𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥-𝗜𝗡-𝗟𝗔𝗪

part 27 ( Decision and Desperation)

Chapter 27: Decisions and Desperation

Jennie sat in her dimly lit apartment, staring blankly at the wall. Her heart felt heavy, and her mind was a whirlwind of emotions. Every conversation with Taehyung replayed in her head, each word echoing louder and louder until it was all she could hear. The pain, the betrayal, the longing—it was all consuming her, and she didn’t know how to make it stop.

She clenched the locket around her neck, the one Taehyung had given her all those months ago. It felt like a weight on her chest, both comforting and suffocating at the same time. She loved him—God, she loved him so much—but the pain he had caused her was unbearable. The image of him walking away, choosing Jisoo over her, haunted her every thought.

But now he was here, begging for another chance, telling her that he loved her, that he had made a mistake. Jennie didn’t know what to believe anymore. Her heart wanted to forgive him, to let him back in, but her mind screamed at her to protect herself, to not be fooled by sweet words and empty promises.

She let out a frustrated sigh, running her hands through her hair. She had been wrestling with this decision for days, and it was tearing her apart. She couldn’t keep living in this limbo, trapped between her love for Taehyung and the fear of being hurt again. She needed to make a choice, no matter how painful it might be.

After what felt like hours of agonizing over her decision, Jennie finally stood up, her resolve hardening. She couldn’t continue like this, stuck in a cycle of doubt and pain. She had to confront Taehyung one last time, to lay everything out on the table and see if there was any way to move forward. She needed closure, whether it was a new beginning or a final goodbye.

With trembling hands, she grabbed her coat and headed out into the cold night. The streets of Moscow were quiet, the chill in the air matching the icy fear in her heart. She made her way to the café where she and Taehyung had agreed to meet, her footsteps heavy with the weight of what she was about to do.

When she arrived, Taehyung was already there, sitting at a small table by the window. He looked up as she walked in, his eyes filled with a mixture of hope and fear. Jennie could see the exhaustion on his face, the toll that this had taken on him. But she couldn’t let that sway her. She had to focus on what she needed, on what was best for her.

“Jennie,” Taehyung said softly as she sat down across from him. “Thank you for meeting me.”

Jennie nodded, her throat tight. She didn’t trust herself to speak just yet, afraid that her emotions would overwhelm her. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, before finally looking up at him.

“Taehyung, I’ve been thinking a lot about everything—about us, about what happened,” she began, her voice shaky but determined. “I can’t keep going back and forth like this. It’s tearing me apart. I need to make a decision.”

Taehyung nodded, his expression serious. “I understand, Jennie. And whatever you decide, I’ll respect it. I just need you to know that I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for you, no matter what.”

Jennie swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. She had expected this to be easier, to be able to just tell him how she felt and move on. But seeing the sincerity in his eyes, hearing the emotion in his voice—it was breaking her resolve.

“Taehyung, I don’t know if I can ever forget ” Jennie said, her voice trembling. “You hurt me so deeply, and I don’t know if I can trust you again. But… I also know that I still love you. And that’s what makes this so hard.”

Taehyung’s eyes filled with tears as he reached across the table, taking her hand in his. “Jennie, I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I want to spend the rest of my life proving to you that I’m worthy of it. I’m not asking you to forget what happened, but I’m asking you to let me make it right. Please, Jennie, don’t shut me out.”

Jennie stared at their intertwined hands, her heart aching with the weight of his words. She wanted to believe him, wanted to give him that chance. But the fear of being hurt again was like a wall around her heart, and she didn’t know if she could break through it.

“I’m scared, Taehyung,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes. “I’m scared of getting hurt again. I don’t know if I can survive it a second time.”

Taehyung squeezed her hand gently, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m scared too, Jennie. But I’m more scared of losing you forever. I love you more than anything, and I’m willing to fight for us, no matter how long it takes.”

Jennie looked up at him, her heart breaking at the sight of his tears. She could see how much he meant every word, how much he was willing to do to make things right. And despite everything, despite the pain and the fear, she knew that she still loved him. Maybe that was enough.

“I can’t promise that things will be easy,” Jennie said softly, her voice trembling. “But if you’re really willing to fight for us, then… I’m willing to try. But Taehyung, if you hurt me again…”

“I won’t,” Taehyung interrupted, his voice firm. “I promise you, Jennie, I won’t. I’ll spend every day making sure you know how much I love you.”

Jennie nodded, her tears finally spilling over. She couldn’t stop herself from leaning across the table, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. Taehyung held her close, his own tears falling as he buried his face in her hair.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Jennie allowed herself to hope. Maybe this could work. Maybe they could heal together. It wouldn’t be easy, but they had each other. And that was enough for now.

---

While Jennie and Taehyung were finding their way back to each other, thousands of miles away, Jisoo was spiraling into a dark place.

It started with a phone call from one of her contacts in Moscow—a business associate who happened to spot Taehyung and Jennie together. The news hit Jisoo like a freight train, and she felt her world crumble around her. All her efforts, all her plans to keep Taehyung by her side, had been for nothing. He had found Jennie, and by the sound of it, he wasn’t coming back.

Jisoo could feel the rage bubbling up inside her, a red-hot fury that she had never experienced before. She had sacrificed so much, endured so much pain, all for Taehyung. And now he was gone, slipping through her fingers like sand. She felt betrayed, abandoned, and utterly alone.

She didn’t know what to do with the anger, the heartbreak that consumed her. So she did the only thing she could think of—she drank. Bottle after bottle, trying to drown the pain, to numb the sharp edges of her shattered heart. But no matter how much she drank, the agony only seemed to grow.

Hours passed, and Jisoo found herself stumbling around her empty apartment, the walls closing in on her. Her mind was a chaotic mess of rage and despair, every thought a reminder of what she had lost. She wanted to scream, to break something, to make the pain stop.

In her drunken haze, she grabbed her phone, scrolling through the contacts until she found Taehyung’s number. Her finger hovered over the call button, her vision blurry with tears. She wanted to call him, to scream at him, to demand an explanation. But deep down, she knew it wouldn’t change anything. He had made his choice, and it wasn’t her.

The phone slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor as she sank to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. All the lies, all the manipulation—it had all been for nothing. Taehyung was gone, and she was left with nothing but the empty shell of a life she had tried so desperately to hold onto.

Jisoo’s sobs echoed through the apartment, a haunting reminder of the love she had lost. And as the night wore on, she curled up on the floor, clutching a pillow to her chest, trying to find some semblance of comfort in the darkness. But there was none to be found. Only the cold, empty silence that reminded her of everything she had lost.

The days ahead would be long and painful, and Jisoo knew that she would have to face the consequences of her actions. But for now, all she could do was drown in the heartbreak that consumed her, wishing with every fiber of her being that things had been different.