before | lisrene

XII

It's been two weeks since Irene received the papers. For those two weeks she functioned like a robot. All of her movements were precise and calculated. If there's one thing that Irene has, it's her ability not to succumb to pressure.

The proposal that her team is drafting for M Industries is almost complete which surprised her. Seulgi came up with a proposal that most of the companies that are attempting to collaborate with them will swap their boards' arms and legs for. It's one thing that is now out of her mind and she trusts Seulgi will be able to deliver.

The number that you have dialed is incorrect.

Irene looks at the list of numbers that her private investigator pulled out for her. The list is over a thousand people that she's been trying to call for a week now, trying to connect to the one person that still brings bitterness to her mouth.

Roseanne Park.

Her younger sister Jennie is a fierce woman, calculating and highly logical. Her friendship with Lisa surprised Irene to the extent that she often wondered how the two ended up by being just friends. Lisa's participation in Jennie's life made Irene's skin crawl. The things that Lisa did for Jennie was something that Irene can't do for Jennie even if they were on a good terms before. It was something that made her insecure thinking that Jennie will always comes first with Lisa but she was wrong. Irene never had to compete with Jennie. When Jennie found out that Lisa and Irene are together, Jennie gave her full support. They went on double dates together, spent the holidays and birthdays like an extended family. For the first time in years, Irene felt that she belonged to a group that she can call hers. Her relationship with Seulgi and Wendy felt like she's always the third wheel. They never got along with Junmyeon, let alone allowed them to be in the same place or event together.

But Roseanne, Irene breathes- Roseanne is on a league of her own. She ticked a lot of Lisa's firsts. Before it never mattered to Irene because she is as flawed as any other human but as her relationship with Lisa delved to a deeper part of her life, Roseanne's existence scared her. Lisa swore that Irene is her first love and it was backed up by Jennie by launching the story about the graduation pamphlet. It gave Irene the comfort that she needed to hear but it wasn't the comfort that she needed to accept the truth. There's always an irky feeling whenever Roseanne is around, like her time with Lisa has already been determined. Roseanne didn't chase Lisa. She just waited for Irene to make a mistake.. and damn she was right.

//

"Roseanne open the door!" Irene yelled as she banged the woman's door. "I know you are in there!"

The door opened hastily revealing Roseanne in jeans and a sleeveless tank top. There's a thin film of sweat covering her forehead.

Irene didn't wait for permission and entered the woman's home. She's been here for handful of times and was surprised that the house is almost stripped naked. There are piles of boxes on the sala with the couch already covered in white cloth.

"Have you been lurking outside?"
"Oh no. Irene values her time. It's the most important thing to her aside from her work."
"It will not surprise me that you hired someone to look for me. It's creepy but I won't say no to free security." Roseanne said with her arms crossed on her chest.

When Irene met Roseanne, she always thought that the angelic face matches the personality but she was wrong. Irene glared at the woman. Well, she's not wrong.

"What?"
"The face doesn't match the attitude?"
"I've heard that from you way too many times and it's not even news, darling." Roseanne taunted. Irene calls Lisa her darling. Cheesy but it always brought a smile on the younger woman's face.

"You are leaving?" Irene asked.

Roseanne rolled her eyes as if Irene asked her something stupid.

"B-but.. "

"What?! Lisa's gone thanks to you. Now I need to find her because you are so incompetent. I was right, you don't deserve her!"

"You don't deserve her too! I know what you did to her! How you dumped her!"

To Irene's surprise, Roseanne laughed.
"I was young and dumb. I apologized to Lisa countless of times! You are not young anymore, what's your excuse?!"

That shut Irene up.
"L-listen.. I-"

"Made the wrong decision? That the accusations you made to Lisa were wrong? I was able to get the CCTV footage you, know. In a day. Just a fucking day Irene and I was already late. If you are asking me where is she, I don't know. If ever I found her I will never tell you."
"Now get out."

Irene didn't say a word a she made her way out.
Before the woman closes the door, she gave Irene a smile. The kind of smile that equates something evil.

"Oh by the way. It's you who dragged Lisa to that courthouse and begged her to marry you."

Irene's inside felt like they were melting.

//

It was almost 2AM and Irene can't sleep. There's a feeling that she is close to something.

She pulled out the list from her bedside cabinet and started dialing the numbers. The first five were a complete failure. She was yelled at by three strangers and the other two were just unanswered.
On the sixth number, there were a few seconds of silence before the other end spoke.

"Look who's giving me the time of her day.."

Irene sighed.

"Roseanne.."