At a night hour before midnight struck in, the Kim family had a safe landing on the Korean peninsula.

Having the little one in a tired and deep sleep, the father carried him in his embrace. With the few flashes of camera clicks here and there, they existed the airport with covered faces.

The driver outside, rushed to his master's side as he took over to wheel the luggage to a safe location. In the fastest instant, the carriage was brought to their front.

With a peaceful ride, the driver was safely escorting them all to the mansion.

Along the quietness, Taehyung's insides were in chaos and scattered all over. All these time, having Jae Ra around, he escaped the rebellion of thoughts.

The present already hard enough to accept leaving her behind in Newyork- all alone with her Uncle. He was struggling to figure out, who was truthful and who was lying to him.

Taehyung was living in the reality, still he would constantly hope it was all a dream. He was yearing to wake up and find Jae Ra beside him.

Yet again, the next moment he would find himself silently whirring constant speech of gratitude to the heavens. For her life. For everything, that he was tussling to accept all these time, being a lie.

A buzz of notification stirred Taehyung in the tranquil atmosphere of the car.

"I have reached New York," read the message he received in the recent second. The matter of the message came in like an assurance to him that Jae Ra would be fine.

Taehyung had sent his trusted man to keep a thorough watch over Jae Ra's actions and report to him if anything was off beat.

Even though, it appeared like a tail he has attached to her back. He believed, it was for her security and his peace of mind.

Taehyung was being tossed around his helplessness, when the carriage came to a halt and diverted his attention. The house was reached and he quietly stirred up to get off.

In a brief while, as the driver took care of their luggage and Ji Hae, of herself. Taehyung, gently carried his son back into his arms.

The latter perceiving disturbances, looked at his father with a cranky face and whines.

TH : Onh, did dad wake you up. I am so sorry. Let's quickly get changed and drift to sleep. Okay?

Jae Hyung, resting his plum face on the firm shoulders of his father, passed on a tired aggrement. His eyes closed again, already swimming back to sleep however.

Trusting Ji Hae to direct the driver and the just arrived maids with their baggage, Taehyung proceeded inside.

Upon reaching the room upstairs, he laid Jae Hyung carefully on the bed. Already asleep, he didn't wake the little boy as he tucked him under the warm duvets and placed a kiss on his forehead.

As Taehyung retrieved with an assured smile, he closed the door gently without making any sounds.

But, as he proceeded towards his bedroom on the same lane as his son's. Taehyung noticed, the lights of his father's study downstairs was still on burn.

Neither did the late night hours nor did the long tiring flight help him contain his aggression any longer. And he advanced to the stairs voluntarily.

While climbing it down, his eyes briefly met with Ji Hae's, who was heading to her room.

The grive-driven orbs filled with a deadly rue made Ji Hae to halt in her way and follow his raging walk with her eyes.

Meanwhile, Taehyung approached the study door and it flashed him a sight of his father. The latter was absorbed listening to music in his gramophone.

Taehyung's clench on the door knob tightened to see the peace in his father's resting face with closed eyes.

He, with a deep breath, walked in. And shut the door with a thud behind him, to make Mr.Kim aware of his presence.

Ji Hae flinched lightly at the slam as she was automatically tempted to walk downstairs. As if was possessed, she unconsciously hid herself by the pillar under the staircase, listening to their conversation.

Mr.KIM : ...was waiting for you all. When did you arrive?

Taehyung didn't oil the small talks and jumped right into his inquiry from a unbiased perspective.

TH : Appa . . . Jae Ra is alive.

The uneasy change in his father's expressions began to reveal the shrouded truths before him.

TH : (-heavy voice-) By any chance, where you aware of that? Please be honest.

Mr. KIM : Taehyung-ah, you don't know the whole thing ye-

TH : (-cutting him off-) I see you couldn't just say a direct "no".

While the younger family had gone to their small vacation, Mr.Kim recieved a ring from a person he had most unexpected.

Jae Ra's Uncle, upon learning about Taehyung's New York visit, felt it best to keep him updated. Thus, Mr.Kim was informed about the incident that he later called Ji Hae to confirm.
Reassuring Mr.Kim, that the matter was handled with perfection, Mr. Jang only asked of him to obstruct Taehyung from meeting her again.

TH : Let me ask this. Did you also learn about it recently like me or.. d-did you lie to me from the start?

Mr. KIM : Taehyung-ah, I know this has come to you as a shock. But, I think you should rest for tonight. We will talk tomorr-

TH : (-cutting him off-) If you hated us so much, you just needed to tell me. We would've left your house. Or maybe even cut all ties with you-

Mr. KIM : (-yells-) Kim Tae Hyung! Think twice before you speak.

TH : (-scoffs-) Did you think twice? Before spilling out that ridiculously atrocious lie. When she was fighting for her life in the hospital bed and... I had no clue about it? And those funeral arrangements. Were they just a part of the set up?

Although, Mr. Kim had been prepared to deceive his son once again with a few more lies. The truths, being pronounced out loud caught him too off gaurd that he couldn't help but keep silence.

On the other hand, Taehyung, standing against him, was praying for his father to atleast paint him an excuse. Mr.Kim's silence was only confirming his claims that he didn't want to accept or believe.

TH : Talking about it, did you... did you also fake our son's death? Is he too alive somewhere? What have you done to him?

