TW: graphic depiction of domestic abuse
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My heart pounded erratically in my chest, my palms clammy with nerves as I sat opposite Mr. Smith, Daniel's brother-in-law who was an attorney.
After hearing I needed legal advice for an undisclosed issue but not having the money to pay for an attorney, Daniel had driven me here after work; apparently his sister's husband was really good and would offer advice at a discounted price specifically for me.
Mr Smith's office, a stark yet imposing space, was bathed in the sterile glow of fluorescent lights, casting harsh shadows across the sleek, modern furniture and rows of legal binders neatly arranged on the shelves.
Mr. Smith, a dark skin middle-aged man with a no-nonsense demeanor and a sharp gaze, sat behind his desk, his expression a mix of professionalism and concern.
He listened intently as I spilled out the sordid details of my ex-husband's deceit and manipulation, each word feeling like a weight lifted off my chest yet adding to the burden of my fears.
"I don't really know what to do, he's kind of taking over my life," I confessed, my voice trembling with apprehension as I laid bare the tangled mess of lies and betrayal that had become my reality.
Mr. Smith leaned forward, his brow furrowing in concentration as he processed the gravity of my situation. "So what I'm getting is Mr. Jefferson has been forging your marriage documents to claim benefits and insurance in your name without your consent," he summarized, his tone matter-of-fact yet tinged with sympathy.
"He's even made you pay for his health insurance, without your consent. And because of this forged marriage, he now holds a legal claim to half of your house property and your salon. If you file for divorce, he'll likely contest ownership of the house and seek custody of your daughter. Meanwhile, he's taken both of your kids on vacation to his home in Atlanta and blackmailing you to continue paying the insurance. If you don't continue you funding him, you feel like he'll hurt your kids, in spite of you? Is that accurate?"
I nodded, my throat tight with emotion. "Yes, that's correct," I confirmed, my legs trembling beneath the table, a physical manifestation of the turmoil raging within me.
"Has he ever hurt your children before?" Mr Smith asked. "Are they in imminent harm?"
"He's never hurt them. Not that I know of." I murmured. "My son is 20– I don't think Robert would physically harm them. I'm more concerned with the emotional harm he could do."
"I see. Has he ever hurt you?" Mr smith asked and I paused instantly. I knew this was a safe space to air out all Robert had done to me but for some reason I was still hesitant. I guess I was still coming to terms that someone I once loved the most in this world could do this to me.
"Yeah. He does." I nodded my head.
"Could you recount any things he has done to you that you would be able to provide evidence for in court?" He asked. "Take your time." He added sympathetically, noticing the look on my face.
So reluctantly, one by one, I began to point out the place where Robert had punched, burnt, slapped and even bit. And as I kept on going, Mr Smith couldn't mask the look on his face. He looked visibly shocked.
"Okay. Do you have any medical proof of any abuse? Like any time you've been to the doctor and maybe they've flagged an injury or something?" Mr smith enquired.
I knew better than going to the doctor.
If I ever went to the doctor for all the bruises and the minor injuries, they would definitely get suspicious and Robert would have killed me. I learnt my lesson about never ever going to a doctor about nineteen years ago.
.⋅ ۵♡۵ ⋅.
19 years ago
2001
"It's okay, it's okay."
Though my words were intended to be comforting, my facial expression was juxtaposing.
As I tried to calm down baby Trey who was wailing, no matter how much I fed him, or how much I coddled him, he just wouldn't go to sleep; His tiny frame restless because he was teething and clearly in pain.
I had a chemistry essay due tomorrow. Not to mention my body was aching from stacking shelves earlier this afternoon. And the fact that I was three months pregnant with intense fatigue and back pain. As well as the looming household chores I had.
It's like I couldn't catch a break.
Tears were streaming down my face as I used my free hand to wipe them as my other arm was occupied with carrying my son.
"Trey, it's okay." I tried to stabilize my voice and hide the fact that I was crying too but my sobs couldn't help but escape through my mouth. "Mommy's really tired too... so please just stop crying, please..."
I could no longer even pretend to be calm to comfort my son, I began to bawl hysterically, my face distorting and my voice fading away because of how hard I was sobbing.
My body began to tremble, my son shaking in my grasps and soon his wails began to die down.
