The Price of Love

Chapter 45: I Can't

Jin

I remember falling to my knees. I remember feeling tears roll down my cheeks. I don't remember if I said anything at that moment.

At some point, the guys must have pulled me up and sat me on the couch. A glass of water was shoved into my hand.

"Take a sip," someone instructed me. "Just breathe slowly."

"I knew it," I kept saying. "I knew it. I told you all. I told you."

Namjoon was the first to speak up. He sat next to me.

"Yes, you told us," he said. "I should've believed you. I'm truly sorry."

"We're all sorry," someone else repeated.

I took a drink of water and set the glass down on the table.

"Why is she doing this?" I asked softly.

Jimin sat on the edge of the table and turned to me.

"This is what I know. She fell in love with a guy in one of her classes, but he was completely unacceptable to her father because he's not from an influential family. She thought if her father knew she was pregnant, he might let them be together," Jimin explained. "However, her father said that if she were to ever mention that boy again, he would have him removed permanently, which she took to mean, well, something horrible. I can't believe he meant he'd off him."

I nodded. "Knowing Gettis, that's exactly what he meant."

"She thinks so, too," Jimin continued. "So when her father mentioned Kim Worldwide, she got the idea of getting you to sleep with her and claiming the baby was yours. Except..."

I inhaled. "Except I didn't sleep with her, and I already had a girlfriend whom I had no intention of leaving."

"So Fiona made sure that Bella would leave you instead," Namjoon said.

"This is like a TV drama," Hoseok chimed in.

I leaned my head back. "I'd ask Joon to write a novel, but it's too unbearable for me right now. I'm not going to be a father, but I lost the woman I love. What do I do now?"

"First, you have to cancel the wedding," Yoongi's voice sounded muffled. I looked up and saw him peek out from under the covers on my bed. "Sorry. I was just resting a bit."

"Yes," Hoseok added a bit too cheerfully. "You just need to cancel the wedding then get your life back."

Taehyung nodded. "You've already been through so much, and none of it was your fault. You and Bella deserve to be happy. Don't let Fiona Gettis ruin your life."

Jimin frowned. "Yeah, bro, just expose her lie. No one will blame you for calling off the wedding. People need to know how she set you up because she was too much of a coward. I know she was afraid, but she had no right to ruin other people's lives."

I stared at him, surprised that he seemed to be supporting me.

Hoseok nodded. "Once everyone knows the truth, you couldn't possibly be blamed for not marrying her. There's a breakfast party tomorrow for you two. Before it starts, you have to make the announcement."

I remained silent for a moment then shook my head. "No. I can't."

"You can't what?" Namjoon asked, confusion written across his face.

"I can't expose her and leave her to her father's mercy," I said.

"That's her problem," Jimin snapped. "She lied to you, to everyone. She made your life hell. She broke Bella's heart. If I hadn't found out the truth, you'd be married to her in 48 hours."

I leaned forward, my elbows on my knees and covered my face with my hands. "I can't just announce it like that."

"What?" several voices exclaimed.

"I can't leave her. I don't know what Gettis will do to her. He threatened someone's life," I replied. "He has threatened many lives already, mine included. If I announce that the child isn't mine, I may get out of the wedding, but I won't escape the consequences of humiliating his family. I can't simply call it off."

"You can't be serious!" Jimin shrieked. "You're going to marry her? Are you crazy? What about Bella? Or did you just forget about her already?"

"Maybe Seokjin's right," Yoongi exhaled, sitting up on the bed. "He can't expose her in front of all those people and risk her father's anger toward her." He looked at me. "Will her father really carry out his threats?"

I nodded. "Fred Gettis has known criminal connections. KWI will be over. Hopefully, he wouldn't hurt his own daughter, but that boy she loves will be as good as dead. Even if he finds out Fiona is pregnant with the guy's child, that won't save him. It won't save..." I let my voice trail away as I thought about who else would suffer.

"That's all very unfortunate," Namjoon began, "but it's not your fault, bro. You can still try to help her, but I don't think marrying her is the right decision. That would be the worst decision ever. I'm not saying to humiliate her in front of everybody or even to leave her at the altar, but there must be another way to deal with this that doesn't involve marrying a woman you clearly don't love." He paused. "This isn't some weird Stockholm syndrome twist, is it? You don't love her, do you?"

I took a deep breath. "Of course I don't, Joon. It's not about that. I just don't have anything to use against Fred Gettis. I've looked everywhere to try and tie him to something criminal, but he hides his tracks well. If I don't marry his daughter, not only will he get rid of Fiona's boyfriend, he will ruin KWI, and that would essentially kill my father. I can't have so many people's doom on my hands." I looked him in the eye. "You know what I mean." He blinked and looked down. "I can't do that."

"Stop with the I can't. What about Bella?" Jimin asked, his voice hard. "You're just throwing her away?"

What could I say? I knew how much I loved her, how much I would always love her, but I couldn't see a way out of this. I knew I would never endanger her or her family. Gettis' wrath could be too much for me to handle. I had never felt so helpless, so powerless before. Only Namjoon and Taehyung knew about Gettis' threats to Bella and her parents, but I had sworn them to secrecy. I got to my feet and captured each of their glances to remind them to keep quiet about what they knew.

I inhaled. "Bella is a strong, smart woman. She...will be fine. I will make sure of it. She'll be taken care of."

Before I could say another word, Jimin flew at me and connected his fist to my jaw. I swayed comically on my feet before falling and blacking out.