Chapter 23

After a weekend trip in Southamptons for Jungkook's birthday, Jennie and Taehyung go back to their jobs again. Jennie got a new senior partner in her law firm, Namjoon. He's an intellectual man with a high IQ. She admires him for his insight and logical thinking.

It's his first day so Jennie and Ashley decided to throw a welcome surprise for him with a bouquet of flowers, a luxury pen and journal, and a bottle of .

"Hello." Jennie greeted as soon as Ashley accompanied Namjoon to his office. Namjoon was a little startled. "Hi, I didn't expect to get such welcoming partners." He smiled. He's happy to get such a welcome from Jennie and Ashley. It's his first time being a senior partner. He graduated from Princeton Law School with a summa cum laude honors. It means he has a perfect GPA 4.00/4.00.

Namjoon got intrigued with Jennie when he knew Jennie is a smart woman he has ever known according to research she had done, trials, scandal, and her journey to become like this now. He believes if Jennie and him combine, they can make an empire.

"I'm sorry if it's too festive. We just never had a new senior partner we recruited other than our friends." Jennie said. "Oh, no,no, I like it. I never got a welcome like this. This journal is really a beautiful gift. I'm kinda artsy and melancholy, sometimes I write about my daily life and kinda draw a bit." Jennie chuckled because she had never met such a guy like this. It's kinda new.

She claps her hands and starts speaking again, "So! If you need anything we'll be in our office and we're going to have a weekly meeting every wednesday, and for your assistant we got you an intern for now because we want you to choose the secretary by yourself, i want you to be comfortable with your choice." Jennie explained.

Namjoon just nodded and he sat on a chair while Jennie and Ashley walked out from his office. When they walk, Jennie starts feeling uneasy around her body. "Ugh i think i will go to the restroom, i've not been well these past hours." Ashley furrows her eyebrows while watching her walk away to the restroom. But, she decided to follow Jennie.

When she opens the restroom door, she sees Jennie try to wash her face and feel the cold of water from the sink with her hands. She wet her hands and compressed them to her neck.

"What are you doing?" Ashley started. Jennie just closed her eyes feeling comfortable with the cold on her hands. "I get cold sweat from holding out my nausea all day. I just can't get sick right now, I had vitamins this morning but it doesn't work. Taehyung tried to hold me back from not getting to work today but I couldn't, I should be here since it's Namjoon's first day." She explained.

"Well maybe it's not because you got sick, and vitamins weren't the answer to your problem." Ashley said as she leaned on the sink beside Jennie.

Jennie opens her eyes and turns her head towards Ashley. "What do you mean?"

Ashley just chuckled. "Just let's stop by the pharmacies for lunch, Okay?"

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Lisa spotted Taehyung in his office feeling frustrated. She decided to stop by when she just handed her contract to one of the legal staff.

Knock Knock

Taehyung didn't even look at the door, he just kept writing on his laptop. "Hellow?" Lisa tries to be cheerful when she opens the door. But, Taehyung just hums and continues to focus.

"Your legal staff you assigned for me said you're completely become the devil for these past three days. What happened?" Lisa sat across from him. "Well, if they weren't a pain in the ass, I wouldn't become one." He said.

Lisa chuckled and sighed. "What happened to you? You've been ignoring Jungkook, and then Jimin, and lastly you forbid Yoongi to invite you for lunch. Are you mad at him?"

"No, I just don't have time. Your deal becomes so much more of a burden because it involves so many scandals and problems that we need to analyze the risk. I should be more focused." Taehyung still reasoned out.

"Something's happening at home? You had a fight with Jennie?" She asked.

"No.", "So it is a marriage problem." Lisa arched her eyebrows, and soon she turned to smirk and Taehyung just rolled his eyes when he noticed. "Why? Did Jennie still focus more on Archie than you? When was the last time you had sex?"

"This is a work environment, please no sex talk and work more." Taehyung talked back.

"You know Jungkook and I have already reconciled, so he told me everything. Don't hold back or I will elaborate all your problems right now in front of you." Lisa said.

Taehyung sighed, he felt he was already lost since his stupid friend Jungkook can't keep his mouth shut just because he started to fall in love again with his the one.

"It's been a week since we did it. On Jungkook's birthday and before that we never do that in three months. So, it kinda bothers me because after three months we only do it once." Taehyung finally explained.

"Ugh, yuck! What a bummer." Lisa responded bitterly. "Thank you, I really need that." Taehyung sarcastically said to her.

"Why don't you arrange a dinner date? Me and Jungkook will take care of Archie." Lisa voluntarily asked.

"Woah, it's not that simple. She won't try you guys with Archie. After you almost trip when holding Archie who is still a newborn baby, Jennie doesn't trust you anymore." Taehyung said. Lisa pouts, she feels offended by Jennie once she hears it.

"It was an accident! Besides, there's Jungkook who likes babies. . . i think." Lisa wasn't sure if Jungkook is a family guy or not. Does he like babies or not? She doesn't know yet, she never talks about it with him.

