Unconditionally (BOOK 3)

Stubborn Boy

Wooyoung's POV:

"Wooyoung, look at me." San pleaded.

I feel paralyzed. Completely numb. It's like I have no control over anything anymore. The one thing I've kept hidden for over a year - I tell Hyunjin and somehow it blows up in my face.

"I can't do this." I whispered, blankly staring at the floor.

"Can't do what? Wooyoung, just talk to me." San kneeled in front of me, trying everything he can to get answers. At this point, it's not that I feel the need to hide it; it's that if I tell him, I'll be reliving the worst moment of my life. "Can't what? Can't be with me anymore?" I slowly shook my head. "Wooyoung, please." He begged, holding my hands in his. "We can get through this, just tell me what happened." I shook my head again.

He folded his arms on my lap and rested his head down, finally giving up. My heart shattered once I heard him struggling to fight back tears. But he should know he can't be with someone like me. Not anymore. He deserves better.

"I'm sorry."

"Please don't leave me." He silently cried. He lifted his head up to reveal his tear stained cheeks, almost getting to me. Almost. "We'll get through it, I promise. I love you so much, just please don't leave."

"It happened last year." Hopefully that's enough for him to realize why I'm making this choice. It's not like this just happened last week, it happened months ago. I've kept this secret and brought it with me into our marriage.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Maybe if I tell him everything, he'll get angry enough to leave on his own.

"Because I knew you'd leave me."

"Except now I do know and I'm the one trying to stay with you. You're the one trying to leave me!"

"But you deserve someone better. I'm a lying piece of shit cheater who can't even defend himself."

"Wooyoung, which one is it? Did you cheat or were you assaulted?"

I needed to think about this carefully. If I lie and say I cheated, he'll definitely leave.

"I...cheated."

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that."

"I can't."

"Because you fucking suck at lying when you actually want me to know the truth." He sat on the bed and pulled me onto his lap, holding me tight as he cried. Being in the place I feel safest made me sick. I didn't deserve this type of love and security. "I'll leave in the morning so you can have time to think this through if that's what you really want. Just know I love you so much. I wish I could've done more. I wish I could've protected you. I'm so sorry, Wooyoung, I'm so so sorry."

"How could you possibly love me after hearing what I did?"

"Because you're my everything, I can't live without you. And you didn't fucking do this, don't ever say that."

Memories of being forced down on a desk started to haunt me the same way they do every day. I remember screaming in pain, calling for help. I never understood why no one came. But after hearing what happened with Felix, it all makes sense. This is a standard practice for that man and everyone around him knows it. I was just another one of his successful victims.

"You need to learn how." I was surprised I had more tears left in me.

"No." He refused. "You can't leave me."

"Why?"

"Because you promised." His voice sounded so small as he continued to cry. "You said we'd be together forever, remember?"