Greeting Cards For Exes

Chapter Sixteen

P IPER

“Wish me luck,” I said to Kerrie and Maude as we headed to the parking lot after work. “I’m meeting Wooyoung’s parents tonight, and I’m sorta freaking out.”

Maude reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. “You, my dear, will be just fine. Wooyoung’s a good guy. He must really like you a lot to bring you home to his parents already.”

I sighed, hoping she was right.

“What Maude said. And don’t overthink this. You’re an absolutely loveable person. I’m not just saying that because you’re one of my best friends, either.” Kerrie smiled, grabbing my other hand. “You’ve got this, girl! Tomorrow, we want all the details.” She waggled her eyebrows.

I snorted. “Not sure what you think is going to happen at his family’s house, but I doubt there will be anything physical.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve seen those movies where the man or woman takes their significant other or suitor to their childhood home and they engage in whoopy,” Maude said with a laugh. “Corny and I got a little frisky—”

“Ah, I’m stopping you right there.” My eyes rolled skyward as I walked away from Maude and Kerrie. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Chicken,” Maude called after me.

Kerrie laughed. “Oh, to be young again.”

“Ah, you’re still a young girl yourself.” I overheard Maude say to Kerrie. And she was right. Kerrie wasn’t exactly old.

I walked back to my house to get changed, trying to determine whether I wanted to wear jeans and a nice shirt or go for something dressier like a summer dress and cardigan. God, I hated the idea of meeting parents for the first time. I’d never had to do anything like this before. What if they hated me? Or maybe they’d think I wasn’t good enough for Wooyoung.

My stomach churned, and I hoped I wouldn’t end up in the bathroom. Now that’d make a great first impression, blowing up their toilet. Wrinkling my nose, I continue to scour my closet as if by shifting the clothes around, a new item would appear.

“Relax. You’ve got this,” I said, repeating Kerrie’s mantra aloud before grabbing my blue, white, and yellow sundress from a hanger. I’d err on the side of dressy, but comfy.

Once I finished getting ready, I headed down to the lobby to wait for Wooyoung. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to ignore my sweaty palms. Soon, he parked in front of the building, and I hurried to meet him.

He climbed from his vehicle, his long legs tucked into a pair of loose fit jeans, his broad shoulders stretching the fabric of a thin light blue V-neck sweater. His dark eyes met mine, and I nearly puddled on the sidewalk.

“You look beautiful,” he said, giving me a quick peck on the cheek before I climbed into his car.

“You aren’t so bad yourself.”

His gaze held mine, making me wish we could go up to my apartment instead. However, I knew this was a huge step for him to be bringing me home to his family, and our not showing up probably wouldn’t earn me any points. Not that I needed them to like me, but I wanted them to.

He shut the car door and got into the driver’s side. About ten minutes later, we pulled up to a three-story old brownstone. It was narrow with dark blue shutters and flower boxes beneath the lower-level windows. A small wrought iron gate separated the home from the sidewalk. A narrow driveway wrapped around the back of the house where there was just enough room for three small cars, but nothing else. No backyard to be seen, however, they did have a beautiful screened-in porch, which I assumed must’ve been added long after the brownstone was built.

“You ready?” Wooyoung smiled at me as we got out of the car, and he took my hand in his.

My lips turned up at the corners. “As I’ll ever be.”

“You’ll be great. I know my parents are going to love you.”

I let out a hiss of air and followed him inside. As soon as we got indoors, the scent of kimchi assaulted my nose. I’d eaten enough of it with Minho’s family to recognize the smell.

We left our shoes in the entry and slid our feet into slippers that awaited us.

“Good, good, you’re finally here,” a short woman with shoulder-length dark hair, and a petite frame said, reaching to give Wooyoung a big squeeze.

I released his hand and stood back.

“You never come see us anymore,” she said in a voice that was meant to chastise, but came out sounding more like she was teasing. Then she turned her beautiful smile on me. “You must be Piper? We’ve heard so much about you from Woo.”

“Hi, it’s good to meet you.” I held my hand out in greeting.

“This is my mother, Jisoo, and my father, Jinyoung.” He nodded to a tall man with the same build and facial structure as him. The only visible difference between father and son was the spattering of gray in Jinyoung’s dark hair.

Jinyoung shook my hand, as well. “Welcome to our home. My wife has cooked us up a great meal tonight. We have Woo’s favorite bulgogi and kimchi. I hope you’re okay with that?”

“Yes, of course. I’m a huge kimchi fan.”

We went into the dining room, where plates were already set out. There was a mixture of chopsticks and silverware next to each place setting, and I realized they likely did this for my benefit. Although, I definitely knew how to use chopsticks, but I still appreciated they thought of me.

