My Love

Chapter 1

ERIN COULDN'T help but be awed as she watched the tall building in front of her. It stood more or less with twenty floors and looked so fancy that she thought twice of stepping inside of it.

It was seven in the evening already, the air of February was chilly and she regret not wearing a thicker jacket or a pair of jeans. The streets were packed with people and cars rushing on their way home. And some were staring at her weirdly, wondering why she stood glued in front of the building. She shivered, and that what pushed her to finally go inside and go to wherever she was told to go.

The night before, she received a call from someone who introduced himself as her father's best friend. She was about to cut the call when the man introduced himself and his name rang a bell. She remembered being introduced to the man when she was still a little kid.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I am hurt at the news of your Dad and Mom's passing, too. He was a good man and your mother was a lovely woman," the man, Mr. Jeon, told her. "How are you coping up, dear?"

"I. . . I still can't believe they're gone. I'm still wishing this is some kind of a dream―a nightmare and I'll wake up soon," her voice cracked as she said those words. Even if she started moving on with her life and not being as miserable as she was months ago, she still found it hard to accept the truth.

They talked for a few hours, Mr. Jeon wanted to converse with her personally but he was being held back by his busniess. He told her stories about him and her father that made her laugh and cry even more. He was also the reason why she was there on the building in the first place. He knew about her situation, how she needed help financially with her rent for her apartment and her tuition. Even with her part time job and after selling her parents' house, she was still short in money. Her father was a huge help for Mr. Jeon when he was just starting to build his empire. He owed her father and he wanted to pay back and fullfil his promise to his best friend.

Erin couldn't believe what she just heard from him. She was offered a place to stay, which was a penthouse occupied by his only daughter, and also for her school expenses to be paid. She refused at first, of course, but Mr. Jeon was persistent and he used the father card to let him help her.

And there she was, on her way to the penthouse with her things in a small duffel bag. She still had more stuffs at her apartment and she'd just get them tomorrow.

She wasn't the kind of person who liked to pry on other's business. She usually didn't care what was happening around her as long as she wasn't affected, but now she got curious with the argument of two persons near the elevator. As she walked nearer, she saw a man holding a woman.

"Sab! I'm. . . begging you, don't break up with me. I know what I did is wrong. I know I shouldn't have done it in the first place!"

The woman, who stood taller than Erin and probably older than her, tried hard to pull her arm from the tight grip of the man. "You bastard! You cheated on me with my bestfriend, and you want me to forgive you?!"

"Please, Sab, I was just missing you and I felt alone so. . . so I went to your bestfriend, but I swear it's you who I love," the man continued to bey desperately.

"Leave me alone! Don't you ever show your disgusting face again!"

Erin inwardly groaned. That s**t hurts, and with the woman's bestfriend, damn, she said to herself. She was about to press on the elevator when the man started to get a little violent, pushing the woman on the wall. She saw how pain crossed the woman's pretty face and she didn't hesitate to stomp towards the two and meddle with their argument.

She pulled the man by his collar and pushed him away from them. She then grabbed the woman by her waist, putting her behind her small framed body. She got distracted for a bit when she got a whiff of her lavender perfume. "Didn't you hear her?! She said leave her alone!"

The man stood up and glared at Erin. "Who the hell are you?" He raked his eyes up and down of Erin's body. "Don't meddle with our business, kid!"

Erin dropped her duffel bag on the shiny floor. "Who the hell am I? I'm just her girlfriend, so f**k off!"

"What―?" The woman behind her whispered, bewildered at the things she was saying.

"You're gay, Sab? f**k," the man uttered in disbelief, he looked at Erin again, "do you think I will believe you? She is straight, kid. Now go home because it's past your bedtime already."

"You thought she's straight," Erin mocked, "and I am not a kid!" She cried out before punching the man square at his jaw. She grabbed her duffel bag with her right hand the woman's arm with her left, before she dashed towards the elevator.

The elevator closed with a ding thankfully before the man could enter. She hurriedly pressed the top floor and waited for them to arrive as she tried to calm herself down. Her knuckles throbbed at the impact of her punch, she had never been this violent again. The last time she got into that kind of trouble was when she was on high school. She wasn't a goody-two-shoes, she was a troublemaker, a delinquent as they called her. She was a member of some gang, heck, she was even the leader. She spent her high school life throwing punches here and there, kicking some asses, and always in trouble. She had transferred schools for countless times because of it. She only stopped when her mother begged her to, after she graduated high school. And she felt so good, having to punch someone again, and a bastard at that. He deserved her punch.

