CHAPTER 37

...THE STORM

Haechan wanted the ground to swallow him alive, not because he was embarrassed, but because it was the only safe place from his brother’s wrath. He could almost smell his impending doom as the elevator dinged, signaling them that they already reached their floor. 

The elevator opened and Lucas quietly pushed Mark’s wheelchair out. He was followed by the equally quiet Jungwoo and Yeri. Haechan also stepped out, and Winwin followed him from behind and slightly pushed him when he hesitated for a second.

It was a lovely day, everything was going smoothly as planned until Haechan decided that the game booths were worth trying. Mark immediately agreed. He missed seeing a lot of people since the accident. Everything was going well like nothing could go wrong. Mark and Haechan were having so much fun. That was until Winwin suddenly appeared out of nowhere and saw them together. 

Haechan felt all his blood was drained out of his body. He knew that he was in trouble and running away was not going to help him at all. It was only going to make the situation worst.

There were no words exchanged. Haechan knew what Winwin wanted the moment he saw them. Understanding the sharp and unblinking stare of his brother, Haechan released a deep breath and made his way out of the school.

Mark didn’t waste any time. He immediately dialed Lucas' number and soon enough, he came together with Jungwoo and Yeri, all looking concerned and afraid like him.

They were fortunate to find the brothers at the bus stop, and no matter how intense and deadly Winwin’s stare was, Mark didn’t back down, and rode the bus with them. If Haechan was going to be scolded, then he also deserved to be scolded. There was no way he was going to leave Haechan, especially at that moment.

***

Taeyong was in a very good mood that day, he just finished arranging his husband’s clothes in his luggage. It took him two hours to finished the task because he did it with great care. Finally, everything was prepared, and he even left small notes and stuck them to items that Jaehyun needed to be reminded of. 

Any moment, Jaehyun was going to be home from the office and he needed to cook a tasty dinner for him before his trip.

If he was honest with himself, Taeyong was really against Jaehyun leaving home. Of course, he was excited to spend time with his best friend, but he was no longer used without his husband by his side. Jaehyun was still a phone call away, but it would take a long time because he could be by his side. 

A week without Jaehyun.

Taeyong sighed and shook his head at the thought. His heart seemed very unwelcoming of it.

There was a doorbell and thinking that it was his husband, Taeyong rushed to get it.

It wasn’t Jaehyun, in fact, what he saw stunned him. His good mood suddenly dropped, and heat rose immediately to his head. 

Standing at the door were Haechan and Winwin and behind them were his two friends, a boy Taeyong didn’t recognize and the reason why they were in there. They just stood there, looking at the ground in guilt. Winwin was the only one looking at his older brother and he didn’t need to say any words, the way Mark was holding Haechan’s hand tight said it all.

Taeyong’s ears started to get red, and it was already reaching his face, but he was still sane enough to let them all inside. 

Actually, to let his brothers inside, but Mark was indeed persistent. Haechan tried to pull his hands off of Mark’s grief but it was no use. Lucas, Jungwoo, and Yeri opted to stay outside and let the four settle the thing they needed to.

Silence filled the hallway when the door closed and all the three could do was slumped down at the floor and waited for Mark to come out alive.

***

Haechan decided not to speak. He was guilty and he knew it. Talking back would only worsen the situation. There was no way Taeyong was going to let it pass. He practically betrayed his brother by being friends with Mark. 

If he only knew that there was more to that, and there was a deeper reason why Taeyong was so against their friendship.

 Even Winwin knew everything.

They were all ticking bombs that very moment, one wrong move and someone might explode. 

“Why are you with him?” Taeyong’s first question was eerily calm. “Why are you holding his hand?” The second one made Mark’s injured legs felt like goo. It was directed to him, and the angelic look that was once on Taeyong’s face disappeared, and nowhere to be found. Mark knew he had to say the right words.

“We attended the school festival.” Mark silently praised himself for not stuttering in front of Taeyong who was so intimidating. “We’re friends.”

Friends.

That was the trigger, and Taeyong’s bomb exploded.

Clearly, the two knew nothing about the price Taeyong had to pay because the two made a huge mistake of crossing paths, and Taeyong was about to let them know.

