“I’m sorry.”
“Those responsibilities were to be seen on the arm of a man that had no ambition and was more of a friend than a lover; to nurture a son that was growing more like his father every day, wanting to spend more time gardening than learning the ropes in the boardroom.”
“My father was even like that as a boy?” Sunshine grinned at the disclosed glimpse of her father’s childhood.
“My mother found my journal and she knew I was going to leave my husband and your father to run off to Spain with this glorious matador I met while vacationing in Barcelona. So she locked down all my expense accounts and sent out wedding invitations for a vow renewal ceremony.”
“What happened?”
“Don’t you know?” Her grandmother’s eyes pierced her. “Wasn’t that my private thoughts you were reading? Hand it over, please. I should have never written about my affair in my journal. If I hadn’t, we just might have gotten away that night.”
Reluctantly, Sunshine did as she was asked. “I didn’t get to finish it and I wasn’t snooping around for it. I reached for Romeo and Juliet and the diary tumbled out with it.”
“Ahh, so that is where my mother hid it,” Sophia chuckled bitterly. “Bitch knew I hated reading Shakespeare. Oh my, that’s how you are going to be referring to me someday isn’t it?”
“Tell me Nana Sophia,” Sunshine reached out and placed her hand over her grandmother’s hand. “How do I stop feeling as if I’m dying inside? What did you do to let the love go?”
“Who says I have?” She cocked a well arched and penciled brow at her granddaughter. “I will love that man until the day I die.”
“If you know how I’m feeling, then why do this to me?” Sunshine asked. She truly wanted to understand. “Give us your blessing.”
“Until when Sunny Girl?” Sophia eyes blurred with unshed tears. “You want to invest your heart and soul only to watch him sell himself and your love to the highest bidder?”
“Yoon would never do that to me.”
“How can you be so sure when he hasn’t even made an attempt to fight me to get you back?”
Sunshine didn’t know how to answer her question. She hoped that regardless of what she wrote in the letter for him, he would see in her absence that he missed her and soon after that he would realize he loved her. How could she fight for their marriage alone?
“Child, if you can’t even answer that question about the man you love, then you need to look at those portfolios like I told you to.” Her grandmother pushed herself up from the chair and leaned over to pat Sunshine’s leg which she had tucked under her bottom. “Sit like a lady and please...please...don’t wear those blue jeans to dinner, dear.”
“Nana Sophia,” Sunshine called out to her. “What happened to the man you love.”
“He took the two million dollars my mother paid him to bring me back home, opened up a horse breeding farm in New Mexico and married a fat Mexican woman who loved horses.” She shrugged her erect shoulders. “It was the end to my fairytale.”
***
On shaky legs, Sophia made her way to her office and dropped down in the leather seat behind the large mahogany desk with its elegant golden leaf scroll motif.
She looked at the diary a long moment before opening the pages to read her familiar scrawl and began to read her own words, suddenly remembering many things. She would swear she would never forget what her mother did to her. Nor would she ever do to her child what had been done to her.
Sophia had easily kept her word with her son Cedric. However when Sunshine was born, she immediately fell in love and swore she would mold her from the beginning and save her from the same pangs of life she experienced.
Where had she gone wrong? How did she end up becoming the enemy of the one person that meant everything to her?
Sophia looked up at the resounding knock on her door. “Come in,” she called out.
“Grand Madam, Mrs. Hye Da is here to see you. Would you like me to bring your usual tea?”
“This is not a tea visit,” Hye Da declared busting in like a mini-sized dynamo with hands on her hips and purse swinging from her wrist.
“Oh my goodness,” Sophia groaned. “Hye Da, what are you doing here? My granddaughter is here at the house. What if she sees you? You will ruin everything.” With a wave of her hand, Sophia dismissed her assistant.
“Have you gone insane? I thought we had an agreement! You have single handedly nearly destroyed my son’s business!”
