Million Dollar Girls : If Love Lasts... | MiChaeng, DahMo, SaTzu, 2Yeon Book 2

4) First Meeting

"Meet me at my old house. Bring no one and tell no one."

Chaeyoung followed her instructions, the old house opposite back of the school where once Irene went to school.
It's been years since Chaeyoung actually visited the old house that Irene and her parents lived, she only went there when she was there to be taken care of.

In fact, the last time Chaeyoung ever went there was a day before the accident. The day she lost her parents.
The betrayal and the lost intertwined with each other, she was grieving for her parents, but at the same time, she didn't have Irene there with her.
To her, Irene was like an older sister; kind, gentle and always took care of her. Now that she never called, never spoken to her since the crash was the biggest mistake she ever faced.

"I heard that my parents left something here..."

Chaeyoung lost trust in her. She didn't treat her as a childhood friend anymore, but needed to rebuild it so she could unravel the secrets that she desperately wanted to know from all these years.

"I'll meet you guys later, I promise." That was the last thing she said to her friends, she lied. What else could she say? Telling them the truth wouldn't be easy nor wouldn't it be hard.
She shook herself and took a deep breath.

'It's okay, after this is done, I can no longer lie to them.'

She looked in front of her and saw the house. It was cracked with walls tearing apart, some of the steps going to the front door were either missing or broken. The roof— well there was none, 8 years since the relocation of the Bae family. The house was no more than a dump, no wanted to buy it since it was restricted as Irene's parents never wanted anyone to enter.

There was something that made Chaeyoung and Irene suspect about that house. Why was it restricted?
They must be a secret.

"Son Chaeyoung."
Chaeyoung saw the door open and the girl that she had waited for.
"Glad to meet you again." Irene held out her hand, Chaeyoung walked up the broken stairs as she took her helping hand out of curtesy.
They got inside and it was all empty, the furniture was nowhere to be seen.

"What's the plan?" Asked Irene.
"We're going to find out our families secret." She responded with a monotonous voice.
Irene nodded and followed her.
"Do you know where your parents could hide their things?" Chaeyoung started blankly at a wall.
"They had a closet, but I don't think it would be that easy." Irene headed upstairs whilst Chaeyoung stayed on the ground floor.

Whilst she was there, the floorboards which felt very odd under her feet. To overlook, the flooring for the house was very strange. The top floor had rugs and carpets covering the ground.
Then you had the flooring on the bottom floor which was different in ways that each board was odd.

She took one step and another, using her toes and her heels to feel each board. Some felt soft and some felt hard. Chaeyoung didn't know if it was the rotten of the wood or it was meant to be that way.
That's when she stopped and looked closely at one specific board she stepped on. In the middle of the room, Chaeyoung knelt down on one knee and touched it with her hand, if you looked in detail, the board had a different pattern to the rest of the others.

Irene came downstairs and saw her, she asked what was going on, but she ignored.
Chaeyoung tried lift it up, but it was stuck together with the others, then she started to kick it, but it only made her foot hurt.
"Here, use this." She looked back and saw that Irene was handing her a hammer.

Chaeyoung nodded and took it saying a simple thanks in return. As she felt around, she realised that around the single board were felt soft.
"What used to be here?" She asked Irene.
"It used to be a sofa there."
"Have your parents ever moved it?"

The question made Irene hesitate, she knew as well as Chaeyoung that there was something hidden underneath the floorboards. Just like with Chaeyoung, she felt betrayed.
"No." She answered. "Not when I'm there."
The head of the hammer was placed in the middle of the strange floorboards.

"In the count of 3, I'll break into it." Chaeyoung looked to Irene and knew she felt quite uncertain, she only wanted her permission or some sign.
"Do it."
That gave Chaeyoung the boost, she lifted up the hammer and counted down.

3...
2...
1...

Suddenly, a full force of the swing with the top of the hammer going straight through the floor, the impact was strong. It was opened, finally.

"Chaeyoung!" Irene shouted as she saw that Chaeyoung's hand also went through.
"I'm... fine." Slowly she pulled out her hand which was bleeding.
In an instant, Irene took her cardigan off and wrapped it around where the cut was.
"Hold it there."
Chaeyoung obeyed her order as she watched the older girl taking the broken parts of the floor to one side.

Not knowing that what was hidden inside was more shocking than she anticipated. Piles of money were left there to be hidden, Irene's parents hide it away, not even telling why. She never knew this until now.
Within the piles of money, she found a piece of paper.

Who ever finds this, take it. Don't hesitate. It's better with someone else rather than us.
Whoever you are, don't trust who are 'worthy' because they are not. They are lying, especially if they are with wealth.

Irene dropped the letter out of disgust, she picked out one stack of cash and in anger with all her force, threw it straight at the back wall.
Finally, she let out a loud scream and balled her fist.

Chaeyoung picked up the letter.
"I'm... sorry." She said.
The older girl sighed, she put pressure on the
cut that the young girl had.

"Betrayal hits you hard." Irene chuckled.

"You'll get used to it." Chaeyoung replied.

"I really should be the one who should be sorry."

"It's okay, I have my friends, protecting and caring for me."

Irene smiled, "I remember having people like that."
Chaeyoung nodded slowly as the older girl continued.
"Those girls were like my family, I protected them like there were my children. Then I left them because..." She stopped, hesitant to continue.
"Never mind, it's not relevant."

Irene helped the injured girl up and walked her outside as she supported her.
"Let's get you to the hospital."
"What do I say, I smashed the floor board with a hammer and came out with splinters in my hand." The sarcastic tone gave by Chaeyoung made Irene laugh.
"We'll come up with an excuse on the way."