Raising my gaze from my lap, I found my son nestled in my arms, his tear-stained cheeks still obvious. However he had finally stopped crying and I could tell he was confused, seeing me breakdown for the first time.
In that moment, his eyes held a silent plea, a wordless exchange of understanding that transcended the pain and exhaustion.
With a mixture of tenderness and desperation, he suddenly pressed his lips against my cheek, a slobbery kiss that carried the weight of his unspoken need for comfort.
Though his intent was to probably ease the agony of the teething, in that fleeting moment, to me, it felt like a tender offering of comfort from my precious son. A gentle reminder that being seventeen and a mother wasn't all that bad because I would always have this unbreakable bond with my son.
I felt a small smile crack on my lips as he continued to attempt to bite on my cheek with his gums.
With a hand trembling with emotion, I brushed away my own tears, determined to provide whatever comfort I could muster.
Gently, I began to stroke his back, the rhythmic motion lulling him towards sleep.
And as his breathing softened and his small form relaxed against me, a wave of relief washed over my weary body, grateful for the brief respite from the trials of motherhood.
Placing him in his cot upstairs as he was finally knocked out cold after an hour or so, I go back downstairs about to finish my homework until I see Robert had walked in.
My eyes lit up excitedly, about to ask him about his day but once I smelt the stench of alcohol off him as well as make up on his shirt, the excitement soon faded off my face.
"Jada." His voice was steady and deep. "Where's dinner at?"
"I had homework to do. I can start dinner now—" I began, but he cut me off with a scoff, slamming the fridge door in frustration, causing me to flinch instinctively.
"What's the point in starting now? I don't have time to wait," Robert retorted, irritation evident in his tone. "Did the delivery for my new grill arrive? My parents are coming from Houston next week with my aunts and uncles—"
"Yeah, it came," I interjected quickly.
"Where is it? I need to set it up—" he pressed impatiently.
"No need. Our neighbor from next door saw me struggling with the delivery, so he helped me set it up out back," I explained, unaware of the implications, returning to my homework with a sense of detachment. "The doctor said I shouldn't do too much heavy lifting because of the pregnancy so luckily Brandon just happened to be around—"
"So let me get this straight, you let him into my house? Around my son? Fixing shit under my roof?" Robert asked, his voice monotone, so I couldn't exactly detect if he was mad or not.
"...uh yeah?" I stammered, looking down at my homework to avoid eye contact. "It was really heavy to carry in, Rob—" I tried to explain again, my eyes still fixated down but that's when Robert suddenly flipped the table over, catching me off guard.
Roughly, he shoved me off my seat, causing me to fall directly on my side and instantly I began to cry even before he had properly start to beat me, already knowing what was going to come.
As he muttered under his breath psychotically, removing his belt in the process, I desperately began to crawl away before he could catch me.
But before I knew it, he grabbed onto my ankle, pulling me right back.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Rob, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was bad—" I screamed, pleading for mercy before he could start beating me but he cut me off with a belt slapping me across the face.
"You didn't know? You didn't know what, J?" Robert asked me seriously. "You didn't know to not let a man into my fucking house, dressed like a whore with my son up in here— are you fucking crazy? Don't lie to me. And you know how I feel about him and I've warned you about talking to him— Haven't I fucking warned you? I let you off the first time when you went to his house without my permission but you just love to disrespect me, Jada! Do you take me for a fucking fool?"
"No I don't take you for a fool! I know you've warned me, yes, you have, I'm sorr—" I tried to shield myself and most importantly my stomach but this didnt matter to him. He began to stomp on me, his work shoes stepping all over my stomach, kicking my rib cage. Despite my screams echoing across the kitchen, he continued going harder.
"Who even knows if this is my kid? Don't lie it's his, isn't it?" Robert pointed to my stomach accusingly as I sobbed, still trying to crawl away. "You slept with him that time you went—"
My face scrunched up in confusion, wondering how he jumped into such an outlandish conclusion. I just went next door to drop off a package and he invited me in for some lemonade. I was in there for twenty minutes max.
"I didn't! I promise, I pinkie promise, Rob, I didn't! I won't be bad again, I promise. I was wrong for going next door and letting him help me— I was so wrong—" I was begging through my tears, my hands trembling as they hovered over my stomach.
