[CONTENTID1]18[/CONTENTID1]
[CONTENTID2]The Truth Will Out[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Baekhyun took a look at his embarrassed girlfriend. Her cheeks were as red as a tomato and her eyes were full of fear. She bit her lower lip before speaking. "I, I will fix it. I will talk to her." She sat up.

"No." Baekhyun said as caressed her hair and kissed her forehead. "I will talk to her myself. I am her father. It's better if she hears these things from me."

Tears rolled down her face. Sora was scared, shameful and sad. Scared, because she didn't know if Emma would accept her as her father's partner or not. Shameful, because Emma saw her sleeping with her father and sad, because she didn't want her relationship with Emma to become like that. "If she disagrees, I will leave."

"It's true that Emma is the most important person in my life, but Sora," He sighed. "I have the right to date and marry the woman I love... once someone told me, Emma will eventually leave me, due to work or marriage. Then it means, I'll be all alone. And you know what Sora? That's unfair..."

"Why?"

"Because I have you now, so why should I be alone?" He asked. "I have the woman I love the most right next to myself... why should I even deal with loneliness in the future?"

"You are now... proposing to me?"

"Smart girl-" She pushed him away. "Yah!"

Sora crossed her arms. "I am from Kang family! Owner of the greatest hospital in Republic of Korea! How dare you propose like this?" She looked away, pouting. 

Baekhyun chuckled. "Fine... I'll propose to you in the most respectful way, like a princess. Ok?"

She smiled shyly. "Good." 

He kissed tip of her nose before leaving the room. He closed the door and went upstairs. "Sweetie..." The professor called his daughter. "Honey..." He knocked before walking in. Emma was sitting on the bed, hugging her knees. He sat next to her and hugged her. "Babe..."

"How long... how long have you been dating her behind my back?" She whispered, staring at the wall in front of her with tearful eyes.

"It's... been... let's say some weeks after she started living with us." He replied. 

She nodded. "I'm silly... really silly." She chuckled. "Of course, you two match very well, you are always together... when she was out, so you were. When she was home, so you were. How didn't I reaalize-"

"Emma-" 

"And that day! You literally said she doesn't need to pay! God!" She face palmed.

"Honey... just tell me your problem. Don't you like Sora?" He asked.

Emma took a glance at her father and rolled her eyes. It was rude, but Baekhyun understood her very well. It wasn't easy to accept this. Emma suddenly saw her so-called single father sleeping next to a woman. She was feeling different emotions and that was scaring her. "It's not about Sora... how, how could you date a young girl like her? I mean... there were lots of women in America who were dying to be your wife. Why should it be her?"

"Because it has to be her, it meant to be her." Emma frowned. "Baby, you know nothing about love. I mean you're too young to understand."

"Explain. Let me know." She said stubbornly. 

"Let's say..." He turned to his daughter and sat in front of her before wiping her eyes. "Organs and body parts are usually even, like eyes, ears, hands, legs, lungs or kidneys. Though, we only have one heart." He touched his chest. "And the right side is empty." Emma just looked at him emotionlessly. "When you hug that right person... her heart will fill this empty hole inside you. That's when you realize, you can't let go of her, um... for you, it will be him." He smiled. "You'll understand me the moment you find that person of yours." Baekhyun touched her shoulder before playing with her hair. "Emma, even looking at you makes me happy, being with Sora does so..." He looked down. "I can't let go of her..."

"Did you feel the same about mom?" She asked after he finished his sentence. "Did you love her madly like this?"

Baekhyun looked at her in surprise. She never talked to him like that. "What?"

"Am I child of the woman who you loved like this?"

"Emma."

"Answer!"

"I... I... I..."

"You didn't love her like Sora?"

"I... di-"

"You didn't?"

"I..." He closed his eyes. "I did."

"Then... why did you hide it? You could tell me, dad. I'm your daughter... you told me that we have no secrets between us."

"About that... all I can say is that... I'm sorry."

She turned her face away. "I need to be alone." She said.

"Emma-"

"Just get out! Don't make it worse!" She shouted.

Baekhyun nodded and stood up. "Emma... dating Sora or... getting married to her won't change anything between us." He said. "You are my princess. Always. You are the girl I love the most. Emma, even if the whole world changes, you will always be my one and only daughter. You will be my beautiful smart Belle." He left her room.

Emma sighed and started biting her nails. Beauty and the beast was her favorite and Baekhyun knew it. She was Belle and he was the intelligent Maurice. They were a happy family, nothing felt wrong. Though at the same time, it felt wrong. Sora was something their story missed, but she couldn't accept it. She couldn't understand it. Fourteen years? Was her father kidding? How could she look at Sora as her father's partner? She was her unnie yesterday and today... her father's girlfriend? What was that unexpected change? Emma shook her head and lay down. She covered herself with a duvet to sleep a little. That was what she needed after that mental breakdown. 

Sora rushed to her boyfriend when he came downstairs. "What happened?"

"She needs time. I understand..." He sighed as he sat down on the couch. "I wish we could tell her the truth ourselves... that was embarrassing and sudden."

■□■

Baekhyun knocked the door for nth time. "Emma, it's lunch time, hon. Open the door, my love." He sighed. "Do you want me to take your meal here?"

"Baekhyun..." Sora whispered, leaning against the wall. "I think we have to-"

"She has to eat something... it's not good for her health." He hit the door several times. "Emma, if you don't open this door, I'm going to break it."

She took his arm and led him away from his daughter's room. "Babe, she's shocked. Also, she is a teenager. Don't treat her like this. If you continue this way, she'll fight back." 

"I know... but," He paused. "Even if we fight, even if we argue, even if we are angry with each other, we have to take care of our health. This is a rule between Emma and I."

