18

"Dr. Jung?" she began, her voice tight.

"Yes, this is Dr. Jung Hoseok speaking," came the warm, reassuring voice from the other end. "How can I help you?"

Y/n hesitated. This wasn't how she'd imagined this call going.  "Well, it's... a bit complicated," she admitted.

Hoseok wondered for a second how come the call has reached him in place of his assistant? He figures out it must be a regular patient of his who has called with a different phone number.

Hoseok chuckled softly. "That's alright, ma'am. Most things in life are. Why don't you start by telling me what brings you to call?"

Y/n closed her eyes, picturing the vibrant green dress hanging in her closet, a symbol of both hope and despair. "It's about Jeon Jungkook," she blurted out, surprised by her own boldness.

"Jungkook?" Hoseok's voice held a hint of curiosity. "What about him?"

Y/n chewed on her lip. "I... I need to know about him. How he's doing."

"Can you tell me a little more about your relationship with Jungkook?" Hoseok asked gently. "Are you friends, colleagues...?"

Shame flooded Y/n's cheeks.

How could she explain the tangled mess of emotions they shared?  She stole a glance at the emerald dress, a silent reminder of their unspoken bond.

"Actually," she started, fiddling with the hem of her shirt, "I'm Kim Y/n. I was a student of Professor Jeon's at the university."

A surprised silence greeted her from the other end. Finally, Hoseok spoke, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Kim Y/n? As in the Kim Y/n Jungkook won't stop talking about?"

The phone nearly slipped from Y/n's grasp. "Wait," she stammered, her voice a mere whisper. "How do you know about me?"

Surprise crackled through the line. "Well, Y/n," Hoseok chuckled, a hint of amusement in his voice, "let's just say Jungkook has a tendency to bring you up in almost every session. Your... antics at the university, your sharp mind, the way you roast him."

He paused, then added softly, "He gushes about you quite a bit, you know."

Y/n felt a heat bloom in her cheeks, a stark contrast to the coolness of her room. So Jungkook had been talking about her to his therapist?

Hoseok, assuming she was caught up on the situation, continued.  "Speaking of gushing, he seems quite concerned these days. Has he mentioned anything about... well, his recent struggles?"

Y/n's eyes widened.

Struggles?

What struggles? 

She pressed the phone closer to her ear, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. "Struggles? What do you mean?"

A concerned note entered Hoseok's voice. "Y/n, is everything alright? Has Jungkook confided in you about some… suicidal tendencies he's been experiencing?"

Suicidal tendencies? The words hung heavy in the air, shattering the fragile hope that had begun to bloom in Y/n's chest. This couldn't be right. Jungkook, the confident, playful Jungkook, battling such darkness? Denial warred with a rising sense of panic.

"Suicidal?" she repeated, her voice barely a squeak. "No. No, he hasn't said anything about that."

Hoseok's sigh traveled through the line, heavy with understanding. "I see. Well, Y/n, it seems you might not be as aware of the situation as I thought."

"You see, Y/n, Jungkook has experienced some… difficult events in his past. These events have left scars, and unfortunately, those scars have manifested in some… suicidal tendencies."

"But… why?" she managed to force out, her voice barely a whisper.

Hoseok sighed. "It's a bit complicated, Y/n. Part of it stems from his relationship with his brother, Jimin. There was a childhood incident, a loss Jimin experienced, and for some reason, Jungkook blames himself. He carries that burden, that guilt, and it weighs heavily on him."

Y/n frowned. What kind of loss could burden Jungkook so deeply?

"Childhood incident?" she repeated, completely lost. "What happened?"

A brief silence followed, then Hoseok spoke, a hint of apology in his voice. "Y/n, from what I gather, you and Jungkook were particularly close but you don't seem to be much aware about him."

Hoseok's voice grew strained on the other end of the line. "Y/n, listen to me carefully. This is a difficult situation. I can't ethically share confidential information about a patient, especially something as sensitive as past trauma and suicidal tendencies."

Doctor-patient confidentiality was a cornerstone of therapy. But the panic that had been simmering within him reached a boiling point.

"Unfortunately," Hoseok replied, his voice laced with sadness, "his family situation is… complicated too. Let's just say they're not exactly a source of support. And Jimin, his brother, well, he's oblivious to the full extent of Jungkook's struggles."

He paused for a moment, the weight of the situation hanging heavy in the air.

"Are you… by any chance, with him?" he confirmed, his voice filled with newfound hope.

Y/n glanced at the closed door of her room, a sudden understanding dawning. "Yeah," she admitted, a hint of surprise in her voice. "He's a few rooms down the hall."

