Chapter 10 (1/1)

(Lee Chae-rin's P.O.V)IN LOS ANGELESI took a deep breath as I walked into my mansion. Yup, that's right. I had once called it our mansion - Max's and mine. But now, it was mine. And in a week, it might not even be mine.I sighed as I closed the huge white gates behind me.I smiled. You couldn't help but smile looking at the mansion. It was white except for the light bamboo coloured wooden floors. Refreshing shades that lifted my spirits.Free of Max. It might have been for him, but it was the one place free of him. He didn't even know I bought it. I never got a chance to tell him, to show him... Maybe it was for the better.I choked back the tears I knew would be coming soon if I dwelled on these thoughts any longer.And so I heaved ho. I picked up my two heavy suitcases and walked across the wooden floored patio and clumsily walked into the foyer. I kicked off my converse and slipped into my house slippers. Of course not before kicking the slippers I'd kept for Max under the shoe rack.COUPLE SLIPPERS: cgi.ebay.com/2-pairs-fashionable-plush-winter-couple-slippers-/250730548924" Damn couple slippers... " I muttered.I pulled the suitcases one by one up the stairs and into MY bedroom. Yup, not our bedroom. MY bedroom!MINE!I smiled at my sillyness.Calling all the stuff that would have been our's "mine" was making me feel better. Silly of me, I know.Beside the white designer table lamp beside the bed, I'd kept a photo frame. It was our prom photo. I was wearing a wonderful dress that had taken me ages to select. Not to mention ages to save up for. And he was wearing an amazing tuxedo. But he always wore amazing tuxedoes. Maybe he seemed more prince like because it had been prom.THE DRESS: www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=promdressesgowns-trends.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/short-prom-dresses-2010.jpg&imgrefurl=promdressesgowns-trends.com/prom-dresses-gowns/short-prom-dresses-38&usg=__EYhj9Hq84rvpvt6w9D5o-GJb-IA=&h=719&w=500&sz=68&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=6pUEPweo81cbVM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=82&ei=tB0oTpiKPMzUiAKPpdCRBw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dprom%2Bdress%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1311%26bih%3D564%26sout%3D0%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=166&vpy=119&dur=41&hovh=269&hovw=187&tx=90&ty=157&page=1&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:19,s:0&biw=1311&bih=564THE TUXEDO: www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/4700000/shim-changmin-dbsk-4772272-710-1074.jpg&imgrefurl=witchy-eyecandy.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html&usg=__UU7oKu8EdaORLyS9dGtFK3NYHfU=&h=1074&w=710&sz=111&hl=en&start=20&zoom=1&tbnid=n___hYjXBa7sAM:&tbnh=118&tbnw=82&ei=tx8oTqrkFI7Ssga-4_iuCQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dchangmin%2Btuxedo%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26biw%3D1311%26bih%3D564%26sout%3D0%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=734&vpy=143&dur=133&hovh=276&hovw=182&tx=108&ty=118&page=2&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:20&biw=1311&bih=564I stared at the picture for a while as I sat on the soft white carpet on the floor with the photo frame.So many memories.... That day had been amazing. Like a page out of a fairytale.. He'd swept me off my feetBut now it was gone. My prince charming was married, I reminded myself. And with that I pushed myself off the floor and shoved the photo frame into a drawer.I'd have to get rid of that stuff, I thought as I grabbedI needed a quick fix. So I headed straight for the gym. Yes, the mansion had a gym. Which was also, if not mainly, a dance studio. And when I mean go to the gym, it's more of: " I'm going to go dance. "And that's exactly what I did. I changed into shorts, a t-shirt and a baggy jacket. I cranked up the music to the max and began to dance. Dance for me was a form of expression along with writing and rapping. It took me away from the worries of life. Away and into a new world...The beats, the thumps of the music.. It was always able to take over my body. And there I was moving, swaying, rocking, breaking, b-boy-ing to electro-hip-hop music from the speakers.Finally after maybe two hours, I collapsed. Not literally. I was really tired by then and finally sat down in a corner taking a few sips of cold water before walking out to take a shower.I looked around. The place was as clean as ever. The housekeeper had definitely been doing her job. There was no dust on any of the counter tops. Everything was clean and in place.But one thing I found disturbing. There was no sign of Raff-Raff and Lil Tyke! How did I not search for them as soon as I'd arrived?!My two beloved twin golden retrievers! They were just puppies when I bought them. They were young pups! I just bought them a few months ago! They should have been running all over the place!Had someone taken them away?Had they been stolen?!No!!!I couldn't believe it! Where were they?Maria (the house keeper) would have surely notified me!I was running towards the phone in the living room to ring up Maria when the doorbell rang. Was it Maria bringing Raff-Raff and Lil Tyke back? I ran with all the speed I could possibly conjure." Hello? " I whispered as I opened the door. There was no one there. " Hello? Tyke? Raff-Raff? Maria? Maria? "I stood outside, dripping in sweat in now nothing more than a sweaty too tight t-shirt and equally sweaty shorts, screaming my lungs out for my housekeeper and my dogs. After ten minutes I went back in.I was both dissapointed and worried.Maria wasn't picking up her phone either. That just raised my level of worry... (Shim Changmin's P.O.V)I rang the doorbell, nervously. And anxiously awaited. I heard loud thumps. CL was running towards the door. That made me nervous. Too nervous. I ducked into the huge bush right beside the door." Hello? " she had whispered as though afraid of whoever was at the door. Was she expecting me? No, that was a stupid assumption. " Hello? Tyke? Raff-Raff? Maria? Maria? "For a second I thought I heard wrong until she spent the next ten minutes yelling those names over and over again, before resignatedly walking back into the mansion. FLASHBACK" What do you want so many dogs for? " I'd chided." I like dogs~~~ " she had whined." How are you going to name a hundred dogs!? " I'd exclaimed." I'll make two names everyday! " she had squealed childishly.I laughed." What are you going to call the first two? "" Hmmm... " she said scrunching her brow. She looked so cute. " Raff-Raff and Lil Tyke! "" WHY?! " I had yelled appalled at her choice of names. If I was going to keep a hundred dogs WITH her there was no way I was going to keep dogs with dumb names!" Got any better ideas MATCH CHUNG-MEAN? " she had said teasingly pulling my name excessively into something that barely resembled my name." Fine, you big baby.. " I'd pouted. She had really named them Raff-Raff and Lil Tyke, I thought laughing bitterly...I had intended on talking to her tonight. As soon as I'd reached...But after the twelve hour flight, I was tired and with that big blow to my conscience I was unable to talk to her face to face. And so I found myself in a make shift bed on a wooden bench within the gates of the mansion. Hugging myself deeper into my jacket for warmth.I made up my mind. I didn't need CL to suffer.Seeing me now after all this would just cause her more hurt.I'd sleep a little and take the next flight back to Seoul.And so, I slept with a firm but painful resolve...