“Everything smells and looks so good,” I said as Wooyoung came around and ushered me into a chair. He took the one next to mine, his gaze beaming.

“So, Wooyoung told us you’re a writer at the card company?” Jisoo reached over to grab my bowl, adding some kimchi to it.

“Yes. It’s a fun job, most of the time.” I laughed, trying not to dwell on the fact that there’d been a period of time it hadn’t been. But I wasn’t going to rehash that. Not tonight.

My gaze fell on the extra plates and bowls. Did they always set this many places at the table?

I’d barely gotten the thought processed when I heard a door open.

“Hello, we’re here. Sorry we’re late,” a female voice carried into the dining room.

Beside me, Wooyoung stiffened. “I thought I told you not to invite them.”

“Your sister wanted to meet your girlfriend, too. Don’t be such a brat.” Jisoo swatted at him.

At that moment, I watched in horror as Hani and Minho walked into the room. My breath caught in my throat as I tried to figure out what was happening. Hani? She was Wooyoung’s sister?

My fists tightened at my side as I met Minho’s gaze. My ex had cheated on me with my current boyfriend’s sister. What the actual hell? Then another thought dawned on me.

Wooyoung had known this whole time.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat, hopped to my feet, pushed past Wooyoung, who had also stood as well as Minho. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to go.”

I slid my feet out of the slippers and back into my sandals, then grabbed my purse from a bench by the door and raced outside. Tears burned my eyes, my chest tightening. How could Wooyoung do this to me?

For shit’s sake, he’d had plenty of time to tell me the truth, but he didn’t.

“Piper, wait,” someone called after me. Only it wasn’t Wooyoung as I’d expected. Instead, I found Minho chasing after me. “You don’t have to leave. Hani and I can come back another time. Stay, get to know Wooyoung’s family.”

I shook my head.

“Look, I didn’t realize it was Wooyoung standing on your balcony that day. I never put two and two together,” he rushed. “Are we really still at a point where we can’t be adults and be in the same room together?”

My head snapped up, my narrowed eyes boring into his. “You don’t get it, do you? You hurt me so much. Like you took my heart out and stomped on it. I mean, one second, we were engaged, planning a future together, and the next, you’re fucking the florist in our car. How am I supposed to just get over that and pretend it didn’t happen?”

He frowned, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt you. You’ve got to believe that.”

I snorted. “Hard to believe it when my last memory of you includes Hani’s legs wrapped around you.”

“I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. I want us to be friends, for us to still be close.”

Tears streamed down my cheeks. “That’s not possible.”

Wooyoung came bounding down the driveway toward us, and Minho headed back inside.

My jaw tightened as I stared at him. “You knew this whole time that your sister is the one who screwed up my relationship with Minho. Was this some sort of joke to you? I mean, asking me out and inviting me to dinner?”

He reached for me, but I pulled back.

“No, I didn’t know the whole time, not until the night at the restaurant. And to answer your question, this wasn’t a joke. You’re not a joke. I told my mom not to invite them.”

“So, what you’re saying is, if they hadn’t happened to show up today, I’d still not know the truth?”

“This is exactly why I didn’t want to mention it. You’re so hung up on your ex and what he did to you that you can’t or won’t see what’s right in front of you. I’ve been trying so hard, but maybe convincing someone to love you shouldn’t be this difficult.” His hands shoved into his pockets as he stared at me. “I’m done trying to prove myself to you, to make you see that I’m not Minho, because I doubt you’ll ever be happy.”

I staggered back a step as if his words had been his hands shoving me. “Fine. If that’s what you think, I’ll see you at work or whatever.” With a shake of my head, I glared. “You don’t get it at all, do you? It’s one thing to get over someone and move on, but another entirely to try and play nice with someone who’s betrayed you. You’re expecting way too much from me, Wooyoung. I told you at the beginning how much he hurt me. You don’t understand, and likely never will.”

Turning on my heel, I ambled down the sidewalk.

“Wait, at least let me drive you home,” Wooyoung said, trying to play his knight in shining armor card. But it was too late for that.

“No. I’m good,” I said over my shoulder. “You should go eat before everything gets cold.”

“But it’s too far to walk by yourself,” he argued.

“I’m fine, really. I’ve taken care of myself this long, I’m sure I can manage to find my way home.”

This time, I kept walking. A sob escaped my lips as I rounded the corner of the block, but not once did I look back. Wooyoung was like every other man I knew, other than my stepdad. A liar. I could still feel the sting of his words as if I’d been slapped.

