『JenSoo Short Stories』 - Chapter 24: Chapter 24

It's a bright and sunny Wednesday, one of the days of the week that people in the center await because they get to see their loved ones. The weather is so good as it gives just enough warmth to everybody with the cool breeze that balances the temperature. Some are exercising and running on the grounds. Some have their group studies in the next building. The others are busy with furniture making and gardening.
Irene is busy helping Jisoo put the bandage on her injured left arm as they sit on the floor. They finished changing the gauze pad of her wound earlier. Jisoo is still in pain when Irene is putting on her shoulder cast. She was fortunate enough to have the wounds on her left shoulder, arm and hand healed quickly but her shoulder still hurts after the surgery. The knife used to stab that part reached a ligament and tore it. The reason why she needed the operation.
Lisa is busy practicing her dance for the upcoming dance contest where she can win a visit transfer. Momo on the other hand is hiding at the corner eating some chocolates that she got from her friend last week.
Boss Mina, as always, taking a nap after reading a chapter from her favorite book entitled How to Escape from Hell.
A few loud taps on the window, then slide it open making specks of dust fly to the air. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and looked at the window.
"Inmate 1205, Kim Jisoo. You have a visitor." A female officer calls from the window of the cell looking at the clipboard she's holding.
Irene looks at Jisoo and pats her head. She showed a smile then stood up. Lisa gave her a pat on the back.
"Fighting!" Momo yelled trying to hold the chocolate inside her mouth. Jisoo smiles back at her then walks to the door.
The door opened as she stood there waiting.
"Hi, officer Ye Jin." She greeted her.
"It's your wife." The officer said. "Are you accepting it?"
Jisoo starts to feel her blood boiling. Her gaze to nowhere was deadly. She breathes through her nose, her right hand forming a fist. It is going to be a fight in hell for sure.
"Kim, I'm not gonna wait here the whole day." The officer sounded impatient putting down on her side the clipboard.
"Sorry." Jisoo bows her head.
"You okay?"
Jisoo puts up a smile as she looks at her. "Of course, Officer Ye Jin. I'll meet her."
The walk to the visitation room felt like walking on a burning charcoal runway. Jisoo was surely mad. She already expected that her wife would never visit her after what happened. Besides, she didn't want to see or meet her too. What for?
Her case ran quickly. She only spent two weeks inside the pre-trial detention center then the verdict was finalized after that. She then got transferred to the correctional institution. It's been two months since her transfer, and her wife never visited her.
"Let me know if you need more time." Ye Jin said after opening the door of the cubicle.
"No, officer, thank you. Eight minutes is more than enough."
She doesn't want to receive any special treatments inside the center. She wanted to live there as a normal person like everyone else. But, Jisoo's father loves her so much that he's willing to give anything for his daughter just to make sure she could live there in peace and comfort. Her dad is a friend of some of the most powerful people in the government. Her dad doesn't need to pull strings, it is given already. Anything that they can offer to Jisoo is already placed on the table. She just needs to pick one, but she won't. She doesn't need to use that card, for now.
The officer nodded and Jisoo bowed before entering the gates of hell.
She didn't look at her until she sat comfortably on the chair. She observes her wife who looks just the same as how she presents herself as always.
Her brunette hair is flat-ironed straight in the back. Light make-up that highlights her tired eyes and bags under. Black turtleneck undershirt and an all-black suit and trousers. A gold with shiny stones brooch pinned on her coat, a cursive initial of her name that Jisoo gave her on her birthday. Sitting upright with her knees touching each other. Holding a branded black clutch bag on her lap which Jisoo gifted her on their anniversary last year.
Jisoo smirked. Fuck you. She cursed in her mind.
"Are you just gonna stare at me and waste my precious time, wife?" Jisoo said in a serious tone, emphasizing what she called her. The smirk didn't leave Jisoo's lips that pretty much complement her glare.
Jennie looked down and gulped. Her hands are shaking trying her best to grip the bag tighter.
The silent tension fills the place. The glass between them could break anytime with the burning anger inside Jisoo and the flaming desire of Jennie.
"Ho.. how are--"
"How am I? I'm doing good! Living my life in glory!" Jisoo said sarcastically.
Superiority is all over Jisoo. Sitting there with legs crossed, back comfortably resting, her elbow pointed on the armrest while her hand is lightly fisted in the air. It would relax with her busy fingers snapping or playing the ring on her finger. Jennie couldn't talk and start a conversation and that made her sulk in disappointment.