"I go to work. I put a roof over your head. I feed you. Without me, you would be nothing, Jada. So how dare you disobey me?" Robert asked me, tears suddenly escaping from his eyes. "I always give and you just take, Jada. Do you not love me?"
"I do!" I persisted through my tears, trying to breathe but I couldn't breathe. "I don't know why I did it. Please just don't hit me!" I clung onto my hair stressfully.
"Do you want to die, Jada?" Robert asked me seriously and I shook my head desperately, my tears staining my face. "Invite that motherfucker into my house again and I swear to God, you won't get to watch our son grow. I mean it Jada. The only time he'll see you is when he's visiting your grave." and his threat went a chill down my spine. Then suddenly he switched from his calm demeanor and just went ballistic, as he grabbed the chair he threw me off of he began to smash it against the wall, my screams echoing through the house as the wooden chair began to crumble with each smash against the wall.
"Fucking bitch, how dare you? How dare you?" With the broken headboard of the chair, he began to use it to smash against me, barbarically. To prevent me from moving and avoiding each hit, he pressed his boot against my head to pin me down onto the floor as he continued to beat me with the wood.
I had stopped screaming, tears just escaping from my eyes as I just took every hit, my throat aching with each sob. And soon I could notice blood staining the wood.
"Fucking whore." Robert scoffed, calming down finally, before he spat on me, leaving me on the floor. "Go put on some real fucking clothes."
"O-Okay... okay..." My voice cracked, though I was only in unicorn shorts and a white vest my father bought for me two years ago. A symbol of innocence. Now they were covered in blood.
.⋅ ۵♡۵ ⋅.
"Yeah... I think I do have proof. But I'm not sure if I'll still have access to it. I had a miscarriage around nineteen to eighteen years ago. I spoke to a neighbor I shouldn't have and Robert was black out angry and he beat me. I was sent to hospital for a concussion." I explained. "Turns out he beat me so badly I fractured my rib cage and I lost the baby. Because I was a minor and I was pregnant, doctors instantly flagged it. They wanted to bring my parents in for a questioning but I lied and said I fell off a scooter and ended up tumbling down a flight of stairs. The injuries aligned with the lie, I guess. And that was the end of that."
Mr Smith listened attentively, his expression growing more serious with each detail I shared. "Okay... Let's explore some possible legal avenues we can pursue."
He leaned forward, her eyes focused and determined. "Firstly, we could file for divorce on grounds of fraud. By proving that Mr Jefferson deceived you into marriage under false pretenses, we could nullify the marriage and protect your assets."
"However, this approach could drag out in court and may not guarantee a favorable outcome. It's a risk we need to consider carefully because, as you said previously, Mr Jefferson has texts agreeing that you would like to reconcile the marriage amongst many other evidence that he could use against you,"
He paused, considering her next words carefully. "Ideally, we could pursue a civil lawsuit against Robert for damages. By suing him for financial compensation for the harm he's caused you or we could seek a restraining order against Robert to protect you and your children from further harm. This would legally bar him from contacting you or coming near your family. But you say that he has a lot of evidence against you. This ranges from stealing his car and about twenty thousand dollars from him, infidelity, child endangerment—"
"I didn't endanger my child." I retorted, my tone defensive, my heart heavy with the weight of judgment I so often faced when revealing my past. "I had no choice—"
"When you ran from Mr. Jefferson and your family, your son fell ill with meningitis, as you said," Mr. Smith cut in, his tone devoid of sympathy, his words like a punch to the gut. "You were unwilling to get medical help, knowing the complications for your son and the fact that he could potentially die, because you were scared the hospital would report back to Robert or your parents your location. That's endangerment, Miss Carter."
"I was a kid. I didn't know what I was doing—" I protested, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
"Unfortunately, the law doesn't weigh excuses. It deals in outcomes," Mr. Smith replied, his voice grave yet matter-of-fact. "And Mr. Jefferson's legal defenses make our pursuit challenging. The question now is, are you willing to risk everything?"
"Why am I the one at risk when he's the wrong one?" I countered, frustration boiling over.
"I understand, Miss Carter. Really. I do. But the law doesn't care about what's 'right'. It cares about who sells the most believable story." Mr Smith replied solemnly.
"I know," I muttered, a sense of resignation settling in, uncertainty clouding my thoughts.
I could never really escape this nightmare.
