“Hello everyone! Im your ball of sunshine Wendy!” Wendy did her signature greeting as preplanned before their debut. 

Everyone clapped and laughed awkwardly as they did for comedic purposes. 

“Tell us your talents,@ the hosts exclaimed and one by one Red velvet went down the line with Wendy last. 

“I can play guitar and flute! Some piano…”

“Oooh play us some!” 

Wendy clearly remembered those debut days. 

It was fun. It was stressful but it was fun to be onstage. It hurt when people said mean things but she still had fun. 

Her stomach hurt but she still loved singing and performing. 

Suddenly she was onstage, performing their debut piece and she couldn’t remember anything. She was frozen staring at the crowd. 

“Sorry. You’ve proven yourself unsuitable to continue with Red Velvet. Your health and your discipline has faltered.”

“Wendy we told you you would fail. Come home now.”

“You’re a burden and I want you out!” Irene snarled st her. 

The girl scrambled to run away but her feet were stuck in the ground where she was slowly sinking. She grasped for anything but there was nothing to hold on to. 

She was feeling cold and shivers trembling through her body. 

“No one wants you.”

Finally she grabbed onto something solid and she held on for dear life. 

She felt like she was choking and fear clutched her until she awoke in a cold sweat. 

Wendy was back in Irene’s house tucked in the bed safely. Her hand was a death hold on Irene’s wrist, which she didn’t notice until it was too late. 

The older woman didn’t say anything and instead pulled her closer than they had ever been before. 

Wendy shivered when Irene’s warm palm pressed against her cheek. The older woman gently hushed her—almost like calming a baby. 

“I’m…im ok,” Wendy tried to say calmly.

“I know. Try to sleep now.”

Irene’s voice was surprisingly gentle. 

“I’ll try…to be better.”

“You will.”

—

Wendy woke up alone in the bed for once. Irene didn’t usually let her sleep in nor did she leave the girl on her own ever. So this was a first. 

She sat up slowly and listened carefully for any sign of Irene. But she honestly could be anywhere on this big house far or close. 

Wendy didn’t feel like waking up or eating but she also didn’t want to risk pissing off Irene. So she forced herself to get up and get ready. 

The girl looked at herself in the mirror noticing that her cheekbones weren’t very prominent and she wasn’t as skinny as she used to be in her kpop days. 

Am I fat?

No. Irene says I’m fine. 

The therapist says I’m fine. 

I can’t see my bones…

That’s a good thing.

Wendy shook her head and stepped away from the image. 

When she stepped out of the bathroom, Irene was standing there with an unreadable expression. Wendy braced herself for the scolding of her life. 

“I made breakfast.”

“…”

Irene reached for her hand, but caught herself and grabbed her wrist instead. 

“I’m sorry I woke up late,” Wendy said when they were seated at the table together.

“I took the day off.” Irene mixed the oatmeal for her with some honey and cuts of fruit. “I want you to rest.”

“…” 

Irene’s voice was different today. It wasn’t tight with disdain. And she didn’t sound curt at all. 

“Did you eat?” Wendy asked. 

“I did.”

Wendy tentatively took the spoon and took a bite of the food like she always did. 

Irene watched the girl wash the dishes after they ate. Wendy was definitely making progress. Now that she wasn’t barfing up the little she was eating, she was putting on a few pounds but it was still better than before. 

Wendy is cute. She looked better with a little more fluff to her cheeks. Like a little hamster. 

Oh my god—irene shook her head and went to get some cold water to drink. 

Lately she’d been having nightmares of her dead daughter and dreams of Wendy. 

Maybe drunken dreams but she hadn’t drunk anything recently.

I just be very tired from work…

“We’re going out. The sunlight will do some good.”

As always the girl followed wherever she went without question. 

They went into Irene’s garden. With this huge piece of land Irene didn’t even have to go to a public park. It was already a park in her backyard. But she hardly ever strolled here because The memory was too painful. 

“My daughter used to like coming out here,” Irene said. “She would make me come out and pick the flowers she wanted so we could put them in my office.”

“…”

Irene lay down on the grass and stared up at the sky. It had been a while since she stopped and did nothing. 

“

—

Wendy managed to get back in her feet the next day and act like nothing happened. Irene was back to business again and Wendy didn’t want to even try to accidentally get on her bad side. 

“Wendy, did you stamp all the envelopes?” Irene asked. 

“Yes.”

The older woman gathered the box filled with envelopes for mailing out. “Let’s go. I have nothing left for today.”

Wendy nodded and picked up Irene’s blazer and purse while the older woman checked a few more things on her desktop. 

—

Wendy sat in the car while Irene applied more red lipstick to her already glammed lips. She made smacking sounds as she looked at herself in the mirror to apply it evenly and then closed it before starting up the car. 

“I have a business dinner to attend. Yoh will accompany me.”

So that’s how Wendy found herself sitting in a very luxurious restaurant. She sat beside Irene who was deep in conversation with another business woman named Kwon Eunbi. She was also very pretty and also kind, even trying to include Wendy in the conversation. 

“How long have you been employed?” Eunbi asked. 

