Disaster
His Story, Her Story... Their Story
“Don’t forget to pick up the birthday present either from that cute little photo place around the corner from the apartment. And don’t be late. You’ll ruin the whole surprise element of the party, okay?” Victoria orders, listing each item as though she was reading from a sheet of paper. The swift turning of the phone as audible from the other end, a swish of air brushing past on her side. Muffled screams and cries sound in the background, objects crashing to the ground. My fatherly instincts send a warning message to my brain as I raise an eyebrow, curious as to whether or not she and the kids are okay. A miscarriage or something along, those lines would be devastating for the both of us and as the due date draws closer with each second, we, Victoria, has to be increasingly careful. To say I’m excited is an overstatement and I’m more along the lines of worry and anxiety. Would the twins like me? Will Victoria realise I would be a hopeless father and leave me?
“Is everything okay over there?” I ask as Victoria says no other words.
Tonight’s event is Yoona’s birthday party and Victoria is adamant that it is a large affair since it has been years since they’d last celebrated a birthday together. While juggling work from Wooyoung, Victoria has also been party planner along with grandma who, as I quote, said, ‘I’ve got nothing better to do and it will be fun,’ also making it very clear that Yoona must know nothing about it, therefore creating the whole surprise element. This has been no trouble for me at all, especially because I never talk to Yoona even when she’s in the apartment, with the exception of her threats to cut off my male s if I did anything to hurt her sister. Awful imagery but that’s the way Yoona likes to do things.
“Everything’s fine. I thought grandma dropped the cake but it was just another tray. Now remember, don’t be late and I’ll see you tonight,” she hurriedly replies before hanging up the phone as the words freeze in my breath and no words escape.
“Love you too,” I murmur as my lips curl into a disappointed smile. I’ve told her I loved her many times but she made no attempt to repeat or take my lead. Not even when the baby first kicked and I rushed over to her, saying the words pretty clearly for her to hear.
“Khun, come here!” she shouted excitedly from across the bedroom, her face bright and cheerful as she rested her hand upon the visibly large bump which housed our twins before they were ready for the outside world. I leapt up from my position on the bed, my laptop gracefully falling to the floor as I rushed to her side in worry.
“What happened? Are you okay?” I asked as I lifted my hand and placed it upon her forehead as a means of checking her temperature. A giggle escaped her beautiful, kissable lips as I watched her like a fool, finding it difficult to understand the situation. This turned into a guffaw, as if she was jeering, mocking me, and I became somewhat hurt by the situation.
“I’m fine. The kids are kicking, that’s all. I’m not sick,” she playfully hit me across the back of the head as I returned to my senses. “Don’t you want to feel our babies kicking?”
My eyes widened in shock and I was unaware of what to do. The atmosphere around us became tense and awkward as she watched me with curious eyes, gesturing me to come closer. I was frozen in my steps as she shifted her weight from foot to foot towards me until we were mere inches apart. Her lips brushed against by cheeks as she lifted my hand, placing it on the bump which encased our unborn children, my ears flushing to a bright shade of red in embarrassment. She smiled warmly, not wanting me to be tense or scared and my muscles loosened from the awkward stance in which I stood.
The next words I spoke had been hidden within my mind for a long period of time. I had awaited the right moment to say them and that moment, that moment felt perfect. “I love you,” I whispered into her hear, my warm breath brushing against her cheeks. She didn’t respond and twisting my body towards hers, she merely nodded in agreement, rushing away to attend to other errands while leaving me hanging. Nothing else was said as she left me in that state of disappointment and I had no one to approach for that matter.
The line of thought is erased from my mind as the incessant knocking of the oak door echoes in the air, reaching my ears. I lift my head to see Taecyeon’s silhouette on the outskirts of my office, unsure if he was allowed access inside as the door creaks open. Furrowing my eyes in confusion, I hold out my hand, gesturing for him to come inside as he watches me in anticipation.
