Jeong Jaehyun (Part Four)
Author's Note: We are so close to the finale, I promise. Thank you so much for being patient with me in writing this. I cannot believe it really takes so long for me to upload chapters. But Iâve also been bogged down with work. I had to travel for two weeks and some insanely jarring things occurred while on my travels. Iâm okay though! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the energy Iâve given this installment, Seoulmates! Lmk what you think đ«¶đŸ
(Friendly reminder, YOU DON'T HAVE PERMISSION TO COPY MY WORKS ANYWHERE.)
CEO! Jaehyun x Pianist! Black reader
Synopsis: After your untimely death, you learn the truth about the plot to sabotage you. Now reincarnated to an earlier timeline of events, you have 3 main objectives: break off your engagement with Jeong Jaehyun, strategically expose the plot against you, and get the fuck away from your family as soon as possible.
Content: Angst, themes of betrayal, hurt reader, time re-do, reader death, reincarnation, implied destiny swapping, revenge is served, badass reader, revenge, manipulation, neglect, gaslighting, Jaehyun as a man-written-by-a-woman, he YEARNS, fluff
After the recital fiasco and Stellaâs failure in hijacking your engagement date, you stick to your guns in preparation for the psychological warfare you were set to enact upon your tormentors. If karma were a middle name, it certainly would be yours. But before proceeding with your revenge tour, you had to ensure that you absolutely set yourself up for success. To you, that looked like cutting off any and all access Stella had to your private information. Your mail.Â
In the previous timeline, Stella had been notorious for snooping. From eavesdropping on conversations, to rummaging in your room and taking your mail. And if her actions during the weeks prior were anything to go by, that behavior hadnât changed. If she was going to live up to her thieving ways, youâd stonewall her before the opportunity arrived.Â
From what you remembered, after the public humiliation of their engagement being announced on your engagement day, you would go home and fall into a depressive slump for weeks. Then, around August 20th, youâd decide that if no good deed can come to you through romance, then surely itâd come to you via opportunity. And youâd stop moping around, pulling yourself up by the bootstraps in favor of polishing your piano technique.Â
While part of that reasoning was to cheer yourself up, the other part had everything to do with whose tutelage you could potentially be under. At this point of the timeline, application submissions were underway for the workshops scheduled at several famous conservatories over the course of next summer. All being overseen by your idol in the piano world. Laurent SĂmon Moreau. A true powerhouse in the pianist landscape.Â
Previously, you had applied and been admitted to the program. But your opportunity had been robbed from you by the wicked ways of Stellaâs scheming. It was your mistake to carelessly leave your acceptance letter lying around in your room. To be fair, back then you had no idea betrayal could run so deep and so close to home. However, now you know better. And you damn sure will see to it that any ounce of important paperwork is no longer mailed directly to your house. Instead, using Jeongyeonâs address as safe ground.Â
Promising to hold parts of your future in her hands to help you succeed, Jeongyeon would go to any lengths to exact this just dessert of revenge. And school was going to be the perfect stomping grounds to achieve it.
September 1st marks the start of a new school year and the beginning of the second arc in your reincarnation storyline. Delivering you right to the grounds of SM University. The hell hole of this college campus reeking of the pain and misery of the injustice you once suffered in it. To say you missed your former college years would be a lie. Too many years of torment came from this place. And now knowing Stella orchestrated it all singlehandedly made your calculated moves all the more justifiable. She had been in quite a tizzy over breakfast that morning after learning you would not be arriving with her at school. This raised eyebrows and questions around the dining table. Stella herself had nearly pitched a fit in learning that you would be accompanying Jeongyeon.Â
âWhy canât you just meet her at school?â She bats her eyes with faux innocence. Though the barely concealed rage lingers. Any time you mentioned the other, Stella seemed to seethe in jealousy. It was quite effective in getting her mask to slip.
âI didnât realize it was a crime to desire walking with my friend to school.â You rebut over a steeping cup of peppermint tea. Behind his newspaper, your father coughs in surprise at your direct statement. Across the table, your mother stares impassively at you, as if she is making an assessment. Who cares though. Let her assess.
Stella sputters beside you. âOf course thatâs not what I meant! Itâs justâŠâ and she grabs your arms as she puts on a charade of biting her lip nervously. âWe always ride to school together no matter what. Itâs tradition. Canât you make a sacrifice for me?â She pouts pathetically. Metaphorically rolling your eyes, you steel yourself for the utter bullshit she was going to spin this narrative into.
âItâs not necessarily tradition if there were never other options in the first place.â From the corner of your eye, you see your mother set down her cutlery as she pierces you with her cool gaze. You could feel that storm brewing. But youâll give her a moment to work up her âevil queenâ vibes before worrying about it knocking at your door. âNow I do. Besides, Jeongyeon and I are still patching up from our conflict last year. Iâm trying to spend as much time with her as I can.âÂ
You know the words youâre saying are an excuse. Attempts at pushing Stella over the edge, your ultimate objective. Her eye practically twitches at your admission. Gripping your arm tighter, she grits out a response. âBut youâve been spending all summer with her. Shouldnât it be my turn?âÂ
Ah, there it is. The scent of jealousy permeates off of her, wafting into your senses. One thing that has been hard for you to grapple with is Stellaâs utter hatred toward you but her complete disdain at you removing yourself from her space to be in the presence of true companionship. People like her werenât peculiar, nor sad, nor necessarily bitter. They were dangerous, erratic in ways which they would sacrifice themselves to make others miserable. Envy was an exploitative trait. Just as you move to respond another voice chimes in.Â
âConflict?â Your mother interjects. âAnd hello wicked witch. Youâve finally mustered up enough outrage to speak.â Silence befalls the table save for the rustling of the newspaper your father continues to hide behind. Cowardly lion indeed.Â
âInteresting word choice.â She folds her hands under her chin like a warden scrutinizing their prisoner. âAnd what exactly constituted this conflict, hm?â There is something accusatory in her eyes as she regards you with a faint smile meant not for encouragement, but disarmament. This lady wasnât simply playing mind games. She was playing a game of chess you had never been privy to up until recently. And currently, she carries herself as if she knows she already has won. As if she is ready to deliver the crushing blow that crowns her victor in this symbolic checkmate. But the two of you were no longer playing the same game, were you? You were no longer playing on her terrain. With the weapons of the past now in your arsenal, you were playing Battleship. And she had no idea just how certainly she was going to lose. Because now⊠you know where to aim.Â
Preparing yourself for response, Stella beats you to the punch. Turning to your mother, she puts on the act of a lifetime as if she were lining up for an Oscar worthy performance rather than sitting at breakfast. She reaches over to grab your motherâs arm. Here we go. You tense, ready to see how your mother feeds into the antics.
âAunt,â she starts with faux hesitance. She looks back at you briefly, biting her lip in guilt, before addressing your mother once again. âAn awful rumor spread around last year about Jeongyeon. I didnât want to say anything about it before, but⊠it regarded her sexuality. It was a big issue that spiraled out of control. Rumors were going around that Y/N spread it.â She glanced at you again, rushing to add. âNot that I believe it! Itâs just⊠the two of you were best friends. And she only told you, right? If you didnât do it, how did the rumor spread?âÂ
It took everything within you not to reach across her space and choke the wench. How dare she try and spin this narrative in your parents face like she wasnât the one who spread the rumor? What right did she have to speak on it? Your body trembles in outrage. At this point, your father has put down his newspaper with all eyes on you. Gauging their expressions, they were looking at you with contempt. Per usual, theyâd feed into whatever nonsense Stella served if it meant they didnât have to eat your bitter truths.Â
âIs that so?â Your mother rebuts evenly. âI wasnât aware I raised my daughter to be so callous.â The inner child inside of you flinches with her hardened gaze aimed at you. âTil the end your mother would hate you. Now, you are sure of it. Estella rushes to your defense trying to put out this fire she purposely set. But you know her actions only serve to fan the flame.Â
âItâs not that Iâm saying she did it! Thatâs what everyone else believes. No one knows the full story though. So Iâm sorry if I made anyone jump to conclusions.â She fake cries. Feeling emboldened now to jump in the drama, your father placates Stella over the breakfast table.Â
âNow, now, Stella. Not to worry. This isnât your mess to clean up. You did nothing wrong.âÂ
Snapping your head to the side, you regard him with indifference. âAnd I did?â
He clams up at your remark. How he had made it this far as a businessman, you donât know. He couldnât even hold his own toe to toe with any of the women at this table. That much is for sure. He truly was the softest of the bunch. âW-w-well itâs not likeââÂ
Your mother cuts him off. âEvidently, most of the student body believes you did. Why is that?â
âYouâd rather question me than question them?â
âIf a resounding majority can form a conclusion that points them back to the same person, then what does that say?â Wintery words fall from her lips. Â
âWould you have believed in me anyway?â Daddy dearest avoids your gaze as you look at him. Turning back to your mother, it dawns on you how sick this family has become riddled with the disease of hatred. Cruelly twisting the dagger in this act of severance, she regards you with silence. Shamefully, you hate to acknowledge the tears that well up in your eyes.Â
âRight.â You whisper with understanding. Glancing at the perpetrator behind this morning debacle, you see a glint of satisfaction peeking behind her eyes before she schools her features. Grabbing your things, you stand up and head for the entryway. âIâm leaving first.â
Commotion follows as Stella moves to get up and follow you. âStop.â Your mother commands. Swallowing your emotions, you turn towards them with disinterest. Your mother is back to sipping her coffee, eyes no longer even looking your way.Â
âYou will ride with Estella today. Itâs the first day of school. I donât see why you canât. The driver is already outside waiting. Donât waste his time.â Then Stella is bounding up to you, locking arms before ushering you outside.Â
The entire car ride is spent with her narcissistic chattering as you dissociate into your text messages with Jeongyeon. A new pastime of the both of you was to refer to Stella as a wench. Jeongyeonâs use of the word followed by explicit emojis has you snorting in the small space. She was bummed out at not traveling to school with you. Beside you, Stella pauses realizing your attention hadn't been on her this entire time. Evidently, you had not been keen on listening to her drone on and on about the new tennis season or her friends.Â
Upset with this knowledge, she leans over to see what youâre laughing about. Immediately, you recoil, regarding her with a look of distaste for encroaching upon your business and personal space. She flinches back in surprise, unused to seeing that type of look on your face. Something so chilly and irate directed towards her. Squinting in confusion, she wonders what the hell is going on with you. There's this suspicious feeling that youâd been icing her out for months. And she isnât sure why. Why were you acting so unlike yourself these days?Â
Then, something in your expression shifts, and youâre back to acknowledging her warmly, like you typically always do. âWhatâs up?â You inquire sweetly. Weird. There's no way she couldâve imagined that⊠right? Sheâd have to keep her eye on you. Pouting, she throws a fit at why you arenât giving her attention.Â
âY/N, you were distracted. You werenât even listening to me. Whatâs more entertaining than me anyway?âÂ
Faking cute was not a tolerable action to you. And it nearly made you sick watching her gesticulate about. But you had to put up with it if it led you closer to Stellaâs psychological undoing. Time to fight fake with fake. Petting her pathetic, little head in reassurance, you assure her that she will always have your full undivided attention. Beaming obliviously at that double entendre, she delves right back into her ramblings. Getting out of this car couldnât happen fast enough.Â
Arriving at the university parking lot, you watch as every fanboy and fangirl within radius swarms the car waiting for Stella to grace them with her âglamorousâ presence. She was the tennis teamâs star after all and a top academic performer. Rolling your eyes, you watch as she gets out, immediately surrounded by her friends. If Stella was the Regina George, then Kelly, Hana, and Eunyoung were her burn book possĂ©. None of those girls had anything to live up to other than being her lackeys. Such a waste of time. Texting Jeongyeon on her whereabouts, you prepare to leave the car when Stella seems to remember you.Â
Leaning back in, you can tell sheâs excited to put you on display as her charity case. Offering her hand, she says, âY/N, are you coming?âÂ
Glancing at her with an aloof gaze, you akin accepting her hand to signing oneâs fate over to the devil. Highly unfavorable. Faltering at your hesitation, she begins to frown as your phone dings. A message flashes across the screen from Jeongyeon.
