Signed with the Enemy

Yuna sat in her wheelchair, positioned at the open window, lost in thought. The world moved freely, something she could no longer do. Her life, summarized: ‘In a single night, she lost it all, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't rewind it’. Cold air blew in stinging her cheeks, fresh tears pooled in her bloodshot eyes, ready to flood out. The door swung open, and Hae-ri Kim, petite in stature, speed-walked in with an energy that filled the room. She spun Yuna's wheelchair around to face her, then used a tissue to dab her eyes. “Yuna Vance!” She forced a cheery voice to ask her friend, “When life gives you lemons, what do you do?” “You make lemonade,” Yuna responded, her lips too grim to smile. With exaggerated vigor, Hae-ri flexed her muscles, gesturing wildly. “No, my dear friend, you take the lemons, squeeze out every drop, look life dead in the eye, hurl the rinds at it, you say to it; ‘Take that, bastard’.” “But, Hae-ri, we said the same thing,” Yuna responded with a half smile. Hae-ri's expression turned stern. She pointed a finger at her. “No, we didn't.” “Hae-ri, I can't argue with you, you're always right. Help me to bed. I need to talk.” Hae-ri lifted Yuna's arm and placed it over her shoulder, helping her to move from the wheelchair to the bed. Hae-ri draped Yuna from her shoulders to her knees with a blanket and moved to close the window. “This should help with the cold. You shouldn't worry about your parents’ burial arrangements, Elliot and I are handling it” “Thank you, I remember we already had that conversation.” Yuna paused, “Uhm…” Her voice trembled. “Elliot called this morning. He said the board of directors made a decision.” Yuna sighed: “To sell it, through a vote. My family's heritage.” Hae-ri’s eyes widened in disbelief, she moved closer to reassure her as she held her hands. She knew that company wasn't just a business, it was the last thing Yuna's parents left behind, and now, even that was no longer hers. “The directors can be convinced. Elliot has been your mother's personal assistant for years, he can put in good words for you. They'll listen to him.” Yuna's voice broke. “He tried.” She spoke barely in a whisper, lowering her head. “My parents’ death shook our reputation in the stock market, the assumptions of the media that I'd inherit the company only made things worse,” “This is all my fault. I was wild, unruly…. A chaotic child, I caused pain to my parents, even in death.” Yuna lifted her head slowly and looked into Hae-ri’s eyes. “I shouldn't have agreed to deliver the opening speech.” Hae-ri comfortingly held her with warmth, hushing her wails. “Yuna, your parents loved you, you were a star model, a brand ambassador, they were on the verge of seeing you make them proud.” Her voice softened: “It was the drunk driver who ran them over. It is his fault, you should no longer dwell on blaming yourself.” Hae-ri tried to tuck her in to sleep and at that moment, the door opened slowly. Elliot Ford walked in, and immediately, something was wrong. His shoulders stooped, his tie rumpled and slightly loosened. He trudged in as though the day had drained him completely. Yuna's chest tightened, she squeezed the sheets. “Elliot…” she called, adjusting herself to sit up. Elliot lifted his head, his eyes drifted from Hae-ri to Yuna. “Elliot, what's going on?” Hae-ri questioned his mood, their eyes fixed on him. His countenance stirred uncertainty about what had happened. “They voted. ” he finally said. “And?” Hae-ri asked impatiently. “It's gone!” He exhaled. “They sold it!” “To whom?” Hae-ri inched closer to him, took his hand. “Dr. Liam Weston, he acquired it for fifty million dollars.” Hae-ri struggled to process it all, she lost her footing. “What?.” She held onto the side of Yuna's bed and sat there to recover. “The same Dr. Liam who despises Yuna.” She looked back at Yuna in pity. Yuna let out a strained laugh. “Isn't the world just cruel? I need to see him, Hae-ri, my wheelchair.” Elliot held Hae-ri by the shoulder, preventing her from helping Yuna. “To say what, Yuna?” his voice almost broke. “Hi, Dr. Liam, you just bought a company, it belongs to my parents, can I have it back?” he mimicked her voice accurately. Yuna's face filled with fury, picked up a pillow and hurled it at him. “Nice throw, your spine is improving.” He was fast enough to have caught it midair. “Let's not be hasty. I checked on him, he was not in his office. Tomorrow we'll discuss solutions.” He handed a bag to Hae-ri. “Here's food and drinks. Eat and rest, I'll see you girls tomorrow.” He exited quickly before they disagreed with him. Yuna laid in her bed and she stared at the ceiling for hours, “What games are you playing, Dr. Liam?” He once humiliated her at a public event, on national TV, he had branded YOUNA's product as unsafe, yet he had saved her life knowing who she was, then made an unexpected move to buy the same company he almost ruined. Around midnight, Yuna felt suffocated in the ward, unable to shut her eyes to sleep, she decided she needed some air. She leaned toward her wheelchair and slowly shifted herself across the bed, helping herself sit in her wheelchair. She hated how helpless it made her feel, reminiscing about the pep talk with her assigned doctor; “Ms Vance, for you to get back on your feet again, you need rehab, the blood clot in your brain after you fainted, affected your spine, by next week I’ll assign you to the best Neuro-Physiotherapist in the city, you should be back to your work in a month”. She ran her hands through her thighs. “These hot legs,” she whispered. “You can't retire now, I need you to make me money.” Yuna wheeled herself out of her ward towards the hospital's garden. On her way, she met her attending nurse who smiled warmly at her. “Hello, Ms Vance, it’s cold out there,” she used a blanket to cover her legs. “Here, press this red button if you can not find your way back.” She handed her a tracking device, urging Yuna to enjoy the view of the flowers in the garden. When Yuna got to the hospital's garden, she began admiring the flowers, just as the nurse advised. When Yuna wheeled deeper into the moonlit garden, a lone figure stood beneath the maple tree; tall, broad shoulders, hands tucked into the pockets of a white doctor's coat, manifesting a domineering presence. He slowly turned, Yuna's fingers froze around the wheels, her breathing caught. She noticed his perfectly styled black hair accentuated his sharp jawline and striking blue eyes. She thought to herself, ‘Only he could look this handsome at night’. Immediately, she mentally slapped herself for such thoughts. ‘He is your enemy, Yuna,’ she reminded herself. Dr. Liam, the man who had humiliated her, the man who had saved her life, the man who had just taken her parent's company. Her grip tightened around the wheelchair. Tonight, she will get her answers.