Taehyung closes his laptop, he thinks maybe that's a good idea. "I think I will arrange it."

Lisa claps her hands in excitement. "Good! Finally I can see how Jungkook does with babies. I always want to see it and maybe try to talk to him about it so we can start to plan something for our relationship."

Taehyung just furrows his eyebrows. "You plan all of this just for the sake of your desire, huh?", "No! I just want you to be happy and satisfied." Lisa reasoned out.

"Ew, it's my sex life! And by the way, since you and Jungkook seem to be fine again and now maybe get back together again for real, those problems with you and his grandpa. . . when are you gonna tell him?" Taehyung asked.

Lisa suddenly started and she couldn't look him in the eyes. Taehyung knows what it means. "You won't tell him again? Soon, the truth will come out, Lisa. Do not wait when it opens out in a bad way, he will hate you even more."

Lisa sighed. She can't keep a secret for too long about Jungkook's parents death twenty five years ago wasn't an accident. She had a deal with his grandpa that if she kept this secret from him, his grandpa should keep her secret about her ex's dad in jail for fraud a year ago.

Somehow, Lisa and Jungkook's grandpa know each other's secrets, that's why Lisa broke up with Jungkook. She can't keep their relationship while still being haunted by a shameful secret.

"I know, but I still have to figure out how I'm going to talk to him and what words I will say. It took preparation to give him a bomb of news when it involved his childhood. I couldn't look him in the eyes." Lisa suddenly felt sad.

"Okay then, i will tell Jennie about this but don't hope too much, somehow she doesn't feel safe for Archie being around people who are oblivious about babies and she really wants a high security home these days. She got a threat from her former partner, it's not a big deal since I already took care of it but she is still uneasy about it." Taehyung explained.

Lisa was shocked when she heard it. "Oh my god, who was it?", "Fai Khadra."

"Oh, uhm okay, but Jungkook's apartment security is really safe. He's living in central park west, it's where rich people live, they are obsessed with good security." Taehyug just nodded.

"So, do you want to have lunch with me?" Taehyung saw the clock when Lisa asked for it. "Uhm, let me get Jennie if she wants to join." Taehyung picked up his phone and dialed her number, but after a couple of tries she didn't answer.

He doesn't know that Jennie is panicking right now.

"No." Jennie said sternly to Ashley. "You should! And it isn't hurting to try, right?"

"I thought you would bring me here to buy some pills for my cold sweat." Jennie said. "You know that is a symptom. When you were doing it with Taehyung?" Ashley asked.

"Last week, when we were going to south hamptons.", "Wow, that fast to know you're pregnant? Taehyung's buddy is a fast and strong swimmer." Jennie just looks at her unsatisfied but Ashley just laughs.

"Here, it will be $14." The cashier said to Ashley. She grabs her money and hands it to the cashier.

Jennie just sees the transaction and suddenly remembers something. "Where am I going to do it?", "In the office. Let's buy a burger in a shake shack for take out first, and you're gonna pee on it in the restroom of the sixteenth floor. It's under renovation so no one's there."

Ashley grabs the test immediately and drags Jennie to go outside to buy lunch first before they go back to the office.

They immediately go to the sixteenth floor and sneak to the restroom. There's no one in there and it turns out the restroom is finished first, it looks good.

"How come they renovate this restroom to be fancier than ours." Ashley said as she waited for Jennie in a cubicle. She sat on the sink while she read the box of the pregnancy test. She decided to eat the fries first, she couldn't wait to eat.

"Maybe, if we had any money, we will be having a fancy restroom." Jennie shouted from the cubicle. After about five minutes, Jennie got out of it with one stick she used. "How was it?" Ashley immediately grabbed it from her hand.

'Pregnant'

"Okay, try another." She ripped another pregnancy test and handed it to Jennie. "Should we try three of them? I think one is enough of an explanation." Jennie whined.

"Yeah, but you're in denial at first, and who knows that along the way when you want to tell Taehyung, you will have a second guess to start thinking it's a false positive. So, to make you realize this is real you should take three of them. It comes with three sticks in a box for a reason." Ashley said.

Jennie groaned and she decided to take all the two sticks left. When she tried the first stick, she was nervous and when it indicated she was pregnant, her mind just mixed up with joy, confusion, and fear. She feels like now is not the time.

After about ten minutes and finally Ashley eats her burger in the restroom while watching a show on her phone, Jennie gets out of the cubicle. "How was it?"

"Positive. All of them." Ashley stands up immediately and hugs her. "Congratulations! Don't be bitter about this! It's a gift. I'm sure Taehyung is so happy about this." Ashley rubs her back and cheers her up. But, Jennie just gritted her teeth and can't say anything.

Ashley released the hug and examined Jennie's reaction. "What's wrong? You don't want the baby?"

"No, no. It's not that. I just-i just think this wouldn't be a right time to have a baby. Fai is on the loose right now, and the threat he gave me. Although Taehyung has already taken care of it and he will never disturb us again, he is still in New York and he can plan something much more than just a threat." She explained.

