Dani was surprised to see her mother’s car in the garage when she got home from practice.  It was only nine in the evening.  Her mother shouldn’t be home this early.  She usually comes home from work after midnight since she started working on her grandfather’s company.

She composed herself.  Her mind was on overdrive thinking of what excuses she should make if her mother asked why she came home late.  She cannot afford to get caught.  She had been practicing day and night for the first live battle of KPop Star.  She cannot back down from the competition.

She searched for her mother when she entered the house.  She couldn’t find her downstairs.  Her heart was beating so fast as she climbs the stairs to her bedroom.

God, please don’t let her be in my room.  Dani prayed silently.  She was afraid her mother would see something unnecessary in her room.  She had been very careful hiding those things from her.

Dani held her breath as she turned the knob on her door.  She has a bad feeling something will happen.

Dara was facing the window when Dani walked in.  She couldn’t see her expression.  Her arms were crossed on her chest.  Not a good sign.

Dani practiced her smile to hide the anxiety inside her.

“Hi, Mom.  You’re home early.”  Dani told her mother.  Her voice was a little bit too excited.  Dara slowly twisted her body to face her daughter.

“And you’re a little too late to come home for a twelve-year old.” 

Dara was not amused.  She was expecting Dani to be home when she came.  She was planning to take her out to dinner or cook her a simple meal but, she came home into an empty house.

“Theatre practice.  We’re going to have a little play in the workshop.  Nothing big.”  Dani explained.

“Aren’t you too young to stay out this late?  Are they allowed to do that?”  Dara probed further.

“We forgot about the time.  We kind of get absorbed with practicing…”

“I thought it’s nothing big.”  Dara reiterated.

“Still, we want to make the most out of it.” 

“Is that so?”  Dara didn’t sound convinced though.

“Uh-huh!”

Dani was keeping her fingers crossed.  She was hoping her mother would stop asking questions.  She doesn’t want to keep lying to her.  It hurts her.

“Why is there a password on your desktop?”  Dara asked after a while.

“What do you mean?  Do you need anything from my computer?”  Dani asked back. 

Why is her mother asking too many questions?  What’s gotten into her?  Dani thought.

“I just wanted to see what’s keeping you busy.”  Dara explained.

“Well, you can just ask me.  You don’t have to go through my things without my permission.”  Dani flared up.  Dara’s sudden invasion on her belongings worries her.  What if she saw something?

“Are you hiding something from me, Dani?”

“Mom, why would you think that?”

Dani turned her back on Dara.  She was afraid to shoe her lying face to her mother.

“You can tell me.  I will not get mad.”  Dara urged her daughter to speak up.

“There’s nothing, Mom.”  Dani lied. 

“I’m tired, Mom.  Can we just talk later?”

“How about we dine out tonight?”  Dara dropped her queries.  She doesn’t want to upset her daughter with her sudden interrogation.

“Some other time, Mom.  If you don’t mind.”  Dani declined the invitation.

“Oh.  O-okay.  Goood night then.”

“Good night, Mom.”

Dani couldn’t move to give her mother a hug which she usually does whenever they say good night.  The guilt is making her vulnerable.

Dara left the room with an uneasy heart.  Dani was acting strange.  She always wanted to talk to her whenever she comes home early from work but, she literally pushed her out.  She was trying to justify Dani’s behavior lately.  It must be due to hormonal changes.  Or because of her new environment.  She is a girl hitting puberty.  There must be a lot on her mind and she is not there to help her adapt.

Dara lost her appetite.  She didn’t want to eat alone.  Instead, she grabbed a glass and a bottle of wine from the bar counter.  She settled herself on the leather couch in the living room drinking wine and listening to soft music.  After a few glasses, she went back to Dani’s room.  She was already in her bed asleep.

Dara tucked the blanket on her daughter.  She stared at Dani for quite a while, studying every detail on it.

She’s very pretty.  She smiled to herself.  Stubbornly pretty.  Just like her father.

Dara’s jaw clenched.  She quickly dismissed the thought on her mind.  She kissed her daughter before going to her own bedroom.  As soon as the door closed, Dani’s eyes opened.  She was awake the whole time.  She felt her mother’s presence the moment she stepped back in.

“I’m sorry, Momma.”  Dani uttered to herself.

A teardrop fell on her pillow.

“Soo Hyuk!   My man.  Fancy meeting you here.”  Jiyong exclaimed when he saw his best friend at their favorite hangout.

“Nice to see you again, Jiyong.”  The newcomer accepted Jiyong’s warm welcome with a hug.

“So, what brings you here?”  Jiyong asked once they settled on the bar counter.  Since Soo Hyuk decided to join the corporate world, he seldom joins them to have fun.

“I need to de-stress, man.  My new boss is killing me.”  Soo Hyuk complained.  It was past midnight and he just got off from work.  They have not finished their new proposal and they only have until tomorrow to present it to the new CEO.

“Yeah, you look like you could use a drink or two.  You look older every time I see you.”  Jiyong commented.

“Tell me about it.  This new CEO is a pain in the .”  Soo Hyuk grumbled. 

“Give the old man a break.  As CEO he has so much to take care of.”  Jiyong said.

“What old man?  She is just the same age as me.  She didn’t even smile when she entered the conference room.  And when she started talking… Man, I almost fell off my seat when she trashed our proposal.”  Soo Hyuk narrated bitterly.

“She?  At thirty already a CEO?”  Jiyong blurted.

“Remember when I told about this new SNS software we’re going to launch?”  Soo Hyuk asked.  Jiyong  just nodded his head.

“We’re ready to sign with your boss.  And then the new CEO came.  And she dissed everything.  She said we don’t need you for our product launching.  Can you believe that?”

“Really?  Not a fan, huh.”  Jiyong mocked.

“And we have to present another proposal tomorrow.  How in the world can we do that?”  Soo Hyuk continued.

“Don’t worry, man.  Maybe she’ll be in a good mood tomorrow.”

“I doubt it.  I think she hates men.”  Soo Hyuk snorted.

“And why is that?”  Jiyong asked.

“I heard she’s divorced with a child.  Maybe the man couldn’t stand her.”

“Maybe you should try to befriend her.”

“No way, man.  She’s very beautiful.  No doubt about it.  But, I hate her personality.  She scares me.  I want my woman tamed.”

Jiyong laughed.  His friend had too much to drink already.

“Are those people from Paris like that?  I hope her daughter is not like her.”

“Which company do you work again?  Jiyong asked. 

“KKT Technologies.  We’re a subsidiary of Park Enterprises.”  Soo Hyuk answered.

Jiyong dropped his glass on the counter spilling its content on the granite top.

PARK ENTERPRISES. 

GON-AH.

DARA.

Why is his heart beating so fast?