Did We Love Each Other ✔️

Chapter 19

As soon as his fingers brushed her cheek, she let out a soft whimper of pain. The warmth in Taehyung's eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, dangerous glare.

"Did he hit you again?" Taehyung's voice was low and furious, his teeth gritted as he fought to contain his anger. She lowered her gaze, her heart sinking heavily in her chest. "I'm asking you," he pressed, his tone sharper, "did he slap you again?"

"It's... not new for him, bear," she murmured, her voice carrying the weight of too much pain. Still, she forced herself to mask it, not wanting to let the man she loved more than life itself see the depths of her hurt.

"He's been crossing the line more and more with each passing day. This time, I won't let it go... he's taking out the anger he can't unleash on me, and aiming it at you instead," Taehyung murmured, his voice low but steady as his hand gently caressed her cheek.

"I still can't escape from there that easily, Bear... you know he has my son with him. I can't just come with you..." Her voice trembled, and fresh tears slipped down her cheeks. Taehyung wiped them away tenderly, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

"I'm all alone, Tiger..." she whispered, her words barely audible, heavy with the weight of helplessness.

"Then what am I still doing here? Why did I come to meet you after pushing aside all my important work?" she stayed silent, lowering her gaze and biting her lip. Taehyung gently cupped her face, his voice soft yet steady. "You have me, eomma. And your bunny is still waiting there... waiting for your love, the love he never received from his own mother. He still loves you, eomma. Every day, he ends his night thinking about you-hoping that one day, you'll come to him like his own mother." He smiled faintly, his warm eyes holding hers.

She returned a bittersweet smile, but her heart ached. She thought of her bunny-the child she had always wanted to love and protect for the rest of her life. But that cruel man had thrown him away, ignoring her desperate pleas, even beating her when she tried to stop him. Still, she hadn't given up. She had placed her little one in an orphanage far enough to keep him safe, yet close enough that she could watch over him whenever her longing became too much to bear.

"I know, bear," she murmured, her voice heavy, "but the guilt is killing me... knowing I didn't try to save his mother when I could have. I wanted to accept my punishment-and I'm taking it with my whole heart." Her eyes dropped, clouded with deep regret.

"An unwanted punishment..." Taehyung's voice was flat, almost cold. His words made her sigh. "It's not your fault, eomma," he continued, softer now. "You didn't know anything at that time. You were just trapped in his dirty plan-you couldn't have imagined he was doing so much behind your back. It's not your fault. Bury that truth in your mind... and stop blaming yourself."

"My love for him made me blind... so blind that I ignored her pain, her suffering... and never tried to understand what she truly wanted," she whimpered, her voice trembling with the weight of a wounded heart.

"She only wanted to keep her son safe, eomma... something you did a long time ago. But we both failed in one thing-one mistake I will never forgive myself for. Still..." Taehyung's voice deepened, steady with resolve, "nothing like that will ever happen again."

"This time, I won't stop you, bear. I don't want anything more than my bunny's happiness," she said, her voice low and aching. "All these years, I kept thinking people would change eventually... but nothing like that ever happened, baby. I thought I could fight them alone, because my weapon was sharper than theirs-a weapon no one could expect, one that could end them in ways they'd never see coming... and that weapon was you. My real strength."

"Don't worry, eomma," Taehyung replied with a warm, steady smile, his thoughts lingering on Jungkook. "This time, Kookie will be the one to fight them alone. And he'll win... for me."