Chapter 9

The piercing sun was shining down on the graves, producing a muggy smell. Tiffany walked up the steps to her mother’s grave. Holding a batch of pink flowers in one hand & a book in the other, she kneeled down in front of the large granite stone. She placed the flowers in front of the grave & took out her handkerchief. She placed the piece of cloth onto her mother’s picture & wiped the dust away from it then reached behind & retrieved a metal bowl, “Mom, I’m here to see you.” She slowly began, “I have brought you flowers & a book. This book has accompanied me for so many years now. Whenever I feel lonely, I would hold it close to my heart. It has been with me for long enough. It’s time for it to serve you.” She lit a match & lit the book on fire. The smell of the burnt paper seeped into her sharp & pointed nose. The pages slowly started to deteriorate. She allowed the rest of it to burn in the bowl. She took off her sunglasses & spoke again, “Before you died, you promised auntie Kim that I would care for Jaejoong Oppa until he recovers. I will live up to that promise.” She was quiet for a minute, “You are free, mother. You can rest peacefully now. You are finally with daddy again. Protect me, mom. Give me the courage to change Jaejoong Oppa. Give me the strength that you had to live on. I will be back to visit you. I must go now. Goodbye, mom.” She turned & walked away. The book still burned. The picture of a little girl in her pink dress started to melt away into darkness.

“Seohyun. Seohyun, are you home?” Tiffany took off her nina circe silver heels & slipped on a pair of yellow box bronze sandals, “I take that as a no.” She just began to head towards her room when the phone rang. She cursed & picked it up, “Hello.”

“Tiffany. Finally, you are home. I have been trying to get a hold of you all day. You said that you were going to be home by three. I didn’t have enough time to pick you up. Where have you been?” The voice on the other side sounded worried.

‘I went to visit auntie Kim & Oppa. I heard he was hurt. I wanted to go check on him. We did grow up together.” She replied, a matter-of-factly.

“You visited that jerk?! I thought you said that you were over him. He caused you all that pain & you still throw yourself at him? How many times do I have to tell you not to go & see him? You still don’t li