Remember Me

Chapter 52

Jimin
___________________

It had fallen apart. It had all fallen apart. Whatever delicate peace we'd created, delicate paradise we'd enjoyed... it had been crushed in minutes.

I wanted to throw something. Yell at someone. But this was all my fault, after all. I couldn't believe I'd... she was so very hurt. I had never expected that.

When I started pushing her away, I had expected her to have forgotten about me, to have lost any emotional connection she had, and forgotten anything budding between us. I thought I was the fool in a one-sided arrangement. I just... I just didn't want her to be used for her name and position.

I collected myself and stepped out, only to spot Zara across the banquet hall, about to leave, just as a man walked up to her. Without any regard for decorum, I ran over as soon as I realized who it was— Eko. I wasn't the only one, several people leaned in closer or slyly walked over to listen. He said hello, catching her attention.

She turned around with daggers in her gaze.
"Eko."

"You're looking lovely tonight," He smiled.
My lip curled into a snarl and I stopped still, just ten or so feet from them. The crowd casually listening in beside me (while pretending not to) grew.
"Did you have something to tell me?" She asked him impatiently.
"Just wondering if you'd left your date for the night, and were willing to join me. We have a lot to catch up on. A pretty woman like you shouldn't be alone at a gala like this."

Zara looked him up and down excruciatingly slowly. I was about to go up and separate them so he wouldn't try anything funny, but Zara responded, "Is that it? I assumed you'd come to beg for forgiveness."

The crowd fell silent, and Eko looked taken aback.
"What?"

"You're silly, to think you'd show up and talk to me to... to what, exactly? Call me pretty? Do you think you're in a position to do that?"

"I beg your pardon?" He asked indignantly, raising his voice. Zara didn't bother to raise her voice; it sent chills down everyone's spines naturally.
"Then beg, Eko. Beg my pardon. You didn't expect to pick a fight with my faction and watch me let it slide, did you? I sincerely doubt Jimin hit you for no reason out of the blue."

Eko's face went slack. "I didn't... Did he say something...? Trust me, we were both drunk out of our minds."

Zara smirked, "That doesn't bother me. The second you raised your hand you should have known you'd piss me off. I will have no choice but to reevaluate Sando's corporate dealings and support of Karamoy."

Eko took a step back. "W-what are you saying? Zara, we're classmates. How could you... this is my grandfather's company."

"An insult to my people is an insult to me. But perhaps you're right. I suppose punishing the whole company is a bit excessive... I heard your cousin just finished her MBA. Perhaps I'll throw our support behind her to get the company instead, hmm?"

Eko looked flabbergasted and clamped his mouth shut. He hadn't realized that he was messing with a dangerous viper. I blinked and stared at my fiancée. My heart pounded irrationally at being called one of her "my people".

No matter how many times I saw it, it was hard to get used to Zara's wrath when situations like these came up. I could feel the collective chill go down the spectators' spines. I couldn't help but find her rather admirable; and besides, I remember what Eko had said about her. He deserved it.

Zara turned without a second glance and walked out of the gala.
I put my hands on my hips and exhaled, glad she didn't need the help. She managed to put Eko in his place, too. Serves him right for underestimating her and approaching her after everything that had happened that night. I would smack him again if I could. Eko walked away in a huff, not even noticing me as he made a beeline for one of his mother's assistants.

As the crowd dispersed, Yoongi and Jungkook walked up to me and we stepped outside. I figured the others would follow me out too. The ruckus in the room wasn't too bad; only the gazes of the really nosy people lingered.

Jungkook held my arm, "Are you okay? Did Yuma say something?"
I cupped my face in my hands and let out a shaky breath. "Obviously... but it's my fault."
"What do you mean? It's not—"

"I cheated on her, so of course it's my—"
"No, you can't blame yourself for something out of your control—"
I put a hand on his shoulder and used my other hand to remove his grip on me. "It was my control."

"It wasn't really you, though."
"You're not understanding," I said, grimacing, "it was me. I remember. And she found out."

Jungkook froze and his expression dropped. Before I could react, he jumped to hug me tightly.

"Is that true?" Namjoon's voice rang behind us. I turned to look at him and the others, and nodded.

Soon I was wrapped in six pairs of arms. Overwhelmed with emotion again, I broke into tears and hugged back whoever I could.
"I can't believe I did that. It's all my fault. It's all because of me."

The whole group of us decided to ditch the gala at this point and congregate in Taehyung's apartment, which I now remembered was on the same floor of the same building as mine and Hoseok's. It was ridiculous how close we had been the whole time, yet I hasn't visited once.

Our blazers and ties strewn around, a beer in each of our hand's, and puffy eyes from tears everywhere, we sat on the floor and turned on the heater.

"So, we need the story," Namjoon said right away, "the whole story, this time."

I took a swig of beer and smiled, "I don't even know where to begin... so, as you might have guessed, Zara Sando is my fiancée."