Dear Irene, 

How are you feeling? I'm so sorry I didn't reach out sooner. I was too afraid to face you or Joy because of my recklessness to protect you. I had no business doing that, especially since I am no match for a full grown man. 

I wanted to apologize that I couldn't stop that man from hurting you. I think I made the situation worse if I hadn't intervened. If I had called the police maybe things wouldn't have escalated for the worse.

Please forgive me, and feel better soon. Take the time you need to recover.

Sincerely, 

Wendy Son.

"Irene?" Joy knocked on the door and broke Irene out of her cycle.

She quickly put the card back in the envelope and stowed it in the drawer in her bedside table. "Yes?" she called and went to greet her sister. "How was the game?"

"It was great. They won."

"Who won?"

"Wendy's team."

"That's nice."

"Oh, uh Wendy says hi," Joy added. "And she hopes you're feeling better."

"Oh...that's kind of her..." 

"So...anything interesting happen while I was out?" Joy asked, wondering if Irene would tell her about the police.

"Not really," Irene replied. "I've just been working. I'm feeling a little tired so I'd like to sleep now."

Joy looked like she wanted to linger, but gave Irene her space. The older woman closed her door and sat on her bed to think more over the card - not that there was anything more to think about, she realized. 

Wendy had said it herself in person. The girl felt like it was her fault that everything happened the way it did. 

Irene knew it wasn't and maybe she should have elaborated to Wendy while they were talking, but at the time, Irene was too shaken to cover explicit details behind all this. 

She sighed heavily thikning to herself, she was never strong enough to stand up to Suho.

She only mustered up courage - or it could have been cowardice, she mused - to walk out of that house without telling him, and erase all traces of her presence from the apartment they shared togetehr back then.

Considering that she was a professor at a university, it would be fairly easy to look her up on the college website. 

That's how she found the picture of Wendy and her soccer team. 

Just a simple search on the internet.

Irene read the card again, as if there might be some hidden code beneath the words. 

It was just...Wendy.

--

Wendy was super exhausted after the intense game, and she wanted nothing more than to sleep and sleep in for the next morning. 

She was one second away from hitting the sack, but Seulgi suddenly came busting in with fear in her eyes.

"Wendy!" she hissed.

"Hmmm. I"m sleepnig..." Wendy grumbled.

Seulgi bounced on the bed and shook her wildly. "T-theres p-p...p-p-p-pp-police at the door!"

"Just tell 'em to come back tomorrow," Wendy waved her off.

"What? No! It's police! P-O-L-I-C-E!" Seulgi protested but whe she got no response, she pulled the pillow from under Wendy's head and smacked her with it many times.

"Wendy! Police!"

Somehow, Wendy changed into some normal clothing in less than a minute before heading out toe the door with Seulgi, who was shaking with a magnitude 10. 

Wendy peered through the peekhole and saw two men, one looking buff and stern-faced, whiel the other was scrawny and seemed less gruff. The stern-faced one knocked again and rang the doorbell. 

She had never dealt with police before, and she felt a little fearful. Was she in trouble? What had she done that would bring police to her door?

Well, she did used to pirate music when she was younger, but that was a long time ago. 

The police knocked on the door harder now, adn more rapidly that it actually scared.

"Who is it?" she asked loudly without opening the door.

"This is Lieutenant CHoi Minho sent by Seoul National Police. Is this the residence of Son Wendy?" his voice was low with a no-nonsense edge to it.

"Yes. I am her."

"I would like to discuss the events that occurred between you, Kim Suho, and Bae Irene. May we come in?"

Wendy glanced at Seulgi and opened the door. 

"HI!" the scrawny police man beamed. "I'm Lee Taemin, his assistant!" 

Minho fired a warning glare at him, and Taemin quickly recomposed himself. 

"Wow, you got Ghost of Tsushima?" taemin was surprised that these Wendy and Seulgi were into gaming. 

"You play it too?" Seulgi asked.

Minho cleared his throat and dragged Taemin along with him to the table.

"Do you want some water? Soda?" Wendy asked. 

"No thank you." He looked to Seulgi. "I would preper to speak with Wendy only."

Seulgi nodded and scurried away to her room, making Wendy wish that Minho had not made such a request. She really was afraid even though she had done nothing wrong.

Minho was intimidating.