“Friends?” Taeyong looked at Mark in full mockery. “Do I need to remind you the things that you did to Haechan and now you are ‘friends’?”

Mark stood his ground and looked at Taeyong straight in the eyes. “I apologized already. It was all my fault.”

“Damn right it’s all your fault why Haechan was a mess back then,  and it’s your fault why I have to marry a man that I hate with all my life!”

It was Haechan’s turn to look at his brother. What he just said was something he never heard before. He thought that Taeyong married Jaehyun because they love each other and the statement just got him all confused. 

His reaction mirrored Mark’s. They were really clueless. Winwin remained stone-faced. He knew everything after all, and he didn’t plan to act surprised or anything.

“H-hyung, w-what do you mean?”

“I married his brother because his he threatened me to send you to jail because of what happened to Mark.”

“What?” Haechan’s mouth hanged open and no words came out after that. He’s smart so Taeyong didn’t really need to elaborate the details to understand that he was the reason why his brother was forced to marry a guy against his will.

It was all because of him that Taeyong’s dreams were trashed. Once again, his brother sacrificed his future for him, and the truth was slowly eating his insides.

Shame. Haechan felt ashamed of himself. He looked down because he couldn’t face his brother anymore. After everything that happened, how could he still face him? He didn’t even deserve to be his brother.

On the other hand, Mark was the total opposite. He was fuming in anger. He didn’t have a clue that Jaehyun did something terrible and unbelievable as that. His brother’s action really fooled him and everyone else. His knuckles were turning red in anger. Haechan had nothing to do with the accident. It was his fault why he fell down the stairs. 

Jaehyun knew it, and he chose to blackmail Taeyong for it. His brother just ruined the friendship he was trying so hard to build. It just crumbled into pieces.

Taeyong’s words felt bitter in his own tongue. His heart tugged when he said that he hated Jaehyun with all his life. It was like his heart didn’t agree with what he just said, and there was a force that was urging him to take those back.

But words cannot be taken back although he wanted to because everything that he said was heard by Jaehyun who was quietly standing by the door. His expression told him that he heard everything and Taeyong saw the pain in his eyes. 

He just successfully broke his husband’s heart.

***

Haechan couldn’t stand everything that was happening so he chose the easiest way to deal with it, he ran away. He harshly pulled his hand away from Mark’s grasp and ran out of the house.

Mark cursed loudly because he couldn’t even run after him. He never felt useless before. Fear struck him once again. His heart beat faster when the thought of Haechan doing something terrible crossed his mind, so without thinking twice, he wheeled himself out of the house. He didn’t even bother to look at his brother who was at the door. He wheeled like his life was depending on it. Fortunately, Lucas was still waiting in the hallway. 

Lucas immediately stood when he saw Mark struggling with his wheelchair. He knew what was happening and he told Mark that Jungwoo and Yeri ran after Haechan and they took the elevator down.

Mark knew that the two took the wrong way, so he instructed Lucas to take him to the rooftop. Lucas frowned, but he didn’t say anything and did what he was told.

***

“Call Jungwoo and Yeri, Lucas. Hurry!” Even at the state of shock, Lucas was able to nod his head and head back to the elevator to do what he was told. 

Mark was left with Haechan who was seating dangerously at the thin metal railings of the rooftop. The scene was all too familiar to the other. They have been there before and Mark fear that with the wrong choice of words, Haechan was going to jump. This time, for real.

“Haechan, I know what you’re thinking, and I don’t like it. Come down so we can talk, please?”

Haechan bitterly laughed. Fresh tears came down to his already red eyes. Finding out that he was the reason why Taeyong had to marry Jaehyun was too much for him to handle. He also realized that the reason Winwin was so cold to him was that he knew that it was his fault. 

Haechan finally understood why he was suddenly left out and left alone. It was easy for his brothers to do so because he did the huge mistake of crossing paths with Mark. 

The sudden realization flooded his system, and he was on the verge of drowning. Weeks of talking to Mark as his friend turned into ashes. 

Haechan looked down. The road that was 25 floors below was inviting. He just needed a little push, and his brother won’t have to suffer anymore.

 Just one more move.

A little bit more.

Then he heard Mark.

“Haechan, please listen to me.”