"Y/n," Hoseok said, his voice grave, "then you're the only hope to save him now. Look I need to tell you a few things about him, and need you to take hold of the situation."

"Alright, Dr. Jung," she said, her voice firm despite the tremor in her hands. "I'll do everything I can."

"Okay, so Jeon Jungkook.....", he started speaking.

[Flashbacks of Jungkook's past = what Hoseok is telling Y/n]

Jungkook, a small boy with round, teary eyes, clung tightly to Gumeun's shirt. Gumeun, a warm-hearted woman in her late thirties, gently rocked him in her lap, trying to soothe his sobs.

"My mom never has time for me," Jungkook sobbed. "She’s always working. And sometimes... sometimes I hear things on the phone that I don’t understand."

Gumeun’s heart ached for the little boy. She had noticed the neglect, the way Jungkook’s eyes always seemed to search for someone who wasn’t there. "What kind of things, Jungkook?"

He hesitated, his small hands clutching her sleeve. "Noises. Like... people making weird sounds."

Gumeun gets cautioned at that, having a hunch of what it could be, so she diverts the topic, "And what about your appa, darling?"

"Mumma never tells me who my dad is. She says if she does, he’ll leave her.", the boy cracked out painfully.

Gumeun sighed deeply, her thoughts racing. She had developed a soft spot for Jungkook, seeing how his own mother neglected him.

She often took care of him outside of her work hours, letting him stay at her house even when the creche was closed. She had become a surrogate mother to him, something his real mother seemed all too eager to exploit.

"Do you have any idea who he might be?"

Jungkook hesitated, then whispered, "She sometimes talks about a Mr. Jeon."

Gumeun froze, her heart pounding in her chest. Mr. Jeon. The name sent a shiver down her spine. She knew who he was—he was Jimin’s father, the man who had abandoned her and her son.

"Stay here with Jimin," she said, her voice trembling. "I need to go see someone."

That night, as Jungkook and Jimin sat huddled together in the small house, the weight of uncertainty pressed down on them.

Gumeun's hurried departure left an uneasy silence in her wake, and the boys felt the creeping dread of her absence. The clock ticked on, each second dragging into an eternity, until they both drifted into a restless sleep.

Gumeun's resolve hardened with every step she took toward the Jeon mansion. Her mind was a whirlwind of fear, anger, and determination. She had to confront Mr. Jeon and demand answers.

The night was quiet at the Jeon mansion, the grandeur of the place enveloped in a serene stillness. The tranquility was abruptly shattered by the sound of heavy, hurried footsteps and the furious voice of Gumeun echoing through the halls.

Her presence was a storm, sweeping through the corridors with a fury that sent the staff scattering.

"Jeon!" Gumeun screamed, her voice dripping with rage and bitterness. "You bastard, where are you?"

She pushed past the servants, her eyes blazing with a fire that had been stoked by years of anger and betrayal.

Each step she took was filled with purpose, her determination unwavering. She ignored the whispers and shocked expressions around her, her focus solely on finding the man who had wronged her.

"Jeon, you coward! Come out and face me!" she continued to shout, her voice growing hoarse from the intensity of her emotions.

She stomped up the grand staircase, the ornate banisters and polished steps a stark contrast to the raw, unbridled rage she carried.

As she reached the top of the stairs, she spotted a large door at the end of the hallway. She knew this was Mr. Jeon's room, the place where he resided with Hana, the woman who had caused her so much pain.

With a final burst of energy, she stormed towards it, her heart pounding in her chest.

Without hesitation, Gumeun threw open the door, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The sight that greeted her was one she had dreaded but expected.

On the luxurious king-sized bed, Hana lay sprawled beneath Mr. Jeon, their bodies entwined in a lurid display of passion. Hana’s eyes were glazed with lust, her lips parted in a moan of pleasure. Mr. Jeon, his face a mask of desire, thrust into her with a primal intensity.

“Fuck me harder, Jeon,” Hana gasped, her nails digging into his back. “Use me, make me yours. I’m your toy, your slut. I need you inside me, deeper.”

The couple was so engrossed in their act that they didn’t immediately notice Gumeun’s intrusion. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and sex, the sound of their bodies colliding filling the room.

For a moment, Gumeun was frozen, her mind struggling to process the scene before her. But her shock quickly gave way to a renewed surge of anger. She took a step forward, her voice cutting through the haze of lust that enveloped the couple.

“What the hell is this?” she screamed, her voice shaking with fury.

Mr. Jeon and Hana jolted apart, their eyes widening in shock and panic. They scrambled to cover themselves, the reality of the situation crashing down around them. Mr. Jeon reached for a sheet, pulling it over his naked form, while Hana clutched at the fabric, trying to hide her shame.