The blonde smiled "I really envy your relationship with your daughter-"

Emma opened the door and walked out. The couple turned their heads to her. Baekhyun walked towards her. "Darling you made me-" She passed him and ran downstairs. "Emma!" He ran behind her and Sora followed him. "Sweetie..." 

Emma shut the door roughly. "Did she leave?" She asked.

"Yeah..." Baekhyun said, staying still. "She has never done that."

"Kids nowadays are weird..." She tutted before going to the kitchen. "Don't worry, she'll be back soon. She went to Starship I assume." She said from kitchen. 

"Why did she..." He tilted his head. "Ah... anyway..." 

■□■

Hyunseo sat next to her on the floor of practice room. "So that's why you canceled our hangout?" She pouted after taking off her mask.

"Is this simple in your idea? Hyunseo... they are dating for three months and hid it from me like a stupid kid!"

"So what? Now you know it and you are acting like a kid." She opened her food box and saw her friend rolling her eyes. "Why are you disagreeing anyway? Sora-ssi is kind. And you know, she is beautiful and y."

"Yah!" Emma pushed her away. "How can you say these? My father has seen lots of women! It's not like-"

Hyunseo put her finger on her lips. "Every man has a different taste. Sora-ssi is pretty," She started counting. "Cute, lovely, caring, attractive and talks sweetly... oh..."

"What?"

"That ! Maybe your father likes to-"

"Would you please shut it?" Emma said in English.

"Kidding, kidding!" Her friend replied in the same language. "What a savage girl..." She murmured. "You know what Emma? My cousin's husband died a year ago. She once told me that loneliness is really painful... your father has been lonely for thirteen years. He has done his best to raise such a good girl. Now it's time to live his own life. Enjoy it and well, have fun with someone he loves."

"You are good at making speech..." She whispered. 

"God... let's just forget about it, huh?" She handed her chopsticks. "I brought food for you 'cause you said you haven't eat anything... eat. It's delicious." She smiled.

"Thanks." They started eating.

"But as I said before, she's pretty... do you know what it means?" Emma shook her head. Hyunseo moved closer to her ear. "She can give birth to beautiful siblings for you..."

"Lee Hyunseo!" 

She laughed. "Ok. Ok. Don't hit me again."

Emma bit her lower lip. "Can I tell you something?"

"What? Sora-ssi is pregnant?" She glared at her. "I'm just joking, dear... I want to make you smile."

"It's not funny, Hyun." 

"Sorry, what did you want to tell?"

"It's about myself."

She nodded. "I'm listening."

"I suffer from a disease, Hyunseo."

She tilted her head. "This is a joke, right? Because it's not funny at all."

"I'm not joking... I'm... I'm..." Emma looked down at her meal. "HIV positive."

"What..." Her friend whispered. "AIDS?"

"No. No." She shook her hands in the air. "It's not AIDS. It's... just HIV. I use medicines to control it."

"How... is it possible?" Hyunseo leaned against the wall. "Am I... am I in danger too?"

"Have you ever seen my blood?"

"No." 

"Then you're safe. Don't worry." She smiled. "I told you this, since... you are my best friend here. I trust you so much. Keeping this a secret was hurting me... now, I feel better."

Hyunseo moved toward her and hugged her tightly. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For trusting me." She tightened her embrace. "I love you, Emma."

"I love you too." She breathed a sigh of relief. 

"But..." Hyunseo looked at her. "You have to talk to Sora-ssi. You used to be good friends... mostly like sisters. You can be like before. You just need to accept that your dad has fallen in love." She giggled.

"You really love to be punched in face, don't you?"

"No. Go home now and congrat your father and future stepmother."

Emma hugged herself and closed her eyes. "Even hearing that word makes me feel like Cinderella."

"Sora-ssi is not lady Tremaine, Emma!" She said angrily. "She's more like an angel..."

"An angel... yeah... an angel."

■□■

Baekhyun opened the door and took his daughter in his arms. "You scared me, crazy girl..."

Emma hid her face in his chest. "I'm sorry." She whispered before looking up at him. "Where's Sora unnie?"

"In the kitchen..." He replied. 

She nodded and went to the kitchen quietly. Sora was sitting on a chair and staring at the snowy view that could be seen out of the window. "Unnie..." The girl touched her shoulders. "Are you ok?"

Sora turned to her and stood up immediately. "You're home..." She hugged her tightly. "I was really worried... my dear little girl."

Emma smiled unconsciously, she had never heard it before. To be called, her dear little girl. "We need to talk."

Sora cupped her face. "Of course." She sat back on her chair and Emma took a seat next to her. 

"Unnie... I didn't want to seem rude, I was just too surprised that... oh. I'm really sorry." 

The elder smiled. "No problem honey. I understand. At some points, I understand you very well. I've felt it. When my mom came home with that ing Jiyong and-" She covered . "Sorry..." Emma giggled. "And... told us that she'll get married soon." 

"At least you didn't announce your marriage..." She said. "I was just wondering... why did you two hide it, unnie? If it was because of me, it was a really wrong decision. Since the day I learned the words husband and wife, I told my father that he can meet, date or marry anyone he likes." 

"It is... one of the reasons. Baekhyun- I mean your father wanted to-"

"You can call him whatever you want." Emma said with a smile. 

Sora nodded. "He wanted to make you ready to accept it. And you know, I felt shy too. You called me unnie while I was dating your father. I was really worried about the way you'd think of me... and of course, your own dad."

"My thoughts... the thing no one has ever asked about." She took a deep breath. "I've seen it all these years, unnie. Parents who take their children to school together, couples in the movies flirting with each other, my aunt and her husband enjoying their life with their daughter and a lot more... and I've seen the way dad looks at them. It's always like he wants to experi