Present

It has been 5 years. 5 years since Tiffany walked out of their old apartment. 5 years since Tiffany walked out of her life without a proper explanation.

Taeyeon pressed her index finger and thumb against her temple. There were too many things that she has to settle. So many things she has to get done. The past few weeks has been meetings and signing of contracts. Her relationship with her father had gotten better but it didn't mean that they were as close as before. Maybe it was the fact that she had pushed him out of her life during her four year relationship with Tiffany. Or maybe because she found out that he was still in contact with the woman who destroyed both her life and his from the very beginning. Her own mother. The woman was a gold digger and Taeyeon was very certain that her father is aware about it. Then again, love can make you do things. Crazy things.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the vibration from her blazer's inner pocket.

'Hello?'

'Hey, do you want to have lunch with me and Jess?'

'At the usual?'

'Uhhuh'

'Sorry can't'

'No problem. Is everything okay?'

'Yeah. Just the usual.'

'Oh alright then. I'll see you this weekend?'

'Sure. See you!'

Taeyeon was about to hang up when she heard a familiar name being mentioned by Jessica in the background.

'Taeyeon said she can't make it'

'Oh. Is she okay? I'll ask Tiff to join us then'

'Hello? Yuri? Are you still there?'

Taeyeon asked over the phone. She heard nothing but a click and the call had been ended by the other party. Taeyeon grabbed her car keys and told her secretary to cancel all her meetings.

'B..But you have a meeting with the President in an hour'

'Tell him that I'll talk to him about it over dinner. Tell him that I'll even come over for dinner. Hyunnie, there's something really important that I have to attend to'

She said informally to her secretary before leaving the girl dumbfounded. Taeyeon drove as fast as she could. She parked her car a distance away and quicken her pace as she walked towards the usual cafe that she and her friends would hang out. She was walking toward's the door when she stopped. She could see the girl she had wanted to see for the longest time through the cafe's large top to bottom windows. Taeyeon couldn't help but stare. Her wounds were still fresh. Her breathing quicken, her body stiffen. Just a few metres was the girl that broke her heart into a million pieces. The girl that left her with more questions than answers. The girl that she was still very much in love with.

Taeyeon held back her tears and walked back in the opposite direction. Tiffany looked happy. Tiffany looked well. Taeyeon walked back to her car and broke down. Her heart was starting to ache. She has everything that she had lost during the relationship. Everything but her. Everything that didn't matter.

It has been about a month since Tiffany returned from her business trip to Australia. She has been keeping herself busy with packed schedules just so that she could keep certain thoughts out of her head. Her efforts were futile. Her insomnia has worsened. It isn't the hectic waking hours that was slowly killing her. It was the nights when her thoughts would haunt her. Those quiet lonely hours when her mind just wouldn't let her rest. Those nights she stayed up crying about the decision she made 5 years ago. Those nights when she would get up from her bed and start looking through the past photos she kept. Pictures of Taeyeon and herself. She was in bed when Jessica called her. It was her day off.

'Hello? Tiff? Are you still in bed? Can you come have lunch with me and Yuri?'

'Huh? Are you sure?'

'Taeyeon's busy. It will just be the 3 of us. Come on. You can't keep locking yourself up in your apartment'

'Oh okay. Be there in 15 minutes'

Tiffany got out of bed and took a shower. Since her new apartment is just a 5 minute walk from the cafe, she could just take her own sweet time. She took one last look at the mirror and gave herself a small 'pep' talk.

'You're happy. You really are. It was for the best'

She told herself before putting on her heels.

Time seemed to be passing by slowly over lunch. Tiffany smiled at the couple in front of her. Her best friend and Taeyeon's best friend. They pair had a relationship that everyone should be envy about. There were days when she wished her relationship with Taeyeon had a happy ending. An ending where Taeyeon's father would approve the relationship. An ending that didn't involve her having to break up with Taeyeon and leaving the girl without a proper goodbye. She would rather have the girl hate her than hating anyone else.

She remembered the day as if it was just yesterday. The day Mrs Kim turned up outside her exam hall. The day Mrs Kim threatened her. She had seen the older woman once. It was during a school event when Mr and Mrs Kim attended the ceremony. She had heard plenty from Taeyeon about how Mrs Kim was almost never there for her. The only time the pair ever communicated was when Mr Kim stopped giving her money. That would be the time when Mrs Kim would continuously call Taeyeon asking the girl to talk to her father about the lack of funds. Tiffany had seen the number of times her Taeyeon would reject those calls.

Mrs Kim had threatened to expose their relationship to Mr Kim. Telling her that Taeyeon would lose everything once the relationship is exposed. The inheritance, the company and most importantly her family. In short, Mrs Kim was guilt tripping her. If Taeyeon were to be disowned by her father, it would also mean that Mrs Kim's lifeline would be gone. Her platform to ask for money, her cash cow gone.

Tiffany said goodbye to the pair after lunch. She made her way back to her apartment, her thoughts heavy with memories of Taeyeon and herself. She walked up to her apartment floor and fished her house keys from her handbag. As soon as she pushed her door open, she felt someone pushing her inside. Her instincts told her to scream for help but before she could even say anything, she felt a warm pair of lips against her own.

She opened her eyes and saw the familiar girl. Taeyeon. Kim Taeyeon. The love of her life. The girl she walked out on 5 years ago. The girl she had left broken. Tiffany managed to close her apartment door and responded to the girl. The kiss felt different. Familiar pair of lips but the kiss meant so much more. There were too many emotions involved. It was rough, yet comforting. Taeyeon pulled away from the kiss and the pair were now staring each other.

'P...please don't leave me. I...I need you. I don't know where I went wrong that made you leave but I promise I will work on it. I will work on it. Please just don't disappear again. Pany ah, I'm still in love with you. I will always be in love with you. Just tell me what I did wrong. Just tell me why you left.'

Tiffany didn't respond. Instead, she pulled Taeyeon in for another kiss. She didn't want to make the same mistake. She didn't want to lose Taeyeon again. They were older now. Careers more or less secured. She was ready emotionally, mentally and financially to overcome whatever that crossed her path. This time, she's holding on to Taeyeon. Tiffany was planning on staying. And this was just the beginning of what is about to come.