Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Jenna sat lazily at her station, typing up a letter Mr. Kwok asked her to do that morning. It was her third day and she still was not allowed in his office. By the rate it was going, she would never get close to the door. She knew he had a hobby of coming into work on time and he always had two bodyguards with him. He drank black coffee with one cube of sugar.
She let out a long yawn and suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Straightening up, she quickly apologized without looking up “I’m sorry, Mr. Kwok, I wasn’t being lazy. I’ll get that letter-” She stopped when a sudden laughed cut her off.
It was the HR manager, Mr. Lui. He was an old and balding man, with a perverted smile and gestures that made her shiver with disgust. He often came over just to harass her and touch her on the shoulders and sometimes arms. She fought every bit of strength to beat him silly “Hello Jamie.” He purred.
“Mr. Lui.” She said through a fake smile and clenched teeth.
“What are you doing?” he leaned over her shoulder to be centimeters from her face. She felt her blood rising as he accidentally grazed her face with his cheek “Oh I’m sorry. I can’t see that far. I like to be up close.” He cooed, his breath reeked of rotting teeth.
Jenna slowly moved away from the man with a hesitant giggle “That’s alright. I’m typing a letter for Mr. Kwok.”
“I see.” The words sounded disgustingly seductive and Jenna was trying to calm her nerves by telling herself to hold it in “I’ve never noticed before, but you’ve got the smoothest skin I’ve ever felt…” he reached the back of his right hand out and grazed her bare shoulders until she had goosebumps “That feels good?” he asked with a smile she was ready to wipe off with her feet.
Suddenly, a slow sly smirk crossed her face as she twitched her arm and punched him in the face “Oh my God, I’m so sorry!”
“Are you crazy?!” he demanded as he rubbed his face painfully.
“I have a little twitch in my right arm.” Jenna quickly explained while twitching away, eventually she tied it down with her left hand “When I was young, I played with these gangsters and then got in a fight one time. They sliced my muscle open and the doctors said I would have a permanent twitch in this arm. If anyone touched it, it will attack automatically.” She said with sincere eyes.
He didn’t look convinced but could not prove her wrong “You should have advised that in your resume.” Mr. Lui was trying hard to stay calm.
“I apologize. You’re right, I will make sure to send you a full report on it after I’m done with Mr. Kwok’s letter.” She assured him.
He seemed almost fearful of her suddenly as he nodded and muttered “Okay…” he quickly walked away leaving Jenna curious as to why he looked like a frightened kitten.
It was then that she heard a rhythmic clapping, turning around she saw Robert there with a smile across his face “Mr. Kwok.” She nodded politely.
“That was great.” He admired the young girl. She was quick and knew how to deal with any kind of situation. He had been watching her each morning and could see she was being harassed but she disappointed him every morning when she allowed Mr. Lui to grope her “You have been patient for too long.”
Jenna frowned “You know…?” she pointed to where Mr. Lui’s office was.
Robert nodded “I see everything. Just remember that.” He turned to his bodyguard who stood inches from him “I want to take a ride.” He began walking and stopped to turn to Jenna “Would you like to come along?”
“Would I?!” Jenna exclaimed with a wide grin and quickly returned to her composure “I’m sorry. I mean, I would love to.”
His lips curled up ever so slowly “Get the car ready.” He advised and spun on his heels and walked to the elevator with Jenna rushing close behind only to be stopped by the other bodyguard “It’s okay.” Robert said with authority.
Jenna felt like a criminal when she was frisked and scanned for metal objects by the bodyguard before he allowed her into the limo. Robert was quiet and seemed to be collecting his thoughts, his eyes closed as he rested against the seat. The ride felt bumpy and long to Jenna as she sat quietly and trying hard to be patient. Her eyes darted out the window when she realized they were in the country side. Was he planning to kill her? She wondered if he knew about her true identity.
The car halted and the driver got out to open the door for his passengers. Robert turned to Jenna and nodded for her to exit first. She got out of the car and straightened her suit pants, “Where are we?”
“A place I like to call heaven.” Robert answered. He nodded to his bodyguards “Stay here.”
“But Sir—” the guard quickly bowed down when Robert threw him a glare, he was not to doubt his boss.
Jenna noticed how powerful his glare was but he quickly returned to his usual face. Turning to her, she noticed his eyes were gentle “Come.”
She nodded and followed him down a trail. The day was cool but the sun was high above them. Eventually he got hot and pulled off his suit jacket and loosened his tie “Let me get that for you.” She said carefully and took the coat from his hand and helped him pull off the tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons for him “I don’t know how men do it. I’d be sweating like a pig by now.”
He laughed for the first time “My daughter use to say that.”
“You have a daughter?” she questioned, pretending to be curious as he continued to lead the way.
“Yes. Her name was Jasmine. She would have been your age…”
“Would have been? Did she pass away?” Jenna asked softly. He nodded without answering “I’m sorry to hear that.”
He smiled “So am I. She was on her way to London and was in a plane crash. Engine failure, it appeared. She was on the phone with me while she was crumbling to her death. I won’t ever forget her last words…Be happy daddy, I’ll always be by your side. I love you.” Tears came easily as he spoke about his only girl. They stopped at a gated grass meadow area.