Sophia grimaced. “Umm, that was not what was intended. I had no idea others would pull their accounts when I pulled mine.”
“Why would you do that? They are married and happy. Isn’t that what we wanted?”
“I need to be sure your son loves my granddaughter,” Sophia confided with a deep sigh. “I need to know if he is willing to risk all for her. If he doesn’t, then you lied about him being honorable!”
“You got to be the craziest old woman I’ve ever known.” Hye Da went off in a tirade of Korean.
Sophia rolled her eyes and barked, “Stick and stones. Not get--”
“Mr. Young, you can’t go in there! Mrs. Dupree is in a meeting.”
Sophia and Hye Da looked at each other in alarm.
“I don’t give a damn.” They heard Yoon booming voice. “That old woman is going to listen to me and if you want to stop me from killing her, you better get my wife down here ASAP!”
“Why in the Sam-fucking-hell is everyone calling me old tonight,” Sophia grumbled from her seat behind the desk. “Disrespectful! The entire lot of you coming up into a lady’s home—”
“Will you shut up and tell me where to hide,” Hye Da hissed as her dark eyes searched frantically about the room. She made a run towards the first door she saw.
“Uhm-ma?”
Hye Da stopped in her tracks and released an inward groan. Too late. “Min Yoon what are you doing here?” Her eyes went wide when she finally got a good look at him. “Oh whah...whah...my poor baby,” she crooned reverting to Korean to ask had he had any sleep or eaten anything. “You’re wasting away.”
“I just need to shower, change and get some sleep,” Yoon scowled, brushing her hands from his face and taking a step back from her. “You, I will deal will in a minute. I came here to see her!” He pointed a finger at a peevish looking Sophia Dupree.
“You know I’m always delighted when you visit me, young man,” Sophia preened sweetly. “However, calling on a lady in such a manner--”
“Can it old woman, you haven’t been a lady since prohibition,” Yoon said sarcastically.
He was exhausted and pissed. It was rare for him and long overdue when it came to Sophia Dupree and her demands and threats. He did his best to be respectful and resorting to underhanded tactics went against everything he stood for, but he was fighting for something very precious and no one, not even this vile old woman that had a God complex was going to get in the way of his happiness.
“Stop it with the ‘old woman’ name calling!” Sophia hit her desk with the side of her closed fist and leaned forward to place her elbows on the wooden surface clasping her hands together.
“Sophia, I come here to get my wife and if you know what is good for you, you will stay out of my way.”
“Or what?” Sophia countered between clenched teeth.
“Or...” He held up his cell phone. “I push this button and with one call to my father, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea at the local embassy, and tell him some information that will put a halt to Dupree Foods going into the Asian market. Your company garners to lose out on a multi-billion dollar deal if it falls through. I know it and you know it too.”
“This is not a game, young man.”
Was that actual fear he saw in her eyes? Good! “How will you explain that to your Board of Directors...OLD WOMAN,” his eyes narrowed on her face. “Do you hear me?”
“I hear just fine,” Sophia said leaning back in her chair and looking down her nose at
him. “If you make that call, then I will make a call of my own that will completely wipe you out.”
“Sophia!” Hye Da yelled from the sideline. “Enough! If our friendship means anything to you--”
“Friendship? You two know each other?” Yoon interrupted. “Why are you here? What did I walk in on?”
“Oh my, we need to come clean, Sophia,” Hye Da worried her hands. “Min Yoon--”
Before she could say another word, a streak of wild hair and sobbing woman flew by her and threw herself against Yoon.
“Yoon...Yoon! You came for me,” Sunshine sobbed. “Thank God. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”
“Sunshine,” he lifted her up against him and held her tightly. Burying his face against her shoulder, he breathed in her scent.
“Oh...no...no...” Sunshine squirmed in his arms pushing at him until he loosened his hold for her to slide against his body and her feet touched the floor. “You can’t be here. You will lose everything you’ve work for. I can’t let that happen,” she cried.
