It’s so hard for me too especially that I’m always with her most of the times while I’m hiding something from her. It’s suffocating me and of course I know that you are too!”

 

“But… I’m scared…” Tiffany’s hands trembled then she directly looked into Yoona’s concerned eyes. She hisses in fright, “I’m not trying to hide it from her or to anyone. Of course I want to tell her too because she trusts me so much and I do too but how can I bring myself to her and tell her that I’m not that kind of woman she’s picturing me to be? She’s a billionaire and here I am, a penniless woman with such a complicated and difficult past, do you think it’s that easy to just say it? Of course not…”   

 

Yoona sighed in helplessness, “I understand you unnie because even I finds it so difficult to act so fine around her. I’m sorry for pressuring you all of a sudden. Still, the truth should come out from you unnie. Don’t wait until it’s too late and the both of you will just end up getting hurt more than if you tell her now.”

 

“What’s going on here?”

 

The two women full of emotions got alarmed to hear Jessica’s voice forthcoming from behind them. Yoona quickly let go of Tiffany from her tight hold while Tiffany awkwardly stepped backwards, making enough space for the both of them to recover their lost self-controls.

 

Yoona made sure she has calmed own and afterwards she jogged towards her boss to report, “Everything’s set unnie. We’ll just wait for the guests to arrive and start the gathering. Your father personally went to fetch Mr. Tyler Kwon. I was told that they’ll arrive together and expecting that we’ll get enough amount of guests to welcome him.”

 

“Alright, I understand. Thanks for the hard work.” Jessica noticed none of what happened hence she dismissed her secretary without questioning more from her.

 

Tiffany, from back far of them, watches Jessica inspecting the set-up herself. As much as she wants to approach her and talk like the usual, her heart and mind tell her not to and even her leg muscles are refusing to move close to her, everything tells her that it’s not the appropriate time to get so intimate with her. As a result, Tiffany paced out of the backyard to think of what Yoona proposed for her to do and what she should do next now that more and more people are starting to know of her reality.

 

Meanwhile, the muddy village that Tiffany left is currently on chaos. Well, more of a party-like kind of chaos rather than a nightmare kind of one. If the villagers are so frantic and hysterical as they read this delayed newspaper that arrived in their isolated place, what more for Taeyeon who was the most shocked of them all? Holding the newspaper on her hands, she’s running so fast, going all the way to the village chief who is on his own supervising job around the village.

 

“Chief! Chief!” Taeyeon advanced to the chief from talking to a sidewalk vegetable vendor. “Have you seen this news?” She asked and presented the newspaper.

 

The business news reads, “Jessica Jung of Jung Group of Companies is set to collaborate with Tyler Kwon for the company’