𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐖𝐢𝐟𝐞 || 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐚

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟔: 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

Roseanne's POV.

"I want to meet your dad."

A knot constricted in my throat as my brain registered the words Lisa spoke.

We were lying side by side in bed. Both of us were exhausted but I couldn't go to sleep without some clarity and apparently neither could Lisa.

"No," I replied, more panicked than anything else. "It's too soon. Besides, neither my dad nor my brother ever liked any person that showed even the slightest interest in me. Even after being married to Taejoon for six years, my dad didn't approve of him. He's definitely not going to approve of me shacking up with the person I left my husband for." When I saw the hurt in Lisa's eyes I regretted my harsh words. "I'm sorr-" just as I started my apology Lisa spoke.

"He was no good for you. What you need- what you have always needed is me."

The odds were stacked against us, I believed Lisa. I believed in us so much I leaped into the unknown and left my marriage. Still, the thought of my father and Lisa meeting scared the hell out of me. My father was a cop and he was notorious for playing hardball whether that meant kicking Lisa's ass or twisting the law in order to put Lisa behind bars just to keep her away from me.

"It's not a good idea," I exclaimed sheepishly staring away from her.

"This relationship has already been fast tracked because of the circumstances. Please, Lisa, let me talk to my family alone first? You'll meet them eventually. I promise."

Lisa exhaled a big breath just as she covered her face with her hands.

"How much time do you need?" She asked after a short while.

"What do you mean?"

"How much time do you need to get over that huge waste of time?" I scoffed when I realized she was referring to Taejoon.

My relationship with Taejoon had reached its breaking point and we were divorcing but Taejoon was my everything for a long time. I didn't want to think of him as a waste of time or a bullet I dodged. Up until a few hours ago, I thought of Tae as the love of my life so I still felt the need to defend him. "My marriage wasn't a waste of time. You have no idea what we had," I countered snappily.

"Apparently it wasn't shit if you're laying here with me!" That was a low blow. I felt the sting in my chest. My eyes widened at the force of it all. "How much time?" She repeatedly.

"You're asking me how much time I need to move on from Taejoon?" I asked for clarification.

"Yeah I am. I'm ready for us. For twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week of you, right now. When will you be ready?"

I wished I could give her an exact number but my heart and emotions were weaved around both Taejoon and Lisa.

"I don't know."

"Are you worried about what your family is going to think about us or do you need time because you feel guilty?"

"Both," I whispered. "I'm also afraid you'll hurt me."

Lisa turned over in bed. "You don't think I have that same fear?" She asked, her eyebrow arched questioningly.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

I was so afraid to say what I was thinking but even more I was afraid not to say it. "You could easily decide that I'm not as special as you initially thought, and go back to your life just as it was before. I can't do that. I've given up everything for you and I'm so scared it's going to come back around to bite me in the ass."