He cupped her face in his large hands. “Calm down, sweetheart. Take a deep breath.” He frowned. “You look as bad as I feel.”
Sunshine wailed.
“No...No...You are beautiful. I meant tired, honey...you look as tired as I feel,” he corrected himself. “Oh, don’t cry,” he crooned, his eyes tearing up. “You’re breaking my heart.”
He swept her against him again and held her while she trembled in his arms.
“I’m sorry I ruined everything for you. The marriage isn’t even real and you lost everything for a woman you don’t even love,” she hiccupped. “Now that I’m out of your life, it can go back to normal and I swear Nana Sophia will give it all back.”
“What is this about the marriage not being real?” Hye Da asked.
“No, I want to know if it’s true, you don’t love my granddaughter?!” Sophia asked.
Yoon, ignoring the other women in the room, kept his focus only on Sunshine. He’d never seen her so upset and even though it’s been twenty-four hours, she looked as if she had lost weight. There were crescent dark shadows beneath her eyes and she hadn’t stopped shaking since he took her in his arms.
“How could you leave like that and just leave me some goodbye note?” Exasperation filled his voice. “Do you have any idea what that bedroom is like without you in it? I couldn’t bear to sleep in our bed without you. Your wonderful scent lingered on your pillow and it was hell to not be able to reach for you and hold you.”
“Yoon...what are you saying?” Sunshine eyes searched his face.
“And I swear tomorrow we are going shopping for a huge wardrobe. No wife of mine should be able to put everything she owns in a couple of suitcases!” He chuckled.
“You want me to come home?”
“Of course I want you back home. It’s where you belong and you better not ever leave me again woman.” He cupped her face and tilted it upwards. “I’m sorry. That bedroom was our zone for honesty and I wasn’t true to you or myself about how much I’ve come to depend on you and how much I’ve come to love you.” At that moment he spoke to all in the room, but gazed only at her.
The heavy lashes that shadowed her cheeks flew up in surprise and she moistened her lips with her tongue. His hungry eyes followed her tongue but he knew if he kissed her again he wouldn’t be able to stop. There was too much that needed to be said and understood between them.
“You should have waited until I came home. I’m the man in this marriage and it’s not for you to face such important matters alone,” he ripped out the words impatiently. “Did you have so little faith in my ability to protect you? To protect what we have?”
“You lost so much already, Yoon,” her voice was hoarse with emotion. “I know how hard you worked to make it in this country. I’ve heard the pride in which you spoke about Young’s Investments. How could I have lived with myself knowing it was my family that had destroyed the only man I ever truly loved? It was unbearable to think that you would someday hate me for what I did to you.”
“You have done nothing but believe in me, love me and trust me to be a bigger MAN than your grandmother.” His vexation was evident as he spared a glance over at a surprisingly quiet Sophia.
“Still...”
His eyes came back to rest on Sunshine. “Still what?” He frowned as her eyes dropped away from his face to stare at the ground. His hands dropped to her shoulder and he lightly shook her. “Look at me,” he ordered. She complied. “I will say this one time and I want you to get it in your beautiful head and keep it there. Are you listening?”
“Of course,” she said. One corner of her mouth tilted up in a half-smile and it gave him hope.
“Yes, I worked hard to build the wealth I have; but it’s just money and I’m smart enough to earn it all over again,” Yoon assured her. “If not in this town or even this country because of your grandmother’s interference, then we can relocate to South Korea,” he smiled at her smile. “I can’t wait to show you my home; where I grew up...the schools I went to. Oh, and my childhood friends will adore you as much as I do--”
“I would love to meet them,” Sunshine laughed as her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
“No, you can’t take my granddaughter away from me!”
Both their heads turned to look at the older woman as she came to her feet. Her skirts rustled about her as she came around to stand in front of her desk.
“Nana, I love him,” Sunshine said in a voice so soft and childlike it was as if simply being before her grandmother she reverted back to her childhood.
