Trigger warning: Mentions of abuse🙂
-

"He is okay for now Taehyung ssi. But I will recommend therapy for him to fully heal. He cannot continue like this. He is, in a way, forcing his mind to remember what happened to him before and it is taking a toll on his mental health. Repressed memories are repressed for a reason. Remembering them won't do him any good. I have given him a sedative that will calm him down and get his mind settled but when he wakes up, please talk to him about going for therapy", Doctor Seojoon explained as he finished his checkup.

Taehyung sat on the chair just beside the bed, head bowed down, his hands gripping on his hair, not speaking at all.

Seojoon could just tell by the way Taehyung's pheromones were all over the place, that something grave has happened.

"Taehyung ssi? Are you okay?", Seojoon asked softly, hand on Taehyung's shoulders.

Taehyung lifted his head to look at the sleeping figure of his mate, exhaling slowly.

"Yeah. I'm.. I'm good Doctor-nim.  I'll  talk to him when he wakes up. But..", he trailed off, contemplating his next words just for a few seconds.

"But?"

"But I think after his health is a little more stable, that I should stay away from him", Taehyung finished his words, refusing to look at the doctor, knowing the judging look he will get in return.

Seojoon frowned, "and why would you decide to do that Taehyungssi? I thought everything was getting better between you two?"

Taehyung bit his lips harshly, trying to stop it from quivering as his eyes welled with tears, an ache in his heart.

"The trigger.. it was me. My actions. M-my care and affection for him pushed him over the edge."

Seojoon looked surprised, just letting an "oh" leave his mouth.

Taehyung laughed, melancholy. "It's like every step I take towards him, he keeps taking two steps back. I.. I don't want to be the cause of his suffering anymore doctor nim. It's not fair to him. I was so caught up in my own feelings that I have for him that I forgot who I am, what I was to him before. I am one of those monsters that haunt him. I am one of those nightmares of his and its.. it's not going to change. "

Tears escaped Taehyung's eyes as he stared fondly at Jungkook's sleeping form, bending down to place a soft kiss on the omega's forehead, a few teardrops falling on Jungkook's cheeks.

"I love him but my love isn't enough to erase all the past hurt and heal all those wounds that I inflicted. It's time I let him go doctor nim. It's time I let my omega be free so that he can finally heal and be happy... even if its without me. Because as long as im in his life, he can never be free from those nightmares. He will never be able to overcome the damage that i had inflicted on him"

Seojoon looked conflicted. On one hand, he understood where Taehyung was coming from but on the other, he knew it was rather unfair to make decisions without knowing how Jungkook actually felt.

"What about you then Taehyungssi? Letting jungkook go will mean hurting your own self... have you thought of that? You will die if you reject him and the bond."

Taehyung smiled, eyes teary, "all I know Doctor-nim, is that as long as my Jungkookie is happy and safe, I'll be okay. I'll be happy. Even if it's death, I'll atleast die peacefully knowing my love is happy and safe. My happiness lies with him. My heart beats for him. And as long as he is alive, smiling and breathing, I'll be fine"

Seojoon was left speechless. The words that Taehyung uttered were full of love, and yet, it was also covered in defeat. The Alpha had accepted his defeat, the Alpha had given up it seems.

While Jungkook was strong enough to hold on for 4 years, Taehyung wasn't. He couldn't even hold on for a year.

But it wasn't because Taehyung was weak. Or that he wasn't okay with suffering.

No. That wasn't the case.

You see, Jungkook's love knew no bounds. Yes, they were bound by fate, an invisible string connecting their souls but what Jungkook felt for Taehyung was limitless, without any bounds and chains. He stayed with Taehyung for Taehyung. If it makes sense.  He stayed because he knew leaving would mean hurting Taehyung. He knew that rejection will result in Taehyung's suffering and Jungkook, he couldn't allow it.

Whereas Taehyung, he is choosing to leave Jungkook for Jungkook. Because Taehyung knows, that as long as he is in the picture, Jungkook cannot fully heal. Taehyung believes that he is one of the demons of Jungkook's nightmares. And as long as his shadow is in Jungkook's life, the omega cannot move forward. Taehyung, in a way, was binding Jungkook to himself, without giving Jungkook a chance to choose to be free. And that was not okay.

So if leaving Jungkook means that Taehyung can make sure his omega can heal, and be happy, then so be it.

Taehyung would gladly accept death in return for Jungkook's happiness.

They both were idiots in love. Both sacrificing themselves for the wellbeing of their lover.

The only difference was, that while Jungkook's love was pure and limitless, Taehyung's love was blue and gray, only centered around Jungkook.

They were both bound by fate, something they both had no control over, something they both didnt choose, but both were also broken by love, something they both had willingly chosen, when they both willingly fell for each other.

Now, it was time to see if fate really made a mistake in their case or if it was right all along.

-

The Jeons exited the car, a little pissed that their trip was cut short when Taehyung had called them and demanded they come home because there were important matters they needed to discuss.

Just what was so important that their son in law had to call them back?

