“Wen! I'm back.” Taeyeon shouts, dropping Zero on the floor and ran off god knows where in the apartment. 

 

She knits her eyebrows together hearing no response from the latter, seeing the dim light from the kitchen she goes in and sees Wendy sitting at the dining table, two plates were placed at the table on both ends. Taeyeon sighs and places her hand on the latter's shoulder, by reflex she turns her head and smiles.

 

“Hey, you're back early.”

 

Taeyeon laughs softly, placing the grocery bags at the table. “It's eight in the evening, i've been away since this morning.”

 

“Oh, right.” Wendy uncomfortably shifts in her seat.

 

“You seem off than usual, anything happened today?” Taeyeon sat down on the table.

 

Wendy stays quiet for a while.

 

“She came back.”

 

Taeyeon raises her eyebrows. “Irene?”

 

Wendy nods, burying her face in her palms.

 

“The weird part is, she wants me to go to her father's party.”

 

“You wanna hear what's weirder Wen?”

 

“What?”

 

“Setting up your ex-girlfriend with one of your close friend.” Wendy groans. “Let's not go there.”

 

“Why not? You basically an idiot for doing that.”

 

“I just want to make sure she's in safe hands.” Wendy mutters under her breath silently defending herself but unfortunately Taeyeon heard her.

 

“Have you ever thought that she's already safe if you stayed?” The younger woman whines.

 

Taeyeon clicked her tongue. “You're not making any sense here.”

 

Wendy opens to refute with the older one, knowing she's going to spit another bull she had done for the last couple of years she decided its the for the best to keep mum for a while.

 

Taeyeon sighs, placing her hand on the latter's shoulder. “Wen what were you thinking that day? ”

 

“I know what i did was selfish and unnatural of me.” Wendy stops momentarily, trying to get her words right. “It's just—”

 

Wendy sighs heavily, she runs her hair in frustration. “Everything seems to be out of place you know? Everything was slowly changing. I saw it, we both saw it. We thought it was the best to go our separate ways—or so i thought it was a great idea to set her up with Jisoo while i take my leave to branch out our business in Canada.”

 

“Were you happy of the result?”

 

Wendy did not answer, but then Taeyeon saw the latter's lips quiver and her eyes glistening with tears, she engulf her in a hug and a kiss in her temple.

 

“I just don't want to hurt her anymore.” She whispers, tears silently streaming down on her face, “I can't bear to hurt her more if i stayed unnie.”

 

“I hate seeing you like this and you know that.” Taeyeon grunts, soothingly rubbing her palm at her back. “But whatever happens Wen, i'm here. Even if you do the most stupidest decision you'll ever make.”

 

“Thanks for having my back unnie i owe you one.” She sniffs.

 

“No worries kid.” Taeyeon hugs her even tighter. “Want me to pick you up after the party? We have a scheduled meeting on Monday, we need to be early as possible, they are very important client of ours.”

 

“Okay.” Wendy buries into her neck deeper.

 

“Aren't you two insanely sweet?” The two broke the hug immediately as they hear an oddly cheerful voice.

 

The two turn their heads with a wide smile for a different reason. Taeyeon smiles a bit too fake her lips is a bit crooked, if Wendy doesn't explain the situation she won't able to kiss her Zero and Jack Skellington collections goodbye. Whilst Wendy, grins in happiness seeing one of her favourite person in the world.

 

“Sica unnie! You're home!” 

 

“Sure as hell i'm back kiddo.” Jessica chuckles lowly, low enough for the two of them shiver in fear. “Would you care to explain why my girlfriend and her ex-fake girlfriend hugging at her dining room? Have you two somehow reconcile and got back together?”

 

Wendy and Taeyeon looked at each other both eyes widen.

 

“Wen you owe me, this is the time i'm gonna need that.” Taeyeon whispers whilst smiling, nudging her by the elbow.

 

“Calm down unnie, we were just talking.”

 

“It kinda looks intimate to me.” Jessica crosses her arms then looks directly at her, but then her eyes soften as she sees the dry tears in her cheeks. “You cried? What happened?”

 

“It's a long story unnie.” Wendy frowns. “You need to rest, you just got off from Paris.”

 

“I won't rest until you tell me what's wrong.”

 

“So—you're not gonna kill me?”

 

“I will, if you don't tell me what's going on.”

 

Wendy sighs and tells the story right from the start, and so their night ends with Wendy getting a two hour lecture from the model, bottles of Cass scattering on the floor, butts of cigarettes scattered beside the ashtray and a pair of bodies sprawled on the sofa. The couple cuddling whilst the other one sitting on the floor her back resting on the sofa. All drunk, exhausted and asleep. Except for one, who is wide awake, with a cigarette on her fingertips, staring the smoke coming out.

