Past 

23| "Not a father, but an asshole." 

Taehyung 8

Taehyung's mother was his everything.

Taehyung's mother was always strong, forgiving, a golden-hearted giver. He admired her, appreciated her. Nothing mattered to him more than her. She was his inspiration, the contentment of his heart, his superhero who always pulverized the nightmares plaguing his mind. Being detonated into pieces yet she always managed to put a smile on his and his sister's face. So yes. Nabbi was her Childerns superhero.

She was a woman who could tear down all the obstacles and stomped them under her feet without shrinking a bit. A bad bitch— Taehyung used to call her that. Since childhood, he wanted to be like her, tenacious and resilient and charming. 

But Taehyung didn't know that his mother was afraid of his father, the only thing that trembled her soul from the very core. Kim Hyeon was her genuine nightmare in a three-piece Italian cut suit and Prada shoes— Her husband, the love of her life.

Nabbi was a goal-oriented girl, living her life on her own accord, making her own rules. Long story, in short, she was raised by her foster parents which weren't much nicer to her, when she reached her eighteenth, she decided to leave that hell-hole for the sake of her mental health. Love, romance, and butterflies taking flight in the pit of her stomach never happened, which somehow she was thankful for. Nabbi never wanted someone to overrun her life, trust issues were one of the solid reasons.

But it didn't last long, love was something that was inevitable and tragedy was bound to happen with her. Poor girl didn't see her disaster entering her solitary life in a lethal human form. Meeting him was a coincidence, falling for Hyeon was the beginning of Nabbi's downfall. Things changed for the 20 years old girl when she fell for the rich guy— who pretended to have a heart nestled in his empty chest, who lied that it only beats for her.

He was sweet, caring and everything that a girl could desire. He gave her respect, he adored her, he appreciated her and she didn't know that he was making traps with his smiles. He showered her with his luscious, flirtatious words. He marked her body with his chaste kisses as well as imperishable promises. A promise to spend his entire life with her. A promise to be her saviour. He was the perfect lover that Nabbi never expected, nonetheless she was happy to have him. 

They were in love. They got married. They had kids. One boy, one girl. Everything seemed sweet and perfect, but perfect wasn't real— then her existence ruffled upon knowing that her husband was a wolf under sheep's clothing, manipulating her for his own goals.

"What is going on in that head of yours?" The 8 years old Taehyung's eyes latched open by the revile voice of his father, a subtle frown cropped up between his brows. He had never heard his father's voice so gruff, glossed with immense animosity, it slithered an eerie sensation barreling down to his body

"Mom." Little Taehyung whispered to no one, he realized his brittle voice couldn't reach his mother's ears, she was probably downstairs with her dad. With jitteriness twirling with his innocuous heartbeats, he blinked at the darkness surrounding his room. A bright trace of light slid in by the creak of the door, staring at it as he sat up, throwing the thick blanket.

"Are you just gonna stand there? Why are you not answering me? Why do you always disappoint me, Nabbi?!" The lambast shouts of Hyeon vibrated along the length of the walls as a sickly chill penetrated Taehyung's neck, he looked down from the stairs. Nabbi taught Taehyung that eavesdropping was a bad habit, he shouldn't do that and he was a dutiful child, always obediently listening and following her instructions, though right now his nerves had unpleasant knots, and the urge to know what was happening to their parents was strong enough to break the abidance. 

Taehyung ran toward his sister's bedroom, the thumping of his feet was as delicate as his body as he neared the toddler bed, peeking at the three-year-old Aiya peacefully sleeping. Taehyung mentally 'AWE' at his adorable sister, with the utmost care he held her tiny, soft fist in his evenly small hand and kissed it oh so lovingly.  

"Don't wake up yet Aiya-yi." Taehyung spoke, his pinkish lips curled into a heart-shaped pout "Brother, don't want your beauty sleep to ruin." He let her fist go, flashing a loving gaze at her sleeping figure, Taehyung turned his back and returned to the bannister. 

Nabbi was standing in front of Hyeon, all glorious and dainty and porcelain against the chauvinistic man. There was an angry swirl in her dark eyes, her jaw was rigid yet there was a hint of softness in her features. She always had this grace in her like a ballerina, modest yet unmatchable. 

"Stop shouting, the kids are sleeping upstairs." Her voice circumvented raspy with heavy uncertainty, her agile fingers were clammy around the glass she was clutching and quietly sipped the water as her void attitude worsened. Nabbi was never hard to read, she was expressive with her emotions but today Taehyung couldn't see through her. Why were her eyes not glowing with mirth? He wondered.  

"Hyeon, stop with your absurd words. You look like a beggar to me right now." She appeared unbothered by her own outrageous words, as she flashed her so-called husband a look as if he was a cloud of dirt around her house. Taehyung's shoulders shook, he covered his mouth with his small hands to prevent the gleeful laughter tickling his throat. 