“I can imagine how devastating it must be.” Jenna said sincerely. She felt his pain and knew if Joe lost her, he would be torn apart.
Punching in a code on the keyboard that tied the gates together, the beeping sound allowed him to push it open. Robert stood to the side and allowed her to enter first “Jasmine really loved the country side and she would ride her bike here every weekend. After she passed away, I bought over the land and built a memorial park for her.”
They entered inside and the sweet smell of jasmines filled the air. Trees stood high against the gates to keep onlookers from peeking through. On a hilltop, stood one large gravestone and jasmines planted around it. It was a scene out of a dream to Jenna “This is gorgeous.” She gushed.
Robert smiled “Your reaction is something I imagined my daughter to do. Jamie, you remind me so much of my daughter.” His eyes saddened “But still…”
“She’s irreplaceable.” Jenna finished “To be honest, I grew up with my parents but never felt a close bond to my father. I was a momma’s girl, sort to speak. I always wished I could be as close to my father as I was with my mother. But alas, life does not give you everything you want. It’s a curse for being human.”
“I suppose.” He said with a distant look in his eyes “My wife passed away not too long ago. Jasmine was her life, I think it was too much for her to handle.”
Jenna suddenly had a different outlook towards Robert. It was a wonder why he was so cold and lonely, all his loved ones died before he did “You don’t have any other kids? I don’t mean to pity you but a person cannot live without family love.”
Robert turned his back and waved for her to follow him “I have two sons. But they are both useless, it was Jasmine that had the jewelry business down. They only learned how to spend my money and travel around the world.”
“What a shame.” Jenna sighed.
Robert stopped at a jasmine plant as he yanked off a flower, handing it to Jenna with a smile “It is a shame but I have learned to live with this fact.”
Jenna placed the stem over her ear as she allowed the flower to sit on the arch of her ear “Do I look Hawaiian?” She asked with a laugh.
Her smile was contagious “No, you’re not dark enough.” He closed the gate behind him and walked on, Jenna came into steps next to him.
************
The girls rode together in the taxi cab, Mia was in the front with the driver “Wait! Is that it?” She pointed to a building that looked similar to a hospital.
“Mam, that is the Federal building.” The driver advised with a tired sigh. It was the tenth building she pointed at.
Mia narrowed her eyes at him dangerously “Don’t get testy with me! Haven’t you heard that the customer is always right?”
“Not in this case.” He muttered.
“I could still hear you!” Mia proclaimed. Turning to Becca and Erin, she rolled her eyes “What’s with these people?”
“Be nice.” Erin advised. Suddenly her eyes darted to the left “Wait, is that it?”
The driver turned the corner as he nodded “Yes, I think it’s the Guang Chow hospital.”
“Obviously.” Mia pointed to the large sign “And you live here?”
“I came from Beijing Miss, I am not familiar with Guang Chow.” The man sighed as he asked for the cab fare.
Erin quickly paid him and got out after the other two “Are you nervous?” Becca asked her long time friend.
She shook her head “No, just impatient.”
“Well come on!” Mia pushed the two as she jogged her way into the entrance. They approached the receptionist “Can we talk to the head nurse or the Manager of the hospital?”
The girl looked at them strangely but nodded and called for the Head Nurse. She looked close to fifty but was still strong as can be. A petite woman with a wrinkled face appeared as she nodded to the girls “Follow me.” She led them into a hidden office “Which one of you is Erin?”
“I am.” She pulled the seat closer “We spoke a couple of days ago. Were you able to locate the records for the Chung family?”
“Yes.” She retrieved the folder which she had ready for Erin “It appears Mrs. Chung did have twin boys.”
“Oh my God!” Mia gasped.
“What happened to them? Why were they separated?” Erin asked urgently.
The nurse sighed, with a shaking head “I was only twenty something when it happened, I remember it clearly. After Mrs. Chung had the boys, they were put in the infant room. A man by the name of Lee Wai entered the room while the nurses were tending to the infants when he stole one of the twins. Police were called but he had escaped through the back door. By the time they found him, the baby was no longer in his captive. He claimed that he tossed the kid down a river.
“What a freak!” Mia exclaimed.
“So what happened to this Lee Wai?” Erin asked.
“Taken into custody and he was sentenced for life in prison. China’s rules were much harsh in the old days. You can probably find him in the city jail. Maybe he will tell you what happened?” the nurse tried.
Becca had other questions “But how did the Chungs’ handle the loss?”
“They were angry with the hospital security, but Mr. Chung understood that there was nothing else we could do. Because his wife was medicated during her labor, she was not aware that she had twins. He never told her and was afraid she could not handle the truth. I assume the son did not know the truth either.”
“What a tragedy.” Mia said sadly.
“Thank you, nurse.” Erin nodded to her girls and walked out of the building “Come on, we’re gonna find that freak.”
“Erin, this is China, we can’t just walk in and out of the county jail. We need more than that.” Becca raised the question of logic.
Mia’s eyes lit up as it occurred to her “Joe!”
Erin smiled “I knew your little brain wasn’t full of mush.”
“I though it was.” Becca snickered.