“Hey! What’s up? Ready for Yoona’s party tonight?” I ask, trying to begin a conversation as he stares at me like we were strangers to each other. Knowing him since I was in diapers, I have never seen him like this, so timid and confused. I wonder what’s wrong with him as a frown lingers on his face while Yoona is mentioned. He’s always been the one who was more approachable and easy-going around women, animatedly chatting with them without hesitation to hold their hands. Also more capable to hold a serious relationship, romantic troubles were infrequent and strange. I’m in no way a means of offering romantic advice, but with it being Yoona’s birthday, I suppose it’s my duty.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Do you have time right now?” he questions in response, placing his hand on the back of the chair as he pulls it forwards and rests himself upon it. The strong stench of his cologne lingers in the air, filling my nose in an unpleasant manner. His eyes scan over the various objects of my office, lifting the pen from my desk and examine it closely before he heaves a sigh. “Nice pen.”
“What‘s wrong between you and Yoona?”
“My mom found out I had a girlfriend, I don’t know how, and she insisted I bring her to dinner so they could meet. Yoona was more than happy with the idea and we went to dinner at my parent’s house. Mom was being her usual self and found Yoona fascinating and incredibly beautiful, bragging that our kids would be gorgeous but then dad appeared, acting unfriendly and rude around her. He pulled me into his office during dinner and asked me to break up with her because of her ‘poor’ background, claiming that she was a gold-digger out for our fortune,” he explains briefly before sipping on the glass of water upon my desk. Taecyeon’s dad, how could I explain that man? Well, he was never really around during our childhood times and wasn’t fond of the kids who came to play with Taecyeon, except me of course. Sometimes I became worried about Taecyeon, who grew up under the care of his nannies, his parents never seen while they become involved in making money and rich contacts. When I delve deep into our contrasting childhoods, I come to a realisation that my parents did love me, more than what Taecyeon experienced. I feel sorry for him.
“So what happened next?” the words slip out of my mouth as the current situation meets to my interest.
“We finished dinner as if nothing was wrong but on the way home I slyly asked Yoona if she was after my money. She started to argue that she would never do a thing like that to me, growing infuriated by the second until the whole thing blows out of control and she stormed away before I could say anything else. I started to realise that I don’t know what Yoona’s motives are while she’s with me and I either have to choose between Yoona’s love and my father’s. I don’t know what to believe or think about her anymore,” he lowers his head until his face is no longer visible in my line of sight.
A difficult decision lies in his hands and I suppose his father is looking for a bride to fit to his specifications of Taecyeon’s perfect wife. A similar situation who have laid in my future if I had not made the ‘mistake’ of finding Victoria that fateful night. It was my destiny and fate to meet her, planned out before it even happened that she was going to get pregnant. The feelings we both experienced had come by nature and our associations now that we are expecting children. I ponder over whether or not my life will be the same if it hadn’t happened. Would she still be my soul-mate or other half? Or would things have been different between us?
“Well, you need to decide whose love is ore important to you. Yoona’s? Or your dad’s?”
“I don’t know Khun. I honestly don’t know,” he sighs in defeat, unsure how to answer the question. He has always yearned for his father’s love but also a life with the person he will settle down with and have a family. It is obvious that he cares about Yoona but is that enough to make him stand up against his father and control his own life.
******
“Are you sure your dad is home right now?” I ask as my car halts to a sudden stop in front of the Ok mansion, my eyes leisurely scanning over the vast building before us. His muscles stiffen at the sight as feelings of anxiety sit in the pit of his stomach, threatening to travel upwards. It has been years since my last visit to the mansion, the day that Taecyeon finally decided to leave the mansion and live a life of his own without his parent’s supervision. Or more likely the watching eyes of the servants.
I reminisce the many exciting, moments of our past in that house - the parties, exotic women, more parties. We lived a good life in high school, popularity appearing before us as we became well-known for throwing this lavish, over-the-top. We were the Jay Gatsby’s of those years and we loved it. In many ways, those times will be missed. Yet in some ways they had paved a path for our life to follow, the endless nights where we would be intoxicated by the masses of alcohol and an aftermath of daily hangovers. Perhaps that’s why Wooyoung is so successful - because he didn’t make similar mistakes and lived a peaceful life.
“I don’t know. We should probably go back and plan how I can make up with Yoona tonight,” he answers, diverting from the confrontation of his father and casually switching the conversation. I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, glancing at him from the corner of my eyes as a gust of wind blows towards us from the AC. A shiver travels up the length of my spine as I watch passing pedestrians raising their brows in curiosity as the car remains unmoving, frozen in the middle of the road. Yet the whole time I wonder how Taecyeon could be convinced to do the right thing.