"I saw you." Her wife looks at her. "I saw you in the news. At the funeral. Wailing like a child who just lost a toy. As if you're his wife." Jennie bowed her head in shame.
"That fucking bastard. He fucking deserves it." Jisoo hissed then shakes her head.
"Jisoo... How can you say that?" Jennie said looking at her wife's glare. "You stabbed him eight times!"
Jisoo hissed, "I should have made it nine for my birthday and our anniversary." then she lets out a laugh.
"Jisoo, please! You shouldn't have done it! I told you we're already talking about ending things between us."
"Oh yeah, you're breaking up with each other naked. What are you? A teenager? Breaking up after sex?! Sex after break up?!"
The tension silenced them. Jennie already prepared herself for Jisoo's unannounced narrative. She knew that her wife would take this chance to tell her everything she's been wanting to say. And even if she knows she'll die internally with the words that are gonna be thrown at her, she still decided to be here. Still keeping her hopes up that they still have a chance to fix everything.
"I gave you a chance. Many times! I even asked you before the wedding and you said you're sure about me. But you continued. Even on our first night, you let him touch you before me. Fuck you!" Jisoo was enraged. Her hand is fisted hard on the armrest. Her back leaning forward. Tight lips are shaking.
"I turned a blind eye on you as long as you're doing it somewhere and I don't fucking give a damn how many times! But in my house?! On my birthday?! Fuck you Jen! You fucking did that in my house! Inside the home, I built for us! That's why he deserved it!"
Tears escaped Jennie's eyes. She was guilty after all.
"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry, Love." She cries as she looks at Jisoo.
"Don't fucking call me that!" Her deadly gaze continues with her sobbing wife on the other side. She used to love their term of endearment until one time she saw Jennie's phone ringing. Someone's calling her by the name Love. Since then, she couldn't help herself but feel mad whenever Jennie calls her that. Her wife was too shameless using the same label to her and her other lover.
"You can now have every single guy you want under your panties," Jisoo smirked. "Don't worry, I won't touch them. How can I? I'm here inside. I can't do anything beyond the walls."
"Jisoo stop it." Jennie said in a serious tone.
"What? I'm just stating the facts. Now that I'm here, you can get another guy to fuck you!" Jisoo scoffed then bit her lower lip as her jaw tightens.
They dated for six long years and half of it, she found out that Jennie shares her other half with someone else. Two years of marriage was full of lies and pretense. Jennie thought Jisoo didn't know anything about her cheating because her wife was so good at keeping it all and acting in front of her.
"By the way, did you thank your dead boyfriend for me?" Jisoo lets out her evil smile. "I'm really thankful for him, you know? I'm thankful that he did fight back. That bastard! He even stabbed my hand!"
Her wife looks at her in disbelief.
"If not for him, my case wouldn't be fair. And thanks to you too, wife. If not for your story, I will most likely spend my whole life here."
"Jisoo, I did that for you. For us. Because I -- I love you."
Fuck you! Jisoo cursed in her head.
"Wait for the papers. My lawyer is already working on it. It's gonna reach you soon."
"Jisoo... That's not needed, please." Jennie pleads as she leans forward.
"Ha! Really?" She lets out an annoying laugh. "C'mon Jen, let's not fool each other anymore." She mocked. "Prolonging it is useless. I'm expecting you to sign it so you can have your freedom. That's what you want right?"
"No... We can still... We can still..."
"What? Fix this? Are you fucking kidding me?!"
Her wife was silenced.
"Yeah..." Jisoo nods. "Of course we need to fix this," She shakes her head and clicks her tongue. "Of course smartass. You need me for your fucking business."
Jennie looks at her with her eyes begging for her to understand the situation.
"Well, guess what? I don't care! You should have thought about that before you let your guy fucked you a million times." Jisoo yelled at her and slammed the counter.
Jennie jerked with the sound that made her body shake from within in fear. She looks at her wife absorbing all the shame that's been thrown at her.
"Jisoo please..." She leaned forward putting a hand on the counter.
Jisoo stood up and leaned closer to the glass. Her hand pressed hard on the counter. "You better sign those papers or I'll tell everyone what really happened that night. Don't come back, I don't want to see you. But I swear to God, you'll never be free from me!" She hissed then turned her back to her wife and walked to the door.
The officer opens it then Jisoo walks out. She didn't look back. There's no need.