“Gumeun, what are you doing here?” Mr. Jeon stammered, his face pale.

“What am I doing here?” Gumeun spat, her eyes blazing. “I should be asking you the same question! How dare you? How dare you both?”

Hana, her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger, glared at Gumeun. “This is none of your business,” she snapped. “Get out!”

“None of my business?” Gumeun laughed, the sound bitter and cold. “You’re destroying lives, and you think it’s none of my business?”

Mr. Jeon tried to step forward, his hands raised in a placating gesture. “Gumeun, please, let’s talk about this calmly.”

“Calmly?” Gumeun’s voice rose to a near scream. “You want me to be calm after seeing this? After everything you’ve done?”

Hana, emboldened by Mr. Jeon’s attempt to diffuse the situation, sneered at Gumeun. “You’re just jealous, Gumeun. Jealous because he chose me, not you.”

Gumeun’s laughter was bitter and cold. “Chose you? You think this is about choice? I left him the moment I realized what kind of man he truly is. I chose to look after my child, Jimin, rather than abandoning him like Mr. Jeon has a habit of doing.”

Mr. Jeon’s eyes widened in shock, his face turning pale. “Jimin?” he whispered, his voice trembling. “You have a son? My son?”

Gumeun turned her fierce gaze on him, her eyes blazing with a mix of rage and pain. “Yes, Jimin is your son. And I kept him away from you because you are incapable of being a father. I hid him because I knew you would never look after him, just as you’ve failed to look after anything that matters.”

Mr. Jeon’s eyes filled with tears, his voice cracking. “How could you keep Jimin away from me, Gumeun? How could you?”

Gumeun’s expression hardened, her voice turning cold and sarcastic. “How could I? How could I trust you with a child when all you’ve ever cared about is your own selfish desires? You signed contracts with us for sex, Jeon. You wanted no kids involved, remember?”

She turned back to Hana, her gaze piercing and unrelenting. “At least I had the decency to leave you, Jeon, and take care of my child. But what did you do, Hana? You hid your son, Jungkook, from him and conveniently disappeared for a few months when you were pregnant to deliver your baby somewhere else and then get back in Jeon's bed.”

Hana’s face contorted with anger and shame, her eyes filling with tears. “I was scared, Gumeun! Scared that he would ask me to abort my baby. I had no choice but to disappear for a few months.”

Gumeun’s eyes narrowed, her voice laced with cruel taunts. “And yet you came back. Why? Because you couldn’t resist the allure of his money and the comfort of being his whore? You abandoned your son for what? A few nights of passion and a life of luxury? How cold and heartless can you be?”

Hana’s tears flowed freely now, her voice breaking as she tried to defend herself. “You don’t understand. I did what I had to do to survive.”

Gumeun sneered, her words cutting like a knife. “Survive? Is that what you call it? Leaving your child behind so you could continue being his plaything? You disgust me. At least I had the courage to walk away and put my child first. You, Hana, are nothing but a selfish, cowardly woman who abandoned her son for the sake of her own comfort.”

Mr. Jeon stood between them, his heart breaking as the truth of his actions and the consequences they wrought came crashing down on him. His eyes flicked between the two women, guilt and sorrow etched deeply into his face. He felt a deep ache in his chest, realizing how his selfishness and deceit had brought such pain to the people he once claimed to care for.

“Stop it, both of you,” he pleaded, his voice thick with emotion. “This isn’t helping anyone.”

Gumeun’s eyes were fierce as she looked at him, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and pain. “You have no right to tell us to stop, Jeon. You created this mess with your lies and your selfishness. You’ve hurt so many people."

Hana’s sobs echoed through the room, her shoulders shaking as she tried to hold herself together. “I did what I thought was best. I didn’t want to lose him.”

Gumeun shook her head, her voice filled with bitter resolve. “Well, you’ve lost him now. And you’ve lost any shred of respect I might have had for you. You abandoned your son for a man who never truly cared about you, and you have the nerve to call yourself a mother?”

Hana's eyes were wild, a manic gleam in them as she stared defiantly at Gumeun and Mr. Jeon. The room was thick with tension, the air almost suffocating with the weight of unspoken truths and raw emotions.

“You think you’re better than me?” Hana spat, her voice dripping with cynicism. “I chose this life, Gumeun. I chose to be with Jeon, to live in luxury, to have everything I ever wanted. I liked being his whore because it was better than the pathetic life of a single mother. I didn’t want to be tied down with a child, with Jungkook.”

Gumeun’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief. “You… you admit this? You’re saying you preferred living as his whore over being a mother to your son?”