I press down on the accelerator with my foot as the car travels forward, spinning the wheel until we follow the direction towards the gate of the mansion. Taecyeon remains un-noticing of the sudden change in our movements, directing his line of vision to his phone as the tips of his fingers press on the screen in a nonchalant manner. My eyes shift back and forth between him and the road as his dark orbs remain glued to the screen. I wave my hand in front of his face yet I am still left with nothing, no change in movements or emotions, clearing my throat in order to attain his attention. What the hell is he up to?
Taecyeon’s body jolts forward as the car halts to a stop in front of the fate, a guard rushing towards the car in his attempt to hold us from entering the grounds. He faintly raises his head, shooting me a look of distaste as we are immediately recognised by the guard who allows us entrance.
“What are you doing? I said I wanted to go back,” he argues as he shoves me with the back of his hand.
“What am I doing? I’m trying to help you,” I raise my hand and point towards him, “You’re the one who wants to be with Yoona and because she’s the sister to the women carrying my kids, I feel that m my duty to do so.”
A wave of disappointment and anguish washes over him, twisting his head until he was watching the surrounding trees planted on the outskirts of his family home. “Yoona texted me. She said we need to talk. About our relationship. She wants to break up with me,” he replies, trying to keep his composure and suppress his feelings of disappointment and sadness. “For the first time, I felt like I had finally found the person I was destined to be with. But ever since we met my dad, our whole relationship had started tearing at the seams and I don’t know why. Is it my fault?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I’ll help you get your dad’s approval and win Yoona back. I promise,” I reassure him, resting my hand on the crook in his shoulder. Before Victoria, those words would never have escaped my lips. I would never have tried to help anyone. And now I am beginning to realise what extent her presence has really changed me.
******
“Young master, your father is in his study at the moment,” the servant addressed the issue of his dad’s whereabouts as we are led through the vast hallways of the Ok mansion. A smile lingers on my lips as I stare at the many pictures hung around the house, many of Taecyeon and me in our childhood. He was an only child until the age of 8 and in his parent’s absence, his nanny was all he had, always wanting to cherish the brief moments of happiness in his life. Yoona is needed in his life now.
The watch on my wrist solemnly announces the time of 5:00 pm as the ticking of the clock hands drone on and on through the hallway. It was as though we were in a maze, following the twists and turns in search of the office/study occupied by Mr Ok. I lift my head, squeezing my eyelids closed as they become blinded by the intense light of the chandelier above, the encircling diamonds twinkling under the influence. The home was decorated with many family heirlooms passed down generations until it had reached ours. The Ok family has always had money and riches, traced back to the medieval times of the 1500’s or possibly even further, unlike my family which had only come into money in the last hundred years or so after my great-grandfather began a business. A large majority of the Ok family looked down on those who were from a poorer background, unable to understand why anyone would ‘choose’ to live in that way. It was the reason behind his father’s harshness towards Yoona, despite her range of study in London.
My next movements are paused by Taecyeon who stands frozen by the double French doors which I assume to have been the study. His hands reach towards the silver handles, clenching it in his fist but unwilling to pull it open. He briefly turns to me for support before I pace myself forward and, creaking the door open, step inside. A silhouette is visible before us, steering out the large window behind the oak desk. His lips move as though he is talking into his phone yet the phone rested on his desk by the large stacks of papers mounted upon it. He remained unaware of our presence as if we were invisible, non-existent.
“Hey! I need to talk to you,” Taecyeon shouts as his fist slams on the desk, the piles of paper shattering like glass. His father flinches in fear as he turns towards us, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion as if he can’t find a reason why we were there.
“Taecyeon what have I told you about acting civilised in the house,” he replies as he shifts his weight forward. “Nichkhun, how nice to see you,” a forced smile plays at his lips as he addresses my presence, “I heard you’re expecting children. How nice. Now can the two of you inform me why you’re here?”
“Yoona. I’m here for Yoona. We need to talk about her,” Taecyeon answers calmly as his father gestures for us to sit, pouring himself a glass of whiskey from the decanter by the bookcases. He sips on the bitter liquid, his face shrivelling in disgust at the sound of her name.
“That girlfriend of yours? Well I suppose since you’ve broken up with her that I get you arranged to meet the daughter of my business partner. She’s known to be very beautiful for those who ought to know about her. And she’s very well educated. We could use someone like her in our family,” he listed, implying that Taecyeon has fallen below his expectations as a son who will make him proud in his family.