Perking up, you grab your bag before responding to Stella. âThanks, but Iâm gonna catch up with Jeongyeon.â Then youâre exiting your side of the car before heading towards the direction of the school.Â
Perplexed, Stella watches after you wondering why you were reluctant to accept her offer. People within the vicinity began whispering at your decline to hang out with Stella and her friends. Typically, people only ever acknowledge you when you are around them. And even then, it was mostly to sneer at you because your âshittyâ personality was bringing Stellaâs character down. But she would always swoop in saving the day with assurance that you would always be her best friend. And theyâd coo at her acts of kindness and good deeds. But you had gone and shattered that illusion early this morning. People were already gossiping, snickering at the slight. Stella was sure news would spread like wildfire by lunch.Â
She could read the headlines now, âLoser Declines Campus Princessâs Companionship.â It was totally cramping her charitable style. She had always used you as a means of showcasing her âgood heartâ for associating with losers like you. You were her pawn. And now? With Jeongyeon back, you were getting beside yourself. How bold of you to think you no longer need her. You were beneath her, nothing more than a lowly dog. Surely she had extended your leash too far for you to think you were above needing her to boost your reputation. Sheâd just have to fix that haughty attitude for you. Letâs see how you survive the school year with what she has in store for you.Â
Smirking secretly, she plays up the act of chasing after you to gain sympathy points from the crowd. âY/N, wait up!âÂ
Ignoring her, you continue making your way over to Jeongyeon. The young woman in question lifts her brows in amusement. Thatâs when Stella catches up, her cronies not too far behind.Â
âI was calling you.â She pants, as if she ran a marathon sprint to catch up with you.Â
âBet she ignored you on purpose.â Hana goads.Â
âSuch a bitch.â Kelly whispers under her breath.Â
Beside you, Jeongyeon bristles, annoyed at the behavior but also frustrated with being in proximity to the main perpetrators of her smear campaign last year. Smiling, you step forward to smooth out the wrinkled collar of Hanaâs shirt. âItâs unbecoming of a lady to step out of the house presenting herself any âole kind of way.â You whisper to her in an advisory tone.Â
Without even looking in her direction, you also address Kelly. âKelly, you have spinach in your teeth.âÂ
Each of them gasps at your audaciousness as Kelly rubs her teeth in embarrassment. âOh my God, let me see.â Eunyoung whines, trying to help Kelly preserve some semblance of respect.
Chuckling, you step back. Eating up proverbial mean girls filled you with mirth. You were so done with the bullshit. None of these women would receive grace from you. Nor would you ever let up off their necks. Youâre coming out swinging arms and elbows to this dog fight. All gas, no brakes. Jeongyeon giggles beside you.Â
âIs this funny to you?â Hana shakes with anger. Their ringleader, Stella, continues to stare in perplexity. This is the second time youâve bit back in a social setting. First at the Wangâs mansion and now this. Was she going crazy, or were you making some declaration of war?Â
Tilting your head, you play off a subtle smile. âHana, relax. I was just trying to help. Letâs put the past behind us and spend the rest of the semester learning to get along. Okay?â
Then you turn to Stella, who tenses at the fleeting calculated expression that crosses your face. âSee you later, right?â You ask, squeezing her shoulder lightly. âHappy first day.â Walking backwards with finality, you turn and saunter away. Jeongyeon in tow.Â
âWhat was that?â Kelly seethes with agitation.
âThat bitch is so dead.â Estella mutters under her breath where none of her friends can hear her. Then she turns, plastering on a fake smile to continue this sneaky ruse. âDonât worry ladies. Y/Nâs right. I would appreciate it if all my friends could get along this year.â
Eunyoung pouts, âBut sheâs not a good person Stella. She goes around spreading peopleâs secrets. What happens if she does that to you?â
âNot gonna lie, Iâd gut the loser if she tried to sabotage you.â Kelly declares. Stella preens with delight on the inside. Grabbing Kellyâs hand, she pretends to scold her.Â
âDonât be like that Kelly. Sheâs my childhood friend and her family adopted me. I owe her my friendship.â
Hana chimes in, âYou owe her nothing. Not after what you told us about the constant bullying behind closed doors just because sheâs jealous you have better grades. You said it yourself, sometimes it feels like she hates you because her parents invest more into you than her recitals. Itâs not your fault youâre more talented and skilled. When have you ever known her to be a fair friend? Wasnât it you who told us how she always wants to date the guys you like? Sheâs so fake. That doesnât deserve kindness.âÂ
The other girls nod in agreement. Stella sports a pouty contemplative look on her face. She really loved when plans wove themselves together so beautifully. Her friends were so brainwashed by her slanderous lies. They truly never questioned the claims she made without validity. Followers really are the loveliest surprise. âI just think everyone deserves some form of kindness. Maybe if I do better at sharing the spotlightâŠâ she trails off. Eunyoung immediately jumps to cut that train of thought.
âNo way! What more does she possibly deserve from you?! Why should it be up to you to make her feel better about herself? You earned the right to your spotlight with your accolades and your charisma. Y/N is just bitter because you have what she canât lift her lazy finger to do. All she has at her disposal is sabotage since sheâll never amount to anything. Why else would she sneak behind your back to talk to the guys you like? She has to play dirty to succeed.â
At that moment, an idea dawns on Stella. Since they were already so worked up about the little lies she previously slipped into their ears, then why not sprinkle more drama into the mix? The first day of school is never too early to knock you off this pedestal. Especially since you wanted to embarrass her so publicly. So, why not open other avenues to embarrass you? Starting with the guy you never deserved even a morsel of attention from; the man who would soon be Stellaâs. Jeong Jaehyun.Â
âWell, now that you mention it⊠I always just thought we mightâve had similar taste in men. But I did find it strange that every time I had my eye on a guy, she supposedly would have a crush on him too. Is that normal?â She questions, biting her lip softly.Â
Grasping her shoulders endearingly, Hana looks her in the face. âDefinitely not normal. Weâve been telling you that sheâs a snake! Why arenât you listening?â
Pushing her hands away to scoop Stella in a hug, Kelly speaks up. âStellaâs just too sweet. She wants to see the good in everyone when they donât deserve it.â Eunyoung nods in agreement.
âSo⊠does that mean she purposefully interfered with the guy I liked this summer?â She mumbles coyly.
âSpill the beans!â Her friends shout simultaneously.Â
And so, she puts the word out about how she liked Jaehyun ever since the first social gathering he attended. How sheâs always liked Jaehyun, but decided to hand him over to you when you picked out his marriage profile. How she had bumped into him at the dinner and fell head over heels further in love with him. How your parents were willing to hand the engagement over to her⊠how you agreed with it. Then how you mustâve said something for him to reject her. Oh, she spun a web so conniving, the lies themselves had claws.Â
Believing in this false narrative she has spewed, all hell breaks loose with vows of not letting you get away with this mistreatment. Inside, Stella chuckles, happy to know she has people to do her bidding. Truthfully, she had been irked over the course of events for the past few months.Â
She didnât know what you did to bewitch Jaehyun, but it was utterly embarrassing to have his family firmly decline to annul your engagement and reject a proposal with Stella. Unlike other men from the past that she had stolen from you, Jaehyun refused to fall in line. That made her livid. Sheâs someone who is more sought after than you! So what made you so special that you were the young CEOâs preference?Â
Well, sheâd just have to make him see reason. Crushing your reputation into a pulp should be easy. In this lifetime, youâll never succeed. Because Stella deserved to have your life. And sheâll do everything in her power to get it. Especially if it means ruining you.
By September 3rd itâs no secret to you that the rumor mill starts up again. And this time? Stellaâs little cronies have been employed with the task to spread propaganda against you regarding your insertion into Stella and Jaehyunâs supposed love story. Howso? By proclaiming that you forced your way into a marriage contract with the CEO. Everywhere you went people sneered at you as they whispered. Comment after comment. Conversation after conversation.Â
âBet she definitely paid his family to say yes.â Conversation number one.Â
âI heard she snatched him right from under Stellaâs nose.âÂ
âStellaâs always liked Jaehyun too.â Snort. How would they know that? Literally no one in your entire family is truly associated with him. Stella had to weasel her way into a conversation with him. Jokes really do write themselves.Â
âWhy would Y/N go out of her way to get engaged to him?â Conversation number two.Â
âSimple. Sheâs a gold digging leech. She wants to be attached to the Jeong name. Sheâs only looking for his assets.â
âThe Jeongs are a crazy rich family.â
âYeah, richer than hers.â
âSheâs such a snob thinking sheâs better than everyone else. Bet thatâs why she tried to force herself onto him. When you have no accolades of your own, I guess money will do the trick to get people to notice you.â The person shrugs.
âPoor Stella. It feels like Y/N totally takes advantage of her. And sheâs such a kind person too. Sheâd never backstab or use anybody." That had been laughable, youâll give them credit for the comedic relief. Other comments though? Not so much.Â
âHonestly, sheâs always given the vibe.â Ah yes, an irrelevant creature claiming to be that of the male species mutters. Conversation number three.Â
âWhat vibe?â His friend whispers back in confusion.
âA whore.â He chuckles back. That had really pissed you off. Who were these people to inquire about your chastity? Turning to look at the commentator, he flinches back at your icy stare.Â
âFunny how youâre poking your nose in my business when everyone knows you canât pleasure a woman to save your life. Sweetie, the streets talk. Youâre better off having said nothing at all. Not to mention youâre totally cheating with your best friendâs girlfriend. But yes, Iâm the whore.â You rebut sarcastically, batting your lashes with humor. The guy in question pales as his friend registers the information you just revealed. Blowing him a kiss, you wish him luck, turning as his friend explodes on him.
