Ms. Secretary

Chapter Seventy Three 💥

Lisa's pov

The penthouse is dimly lighted when I walked in past the front door. It's only 20:45 and I doubt if Rosie has fallen asleep.

Clenching my jaws and sighing tiredly, I decide to take the front couch in the living hall to avoid any dramas that might arise from walking into the bedroom.

"Gosh" I drag my arm over my eyes. It has been such a tiring day. I talked to Miyeon about Rosie's earlier behaviour after she left and lucky me that she understood.

Instead of keeping me with her and Lili, she asked me to go back. Maybe Roseanne needs you the most right now, I can still hear her words ringing through my mind.

And that's what brought me home this moment. Because I need to tell her that she's not losing Lili. That she would forever be a part of Roseanne too. But most of time, the Korean is just so hard to convince.

I hear soft footsteps coming from the bedroom and when I drop my arm to my side and jerking my upper body to sneak at the person that's trailing down towards the kitchen and an automatic smile pops all over my face when I see Rosie.

"Hey"

I break the silence as I sit down properly on the couch. But she acts as if I'm not there by marching all the way to the fridge and keeps up a straight face.

"Rosie" I call again as I drag my feet to meet her in the dry kitchen. She is clearly not in the mood to see me because I hear she silently hissing. "Love"

I call and finally she meets my eyes. "What the fuck?"

"Nothing" I shake my head. "It's just, are you okay?"

"Do I look like I'm dying to you?" she asks, pointing at herself from top to bottom. Well, I sure spent a glad more minute staring at her bottom before she snaps again.

"Well?"

She asks and I gulp. "No, baby. You don't"

"Then I should be alright" she grabs an empty glass before walking herself to the nearest water dispenser to get some cold water. I stop her in the middle of her track by holding her wrist and I can tell she's not that happy with such gesture at such moment too.

"Let go"

She commands. But I hold her tighter.

"So, you're mad" I clarify and she looks at me like I'm the biggest idiot she ever had the chance of meeting. "Isn't that obvious?"

"Love, Miyeon is her mom"

I say and Rosie turns even redder. She stomps her feet and snatches her hand away from my grip. "Sure" her voice is coated with high volume of jealousy and anger. "Of course she's the real mom and I'm just nothing" she mumbles to herself.

I just stand where I stand. Arms tucked securely around my thin figure. "Now, you've got it wrong"

I say to her but she ignores me. "Now she said I'm wrong"

I hear she mutters to herself. "Rosie, baby. What I'm trying to say is ..."

"Oh my god, Lisa. Can't you just stop?"

Her voice hits that dangerous, flat tone she uses only when she's really fuming. I guess this is the right moment to use such a powerful voice.

"Honey, what I'm just saying is that you don't have to be jealous if Lili picked Miyeon over you. She's just a kid. She didn't mean it. She loves you a lot. You know that too"

"Of course she loves me a lot" she says sarcastically as she rolls her eyes. "She loves me a lot that she practically decided it's cool to leave me and her little sister behind while she goes for a stupid little summer vacation in States"

"Miyeon's parents want to see her"

I say. But that acts like a fuel than a water to dim the fire because the last thing I know is that Roseanne burns brighter.

"Of course. It's all about Miyeon now, isn't it?"

She accuses.

"It's not" I shake my head. "It's just, Rosie. You're tired. You should get a rest and we'll talk once your anger is gone"

"Well, apparently it's not going to be gone in the time being" she chastises and I choose to ignore her as I shuffle back into the living hall and crash on the couch.

She walks past me, not even stoping to say sorry. I guess she really is fuming.

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Two weeks in the first half of Summer and Rosie's mood is set to be at her worst. She wouldn't even talk to me, or look at me or communicate in either way.

We sit at dinner together each night just for the sake of Ji-Ae and when the baby is asleep, she would retreat to her study room to work on stuff she can't during daylight.

"My love"

I call one night when she is going through some working papers. She doesn't even bother looking at me but I know she's listening. "Are you still going to be mad until Summer is over and Lili is back with us?"

I ask and she doesn't hesitate to mumble a yes. A loud and clear yes.

"Love, you do know that Lili has been trying to reach you since the past week and you still reluctant to speak to her?"

"Well, Miyeon is there to entertain her"

Rosie says coolly but I know she's jealous as hell when she said that because the tip of her ear that's visible to my sight at that moment turns bright red.

"You don't have to be jealous, you know. Lili loves you"

"Yeah, but she also loves Miyeon"

"I can't do anything about that" I surrender. "Miyeon is her birth mom, Rosie. What am I supposed to do? Should I tell  Lili to stop loving Miyeon and to love you instead when in fact she already does?"

"BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T LOOK AT ME LIKE SHE LOOKS AT MIYEON!!"

Rosie finally explodes and I freeze for a good one second because she succumbs her face to her palms, letting them cradling it for a moment as soft sobs begin to fill the empty atmosphere.

"Hey, come here" I say as I kneel down in front of her and drag her palms away from her face. Suddenly, the red eyes and damp cheeks are visible to my sight. I smile softly as I wipe her tears away.

"I know you feel bad because you're not her real mom" I play with her hair for a moment. "But I used to hear Lili saying it one time to you, that you're her mom and you can never let anyone tells you the opposite"

"But I can't compete with Miyeon" the blonde cries again and I wipe her stubborn tears again. "Nobody is asking you to compete with Miyeon. Both of you are different. But both of you are also her moms. She doesn't have to choose one to let go of another because she can choose both and lives happily ever after"

"But I'm scared" Rosie looks at me. "What if she doesn't love me as much as I love her?"

"Well, I believe I don't have such answer for that question"

I pause. "But just look at her, Rosie. You might not realize it but I do"

"What do you mean?"

"The way she looks at you" I clarify and Rosie narrows her eyes as if to ask how.

"Like you mean the world to her"

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