Coldness slithered on her skin, raising the fine hair on her arms up to her neck. Jung Woo shivered, rolling inside the cocoon of her bed cover, she burrowed deeper into her bed and sighed. Once again sleep eluded her. The memory of Ji Hye’s face, the sheer betrayal that was written all over her face, and her tears still haunted Jung Woo’s dream and tortured her days.

She reached over to her nightstand and took hold of her phone. She saw the message notifications and a part of her wished that one of them would be from Ji Hye, but three days of unanswered messages and calls were enough to make her almost give up hope.

Logically, she knew that Ji Hye would need some space away from her, regardless of her innate instinct to clear the air and not leave things hanging. Yet, the prolonged radio silence only left her feeling restless, left alone with only her own thoughts, she couldn’t help but turn it inward.

Another fractured relationship, another reminder that those who chose to stand by her side were so few in between.

A burgeoning lump formed in .

Steeling herself, she put the phone back on the marble top and her side, closing her eyes, and took deep cleansing breaths.

In time, Ji Hye would understand, that what she did, regardless of the method that she resort to, was for her own good.

‘It was the right thing to do’ was the mantra that she replayed over and over again in her head until sleep finally took over.

***

“Where are you?”

“Workshop, why?” Jung Woo could hear the terse tension in Hyo Won’s voice over the phone and wondered whether something happened with their current project.

“Nothing. Did you come by your office, say, in the last couple of days?”

Jung Woo’s hand hovered mid-air over the mannequin in front of her, eyebrow knitted, puzzled by the line of question, “No, been too busy in the workshop, but I could come up if you want?”

Lies.

She has never lied to Hyo Won before, but she cannot, for the life of her, tell her the truth that she hasn’t been able to step foot inside her office without the memory of Ji Hye’s crestfallen face storming out of her office replaying over and over again.

It was bad enough that she had to sidestep her questions about Ji Hye’s sudden disappearance, she didn’t want Hyo Won to know about their fallout.

“Nothing, just asking. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Alright, see you.”

Jung Woo pocketed her phone and tried to put her focus back on track. She paused, unable to continue her line of thinking, a blanket of white suddenly gauzing over her brain until she relented and fished her phone back up and checked her messages.

The multiple passages that she sent over to Ji Hye stared back at her. All one-sided without a reply.

Days turned into nights and days turned into weeks.

One week and still no words from Ji Hye.

At this point, Jung Woo wasn’t so sure whether she did the right thing, not when it cost her not having Ji Hye in her life. Although never one to question her choices, she couldn’t help but wonder this time.

Hyowon ended the call and eyed the arrangement of flowers littering Jung Woo’s office with unconcealed disgust. Some of them were already yellowed and withered, a testament that they have been there for quite some time unattended, and some, just like the bouquet that caught her attention when it was delivered to their floor, were still fresh inside of their vases.

She picked up one of the cards nestled on the pillow of roses and forcefully tamped down the bile that threatened to rise, *son of a ….*

Inside the card were an electronic key and a handwritten number. She knew what it meant, she witnessed it before, the array of flowers and notes, years ago when Jung Woo was dating him. A calling card, as if Jung Woo should drop everything in her life and be at his beck and call, whenever and wherever he wants.

She picked up another card and saw that this one contained the location of his hangar, the one where he kept his private jet to whisk them away at any given moment. She knew because Jung Woo used to use his jet to travel for fashion week along with her team.

She eyed a black velvet box placed in the center of Jung Woo’s desk uneasily and picked it up with less care than she should, rolling her eyes when she saw the humongous pink heart diamond that nestled inside, and once again tried with all her might not to hurl it into the trash can.

“Sick bastard.”            

Pivoting on her heels, she poked her head from inside the office and half-yelled half-whispered KayDay’s name to get her attention, “Come here. Quick. ”

KayDay whistled lowly when she saw the current state of Jung Woo’s office, “Who died?”

“I hope to God it would be Jung Woo’s crazy ex.”

“Who?”

“JB Group’s Heir.”

Hyo Won almost shouted out ‘why do you look so shocked?’ when she realized that KayDay had yet to join the team during that time.

“You're kidding me, right?”

“I wish I was, look at this place, that sick bastard is trying to woo our boss.”

“For what? To join his wife’s company?”

Hyo Won smiled ruefully at that naïve question, “Don’t ever grow up. Unfortunately, no, that bastard wants Jung Woo unnie in a more biblical sense.”

The disgusted look on KayDay’s face was enough to make Hyo Won smile a little more genuinely. Patting the younger woman on her shoulder, she turned somber, “Clean this place up, do not let her see any of this. Return all of the gifts and then notify reception, do not accept anything from him. No flowers and gifts and so help me GOD, the man himself can’t go past the security.”

