CHAPTER 7

SAIA'S POV:

Sitting straight up in bed, I try to catch my breath and my heart pounds in my chest. I have woke up from a nightmare and my stomach is in knots. It feels like something is terribly wrong… but what? It was just a dream…right? I can't remember what it was about but I can't seem to shake my fear. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and try to remember what the dream was but I can't. It's gone. Still clutching my chest, one of the nurses sees me and comes in to check on me.

"Omo! Miss Caelum! Are you all right? Are you in pain?"

"Ani. It was just a bad dream."

Still concerned, she feels my forehead and takes my vitals. "Everything seems to be fine. If you need anything, let me know. I'll check on you again in a little while."

"Thank you Nurse Baek."

I still feel uneasy but there isn't anything I can do as long as I am stuck in this hospital bed. Usually when something troubles me I practice ballet but my body is in no shape to be doing that. I really wish Ji-Hoo was here and I hope he comes to see me tonight. Thinking about him, I smile. He is so smart! It is so nice having someone to talk to. I can always talk to my friend Boo Ki but she doesn't have an interest in the arts or history. With Ji-Hoo I can talk about anything.

I especially love talking about music with him and it is so fun when he brings his guitar. He plays really well! I only know how to play a tiny bit but he says he will teach me after I heal a little more. I'm really looking forward to it…but thinking about playing the guitar, also reminds me of the person who had started to teach me. It is the only thing I haven't told Ji-Hoo.

2½ years ago, when I was attending Tae San University, I met the biggest mistake of my life. My ballet classes were my life. I wasn't interested in dating anyone but all the girls in my classes were infatuated with a handsome Medical student named Kim Kang Woo. He came from a wealthy family in Seoul and like a typical Chaebol, he was used to getting everything he wanted. Money never interested me so I never took any interest in him. He seemed to notice this and it bothered him that I didn't melt over his charms.

At first, when he tried to talk to me at school, I would blow him off but he was persistent. He continuously sat by me and my friends at lunch, walked me to my classes, and asked me to have dinner with him. I finally agreed to go but it made me uncomfortable.

My step-mom had been so excited for me. She wanted to see me happy and to escape our miserable home. Kang Woo seemed kind and he was good to me. It was hard not to be taken in by his persistence and I fell for him. He was incredibly charming and convincing. I should have known something was wrong when he never invited me anywhere with his friends or family. After a year of seeing each other, he started to become distant and I didn't understand why. Until one day, he finally admitted his true feelings to me.

"Thanks for an amusing time but I don't want to see you anymore." He had sneered at me. His eyes were so cold and lifeless when I asked him why he was doing this to me. "Do you honestly think that the two of us were going to last? My family is one of the wealthiest in Seoul. Yours should be on a poster for the needy. You were a diversion, nothing more. I deserve a better woman than you."

I had been devastated. I was so angry at myself for letting my emotions override my logic. I had known getting involved with him was a mistake from the very beginning but my biggest regret had been giving him my virginity. Not because I started to see what an asshole he was, but because I had given him everything I had: my heart and my body. I had allowed myself to make the very mistake I had sworn I never would. I didn't miss him but my pride had been destroyed. After everything he said to me that day, I had come to despise men of his status. They all seemed the same to me.

But then I met Ji-Hoo. Why does he seem so different? He has yet to tell me about his family but I know he is wealthy. Ji-Hoo is different from Kang Woo though. He doesn't flaunt his wealth and he has never made me feel inferior to him. His warmth brings more sunshine into my life than any star possibly could. He always makes me feel so happy. I never felt this way with Kang Woo. Ji-Hoo shows he cares by his actions. Kang Woo would have never come to visit me or brought the twins to see me. Remembering how Ji-Hoo hugged me earlier makes my face burn. Even though the reason had been because I was sad, it had felt so good. If I hadn't been so nervous, it would have been nice to snuggle closer to him.

"So, you ARE the one that was attacked by her father. When I heard the name I had to come see for myself. Why am I not surprised?"

My blood runs cold and I feel my happy bubble burst. Surely, it couldn't be…? Raising my eyes to meet his icy brown ones only confirms my fears. Kim Kang Woo is a doctor at this hospital! Looking away, my mind is racing. I hate the fact that he is seeing me like this and I hate that all I want to do is get as far away from him as possible. I stare at my twisting hands in my lap and try not to panic.

He approaches my hospital bed and smirks at me. "It's been a long time but I see you haven't changed much. I hear you have even set your sights on Yoon Ji-Hoo."

My head snaps up at that.

"YOON Ji Hoo?" I whisper.

Kang Woo snorts in disgust. "Like you don't know? What better way to get into the Art Center than through the owner's pants? You are a talented ballerina, I'm sure you can get into one of the smaller ballet companies without staining Seoul's finest. I have to give you credit though. I never thought you would stoop to these methods. You really are trash, after all."

I am burning with anger and before I know what I'm doing, I slap him.

"Get Out!" I say angrily.

Clenching his jaw he turns towards the door but stops to look at me before he leaves. "He's F4. You stand less of a chance with him than you did with me. You are just a poor commoner. Don't forget that."

His insults hurt and make me so angry that I want to scream but the worst part is realizing how foolish I have been for the second time. MY Ji-Hoo is YOON Ji-Hoo! I have admired his family for as long as I can remember for their dedication to the Arts. How could I have not realized it was him? Humiliation sweeps over me as I remember everything I have said to him. What does he think of me? How could I have been so foolish?

I trust and care about him more than anyone, even more than the twins. My heart sings with joy every time I see or hear him. Every time he smiles at me, I feel like I have won a Billion Won and every time he laughs, I feel like I can change the world…but it doesn't mean anything. Ji-Hoo never actually said he cares about me. He is probably just being kind and I let myself be fooled again. Damn, I hate money! I hate Chaebol doctors and their confusing ways too! My heart feels shattered and I suddenly feel like I am suffocating. I can't stay here anymore! my mind screams as I rip the I.V. out of my arm. Desperation & adrenaline help me dress quickly and limp my way down the hallway towards the elevator. It's late and the hallways are practically deserted but Nurse Baek spots me as I enter the elevator.

"Miss Caelum? Miss Caelum! Where are you going?" She is running towards me but the elevator doors shut before she can reach me.

My whole body aches in protest and the staples in my wounds are rubbing uncomfortably against my clothes. My ankle isn't fully healed yet either and it is still a bit of a struggle to walk but all I can think about is getting outside so that I can breathe again. When I finally exit through the front doors, I gratefully gulp in the cool night air. My eyes are burning with tears, but I refuse to let myself think about it anymore until I get home.

The ride home on the bus feels like it is taking forever and every bump it makes causes me to grit my teeth in pain. The drugs are starting to wear off and my body is starting to throb. I know that going home probably isn't the best choice but all my friends will just take me back to the hospital and I just want to be alone.

The apartment feels colder and darker than I remember. The blood stains make me nauseous but I am too exhausted to try and clean it now. The trip home has taken every bit of my strength, so grabbing a pillow and a blanket I curl up in the corner with my clothes still on. I'm too tired to even change them. My heart feels so empty and even though I know I should be a little worried about my father returning home, I just can't bring myself to care.

A/N: This chapter has been hard for me. It was originally Chapter 6 but I didn't like how I wrote it the first 3 times. Lol. But I am finally satisfied enough to publish it. I hope everyone likes it. ^^