Unpleasant but necessary. This was the last place Taeyeon wanted to be in and being here brought back memories that she’d much rather lose than carry around. But Taeyeon sat with her back straight and face calm as she waited. Fortunately, the wait wasn’t too long and the person she had come here for was escorted into the room.

Neither woman said anything until the warden left the room and closed the door. Taeyeon broke the silence first.

“I’m not gonna say I’m sorry.”

The woman who had been such a big part of her life in the past scoffed. “ you, Taeyeon. Your apology is trash anyway.”

“Of course it is. To you it will be.”

“You ing promised. You ing—.”

“I promised not to run.” Taeyeon kept her eyes on the fiery ones across the table. “I didn’t run.”

“You didn’t run. But you called the ing police. You’re a ing liar. I should have shot you when I had the chance.”

Despite feeling the heat of the woman’s anger radiating through the air around them, Taeyeon didn’t flinch. She had learnt, through the years, that anger usually came from a vulnerable place and one of the best ways of deflecting it was to address the sore spot. In this case, she had one last card left in her hand and this was the best time to use it.

“We’re even now, Cassie.”

“What the are you talking about.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you to take the drug charge at that time, but I’ve made up for it by saving you from a murder charge this time.”

“Murder? You lost your er. There wasn’t no murder, idiot.”

“You’re a smart girl, Cassie. You know you were gonna end up killing someone. Either me or her.”

“You’re full of bull.”

“I heard you talking on the phone. I heard you saying you had to cut Tiffany up. You said it wasn’t part of the deal, right? They were gonna make you do it anyway. But they weren’t gonna stop there. First, it’s a finger. Then more. Another finger. Or the face. It was gonna get worse and worse until Tiffany’s father gave in to them.” Taeyeon paused to see if Cassie had anything to say to that. Nothing. The woman remained silent. “You know that I wouldn’t have let you do it, right? I would’ve shot whoever came near Tiffany. Then you would’ve shot me.”

“ you.”

Taeyeon looked around the bare room. “I’m sorry. You’re like ten years too late and this place really kills the mood,” she joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Go yourself.”

Okay, so jokes weren’t such a good idea. “Cassie, I’ll be straight here. You tried to pin the drug charge on me back then. I know you did. And I was very angry for a very long time. But also very devastated.” Taeyeon dug her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath to calm herself. “Do you know what it’s like to have your first and only girlfriend betray you like that? I’ll betcha don’t. So lemme tell ya. It hurts. Okay? It hurt like a ing shoving a ing stick up my right through my heart. And I was just a ing teenager. Okay? And I was ing terrified and ing suicidal almost. Did you know that? Did you know the I had to fight through to come out in one piece? You don’t, right? But ya know what? I don’t blame you. I don’t blame you anymore. Cos I know why you tried to do it. And I’m okay with it now. But you owe me this one and now I’m claiming it. I called the police so now we’re even. We’re even, okay? I don’t want to hate you and I don’t want you to hate me. I don’t want to end up enemies with my first love.”

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