Decoupled • KTH ✔

Chapter 41

Taehyung

"Maya," my hand strokes her bare back as I plant a kiss on the top of her head. "There's something that I have to tell you," my words hang in the air for a while before Maya lifts her head, resting her hands on my chest.

"I have to tell you something too, but that can wait. I've actually been waiting to hear from you. Something big has been troubling you, isn't it?" She speaks in a calm and unhurried voice, but it feels to me as if she just saw the demons dancing within me.

"Jang-Mi wants a divorce," my voice comes out as a hoarse whisper.

Maya's eyes go wide before she stirs in bed and sits up, and I do the same.

"What do you mean? What led up to this?" She asks as she fastens the bedsheet around her chest, and her question pulls the last strings that were keeping my emotions together.

"A few days ago, I got caught when I left my phone at home by mistake"

"We got caught," she corrects me very calmly, making my eyes land on her, and I nod in agreement.

"She read our chats, and worse still, she even saw the videos that we shared the other day," my head lowers in shame.

"Shit!" Maya's eyes widen, and she sounds shocked. "But honestly, were you expecting to never get caught? I had a nagging feeling that she always knew you were upto something," She adds, making my blood freeze.

I absently nod my head a few times.

"She said that too, and she left the house with Areum. Yesterday, she asked me to meet her at the attorney's office for a divorce through mediation," my voice lowers with each word I speak.

"Oh," Maya nibbles on her lower lip, nodding. "How did it go?" She asks, knowing fully well that it isn't the end of my rant.

"I didn't agree to the terms of separation..."

"Okay," she nods in understanding.

"She wants to have custody over Areum after our separation, and I don't approve of that"

"Why is that so?" Maya tilts her head to one side and casts me a look, the meaning of which I'm unable to decipher.

"What do you mean why? I can't be without my daughter," I fight back, using my words to stop my tears from falling.

"She's Jang-Mi's daughter too, Taehyung. And Jang-Mi has spent all her life as a mother to just raise Areum into whoever she is today. How do you think she can survive without her daughter? And what are you looking for? Full custody over Areum?" Maya crosses her arms under her chest as she fires her attack on me.

"But, Maya, she can't support her financially. It will not work right. No!" I shake my head, pushing all my hair out of my forehead using both my hands. "I won't ever give up on Areum, and I at least want shared custody"

Maya exhales before she begins speaking,
"Taehyung, you need to understand that financial support isn't everything. Absolutely not. You probably wouldn't even know where you have been lacking as a husband unless you ask her that. And about the divorce, I cannot decide anything for you, and I cannot tell you who Areum should live with. It is up to you both to make a decision," she says quite coolly, and I'm surprised and speechless because yet again, she has spoken the naked truth.

She's right. She doesn't get to decide about Areum's custody.

I remain silent while contemplating how to handle the whole situation, and Maya speaks up again.

"Can I ask you something, Taehyung?"

My eyes flicker to look at her as I nod silently.

Maya lets out a long breath with her eyes closed, and then she opens them to look at me.