As I reached for my phone to check the time, a surge of anxiety washed over me at the sight of a missed call from Trey.
Earlier, at the salon, I texted Jungkook that I agreed for his plans but I would be late. I was fully expecting his barrage of calls and messages throughout the duration of me meeting the attorney, so, to avoid the distraction, I had silenced my phone, but now I regretted the decision as I realized I had missed Trey's call in the process.
My heart sank, and a wave of unease washed over me. Excusing myself from the attorney's office, I muttered, "My son just called. Give me a moment, please."
Passing by Daniel in the waiting room, his concerned gaze didn't go unnoticed. Ignoring his unspoken question, I retreated to a secluded corner of the law firm, dialing Trey's number with trembling fingers.
Each ring amplified my apprehension, leaving me praying for his voice to bring relief amidst the uncertainty.
Suddenly he picked up.
"Trey?" I said, my voice and breathy.
Another silence ensued.
"Hey, mom." I heard his soft voice.
"Hey, baby." I rasped, trying to stabilize my voice. "How are you? Your sister? Are you guys having fun?"
"I'm good. She's chill. Everything is cool." He said calmly. Another silenced ensued.
"That's good." I murmured. "What have you gotten up to?"
"Well... I met grandma for the first time and I met some Aunt Carol yesterday. Grandma made casserole. Aunt Carol bought me some new kicks and got Destiny a jacket— low-key looks whack though."
I felt a smile automatically etch on my lips, feeling so defeated before but just the sound of his chuckle made my heart instantly melt.
"Met a couple of cousins I didn't even know existed." Trey continued and I felt a sense of guilt, knowing it was my fault that he couldn't remember his grandma, that he didn't know his father's older sister, Carol, and he didn't know Carol's kids. "Atlanta is really fun. Dad takes us to the beach, we eat whatever bullshit we like, he tells us stories, shows us pictures from when we were young."
"That's good to hear Trey." I whispered. "I'm happy that you're happy."
"I miss you, mom." Trey's voice cracked. I felt my eyes droop and my heart ache as I bit down on my lip, trying to restrain myself from crying. "I hope you aren't mad at me?"
"I could never be mad at you, baby. I love you." I reassured him.
"I love you too." He mumbled back.
A silence ensued.
"And because I love you, I want you to be happy. You deserve to be at home relaxing and not working every second of the day, you feel me? And I'll do that for you once I graduate, I swear. I wanna make sure you never have to work or struggle again because you've done so much for me even when I'm bad. I wanna make working at that salon a hobby, not a way for you to survive." Trey explained. "But for now? You can't do this by yourself. Destiny is going through some weird phase. I don't know what the fuck is going on with her, ma. And I'm getting concerned. It feels bigger than that boyfriend she had."
"Like what?" I whispered, my heart racing.
"I don't know. She won't talk to me. But the only one that keeps her in check is dad." Trey murmured. "I know you have your differences with him, but, the girl is spiralling out of control. She needs him, mom. She needs stability. She needs discipline. And not that you can't provide that because I turned out okay but I think she really feels like something is missing in her life without a dad."
"I know."
"So mom, if he isn't beating you, then what is it? Why do you hate the man so much? He's sick and he just wants to help and be in our lives. That's all." Trey said. "Listen, mom, I've been thinking and I take back what I said before about beating being okay sometimes. It's never okay. I was just desperate for him to be in our lives. What I said was wrong. So if he's doing something to you, you need to tell me. Because there's nobody in this world I care about more than you. So say the word and he's dead, mom—"
"Don't say that, Trey." I whispered.
"Don't think I didn't peep the little bruises and shit. I did notice them, I just assumed they were from work. You handle hot water, hot combs, a lot of heavy lifting, standing on your feet constantly so my mind didn't go to abuse because I just guessed if you weren't telling me anything then nothing could possibly be happening because we tell each other everything. Don't we?" Trey said desperately.
"We do. Of course we do." I attempted to reassure him, though the wavering in my voice betrayed my uncertainty.
"And I guess, it just seemed like you and JK were getting super close. Closer than you and I. So I got pissed when he butted into our business, pointing out things I should've been noticing ages ago. I felt like I wasn't holding up my end as your son," Trey confessed. "So, is it true? Did I really miss all that? Am I really a bad son? Did I really fail you? Speak to me, ma."
