|Arranged Marriage| Jake Centric

61

The next day dawned with a heavy silence. Jake's presence in the house was barely felt, as if he had become a ghost wandering the halls. The air was thick with unspoken tension. Even Jay's attempts to reach out were met with a distant nod or a quiet, "I'm fine."

In the kitchen, Heeseung and Sunghoon sat across from each other, their guilt palpable. Sunghoon's fingers drummed impatiently on the table, his mind replaying the events of the previous night. Every time he thought about Jake's fear-stricken face, his chest tightened with regret. Heeseung stared into his coffee cup, the bitterness of the brew mirroring his own feelings.

Their guilt was further compounded by Jake’s chilling behavior. When he did interact, his words were sharp and unfiltered. In the hallway, Jake coldly dismissed Heeseung's attempt to apologize with a scoff. "Save it," Jake said flatly, his eyes devoid of warmth. "I've heard enough empty words."

Sunghoon tried to approach Jake in the living room, but was met with a brutal truth. “You know, it’s not just your apologies that are meaningless,” Jake said, his voice cold and cutting. “It’s everything about this family. I don’t belong here. I’m just a charity case to you two.”

Heeseung and Sunghoon exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of shock and hurt. They had expected anger or tears, but the sheer coldness of Jake’s words cut deeper than they had anticipated. Heeseung clenched his fists, struggling to contain the wave of guilt and frustration rising within him. Sunghoon’s face flushed with a mix of anger and remorse; he wanted to lash out, but he knew it would only worsen the situation.

As Jake sank into the couch, staring blankly at the TV, the house felt colder, emptier. His words had been a knife twisting in the hearts of Heeseung and Sunghoon. They both wanted to apologize, to reach out, but each time they tried, their words seemed inadequate against the weight of Jake’s pain.

Late in the afternoon, Jay found Jake sitting by the window, staring out at the rain that had started to fall. Jay sat beside him in silence, the only sound the soft patter of raindrops against the glass. “I’m sorry,” Jay finally said, his voice heavy with regret. “You didn’t deserve any of this.”

Jake's eyes remained fixed on the rain, his expression distant. “Maybe,” he said softly. “But I can’t keep pretending that everything’s okay. I’m tired, Jay.” Were Jake's final words as he left the room. Too quickly for Jay to even follow.

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As the evening wore on, Heeseung and Sunghoon exchanged glances from across the room. Their guilt was compounded by Jake’s changed demeanor. Heeseung, struggling with his own sense of inadequacy, felt a pang of self-loathing every time he saw Jake’s cold, distant expression. Sunghoon, meanwhile, was consumed by a deep sense of regret. The brothers’ attempts to make things right were overshadowed by the bitterness that had been revealed in Jake’s avoidance.

That night, as Jake lay in bed, the silence of the house pressed down on him like a weight. He could hear the faint sounds of Heeseung moving around in the room next to his, Sunghoon’s restless pacing down the hall. They were close, but they felt so far away. So, he closed his eyes but they stang, stang from all the crying he did today. He knew he shouldn't waste his tears on them but they wouldn't stop. He desperately blinked, trying to make the stinging pain go away when he heard a knock at his door.

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Sunghoon stood at the end of the hallway, hands clenched at his sides. He had been pacing outside Jake’s room for what felt like an eternity, working up the courage to apologize. His guilt was a heavy weight in his chest, pressing down on him with every second that passed. He had replayed the fight in his mind countless times, each time feeling more ashamed of how he had treated Jake.

But just as he was about to step forward, he saw Heeseung approaching Jake’s door. Sunghoon froze, his stomach twisting with a mixture of anger and regret. He didn’t want to be near Heeseung, not after everything that had happened between them. The resentment was still too fresh, too raw. So he stopped, lingering in the shadows, watching as Heeseung hesitated before knocking on Jake’s door.

Sunghoon bit his lip, torn between his desire to apologize to Jake and his unwillingness to face Heeseung. He knew he should be the bigger person, should swallow his pride and go in with Heeseung to make things right together. But the bitterness between them was a wall he couldn’t seem to break down. So he left for his room.

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“Jake, I…I’m sorry,” Heeseung began, his voice barely above a whisper. “I know I’ve messed up, and I’ve hurt you. I shouldn’t have let things get this bad.”

Jake looked at him, his face a mask of icy detachment. “Why are you apologizing to me?” Jake asked, his voice dripping with contempt. “I’m just a stranger to you, right? This marriage is just for two years, and after that, you’re all going to divorce me anyway. So why bother?”

Heeseung felt a sharp pang in his chest. “No, Jake—”

But before Heeseung could finish, Jake closed the door in his face. Heeseung stood there, stunned and devastated. The words Jake had said echoed in his mind, each one a reminder of the depth of the hurt he had caused.

“Jake, please,” Heeseung called through the door, his voice cracking with desperation. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I know I’ve been a terrible husband. I never wanted to hurt you like this.”

There was no response. The silence on the other side of the door was deafening, but Heeseung wasn’t ready to give up. He pressed his forehead against the door, his eyes closing as he continued, his voice thick with emotion. “Please, Jake. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I need you to know that I’m truly sorry. I’ll do anything to make it right.”

Inside the room, Jake was trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill over. He heard the sincerity in Heeseung’s voice, but the pain and resentment were still there, deeply rooted and hard to ignore.

Slowly, Jake opened the door again, his eyes filled with tears as he faced Heeseung. “You say you’re sorry now, but what about tomorrow? What about the day after that? You’ll just go back to treating me the same way, and I’ll be right back here, feeling like I don’t belong. I can’t keep doing this, Heeseung. I can’t keep hoping that things will change when they never do.”

Heeseung’s heart ached at Jake’s words, the truth of them piercing through his guilt. “Jake, I promise I’ll change. I’ll do better—”

“I don’t want your promises,” Jake interrupted, his voice trembling with the weight of his emotions. “I don’t want your sorry. I just need peace. That’s all I want, Heeseung.”

Heeseung reached out, desperate to offer comfort, but Jake stepped back, avoiding his touch. “Please,” Jake whispered, his voice cracking as he spoke. “Just leave me alone.”

Heeseung felt a lump form in his throat as he watched Jake retreat behind the door once again. “Jake, please—”

But the door closed, shutting him out once more. Heeseung stood there, his hand hovering over the door as if he could somehow reach through it. Jake’s pain was too deep, his trust too shattered. All Heeseung could do was stand there, was leave. And for once, give Jake what he needed for now. Peace.

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I tried y'all. I really tried. But couldn't make Jake, our bbg, too cold😭

Want the next chapter to have fluff? Or should I continue with the emotional damage?

Please share your thoughts<33