𝐌𝐀𝐅𝐈𝐀'𝐒 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄 | 𝐉𝐉𝐊

27

Jungkook didn't come home last night.

The morning is eerily quiet, the kind of silence that seeps into the bones, heavy and suffocating.

Bae brought my breakfast to the library, but it sits untouched on my plate, the scent of warm eggs and herbs turning my stomach.

I have no appetite. Not after last night.

Not after the way he looked at me.

The memory replays in my mind, sharp and unforgiving-the cold detachment in Jungkook's eyes, the way he slammed the door in my face, like I had committed some unforgivable crime.

I grip the fork in my hand, my fingers tightening around the cool metal before I drop it, letting it clang against the plate, and return to my painting.

I don't understand him.

When he suggested I spend time with yeonjun instead, it felt like a slap in the face.

Like I was something to be passed off, discarded.

But then, later that night, he came into my room-his touch soft, reverent as he brushed a strand of hair from my face.

Gentle. Loving. A stark contrast to the man who had abandoned me just moments before.

Who is my husband, really?

The hot and cold nature of his affections unravel me. One moment, he looks at me like I am something precious, something worthy.

Then the next, he turns away as if I'm a mistake he regrets making.

I don't know which version of him is real.

I swallow hard, forcing the lump down my throat, blinking against the sting in my eyes.

I was raised to be a good wife.

Stay silent. Pay attention. Be helpful. Never challenge. Never overshadow.

But with Jungkook , I had hoped for more.

I had hoped for kindness. For patience .For something that could, one day, become love.

But hope is a dangerous thing, and I fear mine is wasting away.

Because how long can I keep waiting for a man who holds me close only to push me away again?

How long before I become just another ghost in his life?

My stomach turns again, but this time from anger.

I never signed up to be bullied by my own husband.

Our marriage was arranged for the sake of our families, but I am still a person.

A woman with feelings. And I deserve respect.

I will demand it. Tonight.

But for now, I force my focus elsewhere.