Love for sale - Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Jennie flops down the four poster bed sitting in the middle of their room. At that moment the events that happened on the night she met Lisa's mother for the first time a few days ago flashes back to her memory. Unconsciously, she touch the small cut on the side of her lips that is now healed.
Jennie was taken by surprise when the visitor greeted her with a slap on her face that afternoon. She almost fell on the floor by the force of that slap. Seeing the raging anger on the older woman's face she already have an idea who she is.
Somi was behind the old woman who hesitantly raises her hand as a sign of apology. Jennie also heard her protest to what her mother did to her.
"You're a unscrupulous opportunistic woman!" Mrs. Caroline Manoban said with a firm but calm voice. "You used your beauty to get my daughter and now you're asking for more than she could give to you."
"That's not true." Jennie lowly stated after recovering from shock. "I never asked for anything from Lisa."
"If that's the case then how come the whole South Korea knows about you?" Caroline ask back. "Do you even know that the whole company is in shambles right now because of that scandal you did?"
Mrs. Manoban's veins on her face almost popped out of anger, but she's still calm when she speaks. Lisa must've got this, staying calm even in the middle of difficult situation, from her mother.
"I know my daughter and I know that she's having a hard time." Caroline said. "She has to choose between you and the company. Between you and her family."
"I-I love your daughter, Mrs. Manoban." Her tears started falling from her eyes. She haven't even said those words to Lisa and yet she had to use it to defend herself.
"Love?" Caroline repeated in disbelief. "If you really love her then how can you bear to see her like this? You staying by her side will only pull her down." she scoffed. "I won't even be surprised if you're going to beg him to marry you."
"No." Jennie whispered. "I would never do that to her. Whatever we have right now is already enough for me. She deserves someone better."
"You're right. My daughter is a brilliant executive with a bright future ahead of her. She deserves a respectable woman with dignity."
"I'll be the one to tell your daughter about that. All I'm asking from you is don't break us apart."
With all that Somi was just observing. She was cursing something in between deep breaths.
The old woman was not even bothered by her pleading.
"Leave my daughter alone." Caroline coldly commanded before leaving with Somi tailing behind her. "She doesn't deserve a low life, gold digging, bimbo like you."
Her tears started flowing down her cheeks again.
"You are just like your mother. As the saying goes, like mother, like daughter indeed." she heard Caroline said while they were on their way out. She was too flustered to understand what it meant.
She cried for hours, but when she saw that it's almost time where Lisa usually arrives home she calm herself and fixed her appearance. She didn't want to worry her some more.
Lisa feeling more anxious than ever when she still couldn't find Jennie after searching for her again inside the house, she almost flips the whole place upside down but still no sign of her. It was the day after they got back from the island that she woke up without her by her side.
Fear immediately surge in her. Jennie usually stay beside her until she wakes up every morning. Even from all the times that she wakes up first she will never leave her side until both of them gets up from the bed.
When she entered their room again her eyes caught a white paper on top of the dresser. With her heart beating so fast she opens the folded paper which she almost knew what's written in it.
I'm sorry. Lisa felt like dying that very moment when she read that note. She wrote the only two words that could break her apart. Jennie left her!
She didn't know where to find her girl because she never got to ask her if she have any relatives living in Seoul. She already called some of the best detective agencies she knew but all of them told her to wait for a couple more days even weeks to find her.
The story of the courtesans was a taboo in the society. All of the people who knows about them were pretending to have never heard of that word and denies to know what that word mean is especially the news about him and Jennie was still fresh. That's what made it more difficult.
Lisa immediately hops out of her car after reaching The Place. She tossed the keys to the valet parking attendant. She ask her sister where she could find Jennie. She went to her parents house to spend the night. Before she could leave their estate Somi gave her a cheque.
The VIP lounge Lisa had entered was already full of screaming and yelling since the private bidding of the beautiful ladies has already started. She never went to events like this before. She thought it was tasteless and inhumane.
The woman standing in the middle of the platform was gorgeous. Her beauty is of first class. Now thinking that it was Jennie standing there she's already having a headache.
"Three million won!" a man shouted which earned him cheers from the group of other bidders.
"Higher!" A group of men yelled.
"Five million won!"
"Woohoo!"
"Now we're talking!" yelled the other one.
Lisa shook her head. Why, most of the swines in that place were her friends. And later on she's gonna have to compete with them for Jennie.
After awhile a beautiful woman got her full attention. She scoffs and shook her head again. Obviously, it's no other than the woman who owns her heart.
Jennie is currently being pulled by a guy towards the other side of the platform where she would be the next one to stand in the small stage. Another round of screaming and yelling. Lisa did not waste more time.
She went straight to the man talking in a microphone and whispered something. The man turns to where Jennie was standing and hesitantly faced the customers.
"Ladies and Gentleman, that lovely lady over there will not be available for bidding. Ms. Manoban here has more than just money to offer." he jokingly announced. "Next, please."
The screaming got louder inside that lounge. "Not fair!"
"Why are you letting that happen?" one of men complain. "Everyone should play the game fair and square."
"Eight million!"
Lisa sighed. This night is turning out to be very interesting.
"Ten million!" Screaming. Pounding noises. Laughter.
Out of nowhere Lisa yelled the amount of the cheque Somi gave her. The room suddenly fell silent. The others even had their jaws dropped.