I knew Trey and how reactive he was, if I told him the truth, I knew he would explode. And yeah, maybe in a fist fight Trey could win but Robert was the most conniving manipulative sociopath I've met in my life. Robert would find a way to destroy him without even having to physically hurting him, that's how demented he was.
Maybe I would start telling Trey what was really going on when he comes back from Atlanta as I was now officially considering taking legal action. Once I started going to court, the kids had to be informed.
But there was no way I would put Trey in harms way by telling him the truth now, while he and his sister were alone and unprotected with Robert, half way across the country.
I knew deep down, no matter how hard he pretended, Robert didn't care about Destiny nor Trey and he would hurt them or worse if it meant to hurt me.
"Where's your father?" I asked him, dodging his questions at first to make sure nobody was around eavesdropping.
"He just went out with Desi. Why?"
"No reason... I just... I just wanted you to know you can never fail me, Trey. You're not a bad son." I reassured him. "Nothing is happening, okay? I'm not hurt right now— I just... it's really complicated. We'll talk more when you get back, alright? Just know, you're not at fault. Jungkook is just very observant and he overthinks a lot. Just because Jungkook acts over the top sometimes doesn't mean he's better than you or we're more close. I love you and Jungkook in different ways and for different reasons so don't compare yourself to him."
"Yeah... I get that now," Trey murmured. "Mom I did something really bad to him. And I don't know if he's going to ever forgive me."
Already knowing what it was, I deeply sighed. Trey was wrong for that but I know Jungkook was no longer on Keyana or wanted anything to do with her, so if Trey just apologized, I'm sure everything would be okay.
I just didn't want to get involved or pick sides because I was already starting to get implicated for being aware of what Trey did and not telling Jungkook.
"You just need to make it up to him." I told him truthfully. "Apologizing is one thing but you need to show him how much you care, Trey. I don't know what you did but just be better."
"Aight, mom. Imma go now." Trey murmured softly.
"Okay, please be safe. Tell Destiny I love her. Tell her I'll try to call later tonight to see how she is." I said quickly and he mumbled a 'mhm', finally hanging up the phone.
I struggled to hold back tears, my lips pressed tightly together, hands trembling, until I sensed someone's presence behind me.
"I mentioned to my brother-in-law that maybe it's time to call it a day. Looks like you're really overwhelmed," Daniel said softly, his hand offering comfort on my shoulder. I nodded stiffly, trying to maintain composure. But he could sense my distress, even through my forced smile. "Oh, Jada," Daniel sighed with empathy, his face reflecting concern as he gently drew me into a hug.
With my face buried against his chest, I deeply sighed, wondering when this nightmare would end.
[4 HOURS LATER]
AT DANIEL'S HOUSE
"He seems to be doing much better," I remarked, smiling at Rocky as he bounced beside me, eagerly eyeing my chicken. I sliced off a piece and tossed it into Rocky's mouth, eliciting excited barks and vigorous tail wagging.
"Yeah, especially now that you're here," Daniel replied softly, a lingering smile on his lips as he petted his dog. I felt his gaze briefly fixate on me, stirring a flutter of nerves within me.
"It's been nice," I murmured, reflecting on the evening. After meeting with the attorney, Daniel had taken me back to his place and cooked dinner. "I just feel like I was going to collapse at that office, so thank you for bringing me here to relax."
"No problem," Daniel nodded. "You know I'm always here for you, Jada?" His words were earnest, his captivating blue-green eyes locked onto mine. A smile tugged at my lips as I nodded in acknowledgment.
"Yeah, I know," I affirmed.
"If you ever need help with Destiny or Trey, anything at all, I'm here," Daniel continued, gently taking my hand, his thumb tracing soothing circles over my knuckles. My gaze drifted over his features—his chiseled jawline, his warm caramel skin, his soft pink lips—each detail adding to his endearing aura of innocence and empathy, causing me to melt ever so slightly.
I watched as he leaned closer, my heart skipped a beat as I finally felt his lips brush against mine, and I responded. As his lips melted into mine, my hand naturally began to stroke his jawline.
Hungrily, Daniel pulled away from the kiss, his lips latching onto my neck, as he began to leave traces of purple love bites behind. My breathing grew hollow as he started to take off his jacket, hinting where this was going to.