Ashley frowned. Jennie has been paranoid and overthinking for weeks about this. It affects her work, her life, and her family. Ashley starts getting worried too. Taehyung told her when she heard that on the first day she comes back to the office she takes a day off immediately after there's an envelope coming for her.

"Honey, you have to start being content with what's going on right now. I know sometimes we should be aware but if it starts being like this, it is called obsession and it's not healthy. You have to think about Taehyung too, what if he wants this? I can sense your act like this for weeks, Taehyung doesn't feel your presence that much."

Jennie also thought for days about it. Since Taehyung opens up to her that he misses their intimate moment and they finally do it in south hamptons, she can see him feeling neglected by her focus on Archie too much. Not because she loves Archie, but she keeps thinking the worst would happen to their baby.

Jennie went home on time like usual. But she did it not because she missed Archie. She wants to make it up with Taehyung, she wants to be there. So, she let her mom take Archie to her home for a day. Archie has been super comfortable in her mansion lately, he got cranky in his own nursery room in their apartment, making Jennie kinda annoyed.

She decided to make dinner for both of them. When she's cooking, the entrance door opens indicating Taehyung is arriving. "Mom?" Taehyung called.

He immediately smelled food coming from the kitchen but he wasn't sure Jennie's mom would cook because she rarely cooks in his apartment. Taehyung kinda worries too that this smell is not cooked food but burned food, so he immediately checks the kitchen. To his surprise, it's Jennie cooking at the stove.

"Baby? You come home early? What is it this time?" Taehyung expected that Jennie must be thinking something bad again that made her come home on time. He already promised Jennie to let her work in her office because she missed so much and let Taehyung come home on time to take care of their baby.

"Nope, I just want to make dinner for both of us. I miss having a quality time with just the two of us. Mom brought Archie to Long Island for a sleepover again, she will bring him back tomorrow morning. Mom has a party in Lincoln Center tomorrow, she wants to show off her grandson." Jennie said.

Taehyung still isn't sure what she just said. "And you are completely okay with that?"

"Of course, just like you said. Mom has a high security in her mansion, so it sure is safe for Archie." Taehyung approached her and put his arms around her waist, hugging her while she stirred the food on the stove.

"I'm so proud of you. You overcome it." Taehyung said as he kissed her head. "Thank you, baby. Let's eat, this is the last dish I cook, there's an appetizer and main course on the table." She replied.

They start the dinner with a jazz song played on Taehyung's vinyl recorder. They really had a good talk after a long time. Without Taehyung's notice, besides sex this is what he also really needs the most. How their lives are doing outside home. About work, friends, and what they do by themselves. He miss Jennie's big break in her law firm.

For Jennie, she just tries to keep the conversation going while holding back herself to tell Taehyung about her pregnancy. She still isn't sure if Taehyung also thinks that baby number two is the best thing they can have at the moment.

"By the way, I was thinking at the office for us to have a romantic dinner too tomorrow at the Four Seasons. I thought we could spend the night there too but I think you won't like the idea of leaving Archie just for a day." Jennie gritted her teeth. She already made a plan for tonight that will make Archie stay at her mom's house. Two nights are too long.

"If you had told me earlier I wouldn't have made plans for this dinner and left Archie with mom today, I would have stayed at Four Seasons." She smiled.

"That's fine. I made a reservation and booked a spa too before the dinner." Taehyung informed her. "That sounds fun, let's do it."

"You know what happened this morning? My boss thinks we have two children because two days ago when we went to a company event together she said Archie has a different hair color, he's more blond than the first she saw a month ago. She thought Archie had a twin brother." Taehyung starts another topic to make Jennie remember again about her pregnancy.

She tries to laugh at his story. "How cute it would be if we had two Archies. Don't you think Archie will be a good brother?" Jennie asked. She tries to lead the conversation about the idea of having another child with Taehyung.

"I think he will be a protective brother just like his mom. Since he was raised like that." He glanced at her. Jennie smacks his arms because she knows it's not a compliment.

"But kidding aside, would you like Archie to have a little brother or sister?" Jennie asked again. "Of course I want to. Not because I want Archie to have a little brother or sister but I really do want to have many children I can have with you. You're a great mother and I try so far to be a good dad, so yeah. I think I always have a baby fever."

When Jennie was about to reply to him, he suddenly continued, "But, are you really ready, Jen? I mean no offense but I tend to worry you'll get more anxious. You have a law firm and somehow because now we have a handful of children, you decided to quit your work, which is fine for me. But, you just started your new career again and with recent problems I think it's best for us to focus on the healing process and be aware."

Jennie feels more nervous. So, he thinks she's not ready, not the other way. All this time, she thinks there's a possibility of Taehyung not wanting any child for a moment because he still loves Archie but instead what he thinks is because of Jennie herself. He second guesses Jennie's condition for now which is fine for her because she understands what she did to herself it's not healthy and she is still in the process of overcoming it.

So this time, she decided not to bring the good news until she was sure about herself. Is she ready or not?

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Sincerely, Matcha