Fade Away - Trevor Kowalski
After Miyeon showered away her latest monumental lapse in judgment, she tamed her knotted hair, which bounced around her bruised shoulders. She braved the cold loft to change into a pair of white boyfriend jeans with a black pullover hoodie and threw on a matching oversized wool coat. She pulled the hood over to cover up all signs of depravity so she didn't look as haggard as she felt.
When she descended the staircase with her luggage, she found Haechan standing in front of the large picture window. When he started toward her, she prepared to knock him in the face, but all he did was reach for her bag, which she relinquished.
When he stalked out to the rover, Miyeon tidied up the best she could and threw the soiled linens in the washer and started a load. If she was talking to the douche, she would have reminded him to toss it in the dryer once he brought Hirae home.
As it was, she averted her face and slipped past him, turning sideways so she didn't touch him since he was standing in the doorway like statue. She wanted to admire the diamond dust, but the cold penetrated through her clothing and took her breath away, so she hurried to the truck instead.
The trip down the mountain was nothing like last night. It was amazing the difference a few hours could make. The world around her shimmered with a pure innocence she wished she could go back to. Under other circumstances, she would have enjoyed the beautiful scenery, but the suffocating proximity to this asshole made the hour-long trip hell. She needed to get away from Haechan so badly, that her skin itched.
He lied and betrayed her in so many ways, it made her head spin. The worst part was that she had wanted children with him. She had fantasized about having a son that looked like him or a girl with his eyes. The fact that he had stolen even that dream from her made her want to rip his face off. If possible, this hurt more than anything he said to her in Tokyo because it showed, in no uncertain terms, that Haechan had never pictured a future with her. Their relationship had been a sham.
When he parked at the hospital, she had her door open before he came to a full stop. She charged toward the doors, determined to say her goodbyes to Hirae and get out there, but Haechan's long strides quickly caught up to her. They walked into the hospital with enough space between them for a gurney to pass through.
When they entered the elevator, Miyeon stood in the corner with her arms wrapped around herself. Like the car ride, neither of them spoke. When they reached the ICU, the nurse escorted them to Hirae's room. She listened with half an ear as the nurse discussed Hirae's care plan. When Miyeon entered, Hirae's face lit up, but when her eyes went past her to Haechan, her face went dead white. "Haechan?" Hirae whispered.
Miyeon rounded the bed and watched as mother and son stared at one another. As the silence stretched, the nurse's gaze went from Hirae and Haechan to Miyeon. Miyeon shrugged to show she didn't know what was going on either. She married into the Lee clan but knew very little about their dynamics. Neither Hirae or Haechan had ever explained their very distant relationship, and she had never pried.
Haechan didn't react at all to seeing the changes time had wrought in his mother. His expression was as impassive as ever. "I-I didn't think you'd come," Hirae said in a shaky voice.
"If I couldn't, I would have sent someone," Haechan replied coolly.
Miyeon couldn't help herself. "Sent someone?" When Ha looked at her, she dropped her gaze to his jaw
"Some business can't wait," Haechan said. He could be her father's twin. Divorcing him was the best thing she ever did. Miyeon saved herself from a lifetime of being ignored and begging for scraps of affection.
Hirae's eyes filled with tears as she took in Haechan's outfit. "You're wearing his clothes?" she asked in a quavering voice.
Haechan eyed his mother like she was a stock that wasn't behaving the way he wanted it to. "I had no choice."
Hirae's stunned gaze shifted to Miyeon then. "You two talked?"
"No," she said shortly and leaned forward to kiss Hirae's cheek. "I'm glad you're all right. Now that he's here, I'm going back to Seoul."
Hirae gave Haechan a wary glance and gripped her hand. "Are you sure you can't stay?" A doctor entered and shook Haechan's hand. This was her moment to get out of here.
"No, I'm so sorry, but you can visit me once you're recovered," Miyeon said hastily. "You take care, okay?"
"I don't know how to repay you," Hirae said, hanging onto her arm.
"No need," she said and patted Hirae's hand. "Get well soon, okay?"
"I will." Miyeon eased around the medical staff and slipped out the door. She focused on the exit and didn't take a breath until the double doors of the ICU closed behind her. As she power walked down the hall and pulled out her cell phone, she ducked into an empty waiting room and dialed Jiwoo.
"Girl," Jiwoo began.
"Get me a plane," Miyeon ordered. Jiwoo's tone instantly became formal and no-nonsense. "Absolutely, Ms. Kwon. Where are you?"
