When Love Forgets

Chapter 16

                    

                      Mina's POV

I walked away from them, feeling my heart shatter with each step. Sora’s words echoed in my mind, each one cutting deeper than the last. He proposed to her? I had forced a smile, congratulated them, even wished them happiness. But inside, I was crumbling, barely holding myself together.

As soon as I was out of sight, I let out a shaky breath. My hands were trembling, my legs weak beneath me. I wanted to run, to escape this unbearable pain, but there was nowhere to go. My chest tightened, and the ache inside me grew heavier, suffocating. I pressed my hand against my heart as if that could somehow ease the pain, but it didn’t. It never did.

How had it come to this? How had we ended up like this—two strangers standing across from each other, pretending that everything was fine? I wanted to scream, to cry, but I had no energy left. I was tired. So tired of pretending, of smiling, of holding everything inside.

I kept walking, my footsteps heavy as I tried to distance myself from the party, from the sight of them together. The memory of Sora clinging to Taehyung, her sweet voice dripping with fake affection as she announced their engagement... it made me feel sick. She was flaunting their relationship, and I couldn’t understand why it hurt so much when I had already lost him long ago.

But the worst part wasn’t her words—it was Taehyung’s silence. The way he just stood there, saying nothing, doing nothing. He didn’t deny it, didn’t stop her. He let her tear me apart, and I had to stand there, enduring every painful second of it. It felt like he had forgotten me all over again, erased the memories we once shared.

I didn’t realize I was crying until the tears blurred my vision. I quickly wiped them away, hating myself for being so weak. He doesn’t love you anymore, I reminded myself. He loves her now. He chose her.

But why did it hurt so much to hear it out loud? Why did it feel like my heart was breaking all over again?

I found a quiet corner, away from the noise and the crowd, and collapsed onto a bench. The night air was cold against my skin, but it couldn’t numb the pain inside me. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold on to the pieces of my shattered heart. I had been here before, in this place of darkness, after he told me he loved Sora, after he handed me those divorce papers. I had survived it then, hadn’t I?

But now, it felt different. It felt final.

I stared up at the sky, the stars flickering above me, distant and cold. The tears kept falling, but I made no effort to stop them. There was no one here to see me break down, no one to judge me for being weak. I could cry, even if it wouldn’t change anything.

Sora had won. She had everything I once dreamed of—a future with Taehyung, his love, his attention. And I... I was just the “temporary wife,” as she so cruelly reminded me. A placeholder in his life, forgotten and discarded.

I let out a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. You’ve survived worse, Mina, I told myself. You can survive this too. But it felt like a lie.

I didn’t know how long I sat there, lost in my thoughts, drowning in my heartbreak. When I finally stood up, my body felt heavy, like it was carrying the weight of a thousand unspoken words, a thousand broken dreams. I started walking, though I wasn’t sure where I was going. I just needed to move, to get away from the memories, from the pain that haunted me at every turn.

By the time I reached home, I felt numb. The tears had dried, and all that was left was this hollow emptiness inside me. I stood in front of the mirror in my room, staring at the reflection of the girl I barely recognized. My hair was still perfectly styled, my makeup untouched, but my eyes... they looked dead. Broken. Just like me.

I reached for the necklace I was wearing, the one I hadn’t taken off in years. It was a simple chain, with a small pendant Taehyung had given me when we were younger. I had worn it as a reminder of the promise we made to each other—of the love we once shared. But now, it felt like a cruel joke, a constant reminder of what I had lost.

Slowly, I unclasped the necklace and placed it in the drawer, hiding it from view. It was time to let go. Time to stop holding on to a past that no longer existed.

I turned off the light and crawled into bed, pulling the covers over me. The silence was deafening, but I welcomed it. I closed my eyes, trying to block out the image of them together, the sound of Sora’s voice, the look in Taehyung’s eyes.

Maybe tomorrow I would be stronger. Maybe tomorrow, the pain wouldn’t hurt as much.

But for now, all I could do was survive the night.

               Taehyung’s POV

It had been days since the party, and I hadn’t seen Mina. Not properly, at least. She left early in the morning before I woke up and came back late at night when I was already in bed. It was like she was deliberately avoiding me, keeping her distance, and I didn’t know how to feel about it.

At the university, I would catch glimpses of her. She was always surrounded by her friends, her laughter echoing in the halls, but she never once looked my way. Her coldness was infuriating, but I couldn't bring myself to confront her. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was something else I wasn’t ready to admit. I replayed the party over and over in my head—her hurt, her broken eyes—and how I hadn’t said a single word to stop it.

I was deep in thought, pacing near my desk, when I heard Sora's voice.

“Hey, Taehyung!”

I turned to see her walking toward me, her face lit up with excitement. For a moment, I forced a smile, trying to shake off the heaviness in my chest. She seemed happy, really happy, but my mind was still tangled with thoughts of Mina.

“I have the best news!” Sora practically bounced on her feet, grinning widely. “I got accepted as a model in Italy! I’m leaving next week to start my career!”

I blinked, the words hitting me like a wave I wasn’t prepared for. Italy? She’s leaving? “What?” The shock must have been evident in my voice because her smile faltered for a second, but then she laughed.

“I know, crazy right? But it’s such a huge opportunity!” She stepped closer, wrapping her arms around me. “Can you believe it? Italy!”

I stood there, stiff in her embrace, my mind spinning. She’s leaving… next week? What about us? What about… everything? “Italy?” I repeated, barely processing the information. “You’re moving to Italy?”

She pulled back, looking up at me with those bright, eager eyes. “Yeah, I’ll be based there for a while. But don’t worry, we can make this work. I’ll come back during breaks, or you can visit me. It’s going to be amazing!”

Her enthusiasm felt distant, like it was happening in a different world from mine. Long-distance? She was acting like it was nothing, like we could just carry on like before. But something inside me twisted painfully. I never liked long-distance relationships, the emptiness of them. The more she spoke, the less I felt connected to her excitement.

She hugged me again, tighter this time, whispering against my ear, “I love you. It’ll be okay. We’ll make it through this. You’ll see.”

But I wasn’t okay. I wasn’t happy. My chest tightened with an uneasy feeling I couldn't shake. “Sora… are you sure about this?”

She pulled back slightly, looking at me with a hint of confusion. “Of course, I am. This is my dream, Taehyung! I thought you’d be happy for me.”

I swallowed hard, trying to find the right words. “It’s just… long distance… It’s not easy. I mean, what about us?”

She waved her hand dismissively, still smiling. “We’ll be fine. Our love is strong enough, right?”

I didn’t know how to respond. Was it? Could I hold on to something that felt like it was slipping through my fingers? My mind kept drifting back to Mina, to her eyes, to the silence between us that was growing louder every day.

Sora’s words seemed to blend into the background as I stood there, numb. Italy. Long-distance. Mina.

I wasn’t sure what I wanted anymore.