Taehyung shouldn't laugh at his father, that's rude— but again no one could win against his mother.

"You are treating me like a beggar right now." Hyeon growled out like a rabid animal, snatching the glass from her hand and throwing it on the floor. The shattering sound flinched Nabbi and Taehyung in their places, his golden iris clouded with concern. The brew of tension was hefty and familiar. They think Taehyung didn't know how they argued and fought with each other whenever Hyeon came home once a week. The little boy eyed his father, tall and broad and so full of himself, right now he was detesting him for making his strong mother so vulnerable. 

The muscles of Taehyung's cheek flickered, and he bared his teeth. He never had this intense urge to claw out those frigid eyes that were glaring down at his mother in utmost aversion— No one could make his mother feel less and inferior. 

"You just have to meet them, what's difficult here? what's your fucking problem, Nabbi? Can't you do that for me?" Hyeon grabbed her forearms in a punishing grip, startling the woman with the sudden winch, she scowled at him with a flesh wounding glare. Taehyung fiddled his fingers with the riveting uneasiness, his heart was cracking and aching for Nabbi. 

"Are you listening to yourself Heyon?! Are you out of your mind? You want me to sleep with your client!" Taehyung was startled by her unexpected outburst, she shoved the man away. Nabbi was so disgusted that she couldn't even breathe near the man who once upon a time robbed her heart, who made her believe that he could be her salvation. Lies, it was a web of lies. Kim Hyeon was a devil, sharpening his claws in the darkness and today he had unsheathed them for Nabbi. 

"This deal is important, worth it." Nabbi's jaw clenched hard, she walked away with her heartbreaking and falling apart into pieces. 

"Don't you want to see me successful? Don't you want me to accomplish everything that I want?" Hyeon's lousy words interpreted her rushing thoughts, and Nabbi froze in her place like a statue. 

The questions were pure nonsense, of course, she wanted to see him on the top to reach the accomplishments, but not like this where she had to tatter herself. She faced him with the most furious expression that she could summon, every fibre of her being was so fragile at the moment, even her knees trembled with the need to collapse on the floor.

"Wow. You are truly a dick huh?" Nabbi snickered, the sound was pure venomous. "Who asks their wife to spread their legs for a random man to get a business contract?!" Tears amassed in the corner of her eyes, blurring her vision as she harshly wiped it, peering at the path of Hyeon's dark soul.

"Aren't you being a ridiculous bitch here Nabbi? You just have to impress him, just tonight, that's it." Nabbi felt her insides curled by sudden nausea, contempt impaled her throat to form the next word. She stumbled when Hyeon wiped the distance between them and cupped her face, his touch was warm and soft unlike his intentions that were crawling around her skin like spiders.  

"Are you scared that my heart might change for you, no darling? I won't stop loving you. I would still love you the way I love you now, nothing would change." Syrupy and malicious, that's how Hyeon was sounding as his thumb slid around her cheekbones to wipe the tears. He was trying to entangle her by his emotional statement, he was stupid to believe that his feebly, sweet words would crumble her determination. 

"But I won't love myself, I won't be able to look at myself without having the thought to end my life. I won't be comfortable in my own skin. For you I won't cradle a lifetime of trauma. I'm a human, a respectable woman, a faithful wife and you don't get to treat me like a one-use junk. If you are so desperate to impress your client then arrange a private whore for him, prepare the best meal in the glitzy bedroom in one of your hotels." Nabbi slapped his hand away, her action was saturating in loathing and conviction as Hyeon coolly skidded his fingers in his hair, his golden iris shimmering in resentment. 

"He wants you!" He barked out on her face, curling her stomach like a feral animal. Her husband, the beacon of her admiration, her knight in shining armour— his hideous face was now in front of her. 

Meanwhile, Taehyung was muddying with confusion. Didn't his dad love his mother with everything then why he wasn't accepting Nabbi's refusal, his wife was crying then he should comfort her rather than scream at her like a complete psycho. Why did Taehyung's dad want to send her to someone else? Taehyung was a kid, too young to comprehend the disruption of things around him albeit he somehow knew love didn't work like that.  There shouldn't be a third person in his parent's life.

You never share your love with anyone— that's all Taehyung knew. 

"Do you feel a little bit of shame? Does your soul even flinch? Fine, hear me carefully, I'm not gonna let you use my body to fulfil your goal, no one is allowed to stomp on my dignity. Fuck you if you don't agree with me, your opinion doesn't matter." Nabbi growled out like a wounded tigress, she was angry and Hyeon knew that his gorgeous wife had never learned to deter or recoil so easily. 

Taehyung's mouth got dry, the way his mother cursed so boldly sent profound waves of tingles on Taehyung's spine, and he felt his skin prickling in a funny manner. So cool, so badass. He liked the sound of 'Fuck You'— Right, he would use it someday, probably in school with his friends or with his teachers. 

