Chapter 2

“Kwon Yuri speaking.” Yuri said into the phone, after the third ring.

“Hi Yuri, it’s me, Jessica.”

Yuri didn’t know what to do; Jessica never rang her at her office before.

“Oh hey, I have heard, congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

Yuri could hear the happiness in her voice; she could also sense the smile on her diamond-shaped face.

“So, how come you called me? Do you need something?”

“Oh, I just wanted to ask you for a favour; since you are Yunho Oppa’s best friend, I would really like it if you could be my bridesmaid? It would make me so happy. I would have ask you to be my maid of honour but I have always promised my sister she would be it.”

“Oh...um, I don’t know, Jessica. To tell the truth, I’m very busy at the moment.”

Well, it wasn’t exactly a lie; she did have a lot of work to do.

“Please Yuri; I would really like my baby’s godmother to be part of my wedding?”

“Um...sure, anything for the baby.”

“I’m sure the baby is going to love you. He or she is so lucky that they have such a lovely godmother. Well, could you come today at six to the Vera Wang bridal shop. I had like to look around at their dresses.” “Um...six? Let me check my schedule?”

Yuri said a silent prayer, hoping she had a meeting or court hearing, just anything. No such luck. She had always hoped she could leave work on time but now that she could, she didn’t want to.

“Yeah, I’m free. I will see you.”

“Be on time because the store closes at eight. See you later.”

“Yeah, bye.”

At six, Yuri, sure enough, did make her way to the Vera Wang bridal shop but she didn’t expect Yunho to be there.

“Hey Yul, you have actually left that building before six to get here. I never thought I had see the day.”

“Very funny, Yunho Oppa.”

She hit him lightly on the shoulder & went to Jessica.

“Hi Jessica, guess I made it. Where is everybody else?”

“Who?”

“Your sister, Krystal & Changmin Oppa, Yunho Oppa’s best man?”

“Oh, my sister it in thailand at the moment, she trusts us to get her a nice dress. I have her measurements already & well, Changmin Oppa is just being an & would rather go on a hot date instead.”

“Oh, okay. Well, let’s get started.” Said Yuri, as she tried to muster up as much enthusiasm as she could since she wanted others to be here so that she wouldn’t feel like a gooseberry.

“Oh, I’m so excited. We have to find the dress today.”

“Why today? Don’t you want to look around at more places?” Asked Yuri.

“Well, Sica here wants to get married as soon as possible so that, in her own words, she won’t look like a product of a genetically modified watermelon.”

Jessica laughed with Yunho while Yuri let out a slight giggle. She felt so much like an outsider at that moment, “Come on Yuri, let’s go.”

So, the two girls were subjected to a sales assistant non stop talking & a glass of perrier. While Yunho was by himself, checking out the men’s groom wear in the men’s section on the other side of the department store.

Jessica had tried on numerous of dresses but still couldn’t find the right one. Yuri was getting slightly bored & her mind started to wander, ‘That could be me in that dressing room.’ She thought. She shook her head to get the thought out of her head.

“What about this one?” Asked Jessica, as she opened the door.

“Um...it’s a bit over done too many beads.”

“Yeah, I thought so but this is the last dress. Which one was the nicest?”

“Well, the bat wings one is a definite no no. The sleeved one is just downright hideous. The cream one is okay, I supposed, but it’s too common. What about the sleeved flowing one?”

“I kind of liked the corset one with no straps.”

“Won’t it hurt the baby?”

“I don’t know. It’s not working out very well, is it?”

“How about we check out the other store? Hello muse or Blessing bride?”

“No, I checked them out this morning, only Vera Wang looked promising.”

“Well, it’s nearly eight, shall we go?”

“No, I don’t have enough time; I have to find the dress today so that I had have enough time to get it altered etc.”

“I supposed so. Try the corset one on again.”

When Jessica went back into the dressing room, Yuri flicked through the rail that the sales assistant left behind. There was a dress that she particularly liked but Jessica had hated it. It was a white a-line with chiffon split front overlay wedding dress which Jessica was scared that it would attract attention to her stomach.

