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writemekpop · 4 years

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Breaking Point (Part 1) | Mark Lee

Pairing: Mark Lee x Reader and Jung Jaehyun x Reader

Summary: Everybody has a breaking point. When you lose your job and your boyfriend Mark wants a break... you just can't take it anymore. In your darkest hour, someone unexpected comes to your rescue. And it isn't Mark.

Genre: Angst

Word Count: 1.6k

Read Part 2 here

You unzip your daughter’s little puffer coat and sit her down at the back of the convenience store where you work.

“Now, if anything goes wrong, you call Mummy, OK?” you say. Jasmine nods absentmindedly, already absorbed in a game on her phone.

You feel the pang of guilt. You know she’s too young to be left alone, but babysitters are so damn expensive.

Once you’ve had her recite your phone number three times – you can never be too safe – you walk to the front of the store.

“What’s my job today, Mrs Oh? Shelving?” You smile at the kind old lady who runs the store.

Mrs Oh pulls off her glasses, her face creased with tiredness. “Dear, I’m so sorry for making you come all the way up here.”

“What do you mean? I’m not late, am I?” Nervousness prickles over your skin.

“We’re going to have to let you go… We just can’t afford to have you anymore.” Her gaze is fixed on the floor.

You lean against the counter, suddenly feeling dizzy. You’re late on the rent – like two months late – and Jasmine has a school trip coming up. You literally can’t afford this right now.

“Wait- please don’t fire me- you can pay me less, just…”

“I’m sorry dear, there’s nothing I can do.” The pity in Mrs. Oh’s face makes it hard to breathe.

You squeeze your fingernails into your palms, trying to keep your emotions under control. “I guess I should leave then…”

You start putting Jasmine’s arms back inside her jacket. She looks up at you, her little face falling when she sees your expression.

You should have told your boyfriend Mark about your money troubles, but you were too damn proud. Since Jasmine’s father Doyoung left, she only has you to look after her – only you – and you messed it all up. “We’re going home early today, baby,” you say.

Jasmine’s lip starts to tremble. It annoys you - crying is only going to make things worse. “Don’t cry, you hear me?” Frustrated, you yank her zip up too hard, and she starts bawling outright. Damn. You’re a terrible mother.

“Shhh. I’m sorry baby. Let’s get going.” You pick her up and dash to the exit.

As you drive home, you force yourself to take deep breaths. Jasmine’s sweet voice asks, “Are you okay, mummy?”

You bite your lip so hard it stings.

---

You push open your apartment door, setting Jasmine gently down. You feel like glass - like the tiniest thing could smash you to pieces. But you need to keep it together, for your daughter’s sake.

Your boyfriend Mark is sitting at the table. He stands up abruptly when you enter. Your heart swells at the sight of him, dressed in his silly Simpsons T-shirt, his dark hair still damp from the shower.

Your heart aches from the day’s events, but the sight of Mark makes you feel better. “I’ve had the worst day ever,” you say simply, walking over to him.

You wrap your arms around Mark’s strong body, pulling in his warmth. To your surprise, he’s stiff and unyielding. His arms stay glued to his side, not returning your hug.

Something’s wrong. You pull back a little, that horrible feeling welling up inside you again.

Mark’s lips are pressed into a tight line. “I’ve been thinking about… us… for a while now.” He takes a deep breath, and you realise you’ve stopped breathing. “I think we should take a break. And… I want to move out.” Your heart drops. Not today. Why the hell did it have to be today?

You look up and see Jasmine tottering towards you, one arm stuck in her coat that she tried to take off on her own. “Let me h-help you with that, baby girl,” you whisper. You get it off, and look at her with as much strength as you can muster. “Go to bed now, sweetie. It’s bedtime.”

“Will you and Marky read me a story?” your daughter asks. You feel like you’ve been punched in the guts. “N-not tonight, baby… just go to your room please.” You struggle to sound cheerful, painfully aware of Mark’s eyes on you.

You hear Mark stepping towards you and grit your teeth. Anger bubbles up inside you.

Jasmine is still dragging her feet, refusing to leave. “Bed. Right now.”

Mark puts his hand on your shoulder, and it makes you so furious that you shove it off without thinking. Oh no. Jasmine shouldn’t have seen that. You push her small shoulders towards her bedroom door. “This is the last warning, Jasmine.” Finally, she enters, and you click the door shut behind her, feeling relieved for just one moment.