Mr.KIM : (-yells to suppress his guilt-) Taehyung! What do you think your father is? Cope however you want, but that baby never existed. The fetus expired in the womb.

Taehyung felt a block of ice break on him as he heard the harsh words from his father. He felt sorry to that little life and ashamed of himself to be an incompetent father to it. But, he was atleast relieved that it ascended before it had to bear its grandfather's bitter curses.

TH : Just how bad were you wanting to rid us apart to steep this low, Dad?

Mr.KIM : I had to take care of the mess you created! What would you have done with Jae hyung and Ji hae? Abandon them for the sake of that woman?

TH : (-indignantly-) I would've done everything to take care of anything I was responsible for. And that woman. She was my wife.

Mr.Kim couldn't find words to counter him and remained silent as Taehyung continued.

TH : Everything could have been done to their best interest. But, you called JaeRa de-... (-holds himself-) No reason, no excuse is good enough to justify yourself faking someone's death. Never.

Taehyung couldn't further hold his tears as he looked down, arms inclined to take the support of the table. All those tormenting hours of despair and pain came rushing through his heart and mind.

There was a moment of complete silence before he regained the strength to ask the last question he least wanted to know. No matter how hard it could be to accept that as well, he willed to take it all together.

TH : Does Eomma know about it all?

Mr.KIM : (-speaks instantly-) NO! Your eomma doesn't have the slightest idea. No one did. Infact, Ji Hae agreed to marry you only after learning about Jae Ra's...(-hesitating-) Taehyung-ah, it's not how you think it is.

TH : (-wipes his tears and gathers himself-) Enough, dad. I hope you don't live in the delusion that I would believe in anything you say from now on.

Once again, Mr.Kim could utter nothing to stop his son from vanishing out of his sight. Taehyung's hurting gaze and the resent he could feel in his tone of speech finally splashed some guilt into his heart.

He rested back on his chair for a moment to register everything that has occured morally wrong. No matter how desperate he was for the business deal to remain at the top. Taehyung never deserved that. And neither did the rest of the cast who were involved without their conscious knowledge.

Lost in the maze of realizations, Mr.Kim was snapped out by a familiar voice from the door. He lifted his gaze to see Ji Hae wearing an unusual expression.

Her stare spoke a lot.

Yet being skeptical about the matter with her, Mr. Kim tried to play oblivious. She didn't seem to move from her position, so he walked to the door.

Mr.KIM : (-smiles-) Onh, Ji hae-ya. How was your flight?

JI HAE : Jae- Jae Ra-ssi is alive? Is that really true?

Back in the hide, Ji hae was flummoxed with the sudden shower of truths revealing one after another.
She could experience a mixture of rue, umbrage and deception in that little space. The absolute fear that one trembles with upon the realization of one's wrongdoing, crippled her heart and soul.

Ji Hae could clearly visualize the scene that occurred those years back when the seed of lies and deceit were first sown. Which has now, flourished up to stem a beguiling shrub. Pretty to the eyes, poisonous to the ties.

JI HAE : Please, tell me I heard it wrong.

Mr.Kim could only sigh, finding no answers to present her.

Mr.KIM : Ji hae-ya...

JI HAE : (-realizes something-) Now that I think of it, Jae Ra-ssi is the one back in NewYork, isn't she?

Mr.KIM : (-unable to match eyes-) I am sorry, Ji Hae-ya.

JI HAE : What exactly for? Lying to me and my father or teaming us to lie to your son?

All those scenes were running vividly in her mind. When, her father, Mr.Jeong summoned her back from Canada. Ji Hae had gone there, coping with the acceptance of life and finding a new meaning to it. Finally coming to peace with the bittersweet reality that some people and stages are never meant to be ours.

Only for all her resolutions to be sabotaged by the call from her father that made her fly back to Korea. Innocent from the viciousness, she deliberately walked to kiss the most complicated series of lies.

JI HAE : What exactly are you apologizing for?

Mr.KIM : Just... for everything. But, you are the only one, I even considered as my daughter-in-law.

JI HAE : As much as I wanted to marry Taehyung Oppa, I never wanted to-... (-hold her tears-) I never wanted to deceive him and tear him apart from his wife. I am not that immoral to do him this bad.

Mr.KIM : (-insensitively-) I did what seemed the best for my son. I am willing to go any heights or any depths for his fortune. And that fortune was only with you.

JI HAE : Are you being true to yourself right now? What fortune are you referring here? He has never once smiled with his heart after our marriage. I can't-

Mr. KIM : (-cutting her off-) He has received social stability, thanks to you. People could accept you naturally. Where would've his status lied if people knew his wife is a mere middle school english teacher?

Ji Hae couldn't comprehend the words he was pronouncing to her. Under the covers of lies, she was seeing the real Mr.Kim for the first time.

Mr. KIM : Before he is Taehyung, he is my son. And I wouldn't allow him to do anything that hampers my image. His life is not really apart from mine.

JI HAE : Against all that you said just now, does that really vindicate separating a child from its own mother?

Mr.Kim was snapped out of that one lie that almost felt like the truth now. And although he was tuned with her words, yet acted ignorant.

Mr. KIM : What are you talking about?

JI HAE : Kim Jae Hyung. Jae Ra-ssi is his birth mother, isn't she?

_______

Wow, how long has it been, since I updated last?

Anyways, hopefully I will edit the chapters more frequently since I am in a long hiatus from writing anything new.

See you soon!

~MJ's out🎈