ENCHANTED

17

"Finally you've arrived after all has been done and gone." Some old relatives of yours sarcastically comment. You could never understand how they could behave in such a way at such a time.

"Jungkook" You called his name as he stood amidst all the gathered people.

"Where are the children?" You asked him but he gave no response as he sat listlessly staring out the huge window.

"Jungkook where are the children?" A woman tried to get you outside but you didn't budge. He signed towards the left side with his hand and you ran from there to the other room on the right.

His daughter Ria was now eight and looked exactly like Dahyun. Chubby and genius you'd heard all about her love for cooking and studying from your mother before they stopped contacting you.

His son Ye jun was sleeping which showed he must've not understood the situation. You'd never seen him before only heard of a confirmation when Dahyun tested positive for pregnancy three years ago. He was so small to be facing such tragedy. He looked exactly like Jungkook no one could ever question his blood.

Ria sat numb on the bed crying while trying to keep quiet. It disturbed you that the children had been left time.
You went ahead and hugged her pulling her to your chest. She cried harder as you held her. You didn't say anything to her at the moment and allowed her to pour out her emotions.

"Please don't wake Ye jun" She asked you as you looked at him when she pulled back from you.

"Oh no I won't honey."

"He doesn't understands what has happened" she told you.

"Does he knows me?"

"Yes he does. Mom used to show us pictures of you and her."

"Ria baby I know the situation has come upon all of us so suddenly."

"I know... I've to take care of him. I will miss her but I'll learn to live without her"

"Oh my little girl I'm so sorry you're being forced to grow up so fast. You gotta trust me I'll be right here. I won't leave you kids now that I'm here."

"Dad is not talking. Not even a word. He's not eating or sleeping or drinking water either. Please tell him we need him." She tells you and you feel like your heart is being grinded with a rock.

"Honey can you just stay here for me for a while? I'll be back. I'll talk with your dad." You ask her and she nods sitting back near her brother.

You walk back to the room where about ten people loom over Jungkook while he stays unresponsive and you ask them all to shift aside.

"You should stay away. He's going to answer me on what he did to my daughter..." Mrs Eun pushes you aside when you stand near the chair on which Jungkook sits.

"Mom..." You stare her at how she's behaving.

"No you don't get to say anything. You ruined your own marriage with your own hands. You were away and you don't know anything. I'm sure this man killed my daughter because she refused the deal."

"The idea of that deal was aborted years ago how are you bringing this up again? Dahyun died of natural causes. Her postpartum reports clearly stated that she had a cardiac arrest."

"You really think a healthy woman her age would die of a cardiac arrest."

"Even 15 year old are dying of heart attacks. I heard about how that pregnancy was so hard for her. And it was all because you forced her to try again for a boy."

"You couldn't even make one."

"I saw your true nature in these past few years. Just because I'm not your own blood you didn't even care for me. All that Jaesung promised me was a lie and then still I managed with him but then what did he do to me. He ruined my whole damn life by that allegation."

"And you've the audacity to lie and step here in this house. You ruined our reputation all our respect in this society. You fled away to another country from the country you were living one doing God knows what there. We should've known that no matter what blood remains thicker than water. After all you turned out just like your birth parents."

"And what did you do? You'd two daughters too, why did you bug Dahyun so much?"

"And you don't know what I went through. Don't pretend like you don't know. I had three abortions after Dahyun but then I had to get my uterus removed and it wasn't possible anymore. Let's not talk about it..." She said wiping her tears.

"Even that one child I did produce is now gone because of this man right here. He could never truly keep her happy. He used her for money and fame. Why did you kill her tell me? Why did you kill...." Jungkook was almost out of his senses and didn't say anything to defend himself. No matter he closed his eyes or kept them open the incident kept replaying itself in his mind again and again and again in an endless infinite loop.

"After you come back I've got a surprise for you" Dahyun said as Jungkook went to the bus stop with his children holding their hands and they kept chattering with each other.

"Little one or big one"

"Can't measure it like that" he was left confused by her words and kept pondering over what it could possibly be.

When he came back he found her sitting on the sofa rubbing her chest feeling pain.

"Hey are you okay?"

"I guess it's just gas or nausea or something..."

"What can I do?"

"I'm telling you it's nothing it's just because I'm..." She stuttered on her words as Jungkook had his hand on her back sitting beside her. He rubbed her back when she suddenly collapsed and he held her from falling down in her arms. She wasn't breathing and he kept holding her lifeless in his arms.

"Hey Dahyun... honey look at me... Dahyun..." he shook her pouring water on her face from the bottle in front of him.

"No... no... no..." he shouted trying to give her mouth to mouth cpr and pumping her chest but it was of no use. Her body felt heavy like a rock and he held her closely for one last time.

"Dahyun I love you... I love you Dahyun please. I loved you..." he had said finally accepting that she had left him and never actually got to hear this from him. They both came close and had an affinity for each other yet they never expressed their feelings but now he realised how wrong he had been all his life about his perceptions of everything.

"You can't blame him. He tried his best you don't have any idea all that he did just for Dahyun. You don't know anything at all. We never let you know anything just so that you all could be happy. He gave his name to a child who was not his own and loved her like his own. He sacrificed his own one true love just to keep Dahyun happy. He gave her another child when he wasn't even ready for it just so she could find peace. And I know even now he'll do his best to raise his children well."

"How do you know all of this huh? You went away continents away from all of us..."

"Because he sacrificed me and I did for him just so that Dahyun wouldn't have to suffer nor her child in that condition. I was the first one to know of her pregnancy and I know it was much before she had met him. For the sake of goodness don't blame this man."

"Let's see what he will do now..."

"And what are you all doing? The children are sitting there in such a devastating state hungry, sleepless, alone and you're here blaming nature's decision on others instead of looking after them."

"You should leave. You are a disgrace to our family anyways."

"No I'm not going to. I'm not leaving those children. Not in this life."

"Please don't leave" you heard Jungkook say in his heavy, broken voice.