"Young CEO and billionaire Kim Jisoo certainly has a busy schedule, so it's not a surprise to see the socialite craving some serious relaxation. However, when Jisoo was spotted entering a yoga center for pregnant women, many eyebrows have raised regarding the truth about her pregnancy rumours. If found that she is carrying a child, it would be unfortunate to have the baby be raised by a single mother. It was not the first time she was seen entering the yoga center, as she was seen three times last week, and was reported to be her first few visits. Since her husband died months ago, it would be safe to assume she has another man hidden under her sheets, if the rumours were to be proven true." Taehyung sat on Jisoo's table as he finished saying the words on the morning paper, laughing in between sentences.
Jisoo grunted, shoving Taehyung off her desk. "All these bogus information makes me want to buy the agencies where these news are made and have them all fired."
Taehyung picked up the newspaper and tossed it to Jisoo. "Cut them some slack. Besides, the total cost of all the agencies will only be like change to you."
Jisoo caught a glimpse of herself in the front page. Behind her was Jennie, though her image was hazy, Jisoo recognized the Pikachu sweater she had secretly bought for her. She was roaming around town when a saleslady recommended it as a gift. It was baggy, but then she thought Jennie would be comfortable in it. Jisoo had Grace purchase the sweater and give it to her. The photo evoked memories of having Jennie as her birth and labor partner, making her recall her touch, scent and feel. She flung all thoughts at a distant and threw the newspaper with abandon inside the trashbin.
She shrugged. "Exactly. I wouldn't even notice the difference in my bank balance if I bought them."
"But really though, what were you doing inside the center? Wanting to bring your old self back?"
"I have no old self." Jisoo unbuttoned her blazer and hung it on her chair. "I went with a friend."
"This Jisoo in front of me is not your old self. You were so hyper and full of life. It's been months, Jisoo. He's not coming back." Taehyung looked at her pitifully.
Jisoo was taken aback by his words, hearing him with a humorless implication was a rare music to behold. If she was not aware of Junmyeon's affair, she would have thought Taehyung as callous, but the presence of Jennie made her indifferent to any words concerning her late husband. "I know that, Tae. Just give me more time."
"If that's what it takes. I miss my good ol' girl."
Jisoo showed him a sly smile as she walked nonchalantly to his standing figure. Taehyung's brow tightened, wrinkling his forehead. "Who's your girl?"
"The old Jisoo's my girl." In a swift motion, Jisoo leapt up and took Taehyung's head under her underarm, bending his back, and rubbed her knuckles against the top of his head.
"Ow! That hurts!" Taehyung worked to get his head out of Jisoo's grasp.
Jisoo pretended to strike his stomach using her knee. "Who's your girl now, huh?" Seeing a giant man struggle against her small arms made Jisoo's guffaws echo inside her office, one that he hasn't heard in a while.
Taehyung tried to suppress his chuckles, but ended up bursting into a laughter.
Jisoo finally let him go, his face bright red. Taehyung shook his head, his smile wide. "God, I missed you, amigo." He said with his broken Spanish.
"Ew, Spanish does not suit you at all." Jisoo fixed her wrinkled top, tucking in the loose ends. Taehyung was about to counter when Jisoo's phone rang.
Seeing her mother calling, she immediately answered, remembering the fateful day she left 59 missed calls she left all within 15 minutes.
"Mom! What made you call?" Jisoo held the phone in between her shoulder and ear, still tending to her top.
"Soo-ya, I was wondering if you're back at the mansion." Her mother's voice came louder than a trumpet, making her lose her hold on the phone, her face contorting. She inserted a finger marginally insider her ear, scrubbing the insides, wishing to soothe the sting. She picked up the phone and held it to her mouth.
"No. I'm staying at my suite here in the city. Saves time for travel when I go to work." She answered.
"That's good, because I'm on my way there. Probably ten minutes away. You left the spare key with me, remember?"
Jisoo didn't mind it at first, blowing on her nails until the realization Jennie was in her suite hit her like a canon. "What?! No, you can't go there NOW. You can stroll the city first before going there. You'll just be bored!!" Jisoo bit her nails, hoping her mother would think otherwise.
"It's alright, I'll just sleep inside the spare bedroom."
SHIT! That's where Jennie was staying! "Mom, you--" Jisoo was not able to finish her plea as the sound of static replaced her mother's voice. If she'll take the limo, she would never reach her place before her mother.
"Fuck, fuckity, fuckity, fuck." Jisoo said in a singing manner as she grabbed her things, contacting her butler. "Mark, ready the Shumon. I'll meet you at the parking lot by B20." As soon as she hung up, she opened the last drawer on the table near the floor and opened it, revealing clothes.