 

“Wendy, you need to stop preparing dinner for two every single day, you and i both know she's not coming back.”

 

Recalling all the memories, the memories that will never stop replaying in her mind and so does her heart.

 

“Okay Princess, let's go get you some make over so that you'll look dashing on your family reunion next week.”

 

Wendy drags her by the hand at the stall full of make up, and Irene merely looks at the latter with those innocent doe eyes, blinking in confusion.

A month passed since the wedding, the two met again at a Urban Zakapa concert. After the concert the two went for a walk and went on talking for hours, but still Irene kept her fake name.

 

“What? Don't tell me you don't know how to apply a make up?”

 

The older one smiles shyly.

 

Wendy's jaw dropped.

 

“No way.”

 

“What!” Irene whines, hitting her in the arm.

 

“You don't have a make up? Like right now?”

 

“Just some powder, why?”

 

The younger one studies her face a bit too long before saying something out loud.

 

“Goddammit woman you're beautiful.”

 

Wendy's jaw keep dropping and dropping and Irene closed it for her since she knows it won't be closing any time soon (and her cheeks are getting warmer after what the latter had just said.)

 

“Stop that, who do you think i am? Going shopping with expensive make up and dresses?”

 

“Uhh, yeah?”

 

“Sorry to burst your bubbles, i'm not that kind of woman.”

 

Wendy lightly shakes her head. “Then let's buy some Sephora's and some MAC's and we're good to go.”

 

“A Sepho—what?”

 

“Oh dear god and all the angels above, help me.”

 

**

“Is she here yet? Is she here yet?” Father Bae eagerly says, slightly bumps into her daughter's shoulder, which made her snapped out of her trance. Her father peeking through the window like a little boy, she smiles at the sight.

 

“She said she's on her way Papa, no worries.”

 

“Unnie do i look good?”

 

“Yerim for the last time—”

 

“Where is Jisoo, honey?” Mother Bae asks from behind.

 

“He's coming with Wendy, but he'll leave early because he has a night shift.”

 

Irene hears her father and her younger sister grumbling.

 

“Be nice you two.”

 

“You two behave well when Wendy and Jisoo comes okay. We don't want to repeat last time—”

 

“She's here! She's here!” The two shouts wildly as they see a familiar car entering the gate, Father Bae grins widely when he saw the figure he always wanted to see. 

 

But then the figure disappeared as she was engulfed by the hugs from his maid and gardener, as they broke the hug, they saw Wendy giving a bottle of wine to the maid with a grin, and once again, they hugged her but this time, a bit tighter. 

 

Jisoo laughs and heads to the house leaving the woman alone.

 

“Seungwan!” Yeri was the first to shout, she ran and attacks her with her infamous bear hugs.

 

Wendy laughs and hugs her back, Mother Bae giggles and Jisoo smiles as well as Irene.

 

“It's been a while, Father Bae.” Since she can't fully bow due to Yeri's bone crushing hug, she lowers her head instead.

 

“What's with the formalities Seungwan? You can still call me Papa.”

 

“Oh sorry Father—I mean, Papa?”

 

Father Bae grins brightly then hugs her as well, lifting her a bit higher, Wendy letting out a squeal in the process. “That's better.”

 

Jisoo shakes his head with a small smile. 

 

One thing that Irene is amused about him is that he seemed to understand her family still asking Wendy every dinner, at this type of situation usually some get extremely mad about it, if not they would rather not attend at their dinner parties. So she couldn't help but to ask one time on what he feels about her family still wanting to invite her on gatherings.

 

Wendy is a nice woman and she treated you well when you guys were still together, i understand that your parents and sister still likes her. Plus she's a good friend of mine, so no hard feelings, she did lead me to you, right?

 

“How was the trip? You guys were supposed to be here in the morning.” Irene says without looking at him, staring at the two hugging the younger one, whilst she tries to hug them with her small arms but could only reach 1/3 of Father Bae's back.

 

“She had to drop by somewhere else.”

 

“Her office?”

 

Jisoo hums and Irene didn't probe further.

 

“I'll just drop these in her room, guest room next to yours right?”

 

“Yeah.” He nods, leaving the family reunite with the young lass.

 

Irene looks in amusement as she watches her father and her younger sister throwing questions like a rap god while Wendy stands there helplessly, trying to answer the questions given her one by one but only to be cut off by another question, and another, and another.