The moment ends.

You turn to face Mark, balling your hands into fists. “I really can’t deal with this right now, Mark.” Your eyes sting with the tears you’re fighting to hold in.

Mark clenches his jaw. “You can’t just ignore me, Y/n. I’m trying to talk to you.” A hot shiver of anger rushes through you. He is being so selfish it makes you want to scream.

“Look, I’m sorry about how you’re feeling, Mark. But please, please can we talk about this tomorrow. I’m so tired, and today I got fire-”

“No!” Mark shouts, not letting you speak. “We’re talking about this right now.”

You turn towards your shared bedroom, but Mark grabs your arm, stopping you in your tracks. His grip is tight, and it nearly pushes you over the edge.

“I can’t take this anymore, Mark!” You rip his hand off you and stride to the front door. Suddenly, the apartment is choking you. You need to step outside, just for a minute. You are inches away from breaking for good.

You slam your front door behind you and slide down it, till you’re sat on the cold floor. You close your eyes and take a deep breath. But it doesn’t work, you still feel horrible.

You suddenly hear a man’s voice from beside you. It’s not Mark’s. It’s lower, and smoother.

“Hey there. Welcome to the sitting-on-the-floor-in-the-middle-of-the-night club.” His voice has a quiet humour. You look beside you, and see a handsome young man, with curly chestnut hair and large eyes that are the exact same brown as Jasmine’s.

He sees your expression and frowns. “Are you alright?” he asks.

You realise that you haven’t been asked that in a long time. Your lip starts to shake. You know that you’re supposed to answer - ‘I’m alright’. You look down at your trembling hands, and try and force the words out, but you can’t.

And just like that, you break.

“No! I’m not alright and I haven’t been for a long time.” You know this man is a complete stranger, but you can’t stop. “I lost my job, I can’t pay the rent, my boyfriend broke up with me, and I have a four-year-old girl who is sitting in her room, wondering why her terrible mother has abandoned her!”

For a long moment, there is silence. You finally gain the strength to look up at the stranger and see… real worry in his face. Not embarrassment, boredom or awkwardness. Real, honest concern.

And all the toughness in you just melts away. You lean onto his shoulder and weep, your body shaking with the force of it, all the tension of the past few months flowing out of you.

You cry until his jacket is sodden with your tears, and your eyes are red and swollen. He stays totally still the whole time, his shoulder reassuringly solid.

Afterwards, you feel strangely hollow, like you cried till everything inside you came out. Your head is pounding and you’re weak with tiredness, but the knots inside you are gone.

You know that Jasmine, Mark and all your troubles are still waiting behind your door, but in this moment, you feel peace.

You hear the man’s sweet voice again. “I wish everyone would answer the question ‘Are you alright’ like that.” He chuckles.

You laugh for the first time since you can remember. The sound is croaky from all your crying, but it mixes with the melodious sound of the man’s laughter, and you feel almost happy.

“I’m Jaehyun, by the way,” he says. “And you are?”

“Y/n,” you reply. Your nose runs, so you have to wipe it with your sleeve, and you suddenly realise how terrible you must look. The thought makes you laugh again. You feel like you’re floating, like this moment isn’t real. Like this charming guy isn’t real.

“What are you doing sitting out here, then?” you ask him gently.

Jaehyun’s beautiful dimples surface in a smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He opens his mouth to speak, but then closes it again abrubtly. His face is shadowed with a sadness you can’t quite understand.

Then, his happy demeanour returns, like curtains being drawn shut. “You probably have to get back now,” he says. You realise you’ve spent ages out here, but you’re dying to know what he isn’t telling you.

“I guess you’re right,” you admit. It’s clear that he won’t talk anymore now.

You meet his long-lashed eyes. “Thank you. I think I needed that.” You blush at the thought that this man seen a part of you that no one else has, not even Mark.

Jaehyun grasps your hand, and you feel a flutter inside you that you haven’t felt in a while.

“I think I needed it too.”

Part 2 Spoiler

In the next few weeks, you become closer to the mysterious and charming Jaehyun. With him, you’re finally starting to feel happy again. But when Mark wants to get back together, it’s hard not to fall back into the arms of the man that you’ve always loved. Who will you choose?

READ PART 2 HERE

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