Unspoken Desire JenLisa AU

Chapter 26

The morning sun filtered through Jennie's curtains, but it did nothing to calm the storm in her chest. Her phone trembled in her hand as she stared at Chaeyoung's name on the screen, her thumb hovering over the call button. She hated that it had come to this—this sick, twisted entanglement between the three of them.

But she needed answers.

With a sharp exhale, Jennie pressed the button, bringing the phone to her ear. The dial tone seemed to stretch forever before Chaeyoung's voice answered, clipped and emotionless.

"What do you want?"

"We need to talk," Jennie said, her voice steady but firm. "Face-to-face."

Chaeyoung was silent for a moment, and Jennie could almost hear the gears turning in her head.

"Fine," Chaeyoung said finally. "Where?"

Jennie gave the name of a small, discreet restaurant far from prying eyes. She wasn't going to risk their private war spilling into the public—or their family.

The restaurant was quiet, a low murmur of conversation filling the air as Jennie sat at a corner table, her hands wrapped tightly around a coffee cup. She'd arrived early, her mind spinning as she rehearsed what she wanted to say.

When Chaeyoung walked in, Jennie immediately noticed the shift in her demeanor. Gone was the bright, bubbly girl she once knew. In her place stood a woman with a hardened expression and a confident stride that Jennie couldn't ignore.

Chaeyoung slid into the seat across from Jennie, her eyes cold and unreadable.

"Let's skip the pleasantries," Chaeyoung said, folding her arms across her chest. "What do you want?"

Jennie took a deep breath, her fingers tightening around the cup. "I want to know why you're doing this."

Chaeyoung let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "Why? Why? You have the audacity to ask me that?"

"Yes," Jennie said, her voice sharp. "Because none of this makes sense. I thought after everything, after finding out about Lisa and me, you'd just...leave. File for divorce. Move on. But instead, you're dragging this out. Why, Chaeyoung? Why are you making this harder than it has to be?"

Chaeyoung's eyes narrowed, her voice dropping to a dangerous tone. "You think it's that simple? That I can just pack up and leave while you steal my wife? You're unbelievable, Jennie."

"I'm not stealing her!" Jennie snapped, her frustration bubbling over. "Lisa loves me. She always has. You knew that, deep down, didn't you? That's why you're acting like this. You're scared."

"Scared?" Chaeyoung repeated, her voice rising slightly. "No, Jennie. I'm angry. Angry at you, at her, at this entire mess. Do you know what it's like to wake up every day and feel like a fool? To look at the person you love and wonder if they're thinking about someone else? And that someone else is you, my own sister?"

Jennie flinched at the words but held her ground. "I didn't plan for this to happen, Chaeyoung. I didn't ask for it. But it's the truth. Lisa and I...we belong together."

Chaeyoung leaned forward, her eyes blazing. "You're so selfish, Jennie. You're so convinced that your love is more important than anyone else's. What about me? What about the years I spent with Lisa, building a life, trusting her? What about our marriage? Or does that mean nothing to you?"

Jennie's jaw clenched, her voice trembling with barely contained emotion. "It's not about you or me, Chaeyoung. It's about Lisa. She deserves to be happy."

"And you think you're the one to make her happy?" Chaeyoung spat. "Do you even realize what you're doing to her? To us? To our family? Do you think Mom and Dad are just going to accept this? That they'll welcome you with open arms after you destroyed my marriage?"