𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓻𝔂❤︎

Chapter 42 Part 1

Chapter 42: Breaking Points

The sun had dipped low in the sky by the time Mr. Le and Y/N pulled into the driveway of his modest home. The weight of the day's confrontation still clung to him like a leaden blanket, heavy with unspent frustration. The car ride had been almost silent, tension crackling in the air as they navigated through their thoughts—deeply tangled and filled with unspoken words.

As they stepped out, the remnants of the earlier argument swirled in his mind. The way Y/N had pushed away, her defiance haunting him. It was infuriating, how everything felt so precarious, as if they were standing on a cliff’s edge, daring each other to jump.

“Mr. Le, can we talk about this?” Y/N said hesitantly, taking a step toward him.

He paused at the front door, his back to her. “What’s there to talk about?” The edge in his voice surprised even him, but he was too far gone in his anger to care. “Do you want to discuss how you’ve been wandering around with Alex? Or how you’ve been dodging any real conversation about us?”

Y/N’s breath hitched, and for an instant, he felt a flicker of regret, but it was quickly doused by the fire of his irritation. He fumbled with the keys, his hands shaking slightly as the rage he hadn’t released pounded against his chest.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said, softening her tone, but he could hear the warning in it, the tremor of uncertainty that only fueled his frustration.

“Then why the hell did you act like you didn’t give a damn all week?” he snapped, finally turning to face her with a fierceness that seemed to surprise them both. “You made your choice clear, and it wasn’t with me!”

Her eyes widened, visibly stung by his words. “You think you can just throw it in my face like that? I thought we were working through this together!”

He stepped closer, anger licking at the edges of his patience. “Working through it? How can we do that when you’re running off with your ‘friends’ and ignoring everything we’ve built? Do you even understand how that feels? You left me hanging, Y/N!”

The tension broke, and her exasperation surfaced. “Stop putting this all on me! I’m trying to figure things out, but you’re making it impossible with your possessiveness!”

“Possessiveness? Damn right, I feel possessive!” he nearly shouted, the heat of anger spilling over as he stepped toward her. “You’re acting like I’m just some guy you can play games with!”

Y/N’s expression hardened, her own frustration boiling over. “Maybe this isn’t just a game for me, either! You’re acting like I’m the one who started all of this.”

“Well, maybe if you hadn’t been so quick to cozy up to someone else, we wouldn’t be in this mess!” he shot back, unable to filter his words. “I can’t just sit here and watch you flirt with other guys like it’s no big deal.”

The chill that descended between them felt sharp, dividing their emotions like a chasm. For a moment, the world felt incredibly still, the air thick with unspoken truths.

“I can’t believe you’re saying this,” Y/N whispered, stepping back as if his words had physically pushed her away. Her eyes shimmered with hurt, and suddenly, the weight of his anger felt overwhelming. “You think I wanted any of this?”

“No, but your actions say otherwise!” he countered, feeling the heat of rage swell as it mingled with guilt. “You’re the one who’s been distant, who’s been running away. Just be real with me, Y/N! What do you want?”

Her eyes flickered with uncertainty and pain, and he could see the toll of their escalating conflict written all over her face. “What I want is to feel like I have a choice here, to not be suffocated by this!”

He clenched his fists, the frustration teetering on a precipice— a boiling pot ready to spill over. “Suffocated? You think I’m suffocating you? I care about you, damn it! And when I see you pulling away, I can’t just sit by and let it happen. I refuse to be another fucking afterthought!”

The room around them felt charged, the air vibrating with intensity as they grappled with their raw emotions. “You’re not just some afterthought!” she shot back, her eyes fierce as she stepped forward. “But I can’t handle the jealousy. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me!”

“Trust?” he scoffed, disbelief lacing his voice. “You expect me to trust you after everything? After watching you flirt with him and dismiss everything we’ve talked about?”

“I’m not dismissing anything! I just needed time!” she exclaimed, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Time to think about what I want, and if that’s not okay with you—”

“It’s not okay!” he interrupted, the fire of his anger flaring. “You keep spinning this, acting like I’m the one who’s in the wrong here! Maybe it’s time to face the facts: I’m not letting this go that easily!”

Y/N’s expression cracked, and he watched the anger fade, replaced with dismay. The realization that he was losing her sent an icy chill through him, but the words kept spilling uncontrollably. “You have no idea how hard it is to watch you slip away—that you could just toss me aside without a second thought!”

Her voice turned quiet, tinged with hurt. “And you don’t understand how being with someone who’s constantly questioning me feels, either. I’m tired of fighting, tired of us being at each other’s throats.”

He stood there, torn, watching the walls of their connection begin to fracture. “Then let’s stop fighting,” he said, his voice softening, remorse creeping in as he processed his own reactions. “Let’s find a way to make this work without tearing each other apart.”

But she shook her head, the pain evident in her eyes. “I don’t think I can. It feels like every time we try, we end up right back here—arguing and pushing each other away.”

As the reality settled between them, he realized the truth of her words hung heavy in the air. He was scared—terrified of the possibility of losing someone who had become so central to his life. But even more terrifying was the spiraling chaos their relationship had turned into.

“Yes,” he said finally, his voice heavy with resignation. “Maybe we need to take a step back. I don’t want to fight. I want you, Y/N, but this can’t keep happening.”

They stood in silence, the air thick with the fractures between them. The moment felt stretched thin, as if all the feelings they hadn’t said crystallized into that single, fragile night air.

“I just want to feel safe with you,” she murmured, the hardness in her voice melting back into vulnerability. “But right now, I feel anything but.”

He took a deep breath, and instead of spiraling further into anger, he tried to reach for her—the way they had once seamlessly united against the world. “Let's figure this out together, then,” he said gently, moving a step closer but still mindful of the distance between them. “But we need to do it without the anger.”

Y/N’s gaze softened, the realization that they were both lost but willing to find their way back flashing between them. “Can we really do that after everything?”

“Only if we both try.” His heart ached at the prospect of losing her but thawed in the hope of reconciliation.

“It’s going to take work,” she said, cautiously extending a hand toward him, hesitant but willing to take that step.

“I’m in,” he replied, confidence returning, hoping they could build something sturdier than before.

In that moment, the barrier separating them started to dissolve, the remnants of pain easing as they realized the choices ahead—a path that could lead to something beautiful if they dared to forge it together.