Chapter 22

JISOO

I didn’t expect all this.. I didn’t expect to fall in love with Jennie and sure I didn’t expect to find myself in a relationship with a woman.. It’s not easy..

I could understand where she was coming from.. I knew what she has been through but I really wanted to help her.. She was so stubborn and she didn’t want to hear a thing. Nothing.. It was like she put her walls up and that was it.. But what hurt me was how she thought of our relationship.. It’s not that I wanted to move in with her right away.. Actually for a month we were already living together.. So what was her point? When she said what she said though I knew.. Before that we weren’t together so now that we were it seemed different.. Maybe Jennie didn’t want the same with me.. I left her there, without saying anything else and went to my room..

I tried to close my eyes and not to think what happened.. I tried to hold my tears back but I couldn’t.. At 1am I received a text to my phone from Mark.. It was kind of strange for him texting me especially at this time.. I guess us lawyers don’t really have a life..

‘Jisoo, sorry for the hour but the boss told me that he wants all of us tomorrow at 6am at his office.. Don’t ask me why I don’t know.. I know you are on your sabbatical but now your vacations are over.. See you tomorrow’

6am? What was that important that we had to be at the office really early? And I really didn’t want to go.. Besides everything that happened tonight, tomorrow I wanted to be with Jennie at the hospital.. But now it seems that I won’t be..

I tried to sleep but it wasn’t that easy.. Last time I checked the clock was 3am and I had to wake up at 4.30am.. Great.. I slept only for an hour and a half.. I would need more than two cups of coffee tomorrow..

I woke up, took my shower, made my coffee, dressed and was ready to leave.. I left a note to Jennie that I had to go to work and that she shouldn’t wait for me because knowing how my office works I would come home really late.. I called a taxi for her and left..

When I arrived at my work I saw the bakery and immediately I felt nostalgic.. That’s where I met her the first time.. A month and four days she’s been in my life.. Why she had to be that stubborn?

I got inside my office and Bona was there too.. I guess Mark informed everyone yesterday..

“Hello Ms Kim.. How are you?”

“I’ve been better.. How are you Bona?”

“I am fine Ms. Kim..”

“Is everyone here?”

“Almost.. Mr..” she didn’t finish because Mark was inside my office too.

“Jisoo.. Nice to see you.. We missed you here.” where on earth he had that energy? Maybe he had a great night..

“I am sure. So what is this all about?”

“I guess we will find in about..” he said and checked his watch “Ten minutes. So.. lets go.. We can go together.. I am sure you forgot where the meeting room is.”

“Very funny.. Lets go.”

Indeed when we got inside almost everyone was there except the boss and another two lawyers.. All of us where there and I really couldn’t explain why.. At 6am sharp everyone was inside and Mr Harland, aka the boss, spoke first..

“People, I asked you to come here today because we have a really big case and we need time and time is money..”

“What is this about Mr Harland?” one of the other lawyers asked..

“One of the biggest companies in the states asked for us.. There is a major problem with one of their factories and people sued them.. Now we are their defenders.. So we need hard work and don’t even think to sleep.. there is no time for sleeping.. We start from now.. In front of you you have a file with all the information you need.. Work in groups, alone, I don’t know what you need but this is our biggest case.. Now go.”

I opened the file and I started reading.. I couldn’t believe what I was reading though.. We were the defenders to a company that was killing the citizens of a little town outside Texas.. One of their factories polluted the water that was coming to peoples homes.. Three children dead and many others infected.. And he wanted us to defend them..

“Jisoo, you and I are together.” Irene told me.. She was one of the lawyers and she was a good one.. One of the best actually..

“Irene, I think I should work alone.”

“You and I are the only women here and you are the best after me.. So you and I are going to work together on this. Ok?”

“I guess.”

The truth is that I didn’t want to work in this case at all.. I was a lawyer and I made an oath.. That was one of the worst things to be a lawyer or a doctor.. You had to do your job in whatever cause..

“Okay.. Let’s start.”

We sat there I don’t know for how many hours.. When I checked my watch it was already 8pm and we didn’t even take a break.. Jennie didn’t even call me once.. Although I was forgetting our argument from yesterday it seemed that she didn’t.. She didn’t even call me to tell me how everything went at the hospital.. I really needed to stop for at least an hour.. Instead of the case I was thinking of her and my head already was hurting..

“Irene, if you don’t mind I think we should take a break.. We are working since 7am this morning.”

“I guess you are right.. I am hungry..”

“I say we take a break for an hour and continue. Okay?”

“See you in an hour.”

