“Jun, she's opening her eyes,” I heard a manly voice say as I struggled to open my eyes. By my surroundings, I quickly recognized that I was in the hospital.“Wh-who are you?” I asked as I struggled and sat up.“Please be careful.” His voice held so much concern that I glanced at the man who rushed to my side and took my hands into his.“I am glad you're okay,” he said, and I shook my head in confusion.“How did I get here?” “You fell into my arms, remember by the park?” He asked, and I closed my eyes to try and remember, and that's when the memories hit me.“Ouch!” “Sorry,” he said, and I gave a little smile. His kindness reminded me of Clinton. I didn't say a word as I looked around, by the surroundings, I easily figured it to be a first-class ward, or maybe this is how Korean hospitals are built.“Good morning, Mrs. Yang,” a nurse walked in and greeted me.“How is she?” He asked as he stood up and faced the nurse.“She's okay, although I will advise that she eats more often, she l
“Jun?” “Jessica?” We were both shocked to see each other. “I thought I was meeting the female lead of the upcoming movie, have you concluded yet?” He asked and gestured for me to have a seat.“I'm the female lead,” I said and sat down across from him as I looked around. “Are you Minjun?”“Yes, well, I guess luck is on our side because, with this, it will be believable. But tell me, how did you convince the judges?” He asked as his hands played with the pencil in his hands. I didn't respond as my eyes caught sight of the frame of his picture on the wall which said, ‘CEO MR. MINJUN YANG’, it was clear he was the CEO of this company.“You're the CEO of this company?”“Yes.”“You act and manage a company?” I know I was asking too much, but I wanted to be sure.“Yes, let's just say acting is my passion and the company is my responsibility,” he responded with a warm smile, and I nodded. “You have much to gain from this deal, considering you want to pursue your acting career, having a father
I closed the door and turned to her. After being chosen that day, I didn't see her again, she was not even among those who were congratulating me.“And you stay in this crap?” She was looking around with judgy eyes.“Excuse me, but who are you?” I asked because I didn't even know her name.“I know you know who I am, I mean, before taking what's rightfully mine, you should have done some research.”“What?” I walked up to her. I knew she wanted the female lead role, but it was given to me now.“Just look at you, how could they choose you over me? I still wonder if the judges were drunk or if you had a one-night stand with Jun.”“I didn't sleep with anyone, I'm talented, and they saw that. Why can't you accept it and move on? You're a famous actress, and I'm sure you will be accepted and given the female lead role anywhere you go,” I advised. I didn't have time for her, as I still had my family to find.“I know, but do you think you can deliver? Do you think you will do better than me?”“
“What are you doing here, and how did you find me?” I followed him, and Jade, being Jade, threw himself on the couch.“Is that how you welcome your friends?” He crossed his legs, took the TV remote, and switched between channels.“Jade, what are you doing here?” I asked in a serious tone.“I came to see you, aren't you happy to see me?” He asked, and I shook my head in disbelief. “And of course, since you left, I've been following your sister, and she was kind enough to lead me here,” he said as he stood up and walked to me. “I am hungry,” he added.“Does your uncle know I'm here?” “Uncle no, but I must say your leave left him heartbroken, but that is not why I am here, he shouldn't have married a woman that does not belong to him.”“Why are you here, Jade?” I asked, curious, and followed him to the kitchen, which he figured out on his own.“I am here for, oh, gosh, is this how you eat?” “What the hell are you doing here?” Jade got scared seeing Loren eat, while Loren got angry at hi
“I think you have the wrong address,” Jade said, and I don't know what came over me as I decided to watch."No, I'm sure this is the right address, her name is Jessica,” Jun insisted.“There's no one named Jessica here, check the next door, man,” Jade said, trying to close the door, but Jun's hand was in the way."Man, I said...”“Jade?” I interrupted.“Love, yes, that's my fiance.” Jun came to my side and kissed my cheeks. Jade was watching, so I played along. Even in Jun's arms, I didn't miss it when Jade rolled his eyes.“Love,” I said to Jun as I pulled away and looked at Jade, who swallowed his saliva uncomfortably, which confused me. “This is Jade, Jade, meet Jun, my fiance.”“I'm sorry, what?”“Oh Jade, always up for a joke, well, not today,’” I tried to brush it off and turned to Jun, who still had me in his arms by my waist. “Please have a seat, let me go and put on comfortable clothes, I will be right back,” I said, running out of the living room without waiting for his respo
We were lost in each other's eyes for a second. I could see him leaning in for a kiss, and I closed my eyes. It's stupid, but I did. The thought of Clinton with Sophia didn't help either until a ball hit my legs. That's when I shot my eyes open, and surprisingly, Jade had his eyes open, staring at me.“Jade..”“I'm sorry, I didn't.”“It's not your fault.” I cut him and bent down to pick up the ball, which was still in between my legs.“I'm sorry, Aunty. May I please have my ball back?” It was a little girl. I kneeled to level with her, her innocent face reminded me of Grace.“No problem, my love, but please be careful next time, it's not nice to be hit with a ball,” I warned, and she smiled.“I promise to be more careful,” she said. I roughed up her piggy tails before she ran away after thanking me. I remained on my knees, adoring her in the direction she ran in, and felt the need to see my kids, even from a picture.“I hope Loren did what I asked her to do.”“Are you talking to yourse