Taehyung said nothing since he was aware of what Jisoo was doing, as he has witnessed it before. He turned around, his to Jisoo, knowing exactly what she would do.
Jisoo stripped her body of her formal attire and replaced it with a plaid shirt, denim shorts and her favorite Adidas running shoes. She walked out of the door, not before shouting to her best friend, "I gotta go! It's code red!"
So the CEO of the company ran in the hallway towards the elevator, the sea of people diverging to both sides as they saw a fuming Jisoo screaming, "Excuse me!" An employee took the intiative to open the elevator for her. Once the doors were opened, Jisoo jumped right in. "Thanks!"
The elevator reached her destined floor and she moved her legs more rapidly to garage B20. And there it stood, the luxury good of grandeur that Jisoo considered as one of her most prized possessions.
It was her Harley Davidson motorcycle.
It was clad in the most striking matte black, the motorcycle chassis as dark as the night, securing the seat made by the finest of leather and the engine. Jisoo had kept her bike inside her office garage in situations that required speed in transportation. Not only that, she also had a place for her bike inside her suite. Her mother and husband were not always in favor of her riding a bike, but she had the money and the skill. What's there to stop her? But for now, the admiration can wait as her mother might find out about Jennie if she did not hurry.
Jisoo sat on the bike and revved it to life, the engine roaring as loud as it could get. It was an extension to her body, the journey on the road making her more immersed and engaged in the ride. She put on her helmet and sped to her suite, dealing with the curves and turns as she avoided the vehicles stuck in traffic. Riding had brought the thrill, fear and exhiliration back to Jisoo. The need to keep a balance and rhythm was an aspect she had truly missed.
When the tip of her building came into her vision, she accelarated the speed and entered her personal car elevator that led right up to her floor. Upon the arrival at the very last floor, she dashed to her door, seeing her mother about to insert the key to the door.
"STOP!"
Jisoo had managed to block the door with her body, her arms extended at her sides. She was panting, but her expressionless mask hid her uneasiness and disordered emotions. She suppressed her fears that was welling up inside, determined to keep her mother off the grounds of her suite.
Her mother's eyes widened and grabbed Jisoo, embracing her daughter. "I missed you." Jisoo would've like to melt in her mother's arms, but she needed to keep her away.
"I missed you, mom." Jisoo's shoulders relaxed, but she felt tense. "Why don't we take a walk, hmm?" Jisoo whispered in her ear, wrapping her arms around her back.
"I would like that."
Relief washed over Jisoo as she let herself completely surrendured in her mother's warmth. They pulled away. Jisoo held her mother's hand, the one without the key and tugged at her. "Let's go?"
Her mother nodded and Jisoo completely turned around, and that's the moment the click of the door bounced off the walls and into her ears, signalling the door had been opened. As if a switch has been pressed, Jisoo's voice raised an octave. "NO!" But it was too late, she couldn't possibly stop her now.
And before she could do anything else to cease her mother from moving any closer, Jennie just had to appear by the doorway. She was wearing an apron that clung firmly her stomach, her cheeks filled with dirty smears of flour. "Grace? Is that you--" There was a slight hesitation in Jennie, feeling just as stunned as Jisoo, who was motionless beside her mother.
Jisoo didn't how long she was standing there, staring at Jennie, saying words in a secret language only understood by the eyes. She feared for herself. For them both. If her mother knew about their affair, there were little chances of Jennie leaving her place unharmed, and she was already doing enough damage to her. Her mother was kind, gentle and loving, but hurt her daughter and she'll return it a hundredfold.
Once in high school, some guy bullied her, called her names and when he got drunk one night at a party, he landed a punch on her face. He ended up with several broken ribs a few days after. The suspect was never to be found. Jisoo was not stupid and oblivious. She knew who did it, or who ordered to do it, rather.
Jisoo once again saw Jennie's marks on her body. She trembled, feeling the ground below her slowly crumble. She didn't want any more to be placed upon her skin. She still hasn't known the story behind every scar, and she certainly did not need a scar that was caused by her own family. Jennie's wounds. The reason her heartless acts were detached from her daily routine. Though the words remained.
Jennie must have caught her fear, because she gulped.
"Who are you?" Her mother's husky voice startled them both. She had a stoic expression, one they both cannot read. She glared at Jennie, her eyes travelling to her face from her feet.
"I-I'm J-Jennie, Jisoo's fr-friend."
