Bond Made in Hell || A TAEJIN STORY || Arranged Marriage

42

Jin

I walk with loud, quick steps down the hallway leading to Jungkook's office.

My head is pounding and the wind whistling past my ears.

I feel angry, angrier than I have ever felt before. Rage and confusion melt into one, coupled with disgust and an intense desire to crush Jungkook under the very soles of my feet.

I received several curious looks and concerned questions from the employees, inquiring after my health and that of Taehyung's (they must have heard the news on the TV or in the papers) when I first walked into the building and on the way here, and I ignored them all. My sole purpose of coming here was Jungkook, and Jungkook alone. I do not have any more ties to this industry: I shall finish my business with him and leave, immediately.

I finally reach the wooden oak door reading 'Jeon Jungkook, C.E.O' on its front, and take several deep breaths, swallowing my anger, pushing it down as far as it can go. Then I push the door open, but evidently a little too hard, because it practically swings open on its hinges, making a loud banging noise. I stride inside, stopping only briefly to slam the door shut behind me, and stare with searing eyes at the man sitting at the desk in front of me.

I have not seen him in so long, and now when I finally see him, all I feel is anger: hot, boiling anger from deep inside of me.

His eyes land on me almost at once, and he gets up immediately. He is just as neat and polished as ever: not a wrinkle out of place in his pressed uniform, hair styled neatly into bangs pulled across the forehead. A few months ago the face of this very man would make my heart beat, now it only makes me want to rip mine out, regret ever giving it to him in the first place.

Jungkook smiles at me, extending his arms out. 'Seokjin, it is indeed a surprise- a very welcome one, might I add- I had heard of your recovery-'

'Why did you do it?' I cry out, striding with long steps across the room and halting across his desk, looking at him with searing eyes. 'Why did you do something like that, how did you even think to? Do you think something like that would have persuaded me to- I don't know -fall in love- with you?'

He looks at me, apparently oblivious. 'Do what?'

'You know very well what I'm talking about,' I bite my lip, suppressing the urge to grit my teeth. 'You paying the medical fees for Taehyung's treatment and mine- when you knew very well I was perfectly capable of doing it myself.'

His smile doesn't leave his face, as his hands come up to straighten his collar, my eyes following his every movement, not with love or lust, as they might have a long time ago, but pure, sheer hatred.

'Seokjin,' he says, and he sounds almost coaxing, his voice dripping with honey, 'come on, you surely do not think that-'

'Yes, I do. Ordinarily I would have thanked you, thanked you profusely, while I was at it, because I am not an ungrateful man. But when someone like you- someone who kissed me without my consent a few weeks back- who is no longer my co-worker anymore, as I made it very clear in the letter I addressed to you a few days ago- chooses to do something like that, bring the burden of paying for the medical treatment of me and my husband upon himself, do you not think it is reasonable enough for me to doubt him?'

The look on Jungkook's face hardens, and he suddenly leans forward, his hands landing on my shoulders. I immediately try to shrug him off, but his stance is rigid, his hands immovable as steel.

'Maybe what you say is true, Seokjin,' he says, and his eyes bore directly into mine. 'Maybe I did it out of obligatory purposes- maybe I did not. Maybe I did it, indeed, because I wanted you to know how much I cared for you. How much I care for you, how much I can continue to care for you, unlike your husband. How I can be a much better man for you than Kim Taehyung is- because I love you. And I missed you, Seokjin. All those days you were gone, Seokjin....' he pauses, his voice breaking, 'I missed you, I missed you like crazy. Your absence- it affected me like nothing has ever affected me before. I wanted you. And then I got the news of your accident, and-'

His hands tighten on my shoulders, and I stare at him as the mask drops, tears pooling in his eyes and running in rivers down his cheeks. Previously, I might have been moved, but now I look at him with a cold, unflinching gaze.

'Mr Jeon....' I put my hands on top of his and remove them off my shoulders, returning them to the desk and stepping a little further away, 'you need not continue. I understand how you feel, but what you must understand also is that I do love my husband. I love Kim Taehyung. I know I hadn't told you before, but I'm telling you, now. I love him immeasurably. He will be my beloved husband, always and forever. And nobody can replace him. Not you, not anyone.'

His eyes lift to meet mine, and there is a strange look in them- poisonous, filled with rage, rage I have had yet to see in him. Previously, I might flinched, backed away, apologised; but now I only stare back coolly, impassionately, emotionlessly.

'Forever?' He whispers, and his voice is suddenly venomous. 'Forever, you say? You sure about that, Seokjin? You sure your precious husband is going to wake up with his memories intact? You sure he'll even remember you when he comes out of his coma? You sure he'll remember the memories you shared- the love you shared- anything at all?'

A hot shudder runs through me, and I run forward, grabbing hold of his collar and bringing my face close to his.

'Never,' I say, through trembling lips and short, hissing breaths, 'say that again, Jeon Jungkook. Never say anything like that about Taehyung again. Never take his name from your lips- you don't deserve to. Don't you dare.'

And with that, I push him roughly back into his chair, and put a hand into my pocket, taking a long thin blue envelope out.

'Here.' I throw it upon his desk. 'Here's the cheque that contains everything I owe you- the hospital fees, that and everything else included. I'll send someone by soon to get the required signatures for the annulment of our agreement. I'm not going to lie, Mr Jeon, when I arrived here in this building today, I had the slightest hope that what you had done for Taehyung and me had been out of the goodness of your heart and no other intention- however, as it seems, I was wrong. It was wonderful working with you- until it lasted, that is. Goodbye, Mr Jeon Jungkook- I hope your company grows in size and fame, and I hope you have a happy, healthy life, and I hope for the love of God that we never meet again.'

And with that, I walk out of the room, leaving him sitting at his desk, staring down at the blue envelope, alone.

I'm sorry this chapter took a bit too long to roll out. I used to think before that writing stories like these was easy: but I realized, it really is not. Every chapter you write is bound to influence the readers in a certain way: and while I love hearing your honest opinions on the story, sometimes it gets frustrating when the readers interpret the story in a way you didn't want them to, or often even in the exact opposite way. Of course as a writer there is nothing I can do to alter your direction of thinking, but it does mean I need to put in a certain amount of effort into such difficult scenarios to make them feel realistic, and at the same time stay true to the story. This is probably very confusing and weird to you, I'm just rambling at this point. Anyway, my apologies again, I'll try to be quicker with the next chapter, thank you! 💜