Choices, chances and changes are the best recipe of the thing called destiny. The combination of these three ingredients can form a formidable fate but not in the case of rich society. Money, wealth and prosperity, those are the three components of fate in their language. For them, fate is brought by fortunes which lead into a great power that they desire the most. Genuine happiness and real love are not in their dictionaries but abundant affluences are in it. Supremacy is all they need; sovereignty is a requirement and control is a necessity. This is the rich society’s inevitable fate, their foreseen future that is in the hands of the heirs.        

The bright white light of the room, the unfamiliar white bed, the new mixed smell of medicines and pills, Jennie felt all these foreign feeling the second she had her eyes open with her blurry vision. Furthermore, at her side she unclearly recognized a dextrose hanging and later felt a needle injected in her left hand then heard these voices ringing all around her, some in panic and some crying. And the more she grasp onto the situation, the more she realized what had just happened causing a low grumble under her breath.

“Oh my God! Jennie my sweetie!” The weeping mother rushed to her weak daughter in her hospital bed as she gives her a tight embrace around her arms.

The father came in next and joined the hug also howling, “My precious daughter! I’m glad you’re safe!”

Then farther behind the worried parents and across the bed, Nayeon is there letting out a sigh of relief, “Thank God you’re awake Jennie. You made me so damn worried when you suddenly collapsed at the library!”

“Am I at the hospital again?” Jennie examined however as the parents let her weak body rests back on her bed.

“Yes but you’re still in the emergency room. The doctors are about to transfer you to a private room but luckily you’re now awake and well. Let the doctors thoroughly check on you.” The mother said while squeezing her cold hands under the white blanket.

Later, the doctor advanced with his assistant nurse to carefully check on Jennie’s frail body. From her breathing pattern to her test results done earlier, all were cautiously double-checked before he starts with a question towards the parents, “You said that the patient has a con heart defect, right? How long has it been?”

“She already has it when she was born according to our family’s private doctor but we were only able to notice it when she was in grade school because she frequently had heart attack back then. However, recently, this stubborn daughter of ours keeps on snooping around our family’s businesses and has been actively participating in some events too.” The mother clarified well for the attending doctor.

“I see. She must have been stressing out so much lately and became more active than how she’s supposed to be. Well, what I can advise is that she should lay low with the activities especially when it will tire her out and keep her heart relaxed as much as possible. With the kind of business you’re on, surely that can trigger for a heart attack. At least for now, thankfully what happened to her was just a normal attack and I believe for someone who has her condition suffers from it often.” The doctor good-naturedly detailed for the focused guardians.

The father agrees, “Yeah. She gets heart attack at least once or twice a year but if possible we don’t want this to happen anymore. We’ll be more watchful of her next time.”

“Please do consult with her private doctor too and give the results for this matter as well.” The doctor said and handed the printed medical results to the parents. “So, what would you like to do Mr. and Mrs. Kim? Should we confine your daughter on a private room and wait for her doctor in here instead?” He then suggested.

But the stubborn daughter childishly groans, “Mom, dad~ I want to go home! I don’t want to be here and be confined! I hate hospital! Please just bring me back home!”

Thus, the understanding father resolved in a setback, “Okay but we’ll be having your private doctor at home immediately to have your test and further check-up. Don’t complain, did you get me? I shouldn’t have let you visit the office earlier today too, and then maybe we could have avoided this situation again.”

“Yeah…” Jennie sulked.

“Seriously Jennie, how many times do we have to tell you to stop stressing yourself too much? When will you ever listen to us? Look what happened to you now. We can’t afford to lose our only daughter and yet you keep on disobeying us!” Her mother scolded but again puts her daughter back into her embrace.

Jennie cries onto her shoulders and softly protests, “I’m sorry mom. I just wanted to be useful for the family. I always see you and dad doing all the things while I can’t do anything to help you out. I don’t want to stay idle and watch you having a hard time. Even with the simplest things mom, I want to contribute something. What for that I am the heir if you I’m so useless.”

“We’ll talk more about this at home. I’ll have you discharged at once so that you can have your bed rest.” That’s all the father can utter after heeding Jennie’s nags in her loud cries before he walked away out of the scene together with the doctor.

Jennie’s parents briefly left their daughter under Nayeon’s care and let her sobs be continued onto her best friend’s courtesy. This determined heir can only sit there on her bed, be her cries left unheard and be her pleads left ignored by her worried parents who couldn’t do anything, who have any other no choice but do to so. All for Jennie’s sake, for the sake of her life, that’s what Jennie’s parents believe so, resulting into ignorance of her appeals which Jennie’s selfish mind refuses to fathom.