The woman cleared her throat, snapping Erin from her reverie. She was looking at the arm that Erin was still holding. Her eyes grew wide and let go of the woman before looking away. Since when did she become shy?

"You didn't have to it," the woman said, breaking the silence between them.

Her brow raised at that statement. "I didn't have to save you from that poor excuse of a man? Well, thank you for saving me," she sarcastically replied. She couldn't believe that she was mad after what she did.

"It's not your business, okay? You should've let the adults handle it."

Erin scoffed in disbelief. This ungrateful beautiful woman! "I am not a kid! And handle it? I didn't think you can base on what I witnessed."

"But still!" The woman realized something. "And how did you know which floor I live?"

The elevator opened, Erin rushed to get out and get away from the woman. She was pissed that instead of being thankful, she was mad. She fished out the card key from her pocket and realized something before she could open the door of the penthouse.

"Wait, you live here?" She asked.

"Yes," she said in a duh tone. "This penthouse is mine."

Erin gasped, her mouth gaping. "Oh, so you're Sabina?"

The woman's, Sabina, brows furrowed. "How did you know my name? Are you a stalker?! First you told my ex-boyfriend you're my girlfriend and now you know where I live," she accused.

"Geez, no. I'm not a stalker! I only told that man that I am your girlfriend so he could leave you alone. And I was told get here on this penthouse," she showed her the card key, "I even have this."

"Why do you have a key to my penthouse?!" Sabina tried to snatch it from her but she moved away quickly.

"Your dad gave it to me."

Erin went inside the penthouse, with Sabina hot on her heels. She sat on the huge and comfortable couch, feeling so much at home. Might as well because it will be my new home, she told herself.

"My dad?" Sabina hissed.

"You're Sabina Jeon, right? Daughter of Yungwoon Jeon?" Erin asked back.

"Sabina Smith," she said, emphasizing the second word that left her lips. "I don't want to be called as his daughter. And why the hell did he send you here?"

Erin stood up, her eyes roaming at the huge penthouse. Everything screamed rich and elegance. Even if it was designed in a minimalist way, it didn't make it less look sophisticated. The walls were painted with the cream color, there were beautiful paintings hanged on them, and there were plants and other things added as decorations. She smirked, she would live in a place like this.

"Your dad told me I could live here," she said nonchalantly as if it was nothing.

"What?! Who gave him the right to decide on that thing?! This is my penthouse, he can't just let anyone live here!" Sabina was beyond furious. She couldn't believe her father decided on such thing without consulting her. And of course, she would refuse to let a stranger stay on her home.

"Well, he said this is also his property." Erin couldn't believe that Mr. Jeon didn't talk to his daughter about this matter, now she had to deal with a fire breathing beautiful creature. All right, enough with the praises, she told herself. "And he gave me the permission to live here."

Sabina cursed in all of the languages she knew. She breathed in and out deeply, trying to calm herself down. She was always calm and collected, but with what happened earlier with her ex-boyfriend and with the revelation, she couldn't see herself calming down. "Look, this is my penthouse and I don't want any strangers to live here. So pick your bag up and leave, you know your way in so you must know the way out." She pointed the door.

"I'm Erin Jung, twenty-two," she smiled cheekily and offered her hand out, "I'm not a stranger now, am I?"

"Listen, kid, you're not allowed to stay here, got it? Now leave." Sabina hissed.

"I told you I am not leaving. I'm staying here and this will be my new home. Your dad gave me the permission to live here so he is the one who has the right to kick me out."

Sabina couldn't just believe everything. Her father told Erin she could stay at her penthouse. Her father talked to the girl but he didn't talk to his own daughter for years. What does he want now?

She fished her phone out of the purse she was tightly gripping. She opened the app called Contacts, and searched for her father's name. She tried calling his number but she wouldn't answer. And he talked to this damned girl but he wouldn't do the same to her.

"And it's already late, are you really that heartless to let a kid like me wander in the streets?" Erin pouted, she was trying to use her charm to the girl but she was silently cursing Mr. Jeon. How could he not inform his daughter?

"Fine, you can stay for the night but I want you gone first thing in the morning. And don't even try to steal or even touch anything. The things here are much expensive than your life." Sabina rolled her eyes and stomped to her bedroom. "And you are sleeping on the couch even if you only deserve to sleep on the floor!" She yelled before she retreated to the comfort of her bedroom.

Erin huffed. She didn't even offer the guestroom for her. She was just beautiful, but she was a total b***h. But Erin wouldn't leave, not until Sabina's father would say otherwise.