"Manoban is really serious." she heard one woman said in the middle of silence.
One of the bidder was about to raise his hand when the birthday celebrant Loren stops him. They knew damn well that Lisa won't let go of that woman so there is no need to show off their money.
"Let go of me!" Jennie demanded. "Yah!"
She was dumbfounded. She never thought that Lisa would found her that fast. Her appearance in the private bidding was a close guarded secret. Thinking that once Lisa learned that another man had touch her she would finally leave her alone.
"Don't make a scene here." Lisa is sporting a controlled expression but with the way she's gripping on her hand tightly Jennie knew she's really mad. "Hold it in for now and starts being hysterical once we're outside."
"I'll go with you so let go of my arm." But Lisa did not listen to her instead she keeps on pulling her away from that place.
"No." Lisa said firmly. "I don't want to take my chances with you again. It's so hard to search for your whereabouts and who knows maybe next time I have to sell my house just to reclaim you!"
When they entered the kitchen of the hotel Lisa finally let go of her slightly swollen arm. The kitchen staffs were all busy preparing dishes for the customers while throwing glances at their direction.
Lisa grabs a knife from the sink and handed it to her. "Here, stab me because I save you from all those people." she was so mad. "Come on!"
Jennie ignore her insult. "Why did you have to pull me away from there?"
"Did you really think that I would just let anyone to touch you?" Lisa snaps which made her eyes turn elusive. She put the knife back in the sink.
Jennie search for the right words to tell her. "Look, Lisa, I want to thank you for saving me but it's just that I'm having a hard being with you." she admit. "My life is being more complicated each day when you're beside me. Just let me go because I'm not the right woman for you. I don't want--"
"Bullshit!" Lisa yelled in anger which made the kitchen staffs flinched and paused with what they were doing. "Were you always just thinking about yourself only? Did it ever occur to you that I should be the one who's having a hard time the most. I was the one who gave up everything!" Her face went closer to Jennie's face. "Just to protect you! To love you!"
Silence. Lisa puts her hands inside her jeans pocket before continuing.
"Did you really think that it was so easy for me to come down from the high pedestal I was sitting just for you, Jennie?" Lisa said in a calm manner but full of resentment. "Did you think that I opt to lose control over my life just because you?"
Lisa sighed. She kept staring at Jennie.
"I grew up making the world revolves around my fingers. I can buy all the things that I want to have. I can make all types of people follow my command." Lisa said. "I was a fucking straight A student in college. I even took my master's degree in States!"
Lisa lean her back on the wall.
"Even on the business I won't let the opportunity passed by without using my brain." Lisa continues. "I'm smart, Jennie!" Silence took over for a while. "But when it comes to you..." With a heavy heart she stares at Jennie and unconsciously ran her fingers through her hair. "When it comes to you I'm becoming dumb." she said in almost a whisper.
Silence surrounded the place once again.
"Y-You don't have to do all these things." Jennie later on responded.
"But I'm still doing it even if my mind is against it, damn it!" Lisa said, catching her breath forcing herself to calm down.
"Lisa..." Her words startled her. She tried to go near her and comfort her, but the Thai lightly pushes her hand away. "I left because I didn't want to be a burden to you." Jennie confess.
"I'm not asking you to leave me, all I want for you is to love me." Lisa responded with bitterness lacing in her voice. She took one glass of liquor from the tray and gulp it down.
"Lisa, stop please." Jennie pleaded.
"I'm tired, Jennie." Pain flashes on Lisa's pretty face. "I'm tired chasing after a woman who I don't even know if she loves me too."
"That's not true!" Jennie defended herself. "I love you too it's just that--"
Lisa walks towards her. She pushed her chin up until their eyes met. "It's just that what?"
But Jennie couldn't continue to speak what she wanted to say.
Lisa took a deep sigh, like there was a heavy weight on her chest that she wanted to get rid of. "If you really love me, then you should've fought for me too. It's hard to fight alone, Jennie." she stated with her expression as cold as ice.
Jennie took a deep breath before speaking. Lisa has to know the truth now. "Lisa, my mother... My mother--"
"--was my father's lover. Yes, I know!" Lisa continued even with her shock state. "She was at my father's funeral five years ago, hiding behind a tall tree, a few meters away from the plot where he was buried."
Jennie sucked in her breath.
"She was weeping and... you were there, standing beside her, in your black shirt, black jeans and sneakers." Lisa said like she was pulling out the memories from that day on the hidden parts of her brain. "Eversince then you were already so beautiful."
"Y-You already know who I am ever since then?" Jennie was flabbergasted.
"Not instantly, no. You were a faint memory then." Lisa answered. "I only confirmed my suspicion when I saw my mother's exaggerated reaction when she saw you in the news -- the picture of us kissing."
Jennie looked down to her feet. "Can't blame her." She stated in a low voice. "I look so much like my mother."
Jennie was stunned at the revelation. She drowned herself with fear and pity while Lisa on the other hand was battling alone with the memories from the past. What kind of a woman is she?
"I'm tired, Jennie." It was like she was awaken from a deep dream when she heard her voice again.
Lisa was about to leave when she stops seeing that most of the people in that room were watching them, listening with their conversation. "Show's over, Everybody." she said in utter boredom. "Go back to work."
Jennie just stared at Lisa while she was walking away. Everything that she wanted to say got swallowed by her confusion and regret.