you got me | chaennie

one

The longer Jennie stands in her bedroom, her still-wet hair slowly dripping onto the hardwood, the more she wonders whether screaming will make her feel any better. She's been waiting for this phone call for the last twenty-four hours and now she's staring at the missed call banner. Somehow she already knows that calling back isn't going to work out in her favor, so instead she closes her eyes and clicks on the voicemail.

"Hi Jennie, this is Park Chaeyoung! I got your messages, all seven of them. I'm so sorry that we didn't have a chance to sit down this week in person, although it sounds like you've had your hands full at work. I have some stuff I need to take care of before we leave, so I'll have to meet you at the airport. Since I'm cutting it a little close, I'll send a courier to pick up my ticket from you this afternoon. And Jennie? Take a deep breath. This is all going to be fine. Your ex-fiancée will wish she'd never left you and your family will think we're in love. Trust me. Look, I've got to go, but I'll see you at the airport. Can't wait to meet you."

There's something confident and soothing about Park Chaeyoung's voice, and Jennie needs all the calm she can get right now. She takes a deep breath as the message ends and hits 'play' again, while looking absently around at the mess that is her bedroom and closet.

Nearly everything she owns is haphazardly strewn about. There are two open suitcases on her floor, into which she's stuffed every single item of clothing she might need for a four day wedding extravaganza. Her brother can never do anything small. Jennie's sure that half of the pageantry is as much about Kim Corp as it is about the actual nuptials, but if she's going to spend nearly a week back in the viper pit, well, she's going to look amazing doing it.

Switching to the weather app on her phone, Jennie squints at the five day forecast. It's a maddening mix of sun, clouds, and rain in no particular order with a high of 65 degrees. Of course Haein has to get married in fucking Scotland.

Jennie sets the phone down on the bench at the foot of her bed, choosing to ignore the four other messages still un-played on her phone. One is from her research director and the remainder are from her step-mother. She already knows what the three from Taeyeon will say: something chastising about how late she's arriving for the wedding weekend, a reminder that Jennie must be on her best behavior with all guests regardless of how shitty they've treated her in the past, and suspicion disguised as enthusiasm regarding the fact that Jennie is bringing a date despite none of the family knowing she was involved in a romantic relationship. No point in listening.

She feels a tension headache coming on and consciously unclenches her jaw, bringing her hands up to massage her temples. Jennie closes her eyes. This wedding hasn't even begun and she already wants it to be over. Maybe she can come down with a stomach bug so bad that she can't fly. Hell, maybe with a bit of luck she can get hit by a car on her way to the airport and spend the weekend in a coma instead. But, barring catastrophe, Jennie knows she has no viable outs.

She sighs and opens her eyes, decides that's enough wallowing and opts to deal with the problem in front of her. She grabs another dress from where she'd flung it earlier and tries to remember where she's put the matching earrings.

The intercom in her foyer buzzes once.

"Ms. Kim?" The garbled voice of her doorman comes through the speaker. Jennie drops the dress and trips over a discarded pair of heels in her haste to get to the front door. She yelps and hops awkwardly through the hallway, scrambling for the intercom button.

"Hi Frank, my car isn't here yet, is it? I won't be ready for at least another twenty minutes so I'll need them to wait, I'm so sorry." Jennie winces and looks back towards the bedroom. Twenty minutes is pushing it, more like forty.