Italic = Inner thoughts.

***

The following day.

Irene woke up in a daze. She didn't remember what time she slept yesterday, probably around midnight. Yawning loudly, she her phone and was instantly greeted with a bunch of notifications. One of them informed her that her sister had left the group chat. Without thinking much, she reinvited her sister but was rejected right away.

Huh? Is she mad at me?

Irene lifted her blanket and quickly called her sister's number. But her call was also rejected by the latter.

Oh, she's definitely furious!

After some thought, the young manager decided to deal with her sister later. She had to wake Lily up and prepare her breakfast. But she almost lost grip of her phone the moment she opened her bedroom door. Joy was there, standing behind her door with a scowl on her face.

"Oh God! You scared me!" Holding her thundering heart, Irene asked, "When did you come?"

"After midnight."

"Are you crazy? It's not safe to wander outside at such a time!"

"You ignored my messages, Unnie. I had to make sure that you slept in your room last night!" Joy retorted. She couldn't drive due to her headache, so she hailed a taxi and was lucky enough not to get kidnapped. Such a reckless young woman!

"Did you think I'd spend the night at Wendy's apartment? I'm not that clueless!"

Joy squinted her eyes at her sister's defensiveness. "Spending time together at her apartment is already stupid enough. What happened there? Tell me in detail!"

"Nothing happened." Of course, Irene couldn't tell the 'almost kiss' incident unless she wanted her sister to go berserk.

"I don't believe you. I can see your cheeks reddened!"

"What are you even talking about? I just woke up!"

Irene knew that her sister was just making things up. The younger woman wanted to see her reaction. If she caught the bait, they will end up bickering nonstop until one of them admits defeat. Irene had a lot of things to do in the morning. Having an argument with her sister in such an early morning was something she should avoid.

Besides, nothing happened last night. The incident was something out of their control. Even though it shook her heart a little, technically, Irene didn't lie.

"Didn't I tell you that I had overtime last night? She was just helping me to take care of Lily. I came at 8, had dinner, and then went home," Irene calmly explained before putting her hand over her sister's forehead. "Your temperature is still high, and you slept outside last night. I will drive you to a clinic before sending you home."

Right at that moment, Joy sneezed loudly, making her nose even redder.

"Sit down. I'll brew some tea for you."

Instead of obeying her sister's command, Joy followed the latter and asked, "Who's Eunbi?"

"She is Wendy's colleague."

"If it's ONLY her colleague, both of you wouldn't ignore me in the group chat! *Achoo*"

It seemed like Joy was really keen to argue about everything despite her condition. Irene really wished that her sister would shut up for once and let her prepare her day in peace.

"I didn't purposely ignore you, okay? It's not my place to tell you who the woman is," Irene replied as she passed a paper towel to Joy before preparing two cups of warm tea.

"Why it's not your place to tell?"

"Because she's Wendy's colleague. Not mine." Irene didn't want to disclose more about Eunbi because her sister tends to overanalyze things, sometimes more than her. It would only create another unnecessary argument.

Joy huffed as she sat down on a chair. "Reinvite me to the group again."

"I wonder why you were so childish over it." Irene rolled her eyes and reinvited her sister, which was quickly approved by the latter this time.

"Because you made me feel like a third wheel! What's the use of group chat if you two only talk to yourself??"

"I didn't mean to make you feel like that," Irene mumbled. Realizing her mistake. "Sorry, Joy."

Lifting her cup, Joy replied, "I forgive you. But don't go to her apartment again."

"Uh, about that … I will have overtime for a week, so I need to ask Wendy to take care of Lily again. If you don't want me to come to her apartment, then I'll ask her to stay here with Lily until I'm home."

"What?! I object!"

"What's the problem now? You were fine the last time she came here to take care of me." Irene was confused. She wouldn't be home until 8 PM, so she needed someone to take care of Lily until then.

"That's because I was out of the city! I'm here now, Unnie. Let me take care of Lily."

"You are sick, Joy. You should rest, not look after a child! Besides, Wendy is Lily's other mother. If I'm busy, then she has to be responsible for her daughter. From now on, she would be my first option, and then you, her aunt."

"But-"

"Joy, I've made my decision regarding Lily. I would not stop Wendy from spending more time with her daughter. Not only 30 minutes, but I can also even give the whole Sunday if she asks me. Lily is staying with me 24/7, so it's only fair if I can give a day for her to play with her other mother."

Irene continued, "You have to admit that Wendy has proved herself enough to us that she can be a good mother for Lily. Like it or not, she has become a part of Lily's life now. Lily depends on her as much as she depends on me. Both of us are her parents, so it should be us who take care of her not anyone else. The issue in our marriage should not affect Lily in any way."

The young manager didn't give her sister a chance to speak because she thought she should make everything clear regarding how Lily should be taken care of to ensure the child's well-being. As Lily's mother, deciding what is best for her child is within her authority. Irene will do anything to appease Joy. But if it's concerning Lily, it's a different case.

Hearing her sister's words, Joy sulked further in her seat.

"Don't sulk. I know you are mature enough to understand what I'm talking about, Joy."

