Secret Marriage

Chapter 4: The Family's Ultimatum

The week they spent together passed in a blur, as if time itself had quickened just to pull them apart. Taehyung and Jungkook had cherished every stolen moment, every whispered confession. But now, the warmth of their touch, the affection that filled their days and nights, was being missed with an aching void. At the airport, just before boarding the plane as strangers once again, they shared one last kiss—intense, fleeting, and filled with unspoken longing.

Neither Taehyung nor Jungkook had lied to their families. The business trip and art retreat were carefully orchestrated to provide proof of their absence, protecting their secret. They knew the consequences if their families ever discovered the truth of their relationship. The weight of that secret hung over them, but for now, they played their roles perfectly.

As Taehyung entered his family’s estate, his mother was already waiting, her smile not one of warmth but of expectation. He could feel it in the air—the barrage of questions ready to come.

“How was the trip?” she asked, eyes sharp. “Did you succeed in convincing the partner? Did they love the idea?”

She didn’t ask about his health, didn’t care if he was tired from the flight. To her, he was the moneymaker of the family, the heir who was supposed to uphold their legacy. Taehyung forced a smile, giving just enough answers to satisfy her without revealing the exhaustion weighing on him.

“It was fine,” he said, trying to keep his voice light and avoid a deeper conversation. Thankfully, she carried on, not noticing the detachment in his tone.

“Well, get ready by 6 p.m. We’re hosting a party tonight,” she announced, and Taehyung’s heart sank.

Another party. Another night filled with empty conversations and false smiles. And, as expected, there was more. His mother added casually, “There’s a wealthy heiress attending. I expect you to be polite, to consider the match.”

It felt like a punch to the gut. The pressure from his family never ceased. Their expectations were suffocating, threatening to destroy the fragile relationship he shared with Jungkook. Taehyung knew he should push back, stand his ground, but it was always easier said than done. His mother’s influence, the weight of the family name—it all bore down on him. He couldn’t break free, not without tearing everything apart.

Still, despite his reluctance, Taehyung got ready. He dressed for the party, knowing that his heart wasn’t in it. He hated these events, the hollow displays of wealth and power. They were nothing more than a parade of egos, a routine of the rich trying to outshine one another.

As evening fell, the glamorous guests began to arrive. Families dressed in their finest entered the grand hall, exchanging pleasantries while secretly sizing each other up. The air was thick with tension, deals being made behind every smile.

Taehyung glanced around the room, his heart sinking as he realized Jungkook wasn’t there. He hadn’t come. The thought of facing the night without him made Taehyung’s chest tighten with a dull ache.

That is, until he spotted a familiar face in the crowd—Kim Namjoon, his senior from college. Namjoon had always been the perfect student, a charismatic captain who was as good-looking as he was intelligent. Seeing him sparked a brief moment of relief. At least Namjoon wasn’t part of the usual crowd of scheming heirs and heiresses.

They talked for a while, exchanging stories about their college days. Soon, a few more familiar faces joined them—Kim Seokjin, Jung Hoseok, Min Yoongi, and even Park Jimin. They were old classmates, friends Taehyung hadn’t seen in a while. For a moment, it almost felt like the old days. But the absence of one person—Jungkook—gnawed at him.

Taehyung’s smile began to fade as the night dragged on. That was, until he saw him. Dressed in a velvety blue suit, Jungkook was standing across the room, talking to someone Taehyung didn’t recognize. At first, Taehyung felt nothing but a vague sense of relief that Jungkook was here. But then, a sharp pang of jealousy twisted in his chest.

Jungkook looked so effortlessly handsome, his smile lighting up the conversation. The way he tilted his head, the way his eyes crinkled—it was all too familiar, and it stung to see him share that with someone else. Taehyung tried to swallow the bitterness rising in his throat, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the scene.

Jimin, ever the perceptive one, noticed the shift in Taehyung’s demeanor. He nudged Taehyung lightly and whispered, “Here we go… I know that look.”

Taehyung’s jaw tightened, and Jimin knew exactly what was coming next.

As Taehyung's jealousy continued to simmer, he couldn’t hold back any longer. His feet moved before he could stop himself, and soon he was standing right in front of Jungkook. With a tight-lipped smile and a quick greeting to the person Jungkook was speaking with, Taehyung gently grabbed Jungkook’s wrist, leading him away from the crowded room. The adrenaline pulsed through his veins as they slipped into an empty side room, hidden from the prying eyes of the partygoers.

Without a word, Taehyung pinned Jungkook against the wall, his breath heavy with the intensity of his emotions. His lips crashed down on Jungkook's, kissing him aggressively, fueled by the jealousy and frustration he had been bottling up. He wanted to remind Jungkook that he was his, that no one else could take his place. But just as quickly as the kiss began, Taehyung felt something wet against his cheek.

Jungkook was crying.

It hit him like a punch to the gut, and Taehyung immediately pulled back, his chest tightening with regret. He cupped Jungkook’s face, his thumb gently brushing away the tears. “I'm sorry,” he whispered, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his heart. He realized he had been too rough, too forceful. This wasn’t how either of them wanted things to be. They were supposed to love each other, not let the pressure and secrecy turn them into something unrecognizable.

Jungkook sniffled, nodding slightly, and Taehyung leaned his forehead against his, silently promising to be more careful, to protect what they had instead of letting his emotions control him.

After a few moments, they composed themselves and returned to the ballroom, slipping back into their usual roles. It was as if nothing had happened, though both of their hearts still ached from the intensity of the encounter.

Later in the evening, Taehyung's parents introduced him to Park Rose, the sister of his friend Park Jimin. She was beautiful and poised, the kind of person his parents would consider a perfect match. They engaged in polite conversation, but Taehyung could feel the weight of expectation bearing down on him.

That was, until Rose leaned in with a conspiratorial smile and whispered, “Don’t worry, Taehyung. I’m a lesbian.”

The relief that washed over him was almost overwhelming, and he couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. For once, he wasn’t being pressured into something he didn’t want. Rose chuckled alongside him, and the tension melted away.

As their laughter died down, Rose’s expression softened, and she added quietly, “I know about you and Jungkook. I’ve known for a while. You two have been married for what, three years now?”

Taehyung froze, his eyes widening. But Rose smile was gentle, Resarruing him that his secret was safe with her.
He exhaled, feeling a sense of camaraderie with her that he didn't expected. They shared a quite understand       both of them trapped in expectations they never asked for, yet finding their own paths in spike of it.