“Good evening, Ok Taecyeon,” Donghae greeted.

A deep frown engraved Taecyeon’s face making all wrinkles on his forehead visible during the moment.

“This? Is what you had reserved?” Taecyeon asked Victoria.

“Ah…” Donghae turned toward Yoona.

Victoria followed his gaze and stared at the stunningly beautiful woman with her hair neatly held back. The way the woman stared at her made her wonder if she had done anything wrong that she wasn’t aware of. Her eyes were penetrating with shock and despair, the kind that Victoria didn’t like to see in her victims dying. If Victoria had seen correctly she thought she saw the woman clench her jaws together in order prevent them from shaking.  

Donghae slightly clenched her hand and unclenched them but still held them.

He then started, “Yoona, Victoria. Victoria, Yoona.”

Victoria felt a wave of shock in her brain aware of the stare she was receiving from the woman.

Victoria felt her eyes grow wide. “Im Yoona?”

Taecyeon felt his ears perk up. Yoona’s heart stung ever more.

“Mmm?” Donghae raised his eyebrows. “How did you know?”

Victoria’s heart thudded. Sherriff Deputy Im Yoona.

“You’re lucky sunbae,” So Young started, “that there’s still someone looking for you.”

Turn away or not? No. Victoria quickly decided what to do.

A smile encased her face as she held out her hand, “Hi, Yoona. It’s nice to meet you.”

Yoona never moved her eyes from Victoria’s suddenly smiling face. She was confused. Was this person Victoria Song? The one friend she’d lost 14 years ago to those bad guys? Or was she just someone else who had the same name? But they looked so alike…

Yoona felt tears b in her eyes and she didn’t know what to do during that second. Why was Victoria acting like she didn’t know her? Why…was Donghae’s second woman Victoria? How had she come back? She had expected a warm reunion full of tears and happiness. A reunion with a hug…but the situation…Donghae was with her…and Taecyeon was there…it didn’t fit the reunion she’d dreamt of.

Taecyeon watched them confused. The only fact he knew was that now Yoona knew who Donghae’s other woman was Victoria. He couldn’t imagine how painful it was for Yoona to come face to face with her like this in this kind of situation. But the way Yoona stared at Victoria showed something else, he observed.

“I just wanted to stop by and greet you,” Donghae broke the ever silent silence. “Lets sit over there.”

“I guess we will see each other later,” Victoria said and walked off with Donghae, still hand in hand.

When they sat down at the table in the far corner Donghae glanced at Victoria.

“Sorry, if I made you feel awkward over there,” Donghae apologized, “but how did you know Yoona’s surname?”

“Ah…newspapers.” Victoria lied. It was a legit lie, she supposed.

Donghae looked at her and nodded.

“Are you two friends?” Victoria wondered.

Donghae hesitated then looked at her, “She’s my ex-fiancée.”

Victoria felt her heart skip a beat. What? Fiancée? No…she bit her tongue to stop from showing the ever growing shock she was feeling. Things were becoming worse by the second now.

- - - - -

Yoona couldn’t move. Couldn’t chase after them when there were so many people entering the room and even then she couldn’t sit down. Her eyes were all on Victoria and Donghae, who were making their way carefully through the crowd to the table at the other end. The mixed feelings within her were so overwhelming. There were now two big issues at hand that had suddenly grown bigger than they were supposed to.

“Yoona,” Taecyeon called, his voice was distant and far to her ears.

How did they come to meet? Donghae and Victoria. The woman he wanted to go all out for was Victoria? No, Yoona didn’t want to believe it. Where had Victoria appeared from? Was it really her Victoria with her Donghae? What was going on!

“Are you ok?” he sounded worried.

Yoona turned to look at him.

“Compose yourself,” Yoona silently told herself.

Then biting her lips Yoona nodded and sat down. However much as she wanted to restrain herself from looking at them her eyes still moved their way. Why? She wanted to know why this was happening to her. Her heart was breaking, shattering, and it was all happening very slowly.

“No…no…no…” her insides cried out.     

A while later food was served after a small speech and Yoona ate her food without even bothering to savor the expensive flavor from the medium cooked steak. Her hands shook unsteadily as she turned every other second toward Donghae and Victoria’s direction. Through the heads of the people to her left she was able to make out their smiling faces as they ate. When Donghae reached up to wipe Victoria’s lips with a napkin Yoona turned away with tears in her eyes.

What was she supposed to do?

It burned her so bad to see them together. Her beloved friend and the man she couldn’t get over. Why? - that was all she wanted to know.

“Yoona, it’ll be ok.” she heard Taecyeon’s voice from beside her.

Yoona couldn’t turn to thank him.