Thirty minutes later Jeongyeon cackles when you relay the story to her. âSo thatâs what that commotion was about.â It felt good to deal people their hand in this game of karma. Momentarily, you thought you had doused the flames by giving people a taste of their own medicine.Â
Ahhh, but lies never stray too far from public confrontation. And you know you are overdue for another when Stellaâs possĂ© approaches at lunch. You know youâre in for a low IQ conversation when none of the information they use relies on facts.Â
Walking in formation like a flock of geese, they make a beeline for you. Their little ringleader, nowhere in sight as she was currently in a tennis meeting. More than likely being voted team captain for the season, per the previous timeline.Â
There they stand, towering over you and Jeongyeonâs table in the cafeteria. People turn to stare, already whispering. At the helm of this self-proclaimed pack of she-wolves is none other than Hana herself. Hm, public admirer, secret envier of Stellaâs âlegacy.â It really wasnât a secret to you that Hana wished she had the level of popularity Stella did. It hadnât been lost on you the many times she assigned herself de facto leader in Estellaâs absence. Hana was much like Charlotte Barboroux in that manner. While in completely separate aspects of Stellaâs life, both women felt some form of resentment for her perceived riches in life. A life she stole from you.Â
Taking the confrontation in stride, you smile politely up at them. âAnything I can help you ladies with?â
âDonât act civil now. Youâre not fooling anyone.â Kelly mocks from the back. Barely glancing her way, you continue to address Hana. This causes Kelly to bristle at your blatant disregard for her. She hated being treated as leftovers. To her, it was simply disrespectful. In her mind, she was just as important as the other girls in the group. But thatâs who she was to you. Leftovers. And her personality showed it. So what was there to talk about? There was no interesting input she could ever add to a conversation with you.Â
âDo you have a reason for standing over me while enjoying my perfectly good lunch whilst in the middle of a perfectly good conversation? Or do you just like wasting time?â You inquire more.Â
âTrying to play innocent are we? We know all about you.â The de facto she-wolf leader sneers.
âDo you?â You question with amusement.Â
Eunyoung speaks up from behind their wannabe leader. âYes, we know all about how much of a liar you are. Youâre even a little thief too.â She declares proudly.
Tilting your head, you contemplate her words. âHm, did Stella tell you that?â
âIt doesnât matter who told us what. Donât bring her up in a conversation about you. You donât have the right to speak her name. She may be nice to save your reputation, but not us. Weâre gonna ruin your life for what youâve been doing to her.â Hana interjects.Â
âOh? Is that a threat?â
âItâs a promise.â Kelly, once again.Â
You giggle before assessing them with a straight face. Uneasiness fills the space at the abrupt shift in your demeanor. Something about you comes across as a need to tread carefully. None of the three women can identify what exactly it is about you lately that makes them apprehensive. Somehow you seemed more⊠threatening. âBelieve what you want to believe. Say what you want to say. But Iâve seen this play out before. I know how it ends. This time, Iâll let it play out for my own personal entertainment. Enjoy the show while it lasts.â You purr knowingly.Â
They are on edge at the confidence oozing from your body language. âWhat does that mean?â Eunyoung exclaims with bafflement as if she is entitled to know.
âIt means you should run along.â Jeongyeon snaps. âWeâre in the middle of lunch and your spit is flying everywhere, foaming at the mouth like a bunch of mangy mutts. Stop flapping your gums and get out of here.âÂ
All three women gasp in astonishment, completely blindsided by the insult. Coughing to cover up a laugh, you glance around to see other students laughing too. One look at the trioâs beet red faces brings so much satisfaction to you. They did not like that at all. But you didnât care. Playing stupid games wins you stupid prizes. They excelled at that.Â
Leaning closer venomously, Hana hisses, âThis isnât over.â Then, all three are stomping out of the cafeteria in a hissy fit.Â
Shrugging your shoulders, you dig back into your food. Their threats no longer stick to your psyche. With access to their playbook, you now have the cheat codes to topple this social hierarchy one domino at a time. Your arsenal was equipped with different tools to be deployed against them. It is only a matter of time.Â
As the days go on, hostility finds itself camping outside your door. As predicted, Stella heard all about the confrontation in the cafeteria. And she had made it her mission to scold you on the repercussions of unsportsmanlike conduct. Primarily in the presence of your parents. Innocently playing up the victim card in front of any audience who would listen. Basic Usurpation 101. And like most individuals who lack critical thinking, people fall for it⊠every. single. time. Because why should they have to consider any of the facts when Stella herself had to be speaking the truth? Propaganda under the guise of victim mentality was her strongest hand. And she played it so well.Â
You could also tell Stella was getting restless, frustrated at your lack of rising to the bait. Frustrated at your disinterest in sucking up to her, or kissing her ass. She couldnât believe you spent all of your time with Jeongyeon these days. Not only were you impassive, but you breezed right through every single one of her deliberate schemes with a level of unresponsiveness unlike yourself. Sheâd have to up the ante to make you see reason and force you back into your cage.
Despite the animosity youâve amassed from your housemateâs following, blessings have come your way too. In the form of a letter you had been waiting to receive. A week or so after the lunchroom showdown, Jeongyeon arrives at school with a beaming smile painted on her face. You quickly brace for impact at her fastly approaching figure. You giggle as she pounces on you excitedly.Â
âGuess what, guess what, guess what?!â She blurts energetically.Â
âHello to you too Jeongyeon. What made you grace us with your lovely presence today?â You question humorously. Rummaging through her belongings, she pulls a navy envelope from her bag. Immediately, you know what it is.
 âSomeone got mail.â She states happily.Â
âOmg.â Although you knew it was coming, you still grab the letter with excitement. Butterflies flutter in the pit of your stomach. You had been waiting for this moment, hoping to change the trajectory of fate from your past life. Observing the intricate design of the envelope, a sense of pride swells in your chest at the cursive font stamped to the front. Your name.
âOpen it.â Jeongyeon whispers giddily, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Turning the envelope over, the red wax seal of the conservatory greets you. The Resonance National Conservatory. All of your wildest dreams at your fingertips. Removing the seal, an invitation greets you.Â
âCongratulations. You have been selected as a candidate to participate in several workshops with renowned pianist, Laurent SĂmon Moreau, at our esteemed conservatory. It is an honor and a privilege to be graced with your talent.âÂ
Of course you had seen this letter before, but it still made no less of an impact on you now than it did then. Squealing with joy, both you and Jeongyeon fail to notice Stellaâs intruding form.Â
âWhatâs all the excitement about?â She questions innocently, though it is anything but. Immediately, the atmosphere grows tense. Sobering up from the high energy, you casually slide the letter behind your back. Stella notices it. Offering her as polite a smile as you can muster up, you respond.Â
âNothing interesting. Just something Jeongyeon was telling me.âÂ
Stella nods her head suspiciously at you. She gets the sense youâre lying if your stiff forms are anything to go by. Glancing down at your hidden hands, she deduces that something is there. âWhatâs behind your back? Seemed pretty important to me.âÂ
âJust a letter Jeongyeon received. Really nothing special.â
âWhy are you holding it then?â The pesky young woman counters. Your eyes narrow slightly in aggravation. She was going to continue pushing the issue if you didnât put a stop to it. âStells,â you use her childhood nickname as a means of disarming her. âI promise itâs nothing. I would definitely tell you if itâs anything you need to know.â
The smile on her face is taut with dissatisfaction. She reaches forward to latch onto you. âY/N,â she pouts. âLately youâve been so distant. I just want the three of us to get along. But youâre constantly pushing me away.â Jeongyeon cringes at her audacity.
âItâs not my intention to be distant. Iâm justââÂ
âSpending time with Jeongyeon to mend your bond. Yes.â She mumbles exasperated. âYou say that every time.â
Through clenched teeth, you reply. âIs there a problem?â
Stella steps closer to you. âYeah⊠you keep,â and without you realizing it, she snatches the envelope from you. Only moving closer to get access to it. âHiding stuff from me. I thought we were friends. Sisters. And youâre lying too. Because this letter is addressed to you.â She waves it in your face. Stepping forward, you snatch it from her with a venomous look.Â
âThis is your one and only warning. Stay out of my things and stop snooping where your nose does not belong.â She freezes at the heat in your voice. Inside, you are livid. The audacity she had to think she had some kind of autonomy over you. If it werenât a public setting, you surely wouldâve slapped what little sense she had remaining right out of her system. Part of you trembles in rage that this storyline isnât over yet. You know you have to wait out the time. But you were so sick of being her stepping stool. Justice couldnât come sooner to collect her.Â
Clenching her jaw, she regards you with petulance. âAre you mad at me? Weâre supposed to be besties. Besties donât fight.âÂ
Deep breaths. Thatâs what you tell yourself. âNo, Estella. I am not mad at you. Just⊠listen when someone tells you to stop pushing something. If a person wants to tell you something, they will.âÂ
âSo you are hiding something from me?âÂ
You roll your eyes. âI genuinely do not have time for this anymore.â You mumble under your breath. âIâll see you at home Estella.â Then youâre turning to tell Jeongyeon goodbye as you head in the direction of the music department to tell Professor Kim the good news.
Still in the same spot that you left them, Stella and Jeongyeon have a stare off. Neither say anything as Stella's frame shakes at your bold behavior. It is noticeable how her facade begins to crumble. Your attack on her psyche is already forming cracks. In observation, Jeongyeon smirks and walks away. Seeing that stupid smirk on her face causes Stella to see red. She was going to ruin you. First, she needed to find out what was in that letter.
You had slipped up one weekend, rushing out of the house for your piano lessons. It had been second nature these days to hide things from Stella carefully. Your notebook and the letters you took from Stella were now underneath your mattress, the most undetectable spot you could think of. Your letter should have gone there too. But you had been admiring it once again before you left, and in your haste, you just threw it in your desk drawer. After pilfering around in your room for a few minutes trying to find dirt on you after you left, Stella finds it. How could you get admitted to a highly esteemed workshop with such a famous pianist? Her mouth drops in disbelief that you keep coming back stronger, standing tall after she knocked you down. Why do good things keep happening to you? You donât deserve it! Beneath her is where your place would always be. She would ruin your life to make sure you never forget it.Â
Snapping pictures of the letter, Stella slides it back in your drawer. Creeping out of your room to not be suspicious, she relishes the victory she will get from this trump card now in her possession. While Stella concocts her scheme, school carries on.Â
You had been waiting patiently for the next part of the storyline. With just a little over a week left until your birthday, you were preparing for the next show down. What you had not been prepared for however, was the attractive CEO currently leaning against his black sportscar in the parking lot of your university. You had walked to school with Jeongyeon that morning. Arriving outside the gates, you noted the crowd gathered at the entrance, girls squealing, and guys whispering. âWhatâs going on over there?â You wanted to know that too. But Stella and Co. beat you to the punch.Â
âOmg, is that him?â Hana.