~KOREA 2021~~JESSICA~“Hello? I'm home,” I said as I entered my apartment and kicked off my shoes, which landed on Jun, but being skilled, he luckily caught them. “At least the karate classes are put to work.”“You gotta stop doing that, what if the kids could be near?” He said and took steps towards me.“Good thing they were not near, where are they?” I asked as I walked past him, straight to the kitchen.“They are in their room, how did it go?” He asked, and I shot him a clueless look. “Your manager told me about it—the shoot with Jeeps.” He sounded uncomfortable.“Oh yeah, it was alright. I didn't like most of the pictures, but we managed to get two or three for the cover,” I said as I started making a sandwich.“Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, why don't you freshen up? I'm sure by the time you finish, I will also be done.”“Can I have the sandwich first? I'm so hungry,” I begged. He was against unhealthy eating, which reminded me of Clinton.“No unhealthy food, a proper mea
“What? Chris, is what?” I grabbed the phone from Jun's hands.“He was shot, Jess, he's in a coma but stable. I will call you if anything comes up, I have to go now.”“Please be strong, Chris will be fine,” I said, and she ended the call. “Are you okay?” Jun asked, and I nodded.“I'm fine, but my sister is not, she needs me,” I said as I walked out of the kitchen. Jun followed me.“She will be okay, she said he was stable, I'm sure he will regain consciousness soon,” he comforted.“I have to be with her, she needs me,” I said as I reached the living room. I was now pacing around with my fingers in my hair.“I am sure he will gain consciousness soon, and everything will be fine.”“I know, but he was shot. I need to be there. I need to be by her side. What if the person who shot Chris comes after her and little Chris?” My mind made up all the possible scary thoughts.“I think you're overeating, Jessica, at least let's give it a day.”“Overeating? Am I overeating? My Sister's husband was
I gently squeezed her hands and asked, “What did she say?”“Nothing, she only apologized and told me she's going to seek help,” she said. Even though she tried to hide her pain, I could still tell she was hurting for her—Sophia was her mother after all."Okay, that's good. What did you tell her?”“Nothing, I ended the call in her ear.”“Kiki…”"No, Mom, Sophia is an evil person, she doesn't deserve anyone's forgiveness.”“True, what Sophia did was bad.”“Not bad, separating a mother and child is unforgivable, talk of the pain Layla went through, no, I can't forgive her.”“I understand, I'm not saying what she did was right, no, Sophia caused not only Layla but all of us pain. What I'm saying is that everyone deserves a second chance, especially if they are willing to accept and work on their mistake,” I explained, and she nodded. “You might not be ready by now, but I'm sure one day you will.”“But…”“She will always be the woman who gave birth to you, you will forgive her someday,” I t
~JESSICA~I looked around and saw that the whole family was there even Jade who was holding his baby.“Jessica, come here,” Mrs. Smith said, taking me in her arms. I was confused. The last time we were together, she was not pleased with me, she blamed me for Clinton’s conditoin—when Accardo shot him, she even threatened to force him to divorce me if it weren't for the kids. “I hope all is well?” she asked as we pulled away. I only nodded, as I was sure my breath was still full of alcohol. I didn't want to give her a reason to judge me.“Clinton, my boy,” Mr. Smith said, taking Clinton in his arms. When I pulled away from Mrs. Smith's arms, I walked to Mr. Smith, who also took me into his arms. I didn't stay for long in Mr. Smith's arms. "Oh, my baby, look at you,” Mrs. Smith said, walking to Jade. The baby was crying, so she took him from his arms.I turned to Grace, who was chatting with Layla, her daughter-in-law. “Good evening, Grace,” I said, and they both stood to their feet, Gra
~JESSICA~He didn't say anything, he instead sped up and I said, “Clinton, I'm just joking.”“No, you're not, now I understand why you acted like you couldn't see me when those girls talked to me,” he said, and I looked out the window.Since Clinton drove at a fast speed, it only took a few minutes to reach the house. I got out first, and Clinton followed behind. “What did I even do that you played such a trick on me?”“Nothing, you didn't do anything, Clinton, I thought you were bored and wanted some entertainment since I know a cellphone always bores you,” I said, he fastened his steps and I fastened mine—making sure he didn't catch up with me.“I didn't tell you I was bored, what could have happened if I entertained them?”“I knew you wouldn't, that's why I did it,” I said, and this time I reached our bedroom. I almost removed my dress, but before I knew it, I was pinned against the wall.“Do you know what got me angry?” He asked.“Yes, they called me pretty.”“And it's only me tha
