BE ALRIGHT

2

I stirred in my sleep as the persistent sound of my phone pierced through the peaceful silence of my bedroom. Groaning, I opened my heavy eyelids and squinted at the bright light filtering in through the window. The digital clock on my bedside table read 7:00 a.m.

I reached over to grab my phone and saw Jackson's name flashing on the screen. Without hesitation, I slid my finger over the answer button and brought the phone to my ear, my voice heavy with sleep.

"Jennie," Jackson's low tone resonated in my ear.

"What is it, Oppa? I'm sleeping," I mumbled, my voice thick with sleep.

"Go here now. Dad's really mad. I sent Mr. Kang already. I'll see you later, but go here quickly because dad's not really in the mood," he said in a rush before ending the call.

I frowned in confusion, wondering what had gotten my father so worked up. I shook off the drowsiness and dragged myself out of bed, the cold air of the room causing goosebumps to form on my skin. I made my way to the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the warm water cascade over my body, slowly easing the tension in my muscles.

After the shower, I quickly dressed in a short, plain white shirt, and threw a coat over it. I raked my fingers through my hair and picked up my bag, ready to head out the door.

We pulled up in front of the grand villa, my heart pounding with anxiety. As soon as we stepped inside, I saw my mother sitting in the living room, her eyes fixed on her phone. I hurried over to her, kissing her cheek before taking a seat next to Jackson on the plush couch. My father was pacing back and forth, his phone pressed to his ear, his brows furrowed in frustration.

Suddenly, he ended the call and turned to us, his eyes blazing with anger. He tossed an iPad onto Jackson's lap and then thrust it towards me. My stomach twisted into a knot as I saw the headline of the news article displayed on the screen.

"Jennie Kim of Kim & Wang Company Yelled at a Woman in the Lobby of Their Own Company." What a dumb article, I put the iPad down, not wanting to read the rest of the article.

My father's stern voice cut through the silence, making me flinch. "What are you thinking, Jennie? Are you trying to sabotage the name of the company?" His arms were tightly crossed over his chest, and his eyes were fixed on me, unblinking. With just this one article my dad is already flipping out.

I took a deep breath and braced myself, knowing I had to explain myself. "Look, the girl started it. She didn't even know I am one of the owners of the company," I protested, hoping to make him see my side of the story.

My father's face turned a deep shade of red as he glared at me, his eyes blazing with fury. "Shut it!" he roared, his voice echoing through the room.

He turned his attention to the iPad once again, his hands gripping it tightly. "Does that give you the right to yell at a girl in public? Now, how can we clear up that mess? The company called me, and some investors are trying to pull out their shares. Are you happy about that?" His voice was sharp and critical, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration. This is why I don't like investors sometimes, a bunch of weeners. Literally, pulling out shares just because of a nonsense article.

"I didn't know there were media there," I protested

"Wait, let's calm down first," she said, reaching out to touch my arm.