âHeâs much more handsome in person.â Eunyoung.
âStella, oh my god. Heâs totally here for you. You have to go speak to him.â Kelly.Â
Something about what you overhear stirs a weird feeling in the pit of your stomach. Bashfully, Stella brushes a piece of her hair behind her ear. âStop it guys. He canât be here for me. Maybe heâs got some business to tend to."Â
âNo way, why wouldn't he be? You said it yourself anyway. It was love at first sight the moment you looked into each other's eyes. Heâs probably here to beg for a chance.â Hana practically coaches.Â
Kelly gasps, jumping in excitement. âAnd he has flowers too! Thatâs it. Weâre taking you to see your man.âÂ
It dawns on you at the exact moment Kelly turns to address the crowd that another unexpected outlier had entered the equation. âEverybody part like the Red Sea and move!â Kelly yells to the students in the way. It is slow motion the way students step aside and open up the space. Then, like a beacon, sunrays glint across the platinum blonde strands of a man you had not expected to see. The outlier in question. Jeong Jaehyun on your schoolgrounds visiting you.
He stood leaning against his vehicle with the practiced ease of a self-assured CEO. His stance was confident, legs crossed at the ankles. Sunglasses adorned his face. One hand rested in his pocket, and the other⊠held a lovely bouquet of white summer lilies. Nothing about this scenery should have been breathtaking to you. But every aspect of it was. Because there he stood waiting for you, reminiscent of an early 2000s romantic comedy. That didnât deter you from your inquiries though. Many thoughts ran through your head at the same time. How did he know where you studied? What in the world could he possibly want? Why come to your school in the first place? And why was he holding a bouquet of your favorite flowers once again?
Your thought process is interrupted the moment he spots you.Â
His posture straightens as he removes the sunglasses. Warm, honey brown eyes find yours standing amongst the sea of students. Dimpled smile on display, he makes his way towards you. But Stella is in his path too, and she makes her presence known to him in this instance. âHi Jaehyun,â She mumbles shyly, blush dusting the apples of her cheeks. âItâs so unexpected to see youââÂ
Then he is brushing past her to stop in front of you. Everyone freezes in bewilderment at his disregard for her. He had done it so casually too, like she didnât matter. And the surrounding crowd quickly picked up on it. People whisper as phones snap pictures and record video footage to gossip about later. Stella stands frozen with a stiff smile on her face. Her eyes tear up in embarrassment at the cold-shoulder. The burn book possĂ© rushes up to her immediately.Â
âI thought you said he was into you?âÂ
âWhat the hell is he doing with her?â They question simultaneously, matching glares tacked onto their resentful faces.Â
Everything happens around you so fast, you can hardly register what is going on, ears ringing in shock at Jaehyunâs bold behavior. Beside you, Jeongyeon grabs hold of the skin of your underarm to pinch you into a reboot. Coming back to your senses, you stare up at the mischievous look on the manâs face.Â
âWhat are you doing?â You hiss in alarm.
âStanding on a college campus holding a bouquet of flowers.â He states cheekily. You roll your eyes at his smart remark.
âYes, I can see that. But that doesnât answer why youâre here.â
âCan a man not visit his fiancĂ©e?â He shrugs disinterestedly at your confusion.
âWill you lower your voice?â You whisper in a panic. The man in front of you offers a lazy smirk.Â
âThereâs nothing to be embarrassed about, sweetheart. Everybody already knows that youâre mine.â This gives you pause, alarm bells ringing in your mind.Â
âWhat do you mean by that?âÂ
He gestures around at the crowd of students recording this very public display of affection. âWell, I suppose the cat would already be out of the bag with them recording. But also⊠an official statement has already been released.â At least he had the decency to look a little sheepish at the admission.
âWhat?â Your voice is laced with dread.
Then Jeongyeon is making an exclamation of surprise as she whips out her phone to search. Within seconds, she finds his words to be true as numerous outlets have already reported the âgroundbreakingâ story. âCEO of Tech Conglomerate NCT Engaged to Daughter of Local Businessman."Â
You balk at the words greeting you on the screen, hesitant to deem this to be true. Your entire world had just shifted on its axis. You had never wanted this information to reach the media. Sure rumors had floated around the college campus. But this? This was large scale and would cause much more public scrutiny than you had already endured. You thought about the Wangs, the Shahs, the Barbourouxs and the rest of the families. God, Jaehyun had just put an even bigger target on your back. Because while Jaehyun had always been a fan favorite in those social circles, you had always been regarded with sneers and subtle contempt. To people in that world, you never made sense in those settings. But Estella? She did. And this unexpected variable just made your mission several times harder than initially set.
âJaehyun. What did you do?â You mutter, voice low and threatening. There is hesitation in his body language, as if he feels some form of guilt for delivering the news. âGood,â you canât help but think, âhe should be.âÂ
âThatâs why I came to see you. Letâs talk in private.â Then he is ushering you through the school gates and on campus to an empty lecture hall.
âSpeak.â You command once the both of you are shrouded in privacy. He chuckles darkly as he places the bouquet of flowers beside you.Â
âYou really like telling me what to do.â
âAnd you really have a hard time following directions. Now speak, Jeong Jaehyun. Iâm not in the mood to deal with you.â The tremble in your voice is enough for him to sober up to the fact that something is making you emotional about the whole ordeal.Â
âI gave you enough time. I really did. But my parents wanted to nip any more funny business in the bud. Iâm obliged to follow that protocol since youâve been trying to unhitch from me for months now.â He stands with his hands on his hips, speaking sternly to you as if you are a mere child.Â
Your brows furrow in frustration at his statement. âHave you no regard for another personâs free will? How many times do I have to tell you that Iâm not going through with this?âÂ
He scoffs at the words. âAnd how many times do I have to tell you thatâs not an option? Y/N, Iâm not trying to take away your free will. Iâm literally honoring the agreement your parents set! Youâre the one who wanted to marry me. Youâre the one who picked up my marriage profile. It was of your own volition. Contrary to popular belief, I didnât want to marry at all.â
âSo why now?! Why canât you just marry Estella?! The contract wouldnât be null and void, because technically, under their guardianship, she has the right to claim being their daughter. If a contract is so fucking important, then just take her and leave me out of it!â You exclaim, unable to contain the rage coursing through your veins. He grabs your face in vexation.
âBecause itâs you!â Then much gentler as he cups your face more softly. âItâs you.â It is his whispered truth, with eyes conveying so much more to his admission, that blazes panic over your skin. Jerking back, you chuckle wetly, on the brink of a nervous breakdown.Â
âYouâre ruining everything. All of my hard work.â Bitterness carries the weight of your words. Jaehyun looks on in devastation and confusion.
âWhat are you talking about? Ruined what?â He asks softly.
âOh my god, itâs not even important anymore.â You mumble, pacing back and forth in trepidation.Â
âIt is important if itâs making you this upset.â
âDonâtââ you exclaim shakily, finger pointed menacingly back at him. âDonât act like you know me. You donât know anything.â At this moment, it is hard for you to keep your composure. You were so terribly angry at the cards stacked against you. What was the point of the universe throwing you back to an earlier point in your timeline if everything was going to be so challenging? Jaehyun raises his hands placatingly.
âIâm not trying to act like an expert on your personal life. Justâ body language suggests that you are panicking about something. And I just want to help.â
âYou canât help when youâre part of the problem.â Your voice wavers.Â
Jaehyun stalks towards you slowly, like you are nothing more than a deer close to being startled. âSo help me figure out how not to be.â
You grit your teeth, stepping away from him bluntly. âYou can start by leaving me alone.â
âNot an option.â His rebuttal is immediate in the fray.Â
âThen you canât help.â You growl, on the verge of hyperventilation. By now, Jaehyun has caged your fragile form between the lectern and chalkboard.Â
âHey. Hey.â Jaehyun whispers as he cups your cheeks once again in concern. âI donât know what happened. But whatever it is we can figure it out together. I promise.â
âI canât marry you. I canât.â You really couldnât. You were so afraid that something horrible was going to happen if you kept entangling yourself with him and your family. Terrified at the thought of dying again with this being your last shot. You wanted to wipe your hands of everything. But Jaehyun would not budge. And it frustrated you further to see the genuine concern in his eyes. The way he seemingly wanted to cater to you.Â
âListen. Somethingâs got you riled up. Whatever it is thatâs scaring you, I promise Iâll take care of it for youââ
âYou canât!â The words loudly echo in the empty lecture hall. âYou canât, and there is nothing you can do about it except leave me alone.â You stare up at him with fresh tears running down your face. And Jaehyun⊠he caresses your face so forlornly, torn between your apparent despair and his need to surround you.Â
He has no idea why he felt this compelling urge to be within the same vicinity as you since the moment you burst through his office doors. But he gets the feeling that heâs supposed to be with you, and knows that he canât really exist the same prior to that initial meeting. And heâs trying so hard to help you see reason, to understand where you're coming from. But heâs frustrated too. Because he doesnât understand why youâre so fearful, and you arenât exactly helping him here either. So, heâs trying to take matters into his own hands to show you that he is more than capable of being what you need, of being a husband. But you wonât budge. In fact, you seem horrified to even be in his presence. And if that didnât hurt⊠he didnât know what else did.Â
âIâm sorry, Y/N. But I really canât do that. And I think you know it already.â And you did. Because Jaehyun hasnât stopped looking at you like heâs looking through you. And it bothers you so much, makes goosebumps scatter across your flesh in a mosaic of art. He really isnât going anywhere, and for you, thatâs worse. Especially when your brain is telling you itâs a bad idea, and your heart⊠is trying to decide where it stands.Â
You push his hands off of you delicately. Rubbing the tears from your face, you regard him impassively. Youâve got to regain your composure to set the narrative. You'll take the reins of fate your damn self. And nobody will have a say in it.Â
âThen Iâll make sure of it.â Then you are shouldering your forgotten bag and bounding back out of the enclosed room. But what you donât realize is how far gone Jaehyun is for you. Yes, he enjoyed this cat and mouse game initially. But now, seeing the way you allowed him a moment of your vulnerability, he vows to get to the bottom of this whole ordeal. But first, he needed to soothe his bruised ego.
âAt least take the flowers.â He whispers dejectedly at the empty space you once stood.