~JESSICA~“Clinton, how are you? H-how is Kiara?“She's fine, why did you call?” Clinton harshly asked.“I'm glad, and Jessica, how is she?”“She's fine too. Do you have anything to actually say because I'm busy?”“Yes, I want to apologize for everything. I know what I did is unforgivable, especially stealing Sophie from Layla and using her against you. I shouldn't have done that.”"Yes, you shouldn't have.”“I caused another woman pain, I didn't want to accept that what we had or what I thought we had was over, and Jessica,” her voice cracked. I grabbed the phone from Clinton.“Hi Sophia, it's okay, we…” I paused and looked at Clinton, who didn't look happy. “We forgive you and Kiara, she might not forgive you now, but she will, she just needs time.”“Thank you, Jessica, you are such a good person.”“You are good too, you saved Clinton,” I told her, and after bidding goodbye, she ended the call, and we walked toward the entrance.“Why are you such a good person after what Sophia did t
~JESSICA~~LONDON~~A WEEK LATER~“Come on, Clinton, she told me he is a friend,” I argued and took a sip of my glass of water as I watched my husband chop vegetables.“I don't care, she can't be friends with boys.” “Kiara is smart, I don't think anyone can play her.” I placed the glass on the counter and leaned on the counter.“Play her, okay, that's it, she's coming back, they will be going to school from the house,” he said, sounding serious.“And you think that will stop her? She will still be going to school.”“At least I will monitor her every move.” He was worried about Kiara's new friend, they came over yesterday for dinner, and because he was a boy, he thought it was dangerous, as he didn't want anyone to play her heart. I trusted Kiara, she was smart, and I knew no one could play her.“I won't let you do that.”“Love, you don't understand boys, they like to experiment and do funny things, I don't want that to happen to my daughters.”“Says a man with three sons.” I rolled my
~JESSICA~I struggled to open my eyes because of the little dim light that was foreign to my eyes. My room's curtain was black because I hated sun rays, so this was definitely not my room.“Stand by the window; she hates light!” I heard Clinton's voice, and I shot my eyes open. “Thank God you're awake, I was getting worried.” He ran to my side and took my hands into his. I looked at him, confused, before my eyes roamed to take in my surroundings.It was a small room, everything was white, and by the ceiling, I easily figured we were on a yacht. I sat up and looked at him, confused.“Do you need anything—juice, water—are you hungry?” He asked, and I shook my head.“My kids—where are my kids?”“They are safe,” he responded, and then turned to the man who covered the little window, and he took a hint as he walked out.“Accardo, what happened to him?”“He's arrested, Jardin called the FBI, and he will be locked up for at least some years, as knowing him, he might buy his freedom.” He respo
~JESSICA~The priest started the ceremony, and my eyes somehow found their way to the door. I knew no one could save me as I locked up the only person who could, but I still hoped he found a way.I didn't want to marry Accardo, Clinton was my husband, he will always be the man I love, and marrying another man was wrong. I knew this was for the best, so I blinked away the tears and looked back at the priest, who asked us to hold hands.“You are mine, no one will come and save you now, even if they try. My guards surround the church. They won't hesitate to shoot anyone who was not invited.” He grabbed my hands and held them so tight that I started to feel pain.“I can work for you without needing to marry you,” I stuttered as my eyes landed on the rings.“I know, but I also want to teach that bastard a lesson, he's the reason I couldn't succeed in getting rid of you and your sister. That bastard has been getting on my nerves. I can't wait to send him our wedding pictures,” he said, and t
~JESSICA~“I'm sorry,” I ran my hand through my hair, not knowing how to defend myself."Sorry, cannot fix this, I'm so disappointed in you.” I didn't respond because what was there to say? I betrayed him, but only because I thought he cheated on me. “We have five kids, five kids, and you just went ahead and slept with another man?”“I thought you cheated on me.”“That is not an excuse, I have never cheated on you, and I never slept with anyone since I met you, but you—you keep betraying my love.” He sounded both angry and disappointed. That was true, Clinton never slept with anyone since we met, he only hired a stripper that time, and still, that stripper only gave him head, and that time we were not together.“I don't know what you want me to say. I'm sorry, okay.”“How many times?” He cut me, and I was once again on my feet, face-to-face, with him.“Clint I…”“How many times, Jessica, how many times did that bastard touch you?” He shouted.“One, it only happened once, we were both d
“When do you want the delivery, ma’am?”“Now, I want it now, if you please.”“Alright, just say out your address, and it will be delivered to you within a few minutes,” she said, and I gave her the house address before I ended the call, just like magic Clinton appeared.“Who were you talking to?” he suspiciously asked, and I shook my head.“No one, hehe, did you get it?” “Yes, do you need anything else?” He asked, and I looked down. He had, like, ten packets of pads in his hands.“Why did you bring all this?” I laughed.“I didn't know which one you preferred, and you have like ten different brands, I didn't want you to send me away again,” he said, walking toward me."Okay, it's fine, j–just take them to the guest bathroom, I will be there,” I nervously said. I wanted him to be far away so I could go and receive the delivery.“Are you sure?”“Yes, I'm very sure, please.” I made a pitiful look, and he looked at me suspiciously before he spoke.“Can I get a kiss for being such a wonderf