"she had an accident." mrs park says, standing up from her daughter's side as she makes her way to her husband, near mr and mrs kim. taehyung is the one to quickly squeeze himself past the elders and approach aria. she shifts on the bed, glancing at yoona, who instantly helps her sit straight.

"god, how did this happen?" taehyung asks, concern dripping from his words. aria, however, refuses to speak, keeping her head low, tears still pooling her eyes.

"another car hit her at the signal. it wasn't that big, but she wasn't wearing the seat belt so, it ended up with some injuries." mr park answers for aria, smiling sadly, as if he wasn't the one because of whom she's sitting here in a hospital bed with a cast on her arm, bandages wrapped around her forehead and even on her waist, which isn't showing due to her shirt. there are bruises on her face, including the largest one below her left eye, just on the cheeck bone and another one close to her jaw.

"you should be careful, baby." taehyung sighs, sitting on the bed and wraps his arms around her. he notices her stiffening with his touch, trying to pull away, making him apologize instantly. "i'm sorry, did i hurt you?"

"no no, it's fine." mrs park says, "we'll leave you two alone. please talk some sense into her, taehyung. she's so careless."

taehyung smiles a little, watching as the parents leave the room. yoona and jimin, glance at aria, before accepting that they have to leave too. now it's just aria and taehyung, which also makes her wonder where jungkook might be.

"is it hurting a lot?" taehyung asks and aria nods. "i'm so sorry, ari, that i can't help you. i wish i could take all your pain away."

"it's okay," she hushes out, lifting up her gaze and risks it again, "where's jungkook?"

"he's on his way. i called him soon after dad told me about your accident. he was out for some work dad told him yesterday."

"what?" aria frowns.

"yeah. what happened?"

she looks down again, shaking her head, not understanding any of it. so, jungkook didn't actually run away from his house? and if he did, then why does taehyung know his whereabouts? why has taehyung spoken to him, while aria couldn't? she rests back against the cushioned headboard of the bed, blinking her tears away, humming and nodding occasionally to whatever taehyung said, responding with minimal effort, which he doesn't seem to mind considering that she's hurt.

her trail of thoughts is interrupted when the door opens and there's jimin, checking on aria with an unsure gaze. he moves aside, and jungkook rushes inside, however, taehyung's presence makes him collect his act together. he clears his throat, staring at aria with a soft gaze, panting as though he had ran a marathon.

aria nibbles on her lip, tears flowing from her eyes at the sight of her boyfriend, wanting to leave the bed and hug him tightly. she shifts in her place, about to get down, but the next words from jungkook, make her stop.

he's acting like they didn't just run away two moons ago.

"how did you get in an accident? i was at the company when hyung told me." he says, staying beside taehyung, unseeing the look of confusion and betrayal in aria's eyes as she stares at him.

jimin stands beside aria, rubbing her side gently, making her look up at him, dropping the tears she's been holding. the brother leans down, closing his eyes and hugs her tightly. "i know it hurts... i understand." jungkook says in a soft voice, earning an instant glare from jimin.

"you don't. nobody does."

taehyung hums at that, agreeing with jimin's words, "right. we can't possibly imagine how much aria's hurting right now. but, i'm happy she can go home today itself. home is always a better place to recover than a hospital room."

aria sobs quietly in her brother's chest, hugging him with her uninjured arm, not even trying to conceal her obvious torment anymore. the door opens again, this time it's mrs kim, calling taehyung out for something. "i'll be back." he says before following his mother outside, leaving the atmosphere of the room even more tense than before.

"ari, just here me out..."

"shut it." jimin grits out, grabbing jungkook's wrist before he dared to touch aria. "just leave. you're not getting anywhere near my sister."

"please don't say that, hyung. you know i love her—"

"why did you do this?" aria asks, turning to jungkook, "did i... did i do something wrong? why can't you just stop being a coward and just try to stand up with me? i said i love you and i meant it with everything inside me, jungkook... i left everything for you, but you... why is it so easy for you to just leave me every time, jungkook?"

"it's not like that, baby. i love you more than anything, trust me. i didn't mean to abandon you, i just had some work here. but i was gonna come back to you, i swear." jungkook pleads, trying to hold aria's hand, but she pulls away and shakes her head.

"stop it, please. i'm done, jungkook... this was just too much. i can't go through this hall again... i'm done."

