Echoes of a Lost Love

Chapter 5: The Truth Unveiled

Jungkook sat alone in his apartment, the dim light of his laptop casting shadows across the room. The world outside continued to turn, but for him, everything had stopped. His eyes were swollen from crying, his heart a hollow shell. Y/N's death was a wound that refused to heal, a wound he wasn't sure would ever close. He couldn't forget the way she had looked at him, the weak smile on her face as she handed him the pendrive—the last thing she ever gave him.

For days, he couldn't bring himself to open it. The thought of seeing what was on it felt too painful, too final. But tonight, the weight of his guilt, the unanswered questions, and the nagging suspicion that there was more to her story had become too much to bear.

With trembling hands, Jungkook inserted the pendrive into his laptop and waited for the files to load. His heart raced, each second feeling like an eternity. Finally, the folder opened, revealing several videos. The first was titled "The Beginning."

He hesitated before clicking play, bracing himself for what was to come.

The screen flickered, and the video began. At first, the footage was blurry, but soon it became clear—it was Y/N, much younger, no more than a child. Jungkook's breath caught in his throat as he realized what he was seeing. Y/N was bound to a chair, her eyes wide with fear. Bruises marred her delicate skin, and her tiny body trembled as a group of men surrounded her.

Jungkook's stomach twisted in horror as the video continued. The men yelled at her, hitting her when she didn't answer their questions fast enough. They deprived her of food, kept her locked in a dark room, and forced her to endure endless torment. She was no older than ten, maybe eleven. A child, stolen from her family and thrown into a nightmare that no one should ever experience.

Tears filled Jungkook's eyes as he watched. His chest tightened with every scream, every tear that Y/N shed. She had been kidnapped for ten years. Ten years of unimaginable suffering, all while the world moved on, unaware of the hell she was living through.

He paused the video, unable to take it all in. His hands were shaking, his heart shattered. This was the woman he had loved—no, still loved—and he had never known the depth of her pain. She had carried this burden for so long, hidden it so well. And he... he had turned his back on her.

With a deep breath, Jungkook clicked on the next video.

This one was different. It was a series of clips—moments of happiness between him and Y/N. There they were, laughing together in a park, Y/N's smile radiant as she watched him sing. Another clip showed them cooking together, Y/N struggling to flip a pancake while Jungkook teased her. There were more clips—her head resting on his shoulder, their fingers intertwined as they walked through the city at night, the way her face lit up when she saw him after a long day of rehearsals.

These were the moments he cherished most, the moments that now felt like they had happened in another lifetime. Y/N had smiled so much back then, her eyes full of love every time she looked at him. Even in her darkest times, she had found joy with him. She had loved him unconditionally.

But now, all those moments felt tainted, poisoned by the choices he had made.

As the video ended, Jungkook wiped his tears, his heart heavier than ever. There was one more file. It was labeled with a date—the day his mother had died. His breath caught in his throat. His mother's death had been the breaking point, the moment he had lost everything, including Y/N.

He hesitated, his finger hovering over the play button. He wasn't sure if he could bear to watch it. What if it confirmed everything? What if it showed Y/N's involvement in his mother's murder? But then, he remembered her final words, the way she had said, "This will explain everything..."

With a deep breath, he clicked play.

The video began with a shaky recording of a dark alleyway. The footage wasn't clear at first, but then the camera zoomed in, revealing a group of men in suits—Y/N's mafia rivals. They were talking in low voices, planning something. Jungkook leaned closer to the screen, his heart racing as he recognized one of the men—it was the same man who had been accused of several crimes before but had always managed to slip through the cracks. A ruthless leader of a rival mafia.

The video cut to a new scene—Jungkook's mother stepping out of her car. She was walking towards her home when a black van pulled up beside her. The men from the first video emerged, guns in hand. Without warning, one of them fired, the bullet hitting her in the chest. She fell to the ground, her body limp, her eyes wide with shock.

Jungkook's heart stopped. His mother's murder—it hadn't been Y/N's doing. It had been her rivals all along. The people who had framed Y/N, who had manipulated the evidence to make it look like she was responsible.

Tears streamed down Jungkook's face as the truth finally sank in. He had blamed Y/N for his mother's death, when all along, she had been innocent. She had been fighting against those very same people, trying to protect him, trying to keep him safe from the chaos of her world.

And now... now she was dead, and he could never take back the things he had said, the choices he had made. He had handed her over to the very system that had broken her as a child, and in the end, they had killed her.

The video ended, the screen going black. Jungkook sat there, his body trembling, his heart shattered into a million pieces. The guilt, the regret, the unbearable pain of knowing that he had been wrong—it was too much.

She had sacrificed everything for him. She had protected him, loved him, and in return, he had condemned her to death.

Jungkook closed the laptop, tears blurring his vision. He couldn't undo what had been done. Y/N was gone, and the truth had come too late.