Clothing Store
As they stepped into the newly opened clothing store, the warm scent of fresh fabric and soft music filled the air. The owner approached them briefly, clearly overwhelmed by the buzzing crowd but still managed a smile.
"Welcome! Please feel free to look around. It's a busy day," he said, exchanging pleasantries before moving on to attend to other guests.
"Wow, so beautiful…" Irene murmured with a bright smile, gently pulling a dress from the rack. The shimmer in her eyes betrayed her genuine delight.
"Yeah, they are beautiful," Richard replied, his voice neutral. He didn't entirely understand the thrill, but he admired how her eyes lit up.
Irene turned to him with a knowing smile. "Do you know the most necessary accessories for a lady to have are clothes… for all seasons, styles, and any occasion."
"All right… pick your choice," Richard said with a soft chuckle. "We'll put it on my brother's tab."
Irene paused and looked up at him. "And why would you do that? He's different, and you're different. This is on you."
"Okay, okay, I was just joking," Richard said with a burst of laughter, his easy charm breaking the momentary tension.
"Better… You don't think I left my boyfriend just for you to put things on his tab, do you?" she said, smiling mischievously as Richard laughed harder.
Just then, a voice interrupted.
"Hi, Mr. Black," Susan greeted, stepping closer.
"Hi, Susan… how are you doing, pretty?" Richard replied casually.
"I'm good…" Susan gave Irene a sharp yet practiced smile. "Miss Irene."
"Miss Susan," Irene responded with a neutral nod.
Susan's smile thinned. "Sorry, Miss Irene, don't you think you're too close to Richard? For people who don't know, they might think he's your boyfriend."
The words stung with jealousy—after all, not only did Irene have Brian, but even Richard seemed to orbit around her.
Irene raised a brow, her voice calm but cutting. "So? He's my friend before he's my boyfriend's brother. And whatever is going on between us is none of your concern."
"I'm sure Brian won't like to see this," Susan added, her voice barely hiding the bitterness.
"Susan, that's enough," Richard stepped in, his voice firmer. "My brother isn't like you—he wouldn't assume I have something going on with his girlfriend. But… thanks for your concern."
"Sorry. It was just a reminder," Susan said, then turned and left, her heels clicking with annoyance.
"She ruined the mood, but I'll still pick my choice," Irene said with a shrug.
Richard smiled, amused by her unapologetic confidence.
---
Irene's Apartment
"I'm home," Irene announced, stepping inside with arms full of shopping bags.
"I thought you forgot where home is," Justin quipped, eyeing her suspiciously.
"What do you mean?" she raised a brow.
"Nothing... Why are you carrying so many shopping bags?" he asked, clearly already knowing the answer.
"Richard took me out shopping," Irene replied, removing her shoes.
"Wait… what about Brian?" Esmeralda asked from the kitchen doorway.
"He knew," Irene said nonchalantly.
"You're dating Brian but decided to go out with Richard. Does that make any sense to you?" Esmeralda's tone was more concerned than judgmental.
"Don't get it mixed up," Irene defended herself, dropping her bags with a soft thud. "He's my friend. And for work's sake—he's a Black. I'm close to anybody who's a Black… Get that stuck in your brain."
Truthfully, she'd just gone for clothes. Everything else was white noise.
"Hope you don't make them suspicious…" Esmeralda warned gently.
"Nope. I know what I'm doing," Irene replied, heading inside.
"I hope so…" Esmeralda said, her voice trailing off. Meanwhile, Justin peeked curiously into the bags.
"What are you doing?" Irene asked, raising a brow.
"Just checking what you bought… Do you even need them?" he asked.
"Is there a time when we don't need clothes? There are 365 to 366 days in a year. And in a single day, we have morning, afternoon, and night—I can wear three outfits a day. Don't you think?"
"You can actually wear five a day—because there's dawn and midnight," Esmeralda added with a grin.
"Whatever…" Irene huffed dramatically, lifting her bags and disappearing into her room.
"To her, after money, it's clothes," Esmeralda said, shaking her head with a small laugh.
"She actually spends all her money on clothes, shoes, and bags," Justin replied, half amused, half exasperated.