“I don’t know if I’ll get mad at you or what…” Nayeon addressed while watching her frowning best friend on the bed. “When will you understand your parents’ concern for you? They already sound like a tape on loop from reminding you to keep your hands out of the family business if you want to live longer. Don’t you pity them? Don’t you pity yourself? No one wants to lose you Jennie so please, stop being stubborn and let us have a peace of mind too.”

“Geez, stop lecturing me. I already had enough.” Jennie whined. 

Yet her best friend still sermons strictly, “I won’t stop unless you’ll listen to us! What, do you really want to die?”

“You’re exaggerating! My condition won’t kill me. I’ve been living with this defective heart since birth. This can’t possibly end my life now that I’m all grown up.” Jennie moped.

Trying to cheer her best friend up, Nayeon decided to change the topic as she recalls, “Oh yeah. I remembered something. There’s this blonde girl being treated next to you a while ago. She was like covered with blood and she has a lot of cuts. I think she was caught into a fight or maybe an accident. She was taking glances on you.”

“Blonde girl? Here? A while ago? I don’t know any blonde girl though.” Jennie furrowed her eyebrows and looked into that empty space next to her bed.

Nayeon then wonders, “I wonder who that was then.”

Meanwhile, here is the blonde girl they talk about, Lisa who was once covered with blood but now concealed with plasters and bandages as she goes back home with the help of her friends who safely dropped her in front of this luxurious condominium. Her injuries pain her and definitely it is so much of a discomfort but nonetheless, these wounds she has are being treated ordinarily as if she’s so used to it. She has gone so immune of this pain that her body is completely accustomed to it already.

“Miss Lisa…” The condominium’s guard welcomed her in an alert.

The cold Lisa returned, “What?”

“Your parents are in your unit right now waiting for you.” He warily said.

Lisa rolled her eyes and sighed in disbelief, “Not again… they must have found out about what happened again. When will they stop bothering my life?”

She walks in a limp as she passed by the well-secured entrance glass door with her password and passed the security. At the second floor where she arrived through the wide elevator she had herself, there she’s welcomed with the floor she owns by herself, with only one door after she walked a small distance from the short passage. The route on the way to her door is noiseless as all the windows are closed and keeping all the centralized air, considering additionally that she possesses the entire floor herself but there’s her door which was unlocked.

Lisa stood there right in front of her unlocked door, taking a deep breath before opening it wide and immediately barks the moment she stepped in, “What is it this time again? How did you invade my place and how did you know I live here?”

There are her parents sitting in her intersperse living room, by her dusty yet comfortable couches, together with her assorted kinds of trashes she never threw. However, not to see this kind of unpleasant arrangement of their daughter’s home, they chose to light up only the lamps by the glass table and kept all the lights off that aren’t even working in the first place for this unruly heir never minded of it.     

The serene father has his legs crossed and looks up to his usual hot-headed daughter and said, “How you ask? I think you’ve been so carefree you’ve forgotten that we’re the ones who bought this place for you and this condo unit is under our name and not yours. Invading your room and visiting you wouldn’t be an issue I believe for in the first place we have the supreme right to be here.”

“And to come here and see you coming back home like that, how degrading it is.” The mother groaned and sipped onto that cup of tea she prepared herself, using the kitchen that Lisa never touched and the only part of this place that’s clean and tidy.

Lisa remains on her stand, lowering down her head in fault as she cannot find words to argue further with her rightful parents. With her clenched fists and gritted teeth, she hardly stated out of her cracking throat unwillingly, “I’m sorry for the trouble…”

“I’m glad that you’re sorry about it. But don’t worry, the police may not have caught those bad guys who did that to you but I already did. We already took care of them so rest assured you won’t meet them along the way.” The relaxed father said.

Lisa gurgles evilly and soon joined her parents by the couch, sitting so hassle-free like them and realizes “Look who’s talking? It’s my great father who keeps on criticizing me for being so wicked and delinquent but here he is doing something more sinful than I can do. Oh well, it’s not a surprise. I guess we can’t hide the genes, huh?”

“We did it for your safety. Don’t compare us to you who do bad things for fun.” Her mother seconded her husband and kept Lisa shut.

“You can’t even keep your place clean and organized. How do you live your life like this Lisa?” The father continues on grilling his daughter as he heaved a deep sigh of dissatisfaction.