An hour or so later, you are pent up in Jeongyeonâs apartment, eating ice cream to your heart's content. The both of you had decided to skip out on classes for the day after the jarring public encounter. Jaehyun, however, is still on campus visiting an old friend. He sits in one of the spare chairs in front of the professorâs desk. The man in question leans against the window sill, glasses perched upon the bridge of his nose and black coffee in hand. He analyzes Jaehyun with a sort of humor that displays his amusement at the turn of events. Seeing Jaehyunâs frumpy nature almost makes him chuckle. Heâd never seen the CEO so brazenly dejected before. Much less at the expense of a woman.Â
âSo, it looks like Casanova isnât invincible after all.âÂ
âShutup.â The petulant man grumbles. A teasing smirk meanders across the older manâs face. Setting aside his coffee to properly address his friend, he fixes him with a knowing stare.Â
âYou canât sulk away in my office all day, you know.âÂ
âI can if I try really hard.â The platinum blonde mumbles. The professor laughs at this, not too perplexed at the sheer level of childishness. It is moments like these, in the confined safety of their brotherhood, that Jaehyun allows the aloof nature of his business persona to slip.Â
âMr. Jeong, I assure you that my office does not have the⊠amenities for you to do so. Perhaps, you should call Jisung and request he prepare your office instead for⊠this state of heartbreak.â Every pause is reinforced with an air of smug haughtiness that Jaehyun is familiar with. His friend always did have a lecturing tone about him, even before his tenure.Â
âHyung,â he huffs. âYou donât understand.â
The man in question quirks a brow before taking a seat behind his desk. âIf anyone understands, I can assure you it would be me. What I am having a hard time wrapping my head around though is why you are suddenly immobilized over one woman? Since when have they ever interested you for more than short periods of time?âÂ
The young CEO really had no explanation for it. He couldnât very well tell the older man that he believes it to be an act of fate. It sounds preposterous just even thinking about it. Taking his silence as an answer, the black haired man leans forward, elbows splayed on desk with his fingers steepled underneath his chin.
âJaehyun, let me ask you this.â He waits until he catches the younger manâs eye before continuing. âKnowing what you know and what you feel, what do you intend to do?â
For Jeong Jaehyun, the answer was two things, complicated and simple.Â
September 18th knocks at your doorstep early one morning. It is a day that you had already prepared yourself for. One that was integral to the plot. Over breakfast, Stella asks the million dollar question to herald Act Two into fruition. âAunt, Uncle, I was thinking about throwing a pool party for Y/Nâs birthday. What does everyone think?â
Your mother smiles at Stella sweetly. âLeonard, we raised such a kind, young woman.âÂ
Your father chuckles heartily at the statement. âWhat can I say? Parenting comes easy with this one.â Your lip twitches at the sting of the implication. Does that make you hard to raise by default? âWell, it is Y/Nâs big day. It would be up to her.âÂ
Then every head at the table turns to look at you. Your mother, with a cold stare that promises retribution if you steal Stellaâs joy by saying no. Your father, looking on with nothing but dollar signs behind his eyes thinking about the more networking opportunities heâd make if he invited the richer families. He had done so in the previous timeline too. And of course, Estella, looking on with a cherublike face which all too carefully worked as a mask of deception. Underneath her disguise, you could practically see the cogs spinning. She was ready to initiate the next phase of her plan. If framing you before hadnât worked, she would make sure of it this time. But while she was playing the game unawares. You were playing with the knowledge of another version of yourself. So, youâd play to win.Â
âSure. If itâs what Estella wants.â And there went another contract in which you signed everyone over to fate.Â
The following week pans out just as you expected it to. Stella champions herself as your spokesperson as she delivers personal birthday invitations to as many people at school as she can. Obviously, she invites her gaggle of friends. Then she invites her teammates. People from various sports teams are extended an invite as well, some of your shared classmates, and⊠her rich friends from the business dinner. Courtesy of your fatherâs extension. Most people would have said no if it wasnât Stella. They didnât necessarily associate with the likes of you. Especially after that baseless rumour Stella had spread last school year. She was trying her damned hardest to make sure you suffered from her plight of bitter jealousy. She made sure to invite as many popular people as she could to climb the social ladder while securing your fate to being a social pariah. All of these people had the power to blacklist you one way or another. And that was exactly the formula she used the last time in squandering your social presence out of existence.Â
The one birthday invitation you did pride yourself on hand delivering was the one to Jeongyeon. As your only true friend, this meant more to you than Stellaâs performative actions. Jeongyeon had hugged you tightly when youâd given the card to her, making exclamations of being there one-hundred percent to support you. For you, in this moment, she was the only thing that mattered. True, unfettered friendship that couldnât be substituted for anything.Â
Finally, the climax of Act Two reaches its crescendo the evening of September 27th. Your birthday. Previously, Stella had faked almost drowning at your pool party and allowed everyone to insinuate you pushed her. This further stamps your reputation in the mud and leads up to you becoming injured. Indefinitely ruining your chances of playing piano. Jaehyun had been there too. And his anger had spilled over, believing the accusations against you. He had pushed you into the pool. Effectively ruining your entire birthday. But not this time. He had no reason to talk to Stella. And you certainly hadnât given him an invite. So, he would not be there. This calmed your nerves a bit. But you still had to remain on the defense. Stella had various tricks up her sleeve, and your incompetent father paired with your devious mother would not help the case. Thatâs why Jeongyeon worked her ass off to help you.Â
A security camera had been installed along the backside of the house, where the pool was. No one in your family had known about it. Only Seward and Lillian had been home when it was installed. You swore them to secrecy, and since it was you who asked it of them, they agreed. The feed goes directly to your phone. Jeongyeon had gotten the installation services at a decent deal for you. She was great at bargaining when she put her mind to it.Â
And so, with your swimsuit on, the party was underway. Stepping out in your bathing suit, Jeongyeon wolf whistles at you. âHot mama!â You giggle as you push her away amusedly. You wore a black one piece, accented with white straps and trimming along the bust of the cleavage. The cups at the top of the suit dipped down between your breasts to accentuate mature sex appeal. A sheer, black skirt wrap topped your outfit off along with chunky th**ged sandals. You felt great in spite of the calamity destined to take place. Grabbing your arm, Jeongyeon ushers you outside to the deck. Music blasts in the late night air as your classmates swim and mingle. People noticed you and offered birthday remarks here and there. Earlier that morning, your parents had off handedly wished you a pleasant birthday. Then, they gave you gifts.Â
Your father had gotten you tickets to see Laurent SĂmon Moreau as a guest pianist in a Parisian symphony next year. His thoughtfulness had actually surprised you the first go around from the previous timeline. But you had never been able to enjoy that gift. Because once your hands had been injured, you wanted nothing to do with the composition world. So you gave your tickets to Stella and Jaehyun, as gratitude for Stella always being there for you. Back then, you hadn't realized she orchestrated your predicament.
You mother⊠she had gotten you more piano lessons. Citing that it was the least she could do if you wanted to pursue a professional career in composition. âBesides,â she had said, âyou were pitchy at your recital in July.â You wouldâve commended her for the effort of at least getting a gift. But there was no way you were acknowledging messed up behavior any further. So, youâd just thanked her casually and continued eating your eggs benedict. The greatest gift that morning had been Seward cooking good food.Â
And Stella? Well, you knew she wouldnât give you your gift until the pool party in the evening. She wanted to publicly give you a gift to look like a saint. The gift in question, personalized sheet music named âStellaâs Sonata.â So, that it could be something you would always remember her by. It made you gag just thinking about it. She somehow always found a way to reinforce the narrative to revolve around her.Â
Speaking of the woman in question, she was standing off by the food table, nursing a drink as she fraternized with her rich friends, the Westwood, Shah, and Barbouroux spawns respectively. Her school friends stood off to the side simmering with contempt. The four rich heiresses did not mix well with âregular people,â thus they looked down on everyone at the party with disdain. The âburn book possĂ©â hated not having an entry into Stellaâs top-tier sphere of influence. So, they fumed silently at being tossed aside for the night. The sight made you and Jeongyeon snicker. It amazed you how people didnât realize yet that Stella only used them for convenience.Â
Just then, Lawan makes eye contact with you over Stellaâs head. She nods in your direction. Stellaâs head whips around to stare at you before donning her angelic mask and rushing towards you. Both friend groups follow behind her as she squeals with fake delight. âY/N!â She throws her arms around you, more excited about this celebration than you are. Her exuberance and your dread all stemming from the same place. People watch and gush over Stellaâs performative behavior. It takes sheer willpower to not roll your eyes or gag at the display of affection. Pulling back, she smiles at you. âIâm so excited for you. Itâs your 22nd birthday, and what better way to spend it than with friends! Iâm so glad I got to host this for you.â You can practically feel Jeongyeonâs dissatisfaction rolling off in waves beside you. None of these people were your friends. This whole entire party is a ruse to fit Stellaâs agenda.Â
âYeah, thanks Stella. I⊠really appreciate it.â You would just keep the compliment short to prevent further suffering.Â
âStellaâs so nice.â You hear people coo in the crowd. God, you hate it here.
âYeah, congrats on your birthday little L/N.â Jacqueline smirks as politely as she could at you. Rounds of fake congratulations resound from both groups. You thank everyone and step out of the circle, hoping to get away from their phony nature. But Hana grips your shoulder hard as you move to walk past. âBetter hope you donât end up face first in the birthday cake.â She giggles sinisterly. You snatch her hand off as you shove past.Â
âBitch.â You hear Charlotte mutter under her breath. Holding on to your resolve, you count down until the moment you can expose everyone. Stella comes bounding back up to you, pushing Jeongyeon out of the way.Â
âY/N, donât you think itâs time for cake and your final present?â Wanting to get all this over with, you agree. You already know how this ends anyway.Â
And so, Stella leads the happy birthday song as she urges Kelly over with the cake. Except, where Kelly is supposed to âtripâ and shove the cake in your face, is now substituted for you moving just in time for the cake to land right on Hana, who stood just behind you.