- - - - -

Half an hour later people started meeting up and chit chatting in groups. Taecyeon and Yoona, however, remained in their seats. It had taken him a long time while staring at her to decide that he needed to do something. He couldn’t stand it when Yoona became down around him.

“Should we go?” Taecyeon asked standing up.

Yoona didn’t raise her head to look up at him.

“Lets go.” it was more of an order than an urge.

He gently pulled her up by the arm and led her lifelessly to the table where Donghae and Victoria sat. The two were in the middle of a conversation they were particularly enjoying. The bright smiles on their faces told him so.

They didn’t notice him nor Yoona when they approached. Taecyeon cleared his throat and saw that Donghae was the first to turn. Victoria took a longer time to turn to them as if she had done it on purpose.

“Yah, lets go.” Taecyeon nodded toward Victoria.

“She’s my date tonight. Don’t worry about her.” Donghae pointed out.

“Ok,” Taecyeon agreed, “but we’re going the same way anyway. You and Yoona are probably traveling the same way back tonight, right?”

Taecyeon eyed Victoria, who resisted meeting his eyes. He was surprised by her. Often she would have fought back or would have said something but she remained silent from where she sat as if she didn’t want to say a word.

“I’d like to have a word with you, Donghae,” Yoona felt her voice shake. “Can you take me home?”

Donghae looked a bit flustered. Victoria kept her eyes off both Yoona and Taecyeon.

“You go ahead.” Victoria turned to Donghae. “I’ll be going first.”

Donghae remained reluctant to part but finally agreed, “Have a safe drive back.”

Taecyeon watched as Victoria walked pass him without acknowledgment.

“Have a good night,” Taecyeon turned to Yoona. “Talk things out once more, ok? I’m just a call away.”

Yoona glanced at him with a small smile then glanced pass him down the hall looking for Victoria. Taecyeon patted her shoulder once then walked out.

In the freezing cold he found Victoria standing in the empty parking lot with her face tilted toward the cold. From where he stood Victoria looked like a lost soul waiting for the moon to whisk her away somewhere far into the sky. It looked almost sad.

“Yah,” Taecyeon called walking toward her. “What are you doing just standing there? Why didn’t you go to the car?”

“I don’t know where it is,” Victoria told.

Then he remembered he hadn’t come with her. Instead of laughing it off he said, “Well, you could have tried to look for it. It’s not like you don’t know what it looks like.”

He walked pass her making his way down the lot. Victoria stared at his back feeling an urge to run away. If she did he probably would catch up to her anyway. With the heels and the dress she was wearing she realized she wouldn’t be able to make it far. Slightly turning to glance back toward the entrance she wondered how things were going inside.

- - - - -

After Taecyeon and Victoria had left Donghae found himself sitting there alone silently with Yoona standing by lost. He began to wonder for a moment if she had really wanted to talk to him and that Taecyeon had just wanted to take Victoria and leave.

“Aren’t you going to sit?” Donghae asked looking up toward her.

Yoona still had her face slightly turned away as if she were searching for someone in amongst the crowds.

“Yoona?” he called. “Are you ok?”

“Can we leave?” Yoona questioned.

“Huh?” he asked then nodded. “Sure.”

The drive to her house was the most silent drive he’d ever experienced. Yoona didn’t talk to him even when he’d tried to talk to her. She sat there lifeless in the passenger’s seat staring out into the streets. He didn’t quite know what to make of it. After a couple more stop lights he stopped in the driveway of her house and unlocked the doors but Yoona made no move to step out.

“Yoona?” he asked. “We’re at your house.”

“Oh? Are we?” she asked looking outside the same window then unbuckled herself.

“Are you ok?” he was worried. “Did something happen?”

Yoona sat there as the seat belt drew itself back. It was silent once more. Was she searching her mind for the words she wanted to ask? Had she forgotten something? Or had she forgot that they were in front of her house again?

“Yoona.” he called her name again.

“How do you know her?” Yoona asked. “Victoria, right?”

Donghae stared at her as if searching for the answers.

Yoona quickly asked, “Where are her parents? Where is she from? How has she been living? How have they been treating her? Where did you meet her?”

Donghae felt almost taken aback by her quick questions. “I…”

“Answer me,” Yoona pressed on. Her eyes were sharp, dark and deep.

Donghae felt his mouth slightly open confused, “We met at Ok Taecyeon’s apartment.”
 
“Ok…Taecyeon?” Yoona repeated surprised. It was clear in her face. Donghae, for the first time in his life, felt that he was actually able to read her face expressions.

He nodded, “He should know her more than I do. Why? Are you worried that she’s not a good person?”

Yoona turned her face away with utter shock spreading through her. Without replying she opened the door and walked into her home. Not once did she glance back.

- - - - -

“Open the window,” Victoria ordered.

“What?” Taecyeon questioned, eyes on the road.

