GOLDEN HEADLINES

29: Shame & Guilt

"PICK THE CALLS!!"

Days turned into weeks, and Alessia found herself trapped in a prison of her own guilt and regret.

She tried everything she could think of to reach Jungkook—texts, calls, even emails—but he had blocked her on every platform.

She spent her nights staring at her phone, willing it to ring, to light up with his name. But it never did. The silence felt like a punishment, a reminder of everything she had lost.

Every time she thought about the decisions she had made, her stomach turned. She had been so blind, so willing to ignore the truth, to believe the lies. She had supported Kairan, a rapist.

She remembered the way his eyes had burned with anger and disappointment when he looked at her. The way he had walked away without another word, as though she was no longer worth his time.

She had failed him, failed herself, and the weight of it was suffocating.

Alessia wanted to scream, to tell him she was sorry, to make him understand that she hadn't meant to hurt him.

She sat alone in her apartment, her phone clutched tightly in her hands. She had no idea how to fix this, how to undo the damage she had caused.

All she knew was that she had to find a way to make it right. But with Jungkook gone, with everything she had lost, it felt like an impossible task.

"Im... Sorry Jungkook."

+

Zaiden stood across from Jungkook, his eyes studying him closely as he spoke. "Jungkook," he started, his tone a mix of concern and frustration.

"Alessia called me thousands of times to contact you. Why haven't you answered her? I thought you were attracted to her right? Then why ignoring her?"

Jungkook's expression hardened, and his jaw clenched at the mention of Alessia. Zaiden could see the shift in him.

He knew there was something between them, something deeper than just attraction.

Jungkook looked at Zaiden, his voice sharp and laced with bitterness. "Attracted to her? Yeah, I was," he admitted, his eyes darkening.

"Her beauty, her confidence—everything about her. I couldn't deny it. But now? It's all changed. She supported a rapist. She didn't even listen to me once. She took his side over mine. She chose him over what was right."

Jungkook's fists clenched at his sides as he continued, his voice quieter but filled with frustration.

"How could I like her now? How could I even think about her after what she did? It goes against everything I believe in. She betrayed me, and now... I don't know who she is anymore. So, no. I can't.... like her. Not anymore..."

Zaiden remained silent for a moment, understanding the hurt behind Jungkook's words, but he also knew this wasn't something that would be easy to forget.

Zaiden took a step closer to Jungkook, his gaze softening with understanding. "Jungkook," he began, his tone more measured.

"you know Kairan and Alessia were childhood friends. They grew up together, so of course, she couldn't believe he could do something like that. She had known him her entire life. It's not that easy for her to just turn her back on him."

Jungkook stayed quiet, his eyes narrowing slightly as Zaiden continued, knowing that this wasn't a simple situation for anyone involved.

"So she believed-"