When Love Forgets

Chapter 8

                   Taehyung’s POV

Sitting with Sora in the crowded university café, I couldn’t focus. She was talking, but her words were distant, muffled, like I was underwater.

My mind kept drifting back to home, to Mina. I hated that. I hated how she had managed to crawl back into my life, messing up everything. Sora must’ve noticed.

“You’ve been acting so strange lately,” she said, her voice sharp with irritation. “Ever since she came back.”

I frowned. “Sora, drop it. You’re imagining things.”

She crossed her arms, leaning back, her eyes narrowing.

“Am I? You’ve been different, Taehyung. You don’t laugh as much. You barely even spend time with me. It's like… she’s always on your mind, even though you say you don’t care.”

“She’s not on my mind,” I snapped, feeling the frustration building in my chest. “Why would she be?”

“Because she’s your wife,” Sora said bitterly, the word ‘wife’ rolling off her tongue like venom.

“Even if it’s just on paper, she’s still there. In your house. In your life.”

I clenched my jaw. Sora was jealous, and I hated that she was dragging Mina into our relationship. Mina didn’t matter. She couldn’t matter.

“Stop,” I said firmly, my hands curling into fists.

“You know why I married her. It has nothing to do with love. I love you, Sora.”

“Then why do I feel like she’s ruining everything between us?”

Sora’s voice was rising, attracting the attention of a few people around us.

My head was pounding. I didn’t want to have this conversation, not here, not now. But Sora kept pushing, and the more she pushed, the angrier I became.

“Do you even realize how much you’ve changed?” Sora continued, her voice cracking with frustration.

“You’re not the same anymore. Ever since Mina came back, things between us have been different. You’re distant.”

“I haven’t changed,” I shot back, standing up from the table. I could feel my anger boiling over.

“You’re just insecure, Sora. Mina doesn’t matter to me. She’s nothing.”

“Then why can’t you stop thinking about her?” she said, her voice shaking with hurt and jealousy.

That was it. The tension between us exploded, and we ended up in a full-blown argument.

I hated that Mina was the reason for this fight. I hated that she even existed in my life right now. Everything felt like a mess, and I just wanted to get away from all of it.

By the time I left Sora, I was fuming. I couldn’t stand the sight of Mina’s face right now. Everything was messed up, and she was at the center of it.

               Mina’s POV

It was my birthday today.

But of course, no one greeted me. It wasn’t like I expected anyone to. For as long as I could remember, birthdays were just another day.

But this year… this year was different. Taehyung was here. Even if things weren’t perfect, I had this small hope, this tiny wish in my heart that maybe, just maybe, he would be with me tonight.

I spent hours setting the table, preparing dinner. Jia was sweet enough to help me cook, and she even surprised me with a small birthday greeting when she found out. That simple gesture made my heart warm.

The table was set perfectly—his favorite dishes, a cake I made myself, candles flickering in the dim light of the kitchen.

I even dressed up, wearing a soft, elegant dress. It wasn’t fancy, but I hoped he would notice. Just once, I wanted him to see me.

As the evening wore on, I sat at the table, glancing at the door every few minutes. The clock ticked loudly in the background, each minute passing like a heavy weight in my chest..

Where was he? I tried not to let the disappointment creep in, but it was hard. The cake sat untouched in the middle of the table.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the front door opened. My heart leaped, and I stood up, smoothing my dress nervously. I turned to greet him, forcing a small smile. But the moment I saw his face, my heart sank.

He looked angry, frustrated, like he’d been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. I swallowed, trying to maintain my composure.

“Taehyung, you’re home,” I said softly, my voice almost trembling.

He barely glanced at me, his expression cold. “Yeah.”

I hesitated, my heart pounding in my chest.

“I made dinner… I thought maybe we could eat together?”

He didn’t even look at the table.

“I’m not hungry.”

I felt the sting of his words, but I tried to push through it.

“I also made your favorite cake,” I said, my voice quieter now, more uncertain. “Maybe just a slice?”

His frustration seemed to boil over in an instant. He slammed his hands on the table, making the plates rattle.

“Mina, stop,” he snapped, his voice cutting through the air like a knife.

“Stop trying to be so nice. Stop acting like this matters.”

I flinched, my heart shattering into a thousand pieces.

“I don’t understand—”

“This,” he gestured between us, “it’s temporary. It means nothing. You’re just here because of an arrangement. Once we’re done, we’ll get divorced.”

The word hung in the air, suffocating me. Divorce? He wanted to divorce me?

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a set of papers, tossing them onto the table.

“Sign these.”

I stared at them, unable to process what was happening. My birthday, the dinner, the hope I’d held onto… it all crumbled in front of me. He looked at me with frustration, but I could see something else in his eyes. Guilt, maybe. Or pity.

“I love Sora,” he said, his voice quieter but no less painful. “This marriage, it’s just on paper. You and I, we’re nothing.”

I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The weight of his words crashed down on me, tearing me apart piece by piece. He didn’t care. He never did.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced them down. I wouldn’t cry in front of him. Not now. Not after everything.

“You’re just a wife in front of other people,” he added coldly. “Don’t ever interfere in my personal life.”

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. He left the room without another word, leaving me standing there, broken. The birthday dinner I had worked so hard on sat untouched on the table. The cake, the candles, the hopes… all of it meant nothing now.

As the door closed behind him, I let the tears fall. My birthday, my marriage, my life—it was all just a lie.