Hyo Won was rarely this serious, ever so happy-go lucky, but the stiffness of her jaw was enough to cue KayDay in that whatever it was between Jung Woo and the chaebol was not good and she’d be damned if she would let anything from him to ever pass the door.

“Got it.”

***

Jung Woo rested her head against the sofa cushion, eyes closed, the melodious voice of Park Hye-Won coming out from the television was her only companion in the otherwise quiet living room. An unknown sensation gnawed at her, like an invisible itch that wouldn’t go away no matter where and how hard she scratches.

The desolation of the room felt oppressing and for the first time in her life, she felt a void in her preferred solitary life. Her fingers unconsciously moved to the side and stilled, finding an empty space where Ji Hye used to be. A bitter smile painted her lips; even in the safety of her own home, she couldn’t escape the spectral presence of the younger woman.

The ghost of her fingerprints was everywhere – in her office, in her car, in her sanctuary.

Making up her mind, Jung Woo stood up and quickly changed out of her pink pajama set, putting on the first thing that she could get a hold of – a pair of jeans and a pullover – before gathering her long hair and putting it into a messy bun.

Grabbing her car keys on the way out, she figured she should try the café again, hoping that unlike yesterday and the day before, and other days prior, Ji Hye would finally show up, if not, then… guess she would beg Hanee for help.

Jung Woo opened her apartment door and nearly bumped into an older man in a meticulous suit, his fatherly face breaking into a polite smile as he bowed deeply to her.

“Good evening, Miss Shin, it’s been a while.”

“Mr. Kim, what are you doing here?” was the first thing that she could think of, puzzled by the presence of the Jung Family’s head butler in front of her home this late at night.

“May I come in?”

Her instinct told her no, but he was one of the people that offered her kindness in that bleak castle when she was still a welcome guest, so with a forced smile and a nod, she let him in.

“Do you want anything? Tea?” Jung Woo was already on the move toward the kitchen when the silver-haired man stopped her.

“Please don’t be inconvenienced by this old servant, how are you, Miss? It’s been a while since you visited the house.”

Jung Woo let out a small huff of laughter before shrugging her shoulder as an answer and the older man smiled at her in understanding.

“I shall not take up any more of your time, I come here to give you this. From the young master, he said that he hoped that this one would be more to your liking and he hoped that this time, it would show his sincerity better.”

Confusion bloomed and settled in the crease between her brows, but the feeling passed and was replaced by a sour taste that sat heavily on her tongue when the butler opened the precious black box in his hand and showed her a beautiful piece by Boehmer et Bassenge, the court jeweler for Marie Antoinette. She heard that the beautifully intricate flawless diamond necklace was won in a fierce auction in Geneva to an anonymous bidder, not so anonymous anymore now that the prized diamond was in front of her.

Fury blazed slowly in the pit of her stomach, “What is this?”

The steel in her voice was enough to give the man a pause, but years of masking his expression made him readily smile and close the lid of the box, knowing that the sight would only aggravate Jung Woo more.

“Young master–”

“Is married with his second child on the way,” Jung Woo cut him off brusquely, before she gritted out a snapped command, “stay here.”

She walked quickly into the mini workshop beside her home office and pulled up the newly finished couture lingerie for her new line from the mannequin. She then folded it neatly inside a white box bearing her brand name that she kept readily available in her office and hastily wrote a message on a white card.

Dear Mrs. Bae,

It is my utmost honor to present to you, our prototype creation from our soon-to-be-launched luxury couture lingerie. I hope you enjoy this small present along with other presents from your husband.

Sincerely,

Monika Shin

P.S. The necklace would look gorgeous on your neck when you wear it with our slip dress.

She took the box with her and handed it over to the older man, “Give this to Mrs. Bae along with the necklace, tell her it’s a gift from her husband. Don’t worry, your young master will get the message.” She let out a breath and pinched the bridge of her nose, suddenly feeling as if she’d been drained out of all energy as her anger simmered into an ember and forced out a smile.

“Next time, I hope I meet you under better circumstances.”

It took him exactly two seconds to school his stunned expression and bowed again to her, “Very well, Miss.” He gave her one last nod before taking his leave. He stopped just as he reached the door, never looking back, a solemn note in his voice as he conveyed his words, “He still loves you.”

Jung Woo blinked, her hands automatically crossed over her torso, fighting the dread that suddenly took her by surprise.

“I don’t.”