Irene knew her sister understood what she was talking about. After all, Joy's condition was almost the same as Lily's. The difference was that Joy's father abandoned her, and their mother was simply an . The old woman lived with her third husband in another city. She never cared for her daughters. Therefore, Irene always tried her best to fill the parent's role for Joy, but she could only do much because she was young and inexperienced. She was only a teenager at that time.

"I'm sulking because I care for you, Unnie! I don't want you to cry over that woman again. I can accept her as Lily's mother, but I can't accept her as your partner after what she has done to you!" Joy's eyes glistened as she let out her frustration. "Why can't you understand my feeling? I'm worried about you!"

Witnessing her sister breaking down in tears in front of her, Irene felt extremely guilty. She scolded herself for not being sensitive enough toward her sister's feelings. She should've known that people who really care about her would also be hurt if she got hurt.

Joy may not look like it, but she is very protective of people who are dear to her. She would be the first person to voice out her objection. Joy only meant well. So, Irene knew she had to tell everything to Joy, who must've already sensed the change in her behavior toward Wendy.

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way. It's all my fault." Irene pulled her sister into her embrace and patted her back softly. "Unnie is really thankful that we have each other. What can I do to stop you from crying?"

"You have to be honest with me, Unnie. Has your view of her changed?"

Irene's hand stopped moving as she thought of what to say to her sister. Lying was not an option in this situation.

"After spending more time with Wendy. I can't deny that I see her a bit differently now-"

Joy's cry became louder and more sorrowful than before.

"Shhh! I'm not done yet." Irene resumed patting her sister's back to soothe the latter. "Yes, I see her differently now, but only as a good mother figure for Lily. It doesn't necessarily mean that I will get back with her just because she has changed into a good person now. What she did to me, especially to Lily, is something I can't forgive in two months."

"You won't ever get back with her, right, Unnie?" Joy asked in all seriousness. "I can accept that she's back in Lily's life, but I would never approve of her coming back into your life as your partner. So, can you promise me that you will never let her into your life again?"

Irene sighed inwardly. "I can't promise you something that I'm not sure of because people's feelings can change over time. I don't want us to fight because of this one day. I'm being honest with you now for that reason alone."

"Why can't you promise me? Has your heart already swayed by her?!" Joy shook her head in fear. "Answer me, Unnie!"

Irene's lips parted a little, but nothing came out. She was still confused by her own feelings, so she couldn't give any definite answer. She was afraid that she would hurt Joy in the future if she promised something that she wasn't sure to keep.

Seeing Irene was so hesitant to give her words, Joy knew that her sister had already swayed. To what extent? She didn't know. Not bothering to hide her disappointment, she said lowly, "The day you get back with her is the day when I will walk away from your life."

The young manager's heart sank after hearing her sister's statement. She could only look at her sister's eyes with a sorrowful gaze.

"I hope that day will never come, Unnie," Joy added before looking away. She didn't miss a tear falling from her sister's eyes, but she had to do this.

…

…

After sending Joy back to her apartment, Irene drove Lily to school. Thankfully she arrived just in time at her office. Unlike the heaviness inside her head, the traffic was unusually clear today.

Settling on her chair with a report in her hands, she tried to focus on her work, but Joy's words kept haunting her.

If I had insisted on divorcing Wendy 2 months ago, would it be different?

Suddenly, her phone beeped. She got a notification from Kokoa App. Speak of the devil.

From: user Wendy

Do you need me to pick Lily up today?

To: everyone

Yes, please.

I may need your help for a whole week. Do you mind?

From: user Wendy

No! You can leave her to me.

From: user Wendy

I will cook dinner.

Do you have any requests?

To: everyone

No. I will have dinner with my colleagues.

Irene always avoids having dinner with her colleagues every time she works overtime because she doesn't want Manager Song to disturb her, but she guesses she has to endure him for a whole week.

Massaging her temple, she told herself, I can't think clearly right now. Not with all these stacked reports around me. I think I have to keep my distance from Wendy for a while to appease Joy. At least until I can figure out what I want to do with her.

With Lily as their connection, she could not avoid meeting the woman, but she could minimize their interaction and keep a reasonable distance between them.

Oh God, I deserve a long vacation!

…

…

Time passed quickly, and it was time for Irene to pick up Lily at Wendy's apartment. After giving a pep talk to herself, she pushed the bell and waited. Not long after, Wendy appeared with a big smile on her face. Seeing such a sunny smile after a long day was indeed a treat, and it almost made her resolute's crumble once again.

I have to be strong!

"You're here! Come inside." Wendy turned her head around and said, "Lily, Mommy Irene is here!"

"Mommy!"

Hearing a loud happy squeal from inside, Irene couldn't keep her straight face anymore. Her frame softened, and she walked into the small apartment with a big step. She missed her little baby!

The young novelist mirrored Lily's delightful smile until she sniffed a strong perfume when the woman passed by her. She was sure that it wasn't Irene's perfume since the scent was more on the masculine side.

In fact, Wendy rarely smells any scent of perfume from Irene. She didn't even know if the woman even used any perfume daily. One thing she was sure of was that Irene smelled exactly like the smell of her bedroom. Fresh and light with a subtle scent of Jasmine flower. Maybe it came from the woman's air freshener? Or her fabric softener?? Wendy wasn't sure.

Ugh, the smell is so bad. Whoever using this perfume has terrible taste!

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