"You are so consumed by greed and ambition that I can't even recognise you!" Nabbi's entire body was shaking due to resentment and remorse, tears dashing down her cheeks. She was seeing her own world darkening, Thanks to her bastard husband. 

"And you said you love me. When that bastard put that offer, you should have killed him right there, that's what a true man does for his woman and here you are trading me. It shows how important I am to you." Nabbi jabbed her index finger on his chest in an accusing way. Hyeon jerked one brow on his forehead, he didn't seem pleased by her words, and the sinister expression darkened his clear-cut face. 

Taehyung listened to Nabbi in rapt attention, the pain dripping in her voice throbbed his sinless heart in a brute force, he longed to run to his mother and hug her all pain away. The real man never shares his woman with someone else— Taehyung carved this thing in his mind, so in the future, he wouldn't disappoint his wife like his dad was disappointing his mother. 

"Nabbi my darling, why do you gotta ruin my plans huh? Gosh, you are a hell of a woman, always doing what makes you please, always disobeying me, always getting out of my fucking hands." Hyeon chuckled maliciously, looking as if he had lost his mind, he grabbed Nabbi from her jaw, the grip was avenging and brutal to withstand. 

"Enough of your lecture about dignity, it's time to stop getting on my last nerves. You are gonna visit him in the hotel tonight like a stoic good wife, get it. I'm controlled right now, don't make me force you, Nabbi." Hyeon tightened his grip, pinching her skin to develop the pain as Nabbi whimpered out, knowing it would leave the ugly marks around her face, though she wasn't much concerned about it. 

"Leave my mom!" Nabbi and Hyeon snapped their heads at the furious Taehyung who was digging a hole in Hyeon's face just by his murderous glare. 

"Go to your room, son." Hyeon hissed, settling his wicked gaze back at the woman who was gaping at Taehyung with those heart-shattering expressions. 

"You heard him, let me go." Nabbi bellowed, struggling to free herself from his hands.

"What if I don't?" Hyeon queried with a wolfish gleam in his eyes but his smugness didn't last long.

A buzz transpired in his ears, his body stumbled back in a slow-mo when Taehyung threw a vase on the side of his face, the shattering noise of the vase melded in the toxic air as blood dripped on the floor. Hyeon's forehead was bleeding, the side of his face was matted with blood as he glanced at Nabbi who shortly scampered towards Taehyung to engulf him in her arms.

"Told you, listen to him." Nabbi turned to Hyeon with a bitter smirk, her eyes were bare of emotions.

"You bitch—"

"It's not his fault that the vase crashed with your ratty face." Nabbi bit him back, swallowing her despair down, she hauled him by her side as Taehyung's delicate scowl sharpened at his father— the sight of Hyeon was making him repulsed, though the blood was dropping his wound was such a satisfying sight. He hated every person on this earth who would hurt his mother. 

"Get out and never come back, I don't need a scumbag husband like you who begged his wife to sleep with another man. My kids don't need a father like you who doesn't know the meaning of family and home, who has no fucking morals in his filthy veins. I should have known when you kept our marriage and kids a secret to your father and the world, you were always selfish and a cowardly bastard. Funny that you don't feel disgusted with yourself but I do. I'll send you divorce papers, fuck off." She removed the ring and threw it on his face, Hyeon picked up the ring from the floor and glanced at Nabbi— no guilt, no shame.

"You will regret this." He snarled, a cold clink in his winching voice.

"Get the fuck out of here, you asshole." Hyeon said nothing but his eyes glinted, a dangerous warning. He left without a word, promising himself that he would go to an extent to ruin Nabbi, no matter if he had to wait for eternity. Taehyung didn't know that his world was going to have a drastic tilt. 

"Mom, we don't need him. He made you cry, I hate everyone who makes you cry." Taehyung tugged his mother's hand who was blankly gazing at the front door where Hyeon just walked away without glancing back. A brittle smile topped her dry lips as she caressed Taehyung's lush locks falling on his forehead. 

"Promise me, you won't be like him, Taehyung."  

Taehyung gasped, his eyes latched open as his body hoisted to sit up.

A doom— a nightmare— a tragic past, whatever you would like to call it. Taehyung had never overcome it, the memory lingered around him like a whisper or a sin. 

Sheeny sweat glazed his neck and forehead, his cheeks were stung red and the white T-shirt stuck around his taut back like a second skin. Counting 1 to 10, inhaling and exhaling, finally he calmed down a bit, he rubbed his chest to ameliorate the pressure. It was a trick that Nabbi had taught him whenever Taehyung faced difficulty to ease the tension. 