"no, ari, please believe me. i never wanted this to happen. i love you, baby, you know that." he presses on, tears welling his eyes too, but aria doesn't listen.

"heard her? now leave." jimin states.

"hyung—"

"leave, i said." the elder pushes jungkook towards the door, making him sigh and lower his gaze.

"i do love you, ari... and i'm going to prove it." jungkook mumbles, glancing at aria once last time before leaving the room.

jimin scoffs at him and walks back to his sister, sitting beside her, pulling her in a hug. "he won't be bothering you. i'll make sure of that."

"what do i do now..?" aria sniffles, "if i marry taehyung, i'll have to face jungkook again... everyday. i don't wanna do it, oppa. please make this stop. dad didn't even let me speak yesterday..."

jimin nods subtly, sighing as he wipes her tears and kisses her forehead, "i'll do something. but till then, you don't have to put up with mom and dad, okay? i'll take you to your apartment, you can stay there."

"dad told mom and haeyun to lock me up. i'm not even allowed to leave my room. he won't let me go anywhere, oppa."

"i'll deal with that. don't worry."

"no, i can't do that." aria says, "it'll only create more problems for you and yoona. don't argue with dad for me, jim. i'll stay in the mansion, it doesn't matter. not like i can do much now... with this cast." she looks down at her broken arm, that will now keep reminding her not to go against her father. "jungkook doesn't care, i guess. so there's really no use. maybe i should've accepted my fate as it came since the beginning..."

"you can't be forced into marrying someone, ari. it's a big decision."

aria nods slowly, nibbling on her lip, "well, i don't see any other option. it's either i marry taehyung, or die trying to get away. knowing dad, i'm afraid what he'll do if i do anything to upset him again."

"do you wanna leave?" jimin asks. "i can arrange it. you can go from here and live a very different life if you want."

aria thinks for a moment, then shakes her head, "it hurts me going against dad... he even hits mom when he's mad. i can't risk it again. he broke my arm yesterday, god knows what he'll do if he catches me doing something like that again. and we know he'll find me no matter where i go. he'll bring me back and punish me as long as i'm alive."

jimin heaves out a sigh, hugging her again. "don't worry about me." she says, "i'll learn to live like this. taehyung isn't so bad..."

"i'm sorry that i can't help you."

"you did what you could. thank you."

"aria, jimin," taehyung enters through the door with a smile, "they said you can go home now."

of course, aria and jimin already know that. there wasn't even any need to stay in the hospital, for it's only a formality done by mr park to have everyone buying the lie that aria did actually get into an accident. the door opens again, for the millionth time, and mrs park smiles at her children, "leave them alone for a while, jimin. taehyung might wanna spend some time with aria." she chuckles, taking her son's hand and glances at taehyung, who just blushes and shakes his head.

"aria, we're going home first. taehyung will drop you after, okay?" she says, earning a look from the daughter, and from jimin as well. before either of them protest, mr park, with mr and mrs kim, enter the room.

"are you ready to go home, aria?" mrs kim asks with a smile.

aria stares down at her lap, barely nodding her head, which is covered up by her father, standing beside the bed as he drapes his arm around her. his hand gives a firm squeeze on the back of her broken arm, making her nibble on her lip to suppress the wince. "she must be drowsy with the painkillers and other meds. let's go home, so you can rest, hm?" he smiles. so fake.

aria meets his warning gaze, with her teary ones, saying nothing but obeys, getting off the bed, holding the bed for support. a supporting arm wraps around her instantly, helping aria walk slowly towards the door. she doesn't dare to look up at the loving eyes of his fiancé, scared to face the truth that he doesn't know what his brother has done, how he's the one who's actually being cheated from both sides.

"do you wanna go for a drive with me?" taehyung asks softly, his head tilting to steal an unapologetic glance at aria's face, burdened with unvoiced truth, betrayal and guilt. if only aria could save him from this deception, she'd show him the depth of her mistakes, the trust he so blindly put on her, the faith that shines his celestial eyes.

the urge to tell him the truth has never been stronger. the pleadings for forgiveness and cry for help has never come louder. and yet, aria keeps her head low, swallowing a sob as she nods her head subtly, giving away that she's okay with whatever he wanted. after everything she's done, she doesn't even mind getting a slap or two from taehyung, too.

it's a shame that the mistakes his brother and fiancee made, will stay lifelong with him, right under his nose, with or without his knowledge.