Crying, I found a bench and sat down, then wrapped my arms around myself. This was why I didn’t want to date again. Why I didn’t want to give someone my heart. It gave them too much power over me to destroy me.

I fumbled to grab my phone from my purse. Who could I call? Kerrie had her kids to take care of. I knew Maude didn’t like to drive at night, but honestly, she felt like my only option. My stepdad, David, probably would come to get me, but I wasn’t really wanting to talk to him. Last thing I wanted him to think was that I’d turned into my mom.

At last, I dialed Maude’s number. She picked up on the third ring.

“This is Maude.”

“Hey, Maude. I...uh, this is Piper. I wondered if you could come get me?” I wept into the phone.

“Piper, what’s wrong?”

“I, well, Wooyoung and I broke up. I’m kind of stranded right now.”

“Did that bastard leave you somewhere?”

“Not exactly.”

“He better not have, or so help me, he’ll be missing his bits and pieces next time we meet.”

I half laughed, half cried. “Let’s leave his junk alone.”

“So you say now. Well, kid, let me grab my keys and purse. Do you have directions for me?”

I found the street signs and let her know what crossroad section I was at. After walking her through how to put the information into the navigation system on her phone, she hung up with me, but before doing so, she assured me she’d be here soon.

True to her word, Maude drove up to the curb about fifteen minutes later. I hopped up from the bench and hurried into her car, which smelled like warm vanilla.

When I had my seatbelt on, she pulled onto the road. “Do you want to go home or back to my house?”

“Your house, if that’s alright. I don’t want to be alone.” And I didn’t want to hear Minho come back to his apartment later tonight or, for that matter, make another attempt at being friends.

God, what was up with Minho anyway? He missed me as a friend, but not a lover? Maybe I wasn’t good in bed. At this thought, I slumped further into my seat, wrapping my arms around my chest. Maybe there really was something wrong with me.

We drove in silence, except for the radio playing oldies. When we got to her house, she parked in the driveway, and I followed her inside. Instantly, I felt at home. There was something warm and inviting about her house, like a warm hug after a long day.

“Why don’t you have a seat in the living room. I’ll make us some hot cocoa,” Maude said. “Unless you need something stronger?”

“No, cocoa is fine.”

Shyly, I moved into the other room, taking a seat on the couch. On the mantel above her fireplace was a picture of a much younger Maude and Cornelius. Their wedding photo. Nothing fancy, but they looked so happy. Cornelius seemed to have a constant twinkle in his eye, which the photographer captured so well. Why had he left her? They’d seemed so in love.

“I’ve not been strong enough to take the pictures down yet.” Maude’s voice cracked with emotion.

“There’s nothing that says you have to,” I replied. “If it makes you happy, you should leave it up.”

“I’m not sure what it makes me feel.” She handed me a steaming cup of cocoa and ushered me to a spot on the couch. “That’s the funny thing about someone leaving you.”

I nodded. “Have you been doing okay?”

She shrugged. “For the most part. Learning to do lots of things that Corny would’ve normally done for me. And for the things I can’t do myself, I hire the neighbor kid. Enough about me, what happened tonight?”

“Betrayal, that’s what happened tonight.” I went on to rehash the evening’s disastrous events, my ex showing up with Wooyoung’s fiancé-stealing sister, Wooyoung’s deception, and all the details in between.

“Jesus H. Christ. That’s horrible. I thought better of Wooyoung, but apparently my good guy radar is broken.”

My chest tightened. “I wish he’d have been honest with me. Then he turned this all on me, saying I was too caught up in my ex, and I never gave him a chance.”

I raised the mug to my lips and took a sip.

Maude sighed. “Well, on that point, I agree with Wooyoung. You need to let Minho go. You’re only making yourself miserable by clinging to the past. However, I do feel you were giving Wooyoung a chance. You’ve been on several dates with him now and seemed happy.”

“I was. I just don’t know what to do now. Do I forgive him? And even if I do, things seemed very final when I stalked off.”

Maude laughed. “One thing I know, nothing is ever final until we decide it is. If you think he’s worth fighting for, then fight. If what he’s done is unforgiveable, then let him go and move on.”

Maude was right on all accounts. Now I just needed to decide what it was I truly wanted.

“If you spend the night, I’ve got some outfits for work that should fit you,” Maude said.

This time, I grinned. Kerrie would probably shit herself if I came in wearing Maude’s powder blue suit and matching heels. This could be fun.

“Sounds good. And Maude, thank you for rescuing me tonight.”

Maude patted my arm. “That’s what friends are for. Besides, we all need a little rescuing sometimes.”