The scene before me is one I am familiar with; I see it every night. The empty chair at the head of the table, the cold meal untouched on the table. I don’t even both dressing up for him anymore because he never appreciates anything that I do anymore, I don’t even know why I still keep making dinner for him, he never comes home anyway. A part of me is still hanging on by the tiniest thread of hope that Taekwoon still loves me but that is just wishful thinking.

I sigh as I get up from the chair and clear the table, throwing away the cold home-cooked meal in the rubbish and heading upstairs to my room, take my depression medication with a swig of wine that I keep on the bedside table and throw myself on my bed. The darkness and quietness is suffocating, I can’t get used to it, this room used to warm and inviting. Now it’s cold and devoid of anything, it’s simply just a room.

I sit up suddenly as I hear a car pulling into the drive-way, my heart fluttered with the thought that it was Taekwoon, he never comes home. Regardless I cling to that hope and run downstairs.

“Taekwoon!” I shouted as I opened the door, my hopes instantly vanished like smoke.

The person in front of me wasn’t Taekwoon, instead it was my brother, Jimin and his friend Yoongi, both of them looked slightly awkward standing on the porch. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had seen Jimin, it’s been a couple of months at least. He should be at college right now, why has he come here?

“What are you doing here Jimin?” I said, wanting to skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point.

“I just wanted to see you, there is nothing wrong with wanting to see my big sister.” He says nervously, Yoongi gives him a look as if silently calling him an idiot.

“It’s 1 o’clock in the morning Jimin.” I deadpanned, he just laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

“If it’s not urgent, please leave and see me tomorrow when Taekwoon comes home.” I said making a move to shut the door when Jimin blocks it with his foot.

“You have to leave him.” Yoongi says suddenly.

I stare at him and then Jimin before pushing the door open fully.

“What are you talking about? I don’t have to do anything. Did mom and dad put you up to this?”

“Chae-ah listen to me, mom and dad don’t even know I’m here but they would support me 100% in for what I’m about to tell you.” Jimin says reaching for my hand, the voices in my head are telling me to push him away and slam the door in his face. My heart though is telling me different, to hear what he has to say even though I’m afraid of what he might tell me.

“Go on.” I said taking a deep breath and bracing myself.

“Noona, Taekwoon is cheating on you. He has someone else, Yoongi and I saw him with her.”

What? Taekwoon is cheating on me?

“No! You are lying! Taekwoon wouldn’t do that to me!” I yelled pulling my hand away from Jimin’s grasp. Tears started flowing down my cheeks.

“Chae-ah! He is! Why do you think he’s never here anymore or why he’s so distant from you?”

“No! I don’t want to hear anymore! Leave me alone!” I yelled again, this time slamming the door and resting against it. Jimin started pounding on the door.

“Chae-ah!!! Chae-ah!!!”

“Jimin! Let’s go, let her comes to terms with it. We’ll come back later.”

I heard Jimin sigh and then they left, leaving me alone.

I don’t know how long I stood there, my mind going through everything Taekwoon and I have done together since we met, how much of those feelings were real? He did even love me at all? Why would he do this to me? I have been nothing but faithful and compliant to his every want and need. I have exhausted myself trying to please him and this is how he repays me?

I go to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and pouring myself a strong drink, the alcohol burning my throat as I swallow it. I have a few more before I hear the front door open and footsteps coming towards the kitchen. I clench the glass tightly with all my might, I can’t lose my cool, not until I hear it from Taekwoon.

I step out of the kitchen and there is Taekwoon, in his thousand dollar fitted suit, typing away on his phone. He doesn’t even bother to look up and acknowledge me so I grabbed the first thing in arms reach, which happened to be an expensive china vase, and threw it past his head. It hit the wall behind him, breaking into millions of pieces, just like my shattered heart. He looks up straight at me, not even phased by the fact that I threw something at him, before sighing in annoyance. I gulp down the sob that was threatening to come out, my eyes already going blurry from the unshed tears.

“Is it true?” I asked him. “Is there someone else?”

“Have you skipped your meds today?” He answers mockingly instead, looking at me like I’m a crazy person.

