HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMBER!

 

 

 

CHAPTER 4

 

AMBER'S DAY

 

 

After celebrating the group’s anniversary in our house, Luna unnie and Victoria unnie stayed for 3 days before flying back to their respective destinations. Vic unnie to Korea because someone is waiting for her to comeback and give her a scolding for flying here and there, while Luna unnie to London because someone is also waiting for her and she was going to wait for the result of her audition.

 

Two days after, Jessica unnie informed me again that she needed me in New York. Fashion week was happening and the label will have its yearly Fashion Week event by launching her new design of sunglasses and a mini fan signing for her fans.

 

With Amber’s go signal and various reminders for her because I will be gone for a week, I flew to New York and reunited with Jessica unnie to help in the headquarters there. My sister insisting that I stay in her 4 bedroom Penthouse unit at the Upper East Side.

 

Have I told everyone before that Jessica Jung got married when she turned 33? Yep, she did.

 

Then when she turned 35 Jessica Jung became a single woman again.

 

She married her business partner and friend, Tyler Kwon but Divorced him after a year when she caught him red handed banging his secretary inside his office. Disgusting.

 

Imagine banging other women when you already married the Jessica Jung!?

 

Anyway, the marriage ended faster than we expected. Jessica unnie filing a Divorce and asked for a settlement which includes the Penthouse unit, sole ownership of B&E, management of Coridel, and him away from her. He’s a billionaire, right? Yeah, right. *Insert sarcasm*

 

I stayed there for a week and now I’m on my way home because in a couple of hours a certain someone’s birthday is coming up. I have to threaten Jessica unnie to release me, that if she doesn’t get me the earliest flight back to L.A. tonight I will consider her as the reason why my marriage with Amber ended.

 

It started two days ago, when I called Amber via FaceTime. I was supposed to fly home that day but because my work was not done immediately I have to stay until Fashion Week ends. And ing Fashion Week ends on the same date of Amber’s birthday. I told her I have to stay until the night of 17th before flying back home.

 

Sigh.

 

At first she was okay about it, then she asked me if I want her and Nicky here in New York. I told her its better that they stay in L.A. than in N.Y. because the Fashion Week frenzy is still going on. Korean Photographers everywhere covering the events where the invited Korean idols and celebrities were going. I was afraid for her and Nicky to be seen by them, the moment they recognize Amber its given.

 

Its not that I’m ashamed of them or anything. What is there to be ashamed of? I am proud to be Amber Liu’s wife and Mother of our child. What I’m afraid of is for those Korean paparazzis to have a photo snapping spree again of our son. It happened back in February when the three of us went to New York too because Jess wanted me to accompany her for the F/W Collection of Fashion Week. We were strolling in Central Park when a group of photographers saw us and recognized our son too because it was around that time Amber and I revealed him in her SNS. They followed us and kept on snapping photos blocking Amber’s path. She has to run carrying Nicky in his baby strap and we entered a cafe to hide. The interest in our family was so high in Korea and it .

 

Anyway, this morning Jess begged me not to leave tonight because she still have one fashion show to attend and she wants me to join her. I told her I have to get Amber’s permission first because I already promised my wife I will be home before midnight to celebrate her birthday. It was actually a bluff because my answer is really a big No.  

 

I know I should have turned down Jess instantly but my sister was begging me since we haven’t seen each other for months. In front of Jess I called Amber through Face Time and told her about Jess begging me to stay because we haven’t see each other for so long but I also miss her so much and I miss Nicky too then she cut me off.

 

Yeah... she cut me off and said:

 

“Just tell me you won’t be home tonight Soojung. I’ll completely understand... as always, right?” 

 

She said it in her coldest voice, smiling at me that obviously looks like grimacing in anger then dropped the call. She dropped the call and not just that, she also turn her phone off!

 

I’m telling you all, Jessica unnie got the most coldest glare and whining from me. Commanding her to find a ticket for me to fly back home or I will really choke her to death.

 

Now I sat here at the backseat of a cab I flagged down at the airport to take me home to Malibu. I took the 6:15 Delta flight from JFK and reached LAX by past 9:00 in the evening. I got out of the airport before 10 and immediately rode the available taxi telling the driver he has to hurry because its a matter of life and death. Along the way we stopped momentarily in a Cafe I saw to buy a cake, they don’t have the whole cake and only had slices so I bought one. Even asked them shamelessly if they have birthday candles. Luckily they have and gave it to me for free so off I go and continued the journey back home.

 

I tried calling Amber’s phone again but its still Off, her other phone is Off too. When I texted Brian earlier and asked him if he and Amber met, he said it was yesterday that they met and was in the grocery store. He said Amber was buying some groceries with Nicky then they went to Koreatown to hang out.  

 

“Mam, why are you hurrying home? Is there some celebration?” the taxi driver asked me from the driver seat. He is a middle age Chinese man with a kind Fatherly smile when I entered his taxi earlier.

 

Biting my lips, I sighed and stared at the screen of my phone with a smile. My lockscreen was a photo of Amber and Nicky sleeping together. Both having the same sleeping pose, lying on their right side with mouth open. Cute~.

 

“I’m sorry if I was hurrying you earlier Sir. Its just that I have to be home before midnight, its my wife’s birthday...” I saw him looking at me by the rear view mirror surprised at what I said. Smiling at him, I raised my left hand showing my wedding ring.

 

“Well... that is a good surprise. Hahaha... How long have the two of you been together?”

 

“Hahaha... you’ll never believe it if I tell you Sir.” 

 

“Let me guess, 5 years?”

 

“16 years.” I proudly stated smiling at him.

 

“No way!”

 

“Yes way, 16 Sir.”

 

“You look like you just turned 24!”

 

“Thank you for that kind compliment Sir I really appreciate it hahaha! But no, I’m already in my early 30s.” 

 

“So you mean you and your partner met when both of you are still in your teens?!”

 

“Yeah... I think I was 13 and she was 15 when we first met each other.”

 

“That’s too young.”

 

“Well... 3 years of Mutual understanding, 1 year of cool off, 9 years of being an official couple, another 1 year of cool off, and 2 years of being married. Now we have a 1 year old son.” Wow... looking back at it now it feels just like yesterday when I first met Amber inside that training room. I was still an immature kid back then wanting to prove to everyone that I am my own self and not a copycat of my sister. But hides inside the bathroom when its weekly evaluations.

 

“It seems you’ve been through tough times together... am I right?” he asked. Tough times... a lot of it.

 

“We do... a lot of it Sir. We almost broke up... actually its my fault. The first time we had a cool off it was me who initiated it. Because I was still young back then and the pressure that is surrounding us was too big I can’t handle it.” The pressure and fear that the society will eat us alive once everyone in Korea finds out the very close friendship of the Gongjunim and the Servant. Add to that the pressure my sister was giving me, trying to set me up with other guys.

 

“And she agreed, right? And told you she perfectly understands and told you its okay.” 

 

“How did you know?!”

 

“I’ve been there, I know. My wife and I have been married for 25 years and one of the things that what keeps us together is understanding each other’s faults.” 

 

“Right... that’s exactly right Sir. Then we fixed our relations