"that's a good idea, take her out for a while. she'll feel better." mr park agrees with a smile, patting taehyung's arm from the side, as he sends a warm smile to him.

"take care," jimin mumbles, holding back the urge to stop taehyung from taking aria anywhere at the moment. his mother standing right next to him and his wife, squeezing his arm, shaking her head, are enough to make him heave out a disappointed breath, excusing himself from the scene and walks away.

that's the only time aria ever lifts up her head, internally panicking on seeing her brother leaving the spot. her eyes flick towards his wife, who puts on a forced smile, a sad one, before gesturing the mother that she'll follow after her husband. aria sighs softly, seeing her fear coming to life. the fear she had of coming in between jimin's happily married life.

the worst has already happened, and now the last thing she wants to do is being the reason of the friction between her brother and his wife. jimin has always made yoona his priority, calls her the love of his life, the only woman he'd want to marry in every life. and if aria's messed up descisions and poor judgements bring up conflict between this beautiful pair, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

jimin is the change she hopes to see in the men in her life, and to have him losing hope, is worse than jungkook betraying her love. yoona has been lucky to find jimin as her husband, and aria would willingly give her life to keep it that way.

"shall we?" taehyung's voice makes her flinch despite it being his softest attempt to get her attention. yet it leaves aria to draw in a sharp breath, nodding her head at whatever he said that she missed, while being lost in her own thoughts.

"can i go use the restroom first?" aria asks.

"of course. do you want me to take you there?" taehyung offers and aria nods her head, holding his arm. taehyung resembles jungkook when he cares for aria, when he looks so in love staring at her, and when his arms wrap around her ever so warmly. if only aria could tell him that his brother has done all this before him and successfully ruined every little gesture forever.

"i know this is not the right time to bring this up," taehyung stalls with his words, and aria goes stiff for a second, wondering if he knows the truth about her and jungkook. or even just about her running away. the possibility is next to being impossible, for she knows how much her father loves his status and wouldn't compromise his great image for anything, especially not for his daughter whom he doesn't even like. couldn't have told taehyung's family the truth, which is why they all believe her broken arm, bruises and wounds are from an accident and not her father's anger.

"ari, are you listening?" she blinks at the wall, suddenly brought back to earth and looks up at him. he sighs softly, carrying on, "i'm sorry all of this is happening so fast. i know you need time after such an accident, but our parents just want the wedding as soon as possible. they're thinking about making it by the end of this month."

that's roughly two weeks away. two days less than that, in fact.

the realisation has aria halting abruptly, staring up at taehyung, "in two weeks?" she blurts out, looking too shocked for her own good.

"yeah, i know it's just round the corner and we haven't even prepared anything. but that's how our parents want it. i tried talking to mom and dad, but they said we shouldn't wait too much. your accident is going to come out to the media eventually, and we don't wanna have to put up with rumours later."

aria looks down, nodding slowly, although internally her thoughts are a tangled mess of what should be her next plan. she needs to think of something if she still wants to get away from this marriage. jungkook isn't an option anymore, and it's just her now. even though taehyung is a much of a sweetheart to hurt, doesn't give aria enough of a reason to lend him her whole life.

"if you want i'll talk to them again." taehyung assures, cupping her face and makes tilts her head up gently to have an eye contact, "please know that you don't have to do anything you're not okay with. you can tell me if you don't like anything, if you need more time, just anything, okay?"

there's no way she can escape this marriage, that much is clear. running away again isn't an option when her father will be sitting on her head with all his might. she cannot risk it all again, and not to mention she already has a broken arm. they want to her off even before she can get rid of the cast.

the only thing that comes to aria's mind right now is right before her eyes. taehyung. she takes a deep breath, accepting her fate and tells herself to give it a shot. nodding her head slowly, she mumbles, "there is one thing,"

taehyung smiles softly, "tell me. i'll try my best to help you out."

"not like this." she sighs, lowering her gaze, "let's go out somewhere. i'll tell you everything, then."

"as you wish." he agrees, gesturing her to go inside the restroom as they've been standing in front od it for a while. aria didn't even realise. she sighs softly, sending the briefest smile to him in the name of courtesy, before leaving him to wait outside.

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a/[n: hello everyone! i hope you're enjoying the book. if you are, please do vote and comment. don't be a silent reader 🥺❤️✨