"I'm—" The phone was yanked from Miyeon's grasp. She whirled and saw Haechan glance at the screen before he held it up to his ear.
"That won't be necessary," He said and hung up.
"What the hell are you doing? Give it back!" He tapped the screen, and his brows came together. "You spoke to Na Jaemin this morning?"
Miyeon was lightheaded with rage. "That's none of your business! Stop going through my phone!"
"Did you tell him about us?" She ground her teeth together. "There is no us. Now, give me my phone."
Haechan stared at her for a full thirty seconds before he started tapping the screen. Miyeon lost it and launched herself at him. He grabbed her hand and twisted it behind her back, forcing her to bend over to avoid having him snap it.
He pressed his mouth against her ear. "Don't push me, Miyeon."
"I'm not pushing you! I just want to get the fuck away from you." Haechan released her. She rubbed her throbbing shoulder and bared her teeth when she saw him still messing with her phone.
"I swear to God, if you don't—" He pocketed it, and said, "We'll leave in thirty minutes."
"I don't need a ride to the airport. I'll call a cab."
"I already have a plane." She stared at him. "You're going to leave Hirae?"
"She's coming with us. I have a nurse ready to care for her until she recovers." Miyeon shook her head to clear it. "Okay, good, but I'm going to Seoul."
"So am I." Alarm bells went off in her mind. "You live in Tokyo."
"I moved my headquarters back to Seoul." She had the sensation of falling. "I thought you were doing well in Japan."
"I am, but my intention was always to move back, and now I have." What the fuck? The city wasn't big enough for the two of them. Did her sisters know? Of course, they did. Why hadn't they told her?
"I'm surprised you'd want to return to Seoul," Miyeon said faintly "Why? Because your father and his business partners ran me out of the city?"
There was no use beating around the bush. "Yes."
"They can't touch me now." Her stomach churned. "Thanks for the offer, but I can get back on my own."
"We'll leave in thirty minutes," Haechan said again.
His gaze went beyond her, and a moment later, the door opened. Miyeon turned, hoping it was a doctor or some form of law enforcement. The two men in the doorway definitely had some kind of training, but they weren't cops. Dressed in matching suits, overcoats, and even sunglasses, they couldn't look more different.
"Change of clothes, sir," the guard said with a hint of an accent she couldn't place. Haechan took the bag, and said, "Don't let her leave."
Miyeon watched Haechan's progress through the glass as he walked down the hallway and disappeared from sight. She stared at the guards who had their hands folded over their middle. Their expressions were impossible to read with the sunglasses concealing their eyes.
"Get out of my way," Miyeon said. They glanced at one another and then back at her. She stepped up to them and put her hands on hips. "Do you know who I am?"
"Kwon Miyeon-Lee," the much taller one said, also with an accent she didn't recognize.
Her hands balled in fists. "Just Kwon." The guards shrugged as if it was all the same to them. "I'll pay you one thousand dollars if you let me borrow your phone," she said.
No reaction. "Two thousand." No reaction. "Ten."
"Mr. Lee said to keep you here. You aren't going anywhere, ma'am."
"I could have you arrested for kidnapping." They shrugged, unfazed by the threat of legal troubles, and why would they be? Haechan would bail them out? Fuck.
Miyeon sank into a chair as a tension headache threatened. She was physically battered, tired, and trapped. She just wanted out. She buried her face in her hands and took a deep breath.
"Can I get you something, ma'am?"
"Aspirin and water," she murmured. She heard the door open and close and fought the urge to scream. She was going back to Seoul. That was all that mattered, right? A few more hours with Haechan and she wouldn't even have to speak to him. These guards would be there and Hirae as well. She could do this.
"Here." Miyeon looked up and took the chilled water and aspirin from the guard. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." She swallowed the pills and half the bottle before she set it on the empty seat beside her. "What's your name?"
"You can call me Hendery."
"And where are you from?"
"Macao." She nodded and looked at the pale one by the door. "And you?"
"Lucas."
"And you're from?"
"Hong Kong." Interesting. "How long have you been with Haechan?"
"Going on four years." Miyeon nodded and watched the faces of the people passing the waiting room. Their faces were pinched with stress and worry. After spending a week in a hospital watching over her father, she wasn't happy to be back. The dour mood was the same in every hospital.