The atmosphere is tense and I feel like I’m about to be stuck in the middle of the conversation. I have no chance of escape as I watch the doors sway backwards with the wind until they are unintentionally slammed shut. My father would never argue with me in other people’s company. I suppose Mr Ok wouldn’t either. Or would he?
“I have no intention of breaking up with Yoona. I guess you don’t understand that I’m actually in love with her, do you? She studied in London and she’s a doctor. She’s beautiful too. What’s your problem with her?”
Mr Ok heaved a sigh, unsure how to continue as a smirk came over his face, “I told you that she doesn’t fit in with our family. She doesn’t love you, she’s after our money. What don’t you understand about that? Do you really want to humiliate our family when she runs away with our money?!” His face flushed to a bright red to mimic his anger, beads of sweat hanging on his temples. I try t convince Taecyeon to choose his next words carefully so that his father doesn’t take drastic actions against him. But I’m completely ignored in this quest.
“How do you know she wants to take our money? You’re not Yoona and you don’t know her as well as I do!” he roars, the glass decanter in his hands before he lifts it firmly into his grip and hurls it against the wall. Shards of glass scatter across the ground, whiskey staining the cream rug by the bookcase. To say I’m shocked is an understatement. I can’t understand the tension between the pair of them. I thought parents were meant to support your choices yet this is untrue in Taecyeon’s case.
“I’m trying to save our family from the humiliation. And if you choose to be with that Yoona girl then so being it but you can no longer be classed as from the Ok family. Say goodbye to the family fortune Taecyeon,” our eyes widen in shock at his words. A father disowning his own child because of his choice in marriage? That is disgusting. And now I’m no longer sure what the right choice is for Taecyeon. Lose his parents? Or lose Yoona?
“I guess this is goodbye then. If you don’t understand how much she means to me then you’re not worthy of being my father,” Taecyeon bids his dad farewell as he grips my arm tightly within his fist and drags me towards the door. I’m unsure of what to say during the moment, unwanting to infuriate him as we exit the room and follow the maze in search of the front entrance where my car has been parked. His mom and sister are nowhere to be seen, no way able to help us.
We rush out of the house before I can manage to find an exsue for us to stay and mend the current situation between Taecyeon and his father. I rest into the driver’s seat, my nose wrinkling at the vile stench of alcohol that hung on Taecyeon’s clothes and skin as I urge for fresh air. Taecyeon indicates for me to begin driving, for us to leave the grounds of the mansion he had grown up in, no longer to be seen in his eyes ever again.
We sat in silence. I don’t dare to breathe a single word, wanting him to have time alone with his thoughts. Focusing my entire attention on the road, I don’t realise the time of 6:30 pm, growing dangerously late to the party, Victoria’s orders no longer memorable in my mind. On the outskirts of the city, we were far from my apartment at the opposite end and I suppose Victoria will be infuriated by my actions. Any form of distress was harmful towards her health and well-being.
My phone vibrated in my trouser pocket, the incessant ringing disturbing my ears. I fumbled through the layers of fabric in search of it as Taecyeon leaned over towards my side and pressed down on the button of my steering wheel, answering the phone immediately. My cheeks redden in embarrassment as I sigh in defeat.
“Khun? Hello? Are you there?” I hear the faint voice of Victoria at the other end of the call. Other voices are audible in close proximity as she calls my name once more.
“I’m here.”
“Khun! You were meant to be here half an hour ago. Where are you? Please tell me you are quite close. I asked Heechul to bring Yoona over in about 10 minutes,” she replies anxiously as she paces back and forth. Feelings of guilt wash over me as I realise the extent of worry that I have caused her by ‘wasting’ too much time with Taec who was in no mood to celebrate Yoona’s birthday.
“I’m so sorry but I’ll be another 40 minutes. I’ll call Heechul if you want and I’ll tell him to spend another hour with her. I’m really sorry,” I answer, reaching for my phone and ready to dial Heechul’s number as soon as the call is finished. Victoria’s anger with my actions is clearly heard over the phone as if she is squeezing something tightly within her hands, trying to break it.
“You better be here in 40 minutes or bad things will happen to you Nichkhun Horvejkul, very bad things. And don’t forget to pick up the birthday present.”