Left on the other side is her shameful wife that couldn't do anything but cry. It is indeed the end for them. There's no reserved happy ending chapter waiting.
Jisoo went back to their cell looking and feeling dreadful. The person who faced her wife was not her. Those words, the cursing, the yell, that was not her. Especially the person who committed the crime. That wasn't Jisoo. She wasn't herself that she knew all along. She became the devil she never wanted to be. Jennie made her to be that when all she did was love her sincerely.
She sat on the floor, resting her back on the wall, took a deep breath then closed her eyes. She couldn't believe everything that she told her wife. Maybe it was the product of the resentment she kept for years. She didn't want to see her. Never again.
I hope you won't ever come back. She thought.
"Boss Kim, how was it?" Lisa asked as she sat on the floor next to Jisoo, holding a face towel, wiping her sweaty face.
She pouts and nods. "It was okay." She answered plainly.
"What now Boss, you're getting back together?" Irene asked the moment she stepped out from the toilet.
"Hell no!" She answered in disgust then chuckled. But somehow, her crazy mind says otherwise.
Things are starting to get blurry.
"YESSS!!!!" The two cheered loudly making Boss Mina wake up in a snap. The woman lifts her body in an instant like a windshield wiper and sits upright on the floor. She crossed her legs then stared blankly in the air. She didn't blink.
All of them stared at her. They froze in their position and didn't make any sound. They waited until Boss Mina stood up and went to the toilet before they relaxed their senses.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Irene compliments while nodding her head. "It's better that way Boss."
"Yeah, for sure." Maybe it really is. She thought.
The whole week, Jisoo made herself busy gardening with Boss Mina and Irene. As much as she wanted to get hired at the furniture shop, she still doesn't qualify physically. At least in the greenhouse, she gets to water the plants and do some cutting of the leaves, and sweeps using her other hand. She tried to be productive as much as possible.
Every morning she'd join Irene working out inside the cell or sometimes run on the grounds. The woman became the closest to her in an instant. They both have the same case but Irene has been serving there for a couple of years now.
Momo is assigned to the commissary and food service thrice a week. And sometimes, Jisoo would take her place, especially if her friend would visit her. It always takes her hours to fix herself. The inmates will probably die in hunger if they'll ever wait for her.
She also tutors Lisa on how to read since the woman has lived all her life in the streets. She never really got the education she deserves. And because of the very reason she didn't have a home or a family to look after her, she started doing a lot of illegal things that led her to be locked inside the institution. Lisa is a smart person as Jisoo once said. She could pick up easily with the daily lectures and has already improved a lot since day one.
She also starts reading a book that Boss Mina gave her. The woman has aged there and brought her interest in books so she can kill time. She told Jisoo once that reading a book makes her somehow feel like the person she was outside. Besides, there's nothing else to do there. She had already completed more than fifty skill courses ever since she got there. She was convicted of murder and was sentenced to life in prison.
Boss Mina told her that it would be harder for her and depressing if she counts the days until she gets out. It won't help her a single thing. She just needs to adapt and go on with her life inside. Time passes by faster if she does that, so Jisoo took that advice.
The following week, another person came to visit her.
She's smiling at the most beautiful person in front of her on the other side of the glass.
"Are you just gonna stare at me the whole time?" The woman teased that made Jisoo giggle.
"I told you to not visit me again. I don't want you to see me here."
"So, why did you accept my visitation? Guess, you also want to see me." The woman smiled beautifully as she crossed her arms.
Jisoo chuckles then nods. Yes, she wanted to see her.
"Of course you're right. When are you ever wrong, Park Chaeyoung?"
They both smiled at each other.
Chaeyoung is her childhood best friend. Both their families are friends and have business ties. They grew up together in a neighborhood and went to the same school from pre-grader to college. They both finished the same course of Business Management with a Master's Degree in LA.
That's where she met Jennie.
They were supposed to be in an expected arranged marriage but Jisoo fell so hard for Jennie. Chaeyoung understood. That's how much she loves Jisoo. She dated a few men and alphas but she never considered anyone for marriage. Both their parents love them so much that they accepted their decisions without any question.
Chaeyoung never left her side. She stayed with her through the ups and downs. She's always the first one to know whenever Jisoo and Jennie argue. She's Jisoo's drinking buddy. She's always that 'one call away friend' that everyone wishes to have. Her feelings for Jisoo never changed. She's not hopeful but she knows that one day, her feelings will vanish like thin air. After all, if they are not really meant to be, then they're not.