The Arrangement | Taejin ✔️

Twenty-Five

"I am not trying to argue with you. I have never argued with you." Jin expressed that while his husband got into the car and slammed the door.

"Really? You're going to sit here and say that, when that's the only thing you've done since we left the doctor's office? Then, as if all of that wasn't bad enough, you are missing your wedding ring! The level of your disrespect continues to amaze me." Taehyung's voice raised as he continued to look at Jin in a state of disbelief.

Jin took a deep breath but said nothing; he felt done with everything. He felt exhausted just being around Taehyung.

"We are going home, and you are putting that ring on, and if you ever take it off again-"

"I am not."

"You better not!" Taehyung yelled and turned on the vehicle.

When Jin realized that his husband had misunderstood what he had said, he took a few moments to talk to him in a level-headed way. "Taehyung, I don't believe you understand; when I said "I am not," I meant that I won't put the ring back on."

As Taehyung was about to pull out of the parking space, he suddenly slammed his foot down on the brake, and his head snapped around to look in Jin's direction as he asked, "what did you say?"

Jin wrapped his arms around his stomach as he spoke, and as he looked down, he said, "you say I am being disrespectful toward our marriage when in truth that's what you are doing, but you don't want to admit it, and instead you want to blame me for your wrongdoings.

You have said in the past that Jimin was the reason for our decision to be married, and it is true. Because of this, the actual coming together of the two of us was never really that meaningful because it was never about the two of us getting together; it was always about Jimin. I have accomplished a good deal of what has been asked of me and even more, and I do a good job of taking care of our children. I have also never once disrespected our marriage."

Jin took a moment to pause and swallow as he thought more about his words before he spoke again. He had a lot going through his mind, which was not easy for him.

"Having said that, now that it is common knowledge that you have been cheating and I have had some time to reflect on it, I believe that I have given you a lot of respect for someone who does not care for either Jimin or myself. As a result, I no longer believe it is appropriate for me to continue wearing a wedding band that has no significance to either of us.

I hope you can comprehend my thoughts and recognize that I am not being rude when I say this to you; rather, I am only expressing how I truly feel. I will not, under any circumstances, put that ring back on as long as you continue to behave the way you do, and I will not enable you to pressure me to wear it or put up with being forced to do so."

When Jin finally shared his thoughts and feelings with Taehyung, he felt like a burden had been removed.

Taehyung's jaw was tense as he shut off the vehicle and leaned back in his seat.

"I don't understand you, Seokjin. I really don't." Taehyung rubbed his hand across his forehead as he tried to make sense of Jin's words.

"What don't you understand?"

"I don't see why you're going ahead and making decisions like that without consulting me. You said you would give me another chance to resolve things, and now, while I am attempting to fix things, you are taking the wedding ring off your finger and talking like this? And at what point did our commitment to one another lose all significance?

When will you get it through your thick skull that I never consented to marry you because of Jimin and that he is not my child? When will you get it through your thick skull? Huh?