The Quiet Contract

The Confession

Jennie POV

When I received Lisa's message, my heart stopped for a moment.

Jennie, I'm flying back to Seoul tomorrow. We need to talk. I've thought about it, and I really think it's best for both of us if we cancel the arrangement.

The words blurred in my vision as my chest tightened. Cancel the arrangement? I felt like the ground beneath me was collapsing, but I forced myself to stay calm. My fingers shook as I typed out a response.

Okay. Let me know when you're ready to talk.

Short. Simple. Detached. Exactly how I needed to sound. But as soon as I hit send, tears pricked the corners of my eyes. My phone slipped from my hand and landed on the couch beside me.

My mind was racing. Why is she doing this? Was it because of the club? Did she think so little of me now? Or had I hurt her so badly with the things I said that she couldn't see a future with me anymore?

I tried to pull myself together, pacing around my living room as I wrestled with the emotions bubbling up. Stay calm, Jennie, I told myself. You can't fall apart now.

Then her next message came:

I'll come by your place tomorrow morning.

Again, I forced myself to respond immediately.

I'll be here.

I stared at the words for a long time before hitting send, willing my hands to stop shaking. My face felt hot, tears threatening to spill as I sat down on the couch and hugged my knees to my chest.

Deep down, I couldn't stop the panic from rising. Lisa's words felt final, like she'd already made up her mind. The image of her walking away from me was unbearable.

As much as I told myself I was okay, the tears came anyway. Hot and unstoppable. I buried my face in my arms, sobbing quietly so no one would hear me. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. I wanted to explain everything, to make her see that what I felt wasn't something I could easily articulate. But how could I do that now?

What hurt the most was knowing I'd been the one pushing her away, pretending I didn't care. And now she believed me.

I couldn't sleep that night. Instead, I stayed up replaying every interaction we'd ever had, from the awkward tension of our first meeting to the rare, soft moments where she let her guard down around me. Why did I have to mess this up?

By the time the sun rose, I was emotionally drained but determined. If Lisa was coming to talk, I would be ready. I didn't know how, but I couldn't let her walk away thinking I didn't care. Even if it meant swallowing my pride, even if it meant risking everything, I couldn't let her go without a fight.

--

The past week had been nothing short of torture for me. It was as though everything that tethered me to stability had been ripped away the moment Lisa left for Thailand.

At first, I tried to convince myself that it was good for both of us. She needed time to think, to work, and maybe even to cool off after everything that happened. I thought giving her space would help. But it only made me spiral further into my own thoughts, missing her presence in ways I couldn't have predicted.