MOTHER | vsoo |

02: The Last of Me (Pt.2)

"What do you mean you can't hear a heartbeat?" Taehyung growled, his voice like ice, sending chills down my spine. Mina flinched, rushing back to the machine with trembling hands. After a few frantic adjustments, she turned back to us, her face pale and nervous.

"Haha... sorry! The sound monitor wasn't plugged in," she stammered with a nervous chuckle, trying to lighten the tension.

Before I could even process her words, Taehyung snatched the transducer from her hand and hurled it at her. It struck her forehead with a sickening thud, and she crumpled to the floor.

"Taehyung!" I shouted, bolting upright despite my swollen belly. "Stop it! She just made a mistake!" I grabbed his arm, trying to hold him back.

"I don't tolerate incompetence!" Taehyung snarled, ripping his arm out of my grip. His gaze was cold, sadistic. "My father doesn't pay you to screw up your job, Mina! First, you bring your girlfriend in here, and now this? This must be some kind of joke." He let out a humorless, menacing laugh.

Mina, now sobbing on the floor, clutched her forehead. I knew all too well how it felt to be on the receiving end of Taehyung's wrath, and seeing her like this triggered my own panic. My breathing quickened, my chest tightening as my anxiety clawed its way up my throat.

"Taehyung, stop!" I shouted again, but he was already advancing on Mina, who cowered in fear, shielding her face with trembling hands.

Before I could intervene, my world came to a screeching halt. A warm, wet sensation began to trail down my leg. I froze, my heart dropping into the pit of my stomach.

No. Not again. Please, God, not again.

I couldn't bring myself to look down. My body was paralyzed by fear, my mind screaming what I already knew to be true.

"J-Jisoo?" Mina's trembling voice broke the silence. Her wide eyes darted to my legs, and her expression turned to one of horror.

Taehyung turned, his rage evaporating the moment he saw my face.

"Jisoo!" His voice was frantic, but I couldn't respond. The world blurred, my vision darkening. The last thing I saw was Taehyung's terrified face before everything went black.

________________

When I woke up, I was in a sterile, white hospital room. The faint smell of antiseptic lingered in the air. The ache in my body was a cruel reminder of reality.

"It's okay, sweetie. We can try again next time," Taehyung's voice was soft, almost pleading, as he sat beside me. But his words felt like daggers. I shook my head, the tears spilling from my eyes like an uncontrollable tide.

"You said that last time," I whispered, my voice raw and broken. "And the time before that. And the time before that. What do we get, Taehyung? Nothing. Let's just stop." My voice cracked as I buried my face in my hands.

This was my fifth miscarriage. Each one hurt more than the last, and each one chipped away at my hope. Despite seeing the best doctors in the world, no one could figure out why this kept happening. I was healthy, I did everything right, yet the result was always the same. Sitting here in this hospital room for the fifth time, I finally accepted what I had been avoiding: I would never give Taehyung a child.

"No. We can't stop." His voice trembled with desperation. "There's still a chance. I want this baby as much as you do, Jisoo. Just... have hope."

Hope? I let out a bitter laugh. Hope was a cruel lie, one I had clung to for too long.

I glanced at him, his face a mix of anguish and determination. But there were no tears in his eyes. Not one. "You don't even cry," I said, my voice laced with anger and heartbreak. "All you care about is getting an heir for your childish gang. That's all this has ever been about for you."

"Kim Jisoo." His tone was sharp, a warning. But I didn't care anymore.

I scoffed, shaking my head. "I can't give that to you, Taehyung. I'm sorry. I should've known this before we got married. Then you wouldn't be going through this." My voice broke as I stood, tears streaming down my face. "Goodbye, Taehyung."

"Jisoo, wait—!" Taehyung called after me, his voice cracking. I ignored him, walking out of the room and into the cold winter air.

"Jisoo, stop!" Taehyung's voice echoed behind me as he chased me out of the hospital. The cold air bit at my skin, but I didn't care. I kept walking, the snow crunching under my feet.

"So you're just going to leave me?" he shouted, his breath visible in the icy air. "I don't even care if we never have a child! I'll still love you, Jisoo. I always will. Please, think about what you're doing."

I stopped in my tracks, turning to face him. My heart ached at the sight of him—his hair disheveled, his face red from the cold and his tears. "You say that now," I said quietly. "But what about ten years from now? You'll resent me, Taehyung. You'll hate me for not being able to give you what you want."

"That's not true!" he cried, stepping closer.

I shook my head, my tears blurring my vision. "I can't do the one thing my body was created to do. I'm useless as a woman... and as a wife."

"Don't say that!" he pleaded, grabbing my hand. I held it for a moment, bringing it to my lips in a trembling kiss. "Jisoo, please..."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, pulling my hand away. Without looking back, I ran across the street, needing to get away—to breathe.

A deafening horn blared, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned to see headlights barreling toward me.

And then—nothing.