.01

ROSÉ POV

Beep Beep. Beep Beep. Beep Beep.

The sounds of the alarm remind me that it is already 8 am in the morning. After pulling an all nighters yesterday, I had barely fallen asleep until I heard the alarm went off just now. Do I really need to start my day now?

“How is it morning already?”

I shout with my face still buried under my blankets. I admit that I am definitely not a morning person but I will wake up when the alarm goes off no matter how less of sleep I had the day before. Seriously though, I do not have a morning class today, in fact, I do not even have any class for the whole day. If it is so, then why do I even bother to set the alarm this early? I am about to shut my alarm off and go back to sleep.

“Wake up! It is 11 of March!”

The alarm clock announces with a monotonous voice. So what even if it is the 11 of March? Wait a minute. Am I supposed to do something on this day?

Then the realisation hit in that I am going to meet my father at the airport today. He just came all the way from South Korea to meet me in New York.

It was two years ago when I had left my home country to this foreign land all by myself. My father opposed it at first, but at last, he let me go after he saw how eager I was. I still remember how tight his embrace was on the day I was leaving, telling me to be careful and to always contact him over there. I am pretty sure that was the first time I saw him cry as he never did, not even when my grandfather passed away. Every now and then, he will try to visit me in the States and complaint about how thin I have become. I am always anticipating for him to come, to tell him all about my days here and ask him about how my baby brother is doing recently.

My father and I have a really close relationship, especially after his divorcement with my mother so he had to take care of me all by himself. I can say that he did a really good job in giving me a good childhood. The only time he finds it difficult is when I started to go through my puberty. As a man, he cannot really help much with these things but he is indeed very understanding. He is not just a good father, but he is a very successful businessman as well. He is very well known in South Korea, at least that is what I think from how people are impressed when they know that my dad is Alzon Park. The one thing that I am thankful to him is that no matter how busy he is, he will make sure to spend time with me so that I will never feel abandoned and lonely. He also taught me to respect my mother even though she might have chosen to be apart with him since I was a child. He said that it will be the best for her, which I do not understand. Wouldn’t we be happier if we still stay as a family?

After spending almost the first half of my life with only me, my father had fallen in love with a woman and eventually married her. This is not some kind of fairy tales, where the stepmothers are usually mean. She is a fine lady and treats me really well, but I just do not have any feelings of her being with my dad, but of course, I still respect her as my elder because my father had taught me well. My father actually asked me if I was fine with it and had reassured me that he will still love me as his daughter and nothing is going to change that. I already knew that but it was still kind of sweet to hear it from him. Not long after their marriage, another member was added to the family and it is a baby boy. I was 16 that time and I am more than glad to finally have a brother. My father named him Micah Park.

It was the time I finished my high school and I was determined to further my study in the United States. My father literally dropped his golf club and turned to look at me when I told him about my decision when we were out playing golf together. He kept on convincing me that there are a few prestigious academies in the country so there is no need for me to leave him for somewhere as far as there. He even asked me if I am leaving because I do not like the idea of having a stepmother and a new brother. This is the real reason why I feel like to leave: he still treats me as if I am a child. I wouldn’t say that I am all grown up but I really want to learn to live on my own and to prove to him that I can do so. The first few months here was indeed hectic but now here I am, living finely while enjoying the learning process.

I quickly get up from my bed and rush to the bathroom to freshen myself up. I choose to wear simple shirts and pair it with black pants, pairing it with a pendant that my father gifted me. I was ready to go out from my apartments before I remember that something is missing.

“Oh, the cake!”

I run to the fridge to grab the cake that I spent the whole night baking. My dad loves the cake that I bake, and Red Velvet Cheesecake is our favourites. I take a taxi to the airport so that I will not ruin the cake and I am sort of in a rush.

“Thankfully I made it and it is still early!”

My eyes roamed around the airport television screen to see that my father’s flight has not landed yet. He must feel very tired after a long flight, and Ia cup of hot coffee will make him feel better. That is why I am now in a coffee shop in the airport ordering a coffee for him.