"I'm sorry about your father." Her gaze went back to the guards who were watching her closely. She inclined her head. "Thank you."
Miyeon didn't remain sitting long. Not when her thighs, and legs were swollen and aching. She paced, fingers itching for a pen. Writing was her yoga. It kept her sane, organized her thoughts, and helped escape reality when it was too much for her to handle. She wanted to get lost in a story where the character's world made sense, and she was in control. After spending most of her life following everyone's rules, writing was the one place she was free.
A woman wearing a white parka with a fur-lined hood caught her eye. She was sure the woman wasn't a local, and it had more to do with her exotic looks than the designer bag on her shoulder. She had beautiful dark skin with a scarlet lip and dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. The woman looked through the glass, stopped in her tracks, and then beamed.
Miyeon looked behind herself to make sure the woman was looking at her. The woman opened the door, pushed the guards aside, and strode up to her with her hand outstretched and wearing a smile. Good manners forced her to shake the woman's hand without knowing who the hell she was.
"I'm Giselle, a huge fan," the woman said, dark brown eyes sparkling. She glanced at the guards and then back at Giselle. "Uh, okay."
Giselle leaned forward and winked. "Alice." Miyeon's heart skipped a beat. "You're his assistant?" Giselle guessed.
"Yes." Miyeon didn't know how to react. This woman was a fan of her work and had given her books to Haechan so he could discover that his ex-wife wrote an erotic series based on their relationship. This woman knew more about her than her own family. She withdrew her hand and nodded.
"Can I borrow your phone?" Miyeon asked.
Giselle reached into her pocket. "Of course. Is there anything else I can do for you? We should be leaving in about fifteen minutes."
Miyeon gave her a tight smile. "See, that's the problem. I don't want to leave in fifteen minutes. I want to make my own way back to Seoul."
Giselle paused in the middle of handing the phone over and hid it behind her back. "Lee gave explicit instructions."
"His instructions don't affect me." Miyeon held out her hand. "I want to make my own arrangements."
Giselle gave Miyeon a blinding, professional smile. "He should be available shortly to speak to you about your concerns."
Miyeon narrowed her eyes. "I don't want to disturb him."
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind," Giselle said smoothly. Her phone rang. She held up a finger and gave Miyeon an apologetic smile as she turned away and answered in a foreign language. Lucas muttered something under his breath, and Hendery shook his head.
This was absolute bullshit. She walked up to the guards who looked down their noses at her. When she pressed against them experimentally, they tensed. "I don't think you should be—" Lucas began in an offended tone. Still talking on the phone, Giselle hooked an arm through Miyeon's and led her away from the exit. She finished the call and smiled at her.
"So how far along are you on the fifth book? Everyone's talking about it." Miyeon opened and then closed her mouth. She had never spoken to a reader face to face, and it was disconcerting on multiple levels. Her work was private and sacred to her. It was the one thing that was hers alone, yet this woman was talking about it so casually as if they were discussing the weather and not something that came from her soul. She didn't know how to feel about this woman at all.
"I love your young adult fantasy novels too. Do you think you'll complete that series as well?" Giselle asked. "I... don't know."
"It was the hardest thing I've ever done to give Mr.Lee those books and wait for him to figure it out for himself. Gah! I waited over six months. I never thought he'd read them and then he did, thank God."
"Why did you do that?" Miyeon asked bluntly.
Giselle blinked. "They're about him. He should know, right?"
"If I had wanted him to know, I would have told him myself." Giselle searched her eyes for a moment, and then hers widened. "You didn't want him to know?"
"No!" Giselle covered her mouth with her hand. "But... hasn't anyone else figured it out?"
"No!" Giselle looked horrified, but that didn't mollify her. Miyeon untangled her arm from his assistant and paced away.
"I thought... I thought the series was a love note to him," Giselle said faintly. "I thought it was romantic."
Miyeon whirled. "It wasn't for him; it was for me. And how could it be for him when I divorced him?"
"But Mr. Lee's character is still in the series, a supporting character. I thought..."
Now Miyeon wanted to throw something. "That's just fiction!"
"But... but the books follow your life so closely. The fourth book ended with you and your father repairing your relationship after all these years..." Giselle pressed a hand against her chest as her eyes filled with tears.
"I'm so sorry to hear he passed. That's so tragic. You two have become so close, traveling and even living together. I can't imagine how you must feel about losing him so suddenly." Miyeon stared at Giselle. "Are you stalking me?"