He felt so cold at the moment, demolished and opened and fragile like shreds of glasses. He didn't want to be there, in this room, in this Kim Mansion. It was hell for him. The coldness surpassing his bones was potent enough to disturb the boy. Taehyung swallowed hard as he tugged his knees under his elbows and rocked back and forth, he was shaking, sensing himself so vulnerable. 

He missed Nabbi— he missed his sister, he missed being happy and whole. 

"I know, how can I feel whole. I need her, my red." Taehyung mindlessly mumbled as he climbed out of the bed in a haste, not caring to wear his slippers as he walked out of his room at speed as if his bare feet were on fire. 

Downstairs— take a right turn— fourth room. 

TA-DA! 

Nina's bedroom. Wait— it's 2:50 am. 

Taehyung knocked on the door, he didn't know what he was doing and he shouldn't come to her room to chase away his agony, Nina shouldn't be the cure for his pain but his mind was too entangled to comprehend things. Fuck it, she was his remedy then why would he think before approaching her. Nina was his, and he had all rights to see her. A few minutes later, the door swung open and a sleepy Nina opened the door while scratching her head and yawning with her big, open mouth. 

"O-oh?" Nina shut her mouth and blinked at the male who was staring at her with hooded eyes. "What are you doing here Tae?" Her voice squeaked with panic as she peeked behind him through his shoulders, looking at the hallway. 

"I can't sleep." Taehyung dryly spoke, bewildering Nina in her place. 

"So? Does he want me to sing him a  lullaby?" Nina thought, scrutinising him head to toe, his hair was tousled on his forehead, a frown bunching between his brows, his golden eyes were hazed with— sadness? Kim Taehyung looked so sad, he never looked sad, he was always smug and playful and devilish.

He was troubled, And Nina wanted to know why, it cramped her chest for Taehyung. More importantly, why was he there in front of a girl who he thought of as dirt under his Gucci loafers?

"I had a b-bad dream. I don't want to stay in my room." Taehyung's voice shuddered in his mouth, he licked his lower lip. He de-stress a little bit upon seeing her nodding her head and gesturing to him to continue. Why was she so kind? What kind of heart did she have? After hurting her so much, she was still there rather than shutting the door on his face. For the first time, Taehyung felt mortified of himself for treating Nina like a shit.  

"Can I sleep here?" Nina sensed his hesitation layering her skin like a balm, as her eyes doubled from their size. There were thousands of rooms in Kim's mansion, he could sleep anywhere but he chose to grace his presence in her room, specifically servant's quarter— what kind of joke was that? 

"S-sleep here with me?" Nina took her steps back, flashing him a judgy look. 

"I won't do anything." Small and tender, Nina had never heard his voice like this, it dissolved her uncertainty as her eyes softened at the man who was staring at her with hopeful eyes. Today she could read every emotion crossing his face, he seemed like a boy who wasn't evil or cunning, he was just a boy seeking warmth and comfort. 

"Okay, you can sleep on the bed." Nina put the pressure on her words, her cheeks were toasting red. With clammy hands she opened the door wide for him to walk in, her body was firm and strangely her stomach had mushy knots. Taehyung said nothing, he feebly dropped his body on the bed, silence stretching between them like a rubber band. 

"And where will you sleep?" Taehyung asked, torturing the timid girl under his searing gaze. "On the floor?" He arched his brows and sat up. He appeared displeased by her decision, it was so evident on his face though it shouldn't bother him. He was acting weird and Nina had no idea why? Every step of his thumped her heart at an inhuman pace. 

Her lips parted when Taehyung's palm closed around her wrist and the next thing Nina knew she was lying on the bed and Taehyung was beside her, engulfing her small frame under his vital arms, he hide his face in the curve of her neck, his lips brushing the pounding pulse.

"I'm a man of my words, Red. When I say I won't do anything, then I won't do anything not unless you want me to." The sinful whisper of his mouth coated the sliver of her skin, nuzzling his face there as Nina stared at the ceiling with broadened eyes and parted lips. 

"At this moment, inside this room let's forget how much we loathe each other." There was a plea in Taehyung's voice, filling Nina's chest with something soft like petals. Both sensed the shift of emotions but didn't let out a word— in this room, there was no hate, no shame, no heartache between them, it was their secret, their safe haven. 

"You want cuddles?" Nina chuckled as Taehyung stopped for a second, a smile gracing his plump lips by the cheeky flicker in her honeyed voice. He mumbled a 'whatever' under his breath. "Kim Taehyung is being soft. Aw how needy and cute." She ruffled the hair of his nape in pure affection as he playfully squeezed her waist in return, receiving a chunk of laughter from him. Taehyung felt so light-hearted, bottling that sound in the corner of his heart, that sound belonged to him now. 

"You don't share your woman with someone else." Taehyung thought as he kissed the side of her head. 

—— 

Let's hate Kim Hyeon with our whole hearts.