Mrs jeon was a little worried that it might have to do with Jungkook, their son.

While Mr Jeon was a little pissed because he still didn't like Taehyung very much after what the Alpha had done to their son.

Taehyung was waiting in the foyer of their mansion, angry pheromones radiating off of him.

Mr jeon sauntered in, raising an eyebrow at his son in law as he demanded an explanation, "what was so urgent that you called us back so abruptly? Is Jungkook alright?"

Taehyung gritted his teeth to stop himself from lashing out, before responding, "Jungkook is okay. Yoongi hyung and Jimin are with him. We need to have a talk and you will be honest with me because I swear to god, I don't know what I will do if you lie"

Mr jeon sounded surprised. The Alpha sounded rather deadly, the threat very clear in his tone.

"What do you mean?", Mrs Jeon pitched in.

"Where is Jungkook's halmeoni?", Taehyung asked.

Mr jeon frowned, "she is in Busan. She is living at the elderly Alpha community where she is being cared for. Why are you asking about her?"

Taehyung's eyes flashed red as his anger knew no bounds.

"So she is alive?"

"Yes", Mrs Jeon answered, still confused, because Taehyung sounded like he was ready to murder someone.

"Did you know Jungkook was abused after he was adopted by you?", Taehyung didn't even sugar coat his words, just glaring at the jeons who looked pale with the declaration.

"W-what do you mean? Ofcourse not. He was never abused. ", Mrs Jeon stuttered but by her demeanor, Taehyung knew she was lying.

"You knew"

It wasn't a question, rather a declaration. The Jeons couldn't meet Taehyung's eyes and Taehyung felt an undescribable amount of fury.

"You knew. And yet you never sought out any form of help for Jungkook.  You call yourself his parents? What kind of a parent let's their son get abused by his grandmother and hides it?"

Taehyung all but screamed, not caring at all about how Mrs Jeon flinched.

"Taehyung, I suggest you mind your words. We are still your elders. Where is your respect?", Mr Jeon scolded, not at all pleasured by Taehyung's behavior.

"Respect? You want my respect?" , Taehyung laughed. "How can I respect you when I just came to know that you knew about Jungkook's abuse and yet did nothing about it! I had initially thought that you were perhaps not aware of it. But you knew. Both of you knew and you never did anything about it. So no. I will not respect you.  Not after I have seen the damage that abuse had on Jungkook."

"What? Is jungkook alright? ", Mrs Jeon asked, terrified.

"No", Taehyung responded. "He is not alright. His memories are coming back from the time of the abuse and it is eating away at his mental health. Do you even care to explain to me why you hid it? The abuse and everything else?"

The Jeons atleast had the conscious to look ashamed.

"We...", Mrs jeon began, "we found out about it when Jungkook turned 15. It had been happening for years but we never had any inkling. We used to leave Jungkook with eomma whenever we used to go out of the country for business, which was months at a time. One day, we arrived a little early than the scheduled date. We wanted to surprise Jungkook. But.."

Mrs Jeon looked at her husband, choking on a sob as she remembered the state she had found her son in.

"We found him locked inside an old closet in the attic, it was all dark and he was covered in vomit and urine. He had bruises over his body and dried blood on his head. He.. he was in very bad shape. We took him to our personal doctor who didn't report it. We asked eomma what had happened and she admitted to doing that. She didn't like that Jungkook was an omega and not our blood. She felt like we were tainting our family legacy by adopting an orphan and making him the heir. When Jungkook woke up, he couldn't remember much of the abuse, and the doctor said that his mind had repressed those memories because it was traumatizing. We.. we never thought he would remember that again"

Taehyung had the sudden urge to pound the elder Mrs Jeon's head on the concrete floor, regardless that she was a woman. Taehyung was usually a level headed person, hardly engaging in violence but knowing what jungkook suffered, Taehyung's wolf just wanted blood.

"Why didn't you report it?", Taehyung asked quietly, trying his hardest to control his temper.

Mr Jeon exhaled, "we couldn't.  She is my mother Taehyung. The only person I have left. And Jungkook didn't remember the abuse. We didn't want to trigger his memories by reporting it when it would have attracted media attention. It.. We didn't have a better option at that time"

Taehyung scoffed, "just say you were too concerned about your damn reputation to even think about getting justice for your son. Atleast I have the guts to admit to my mistakes while all you did was hide behind that facade of being loving parents when you yourself are just like your mother. Protecting an abuser is just as worse as being one"

Taehyung turned to leave, before stopping at the door.

"I know I hurt him too. Countless times and I regret it. I atleast admit to my mistakes. But know this, if you ever hurt Jungkook in any way, and if I ever see Jungkook's grandmother anywhere near him, I will rip your hearts out.  I don't give two shits if you are his parents. No one hurts my mate"

-

The way I'm gonna be breaking a lot of hearts as the story progresses 🙂

I did say previously that the next level of angst is "yet to come".

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and finally know the story behind the abuse.

What do you think is gonna happen next???

Let me know your thoughts! 💜