Another assistant came back; she saw how Yuri touched the dress & urged Yuri to try it on.

“No, you don’t understand, I’m just looking, I’m here with a friend.”

“Oh, go on. No one is going to persecute you for trying it on.”

‘Well yeah, why not?’ Thought Yuri.

“Okay, I will try it on.” She replied. She didn’t know why she agreed, she wasn’t the type of person who dreamed of getting married, not even as a little girl. She instead dreamed of being the beautiful fiery princess who saved the land. Hence, she turned out to be one of the most successful lawyers in Seoul.

“Jessica, I’m just going to try on a dress, it just looks kinda cool.”

“Sure.”

Yuri entered the dressing room & forgot all about the fact that it was Jessica & Yunho’s wedding that they were preparing for.

When Yuri came out, Jessica was already in her white strapless ball gown with satin corset bodice dress, “Wow Yuri, you look great in that, you really do. Oh, I wish I could wear that dress but my stomach will show.”

“Well Jessica, I think that your dress is fine, it pretty much covers the stomach & with cleavage like that, I don’t think anybody will be looking at the stomach.”

“You don’t think it’s a bit too much cleavage, do you?”

“No, it looks fine. As long as you are happy about it, it shouldn’t matter.”

“Well, hey y lady.”

“Oppa!” Squealed Jessica, as she greeted Yunho with a warm hug.

“Wow, that dress is amazing Jessica, really, everybody in that church will be envious of me. Not to mention, you looking pretty hot yourself, Yul. Have you got a secret finance hidden somewhere?”

“Yeah, in my bag, you should go help him get his tux sorted.” Humoured Yuri, but her heart stung when she saw them standing together that it hit her that they would get married. Jessica & Yunho, not her & Yunho. Yuri turned to looked at the full-length mirror & pretended to admire herself when she was in actual fact avoiding Jessica & Yunho. She looked in the mirror. There she was, a woman of her world, successful, intelligent, beautiful but unwanted. Out of the corner of her eye, at the right hand corner of the mirror, she watched Jessica fix Yunho’s black bow tie for him as he looked down at her tenderly. As if she was his greatest treasure. Then she looked at herself again. Standing there alone, wearing a beautiful wedding dress for no reason. Then the tears came, tears that she had held in ever since Yunho told her he was getting married. She tried to hold them back but she failed. She was tired of pretending to be happy, pretending that she could be Jessica’s bridesmaid. She couldn’t. She couldn’t because she wanted the groom for herself.

Yunho saw the tears fall from Yuri’s eyes; he watched her mascara run as she quickly wiped them away. It was the second time that he had seen Yuri cry in the many years that he knew her. The last time she cried was when her aunt who had brought Yuri up died from a heart attack.

“Hey Yul, what’s wrong?”

Yunho quickly unwrapped himself from Jessica & went to Yuri.

“Nothing, I’m just so happy for you. I feel so happy, you are doing so well, your career is great, you are getting married & you are going to be a father. I’m just so happy for you.”

Yunho decided not to push her any further for any answered; he was scared of what he might hear. He was scared that Yuri might have feelings for him, she had been acting strangely recently & he was scared that it was because she had feelings for him.

Jessica looked at Yuri & was concerned, ‘Poor girl.’ She thought, ‘Yuri must be upset that she is single when everybody around her is getting married & settling down. She must feel so lonely.’

Jessica placed her hand on Yuri’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, I understand.” She whispered into Yuri’s ear.

Yuri wanted to scream, ‘No, you don’t! You have no idea whatsoever! You will never understand what I feel because you will have Yunho Oppa!’

Yuri bit her pink plump lips to stop herself from saying anything.

“Excuse me; I have to go to the little ladies room.”

She excused herself to go to the washroom but the sales assistant asked her to take the dress off. After Yuri took the dress off, she went to the washroom, not noticing a pair of brown, almond-shaped eyes following her every movement.