LITTLE ONES || NA JAEMIN

*CHAPTER 43

"Mrs. Choi Jinhee, you and your husband are under arrest on suspicion of the murder of Mr. Lee Hangyeol. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court." One of the men in uniform stated, shoving Jinhee to the side. His bony fingers clasped on her arms tightly, restricting her from moving too much.

"What murder? I know nothing about any murder." Through her perfect teeth came the lie, smooth and easy like butter melting over a heated pan. Batting her lashes repeatedly, she loudly gasped as if hit by a bolt.

"Will you stop with your lies already?" Jaemin yelled in anger. His chest rose and fell unevenly, the intensity of his rage switching on his primitive self. Balling his fists, he glowered at her with cynical eyes.

"I'm not lying. I did not do anything." She yelled back, glaring at Jaemin. Strokes of hatred lingered in her cruel eyes, momentarily before she sucked it all in.

"Your husband has confessed to all his crimes."

As the words registered in Jinhee's mind, her world came crumbling down. Fear coated her skin, and she trembled at the thought of not being able to visit the salon for her hair or the mall for new dresses.

A deep exhale escaped his lips, and Jaemin closed his eyes to calm his raging nerves down. As he suppressed his anger, his rational self came crawling in, and so did all his repressed feelings. Mixed emotions swirled in his iris- sadness, hatred, bitterness as it consumed him whole.

"Why?" Jaemin whispered, voice breaking at the sheer intensity of his overwhelming emotions. His emotional volcano was in full swing, ready to erupt any moment.

"Why, you ask?" Jinhee spat as rage filled her belly. Ears as hot as the lowest depths of hell and face red with overflowing anger- she seethed at Jaemin for her misfortunes. Bitterness filled her heart, and she scoffed loudly, rolling her eyes.

"Because I hated him. I still do. People labeled him as the devoted husband, the loving father. And me? I was always the bad wife, the cruel mother because I wanted to have a better life. But he was the real devil in the story. He acted all righteous and polite, but I knew him better than anyone."

"He was nothing but a goody-two-shoes. 'Jinhee, life is not always about money.' 'Jinhee, family is all that matters.' 'Jinhee, money doesn't buy one happiness.' blah blah blah. He made my life miserable. I just wanted a luxurious life- to be able to buy anything I wanted to, go to fancy places for dinner, or go on a vacation without worrying about expenses. I wanted money, and he was getting in my way. So I killed him."

Her eyes hinted no memory of regret, and her voice held no sign of any guilt- just pure hatred. It consumed every fiber of her being, feeding off her humane side as she walked through the devil's path.

"When did you become this monster?" Tears streamed down Jaemin's cheeks as he let all his emotions loose. His heart ached with sorrow, the wishful ember called 'hope' dying with the cold howling wind.

"Did you not love him one bit? Were you always filled with so much hatred?" He forcefully wiped the tears with the back of his hand, all of his lingering faith lost. Despair set in his chest, crushing him with new pain.

"And the children. What wrong did they do for you to be so full of resentment towards them? Was it fun watching your own kids, your flesh and blood suffer? Did you get a buzz of superiority when they cried for common human decency? Why did you hurt them? Why?"

"They are not my kids. They are that Lee Hangyeol's children. Do not associate me with them. I only took them back because I wanted Hangyeol's insurance money."

Her robotic voice sent a chill run down Jaemin's spine, her dead eyes making him nauseous. Her cruelty and twisted logic disgusted him, and he faced away- her face making him sick. "Please, take her away." 

The ending to this ff is near. Might finish it by this month. But can't really promise because I'll be moving back to the dorms next month, back to university.

Working on the last few chapters. Thank you for the 28k reads. I love you all🥺❤️