“One hot Americano for Miss Rosanne!”

“Thank you.”

“Be careful, it is still hot.”

With one hand holding the hot coffee and another one holding the cake, I go to wait for my father at the arrival hall. My father’s flight has landed and he is probably picking up his luggage now.

There are many people coming out from the arrival hall but my father is still nowhere to be seen. After another few people, I finally see a familiar figure coming out from inside. It is my father and he is accompanied by a bodyguard. I switch the coffee cup onto my other hand, raising the free one and wave it in his direction. He saw me and a smile is formed on his face. He looks like he has become older compared to the last time I saw him, but I still can the see the caring looks on his face.

“I miss you so much, father!”

I stretch out my free hand and pull him into an embrace. It feels so much better to see him in person than in the video call. This is why technology can never replace real things.

“I miss you too, Roseanne. How is my baby girl doing? Have you gotten thinner again?”

He hugs me back and releases me to look at me thoroughly.

“I am really fine father, I am a big girl now. You must feel really tired after flying for almost a day. Here, have some hot Americano but be careful because it is still hot. I bake your favourite Red Velvet Cheesecake!”

I happily held them up to him.

“More like your favourite,” He laughed. Just when he is about to grab the coffee,

BANG!

Loud sounds echoed all over the airport in a sudden. The sound that seems to be gun shooting can be heard. People there are now screaming in shock and run as fast as they can to save their lives. A few of them just duck in their current spot while some hide under the airport bench or anywhere as long as they are not visible. I was startled as well, my brain cannot process anything until I feel a burning sensation in my hand. The coffee cup was shot and the hot coffee spilt all over my hand. It was until then that we realised that the shot was aimed at us.

“Boss!”

I heard the bodyguard shouts before he pushes me and my father aside. He was shot a few times and directly collapsed on the spot, not moving anymore. I almost screamed but no voice is coming out from my throat. The next thing I know, my father drags my hand and pull me to run toward the exit. In the middle of the hustle, the cake has dropped from my hand but I honestly could have cared less. I do not even know what I am supposed to think or what I am thinking when we are running to save our lives as my mind just literally gone to blank. All I know is that I must follow my father to wherever he is bringing me. We are so close to getting through the exit when suddenly,

“Look out!” My father shouted.

The next scene I see is the glass door being shot and shattered into million pieces. My father has to cover me from the glass that is falling down. It is in that moment that I see a few bullets pierce into his body, one of them hitting right at the most vital part.

“FATH-FATHER!!”

He falls to his knees as he is still holding my hand tightly. I kneel down to reach his level and hold the part he got shot with my hand tightly. His shirts, body and my hands are covered with blood. With his breath getting heavier and shorter, he begins to say:

“Roseanne, father cannot take care of you anymore. Be a good girl, go back to your family,”

“NO FATHER PLEASE, NO!” The tears are falling fast from my eyes. My heart is aching to an extent that cannot be described through words and sentences.

“Father loves you forever, my daughter. Do not cry…”

“I-I love you too father, please don’t leave me!”

Using his last strength, he smiles and raises his hand to touch my face, before it falls down and his eyes shut completely.

“NOOOOOOO!”

I just witnessed my father being murdered in front of my very own eyes. Besides shouting my lungs out, I pretty much can’t

My father. My hero. My everything.

“No, father, no!”

I wake up and realised that I am sitting on my bed, with tears all over my face. I wipe them away and hold my currently aching head.

“What is wrong, Roseanne? I can hear you all the way from my room. Are you having a nightmare again?”

A woman just entered my room. It is my mother.

“Yes, mother. It just keeps on getting more frequent these days,”

“You must have overworked yourself. Maybe you should have some sessions with Mr.Song soon. Do not worry too much, now lay back while I go to get you some chamomile tea.”

I lay back as what my mom told me and stare at the ceiling of my room. Another day, another nightmare.

Except that it is not just a nightmare. It is the incident that is still haunting me since it happened three years ago.

I tried my best to make this like what I imagined, hope it turns out well. 

The first two chapters will be mainly about the flashback.