“DON’T AVOID THE QUESTION! SOMEONE TOLD ME THEY SAW YOU WITH SOMEONE ELSE!” I screamed at him, I don’t think I could take any more of this, I feel like my body is going to crumble into pieces. How could he have no respect for me? Why isn’t he trying to cover his tracks? Has he really lost the love he had for me?

“Would this someone happen to be your brother?” He says with a condescending smirk on his face, his eyes gleam with malicious intent.

I froze as he came towards me, my breathe got stuck in my throat as he was only a few inches away from me. He sadistically chuckled at me before grabbing one of my wrists and forcing me against the wall. My back hit the wall hard, I winced at the sudden pain and glare at Taekwoon.

“LET GO OF ME!” I yelled trying to pull my wrist free from his vice like grip.

“As I seem to recall, you used to like it when I was rough.” He says in my ear before letting me go and I slide to the floor as he walks away going upstairs to his room.

I stay against the wall, letting the tears fall as I slowly start to realise that my brother was right about Taekwoon but I can’t leave him when I still love him with all my heart and soul. Maybe I did something wrong without noticing and this is Taekwoon’s way of making me see sense. All my theories disappear from my mind when I see Taekwoon coming down the stairs with a suitcase and duffel bag in tow, heading for the door.

My body acts on its own and moves to the door, stopping Taekwoon from leaving. He looks at me with a bored expression, it’s clear as day that there is no love there anymore and hasn’t been in a while. He starts to tap his foot impatiently on the hardwood floor, his body language telling me to get out of the way.

“Where are you going?” I ask him, my lips start trembling

“You really want to know?” He asks back with a malicious smirk

“I know where you are going, I’m not stupid. Why are you taking your suitcase and duffel bag?” I ask again bracing myself for the answer he is about to give me.

“This is me leaving you. Now get out of the way before I do it for you.” He threatens, glaring at me.

“What did I do Taekwoon? Where did it all fall apart? Why don’t you love me anymore?” The questions kept pouring out of me as I tried to make sense of this all, I felt the tears coming down my face. How many tears have I shed for Taekwoon?

“I never loved you, I used you to get what I wanted and that was my inheritance. The day you met me in that café years ago, my parents told me that I wouldn’t get a cent of my inheritance unless I settled down with a sensible girl. You were exactly what I needed, young and naïve. Now that I have my money, I don’t need you anymore.”

Every word he spoke is like a sharp, dagger to my heart. Taekwoon shoves me aside, I don’t stop myself as I fall on the floor. Everything is numb, the last thing I notice is the front door opening and then closing with an echoing bang. I couldn’t will myself to get up, I was barely holding on. I was breaking and there was no one to help me, why didn’t I listen to my family? They knew something was off with Taekwoon the moment they met him and I just dismissed everything like a blind fool and I ended up getting played.

What was I supposed to do now? I don’t have a job, I never had one because Taekwoon bought everything for me. Anything that we needed around the house, he paid for it. I don’t have any qualifications to get a job, I missed going to college to be Taekwoon’s wife. It was all a waste, he wasted years of my life and he broke me as a result of it, I am nothing.

~

Jimin sighs in frustration from the passenger seat as the call goes to voicemail again, for three days he’d been trying to contact his sister to see if she confronted Taekwoon or not, every time he called her phone, it went straight to voicemail. He was worried about Chae-ah, even if they were at odds with each other, she would still take his calls. The fact that she wasn’t picking up only made him more anxious, that was when he decided to see her, he also brought his friends along in case things got physical with Taekwoon. A hand grasped his shoulder, he looked at the owner of the comforting hand, Seokjin, who was in the driver’s seat.

“I’m sure she’s fine, Jimin. Don’t stress about until we know for sure.” Seokjin says in a calm voice, his eyes never leaving the road.

“I know hyung, I just can’t shake this feeling in my gut.” Jimin tells him, clenching his hands tightly.

When they got to the house, Jimin was the first one out of the van, walking quickly up the drive way and instantly noticing the dark house. He got to the door and knocked repeatedly.