Her words were soft yet firm, cutting across the heavy atmosphere that permeates the air. She saw the small nodding of his head before this time he finally closed his hand over the door handle and left, closing the door firmly behind him.

Jung Woo purposely didn’t turn on the lights as she entered the apartment, allowing herself a moment of silence basked in pitch blackness as her eyes adjusted to the dark. She put her car key silently on the marble top of the living room table before crouching down on the sofa and leaning her forehead on her knees. Still no Ji Hye in sight. There was pity in Dolla’s eyes tonight as if the younger woman could see the desperation in Jung Woo’s eyes as she looked around the café and the haven that she was looking for was nowhere to be found.

She turned her head sideways slowly as her phone lit up without a sound, bearing a name that she thought once, was an already closed chapter of her life. She picked up her phone from the sofa cushion and pressed the green button, opening the connection between them yet remaining silent on her part.

“It was bold of you to send the message to my wife, Jung Woo-ya.”

“It was bold of you to assume that I want anything to do with you.” Jung Woo heard a dark chuckle coming from the other line and knew that he found her answer interesting. A challenge that she never intended to make.

“Let the game begin then.”

“No.” Jung Woo was tired, just tired and she didn’t want to prolong whatever it was that he thought she was doing, “We were friends once, so please, stop while I still consider you as one.”

There was a stretch of silence and Jung Woo could imagine his handsome face hardened clearly in her mind's eyes. She knew him, loved him, and she knew that his ego would not take her rejection easily, but she lives in hope that their history would be enough for him to respect her wishes.

“It’s not over. Not yet.”

Jung Woo’s grip on her phone tightened, she could hear the underlying threat there and hated him for it, that sense of privilege that he wielded so easily, he held the world in the palm of his hand and knew it.

“We are over the moment you married her.” The moment you chose her was left unspoken, but she didn’t have to – they both know the truth, the moment he chose his family interest over her, the moment he asked her to be his mistress instead, was the moment she broke off their engagement and walked out of his life and that was it.

“You’re mine, Jung Woo-ya.”

If she wasn’t so emotionally spent, she would laugh and taunt him, but she just wanted to get this over with, “I never was,” she whispered softly and disconnected the call, turning off the phone, she curled up on the sofa and pulled the wool afghan on top of her body and closed her eyes, conjuring a warm sweet smile from her memory as a balm to her weary heart.

“I miss you…”

***

Jung Woo drew another line of concealer to hide the dark circle under her eyes, the sleep deprivation finally taking its toll on her. Finishing off her barely-there make-up with blush lipstick, Jung Woo combed through the loose curl of her hair and quickly put on the camel tone wool coat over the long sleeves emerald dress.

“Holy–!” she cursed out loud when she nearly collided with a natural force of fury that is Jeong Hanee and think to herself that she needs to start checking her peephole before walking out. This is the second time that she nearly bumps into another person just trying to get out of her house.

Hanee’s glare snipped her protest in the bud as she allowed herself to be pushed back into her apartment by the smaller woman.

“Ow, ow!” Jung Woo shouted as Hanee hit her arm as a punctuation of her words.

“It's.” hit. “Been.” hit. “Two.” hit. “Weeks.” hit. “Why are you so stubborn!?” Smack.

“Ya! Are you trying to kill me?”

“You made Ji Hye cry. What were you thinking!?”

Jung Woo instinctively took a couple of steps back when she saw that Hanee raised her right hand ever so slightly, but the younger woman followed her footsteps and closed the distance between them.

Standing on her tiptoes, she leaned up to look closely at Jung Woo’s face, noticing her paler complexion and tired eyes, Hanee sighed, “You’re not sleeping.”

“Barely.” A thin smile emerged on Jung Woo's lips as she admitted it easily to her best friend.

Hanee let out a frustrated groan and pointed at the bar stool near the kitchen, “Go. Sit. I’m cooking.”

Jung Woo’s eyes finally caught the bag full of food containers that Hanee brought, “I have to go to work.”

“Yeah well, you can go to work after you eat. Sit. I’ll make something quick.”

“I have a meeting in 45 minutes.”

“You could do it by videoconference these days, so zip it and give me 10 minutes to cook and another five for you to eat. Lose the coat. Now.”

Jung Woo let out a small chuckle and relented, “Yes, Mom.”

True to her words, Hanee heated a simple chicken soup that Jung Woo finished off in record time, earning herself a hum of approval and a kiss on the cheek when Hanee inspected the empty bowl.

“Fine, you can go now, I’ll clean up.”

Pulling Hanee into a half-hug, Jung Woo squeezed her shoulder affectionately. “Thank you,” she whispered and received a muffled grunt in return.

The younger wo