The annoyed and fed up daughter then objected, “Did you come here to continue your discourses on me and make my day the worst ever? If you don’t have anything more to say then you may go and leave me alone. I already apologized so there’s nothing I can tell you. Don’t expect me to explain more of what happened and how I got these wounds either.”

“We already know even if you won’t say a thing.” The mother straightforwardly said and again, Lisa’s startled mind shut down.

The father faked his cough and continues on with their aims, “Anyway, as your punishment for this great trouble you’ve caused once again, and definitely we won’t let you go off and let this slide again, you’ll be coming with us this weekend to meet our potential business partner. It’s an important meeting for us and for them so we better not mess this up. It’s going to be a dinner but still, you have to dress up well to impress. They are a respectable family and absolutely prominent. You cannot just show up looking like this.”

“What for? And why should I impress that family? I’m going to dress the way I want to. Why should I pretend to be someone I am not? You’ll just end up disappointing them if they found out what and who I really am. It would be better if I’ll just be myself to avoid more displeasure. Also, if they are that powerful like us then they must have known about me too and had me check beforehand.” Lisa shared her sharp insights and raised an eyebrow.

“We’ll let you meet their daughter and make sure you have to be presentable enough so that you’ll earn her praise. She’s an influential woman and well-raised like a princess so you have to be somewhat smart in front of her.” The mother articulated with a smile.

“O-okay… I’ll accept it, just this once.” Lisa hesitated.

That devilish smile from her mother and that overly calmness of her father despite of how bad she conducted for the entire day made her speechless and barely nodded for an agreement. She has never seen her parents this strongminded and resolute before that they emit this demonic aura hiding behind their mummed lips. Lisa felt nervous and uneasy because of these signs she cannot comprehend yet she can feel.

“Then, that’s all what we want to tell you. We’ll be going together on that dinner so be ready. We’ll fetch you on exact time so don’t go wander with your useless dance troop again.” The father settled as he makes a stand from the dusty couch, cleaning off his slacks as he did.   

“They are not useless. At least they look after me more than you do.” Lisa thought and died a little inside on how her parents keep on disregarding this group that’s keeping her go and smile every day of her life.

Lisa kept her head low and avoided her parents’ glares until they moved out of her place. The way her parents pay no attention to her passion and how her parents ignore her genuine desires are what upset Lisa the most, filling her heart with darkness that’s building up each and every time she’s being looked down by the people who brought life to her. Because of this frustration building up inside her heart, she couldn’t help herself but to throw tantrum, roaring so loud all alone in her dark place, throwing things she can grab on and let it shatter against the walls.

“Dammit!” Lisa cried.

She has no one to hold on, she got no one to embrace her in this cold night she needs a company the most and she has no one to lean on but the walls she dropped to. All alone in this dark, she chose to grip all the pain to herself as she shut her phone off, and closed her eyes not to see the lights beaming through her closed curtains but a nostalgic image of a woman appeared in her rumbled mind as she did.

A one fine lady with her delicate smile and soft giggles, Lisa can only think of this woman with her holding her soft hands and having the happiest time in her life. She can picture their moment laughing together into a paradise, however, as time ticks their hands slipped away from each other, being the woman leaving her behind and there she is, seeing herself being left out in that bed of withering roses and wacked these precious moments she once held in her heart.

Lisa let her one last tear drop into her eye and wept in a dark corner, “Even you didn’t support me and left me behind…”

Similarly, the other heir was drove back home safely with the utmost care from all her worried butlers to the servants who welcomed her warmly as they spilled her with their concerns while they guide her with her parents inside this lavish mansion. On the contrary to how Lisa is being treated and how she handles herself, Jennie has everyone and everything around her. She has these workers of the mansion whom she considers her family. She has her ever busy parents but her being the priority.

“So, what has my stubborn patient done again that I was urgently called during my day off?” A tall handsome man in his white long coat welcomed the family as they advanced to the mansion’s reception area for guests.

The ashamed mother stepped forward in behalf of the embarrassed Jennie formally expresses regret, “Our apologies Dr. Choi Seung-hyun. We couldn’t look after her well.”  

The doctor Seung-hyun walked close to the guilty Jennie and bent down to align their faces, only to witness his patient flushing due to embarrassment but pale due to her current state’s weakness. However he smiled at her and patted her head like a little girl saying, “You never changed young one but that’s what’s make you unique. C’mon, cheer up. I won’t get mad.”

“Sorry Dr. Seung—“

Seung-hyun pressed her lips with his index finger to hush her as he corrected, “Oops, the formality Jennie. I told you to drop it. At least keep that in mind if you can’t obey my orders.”