Yoon protectively wrapped his arm about his wife’s waist and drew her into the curve of his side. “You created this situation, Sophia,” his voice was accusing in tone. “Didn’t you think there could be consequences for interfering in my marriage? The day Sunshine accepted me as her husband you lost your right to tell her how to live her life.”
“I love my granddaughter, Yoon,” Sophia spoke softly. “I thought you of all people knew how much she means to me. I rarely share my confidences in anyone, but I did with you because it was important that you knew how precious Sunshine is to me.”
“I thought I did,” Yoon nodded. “Then I started to wonder why Sunshine didn’t seem to speak about you in the same way. The things you and her mother have done to her all of her life...well, you should be ashamed of yourself.”
“I thought I was doing what was best,” Sophia said defensively.
“You and her mother have used her as a pawn in your little war game!”
“Not true!”
“Really?” Yoon snorted. “If that is so, why did Sunshine’s father feel the need to set up a trust fund separate from what she was already set to inherit from you?”
Sophia looked away from his knowing stare. “He was her father. Of course he would want to provide for his only child.”
“Or was it because he could see the game you and her mother were playing between each other and because he could no longer be here to be the buffer from the two of you he set up this marriage clause in hopes that in his own way from the grave, he could assure Sunshine would find a husband that could love and protect her like he did?” Yoon paused as he saw the older woman’s face grow ashen.
“Sunshine has never had the disposition of the rest of us,” Sophia began quietly. “She was such a sensitive but happy child. Her name suited her from the moment she was born. I swear that child came out of her mother giggling and cooing.” Sophia’s voice cracked with emotion and a tear ran down her powdered cheek.
“Nana--”
Sophia eyes rested on her granddaughter. “God, I love your little cherub face from the moment I laid eyes on you. You were the daughter I always wanted and could never have.”
“I was?” Sunshine voiced her surprise.
“Of course,” Sophia breathed in painful disbelief. “Do you not remember how it was between us when you were a child? Have my need to make you strong enough to take over the busine
ss completely wiped away the good times we shared, Sunny girl?” More tears fell.
Yoon saw the moment sweeter memories of the past came to Sunshine’s face. “You went to Disney World with me on a school field trip,” she said.
“One of several,” Sophia chuckled.
“Oh gosh,” Sunshine laughed. “You had to be the only one who would wear heels to an amusement park.”
“That was because when your nanny called to tell me you were in tears after your mother called to cancel at the last minute, I was in the middle of a business meeting. I didn’t have time to change,” Sophia filled in the blanks.
“You rode all those rides with me when I was too scared to ride them alone. Everyone thought I had the coolest grandmother!”
“I was pretty awesome,” Sophia shook her head. “But I wasn’t going to let those young mothers out do me.”
“Mother had promised to go with me, but at the last minute she cancelled because she was in Greece.”
“She was always everywhere else but home with you it seemed,” Sophia spoke through gritted teeth. “All I know is she continuously disappointed you and your tears broke my heart each time. You have to be the most painful crier ever to watch.”
“I thought it was just me,” Yoon grinned and squeezed Sunshine who playfully punched him in the side.
“Sunny, it wasn’t always the way it is now between your mother and me. When Cedric first brought her home, I thought physically she fit the mold of a Dupree woman. She was vibrant and beautiful, but I soon realized good breeding means a lot.”
“Myrna was what one called a ‘Goodtime Gal’ in my day. She was the type men should sleep with, pay to be their mistress, but definitely never marry and take home to your mother.”
Sunshine shook her head in agreement. They shared a knowing smile.
“I think the more she saw you were more like me and took after your father...the more she distanced herself from you. Then when she took off with that man, leaving your father and you...well, I still had hope that once she grew up a little more, she would be ready to come back to the fold and be a daughter and mother,” Sophia confided.
The Contract: Sunshine Page 20