Considering the bullshit I was already entangled in with Robert and Jungkook, should I really be getting myself involved with Daniel like this?
This was my colleague.
And we had such a good relationship as friends, I couldn't possibly ruin it.
I was very vulnerable and emotional right now, the best thing to do would be to shut it down.
Before things could escalate further, I gently pulled away, and a palpable awkwardness settled between us. "I need to call Destiny," I interjected, feeling the need to break the tension. "I promised I'd check in with her, and I completely forgot." Clearing my throat awkwardly, I shifted my attention to my bag.
"Yeah, no worries, take your time," Daniel reassured me with a understanding nod, rising from the couch to gather our plates and glasses.
Digging through my bag, I found my phone inundated with missed calls and texts.
My heart literally dropped a beat as I noticed twenty missed calls from JK.
Shit.
I totally forgot I was supposed to be meeting him tonight. Everything got so hectic at the law firm and then I was a mess when Daniel took me back to his place, my mind was all over the place. A pang of guilt washing over me instantly.
At the top of the call log, the most recent call was from Trey, three minutes ago, prompting me to quickly dial his number.
"Shit," I muttered, frustration coloring my tone as I punched in Trey's number. He picked up almost instantly.
"Yo, mom, have you talked to JK lately?" Trey's voice broke through the line, catching me off guard mid-shoe tying.
"Why?" I asked, curiosity piqued by his sudden inquiry.
"I was thinking of driving back to New York for the day. It's pushing 11 PM now, so if I hit the road soon, I'll make it there by 10 AM tomorrow. Spend the day with him, then head back to Atlanta by midnight. But I can't reach him to see what his plans are for tomorrow," Trey explained, a sense of urgency in his voice.
"You want to drive across the country? At this hour? Going solo?" I queried, concern creeping into my tone.
"Yeah, I know it's late, but you said I should make it right with him," Trey replied, his tone tinged with determination.
"And you choose tonight? You can patch things up with him after your time in Atlanta," I countered, still trying to wrap my head around his sudden decision.
"Mom... you do know it's his birthday today, right?" Trey trailed off, his words hitting me with unexpected weight. "He was probably home alone and shit for the whole day. Didn't you remember?"
I looked at my calendar to see it was true, summer was slowly disappearing as today marked the 1st of September.
"Fuck," I breathed, a wave of guilt crashing over me. My mind raced back to earlier that afternoon when he showed up at the salon, insisting that today was special and I brushed him off, distant and cold. Now I realized he had no one to spend the day with. And not only did I dismiss him, but I also stood him up.
"Trey, I really don't think you should come. It's way too late. But if you do, turn on your location. And text me. I'll call you back later," I hurriedly instructed before ending the call.
Slipping on my cardigan, I rose abruptly from my seat. "Daniel, I'm so sorry, but I have to go. Emergency," I announced loudly, not bothering with a proper goodbye as I dashed out of his house, slamming the door shut to keep Rocky inside.
Outside the apartment complex, I found myself on a busy main street, drenched in heavy rain, where taxis whizzed by. Flagging one down, I hopped inside without a second thought, directing the driver to JK's place.
As the taxi pulled away, leaving me standing in front of his apartment, I pounded on JK's door with increasing desperation. But there was no response and there was no trace of light in his apartment as I peeked through the windows.
"JK? JK? Are you there?" I called out, my voice tinged with desperation as I hammered on the door.
Frantically, I blew up his phone with calls and messages, but he remained unresponsive.
With nowhere else for him to be, it was clear he was inside but he was deliberately ignoring me. I knew he could probably hear me, he just didn't want to talk.
"JK, I'm sorry," I whispered desperately, my words lost in the downpour, met only by silence.
Standing outside in the pouring rain, my attempts to reach him growing futile as minutes passed with no response. Frustration and defeat gnawed at me, my hand falling from the door to rest against my forehead.
For what felt like an eternity, I stood outside his door, the relentless rain soaking through my clothes I realized attempts were futile.
Reluctantly, I slowly backed away from his door, the conflict and turmoil of my emotions mirroring the storm raging overhead.
I gave up, in defeat and trudged home through the rain, feeling a gnawing aching sensation at the center of my chest.