Bona was still here.. I forgot to tell her to leave..

“Bona, I am sorry.. You can go.”

“It’s ok Ms Kim. If you want me to stay I can and help you if you need anything.”

“No, go. It’s okay.. I still have to work.. See you tomorrow. Okay?”

“Goodnight Ms Kim.”

I closed my eyes for an hour but first I made myself a sandwich.. I was hungry but from all this work I couldn’t even open my mouth.. At nine I woke up and I was ready to find my phone and call Jennie but when I was searching it Irene came inside..

“Jisoo, time is up.. Lets go.” an hour break was too much so we didn’t have more time to spent.. I could always see Jennie back home.. I really didn’t want to go back late.. And I missed Ella.. Probably she would be asleep when I would be back..

Another four hours and I was at home at last.. Time.. 1am.. I was so tired and I couldn’t wait to take a shower and see how Jennie was doing.. When I got inside I walked to a house that was dark.. Usually Jennie would be at the living room watching tv or she would have the light turned on.. Now she wasn’t and the light was turned off.. I walked to her room and no one was there.. I went to Ella’s and she wasn’t there either.. I opened my phone to call her but I couldn’t find it.. It wasn’t in my bag.. I called to the office in case I forgot it there but I remembered that I never took it out.. I went inside my room and it was right there in my nightstand.. I checked to see it and I had twenty missed calls from Jennie and 6 texts.. Fuck..

‘A note Jisoo? Really?’

‘Pick up your phone’

‘It seems you don’t want to talk. Fine’

‘I thought you would be more mature but I guess I was wrong’

And the last text that made me almost faint was “Someone is dead to the next room.. I am taking Ella and we are leaving” and it was ten minutes ago..

I called her phone immediately.. What the fuck happened? Who was dead? Where the fuck were they.. Ella.. I called and called but she weren’t picking it up..

“Fuck Jennie.” I said and I was ready to close the phone when I heard her voice in pure panic..

“Jis-oo.. Oh God.. You can’t.. I.. I.. Oh my God.”

“Where are you Jennie?”

“I don’t.. I don’t know.. She is.. She is..”

“Who is dead Jennie?” She wasn’t making sense.. I was panicking too because I was afraid of them and that neighborhood wasn’t one of the best.. But I had to try to at least be calm for her..

“I.. I.. don’t know..”

“Where is Ella?”

“In my arms.. She is in my arms.. We left.. We just left.. I.. I am.. sorry ” and she was crying.. From the background I heard Ella ‘Don’t cry mommy’

“How far from the motel are you?”

“I don’t know.. I run and.. and.. I don’t even remember.. I guess a mile?”

“What do you see?”

“There are apartment blocks and a movie store.”

“Stay there.. I am already in my car..”

“Jisoo?”

“Yes?”

“Please don’t hung up.. I need you to talk to me.”

“Okay.”

I don’t know how fast I was going.. I tried to talk to her without letting myself get caught that I was afraid as well.. I told her about that place.. She could be the girl from the next room..

I was there in less than half an hour, all the time talking to her over the phone.. I found them after fifteen minutes and Jennie was a wreck and Ella was in her arms shaking.. She had only Ella’s backpack with her..

“Oh my God Jennie.. Are you okay?”

“We are okay.”

“Ella?”

“Jisoo..” she hugged me immediately and I felt her hot breath on my neck..

“Let’s go..” I said and took Jennie’s hand on mine.. It was cold and she was trembling..

Jennie was sitting in the back seat with Ella trying to soothe her.. I just wanted to take them home and have them safe..

When we were back I took Ella in my arms again.. She was wearing her penguin pjs I bought her one day.. We put her back to her bed and stayed there with her till she was fully asleep.. I really don’t know if she knew what happened.. When we made sure she was asleep I took Jennie’s hand and we got in the living room..

“I am sorry Jisoo.. For not listening to you.. You were right.. Oh God.. It could be us tonight.. It could be Ella, Jisoo.” Her voice is still trembling.

“Ssshh.. thank God it wasn’t you.. Now you are safe. Okay? You are going to stay here and I don’t want to hear anything about it.. You heard me? Do you know that I lost the world from my feet? Do you know that I thought you were hurt?”

“Although you broke up with me?”

“What?”

“I saw the note. And you didn’t pick up your phone.”

“I left my phone here and I didn’t break up with you. Why you say that?”

“I thought that you did.. I didn’t know what to think..”

“Let’s forget it.. Okay? What matters the most is that you and Ella are safe and far away from that sit hole..”

“Thank you.. For being here.”

“I never left Jennie..”