Jennie shyly nods, “Okay… oppa…”  

From the door that’s made of the highest quality of wood with the best security available, to the orderly spacious living room equipped with the leading brands of fragile furniture and premier chandeliers hanging firm from their high ceiling, to the carpeted spiral staircases that’s colored with red reaching the second floor which has a completely different set up than of the first floor but with the same high standards of quality until to the heir’s room that’s located farthest to the right, isolated from any other rooms, the parents together with the private doctor on alert guided the weak Jennie to her bed.

Seung-hyun helped his patient to lie straight on her bed and pronounced, “This will only take a short time so please relax.”

While being checked thoroughly, there’s the parents standing by her bed side and there are the servants preparing the heir’s bedtime routine. They prepare her night wear which they acquire from a connecting room full of her outfits and various foot wears racked on the sides, her warm perfect bath which only the servants know how to blend the temperature in the bath tub which they set-up, her dresser that’s covered with the limited editions of make-ups and hygiene from top brands. All of these were prepared in a hurry yet so accurate for it is their daily duty for this heir.

“Thank you.” Jennie smiled at the hard working servants as she never once failed to extend her gratitude towards them.

Because of this, the servants likewise return back the same kindness by serving her full-heartedly. No matter how frequent and how hard they grind from their day-to-day tasks for the family, because of Jennie’s sympathy they feel none of their tiredness, continuously showing off effort, sometimes going over their limit at times.

At long last, Seung-hyun has done with his checking and starts his questioning, “This is your first heart attack this year, right?”

“Yeah.” Jennie shortly replied as she sat up on her bed.

“I’ll say this straight so that we won’t take long here.” Seung-hyun frankly said and brought out his prescriptions then he began jotting down in his papers while explaining, “The hospital where you were taken already took a complete test on you so I just had to read that one. Bluntly speaking, your heart defect is still the same and as of the mean time it’s not worsening but will get worse if you keep on disobeying what is being told to you. And if things come to worst, then we’ll result to surgery to have it fixed but that won’t end it though. So now, like always, we can still prevent it by taking her internal medicines. I’ll increase the dosage of the medicines too and make sure not to skip any of it and take them on time.”

“How about her activities, how will she manage it?” The concerned father asked.

“She can go on with her studies and attend the university like the usual. However, there are things that Jennie has to avoid.” Seung-hyun further said then enumerates, “First and foremost, don’t do something that can stress her heart and I’ve been warning that ever since. She should avoid staying up late because that can add to stress and her immune system will decline. She should also watch the food she intakes. I’ll make a formal list of the do’s and don’ts before I leave so that we’ll all have reference.”

“Thank you oppa.” Jennie expressed gratitude sincerely but couldn’t look her troubled doctor in the eyes due to this guilt flowing into her.

Like a brother, Seung-hyun giggled at Jennie’s charm and held, “Aigoo~ our Jennie is guilty but don’t be sad. Everyone’s here for you.”

Jennie lurks her eyes to everyone, one by one to her parents, to the doctor to the servants and butlers on standby and all are smiling at her, pleased and delighted to have her well. Jennie could have been perfect, she has all the things that a low life wishes for but she is unfortunately denied with her health. She almost has everything like any princess would desire for, she’s so close to perfection but nonetheless Jennie feels incomplete inside her due to this weak heart she detests the most.

“So, I’ll get going now. Please do call me anytime if there’s anything I can do to help.” Seung-hyun finished as he has secured all his things in his huge briefcase.

The doctor stepped out of the mansion with the guidance of the servants who walked with him, leaving the family alone in Jennie’s room that’s immersed with silence. Even without words, Jennie knows and she’s fully aware that her parents are upset as they just sat there in her bedside staring into a space while breathing out loud in remorse.

Having enough of this heavy silence, the father speaks out looking into Jennie’s frail eyes, “Do you really want to get that involved with our family business?”

“If you allow me then I want to.” Jennie honestly replied.

The father first looked into his wife and she bobbed, giving him the right over the upcoming decisions and verdicts. Thus, the father returns back to his daughter and reveals, “This coming weekend, there will be a casual dinner with our potential business partner. You know them, right? They’re from Thailand.”

“Ah yeah, the Manoban.” Jennie nodded.  

“I’ll bring you along with us. Besides, they want to meet you as well.” The father said half-heartedly but Jennie smiled wide as declared.

And the mother rejoins, “They also have a daughter and she’s a sole heir like you. They want to let you meet her and formally be introduced with each other. I hope everything goes well though.”

