before | lisrene

XVIII

"So I had a conversation with Bogum and looks like he's coming to his senses." Seulgi said as she enter's Irene's office clutching a stack of papers with her eyeglasses perched on the top of her nose. "He made a good point on how we can market our new designs in time for winter."
"Now I am asking Ms. Hirai to-" she looks up and sees Irene staring blankly into space with a glass of scotch in her right hand.

"Jesus Irene! What are doing?!" Seulgi locked Irene's office and approached the woman who didn't even bother throwing her a glance.

"Seul-"

"What? Give me a reasonable explanation Irene because I've been working my ass for over three months for this project and all these time I am hoping that you are with me. A lot Irene. A lot of people are relying on this project. You know that if we fail, we will have to ramp down and I can't even imagine letting people go!"

"Pancakes." Irene replied.

"What? What pancakes? You don't eat pancakes, Irene."

"I'm sorry, Lisa." Irene said while twisting the hem of her shirt. She doesn't know why she did what she did but the younger woman is a better person that she'll ever be.

Lisa looked at her softly after flipping the pancake on the pan. Irene looks adorable in her clothes. "I-it's okay. No harm done."

Irene bites her lower lip. "I-it's just that I never expected something that terrible to come from Junmyeon and I was so sad and angry at the same time. Jennie..."

"-is a grown woman, Irene. I wish. I deeply wished Roseanne was wrong about Jongin but I c-can't disregard what she's been through. I won't disregard what she's been through."

Irene shook her head.
"I shouldn't have tried sleeping with you because I found out that the guy I am dating for two years is nothing but a prick."

Lisa turned off the stove and placed the pancake on a plate.
"It's okay, Irene. It isn't the first time it happened to me." Lisa gave a coy smile. "A lot of women does that."

"You mean-"

"Yes, Irene."

"But you look so innocent!"

This time Lisa laughed. Hard.
Irene is aware of the woman's small crush that's why she became bold last night. She have this wild imagination that Lisa was saving herself for the right woman but she was wrong.

"It's the 21st century, Irene."

"I know but-"

"Come, eat your pancake." Lisa replied instead. Irene doesn't have the heart to tell the woman that she doesn't eat pancakes. Her Dad used to make them for her when she was young but one day it changed. Irene swallowed her words and just sat down. When she tasted Lisa's pancake with all of it's buttery goodness, she can't help but moan. "This is good!"

Lisa smiled. "Thanks. That was my mom's recipe."

The awkwardness between them evaporated. After that day, every Saturday Irene stays in Lisa's apartment. The woman taught her how to cook, how to play games and sometimes Lisa consults her for a design that Ten wants to launch which resulted her interest in fashion design.

"Irene?" Seulgi calls from nowhere, sending Irene back to the present. "Are you okay?"

Irene shook her head. "I am not Seul. I haven't been okay for the longest time."

"Maybe it's time to see a doctor, Irene."

Irene shook her head again.
"I need Lisa, Seul. I need her to be with me."

"But you said she doesn't want to see you! You can't stop going on with your life. She's asking for divorce, it means she already moved on. Why are you making it difficult for the two of you and the people around you?!"

Irene breathes.
"I have been loving her Seul since the first time I noticed her and I know myself that it will never stop."

Seulgi sat on the chair in front of Irene's desk. "Is that why you still dated Junmyeon? It doesn't add up, Irene. You were with that guy for a couple of years. You flaunted your relationship in front of everyone including Lisa and now you are telling me that?!"

"I didn't want to date him.
It was my Dad's idea for me to date him because of his family's business. And he was good to me, until I found out how he thinks of women and he disgusted me."
"After that I stopped caring what my Dad thinks."
"But this company, Seul. I can't let it go down because I am the rightful owner and it is my mom's sweat and blood."

"Damn right it is. Now, help me formulate a good plan to entice M Industries because we are running out of time. You can hate your Dad all you want after Jisoo Kim signs the proposal and we'll look for a way to convince the board that you are the rightful CEO."

Irene sighs. Seulgi updated her with the current plans and asked her for any revisions that she wants to see but her mind is still drifting. There is an easy solution to her problem but she can't and it's driving her insane.

With their plan set in stone after five days of meetings, the proposal was sent to M Industries. Irene was confident this time that Jisoo Kim will sign even without Roseanne's push. Not even a day later, Seul opens the door of her office in mad rage.

"IRENE! THEY STILL DECLINED THE PROPOSAL!" Seulgi said. "I CAN'T LOSE ANYMORE PEOPLE UNDER MY DEPARTMENT. THEY HATE ME ALREADY WHEN I FIRED MANAGER KWON. BAZAAR MAGAZINE BANNED OUR LINE FROM THEIR ISSUES BECAUSE YOUR DAD SLEPT WITH THE EIC'S WIFE."

Irene's confidence deflated. How can she do good when her own Dad is the one sabotaging their company's future?

"WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO US?" Seulgi asked as tears started falling from her eyes. "Wannie is already threatening me that she will leave me because I put too much work and I rarely see the kids."
"Yeri's boyfriend already left her last week."

That answers Irene's curiosity why Yeri was inattentive and also always staring into space like her. Her secretary accidentally brought her coffee instead of tea the other day. It took Irene so much patience not to yell at her poor secretary who went pale when she realized her mistake.

The following morning, none of her directors can look at her in the eye with the fear that they will leave the room unemployed. When Irene stood up from her chair, she was surprised when all of them kowtowed, even the oldest director in his 60s.

"Please Ma'am don't fire us."
"My twins just started college in the States."
"I just got married and I want to leave my parents' house with my wife."
"My mom is sick and needs continuous medication or she'll die."
"I asked my wife to stay at home after she gave birth."
"Please don't fire us."
They pleaded.

"Ms. Bae." Bogum speaks. "Everyone heard the news."
"Everyone even from the smaller departments are in chaos."

Irene raised her eyebrows, bewildered. "How? We made sure that no one outside in this room knows that we are trying to get M Industries to collaborate with us?"

"I-Irene." Seulgi whispers. "The news."

"News? What news?!"

Seulgi nods at Yeri who is standing behind Irene with her phone in hand. When Irene reads the headline, she almost fainted.