“Chae-ah! It’s me!” He yelled pounding on the door when he didn’t hear anything. He tried to peek through the windows but the curtains obstructing his view. He turned to his friends.

“I’m gonna go ask the neighbours if they now where she is.” He said before leaving, going to knock on the door of the house next door with Yoongi in tow.

An old woman answered the door, Jimin and Yoongi bowed before speaking.

“Sorry to bother you but do you know where the woman of that house went?” Jimin asks pointing to the house, the old woman’s eyes widened in recognition.

“Oh, you mean Chae-ah? She’s such nice girl, she always brings baked treats for my grandchildren.”

“Yes, she’s my sister. Do you know where she went?”

“She should still be home, after everything that happened three days ago, the poor thing is probably depressed.” The old woman says, Jimin’s face pales.

“What happened three days ago?” He asked anxiously

“Her husband left her, I could hear screaming and then he comes out of the house with his bags and just leaves. Poor Chae-ah hasn’t left the house but it’s been quiet and dark ever since her husband left.”

Jimin looks at Yoongi before thanking the old woman and running back to the house, making his way to the back door. He is relieved that its unlocked and opens it, Yoongi and the rest follow behind as he enters and turns the lights on. He is shocked to find everything broken and smashed to pieces, they made their way to the living room. Jimin sees the remnants of his sister’s wedding portrait, the frame and glass have been broken, the photo itself has been cut up, a hole where Taekwoon’s head was.

“Jimin…” Yoongi calls him as the older is standing before the stairs, holding something in his hand.

“What is it?” He asks as Yoongi turns to him, grabbing his hand and giving Jimin the item he was holding which happened to be a note. Jimin looks down at the note, his blood drains from his face as he reads the words on the paper.

I CAN’T DO IT ANYMORE

Jimin lets the note fall to the floor as he runs upstairs to his sister’s bedroom, he the light and found everything neat and tidy, the bed was made with clothes arranged on it. He had a sick feeling in his stomach, he heard the sound running water coming from the bathroom and walked towards it noticing the door slightly ajar. He felt wetness on the bottom of his shoes, Jimin looked down at the water soaked carpet in front of the door in alarm, the water was red.

Yoongi and Seokjin came upstairs to see Jimin open the bathroom door, they saw Jimin let out a heart-breaking cry as he entered the bathroom.

“Chae-ah!! Wake up!” They heard him scream as they ran to the bathroom and witnessing the heartbreaking scene before them.

Jimin holding his unconscious and pale sister, her body was in the bathtub filled with water mixed with her blood. Jimin was whispering and caressing his sister’s face as he sobbed, he looked up at Yoongi and Seokjin.

“Call an ambulance! Hurry!” Jimin shouts urgently, Yoongi shares a glance with Seokjin.

“Jimin.” Yoongi began, he wasn’t sure of what to say to him.

Jimin knew the look on Yoongi’s face and began shaking his head.

“No hyung, she is not gone. I can still hear her heartbeat, its faint but she has it.” He grabbed a shard of glass from the floor and held it underneath her sister’s nose, the glass fogged up proving his point.

“Seokjin, call that ambulance now.” Yoongi says as he helps Jimin take Chae-ah out of the bathtub and laying her on the floor, grabbing towels and wrapping them around her wrists.

“I’m sorry Noona.” Jimin whispered with tears running down his cheeks.

A few minutes later they heard the shrill sound of the ambulance siren, Seokjin escorted the paramedics to the bathroom where they pushed Jimin and Yoongi aside so they could work on Chae-ah. Jimin watched anxiously as they roughly bandaged her wrist and checked her vitals.

“Her bp is very low and her heartbeat is barely there. Start fluids and let’s get her to the hospital as quick as possible.” The head paramedic said as he began setting up an iv drip.

The other paramedic covered Chae-ah in a blanket and both put her gently on the gurney that was bought upstairs. Jimin followed behind as they ushered Chae-ah out of the house and into the back of the ambulance, he hopped into the back after telling Yoongi to go pick up his parents and meet them at the hospital. On the way, Jimin silently vowed that he would not let anyone ever hurt his sister again and he promised to never break that vow.