 âAHHHHHH!â Hana screams in alarm. The crowd bursts into laughter at cake dripping down her face.Â
âOh my God, Hana!â Stella and Co. exclaim as they try to brush the dessert off her face. People pull their cameras out to record. Jeongyeon winks at you in amusement as you try to school your face. Kelly rounds on you in that instant.Â
âYou did that on purpose!â She shouts with anger.Â
âDid what, Kelly? Are you saying that you intended for the cake to land on me instead of Hana? Are you insinuating that you tripped on purpose? Because if you are, thatâs a horrible thing to do to someone on their birthday. You arenât that malevolent⊠are you?â You aim all your accusations towards her as people start whispering in the crowd. This entire interaction was caught on camera for various people to see, putting Kelly in a precarious place.Â
Wide eyed, Stella rushes up immediately and pulls the dumb woman away. âY/N, it wasnât like that. Kelly honestly tripped. Why would she do anything like that to hurt you? Accusations can be harmful without any evidence.âÂ
You tilt your head at her worried form. âBut she just said it herself. She expected the cake to land on me, not Hana. Why else would she be foaming at the mouth right now?âÂ
âYouââ Kelly goes to speak, but is interrupted by Eunyoung.Â
âCome on Kelly, letâs take Hana home to clean up.â You can tell it is to defuse the situation. But also, you can see the fire in her eyes promising retaliation. Youâre definitely equipped for that one already though.Â
âYes,â Stella ushers amicably. âWhy donât you all go home to get cleaned up and we can move on with the final present instead.â Then she is shooing them away from the premises. Jeongyeon and you make amused eye contact over the chaos that ensued. It is then that Stella makes her way back over with the gift in her hand.Â
âUgh, youâre such a sweetiepie Stella. Look how kind you are to her and this girl,â Daniella says with a sneer in that snobby British voice she has. It isnât lost on you that she tries to infantilize you here as a form of degradation. âCanât even pay you the same respect. Who makes accusations like that towards someone's friends that helped orchestrate this event? If it wasn't for Stella's genius ideas, you wouldnât even be having a celebration for anyone to come to.â Jacquileine harumphs her agreement at her sisterâs statement. Stella smiles sheepishly as the crowd jeers.Â
âYeah! We wouldnât even be here if it wasn't for Stella. No one would have wanted to come anyway.â Someone shouts. Chuckles emanate around you.Â
Calmly, you address the attendees. âYouâre free to leave then. Literally nothing is stopping you from walking out that gate and off my family property. I promise I won't lose sleep over the majority of your nameless faces anyway.âÂ
People gasp at your bold statement. Several jaws drop. Jeongyeon cackles at the reactions. Stella is practically shaking in realization that something is definitely wrong with you. You just publicly confirmed to her that something in you shifted in the last few months. But not to worry. Sheâd make sure to stomp you into oblivion.Â
âDonât be so hasty, Y/N.â She grabs your arm once again. âItâs just a joke. Thatâs all. Right everyone?â She turns as the crowd cheers in agreement at her question. âSee? Nothing to worry about. Now, why donât you open your last gift? Itâs from me.âÂ
It is then that Jeongyeon cuts in. Stella seethes beside you at being interrupted. âActually, I have a gift too. So, I guess mine would be the final.â Part of you would disagree. Upstaging Stella was a gift in and of itself. Subconsciously, Stella grips your arm harder in disapproval.Â
âWell,â she grits out. âIf thatâs the case, why donât you go first?âÂ
âEh, Iâm cool with being last. Youâve already got your gift out in your hand. Wouldnât want to disrupt the flow of things.âÂ
âEstella,â you interject. Her eyes dart to you with negative emotions swirling along their horizon. You loved seeing her nearly crack. The plan was working as it should. âJeongyeonâs right. Weâre already here. So, just go ahead.â Sulking, she heeds your words and sucks it up. Handing over the decorative gift bag, she waits with baited breath as you open your gift. As expected, it's sheet music.Â
âHappy birthday!â She hollers enthusiastically, more focused on her âgood deedâ than your reaction to it. âItâs sheet music with a personal composition to remind you of our friendship. Itâs called âStellaâs Sonata.â So, any time you feel lonely, you can play it and think of my love for you.â She bats her eyelashes as party attendees wax lyrical at her thoughtful action. âCue eyeroll here.â Jeongyeon gives a half assed clap as Stella clings onto your neck like she's more saintly than Mother Teresa.
âThank you.â You pat her back briefly before pulling away and turning to Jeongyeon. Behind you, Stella bristles at the blatant dismissal. She canât help but hate Jeongyeon from stealing your spotlight from her. If the two of you werenât friends, Jeongyeon wouldnât have been invited anyway. And then there would be no room for anyone upstaging Stella on herâ your big day.Â
You were eager to open Jeongyeonâs gift. Before, you didn't get to celebrate your 22nd birthday with her. Stellaâs wrath had already sunk its claws into the friendship. Therefore, there had been no gift in the past. But now, you were excited to receive an emblem of this renewed friendship.Â
Gingerly taking the gift bag from your friend, you thank her. She lets off a radiant smile at your acknowledgment. Opening it up, you find a 3-dimensional piano themed card. On the front read âplayers gonna play.â You chuckled at the absurdity behind it. Then, wrapped delicately in wrapping paper is a limited edition Funshine bear mug, with a half completed heart. There was clear indention on the side where its companion, an accompanying mug, was supposed to fit. This limited edition mug came in a set, with its remaining piece being Grumpy bear. Jeongyeonâs favorite character. You both had joked in the past that if you were Funshine, she was Grumpy. The mug set was supposed to fit in place like a friendship necklace. Except, it was both carebears faces squished together with a heart down the center that said âBest Bear Friends 4 Life (BBF4L).â You gasp in awe.Â
Gently setting the mug back in the bag, you turn to hug her. Jeongyeon embraces you back. You had wanted this mug forever and had scoured the internet for it. It was just your luck that Jeongyeon was able to bid for it on e-bay. You started to say something before Stella cut you off. âAlright, thatâs all folks! Gift giving is complete. Letâs all clap for my bestieâs big day and go back to the partaaaaaay!â She pumps her fist in the air. Disbelief washing over you, you could hardly comprehend that she just interrupted the sweet moment because she was no longer the center of attention.
Â
The crowd, ever ones to fold under peer pressure, was about to follow suit. When another voice broke through the commotion. âTechnically, I suppose Iâm the last gift of the night since I brought a present too." Heads turn to whip around at the intrusion of a voice that belongs to none other than Jeong Jaehyun.Â
âWhat the fuck?â You whisper under your breath as Jeongyeon reacts at the same time.Â
Stella and her rich cohort of friends stare in astonishment. There is no way Jeong Jaehyun was here at your loser party in the flesh. Jaehyun smiles his boyishly charming smile as he makes his way over to you. But Lawan and Charlotte stop him in his place. âJaehyun, fancy seeing you here. Did Estella give you an invite?â The crowd murmurs at his presence.Â
âWait, didnât he come to campus because of Stella too?âÂ
âNo. That was to visit Y/N. He hardly looked at Stella."Â
âThatâs strange. I thought everyone said he was infatuated with her.âÂ
âWell⊠not everyone said that. Stellaâs friends said that. And I assume thatâs because she said that.âÂ
âHow odd. That doesnât seem to be the case.âÂ
âYes,â you think gleefully. âPeople are starting to pick up on the lies.â However, you had no time to revel in those revelations, still stuck on the fact that Jaehyun was here when you hadnât sent him an invitation. And Stella didnât have his number either this time around. So, how in the world could he possibly be here?Â
âActually,â Jaehyunâs voice booms over the crowd. âMr. L/N told my father who then told me. And since Y/N is my fiancĂ©e, I wouldnât miss it for the world.â Oh god, your eye just twitched. Beside you, Jeongyeon wheezes at the irony. Glaring at her, she makes herself scarce as Jaehhyun pushes past the pack of rich hyenas to get to you. Silently, you stare up at his handsome form towering over you.Â
âHappy birthday, sweetheart.â He whispers meaningfully. Oh no, part of you was going to be sick. Him standing in front of you did nothing to quell the nervousness from early. In fact, it made it worse. He looked so handsome, and smelled it too. âI brought you something. I hope thatâs okay.âÂ
In one hand, he holds up a matte black gift bag with gold embellishments. In the other, a singular lily. This time, a soft pink. âDevotion.â Thatâs the descriptor that jumps out at you regarding the meaning of the flower. Jaehyun was showing how irrevocably devoted he was to you no matter the circumstances. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you take the gift bag with irresolute finality.Â
âThank you.â You whisper. He grabs your hand and kisses it. Your body tenses, but he just soothes you by rubbing his thumb down the back of your hand. âNow is not the time to cause a scene.â You have to remind yourself. Removing your hand from his, you delve into the bag for the gift. Anything would serve as a distraction to the heart eyes he was currently giving you.Â
âWell,â Lawan puffs her chest out in arrogance, trying to save face for the humiliating way Jaehyun dismissed every single last one of them. âWhatâs in it?â She questions with impatience. Rolling your eyes, you go to pull out the item. It is then that Stella stops you with a spectacle unlike herself from the first timeline.Â
As usual, she had found a way to sidle up to Jaehyun, and began actively causing a scene while staring at the pink flower still nestled in his hand. âOh my god.â She hyperventilates as she fans her face. Everyone turns in alarm. She is actively coughing, eyes tearing up as she backs away from the offending flower.Â
âWhat kind of flower is that?â She practically heaves. âI feel like I canât breathe. I think my throat is closing up.âÂ
Various people gasp as someone jumps into action and throws the flower to the ground, stomping on it. Jaehyun nearly chokes the guy into oblivion. But you just hold up an arm to silence him. Watching with an eerie level of calm as Stella reaches out to you in a panic. âY/N, I think Iâm allergic.â Her friends fan her face shouting for someone to call an ambulance or bring an epi-pen.Â
âWhy are you just standing there?â Daniella shouts at you, âDo something!!!âÂ
Unperturbed, you watch on, before a tiny smile graces your face. âThatâs interesting. Stella, I never knew you to be allergic to lilies. Theyâve always been my favorite and theyâve always been in the house. So, how are you allergic all of a sudden?âÂ
Charlotte hands Stella a cup to drink from as the woman in question tries to gather her thoughts. âPeople can develop allergies out of nowhere you know!â Jacqueline screeches back, still blindly believing Stellaâs display of on set anaphylaxis.Â
âThat might be the case, but how come she didnât have an adverse reaction when Jaehyun brought a bouquet to her recital inJuly or to school the other day. You guys might not have been there. But everyone else was. We all saw her. She was perfectly fine then, and now youâre saying sheâs not?â Jeongyeon comes in clutch with the analysis.Â
Everyone who had been outside the school gates on the day Jaehyun arrived begins putting two and two together. Now waking up to the fact that Stellaâs reaction genuinely doesnât make sense.Â
âValid point.â Jaehyun states, hands tucked in the pockets of his rolled up linen pants. âEspecially considering in each instance I brought a dozen lilies, while today... I only brought one. How is it possible to have a reaction over one, when you showed no sign of uncomfortability over the other twenty-four?â Hm, even Jaehyun was developing a penchant for sniffing out Stellaâs lies.