Hana smirked, her eyes glittering with a twisted sense of triumph. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. I enjoyed every moment of it. The money, the power, the sex. It was all worth it.”

Gumeun’s heart ached, a mixture of pity and disgust swirling within her. “Do you even know where your son is right now, Hana?”

Hana faltered, her confident facade cracking. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her eyes darted nervously, searching for an answer she didn’t have. Mr. Jeon’s face fell, disappointment and sorrow etched deeply into his features.

“You don’t, do you?” Gumeun pressed, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and sadness.

“You don’t know where Jungkook is because you never cared to find out. You abandoned him, and now you can’t even tell me where your own son is. As a mother, I can’t even begin to understand how you can live with yourself.”

Hana’s bravado crumbled, her shoulders slumping as tears filled her eyes. “I… I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I don’t know where he is.”

Mr. Jeon’s disappointment was palpable, his voice heavy with sorrow. “Hana, how could you? How could you abandon our son and live this way?”

Gumeun’s heart twisted in pain for the boy who had been abandoned by the one person who should have protected him.

“You should be ashamed, Hana. You are no mother. You’re just a selfish, cowardly woman who chose luxury over her own child.”

Hana’s tears turned to rage, her face contorting with a mix of shame and fury. “You don’t understand! You have no idea what it was like for me!”

Gumeun’s voice rose, her anger boiling over. “I understand more than you think! I chose to leave Jeon and raise my child alone because I couldn’t stand the thought of him growing up in a world of lies and deceit. I made sacrifices, Hana. What did you do? You ran away and abandoned your son!”

The room was electric with tension, the air thick with hostility. Hana’s face twisted with rage and desperation, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

“You don’t get to judge me!” she screamed, her voice raw with emotion.

In a sudden, terrifying movement, Hana reached into a drawer and pulled out a revolver, her hands shaking as she pointed it at Gumeun. “I’ll make you pay for your judgment!”

Gumeun’s eyes widened in horror, her heart pounding in her chest. “Hana, put the gun down! This isn’t the way!”

Mr. Jeon, his face pale with fear, stepped forward, his hands raised. “Hana, please, don’t do this. Put the gun down.”

Hana’s eyes were wild, her hands trembling as she held the revolver. “No! She deserves this! She thinks she’s so much better than me. I’ll show her!”

Gumeun took a cautious step forward, her voice calm but firm. “Hana, think about what you’re doing. This isn’t the answer. Please, put the gun down.”

Hana’s hand shook violently, her finger tightening on the trigger. “Shut up! Just shut up!”

In a flash of movement, Mr. Jeon lunged forward, trying to grab the gun from Hana’s hand. The room exploded into chaos, the three of them struggling, their bodies colliding in a desperate attempt to wrest the weapon away.

Gumeun grabbed Hana’s wrist, her fingers digging into her skin. “Let go, Hana! Don’t do this!”

Hana screamed, her eyes wild with a mix of rage and fear. “I won’t let you ruin everything!”

Mr. Jeon, his face contorted with effort, managed to get his hand on the gun. “Hana, stop! This isn’t you!”

In the struggle, the revolver went off, the deafening sound echoing through the room. For a moment, everything was still, the three of them frozen in place, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.

The gunshot reverberated through the room, a deafening roar that seemed to freeze time. Gumeun gasped, her eyes wide with shock as she looked down at the spreading crimson stain on her dress. She clutched her stomach, her fingers slick with blood, and crumpled to the floor with a soft, pained moan.

“Gumeun!” Mr. Jeon screamed, his face twisted in horror as he dropped to his knees beside her. “No, no, no! Hana, what have you done?”

Hana stood frozen, the gun slipping from her trembling fingers as she watched the scene unfold. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and terror. “I… I didn’t mean to… I…”

Mr. Jeon’s eyes blazed with fury and desperation as he gathered Gumeun’s limp body in his arms. “Call an ambulance!” he roared at Hana, who stood motionless, paralyzed by fear and guilt.

Ignoring her, Mr. Jeon lifted Gumeun and rushed towards the door, his heart pounding in his chest. “Hang on, Gumeun. Please, just hang on.”

He carried her to his car, his mind racing as he sped towards the nearest hospital, his vision blurred by tears. “Stay with me, Gumeun. Don’t you dare leave me.”

Back at the mansion, Hana was left alone, her mind reeling from the horror of what had just transpired. The silence was deafening, her own ragged breaths the only sound in the empty room. She sank to the floor, her hands trembling as she clutched at her hair, her thoughts spiraling into a dark abyss.

In her bedroom, Hana’s cynicism reached a fever pitch. She began pacing back and forth, muttering to herself, her eyes wild and unfocused. “Stupid, stupid! How could I let this happen? How could I ruin everything?”

