Love for sale - Chapter 7: Chapter 7

The scandal, as everybody wants to call it, did more damage than Lisa expected. She had to talked to most of their investors and major stockholders meticulously to enlighten them.
Even if she wants to she couldn't blame them. Why would anyone want to trust a person who can't even control her own heart? It's about millions of money which is at stake here and not some coins.
"Hon, why do you always arrived late at night?" Jennie noticed when she once arrived home a few hours after midnight. Base on the way she was sitting on the bed, it looks like she's been waiting for her to arrive for hours.
"I-I'm just working on some papers." Lisa lied. She's been wracking her brains out the whole week. She has to fix this mess before it's too late.
"Do you want me to massage you?"
"No. I'm okay."
"But--"
"Everything's fine, Hon." Lisa said with a smile while caressing her hair. "There's nothing or anyone that can bring me down."
"The world doesn't revolves around you, Lisa-yah."
Lisa shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know that yet." she walks towards the bathroom.
"Lisa.."
"Yes?"
"It's.. it's okay to be weak sometimes. Even for just an hour."
Lisa just entered the bathroom not too long ago but she already cursed too much. She loosened the neckline of her top and stares at herself through the mirror.
That was it and heads out of the bathroom to Jennie who was still sitting at the bed. She lay her head on Jennie's lap and put her hands on her cheeks.
"Give me an hour." Lisa says then shuts her eyes closed.
Lisa was in the Galleria Department Store that afternoon so Jennie is alone at the house. She felt her heart skip a beat when she heard a knock on the door.
"Somi?"
"Jennie." Somi said and bowed slightly.
"Are you here to talk to Lisa?" Jennie said while holding on the door frame. "She's not here yet."
"You and I both know that I'm not here to talk to her." she stilled. "Now be a darling and offer me anything to drink."
"C-come in." she awkwardly invited Somi in.
"I see you've turned the place upside down." Somi noticed while roaming her eyes around. "Pretty much the same way you did with my sister's life."
Somi followed Jennie to the kitchen.
"Would you like a coffee or tea?" she ask.
"Coffee." The younger Manoban answered.
Jennie smiled. "Lisa loves to drink tea." she knew the difference between the siblings does not end there.
"I see you know my sister very well."
"It's part of my job." Jennie simply stated. She poured the hot coffee from the percolator to a cup.
Somi gave her a small smile. "Tell me, Jennie-ssi, do you love my sister?"
"Yes." she answered bluntly.
"Do you think she loves you back?"
"We never talk about it." Jennie gave her the cup. "What do you think?"
Somi casually leaned her back to the table on the middle of the kitchen while inhaling the aroma of the coffee.
"Would it boost your ego if I will say yes?"
Jennie didn't answer and let Somi continue talking.
"She also loves the fact that for the first time in her life, she's not in control. You're not like one of those dolls with a wind up keys like her exes."
"You're sister is smart." Jennie stated. "I don't think she'll get easily fooled by someone like me." she understand what Somi was trying to say.
"I thought about that too." Somi grabbed one apple from the fruit basket and took bite from it. "I wonder what kind of tricks you do in bed, to make her go crazy over you like this."
Jennie gave the younger Manoban a small smile. "What more can I possibly do that her past relationships haven't done?"
Somi nodded. "Point taken." She says pointing Jennie with her finger on the same hand that was holding the apple.
"Thank you."
"Tell me, what can I offer to convince you to leave my sister alone? Money, sex, love...?"
"Lisa already provides me with an ample supply of all that." Jennie said.
Somi nodded. She finished her coffee before heading towards the door.
"Thanks for the coffee, Jennie-ssi. But let me clear one thing before I go. I actually don't like you for my brother." Somi admitted. "But if she loves you so much that she chooses you over her family and everything that she has, then I'll respect that."
Jennie brought her head down for a moment before staring back at Somi. "And here I was thinking that you were going to ravish me just in time for Lisa to get home from work."
Somi grimaced. "I was thinking of doing that on my way here."
"What made you change your mind?"
The younger sister of the woman she loves gave her a weak smile. "I figured my sister would never do that to me if I was the one in her shoes."
Silence.
"Goodbye, Sis." Somi said while handing her a calling card. "Call me when you need me."
One day after that talked she had with Somi, Lisa who arrived home early saw her applying a cold compress on her swollen flushed cheek. There was also a small cut on the side of her lips, but it's not visible anymore unless you stare at it carefully.
"Hon, what happened?" Lisa ask worried. When she saw what she was doing, he immediately put his briefcase aside and rushed to her side.
