new beginnings - jung wooseok

seven

Sunday morning, just days after her night with Wooseok, Romaine decided that it was time for her to finally go back to church. 

The sun was shining on her so heavily, like a spotlight calling everyone's attention to her. She had gotten her hair done the night before and now had long, black, box braids. She disregarded her regular makeup look to sport bold eyebrows and lip gloss, showing off the specks of her small freckles. Instead of her usual blouse and pants, Romaine wore a beautiful emerald dress that stopped below her knees with a pair of clear sandals.

Thanks to the busy traffic, Romaine was forced to walk in during the opening prayers. The church protocol, a sweet young girl Romaine remembered as Belotti, lit up the moment she saw Romaine's face. 

"It's been a while, Auntie," the girl spoke lowly in order to not disturb the prayer, "it's so nice to see you again. Why were you gone for so long?" 

"Work," Romaine lied, "but I'm here now. It's good to be in His presence again." 

"Oh, yes, it is," Belotti smiled. "Where's Simon? Is he not feeling well?"

Ah, the dreaded question. It's like Romaine is only known for her connection to Simon, that cheating bastard. Can't she be her own person? Who is Simon that before someone can have a decent conversation with her they have to know where he is?

"He stayed up late at work, wanted to rest," Romaine mumbled as the members of the church began to greet one another. Romaine could see her mother standing among everyone so easily because her mother always wore a headwrap for every service. All she wanted more than anything was for her mother to hold her in her arms and tell her everything would be okay.

After excusing herself, Romaine speedily walked up to her mom, taking the seat beside her mother. Her mother turned her head and looked at Romaine's face for a moment before she showed off a toothy grin that the large gap in her teeth that Romaine loved so much. 

"Hello, my darling," her mother wrapped her arms around her and gave her a big kiss, "how are you, Mama?"

Romaine's eyes suddenly began to water looking at her mother's big smile. Oh, the way it would kill her to hear that Romaine was suffering from a failed marriage.

"What's wrong?" Her mother reached to wipe the tears that managed to fall from Romaine's eyes. Suddenly, Romaine remembered she was in church and the choir was about to sing and she was crying in front of everyone.

"O-Orianne and I have to talk to you, Mommy," Romaine muttered, "can we go to your house after church?" 

Romaine's mother looked into her daughter's dark eyes and could already see the pain that Romaine had been trying so hard to hide from her. She turned to pick up her bag and grabbed her daughter's hand, pulling her up.

"Let's go now." 

♡

Within twenty minutes, Romaine and her mother were inside her childhood home. Her mother removed her headwrap and instead wrapped a scarf over her hair before she removed all her jewelry and placed it onto the counter.

"You want to eat some rice and stew? I made it yesterday," Her mother asked, already pulling out a bowl from the cabinet, "you look like you haven't eaten in days." 

"I didn't eat dinner or breakfast," Romaine sighed, "I just have not been hungry." 

"Your hair looks nice, though," Mother chuckled, "and your face is glowing. How is work?"

"Work is fine," Romaine mumbled, "nothing really happens when you're a laboratory technician." 

"What about at home? How's it going?" 

Romaine's mouth suddenly felt dry. Her mother sighed and turned to the stove, where the stew that she made rested in a large pot. She turned on the stove before moving to the rice cooker and opening it, checking to see if there was enough rice for herself and her two daughters. 

"Do we really have to wait for Orianne to come for me to find out what's going? Even if it's something that has nothing to do with her?" Her mother asked, finally pulling out a chair across from Romaine at the dining table. "Is it about Simon?"

"Mom, we're going to wait for her," Romaine's eyes darted to the door for a moment to see if there was any sign of Orianne in the driveway. 

"You're twenty-five, a grown woman," her mother reminded her, putting her hand over Romaine's, "you're going to rely on Orianne to tell me what's going on in your life? Romaine, you can still talk to m-"

"I said we have to wait, Mommy, please!" 

The kitchen was silent aside from the stew already bubbling on the fire. Romaine's mother slowly drew her hand away from her daughter's and sighed. She rose from the table and went to dim the fire before she came and sat in front of Romaine again. By then, there was a knock on the front door. 

Orianne walked in, still wearing her white coat. Romaine's heart dropped because she knew that Orianne had to miss church just to come and break the news of her divorce for her. Orianne was such a God-fearing woman, always going to the women's meetings and volunteering time to help the children with their weekly bible study. Her life without work was already so busy, you would never think that she was a pediatrician.

"I'm here," Orianne kissed her mother on the cheek and dropped her bag next to the chair by Romaine, where she later sat. "Traffic was crazy today, I had to take a different route." 

"Glory to the Most High, you're here safe," her  mother grinned, "now please, what's going on?" 

Orianne sighed, crossing her fingers and looking her mother in the eye. Romaine could see Orianne's wedding ring shining in the light from the window. She had never been so jealous of somebody before. 

"Mommy," Orianne placed her hand over her mother's, "Simon confessed to Romaine a few weeks ago that he had been having an affair with somebody at work. They're currently in the process of working out a divorce." 

The mother pulled her hand abruptly from Orianne's hands, standing in the middle of the kitchen with her fingers trembling in front of her lips. Romaine rested her forehead on the table in embarrassment. 

"There is nothing wrong with having problems in your marriage, that's nothing to be ashamed of," her mother mumbled. 

"That's what we told her, Mommy," Orianne mentioned, referring to herself and the other sisters, "she is an independent and young woman who shouldn't feel burdened by her cheating hus-"

"But divorce is completely out of the question. Simon and Romaine must work it out." 

Romaine threw her head up in disbelief. "Are you serious?" 

"It's a sin, you should only be married once." 

"He cheated on me with another woman for months!" 

"Then you must've done something." 

Orianne immediately stood up and pressed her hand against Romaine's chest before she could run out of the room. "Mom, you know that was out of line."

"Simon is a good man, I specifically chose him for you because I knew he was a humble and loving man. So, unless you have done something, he should've stayed with you!"

"I was nothing but faithful and loving to that man, I never did anything wrong! You as my own mother, you think I would do something like that?" Romaine could no longer stop the tears from flowing down her face. 

"Go fix your relationship, go to a counselor. Do you know how bad it will look if you are a widow? It's not good for your image, go fix things." 

"Mom, enough!" Orianne shouted,  struggling to hold Romaine down. Eventually, Romaine broke out of her arms and grabbed her purse before walking to the front door. 

"Come back once everything between the two of you works out," her mother called to her.

Romaine turned back, her eyes red and chest heavy. 

"I don't want to speak to you again," she muttered, before slamming the door behind her.