“Open the window,” Victoria repeated.

“Why!! It’s cold!”

“We’re not opening your window.” she solidly stated.

Mumbling under his breath Taecyeon opened her window and felt a wave of fresh cold air freeze him. He slightly turned to look at her to see black hair flying crazily but her face remained still against the cold. She didn’t flinch when it whipped her nor did her face expression change at all.

“Yah, what’s with you? Moody that I cut your date short?” he wondered.

Victoria didn’t reply.

“You’re really weird tonight.” he commented and once in a while he turned to look at her feeling worried.

When they got back Victoria grabbed some clothes and retreated into the bathroom. Taecyeon grabbed a warm cup of water and drank it down slowly. He had really expected the banquet to be fun and full of laughter but meeting Donghae and Victoria there had really ruined it all. And why hadn’t he thought of it before it actually happened? He should have guessed that Donghae would bring no other than Victoria with him. Dressing her up and all.

Taecyeon heaved a sigh and dropped onto the couch. The sullen gaze in Yoona’s eyes full of despair was something he’d never seen in anyone before. Had something terribly shocking happen to her that he wasn’t aware of? If so what was it? Was meeting Donghae’s other woman a big shocker to her? Or had it been something else? The Yoona he knew seemed strong but if he recalled one thing, she’d been breaking a lot ever since she started talking to him.

He waited for a long time and Victoria hadn’t yet come out of the bathroom. All he wondered was what she was doing that took her so long. And while waiting he knocked out on the couch.

- - - - -

Victoria had taken a cold shower and had gotten out but hadn’t had the energy to open the door. Turning on the cold water in the sink she splashed it over her face more than once to cool down the streaming ache in her.

The way Yoona had stared at her. Sherriff Deputy Im Yoona.

She was surprised, amazed. Her friend, whom she couldn’t recognize, had become so stunning. A fine makeup artist she would have been.

Victoria found herself smiling. So her friend had actually went out and done something she had never once dreamt of. Why did Yoona push herself to become something like her father? Oh well…at least it was good to know that Im Yoona was successful. She was a successful woman, who no one in society would look down upon.

After a long moment she finally glanced at herself in the mirror. She couldn’t stay any longer. Even if she’d played stranger to Yoona, she knew that her friend was smarter than she thought. Yoona definitely knew who she was just by hearing her name. If Yoona found her and forced it out of her, not only would Taecyeon be in more danger, but Yoona would also be in even more danger. And Donghae would be facing something he shouldn’t have to deal with.

Turning the faucet off she unlocked the door and climbed out of the bathroom to find Ok Taecyeon soundly asleep.

- - - - -

Yoona hadn’t closed her eyes all night long, at least that was how she felt. Sitting at the morning table with a warm cup of coffee wrapped around it she ran the thoughts around her head. She should have paid more attention. The way Taecyeon had called Victoria “Yah” meant they knew each other well. Had Taecyeon been hiding the facts from her all along? Yoona couldn’t be sure. But she worried about it. What if Victoria and Taecyeon had been conspiring together? What if Taecyeon was one of those men who’d been with Victoria all those 14 years?

She turned to stare at her phone.

- - - - -

“What’s this?” Taecyeon asked after stepping out of the shower.

“It’s nothing to thank me for,” Victoria replied setting two plates on the table with a bowl of rice and some chicken on the side.

“You must be doing this because you’re afraid I’ll yell at you for last night,” Taecyeon assumed sitting down. “Well, I have been putting a lecture together in my head but it seems kind of pointless when you’re an adult yourself.”

Victoria frowned at him and sat down. “My first cooked meal!”

“Thanks for your effort,” Taecyeon loudly chirped before he began digging into the food. “Mm…not bad for a beginner. You pass, you pass.”

His phone began ringing after a moment and Victoria watched as he answered it. She couldn’t tell if it was work or if it was someone else.

After hanging up he chugged down his water, “I have to go somewhere. You finish up the rest yourself, ok?”

“Where are you going?” Victoria asked.

“Meeting with someone,” he quickly answered then ran out of the kitchen excited.

Victoria watched him run pass the kitchen again, slipped his shoes on, then closed the door behind him. She turned back to the food.

“Well, it’s time.” she said.

***Take note that Victoria doesn't recognize Yoona, she can only remember her name. Why? Because in those 14 years in which she'd been missing she only had a photographic memory of Yoona, and in those 14 years she allowed herself to forget everything. Yoona's only able to recall Victoria by the portrait of Victoria and her family in her home.

***Why did she feign a lie that she didn't know Yoona? Simple: because she doesn't want to go back, she's simply telling Yoona she doesn't want her back in her life.

***If you notice Taecyeon's role at the banquet to Yoona is more of a friend than a date.