Walking through the night rain towards my house, a hollow ache settled within me, the downpour blurring my vision and soaking my clothes. Mentally preparing for the shower awaiting me at home and the tasks awaiting completion, I was taken aback to find a big looking figure seated on my porch.
My breath caught in my throat as I approached cautiously, the figure eerily motionless. Drawing nearer, I recognized the silhouette by its stature and attire.
"Jungkook?" I called out, confusion knitting my brows, but he remained silent. Closing the distance, I crouched before him, noting his drenched appearance and trembling form. His hair hung heavily with rainwater, his once-white shirt now translucent, his jeans were dark and literally dripping wet— from his mere appearance, I could tell he had been sat out here for hours.
"JK? JK?" I repeated urgently, gently brushing his face. As my voice grew louder, he stirred, finally responsive.
His usually warm complexion was pale, his body shivering visibly.
At the sight of me, his tense expression softened, evident relief washing over him. Without hesitation, he pulled me into a tight embrace, causing me to stumble onto his wet form, my legs straddling him as he held me close.
His heart thudded against my chest, his hands trembling against my skin, whether from the cold or fear, I couldn't discern. Instinctively, my arms enveloped him.
"It's okay," I murmured softly, my breath still heavy with shock from discovering him sitting alone in the rain. "I'm here."
"I thought something happened to you," he whispered, his voice barely audible as he buried his face into my neck. Confusion furrowed my brow as his strong arms tightened around me.
"Why would you think that?" I asked, perplexed. "I'm fine, baby."
"Because... you kept talking about how stressed and depressed you were. And you were crying non-stop. I thought you did something to yourself—" He was stammering because of the cold.
"Of course not, oh my God... how did you even end up here? Jungkook, you're ice cold." I whispered, in concern.
"You were supposed to meet me and you didn't turn up. That's unlike you. Plus you weren't picking up your phone. I went to your salon, but no one knew where you were. So I came here, and when I found you weren't home, I called the police. They said it hasn't been 24 hours, so I couldn't file a missing person report. All I could do was wait for you to come back," he explained, his words heavy with worry and concern.
I pulled away from the embrace, looking into his eyes to see genuine fear still on his face. Despite the fact that he was holding me, I could still sense his unsettledness. His eyes were scanning me carefully, inspecting every part of me.
"You should've called me. Why didn't you at least call me?" His voice cracked.
"I'm so sorry, Jungkook. I had a meeting and then I was with Daniel—" I explained, urgently, trying to hold his hand but at the mention of Daniel he paused momentarily.
There was a palpable shift in the atmosphere.
"Daniel?" Jungkook repeated. "That's why you couldn't pick up your phone? That's why you stood me up? For Daniel?"
I remained silent, guilt gnawing at me as I stared at Jungkook who had such a cold expression.
"I was busy—" I whispered.
"Yeah. I can see that." Jungkook nudged his chin at the hickeys down my neck. His jaw was locked and the cold expression was now evident anger.
"JK. You're shivering, let's go inside." I said coaxingly, gently trying to tug his muscular arm but he snatched his arm away from me. His jaw clenched as he retained an intense eye lock with me.
"I'm going home." He said assertively. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You can go back to whatever man you were with. Have fun."
"I understand your frustration, Jungkook. But, let's keep this respectful, okay? I'm a grown woman. I don't need you keeping tabs on me. I'm sorry I stood you up and I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls." I told him straightforwardly.
"You want to keep this respectful? When you don't even respect me? I'm going home, Jada." Jungkook repeated, finally standing up from his seat on my porch and my eyebrows furrowed, wondering why he was making such a big deal out of this. "I'm angry and I don't want to say anything out of pocket, so it's best if I go."
"Don't go." My voice cracked, desperately, clinging onto his forearm.
"Don't you understand what I'm saying?" Jungkook asked me seriously. I didn't respond, I remained silent. He snatched his arm away from me again.
"I'm mad at you, Jada. I'm fucking angry."
"Because I stood you up? I'll reimburse you the money for whatever you rented out, seriously, I promise—"
"You think I give a fuck about money? What part of 'I thought something had happened to you' don't you fucking understand? I was running around like a mad man, looking for you. You were confiding in me this morning, basically saying you're depressed and then suddenly go AWOL and you expect me not to be scared? Then I find out you were ignoring me because you were with some man? Nobody knew your whereabouts, nobody heard from you in HOURS, you're walking around by yourself in the middle of the night— do you know how fucking dangerous that is? For all I know you could've gone and killed yourself, you could've been kidnapped— I need you to use your fucking brain, Jada and understand why I'm angry."
