Ann paced around the little room she shared with Mrs. Shu's daughter, Sara, who is also her friend.
"Ann, you're going to put a hole in the floor by the time you're done thinking. If I didn't know any better, I would think your husband was divorcing you to marry a new wife," Sara said in her usual sarcastic manner.
Ann knew Sara was right. But she couldn't help being worried. She wasn't a golddigger. Her love for Tae-Joon was genuine, and even if he had no penny to his name, she'd love him no less than she did now.
The deity had given her false hopes, and that made her angry. She had asked for a sign. If the deities hadn't given her one, she wouldn't have continued with her hopeless daydreams.
As far as she was concerned, they were already married and had kids in her dreams, and that made him her husband in reality. No one would snatch him from her.
"Are you even listening to me at all?" Sara asked.
Ann had heard Sara quite alright, but she had nothing to say to her because she knew Sara wouldn't understand as usual.
"I'm not deaf, and I heard you the first time," Ann said.
She really did not want to be rude. But at this point, she couldn't help it. Sara had always been her friend, even before the death of her parents.
Ann looked at Sara; although they were both 27 years old, Sara never ceased to remind her she was the oldest among them. Their mothers had been long-time friends, and that friendship had rubbed off on them.
Ann stopped in front of the full-length mirror to look at herself. She wasn't what one would call beautiful, but she knew she was attractive.
She combed her fingers through her hair; it wasn't long or curly. She had a short mop of brunette hair which sometimes made her look like a guy.
She had always wanted to be able to wear her hair in a ponytail to reveal her long elegant neck with a long mass of hair trailing behind her. Her sparkling gray eyes, the color of smoke, were the most striking of her facial features.
She wasn't vain, but it never hurt to admire oneself sometimes. She turned her face slightly to see the freckles dusting her pointed nose. A nose she was always proud of. She had always heard of girls going to get their noses done, but she never had to. Hers was picture-perfect. She placed a finger on her small full lips, one she had always imagined Tae-joon's lips on.
Most people said she had the body and face of a star, and the only problem was she had no talent. Even a frog could do more justice to Ed Sheeran's "Perfect" than she could. Her acting skills were simply horrible.
She chuckled as she recalled going for an acting audition, only to be carried off the stage for wasting their time.
Though she was poor and had nothing, she knew she was very attractive and special. That was the only reason the roughness of her palm didn't bother her.
She'd work her way to the top and eventually to Tae-joon's heart. All she needed right now was another sign from the deity to keep her hopes alive.
She closed her eyes and saw herself being interviewed. "What can you advise other ladies out there, Ma?" The faceless reporter asked her.
She smiled into the camera and said, "Don't give up. Hold on to your dreams. No good dream is impossible."
Sara rolled her eyes as she watched Ann smiling at herself in the mirror with her eyes closed. She didn't need anyone to tell her Ann was daydreaming again.
"What are you dreaming about this time? Snap out of this, for crying out loud! Ann, you're 27, yet you keep behaving like you're 17. At your age, the only boyfriend you've ever had is the one in your fantasy world. Please wake up and get a life," Sara said, sounding upset.
Ann rolled her eyes. "Yea, yea. I've heard that one too many times already. How is Jinyong anyway?" Ann said, wanting to change the topic.
"I know you're trying to change the topic as usual, and I will let you, only because it concerns my Jinyong. He is veeerrry fine," Sara said, smiling happily.
"That reminds me. Guess what?" Sara said with a broad smile, showing she was desperately trying to hold back from speaking without getting Ann's full attention first.
"He proposed to you?" Ann asked, unable to think of any other reason she'd be this excited.
"Dum, dum. If he had done that, I'd have called you to share the news the second I said yes. My Jinyong got a new job at CEO Tae-joon's company," She said, clasping her hands as she waited to see Ann's reaction.
"That's the sign! That's another sign!" Ann said, jumping happily as she hugged Sara.
**********
"Why does she keep taking everything as a sign? I didn't send any sign."
"Humans are always asking for a sign to believe things they already believe in."
"The number of Humans who believe in me keeps dwindling as the days go by. If I do nothing to help this one now, I may lose her too. And she is such a faithful believer," The Deity said.
**********
Tae-Joon sat at the end of the restaurant by the window seat, sipping a glass of wine and going through the tabloid paper for the day as he patiently awaited the arrival of Grace.
He hated nothing more than waiting for someone, especially when money wasn't involved. But, of course, money was involved in this case. Big money, so he actually enjoyed waiting, plus he wasn't in a hurry to start exchanging words with her.
**********
"Aren't you looking a little too beautiful for a date we practically forced you to attend?" Her mother said teasingly as they watched her descend from the stairs.
Her long curly black hair flowed down her shoulders, with fancy hairpins holding it here and there to keep it from getting in her face.
She wore an elegant sparkling short blue gown, which helped to bring the icy blue colors of her eyes to life.
"Doesn't mean I have to go there looking less than my best. One or two persons might see us and take pictures, and I want to look my best for the camera," Grace said with a smile.
"From your looks, I can tell I look breathtaking as always, if not more," She said as she got to the foot of the staircase.
"Please hurry, my princess, so you don't keep the young man waiting," Her father said, pecking her flawless cheeks.
She chuckled. "I'm an hour late already, so he can either wait or leave," She said as she left the house.