𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐙𝐘

14

Bora's penetrating stare pressed into Alex, wanting an answer to quell her suspicions. Bora's mistrust was quite apparent, and Alex felt pressure to prove herself.

Bora's tone was accusatory, suggesting a history of pursuit that Alex found hard to reconcile with her motives. "You were always after Jimin," she said. It was a scathing comment that raised doubts about Alex's genuine intentions and placed doubt on their connection.

Bora said, "You smiled at him often like you liked him," her remarks like darts directed against Alex's moral character. Bora's interpretation seemed to have tarnished the memory of those grins, which had formerly been harmless expressions of camaraderie.

Bora confessed, "At least that's what I thought," exposing the breadth of her presumptions and the vulnerability of her confidence. Alex found it upsetting to realise that someone she thought was a friend had interpreted her intentions so completely wrong.

"Your eyes were always on him," her charge echoing in Alex's ears like an unending loop. It was a harsh accusation, implying an obsessional level that Alex was unable to square with her own sense of reality.

Alex felt her heart speed as she plucked up the strength to address Bora's charges directly. She said, "No, Bora, you're completely wrong," her voice quivering a little with passion. "I wasn't after Jimin romantically; I wanted to be close to him to gather evidence for you."

Her words lingered in the atmosphere, heavy with her hidden burden. Alex had kept her views to herself for far too long, fearing the consequences of speaking the truth, except now because Bora was not believing her, she realised she had no choice except to reveal the true nature of her plans.

"It all began when I noticed Jimin behaving strangely," Alex said, her voice becoming steadier as she recalled the most obscure details of her past. "My heart fell as I witnessed him walking hand in hand with another girl. I found it uncomfortable, considering how much you trusted him."

Bora listened closely to Alex's confession, and her attitude softened somewhat, a flash of understanding appearing in her eyes. With increasing intensity, Alex said, "I knew something was wrong. So, when I saw him heading to the girl's house one day, I made a split-second decision to follow him."

Her pulse thumped in her chest remembering the exhilarating thrill of following Jimin, every move clouded in secrecy and fear of being found out. She said, her voice laced with relief, "Thankfully, my parents were with me. But I couldn't stay there for long, not with the risk of being caught."

She could not shake the memory of that tragic day, which served as a continual reminder of the risks she had to take in her pursuit of the truth. "I knew I had to find concrete evidence," Alex said, sounding a little hesitant as she recalled the crucial exchange between her and Jimin. "So, one day, I tried to send myself videos and pictures from his phone."

Her spine tingled at the thought of Jimin's violent outburst, a vivid reminder of the perils she had encountered while seeking justice. With a pained tone, she went on, "But before I could gather any evidence, Jimin confronted me. He almost broke my arm when he realised I was trying to access his gallery."

She couldn't shake the image of that violent fight, which served as a sobering reminder of Jimin's deceitfulness and his willingness to go to great measures to keep his secrets hidden. Alex said, her voice quivering with unadulterated emotion. "And I knew I had to tread carefully around him from that moment on."

As Bora took in the enormity of Alex's disclosures, a heavy quiet descended upon the room and her confession lingered in the air. "That's it," Alex said, her voice hardly audible over a sigh. "That's the truth of it all."

Alex felt a wave of comfort pass over her as she waited for Bora to respond. She had finally let go of the secrets she had concealed for so long, exposing the reality to her. All she could do now was hope that Bora would accept her story and see how devoted and faithful she was.

Alex felt exposed to Bora's questioning, her well-planned justifications collapsing beneath the weight of Bora's doubts. "No, Alex, it doesn't make sense," Bora said, her voice laced with annoyance. "How do you know Jimin was acting abnormally, in your opinion? How are you aware of his typical behaviour? Remember that I am more familiar with him than you are?"

Bora questioned her hard, and Alex's thoughts raced trying to come up with a good response. She was aware that her observations would not be sufficient to persuade Bora of the truth; instead, she would want more tangible evidence that would unquestionably demonstrate Jimin's dishonesty.

With a genuine feeling in her voice, Alex said, "It's because he deceived me, Bora. He has my pictures and videos too."

Bora's shocked expression conveyed the seriousness of Alex's disclosure as her eyes became wide. At that point, the jigsaw pieces started to fit together, revealing Jimin's treachery and deceit terrifyingly.

Alex's revelation weighed heavily in the air, serving as a concrete reminder of the darkness that concealed their ostensibly perfect connection. For an excessive amount of time, Alex was the only one bearing the weight of Jimin's dishonesty, with his lying following her everywhere.

"Jimin and I were Instagram friends." The weight of her confession weighed thick in the air as Alex split her heart to Bora. As Alex shared the traumatic details of her previous connection with Jimin, Bora listened in horrified silence. The information exposed the depths of Jimin's duplicity and manipulation, slicing through the façade of kindness and devotion that he had previously portrayed.

"He declared his love for me. I believed him." With a hint of bitterness in her voice, Alex said, "I loved him too. " It was an agonising revelation, proof of the helplessness she'd experienced under Jimin's deceptive assurances.

Alex said, "He was too sweet, obsessed with me," her words belying her treachery. What had formerly been seen as Jimin's unwavering pursuit as evidence of his commitment was now a terrifying reminder of the evil that hid under his surface.

"But later on, I only knew what he wanted from me," Alex said, regretting and shaking her voice. Alex narrated, "It all happened three years ago," in a voice weighed down by the passage of time. Her thoughts were plagued by the memories of that terrible day, a painful reminder of the wounds that still plagued her.

"He unintentionally sent me a picture of myself in my pants," Alex said, her voice trailing off. It served as a sharp reminder of the violation she had experienced at Jimin's hands and a moment of bare vulnerability.

"I cut all ties and broke up with him," Alex said in a resolute and loud voice. It was an act of bravery and fortitude, a determination to no longer allow Jimin's trickery to imprison her.

"I have a boyfriend now, and he loves me more than anything," Alex said, her tone becoming softer as she expressed herself. It served as a ray of hope amid the shadow of her history and a monument to the healing power of love.

"I swear, if he comes here, Jimin would be dead in his hands," Alex said with a steely conviction in her voice. It was a forewarning, a vow of revenge for all the hurt and anguish Jimin had caused her.

With a voice full of sadness, Alex bemoaned, "It is my fate that I came to the same place where Jimin lives." It served as a harsh reminder that she would never really be able to move on from her past.

"I am simply attempting to forget everything, Bora," Alex said, her voice trailing off into melancholy. It was an indignant scream for forgiveness and a way out of the bonds of her history.

"But you know what?" Alex went on, anguish rippling through her voice. "I couldn't believe he was still keeping all my pictures with him."

"At the same moment that I unintentionally received mine, I also received another photo. It was yours. Remember that, this happened three years ago." Alex said again, anguish shaking in her voice. Bora, her heart thumping in her chest, listened carefully, aware of the seriousness of what she was saying.

"As if it was captured during your outfit change," Alex said, her voice becoming progressively softer. The realisation sent shockwaves through Bora's body like a tonne of bricks. She felt violated and dreadful at the idea that Jimin had violated her privacy in this way.

"I don't think you are aware of that picture," Alex worriedly said. It served as a sobering reminder of the perils that might lurk in the shadows and the darkness that can underlie even the most innocent of relationships.

Alex said, "It was taken from a long distance, but it was very clear as I could see your face," her words lingered in the atmosphere like an ominous mist. Bora's mind raced, trying to process everything and come to terms with the truth of what Alex had just disclosed.

"That was why I came to you to talk on the very first day!"