The manipulative girl you grew up with clams at his suggestion. You see when it registers to her just how close she is to getting caught. Now, she has two choices. Either give up willingly or be caught in the charade. Backed against a wall, indeed. Deeming it easier to play it off, than get caught, she chokes on a few more coughs before straightening up.Â
âActually, I think maybe itâs not causing a deathly reaction, but rather just slight allergies.â Then, to solidify her case, she sneezes. âSorry everyone. I really panicked because I was so scared.â Then she turns to you as her bottom lip wobbles. âI hope I havenât ruined your birthday.â People coo at the dismissal of her blatant scheme. You practically snarl at the sheer stupidity surrounding you.Â
âThatâs okay. If youâre still feeling ill, then youâre more than welcome to leave and stay overnight in the hospital. Iâm sure the party can go on without you. That way you wonât feel like youâre disrupting the celebration.â There is a challenging ferociousness to your gaze. In that moment, Stella begins to see just how much she underestimated you before. In her mindâs eye, she now understands you to be prepped for war. Sheâd have to play more strategically for now. But soon it wonât matter. Because after tonight, your reputation will be in the dumpster.Â
âOf course not! I wouldnât miss this for the world. I should be fine if I just drink some more water. Please don't mind me, continue opening your gift.âÂ
For a split second, you see her gaze flit to Jaehyun. You can tell she is trying to search for any indication in his eyes that he believes her, as if she can still find favor from him. But he just regards her dismissively before turning his gaze back to you. You bite back a laugh.Â
âGo on.â He urges you with a serene smile.Â
God, his duality really needed to be studied. Because the way he just effortlessly went from aloof to soft within several seconds had to be a world record. But you press on. Anything to avoid his tender gaze. Wordlessly, you pull out a trinket the size of your hand. The item renders you breathless. In the palm of your hand is a piano shaped music box. It was a white grand piano, reminiscent of the one from your recital.Â
âPlay it.â Jaehyun mumbles beside you. Turning the key, a haunting melody of âSonnet 18â croons its lullaby. The gift leaves you speechless.Â
âItâs the sheet music you played at your recital. The melody has been playing in my head on repeat for the past few months. I thought it would be nice to commemorate that.âÂ
âJaehyun, I⊠donât know what to say.â Shell-shocked by the turn of events, you pay no attention to Stellaâs envious face. She bites at her nails glaring daggers at you. âWhy the hell are you trying to ruin her life? Tonight was NOT supposed to be about you!âÂ
Just then, Jaehyun gestures towards the gift. âDo you like it?âÂ
Horrified at the raw vulnerability in his eyes, you take several steps back. This was not good. Here Jaehyun was declaring some form of love for you. And he was so careless enough to let his cold facade drop in public at the expense of professing his Shakespearean laced romantic intentions. This shouldnât be happening. To you, it was unacceptable. And you had no idea what to do now. Because something in your gut is telling you that there is no coming back from this new path you are on. Overwhelmed by the magnitude of that realization, you falter.Â
âI need a moment.â Setting the bag down, you walk stiffly back to the sliding doors. Jaehyun calls out to you. Not good, you were going to be queasy.
Then you are racing back inside the house to the lower level bathroom. Hurling yourself onto the floor, you throw up the contents of your stomach into the toilet bowl. Afterwards, you sit in silence processing everything. Somehow, you know that you are resigned to your fate. With Jaehyun and Stella derailing every facet of your gameplan, you begin to understand that the only way outâŠ. is through. A gentle knock disrupts you from your thoughts.Â
âBabes, are you alright in there?â Jeongyeon.Â
âCome in.â You croak hoarsely. Jeongyeon peeks her head through the door.Â
âHey,â She closes the door and sits next to you on the floor. Silence envelopes you once again. âI know youâre probably not going to want to hear this, butâ damn, girl. This is not going the way you intended.âÂ
âYeah, Yeonie. Iâm starting to see that too.â Dejectedly, you chuckle.Â
She looks at you inquisitively. âWhat are you going to do?âÂ
There was hardly any patience left that you could muster towards this tonight. So, youâve decided. Youâd go out there, let this chapter run its course, and take a well deserved sabbatical at Jeongyeonâs for a couple of days. âDespite everything Iâve done to steer this storyline off course, fate has somehow found a way to alter events to still lead down the same road. Itâs like, no matter the different scenarios, there is still this definite conclusion. So, if fate wants to play. Fine. Be my guest.â Glancing to the side, you face your friendâs stare head on. âNow, we follow the plot. Letâs kick some ass.âÂ
After freshening up, the both of you return to the party. Jaehyun is sitting in a patio chair as Estella yaps his ear off. He nods stiffly at her words, sipping his drink. Snorting, you canât help but be amused at his awkward state. Part of you was elated to know he felt some uncomfortability after publicly doing so to you. If he wanted to continue operating off his instincts, then you would operate off yours too without a smidgeon of remorse. So, you giggle at his plight. Evidently, the man had some type of spidey sense that went off whenever you were in his direct vicinity. Immediately, his eyes find you across the way. Straightening himself out, he goes to get up when Stella pushes him back down. The rich hyenas swarm as Stella rushes towards you for the umpteenth time tonight. âLetâs get this show on the road.âÂ
âY/N! Where did you go?â She all but shoves Jeongyeon out of the way. âOw!â the other yelps. Stella disregards her as she stares up at you with glee. It is astonishing how much of a 180 she presents you with. Just thirty minutes ago she was faking a sickness. Now she was back to her jovial nature as if that entire altercation should be written off. Not a soul had questioned her regarding that other than you, Jeongyeon, and⊠Jaehyun. Unsurprising on everyone elseâs part. Surprising on the latterâs though.Â
You already know whatâs in store for you next. Stellaâs figured out her master plan for the finale of the night. She had already been embarrassed once called out on her lie. Then another when Jaehyun practically paid her dust. Now, she absolutely intended to make erratic, rash decisions as envy rears its ugly head. Thus, you were both bound to end up in this pool. And she certainly was hell bent on blaming you.Â
âWhere did you go?â She berates, tugging you towards the edge of the body of water.Â
âI needed a moment to myself.â You try to pull away. She pulls harder. Annoyed, you canât help but think this girl believes you to be in a match of tug-o-war.
âHow come she was with you and not me?â Exasperatedly, you push her arm off of you.Â
âWhat is your obsession with this? Itâs not like I invited her. Jeongyeon chose to check on me. If it was that big of an issue, then maybe you shouldâve done it also instead of trying to blame me.â She reaches for your hand again and jerks you dangerously close to the pool's edge.Â
âAre you trying to call me a bad friend? After everything I did for you? You wouldnât even be having a party if it werenât for me. Whereâs her contribution?âÂ
âNo one is saying that.â You try to fend her off, as nails practically break the skin of your arm. Stella was so good at making confrontations look like casual conversations that no one really registers there is a struggle. Except Jeongyeon. But she knows it has to play out this way as part of your grand scheme to catch her in another lie on camera.Â
âYouâre hurting my feelings Y/N. Why arenât you considering that? We grew up together. Weâve been best friends for a long time. Do my feelings not matter?â She glares at you with false tears in her eyes. This conversation was giving you whiplash. Last time, it hadnât happened like this. Sheâd just coaxed you towards the pool with a fake accusation about something else before dragging you in with her. With Jeongyeon here, however, she was nearly beside herself at being replaced in your life. It seemed like she had vulnerabilities to exploit. So, you decide to push one of those buttons that inevitably will send her over.Â
âJeongyeon isnât the one acting crazy right now. You are.â You hiss at her vehemently. Her eyes momentarily glaze over at your harsh words. âAh, yes. Here it comes. The tipping point.â Stella hated the use of the word crazy to describe anything pertaining to her. Why? Because it reminded her of her temperamental father. Since his arrest over a decade ago, sheâd done everything in her power to curate a carefully composed persona. But that mask was starting to slip.Â
Offended by your word choice, she finally succeeds in pulling you over the edge. With a yell, you both are submerged into the water. Everyone is up in arms immediately. Most people are standing in concern for Stella. Jaehyun and Jeongyeon were the ones concerned for you. Fighting to break to the surface, a pair of arms grab at you, pulling you further down. You turn to look as Stella glares at you underneath the water. A look of horror dawns your face as you realize she is genuinely trying to drown you. Just like when you were kids. You push her arms off you as you kick back up for air. She claws at your leg this time, dragging you down once again. Panicked at the lack of air, you have no choice but to do what is best for your survival. So, you kick her, directly in the nose.Â
Her response is immediate. She recoils as blood floods the pool. You glance back at her one last time as you swim back to the top. Breaking the surface, you breathe gulps of air as two pairs of hands pull you back from the chlorine-filled water. âWhereâs Estella?!â Jacqueline screams at you with outrage.Â
One of the male athletes from the swim team jumps in to save her. You shiver under the mess of towels Jeongyeon has retrieved for you. Jaehyun looks at you with worry. âAre you okay?â He questions gently, cupping your face. Your eyes close briefly at the warmth before several gasps resound on the patio. Pulling away from Jaehyun, you watch as the swimmer brings Stella to the poolâs side. Several other men hoist her up as they take in her bloody state. Her friends rush to gather her in their arms.Â
âWhat the hell is wrong with you?!â Daniella screeches bloody murder at you. âHow could you push her into the pool?! After everything sheâs done for you! And why is she bleeding?!âÂ
Stella shivers beside them as tears run down her face. âY/N, I know you didnât mean it. But why did you do that? Whyâd you drag me into the pool and kick me? You know I canât swim. I wouldâve drowned if Anton didnât save me.â She sniffles.Â
âOh my gosh, she kicked her?â The crowd whispers.Â
âSheâs so evil. Why would she push Stella into the pool?âÂ
âSounds like she was scheming against her.âÂ
Although you had heard the words before in the previous time loop, it didnât hurt less that people still believed that of you. That you could be a cruel person. That wasnât your character at all. But it was Stellaâs. Chuckling bitterly, you take it all in. Some of your classmates glower with disgust at the turn of events. Jeongyeon squeezes your hand as encouragement. Tears pool down your face.Â
âWhen have I ever done anything so conniving?â You whisper shakily. Anger consumes you in this very moment, red coating your vision. âHow dare you accuse me of what you intended to do.â
Everyone gasps at the accusation. Stella stands caught like a deer in headlights. âW-w-what do you mean?â She stutters. âI fell into the pool because of you. And you did kick me in the face.âÂ
âMaybe I should rearrange your face so you know how it feels.â Daniella threatens. Lawan and the others hold her back.Â
Admittedly, you can understand how anger, frustration, and exhaustion can consume a person after inhabiting their bones for so long. Maybe thatâs the primary reason you snap on the younger Westwood twin.Â
âDaniella, shut the hell up. No one is afraid of you when your father is a washed up reject and one failed business project away from bankruptcy. The Westwood name doesnât hold as much weight as it used to. Your whole family just likes to keep the charade going because itâs all youâre good at. After all, your parents have been lying to you for years. Theyâre literally two secretaries away from divorce, since your father canât keep it in his pants.â Knowledge from your reincarnation is what fans this flame. In the old timeline, a few weeks after your college graduation, media outlets reported the shocking split of Ian and Claudette Westwood. Evidently, the man of the house loved fostering private relationships with his revolving door of secretaries. Knowledge is sweet in the face of some victories.Â
A startling gasp of surprise befalls the patio deck. Beside you, Jaehyun nearly chokes on his spit with laughter. Nobody had expected you to say that. âTake that back!â The latter twin shrieks. But you are far past caring about them and focused solely on Stella now, who realizes sheâs a target that cannot get away. You aim your words directly at her.Â
âYou say I pushed you into the pool, but youâre the one who fell and then dragged me in. You say I kicked you purposefully, when you kept dragging me down in the water. So, I did what I needed to escape. You say you canât swim and that you almost drowned when youâre proficient at swimming. Or have you forgotten, Estella⊠we met as children at swimming lessons.â You all but growl at her. All of your classmates are in shock at your poisonous spiel. Stepping forward, you fix the cowering girl with a deadly stare. âSo, which one is it, Stella? Which one of us is lying?âÂ
Lawan steps in front to shield the babbling woman grasping for straws. âYouâre a liar!â The Thai heiress points. âYouâre just trying to cover your ass from all your years of torment and bullying.âÂ
Scoffing, Jeongyeon pushes herself forward. âIf anyoneâs being untruthful, itâs Stella! You may be too blinded to see it since you attend a âhigher caliberâ university. But Stella isnât a damn saint. If anything, itâs the other way around!âÂ
Gasping, Charlotte steps up next. âAre you suggesting Stella is a bully?!âÂ
âWell I can tell you one thing, sheâs certainly a liar.â Jeongyeon spits with finality. It is then that Stella emerges from her shielded circle.Â
âY/N, please.â She reaches forward to grab your hands. You jerk them away. Pausing, she frowns before continuing. âThis was not going according to plan. But sheâll fix it. She has to in order to succeed.âÂ
âI know you think ill of me now. But it seems to be an honest mistake. I misspoke just now. Of course I can swim. I just panicked. Youâve always been a better swimmer than me, so I clung to you in a frantic state. Youâve always looked out for me since we were kids. So, itâs natural for me to cling to you when Iâm scared.â She wrings her hands as she puts on this pitiful performance. It pains you to see people buying it. Tears well up in your eyes as people visibly begin to feel bad for Stella.Â
âI really didn't mean any harm. Itâs harsh for any of us to call someone a liar without proof. But Y/N,â she grabs for you again. This time you donât jerk away, frowning at her with apathy. Taking your still nature as a sign that she has won your favor once again, she presses forward.Â
âYou still kicked me in the face. It hurt so bad. My nose bled. How is that fair to me? Iâm not saying youâre a bully, just⊠it hurts my feelings, ya know? I donât want anyone to fight. So, if you just apologize, maybe we can put all this in the past? Itâs your birthday after all.â She squeezes your hand desperately, glancing up underneath wet lashes. Beside you, Jaehyun sucks in a breath. All you can think at the moment is that this will be the determining factor where he defects to her side. The old version of him that you knew never could resist her teary-eyed nature. However, you were going to crush any innocent impressionability she had on everyone. Walking right into your trap, she doesnât realize how doomed she is.Â
âReally?â You question calmly. âIs that the story youâre sticking to? That I should apologize because I pulled you in? That I purposely hurt you? To what reason would that have been the case?âÂ
Biting her lip, she turns to Jaehyun with a pouty face. âJaehyun,â she blushes up at him. âMaybe you can help her see reason. I donât want to cause a scene.â He tenses next to you. But you donât need to see his face to know where his head is at. Deciding to nip it in the bud, you unveil your trump card.