“Few months.”

“How do you like being her assistant?”

“I like it.”

Wendy didn’t know how to answer the question and when she glanced at Irene for any sign of disapproval, Irene was sipping her tea.

“Well, I’d say you’re lucky to be working so closely with Ms. Bae.” 

She doesn’t even know th half of it.

Wendy managed to eat at least a quarter of her meal and sips of water in between because she didn’t want Eunbi to question why she wasn’t eating a luxury meal. 

At the end, they seemed to seal a deal and Wendy waited outside while Irene was using the bathroom. She was having a nice time not talking to anyone but found herself face to face with Eunbi. 

“Hey, just wanted to say it’s good to meet you. Not always do I get to see a fresh face.”

“Thanks.”

“Hope to see you again. I’ll be meeting with Irene very soon.” Eunbi grinned and winked as she walked off. 

Moments later irene emerged and Wendy was still puzzling over what just happened. 

“Did you like the food?” Irene asked when they were on the way home. 

“Yes thank you.”

“Home cooked or restaurant?”

“…what do you mean?”

“Which do you prefer?”

Wendy paused not sure why irene was even asking something so insignificant. “Home cooked.” 

“Me too.”

—

Irene sat alone at the balcony of her study again tonight. She glanced back at where Wendy was supposedly sleeping in the bed she had installed there. 

I’m really in over my head, she thought as she took a long drag on her cigarette. 

She had gotten used to Wendy’s company, although not on great terms. As far as she knew, Wendy probably still regarded her as a scary tyrant. 

Irene pulled up a particular photo she had found of Wendy before the body shaming. The girl didn’t look bad at all. She was cute and perfectly sized. Irene even listened to her singing and she had to admit that it was very good compared to the rest of her group. Wendy had a particular charm on stage and Irene could tell she was talented and passionate. 

But now it was all gone. 

Wendy was merely a shell of what she used to be. 

Irene stubbed out her cigarette and reached for another only to find the box was empty. 

—

Wendy absently traced her finger along the guitar case until she came to the clasps. Irene was talking on the phone to somebody, she couldn’t tell who it was. 

She remembered playing guitar and singing for predebut days. 

The memory made her recoil and she moved the guitar back under the bed. 

Celebrity status is a deal with the devil, she decided. 

“What’re you doing?” Irene startled her while she was lost in thoughts. 

Wendy looked up from where was sitting on the floor at the bedside. “Sitting.”

The older woman sat on the bedside still towering over her, but she didn’t look angry like she used to. Still Wendy averted her eyes to Irene’s ankles instead. 

“My daughter would tell me the same kind of answer,” Irene told her after a long pause. 

“…”

“I think she would have liked you. Music was her favorite thing.”

Wendy heard the waver in Irene’s voice. Still a fresh wound. “I used to…sing for kids. At the hospital. Back home.”

Irene settled down on the floor facing Wendy, pulling her knees up to her chest. “Your hair is getting long.” She reached over and brushed her fingers through Wendy’s locks, fixing it over her shoulder.

“Should I cut it?”

“No. It looks good like this.”

—

Kwon Eunbi returned not long after. She appeared at Irene’s office and greeted them both with a smile. 

“Good morning Seungwan,” Eunbi said. “I brought us some coffee to drink over our meeting, Irene.”

“Thank you Eunbi. It was unnecessary though.”

“It’s not a problem for me. I want to make sure you know that I’m taking our deal seriously.”

“Bribing me with gifts?” Irene said. 

“No. Showing you my sincerity.”

At that moment, Irene’s phone went off and she excused herself to answer it in her office leaving Wendy and Eunbi outside together. 

“How are you?“ Eunbi asked. 

“Good. You?” Wendy tried to remain as curt as possible to avoid conversation. 

“I’m doing well. I was actually hoping I’d see you again.” Eunbi glanced at Irene’s office door. 

“…”

“You’re awfully quiet. Has Irene sworn you to secrecy?”

Wendy glanced at the door wishing Irene could come out now and save her from being interrogated. 

“Ohhh I get it.” Eunbi grinned and winked at her. “I did think it was weird that Irene has you leashed to her side. Although…I didn’t know she was les—“

“She’s my boss,” Wendy wanted to put an end to her misery. 

“Oh. Ok then.” Eunbi didn’t press the matter further. “Sorry if I crossed a boundary. I just wanted to see you smile.”

“Weird joke.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Would you like to get drinks if you’re free?” 

Wendy frowned but before she could answer Irene cleared loudly. “I believe we are supposed to be discussing our next order of business.”

Eunbi stepped back. “Yes of course.”

Wendy let Eunbi in first and closed the door once she was inside herself. She glanced at Irene who was staring at her intensely. Did she hear it all?

On the drive back home, Wendy distracted herself by counting how many white cars they were passing on the street. Irene didn’t seem mad, but she seemed a little off after the meeting. 

“Don’t let business mix with personal matters,” Irene finally said as they pulled into her huge villa. “It’s unprofessional.”

“Ok.”

—

A/N: Another one for you! Thanks for reading!!!