 

“Seungwan unnie! How are you?”

 

“I'm goo—”

 

“Wen! How is your family doing?”

 

“Oh umm, they're doing fin—”

 

“Unnie! Have you watched the new season of MasterChef?”

 

“Yerim no i haven't watch—”

 

“Wen i heard that Taeyeon is living with you.”

 

“Did you guys got back together again?” Yeri sputters too quickly, a small amount of saliva came out of .

 

Before Wendy could respond, this time, Mother Bae steps in.

 

“Okay, that's enough you two.” Mother Bae sternly says, the two break the hug almost immediately then turns to Wendy with a bright smile. “Welcome back Wendy, we missed you dear.”

 

“It has been a while Mothe—Mama.” Wendy corrected herself when she saw Mother Bae raise her eyebrows then laughs awkwardly seeing her smile.

 

“How is the company so far?” Irene silently went upstairs.

 

“We're doing well, Joy has been a great helper lately, but still slacks off most of the time.”

 

“I must say, she fits well as the face of your company.”

 

Wendy huffs. “She won a bet, from a claw machine.”

 

“I lost because she cheated using maintenance mode in the machine.” She continues.

 

Yeri laughs. “What do we expect from her Seungwan unnie, she's literally my other half.”

 

“I couldn't agree more.” She laughs, pulling her for a side hug.

 

“Wen, room next to Irene's.” Jisoo peeks from the stairs, then gestures her to come with him upstairs.

 

“Alright, i guess i'll go unpack some clothes.” Wendy sheepishly smiles.

 

“Be back till dinner, honey.”

 

“I won't even dare to miss it Mama.” Wendy grins. “You're the best in making delicious homemade korean dishes.”

 

Mother Bae laughs gleefully. “Could you say that again? This time when your Mommy Son is here?”

 

“I might not see the sunlight if she hears that Mama.”

 

Mother Bae giggles in reply and after that, Wendy goes upstairs.

 

She opens the door and sees Irene by the window.

 

“Oh, hey.”

 

Irene turns around with a smile. “Hey, don't mind me i'm just looking around if you got all the things you need.”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Do you need any help?”

 

“No worries, these are just a couple of things so.” Wendy smiles. “It won't take long.”

 

Wendy sits down in the bed with her legs tucked under, putting out her things one by one whilst Irene looks out by the window.

 

“Where's Jisoo?”

 

“Hmm?” The older one turns around, Wendy laughs ,sensing her habit of spacing out was never new to her mostly when it's night, she repeats her question again. 

 

“He got an important call.”

 

“A busy man is always a busy man.”

 

“It's alright, i do get busy too sometimes.”

 

Wendy stands beside Irene after she's done unpacking, she sat down at the edge of the wooden drawer whilst crossing her arms, facing her completely.

 

“How is kindergarten?”

 

Irene smiles at the thought of her students. “We're doing well, this year is a bit crowded but we're happy.”

 

“That's great to hear, i assume Principal Jo doesn't give you any hard time.”

 

“He resigned just last year, Sunny took his place.”

 

“Good, he's a creeper anyway.” Wendy laughs, and Irene second to that.

 

“Some of the new kids were curious about you.”

 

“About me?” Confusion etched on Wendy's face, Irene nods.

 

“Some of the kids before them were talking about how good your brownies are.” The teacher grins. “And they want to have a taste of your brownies.”

 

The young entrepreneur giggles. “I might disappoint them, I haven't baked for a long time, it may not be good as they thought it would be.”

 

“Humble as always.”

 

“How is the company?” Irene continues, glances at Wendy who was looking at the window.

 

“You know, same old same old, the lads are working hard, Joy still slacks off but she pays off well because you know, the face of the company and all that, Jisoo trolling the new employees claiming she's the CEO and making them balance water bottles on their shoulders as a ‘welcome ceremony’, yeah same old.”

 

“Sounds draining.”

 

“It's alright, someone needs to lighten up the mood from time to time, it's been toxic lately, i feel bad that i have to make them work longer than usual.”

 

“Uncle Son is pushing another deadline isn't he?”

 

Wendy slightly nods, she sighs. “It's all good now, i made sure everything is finalized before i took my leave.”

 

“You are a great leader.” Irene pats her back lightly.

 

Wendy smiles softly, looking at her. “No, they did well.”

 

This is the kind of trait she feels proud of her the most, during the time that they were still dating, a surge of anxiety flowed on Wendy's entire being when she was announced by her father that she was going to be the upcoming leader of a multinational company that held by her family for generations.