âDonât bother answering Jaehyun. Iâve got just what we need to dispel any discrepancies. Jeongyeon.â Then your friend is reaching over and handing you your phone, which she has kept on her person throughout the duration of the night.Â
People stare in confusion as you click the home installation camera app. Pulling up the security footage, you turn the phone to Stella as she watches a broader view playback of herself pull you in after yanking your arm. She blanches in horror at this loaded ammunition you have just procured. Taking your phone, she watches on repeat as her lie blares through the speaker of your phone. The audience in attendance now has a front row seat to her wicked ways. Whispers spread amongst the crowd.Â
âDude⊠was she lying?âÂ
âSeems like Stella actually pulled Y/N in.â
âMaybe itâs a misunderstanding.â
Shakily, Stella addresses you. âWhat is this?âÂ
Tilting your head, you respond coolly. âItâs security footage of the incident.âÂ
âWhen did you install cameras?âÂ
âDo aunt and uncle know?â She stammers.Â
âWhy does that matter? Why not address the elephant in the room, Stella? You lied. You pulled me in and tried to drag me down. You were so adamant on an apology before⊠whereâs mine?âÂ
Charlotte snatches the phone from Stella's trembling hands. The other three crowd around her and review the footage again. Stellaâs lip quivers as tears slip down her face. âY/N, you know it wasnât like that. Maybe I tripped, but it felt like you pushed me in.âÂ
âPushed. Pulled. Which one is it?â Jeongyeon interrogates. Silently, you thank her for the support.Â
âI wasnât talking to you!â There are aghast reactions to her outburst. Finally, dominos begin to tumble down. âY/N,â she pulls a pitiful face at you. âThis is so distressing. Iâm really scared. Are you going to let this misunderstanding ruin your night, or our friendship?â Then she shifts gears once again. âJaehyun, surely you know itâs a misunderstanding. Weâve had plenty of conversations. You know thatâs not my character, right?â Jaehyun looks between the both of you impassively. Jeongyeon scoffs. You nod your head in disappointment at his prolonged silence.Â
âI donât blame him,â someone states loudly. âNothing is really clear.â
In disbelief, you practically lash out at the stupidity. âEven with the evidence in front of your faces, none of you can say definitively whatâs occurred?âÂ
âJust give it a rest!â Charlotte shouts, tossing your phone on the ground. It shatters with the weight of her anger. âYouâre just trying to frame Stella again. The camera angle doesnât even clearly indicate whether she pulled you in or not.âÂ
âYeah!â The remaining trio heckles. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up at the pure spite and vitriol emanating from within them. These women were f**king insane. That much was evident. Across from you, Estella subtly smirks as if to boast about winning this battle. Hating her comes easily after reincarnation.Â
Vision blurry with tears, you gaze vacantly at the remnants of your cellular device. Chuckling wetly, you clap. âWow, round of applause for such a stellar performance. Honestly, I could actually care less whether any of you believe me. I already know how this plays out. Itâs impossible for any of you to believe what you wonât. Youâre choosing not to. Thatâs the path youâve chosen, and Iâve chosen mine.â With that speech behind you, you turn tail back to the house.Â
Storming up the stairs, you bust through your bedroom door to pack a duffle. Youâd spend the next few days at Jeongyeonâs place to cool your anger. Outside, Jeongyeon gathers your gifts before chasing after you. Jaehyun follows suit. Shoving items in your bag, you take a moment to compose yourself. Pacing helps you clear your mind as you try every breathing technique under the sun. Thatâs how the both of them find you.Â
Jaehyun waits respectfully at the threshold when Jeongyeon knocks and enters. You donât even have time to process anything, more concerned with calming your nerves as Jeongyeon hugs your shaking frame. Obviously you knew youâd re-live this part again. Still doesnât make it hurt any less. After several deep breaths, you pull away and glance at Jaehyun who regards you solemnly. Sighing, you anticipate a conversation you canât run from.Â
âJeongyeon, can you give us a minute?â Nodding, she exits, closing the door behind her. Silence encapsulates the air around you.Â
âIâm sorry.â Jaehyun professes, gazing so tenderly. You hum.Â
âWhat are you sorry for?âÂ
In your opinion, you find it slightly comical that he is here making excuses to you when he should be entertaining Stella. After all, he seemed so interested in her phony tears standing poolside. Crossing your arms defensively as a form of protection grounds you at the moment. He was probably extending apologies now for the presumed ditching that was about to occur. Typical Stella, able to get people to believe her even with conclusive evidence to say otherwise. Unsurprising to say theâ
âSorry for not being by your side all this time.â That has your inner monologue screeching to a halt. What did he mean by that?Â
âWhat?â You croak perplexed.Â
Moving closer to you, he gives a sad smile. âBeing brave must be so exhausting. Especially having to deal with lies all your life.âÂ
Your hands drop at the prospect of his words. âJaehyun, what are you saying?âÂ
By now, he is so close, you practically breathe the same air. âItâs evident sheâs been lying your entire life without any remorse. And yet, you still boldly exist in the face of that adversity.â A whimper falls from your lips.Â
âYou⊠believe me?â No one had ever believed you before.
Reaching for your hands, he navigates them to his face, before placing a kiss upon both wrists. Your heart leaps out of your chest. âOf course, Y/N. I saw the whole thing.âÂ
âBut you were so silent.â You rebut.Â
âBecause I was assessing how to handle the situation. And also, I needed to watch Stella dig her own grave further. Iâve had my suspicions about her for some time now. Seeing the aftermath of tonight, Iâm confident in my stance.â Blinking in confusion, you let him steer you to the lone desk chair as he kneels in front of you. âI know itâs confusing but, I have something really important that I need to tell you. But I donât think it would be wise to share it here.â Kissing your wrist again, he squeezes your hand.Â
Your mind is jumbled by the turn of events. Having Jaehyun kneeling on your bedroom floor in front of you only exacerbated the issue. âWait, wait. Iâm so confused. Youâre not here to profess your unwavering devotion for Stella?âÂ
It was Jaehyunâs turn to be confused. âWhen have I ever expressed any interest in her for anyone to believe I was devoted to her?âÂ
âUh uh.â He interrupts. âY/N, I have focused all my time and energy on developing a relationship with you. Donât act obtuse. This entire time you've been trying to pawn me off onto Stella as if itâs what I want. The only person I want to give my attention to is sitting right here in this very room with me. But you keep fighting this.â Earnest eyes shine up at you.Â
You know his words to be true. In your haste to stay alive and beat the storyline before its termination, you had pushed away and disregarded the older man. And he had proven every single time that fleeing wasnât an option. But still⊠you had thought⊠âSorry, Iâm generally used to people jumping at the chance to be in her presence. Most people tend to overlook me.âÂ
The blonde haired man caresses your face. âNot me. Iâve seen you this entire time. When are you going to stop running?âÂ
Tears spill from your lash line at the sincerity of his words. Shakily, you release a somber truth. âIâm terrified. There are things I know that Iâm afraid will consume me. I just want to protect myself.âÂ
âSo, let me help you.â You try to push his hands away.Â
âJaehyun pleaseââ but your cries fall on deaf ears as a pair of warm lips rest against yours. Your body stills with the realization that Jeong Jaehyun is kissing you. His lips move fervently with passion. Every feeling he could not convey laced into the magnitude of that kiss. Hands running along his forearms to grasp the ones cupping your face, you kiss back. A level of euphoria you never thought youâd experience drapes over you serenely. So, this is what itâs like kissing Mr. Valentine. Chuckling, Jaehyun pulls back, his forehead coming to rest against yours.Â
âYou donât have to carry the brunt of this by yourself. Please come home with me and let me take care of you.âÂ
In this moment, you finally accept the fact that fate has humorously tied Jaehyun to you. No matter where the cards may land. So for once, fatigue gnawing at your bones, you veer off script and decide to let him.Â
P.S. I promise Jaehyun will have more of an integral part in the last chapter. I had to establish the timelines, motive, and personality to build the world. And if there are typos⊠just know I typed half of this at work đ„č
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