"Mom--"
"What are you doing here?" She said darkly.
Sweat started to fall on Jennie's brow. She watched Jisoo for a moment, the woman glancing away. This woman was her mother. Jennie looked at her more closely, seeing a resemblance to Jisoo. She wore a deep make-up, but failed to hide her wrinkled skin. Her brown eyes were full of pride for her age and experience. Nevertheless, her mother looked beautiful.
"I'm ba- baking.."
"Baking what?"
"Ca-carrot c-cake."
Suddenly like the lights of a Christmas tree, the expression of her mother brightened almost instantly upon hearing the dessert, her strong facade making a quick departure.
"Jisoo and I love carrot cake!"
Jennie and Jisoo both blinked in surprise. "Soo-ya, you should've told me you had a friend baking a cake!" Her mother instantly walked to the direction of the kitchen.
"I never knew you baked." Jisoo said as she came up to Jennie, adjusting her stride to meet their distance.
Jennie tucked her hair behind her ear nervously as she wiped her stained hands on her apron. "You did. I baked a cake last month, but you propelled it to the floor once Grace told you I made it." Jennie glanced to the floor, her own heart pounding.
"Rest assured no more cakes will be on the floor." Jisoo replied, her lips bending upwards in a small degree.
Jennie felt an electric shock went through her body. It was the first time Jisoo had given her the privilege of seeing her genuine smile. It was small, but the gesture overpowered her senses. Her faced turned red all the way to her ears. "That's.. that's good to hear."
Jisoo saw the small trail of sweat from Jennie's forehead to her brow. Her hand found its way to her pockets and felt her handkerchief. Part of her mind wanted to refuse. It was a betrayal of the hate and loathing she had established for Jennie. There was still a large part of her that was desperate to keep Jennie at a remote point, far away from her. The bigger part was eager to let go of her extreme hostility to her. The bigger part wanted to perceive the warmth she had felt when Jennie's body was close to her own. But was she ready? Was it right to do so?
Maybe it was the normal human reaction to physical intimacy. Maybe she would be able to feel it with her other friends. Why only consider Jennie? Not to mention, the mistress? She still hadn't forgiven, and Jennie still hadn't asked for forgiveness. No matter the angle, the situation was complicated and unfortunate for them both.
But still, Jisoo took out the handkerchief and held it low, out of Jennie's sight. "Jen--" Jisoo bit on her tongue. She never called her by her name in private. She couldn't. She recomposed herself and tried again. "Hey, slut, you--"
"Jisoo! Jennie! Why doesn't the cake have icing?!" Her mother's voice travelled to them all the way from the kitchen.
Jennie giggled, whose face and and laugh radiated zeal and confidence. "I think we should go to your mother."
"Yeah, I think we should." Jisoo said in a tone not usual from her, wanting to sound nonchalant.
Jisoo followed after Jennie into the kitchen and saw Jisoo's mother munching on a slice of carrot cake. "This is in need of some icing." Though the older woman complained, she was on to her second slice after finishing the first. Jisoo saw Jennie take a white bag from the fridge and started covering the cake with the icing. Jennie was slowly adapting to the situation, answering the questions her mother asked with her cover-up story, as she ate. Being flexible in some circumstances was a small price Jennie had to pay in the path she'd chosen. Though her mother was inquisitive, eager to learn, Jennie adjusted herself and her story that would seem believable for Jisoo's parent.
Confident Jennie could handle herself, Jisoo walked to her bedroom for a change of clothes. Maybe it wasn't so bad, after all.
As soon as her daughter was nowhere in sight, Jisoo's mother brushed the slice of cake off and sat upright on the chair, leaning over the counter. "I'm suprised Jisoo has not gotten sentimental since letting you in here."
Jennie looked at her, startled with her statement. But she wasn't looking at face, rather her protruding belly. Jennie paused long enough for Jisoo's mother to know she wasn't giving her an answer.
The old woman sighed. "Jisoo is quite sensitive and emotional ever since the doctor revealed her condition to her. She and her husband literally fell apart because of it. Ever since that day, Jisoo would weep seeing a baby or a pregnant woman. She's recovered, but she still has her episodes occasionally. Her husband drifted away from her, depressed at not being able to have an offspring with his own blood. Jisoo tried to keep themselves together, but it was a one-sided effort."
But Jennie did not know of any condition. Jisoo had one? "I don't... I don't know what you mean..." Jisoo seemed fine and strong. She had never seen or heard Jisoo cry for the last five months, but hearing such a thing made pain throb in her chest.
"Jisoo can't bear a child."