Giselle gave her a guilty smile. "I mean you are kind of an 'it' girl but is that bad?"
"Yes! What the hell?"
"I can't help it. Romance is my guilty pleasure, and you wrote one of my favorites. I re-read your series at least once a month. And I also love fashion. You're my fashion icon and inspiration. I see you post on social media every now and then. If I follow your personal life, it enhances the reading experience and my fashion sense because I know where you're getting your inspiration from."
Miyeon had never been struck speechless until this moment. She was still trying to cope with the shock of meeting a super fan who knew her real identity and the details of her personal life when Haechan walked into the room.
He was dressed in a fancy overcoat with a high collar and a black scarf. He was back to looking like what he was, the filthy rich— heartless businessman with no morals. When Haechan looked at Miyeon, she averted her gaze.
"We're ready. Let's go," He said. Everyone waited for her to move first.
She passed Haechan who then took the lead and headed to the elevator. Giselle's eyes flicked back and forth between Miyeon and Haechan as if she were watching a tennis match. When Giselle noticed Miyeon's glare, she looked up at the ceiling.
When they exited the hospital, two SUVs were waiting for them. Miyeon waited for Haechan to climb into the back of one before she went to the other. She was pleased to find Hirae already seated with her nurse.
"I'm glad you're coming with us," Hirae said. Miyeon tried to give Hirae a reassuring smile but was sure it was more of a grimace as she climbed into the very back and prayed this was the longest nightmare ever and that she would wake up soon. Hendery climbed into the driver's seat and adjusted the mirror until he could see her. Did he think she was going to bail?
Hirae and the nurse chatted all the way to the airport while Miyeon closed her eyes and tried to relax before she was locked in a confined space with Haechan for several hours. Lack of sleep, the unrelenting cold, and her soreness, in general, intensified her tension headache. She felt ill and achy. All she wanted was a bed and to get away from all these people.
They pulled up to a private airstrip. She wasn't pleased when it began to snow because she refused to get stuck here. Fuck that. Miyeon boarded the plane and immediately begged the flight attendant for more aspirin, which she procured before she found an empty seat.
She chugged the ginger ale and pain pills and gave the jet a cursory glance. It was plush and warm and done in soothing neutral shades. She didn't care. She had been on dozens of jets. All she cared about was snatching the farthest seat from Haechan. Unfortunately, the plane wasn't a 747, so the only eight seats available were divided into sets of four that faced one another.
The guards and Hirae and the nurse had taken the back seats, which only left the front, two on each side of the plane with tables between. Haechan and Giselle were sitting across from one another with their laptops out. Giselle had an iPad in hand and was going over Haechan's schedule.
Miyeon had no choice but to take the chair across the aisle from them. She accepted the blanket the flight attendant offered with a shaky smile and huddled against the window. She pulled down the shade, draped the blanket over her head, and tried to block out the world.
"What's wrong?" Miyeon didn't have to open her eyes to know who was bothering her. He was the bane of her existence, the dude who made a career out of torturing her. She gave him the middle finger from beneath the blanket and silently told him to go to hell. When the blanket disappeared, Miyeon moaned and covered her head. "Go away!"
"What's wrong with you?"
"You. You're what's wrong with me. Leave me alone," She muttered. Two weeks ago, she buried her father. Yesterday, she rushed his mother to the hospital during a heart attack and then spent the night doing the dirty with an ex she hadn't laid eyes on in years. Two hours ago, he roused a past she thought she had come to terms with and then forced her on a plane with him and his entourage. The more apt question was, what was right with her? Absolutely nothing.
"Are you sick?" Haechan persisted.
"Yeah, I'm sick of your bullshit." Miyeon heard a choking sound and realized her chair was back to back with Hirae's. She swallowed the filth she wanted to spew at Haechan and kept her face averted.
"She asked for aspirin earlier," Lucas piped up.
"You have a headache?" Haechan asked. Why the fuck did he act like he cared? "Yes, I have the migraine from hell. Leave me alone."
The blanket came back over her. Miyeon huddled beneath it like a kid in a tent. She didn't care what she looked like, not when her head was threatening to split open.
As the engines revved, she covered her ears with her hands, but it did nothing at all. Once they were in the air, she propped up the leg rest and stretched out, turning her body away from Giselle and Haechan. Thankfully, she couldn't hear them anymore over the deafening hum of the plane.
Introducing Giselle to the storyy!!!
Enjoy <3