LISA

Of all people Jennie works for, it had to be Kendal. I've had my suspicions, and now I wish I had used my gut instinct about tonight. It was way too coincidental for them to be at an event tonight for work.

For Jennie to tell me she hates me and to see her drive away, upset had me shaking my head and feeling pissed with myself for what I've done.

I'm such a fucking idiot, and the one thing I've been afraid of happening most likely became a reality, and that's losing Jennie for good. I spun around, kicked the street sign that was in my way, and yelled, "Son of a fucking bitch!"

While I walked into the hotel, I tried calling Jennie but got the results I figured would happen, and that's getting her voicemail. "Call me when you get this. Please..."

I sadly walked back to the table with Kendal glaring at me as I sat. "You look like you lost your best friend."

I lowered my head and sighed, "My dad isn't doing too well."

Which what I said wasn't a lie. I had talked to my mother just before arriving at the hotel, informing me she drove him to the hospital and asked that I kept my phone turned on for the rest of the night if something were to happen.

"Oh. While you were out there, did you happen to see Jennie?"

I raised my head, looked at Jennie's plate, then turned to Kendal, "Yeah, I walked out there as she was getting inside a cab."

"I wonder what happened? She seemed fine earlier.

I fucked up is what I did.

I shrugged my shoulders, looked back at Jennie's plate, cleared my throat, and closed my eyes while taking in a deep breath. All I saw were Jennie's saddened eyes, with her telling me she hated me. Fuck...

I opened my eyes, looked at my watch, then turned to Kendal, impatiently asking, "How much longer do I have to be here?"

"Why? What do you have to do?"

"I need to check on my parents. I need to make sure my father is okay and need to be sure my mother will be okay staying in the hospital all night... that's what I have to do."

"And you have to do that right now? Can't it wait?"

I found myself wanting to pound my fist on the table, but not wanting to make a scene in front of hundreds of people, I leaned closer to Kendal quietly scowling, "Did you not understand the memo? My fucking father is in the hospital, and I need to make sure he'll be okay. Is that clearer for you to understand? Just for you, I made my face shown. I think they'll understand if I have to leave because of a medical emergency. If not. Then none of you are real doctors." I sat straight, removed the napkin from my lap, and angrily threw it on top of my plate.

"Fine. Go..." Kendal snapped.

~~~~~~~~~~

I left the hall in a hurry and drove to the hospital, and as I entered my father's room, I saw my mother sitting next to him, holding his hand, and walked over to her. "How's he doing?"

"He's fine. It sounds like I'll be able to bring him home tomorrow."

"Did they figure out why he's been having these fainting spells?" I asked, looking at my sleeping father.

She nodded. "Diabetes. Your father's sugar level was lower than what it should be."

"That's not good."

"Now, if he'll just listen to me. I've been on him lately about his eating habits, and he continued to do his own thing."

I chuckled. "Sounds like dad."

"Stubborn. That's what your father is, and he refuses to listen to me."

I patted my mother's shoulder and smiled. "Maybe now, he will." She looked up and smiled. The longer she looked at me, her smile faded, her brows lowered, and then she removed her hand from my father's and placed it in mine.

"Why do you look like you lost your best friend?"

That's twice tonight I've heard that line.

I didn't want to worry my mother. She has enough on her plate dealing with my father, plus, she has no idea about Jennie, and I'm not about to talk to her about her where we are now. I still haven't filled her in about Kendal and how I've wanted our marriage to end since I married her.

I shook my head and forced a smile. "It's been a long day."

"You're lying to me," she said with disappointment in her voice.

"Why don't you worry about dad. When dad's home and settled back in, I'll come over, and we can talk. Tonight's not the night to unload all my problems on you."

"Thank God," my father groaned.

I looked away from my mother and looked at my father, chuckling. "How are you feeling, old man?"

"How do you think I'm feeling? I'm lying in a hospital bed for crying out loud."

I leaned forward, looked him in the eye, and smirked.

"Maybe now, you'll listen to mom and eat better. Sounds like a good idea to me, don't you think?"

He waved his hand over his face and growled, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Maybe you should go home and get your ass into bed.

And when you leave, call your brother and tell him not to show either. I'm finished listening to people telling me what I should do and how I should eat."

I looked at my mother and grinned. "He's still the same grouchy old man and seems fine to me."

"You can go, Lisa. Your father is right. Why don't you go home and get some sleep? I'll make sure to call you after I get your father home."

I leaned down, hugged my mother, then looked at my father and rested my hand on his leg. "Both of you get some rest, and I'll do the same."

After leaving the hospital, I called Jennie again, getting her voicemail and leaving yet another message. Instead going home, I drove to her apartment, saw her car in the lot, and parked.

I knocked for a couple of minutes, and after no answer, I let myself in. As I entered, I noticed Jennie never made it home. I breathed in deep and exhaled as I walked over to her couch and sat, stomping my foot as I yelled, "Damn it!"

I reached for my phone and began calling her friends.

Thankfully, Jennie entered Irene and Nayeon's number into my phone the other day, saying I should have their numbers if I ever needed to get a hold of them. And now is that time.

Irene claimed she hadn't heard from her and asked that I call Nayeon. Nayeon hadn't heard from her either, then admitted if anyone would hear from Jennie if she were ever upset about something. That Tae would be the one to call and gave me his number.

Tae? Why Tae?

I called Tae, asked if he's heard from Jennie, and right off the bat, he got angry with me. "What the fuck did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything," I sighed, leaning my head against the couch.

"I swear, if you hurt her, I'll fucking kill you."

"Chill, Tae. Please... why do you keep insinuating I hurt her?"

"Because. You wouldn't be calling me, sounding worried, if you didn't do something to hurt her. Look, Jennie is my best friend and what I know is that girl is madly in love with you. I also know if she's not answering your phone calls or texts, it means you fucking hurt her somehow... so, lover-girl. What did you do, anyway?"

My hand slapped and covered my face. I couldn't admit to Tae what I did, not yet, anyway. But I can give him a little hint as to what I did.

"I wasn't candid with her about something, and when I tried explaining to her the situation, she took off without hearing my side of the story."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~