---
Phone Call Later That Night
"Hello, Irene," her voice came sweetly through the phone.
"Hello," came Brian's gruff reply.
"How are you? Have you forgotten you have a girlfriend?" Irene teased, voice soft but mischievous.
"Of course I remember. I do have a girlfriend… who ditched me and went out with someone else," Brian replied, his fingers clacking on his keyboard.
"'Ditch' is such a strong word… don't you think?" she said, feigning innocence.
"Hm."
"I didn't go with someone else. I went with a friend. Who happens to be your brother," she clarified coolly.
"Really?"
"How was your day?" she asked, changing the topic smoothly. Irene never liked explaining herself too much—not even for the sake of the mission.
"Not good," Brian grumbled.
"Why?"
"I was abandoned… by my girlfriend."
"Brian…" she sighed, smiling slightly. "I never knew you complain this much."
"I can't even say how I feel now?" he teased.
"Okay, fine. Sorry. But I won't promise not to do it again," she said, laughter in her voice.
Brian could hear the joy in her tone. "Okay."
"I'm so happy today… Richard bought me a lot of clothes," she said dreamily.
"You're that happy?" he asked.
"Of course! Clothes bring a smile to my face," she replied with childlike joy.
"Just clothes? What else makes you happy?"
"Shouldn't you figure it out yourself?" she teased.
"Shouldn't you just tell me so I'd know already?" he countered.
"Money. Clothes, bags, shoes… and food. But money is more important," she said with a laugh, half-joking—but only half.
"Really?" he asked, his voice amused.
"Really!"
"What makes you sad?"
"Not having money," she said flatly.
"Okay," he replied, thoughtful, as if taking mental notes.
"Okay?"
"Let's meet my parents tomorrow," Brian said suddenly, his tone like a quiet command.
"You want to introduce me?" she asked, surprised.
"Shouldn't I?"
"Isn't it too fast? We're just getting to know each other."
"Isn't it better to let everyone know you're mine?" he asked simply.
"Yours?" she asked in a flirtatious tone.
"Aren't you?"
Irene felt a flutter of happiness but masked it with sarcasm.
"If that's what you want, I've got no problem… But you know your mom doesn't like me."
"I like you. That's enough, right?" Brian said in a softer voice.
"What do you like about me?"
"Your head. I like the way it's molded," he said seriously.
"Can I still break up with you?" Irene asked with a pout.
"No way." There was a pause. "My mom is a very nice person…"
"The dead one or the one alive?" Irene asked bluntly.
"Both. But the one alive is really nice… if you can just try to accommodate her."
"I can't… Should we break up now?" Irene said, teasing but knowing it would poke him.
There was silence on the line.
"I just want to save myself the trouble of a mother-in-law," she added.
More silence.
"Brian, are you there?" she asked, checking her phone to see if she lost signal.
After a few seconds, his quiet voice finally came through. "Yes."
"Good night," Irene said and hung up before he could say anything else.
---
The Smith Mansion
At the dining table
"Dad, you can't believe that Irene girl is dating Brian," Mary said, shaking her head as she ate, clear irritation in her tone.
"Where are your manners?" Joshua scolded with a pointed look.
"I wasn't doing anything," Mary muttered, sulking like a scolded child.
"That Irene of a girl is probably just like her mother… they are both seductresses," Gloria said, her voice laced with disgust.
"You know Victoria liked Brian for a long time… she definitely went after Brian just to annoy Victoria," Mary added with a huff, while Joshua simply sighed, resigned. He knew too well that once these women disliked someone, they could twist any story to demean them.
"What exactly has this lady done to you?" Jacob asked, his voice calm but firm.
"Dad, I have a deep hatred for her. She made me pay for a jewelry I couldn't even use," Mary said, her face scrunching up as she recalled the incident with irritation.
"There are a lot of jewelry you have at home that you're not using. Who did you fight with?" Joshua asked, raising a brow.
"That Brian... I can't believe his taste in women has dropped so low. You remember that girl he was dating before? She was very respectful, unlike this Irene girl—so rude," Gloria said with a shake of her head.
"Irene might be rude but she's—"
"It's a good thing you know she's rude," Mary cut in before Joshua could finish, earning a cold glare from him.