"just tell me....what the hell happened" Jaemin said, parking his car outside her house in the driveway and she turned to him slowly
"if I do...I'll drag you into this mess" she said and he sighed
"see? again with the secrets! you look fucking terrified of everyone around you Chaerin!" Jaemin shouted, in a caring manner, he wasn't trying to frighten her even further
"please just....do me a favour then and I'll tell you soon" she said and he nodded slowly
"keep haechan....far away from me" she said and he scoffed with a slight chuckle
"that boy is....so in love with you I dont.....think that's possible" Jaemin said making her heart clench in her chest
"he can't....be with me" she said, biting her lip.
"yeah well.....that's not going to stop him, and I can't either" Jaemin sighed, unlocking the child lock option in the car.
Chaerin stepped out with a sigh, mumbling a small thank you as she went up the stairs and into her house using the front door. stepping into a cold and lonely home.
almost immediately, the notification from her phone was heard and she looked at the two unopened messages.
unknown number: I see you're finally listening to me. you better keep it up otherwise the newspaper headlines will be saying 'Park Chaerin, the murderer'
kitty destroyer: i know i don’t have to tell you this but..i’m going on a date with soyeon. Not sure if you knew that...you guys don’t really talk anymore. Well, just thought you should know and hear it from me than someone else. Idk what happened between us but if you stopped seeing me because of soyeon's feelings for me then we can still be friends...right? Can’t we work this out?
biting her lower lip which was slightly quivering as she reread the message for the nth time, she turned off her phone and slid down the wall near the front door, hugging her knees closer to her chest. he was moving on. jaemin was wrong, clearly haechan wasn't as in love with her as she wished he was. but this was for the best...right?
but now she wasn't just heartbroken. she was scared. the trauma she once faced in middle school was now coming back and she was being painted as the villain. whoever this unknown person was, they knew something about her. something they never should have known.
letting out a few sobs which then turned into non stop cries, she was finally letting her emotions take over. completely letting herself break. she wasn't strong enough for this. she was tired of bottling it all up. she needed someone, anyone.
and as if god was answering all her prayers, the front door clicked open and she looked up to see a worried mark make his way towards her
"come here chae" Mark said with a slight whisper, bending down to her level before enveloping her in a bone crushing hug. he sat on the floor with her, allowing her hands to clutch tightly onto his shirt as she allowed the pain to take over. no words could describe her torment, only her cries.
"you're okay...I've got you...I'm right here" mark said softly, like he normally would. he would only comfort her when her parents would fight, but this time was different. she was another level of hurt and broken. he wanted to rip whoever caused her to be like this into shreds.
"Mark....I can't keep this a secret anymore!" she cried into his shoulder
"then tell me! I'm right here okay...just let it out. please just...tell me what's going on" Mark pleaded and she contemplated it, and he gave her time. all the time she needed.
"I think I'm....being blackmailed" she said making his eyes go wide, but he kept his reactions to a minimum, trying not to freak her out even more.
"what...what does that mean?" he asked and she sighed. taking her phone into her shaky hands, she unlocked it into the message app to show him the series of messages she was receiving.
mark took his time reading all of them, he was confused, angered but most of all terrified for her safety.
"me and....haechan kind of.....hooked up after you left. I was a mess and I was doing things I probably shouldn't have do-"
"you don't owe me and explanation" mark said making her go quiet
"do you hate me now?" she asked and he smiled slowly
"of course not, you're still the same Chaerin to me" he said, kissing her forehead comfortingly
"this person....knows about it and threatened to tell my parents about it. you know how much they care about their reputation mark....they might just send me away" she said and he nodded understanding her worries
"so this person made you....do all this in exchange for them not saying anything?" he asked and she nodded
"they want me to lead....you and jeno on" she said, nervously and mark surprisingly took her confession well. he wasn't angry at all. after all, desperate times call for desperate measures.
"what's this though?" he asked, looking at the last text and she let out a shaky breath
"turns out that... my fling with haechan wasn't the only secret they know about" she said and mark sighed
"what now?" he asked, taking her hand in his
"you need to promise me that....you won't think of me differen-"
"Chaerin. I have never and will never do that. like I said, you'll always be the Chaerin I know" he said and she took a shaky breath
"when....i was twelve, something happened in middle school. I was going through this whole 'I am better than everyone' phase because my parents constantly, constantly poured Gucci and Chanel over me" she said, rolling her own eyes at the story
"and everything was fine until....this one girl transferred to the school. Bae Hyesoo."
YOU ARE READING
Enemies With Benefits | Lee Haechan
Hayran Kurgu*currently re-editing* She was a fallen angel, and he helped her tear off her wings. A book in which Lee Haechan had fully corrupted Park Chaerin, the class president, and no one was going to stop them from continuing their secret affairs. "So what...