Haechan looked back and saw the owner of the voice with arms extended for him to take.

“I-I’m sorry,” Haechan said in tired, raspy voice. 

“You have done nothing wrong. We don’t have anything to do with what our brothers decided to do. It was their own and they’re old enough to decide for themselves. Please, Haechan, come down. You’re scaring me.”

“Leave.”

“No.”

“I’ll just ruin your life just like what I did to my brothers.”

“You won't.”

“Leave.”

“Haechan, it and come down!” Mark yelled as tears came out of his eyes out of desperation. Haechan was so stubborn and he hated it. “If you jump, I’ll follow. I promise you that I will ing jump out of this building with you so we can die together.”

“Mark.”

“We’re friends already. I worked so hard for this Haechan, so please don’t throw away everything that I worked so hard for. I’m not going to lose a friend in front of my eyes so come the ing down or I’ll jump first!” 

Mark then gathered all the strength to his legs and lifted himself up to the railing. He tried to lift his right foot which was stronger than the other so he can be over the metal bar. Just like Haechan, just one more foot over the metal and he’ll be flying down to his death.

“Come down,” Haechan then said, fear suddenly enveloped him.

“No, we’ll jump together.”

“No.”

“Hold my hand and we’ll jump together,” Mark held out his hand and Haechan refused to take it.

“Come down.”

“Only if you will come down with me.”

“Mark.”

“Haechan, I’m serious.”

Haechan saw the determination in Mark’s eyes, and he knew that he was serious when he said that he was going to jump with him. 

He was about to say something when arms circled his waist and held him down, making him land on the cold hard floor of the rooftop beside Mark, who screamed in pain when his back hit the concrete.

Haechan’s like was saved for the second time. This time, Lucas, Yeri, and Jungwoo were his heroes.

***

Awkward silence surrounded Jaehyun and Taeyong after Winwin left. Jaehyun was clearly devastated by what he just heard while Taeyong felt guilty about it. It was the one fact he had been telling himself, but when words left his mouth, it just didn’t seem right.

“I-I,” Jaehyun started, but no words came after the first one. 

He’d been looking at his husband’s eyes, looking for something, love maybe, but Taeyong avoided his gaze. 

Sealing the words that he just heard as facts. He could almost hear his heart being ripped off his chest. How he wanted to come closer to Taeyong, but his feet refused to move.

“I’ve p-prepared your baggage for your t-trip,” Taeyong said. Those were the words that came out of his mouth after a long sickening silence. He wanted to say sorry for letting his anger get into him that made him say such mean words and yet, like Jaehyun, no words came out. It was painful to see the man who took care of him, gave him a comfortable life, and maybe loved him, in that state.

Jaehyun nodded and forced his feet to move. He got his luggage and decided to leave early even though his flight was still the next day. He headed for the door, but suddenly stopped midway to look at his husband once again. Maybe it was the last time he was able to call him husband.

“I’m sorry.”

Taeyong’s tears fell upon hearing those words.

“I’m sorry for forcing you to marry me. I just want you to know that I truly love you. From the moment that I saw you, I knew that you’re going to be with me for the rest of my life. But I guess I was wrong and I’m sorry.”

“Jaehyun,” Taeyong whispered and like the usual, his name coming from his husband’s lips was music to Jaehyun’s ears. 
Jaehyun decided to be a good husband for once, so he continued.

“Once I leave, you are free to leave this house. I am giving you back the freedom that I’ve taken away from you. I will ask Uncle Yunho to prepare the divorce paper for you to sign.”

Taeyong’s eyes widened at the sudden decision. Deep inside his heart, he wanted Jaehyun to fight for him, but it never came.

“I love you, and I will do anything to make you happy. I won’t hold you back and force you to stay,” Jaehyun then walked closer to Taeyong and leaned down to kiss his forehead for the last time and said, “I’m letting you go Taeyong. I hope you can forgive me.”

And with that, in such heavy feet and broken heart, Jaehyun walk out of his own home and out of Taeyong’s life.

Taeyong’s tears fell uncontrollably as he felt the consequence of the words that came out of his mouth. 

He said he hated Jaehyun with all his life.

Taeyong lied.

aejae22

*******

Peace. ^.^