"What is your relationship with Kim Suho and IRene Bae?" he asked.

"I don't know Suho, sir. I'm in a book club with Irene," Wendy replied.

"Ok. Why did you get involved with Suho and Irene? You are aware that they were romantically involved previously?"

"I did not know that at the time of the situation," Wendy told him carefully. "I was afraid that he would hurt her so I didn't wait to think before I tried to stop him. I...I threw a book at him."

"WIth good accuracy!" Taemin chimed in. "We saw the footage."

"It was reckless," Minho affirmed. "But brave. Looks like he got you pretty bad, huh?" He studied the injuries Wendy bore. They weren't as nasty as the moment she got them, but it still wasn't pretty to look at. "Do you remember what happened at the time you arrived?"

Wendy nodded and took a few seconds to organize her thoughts. "I couldn't see too well, but it looked like he was grabbing her and forcing her into her office. That's whne I threw my book at him, and then he attacked me too. He was really angry. I couldn't fight him off, but Irene tried to stop him from attacking me and Suho hit her. 

He was threatening her...the things he said were so awful. 

I was afraid he would hurt her again, so I tried to knock him down. But he got me and I...

I don't really remember really well what happened after that because I passed out..."

"Do you remember what he said?" Minho asked.

"I only remember one that he said to Irene: 'if you just behaved none of this would be happening'."

Minho nodded and looked to Taemin. "Well, looks like we have the things we need for this case. Thank you for your time Miss Son."

"It's obvious. Suho is at fault," Taemin said when they entered the police car. 

"Yes. We will present the evidence tomorrow," Minho agreed. 

Wendy strangely felt a little better after talking to Minho and Taemin. It sounded like Suho might get the punishment he deserved. 

She mused how the two police men seemed to be a funny match. Minho was so serious, but Taemin appeared to be a little more friendly and chippery-doo-dah.

Seulgi rushed out to ask her how things went, and Wendy assured her nothing bad happened. They just wanted to talk about the assault. No one was in trouble, except Suho.

The only thing on her mind left that night as she tried to sleep was Irene. Since she last spoke with Irene, the older woman seemed more withdrawn and timid. She was still welcoming, but she didn't seem to be completely there at the same time. 

Joy had said Suho was the abusive boyfriend so the experience must have been awful enough that his return would effect Irene negatively.

I wish I had checked on you earlier. I was afraid to see the damage I'd done...

Wendy touched her face, feeling the slight pain with the pressure against her bruises. 

Irene is convinced it's her fault, she thought sadly. 

She wanted to blame herself again for not being strong enough to stop Suho. But the real reason everything happened was Suho.

--

"Good morning, Suho." They were back inside the interrogation room again. This time, Taemin stood at the door while Minho dealt with the questioning.

"Morning," Suho replied. He was hadncuffed to the table again.

"So, we did some scouting," Minho continued. "We have spoken with Irene Bae and Wendy Son. Their recollections do not match the little story you made up for us."

"Sir, I can - "

The lieutenant held his hadn up for silence. "We studied your knife. There is traces of Wendy's blood there. If it was in self-defense, you would not have gone so far to make a killing blow on a girl who has already passed out.

Also, you struck Irene for no apparent reason. She wanted you to stop hurting Wendy, no?"

"It was my mistake," Suho said.

Minho narrowed his eyes. "You left these for Irene too didn't you?" He pulled out the threat note Irene gave him. 'I've got you' - was written on it.

"T-that was..."

"You are guilty. Footage from teh CCTV, and the testimonies from the two women are on my side. You cannot deny what you did."

"But, sir, I..."

"You will be imprisoned hopefully for a very long time, Mr. Kim Suho. You needlessly hurt the two women. Sure, Wendy intervened and attacked you, but it was because you were harassing Irene."

"You're letting her off the hook?" Suho cried out.

"Self-defense," Minho replied. "She was protecting someone in need."

--

When Irene awoke a few mornings later, she looked out the window - as she usually does - and was surprised to find a light layer of snow covering the ground.

The first snow...a little late this year considering how long the summer heat lingered...

A little bird landed on her slightly ice-crisped grass pecking around for any grubs. Finding that it had no luck, it flittered away into the cold air.

It was getting a little cold now, and Irene slipped back into bed for a few more minutes before getting up to make a hot breakfast. 

--