Diamond nation

24. The price he paid for ambition

Jungkook sat in his room at his family mansion, completely exhausted and broken. He had spent the entire night crying and drinking and he was so lost on what to do ahead. His eyes fell on his phone where Chaerin's call went unanswered for the 9th time. Seconds later her 15th text arrived. He couldn't bear to look at it.

He picked up the phone as he saw the home screen. A smiling picture of her with two burgers in each hand looked back. He vividly remember the day she destroyed those burgers like they were a kid's meal while he had struggled to finish even one.

He couldn't give up, not for her. Rubbing his eyes, he stood up to go talk to his father again. He slammed the door of his room open as he made way towards his office. All the helpers at his house watched and they knew something had gone wrong. Jungkook never got angry, so if and when he did, something was about to go down.

He made his way towards his father's office but halted as his mother came and stood in front of him. "Jungkook", she spoke "I need to talk to you"

"Not now, where is he?", he tried to make way towards his father's office.

"Your father's not there if you are looking for him", she held his arm to keep him back. "But I know what you want to talk about and I am here for that. I know you are heartbroken Jungkook but hear me out"

"Mother, don't act like you are not in it with dad. I know he never does anything without letting you know. So please don't pretend that you care now. I don't need the sympathies"

His mother sighed. "Your anger is valid but I am saying it keeping your best interest in my mind"

"Yes because separating me from the woman I love and want to spend the rest of my life with and threatening me with consequences if I don't comply is your definition of my best interest?", he shot back.

She did not say anything but dragged him with her. "WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME?", he yelled, throwing her hand down.

"I want you to see something. And that is when you'll know what is best for you", with that she took a pause. "And Chaerin"

At the mention of Chaerin's name he stopped. He gulped looking at his mother who was pleading with her eyes for him to listen to her. Hesitantly he followed the woman who took him out to their garage. She waived off the chauffeur waiting there as she grabbed the keys and got into the driver's seat herself.

"Where are we going?", Jungkook asked as he got in. She didn't reply but started her car and drove out of the mansion. A few minutes later Jungkook found himself being driven to a rather less developed part of the city. An area which he didn't even expect his mother to know the name of let alone visit.

She stopped the car and motioned for him to get out. He followed and soon enough he was standing in front of a road which looked to an apartment complex around which there were small restaurants and shops.

"You see that small eatery at the front?", she asked. He nodded. "And do you see the woman there cleaning the table?", she followed. He again nodded.

"Jeon Hye Ri", she said. Jungkook looked at her confused. Jeon. Was this woman somehow related to his family?

"That's your father's sister", she continued.

"Dad has a sister?", he asked aghast.

"She was the family's most loved. Your grandmother doted on her. Both her brothers were very protective of her. She was smart, beautiful and the ideal woman that all her peers aspired to be. She went to Oxford to study economics. And then did her masters at Yale. She had her own firm with top clientele. Are you surprised to see what happened? How did someone so accomplished end like this?"