"I was cooking fried rice when I slip from the oil that got splattered on the floor when I fried some sausages and eggs. I slammed my left cheek on the floor. It still hurts but I'm fine now." Before Lisa could even go back home she already memorize the words she will tell her.
"Ahyu~~ why aren't you being careful, look what happened?" Lisa said while inspecting her cheek. "In the first place, we have a personal chef to do all of that."
"I want to eat home cooked meals every once in a while."
"Well, it's not worth it if you're just going to hurt yourself." Lisa says while applying the cold compress on her swollen cheek.
"You're just overprotective."
"The hell I am."
Lisa was already sleeping but her mother's voice and words still ringing inside Jennie's head.
'Leave my daughter alone. She doesn't deserve a low life, gold digging bimbo like you.'
She sighed. She thought their happiness has no ends. Why do the villains in their love story suddenly kept popping out of nowhere?
"Mama Gahee!" Jennie exclaimed when she recognizes the voice on the other line. She was not expecting that she would be able to talk to her second mother again.
"Yes, it's me, Jennie-yah."
"Where did you get this number?"
"Lalisa Manoban is a very powerful woman." she simply answered. "It's not that hard to look for someone like her."
She couldn't speak.
"I just want to talk to you. I hope, you won't reject me this time."
"What made you call?"
"I saw how she kissed you in front of many people on the news." Gahee said. "She is braver than her father." there was sadness in her voice when she said that.
"You knew her father, Mama Gahee?"
"Let's talk about that later, Jennie-yah. Let's meet at Wolfgang's Steakhouse later."
"I'll be there, Mama Gahee."
'Her husband fell madly in love with another beautiful woman.' Charlie's voice echoed in her head. It's not confirmed yet but her heart is already thumping hard in her chest.
She went to the restaurant her Auntie told her after calling Lisa to let her know that she has to go somewhere. She also rode a taxi to go there instead of using one of Lisa's car along with the driver like how she told her to.
It didn't took long before Gahee came. Her Mama Gahee, despite her age, is still a picture of grace and elegance. No wonder Lisa's father fell for her.
"Mama Gahee, I'll go straight to the point." Jennie started in a formal manner the moment her aunt took the seat opposite hers. "Are you here to tell me that Lisa's father was one of your benefactors? I'm sure Lisa will understa--"
"No, Dear. I've never had any relationship with Warintorn Manoban." Gahee interrupts with what her niece's saying.
"If that's the case then, what do you want to tell me?" Jennie asks in confusion.
"As I have said, me and Warintorn never had any relationship." Gahee said. "How could I, when he was you mother's lover."
Jennie felt like a bomb exploded infront of her that it affected her ability to hear properly, voices turn into whispers, the music turn into faint hums. She felt goosebumps all over her body. Nonetheless her mind still refuses to believe it.
"But it's been so long since the last time Eomma accepted benefactors."
"That's right." Gahee agreed. "Your mother did not accept the money Warintorn was giving her from their stolen moments. They were lovers to the true sense of the word." she droop head down and gave Jennie a sad smile. "I was there to witness your mother's heartbreak, on the harsh reality that the man she ever loved couldn't marry her. There was Caroline and--"
"Y-You know her, Mama Gahee?"
The older woman nodded.
"She went to meet your mother countless of time, pleading to leave Warintorn.." she said. "But neither let go of each other's hand... Oh, Jen, they love each other so."
"Although Warintorn couldn't introduced my sister to the public, he loves her so much. He didn't care whether it'll tear his family apart."
Gahee sighs deeply before looking at her. "When Warintorn died your mother fell in despair that she lost all sense of life." she continued. "Caroline, on the other hand, drove herself to destruction."
Jennie look down to her hands. Lisa would hate her once she finds out that she's the daughter of the woman who broke her family. Just thinking about it right now she's already having difficulty breathing. It will fracture Lisa's very core. And she will lose her once she learns the truth.
"I love you, Jen. Your mother was my sister and my bestfriend." Gahee held Jennie's hand. "I wanted you to be a courtesan so you would be incapable of loving. I thought that it would be the best thing to do just so you won't end up like her."
"Mama Gahee..."
"But I'm glad you followed your heart." she stated, she held both of her hands squeezing them lightly. "From what I see, Warintorn's daughter really loves you. Take care of each other." Her Aunt stood up and took her bag from the table. "I have to go now, Jen." she gave Jennie a smile before leaving. "Taehwan-ssi and I still have to catch a plane to Italy."
Choi Taehwan is a rich man from Ulsan. He has been her aunt's benefactor for years now, and accidentally got her aunt pregnant. Jennie shook her head while watching her Mama Gahee leaving the restaurant.
A courtesans life is never without it's complication.