*****
“Thank god the two of you are here. Now hang this up for me,” Victoria greets as we enter through the front door.
The keys jingle as the door creaks open and a banner is shoved into our hands. Taecyeon and I exchange a look of annoyance as Victoria directs inside the room already thoroughly decorated with banners, streamers and various objects in the colour of the spectrum. The scent of assorted delicacies lingers in the air, filling my nose with the sweetness as my stomach grumbles in hunger. Grandma’s silhouette is visible in the distance as she struts forward in a pink dress similar to Victoria’s, her crimson lips curling into a smile at the sight of us.
The next ten minutes pass us in a daze, people rushing back and forth, the consistent ringing of the phone as Victoria and Heechul converse over when to bring Yoona, Chansung secretly chewing on the chocolate éclairs freshly baked that morning and peeking through gift bags. Life with twins would be equally busy and rushed, always needing to be attended, changed and fed. Our nights will be disturbed by endless crying and squealing, barely a full hour slept. Many wish for the blessing of giving birth, others are cursed unexpectedly but everyone is capable of being good parents if effort is spent correctly.
“Everyone hide! Yoona will be up really soon,” Victoria yells. I brush my fingers through the tousled, brown tufts of my hair as I follow her, who hasn’t spent any alone time with me all day. Her eyes twinkle in the bright light of the room as our eyes meet, barely inches apart from each other, transcending to a deep red in the fervent heat of the room. My arms slip around her waist, drawing her closer to me as I cradle her in my arms, unsure of why I was doing so but enjoying the moment fully.
My smile becomes a scowl as our moment becomes disturbed by the creaking of the door, a head peeking through curiously while the figure leaps in excitement and rushes inside. By this time, everyone has shown themselves, shouting out ‘Surprise’ as Yoona skips forwards, her face glowing while a grin tugs at her lips. Victoria encases her within her arms, tightly squeezing the sister who is far too happy to put into words.
“I can’t believe you did all of this for me! I thought you forgot,” she giggles, scanning her eyes over the vastness of the party, inhaling the sweet scents within the room.
“I’m your sister. Of course I would. Happy Birthday Yoongie!” Victoria places a cupcake into Yoona’s hand, encouraging her to take a bite as I idly stand by her side and watch. Yoona twists herself towards me as though she is wondering if I have contaminated it. Realising that I wouldn’t do such a thing, she stuffs it into , lifting her head while she nods and enjoys the subtle sweetness of the desert. She freezes in position as she directs her sight elsewhere, furrowing her eyebrows in anger.
“What are you doing here?” Yoona asks in distaste as Taecyeon is clearly visible in her line of sight. He watches her in confusion, fiddling with the confetti in his hands as he becomes unsure of what to do next.
“I’m here because it’s your birthday and I want to celebrate it with you,” he answers, unable to understand why she is enraged with him or what he had done to provoke her.
“If I can remember you thought I was only with you because I was after your money,” the harshness of her words attracts unwanted attention from the rest of the guests who begin to eavesdrop on the conversation curiously.
“You did what?” Victoria steps away from him, venom seeping from her eyes as Yoona tightly squeezes her hand. I find myself in the middle of the fight once again - Yoona and Victoria on one side, Taecyeon on another. My sympathy for Taecyeon grew as they didn’t know or understand what he had been through that day. They didn’t know how his heart ached internally because of the pain his father had brought him.
“My dad thought that you were after our money. I’m in love with you Yoona and I trust that you love me too. My own dad disowned me because I wanted to be with you,” the anger in Yoona’s eyes is missing, tears threatening to spill from the rims which held them back by force.
“I didn’t want you to break up with your family because of me. They’re your family, who know the best for you, and I’m someone you barely know. I don’t want to become your mother or father when you need one Taec. I can’t take care of someone who can barely take care of himself,” the tears coursed down her face, staining her ashen pale cheeks as she fled the apartment. Victoria followed closely behind as Yoona slammed the door, leaving the rest of us in shock.
Hi everyone. I am so sorry and I didn’t mean for this update to be late but you know how busy people can get some times. I have an update for you guys now and I don’t know when the next update will be but I assure you that it will be up as soon as I can make it.
Hope you guys enjoy what I have for you anyway and take care because I care,
Love from coolgirlaamy xxx
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