As he yelled at me, I could sense something was off. Considering the fact that he never yelled at me, the way he was yelling so aggressively in my face with his fists clenched, his reaction seemed very intense. Way too intense for someone that was very soft-spoken and very calm. I found myself even somewhat scared as he grew closer.
"I get you're angry, but you don't need to scream in my face, Jungkook." I told him. "You seem really heated, this isn't like you. You're not aggressive. I need you to take a deep breath and let's go inside." I noticed his fists shaking.
"Don't tell me what to do. Stop acting like you're my mom or something." He kissed his teeth, about to storm off. And at the mention of his mother, it started to slowly make sense.
"Is that why you're reacting like this? Because of your mom?" I asked him barely audible, my voice delicate and weak as I stared at him and that's when he paused momentarily. He turned around and he had this dead look on his face.
"What about my mom?" He asked me seriously. "What do you know about my mom?"
I was conflicted on what to say in this delicate situation. I had to tread very lightly as his mother was clearly a very sensitive topic and I guess this situation was triggering him.
I remembered his mother very vaguely. I'd seen her a handful of times. She was hardly in the picture. Jungkook hardly talked about her, he just said she was unwell and left it at that. At some point he was at my house more than he was at his own house.
I never knew the nuances of Jungkook's life— though sometimes I would try to pry, because physically there were no signs of abuse, but I could sense something was off.
He would come to my place, looking very anxious or I would ask him if he had eaten yet and I would find out he hadn't eaten the whole day. Instances like that rubbed me the wrong way, but he always had his walls up, so I never pressed further— we weren't that close for me to press further.
I just assumed because he was a teenager, he could handle himself because he was very mature and outspoken and if something was really going on, he would say. But obviously that's not always the case.
I just made sure he always had a safe haven in my home and knew he could always talk to me.
I knew he didn't have the greatest relationship with his parents, hence why he was always in our house. But I never knew how bad it actually was because he always seemed so happy.
From Trey's outburst, it was clear his mom was an addict who would often go out on a bender and Jungkook would be home alone, with no clue when she would return or if she would return alive.
I guess when his mom would disappear, he would usually come over and stay with Trey.
And the neglect was just the tip of the iceberg, the other disturbing things Trey was blurting about Jungkook's mother, made me realize that he was going through hell and I had no clue.
"I don't know what you've heard or whose telling you bullshit but don't bring up my mom. Let's leave it there, Jada. I don't want to go back and forth with you." Jungkook countered defensively. "There's nothing left to discuss."
"There is a lot to discuss— Listen, I'm sorry, JK. I'm in the wrong and I should have been more considerate." I pleaded. "I would never leave you or purposefully abandon you. And you can lie and act like it never happened but that doesn't change the past and it doesn't change how it's affecting you till now. It explains why you're reacting so explosively. This is clearly triggering. But, baby, not everybody that leaves means they're abandoning you. I was just busy and I got preoccupied. I wasn't abandoning you. I promise."
Jungkook fell silent as he looked down at me. There was a look of conflict on his face. That's before I finally notice his shoulders relaxing, and a shift in atmosphere as he stiffly nodded his head, in understanding.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you." He murmured. "I just don't know what I would've done if something happened to you. I'm sorry. I was overreacting —"
Grabbing on his forearm, I shook my head. "Don't apologize for being sensitive and caring for others. It's not bad." I told him, with a small smile, trying to ease the tension and suddenly, I felt his arms around me, his hand cupping the back of my head as he cradled me.
"Happy birthday." I whispered, my voice filled with remorse. "I'm so so sorry I forgot. I didn't mean to ruin all your plans."
For a moment, we remained in a comforting silence, wrapped in each other's embrace.
"You could never ruin anything. You're here with me now. And that's the best birthday present I could ever have." He said, his tone warm and reassuring. I felt a small smile etch on my lips as I pulled away from the embrace, gently shifting his wet hair out of his face.
"Let's go inside?" I murmured and he nodded his head, intertwining his hand with mine as I lead him inside.