She grabbed a nearby vase and hurled it against the wall, the sound of shattering porcelain echoing in the room. “I failed everyone! I lost Jeon, and now Gumeun… what have I done?”

Her hands shook as she rifled through the medicine cabinet, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. She pulled out a bottle of antipsychotic medication, Haloperidol, and stared at it with wild eyes. “Maybe this will help… maybe this will make it all go away.”

In her frantic state, Hana grabbed another bottle, this one containing a strong antidepressant. “I need to stop the pain. I need to stop feeling.”

With trembling hands, she began swallowing the pills, one after another, her vision blurring as the drugs began to take effect. “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t… I can’t…”

She stumbled to her bed, her legs giving way as the overdose took hold. Her thoughts became a chaotic swirl of anger, self-loathing, and despair. “You’re worthless, Hana. A failure. A monster.”

As she collapsed onto the bed, the room spun around her, the edges of her vision darkening. “Jeon will never love you. You’re nothing. Nothing…”

Hana’s voice faded to a whisper, her eyes fluttering shut as she lost consciousness.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Mr. Jeon waited anxiously outside the emergency room, his hands stained with Gumeun’s blood. He prayed silently, his heart breaking with each passing moment. “Please, let her be okay. Please don’t take her from me.”

Doctors and nurses rushed past him, their faces grim as they worked to save Gumeun’s life. The hours dragged on, each minute an eternity as Mr. Jeon clung to hope, his mind filled with memories of the woman he loved and the family he had almost lost forever.

As the first light of dawn broke through the hospital windows, Mr. Jeon remained seated, his eyes fixed on the door of the operating room, waiting for a miracle but nothing as such happened.

The words of the doctor echoed in his mind, a relentless reminder of his despair.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jeon. The procedure... it went wrong. Gumeun's in a coma. The medications during the surgery... there was a dosage error. We did everything we could, but..."

The doctor's words blurred together as Mr. Jeon's mind raced. Gumeun, the woman he had loved with a depth he could scarcely articulate, now lay unconscious, her fate uncertain.

The negligence of the medical team had snatched her from the edge of life, plunging her into an abyss from which she might never return.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking through his anguished thoughts. It was a call from one of the servants back at the mansion.

"Sir, it's Hana. We found her fainted in her room. She's not responding. What should we do?"

Mr. Jeon closed his eyes, a new wave of despair washing over him. "Bring her here. Bring her to the hospital immediately."

Within the hour, Hana was brought in, her condition critical. Her vitals were unstable, and the medical staff scrambled to save her.

Mr. Jeon sat outside her room, the weight of his world pressing down on him. Gumeun was in a coma because of medical negligence, and now his fiance, whose actions had inadvertently led to this tragedy, was teetering on the brink of death.

Mr. Jeon sat in the dimly lit hospital waiting room, his hands clasped tightly together, stained with Gumeun's blood. His mind wandered back to his youth, a time when he was driven solely by ambition and desire.

Emotions had been a distraction, a weakness he could not afford. He had built his empire brick by brick, each deal and contract a testament to his ruthlessness and determination. But in his quest for power and success, he had lost something far more valuable—his humanity.

As he sat there, the memories flooded back. He had signed deals with Gumeun and Hana as if they were mere transactions, treating them like toys to be used and discarded at his convenience.

He had been so blinded by his own desires that he failed to see the damage he was causing. And now, as he looked down at his blood-stained hands, he felt a deep, gnawing regret.

"I was a fool," he whispered to himself, his voice trembling. "A selfish, heartless fool."

The hours dragged on, each minute an eternity. The doctors had informed him that Gumeun was in a coma, her condition critical.

The guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders. He had not only ruined his own life but had also brought ruin to the women he had once claimed to care about.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. He looked up to see a nurse standing in front of him, her expression grave.

"Mr. Jeon, you can see her now," she said softly.

He nodded and stood, his legs feeling like lead as he made his way to Gumeun's room. The sight of her lying there, pale and lifeless, broke his heart. He reached out and gently took her hand in his, his eyes welling up with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Gumeun," he choked out. "I never meant for any of this to happen. Please, come back to us. I need you."

The silence in the room was deafening. He stayed by her side for what felt like hours, his mind filled with memories of the past and the weight of his regrets. Eventually, he knew he had to leave and check on Hana. He couldn't abandon her, not now.

“Mr. Jeon,” the doctor had said, “we need to talk about Hana.”

Mr. Jeon had nodded, bracing himself for the worst. “What’s wrong?”

....A/n : Ready for next part ?