“Why mom? Is there something wrong with their daughter?” Jennie questioned in worries.

“We’re not really sure since you know that I’m not that type who inspects someone else’s life but according to the reports, I heard their daughter isn’t that… uhh…” The father faltered as he paused.

But Jennie is smart enough to read through their minds and bluntly voices, “She’s a delinquent and unruly, isn’t it?”

“W-well… we’re not that sure yet and I think it would be better if we’ll meet her first and see it with our own eyes, right? And I think if she really is that hard-headed like what the reports say then you’ll get along well since you share some similarities.” The mother awkwardly supposed.

“And her name is?” Jennie asked in curiosity.

“Lalisa Manoban.”

“I see. What a pretty name she has.” Jennie beamed as she commended. “I’m looking forward to meet her then.”

The following days have become so problematic and difficult for Lisa who has been thinking about the approaching appointment with Jennie whom she hasn’t met yet, or so she thought. Impatient tapping foot, edgy strides back and forth, unending sighs and occasional whimpers, and constant roars, these are being manifested by this disturbed heir whenever she goes, may it be at home, in the night clubs she loves and even all the way to the dance studio which she considers her second home. Lisa, in general, cannot find this peace she wants to attain.

“Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!” Lisa repetitively cursed during the short break given to them in this day that’s occupied with nothing but intense dance practices.

Minzy took notice of her uneasy paces even with her earphones on and so she cautiously approached and asked, “What’s wrong? You’ve been so bothered and unfocused these past days. This is not you.”

“Oh yeah, I noticed that too.” Bam then also followed up and stared at her in concern.

Lisa dropped her tired body on the floor and opens up in her low sobs, “I’m being punished…”

“What do you mean?” Her friends asked in unison as they all tended closer.

Lisa looked up to them and with her swollen eyes she goes on confessing her worries, “I’m going to attend a dinner with my parents and meet this family, a business partner to be exact, that I don’t even know of. And moreover, I’m going to face their daughter. I’m so bothered because I haven’t been into a business meeting in my entire life yet. I acted so tough in front of my parents being so mighty but in fact I’m clueless about it. I don’t know what to do…”

Taeyang then also joins with the discussion and questions, “So, who’s this family? Any idea?”

“I didn’t ask anymore because I’m not really that interested whoever they are but I do know that they are prominent and a very well-known family.” Lisa said so impassive.

“Not interested but here she is getting so troubled meeting whoever that gorgeous daughter is.” Minzy sighed which caused constrained titters from the group.

One of their groupmates also remarks, “It’s not like you to be troubled meeting a woman Lisa. You always look so cool and smooth whenever you meet women and you can bring them to bed without effort.”

“And not to mention the hot women are the ones pulling her to bed sometimes.” Someone further commented and again caused laughter among the members.

“C’mon guys, this is a different matter. I’m not going to meet a woman from the club. I’m meeting a woman who perhaps is a very decent one considering that we’ll be having partnership with the family.” Lisa childishly whined on the floor just to have these members’ teases be terminated.

The chatter goes on with Bam’s talk, “I would get nervous too, especially if it’s my first time.”

“Also, I’d get choked and speechless if it’s going to be Jennie Kim whom I’ll meet.” Taeyang stated and all awed as their minds went into their fantasies.

Lisa raised an eyebrow to her amazed and impressed group, “Jennie who?”

“You don’t know her?” Minzy interrogated and Lisa shook her head. “She’s one of the most talked about heirs in business industry. I’ve seen her once in person when they were conducting some charities and yeah, I can say she really is something. She’s close to perfection and I’d get blank too if we’ll personally talk.”

Bam shows off his phone screen to Lisa where he quickly searched for Jennie’s image and proudly presents, “Here, that’s Jennie Kim. She’s the sole heir of World Hotel. Pretty, isn’t she?”

Lisa closely scrutinized the image taken candidly while she’s shown handing over packs of relief goods and medicines to the elders of the countryside, smiling so bright at the poor people. Unlike her groupmates, she isn’t amazed and creates her normal expression of nodding coldly but the more she ogles at her face, the more she gets confused and a little worried which left her speechless.

“Why, what’s wrong?” Her groupmate asked upon noticing Lisa’s crumpled eyebrows while she keeps her eyes fixated on Jennie’s picture.

“She looks familiar. I feel like I’ve seen her before. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen her somewhere recently.” Lisa wondered with her hand on her chin, thinking deeper as she tries to recognize.

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