Chapter Four

“I’m sorry I can’t join you for breakfast, dear.” Missis Jung was in Jessica’s suite to visit her daughter before heading out for another meeting that she was running late to. “I’m just really, really busy,” she continued as she kissed Jessica, who was lying on the king size bed, on the forehead.

“It’s fine,” the blonde muttered. Missis Jung looked at her apologetically. She wasn’t the perfect mother, and she knew it. Of course, she would notice how Jessica always tried to reach out for her, but she was never available to take the blonde’s hand whenever her daughter needed it. She was busy making money as if they didn’t have enough to sustain a couple of generations for life. She believed that money would make everyone around her happy. It would make Jessica’s life more comfortable, right?

Being the Vice President for Operations, she was already getting paid a monthly salary that could be considered an annual minimum income to others. That wouldn’t stop Missis Jung from making more money. She was given shares of Hyatt as part of the deal along with her promotion. Having this job required for her to distance herself from her family, which Jessica believed caused her mother to lose her husband’s love. Well, not that her father was the perfect husband either. It seemed like they were both too busy in their successful careers that they always forgot they had a daughter, waiting at home.

“Goodbye.” Jessica looked at her mother’s back as the lady headed for the door. The lady then looked over her shoulder, meeting Jessica’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said, which only got a sigh from her daughter in reply. The blonde knew her mother loved her job since it was probably the only one that was going to stick with her for the rest of her life. Her mother’s relationship with her father wasn’t perfect so it was probably why she was never home, Jessica tried to justify her mother’s actions once again. Sure her father was amazing as a provider. Mister Jung was well-known in the field of finance as he was the managing director of a financing company, which Jessica’s grandfather owned.

When the blonde was younger, she just knew she was stuck in a huge house with all the help provided – four maids, two unneeded nannies, three drivers, two gardeners. It was an enormous mansion to be filled by her tiny body. Just too much space for a kid her age. Her parents did go home, ate dinner together, but home had always been empty. Sure, people would say life was fabulous since she had all the money, all the things she needed, basically anything a kid could wish for, Jung Jessica already had it. At age eleven, she asked her father if she could join the baseball little league since she had seen a movie about it. What her father did was beyond normal for he sponsored two teams, hired coaches, and held events. Well, one team, which was the better team, was the team Jessica played for while the other team was the practice team. The blonde liked it in the beginning, but after an incident where she got hit by the ball in the face, when she was the batter, caused a huge scene. It was apparent that the coaches and everyone favored her. Who wouldn’t? Her father practically owned the teams. Jessica at that age knew why most of the kids in the team didn’t like playing with her afterwards. She concluded that she probably would either since she would be scolded if she hurt a princess. At that very young age, she figured she was a special case. No one really liked her for her. No one really treated her special because she was her. She was liked because her parents had money. She was treated as a VIP, again, because of her parent’s money. This was the very thing she hated the most. She was special because her parents were special. The praises she received during her Taekwondo competition at age fourteen was because her father’s company sponsored the event – so it was only natural that her efforts, her sleepless days because of practices, were overshadowed by the high beam her parents’ flaunted. Always.

Who was Jung Jessica to people? She was pretty much a trophy, a doll, or anything like a tool. She was never a person to others. That was when she tried to distance herself. At fifteen, she had enough of what was happening around her. There was no point on being the same as her parents. She figured, she should be her own person – in which she found out she was profane and sarcastic.

Hearing her mobile phone ring, the blonde then grabbed it from the other side of the bed. Why would Yuri, of all people, call her at this hour? Didn’t she make it clear to everyone to never call her before noon? Yet, here came this tanned girl, who happened to be her best friend’s girlfriend, calling as if they were also the best of friends. “What do you want?” She snapped at Yuri. “Didn’t I tell you guys to never bother me this early? Stupid.”

“I’m sorry,” a familiar voice said. Wait. That wasn’t Yuri. That was Taeyeon!

“Oh,” The blonde laughed awkwardly and continued, “I was just kidding.”

“I think you failed to warn me to never call you this early.”

“I said it was a joke.”

“You sure it’s fine? You seemed pissed earlier.”

“Nah. Just… yeah…”

“Mom?”

Jessica sighed. How could someone know her so well, and yet never realize that she held feelings for the girl? How could this girl be oblivious, and yet, could tell that something was wrong to her? “Yeah. Like always,” she said.

“I kinda figured you’d be in a bad mood because of her. I’ve been trying to convince them to just go bac---“

“No! It’s fine, Taeyeon.” Jessica bit her lower lip to prevent herself from saying what she truly wanted. “Really. I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.” She paused, trying to regain composure. “Anyway, why did you call? Is there a problem?”

“Nah.” Taeyeon began and then continued, “I just missed you. That’s all.”

What?! Why was she saying that? She was just giving Jessica hope again! Jessica was trying to fight the urge to fall into this trap. Surely, Taeyeon wasn’t intentionally torturing her. The petite girl never knew that the blonde held special feelings for her so her words were always meant in a friendly manner. “Really? You missed me?”And yet, she fell deep into that trap she knew of from the very beginning.

“Of course! How can I not?”

Like all of Taeyeon’s sweet talk, it never failed to bring a smile on Jessica’s face. “Really now?” she asked with a huge grin on her face.

“Yeah! How can I not miss you? You’re Jessica, remember?”

“I think I remember my name very well.”

“So you shouldn’t even ask me if I’m sure if I miss you or not. I just do because you’re Jessica.” Before Jessica could say anything, Taeyeon then continued, “It’s like, life isn’t complete without you.”

And there it went. Jessica’s senses were thrown out the window, fifty-four stories down. “So… you really love me huh? You really miss me?”

“Didn’t we have this conversation before?”

“But I want to hear it again.” Jessica smirked. It wasn’t like Taeyeon could see her right now but who could stop her?

“Hey Taeyeon, let’s go now.” Well, Yuri could stop her. Yuri could ruin Jessica’s paradise in a second. Incredible, wasn’t it? Merely in seconds, Kwon Yuri’s voice destroyed the happy bubble she was in.

“Oh, Jessica. They’re calling me. I’ll talk to you later, okay? Bye! Love you!” was said before she could even process everything that had happened after the end of her cloud nine.

Wasn’t she aware of the fact that Yuri existed? Her friend, Kwon Yuri, existed? Was she totally lost in her own little paradise that she forgot Taeyeon was taken? Well, maybe so. But she couldn’t help but let herself be lost in thoughts. Which she knew was bad, but she couldn’t help it. It was Taeyeon telling her she missed her. So how could she deny Taeyeon the liberty of saying those sweet things? It wasn’t like she wanted for Taeyeon to stop. It was the only way to get loved by the only person she knew she had learned to loved, or still loved.

The blonde slowly closed her eyes, sighed, and headed straight to the bathroom to get ready for whatever this day may bring her. Maybe later, when she wasn’t feeling like crap, she’d head down and pick up her senses that she threw fifty-four stories down. Maybe after picking them up, she would finally wake up from this stupid fantasy. Maybe by then, her senses would realize there was nothing to wait for. Nothing. Since Yuri had already taken the only thing she really asked for.

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